the carillon
the staff
editor-in-chief michael chmielewski editor@carillonregina.com
The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962
business manager shaadie musleh business@carillonregina.com production manager kyle leitch production@carillonregina.com
September 04 - 10, 2014 | Volume 57, Issue 03 | carillonregina.com | HOTW: #WelcomeToUofR
cover
advertising manager neil adams advertising@carillonregina.com marketing manager arthur ward technical@carillonregina.com
Now that the semester has officially begun, might we be the first to say: Run. Run as fast and as far as you can.
multimedia editor brady lang multimedia@carillonregina.com copy editor michelle jones copyeditor@carillonregina.com news editor
alec salloum
And now that we’ve weeded out the quitters from the pack, welcome to the U of R. In your hands you hold the best student newspaper in Canada (our eic will fight any opponents to this claim). Check out page 8 & 9 for the U of R equivalent to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
carillonnewseditor@carillonregina.com
a&c editor destiny kaus aandc@carillonregina.com sports editor vacant sports@carillonregina.com op-ed editor taras matkovsky op-ed@carillonregina.com visual editor haley klassen graphics@carillonregina.com
staff writer news writer a&c writer sports writer photographer
taylor sockett
Please don’t throw us out with your class syllabi.
john kapp
Also in this issue
madina azizi laura billett matt wincherauk
Indigenous Studies. Page 4 Two years ago, a petition was put forth to make Indigenous Studies 100 a mandatory course for convocation. Find out what happened to the discourse on page 4.
spencer reid
contributors this week eman bare, jessie anton, suzanne barber, kaitlynn nordal, bram lerat, john loeppky, autumn mcdowell, melody findlay, harvey michael, simon fuh, patrick malone, ahsan amjad, allan hall
news
distro manager
#VELOCIRAPTOR. Page 13 A humble suggestion: rape culture needs to end. Not just the behavior, but the term as a whole. Now that you’re good and pissed off, read the reason on page 13.
additional material by: the staff
Michael Chmielewski, Shaadie Musleh, Kyle Leitch, vacant, vacant, vacant, vacant
227 Riddell Center University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2
www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586 8867 Printed by Transcontinental Publishing Inc, Saskatoon, SK The Carillon welcomes contributions. Correspondence can be mailed, emailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name, address, and telephone number on all letters to the editor. Only the author’s name, title/position (if applicable) and city will be published. Names may be withheld upon request at the discretion of the Carillon. Letters should be no more than 350 words, and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy, and vulgarity. The Carillon is a wholly autonomous organization with no afilliation with the University of Regina Students’ Union. Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers, and not necessarily of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff.
op-ed sports a&c
the paper
THE CARILLON BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by The Carillon Newspaper Inc, a non-profit organization.
the manifesto
In keeping with our reckless, devil-may-care image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is the story that’s been passed down from editor to editor for over forty years. In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildings was a belltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower. The University never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.
illegitimi non carborundum.
news a&c sports op-ed cover
photos
Haley Klassen Kyle Leitch Haley Klassen Haley Klassen Haley Klassen
Pink gold, Saskatchewan tea p.5 You are good enough p. 12
Here, kitty, kitty. Page 16 The formerly long-haired Matt Wincherauk explores the endless possibilities of the Cougars’ upcoming seasons (spoiler alert: either they win, or they don’t).
The White Sox in a dirty city p. 16
Sarcastastic. Page 21 Oh, wow! This text was super descriptive. Thanks a lot for writing it all out.
From the office of the President p. 23
In other news: In a shocking announcement, Premier
Brad “Rump-Thumpin Tuff Nutz” Wall announced that the borders of Saskatchewan would soon be changing. “I’m sick and tired of this half-assed rectangle shit,” the Premier announced while sipping Cristal from a golden chalice. The changing borders would mean Saskatchewan would annex land from both Manitoba and Alberta. “Deal with it, bitches,” the Premier announced, throwing up gang signs to the Legislative Assembly.
news
Editor: Alec Salloum news@carillonregina.com @carillon_news the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
A breakdown on the cost of being a student Essentially, everything costs too damn much john kapp staff writer
Tuition at the University of Regina will be increasing to between $5,983.90-6,926.40 per ten-class year, a 3.8-5.0% increase from last year dependent on one’s program. Arts students enrolled in three classes this semester will pay $2,078.00 in tuition and fees. Four classes - $2,677.25 - and those enrolled in five classes will pay $3,276.50. Business administration students enrolled in five classes this year will pay $3,785.25. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation states that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Regina is $1,055 and expected to continue to rise with increasing property taxes and slow growth in vacancy rates. High speed internet for students in Regina ranges from $25 to $110; no longer a luxury item, regular internet access is a necessity for students in the digital age. Driving, parking, and insuring one’s car in Regina can cost into the hundreds of dollars per month; the university charges $39/month to park in the school’s M-lots, with night passes available at a discount. Cost for a post-secondary student’s transit pass is $54 per month.
Allan Hall Piggy banks will break!
A student in Regina can expect to spend up to $150 a month on food. Assuming the majority of students drive or bus to the university and eat food they purchase and live in a shared space, they can expect to spend up to one thousand dollars a month in Regina on the above essentials. In addition to that, the full-time student must pay an
average of $500 and $750 per month on tuition (or assume that much in student debt). This factor does not include textbooks, which vary greatly from program-to-program and student-to-student, but is another cost added to the financially strained student. We ran into a former student, Andrew Maltman who attended the university in the past
and asked him for his opinion on the tuition increase, “For someone who doesn’t have a lot of spare money around and wants a post-secondary education, I could see why they would be less attracted to the university.” Minimum wage in Saskatchewan will be going from $10 to $10.20 on October 1. In order to make the one thousand-plus dollars required to pay for an
apartment, food, transportation, and other amenities, a student must work approximately twenty-five hours per week. This amount may vary depending upon how much a student is paid and if that student is receiving financial aid, this is the wage offered for most entry-level, part-time retail and service jobs available to the young student with little experience. The university made $67,338,000 from tuition and fees paid by students in 20132014. The university is expected to generate $71,152,000 from tuition and fees paid this year. This $3,764,000 increase in funding is accompanied by an increase in federal and provincial government funding of $3,570,000 – bringing state funding of the university to $113,048,000. Students finding themselves in dire financial straits are more and more plentiful in Regina. While the tuition increase is less than previous years, it exists alongside great increases to the cost of living in the city of Regina. As the Carillon reported earlier this year, the university is undergoing a period of expansion, which is matched by making older parts of campus more accessible.
URSU adopts new accountability policy Board of Directors will now have to be more accountable michael chmielewski editor-in-chief
URSU has changed the rules surrounding the accountability of its Board of Directors, making regulations around the student-elected Board stricter than in the past. Back in February, the Carillon reported that some elected URSU Board of Directors had awful attendance records, some only showing up to three out of eleven of the bi-weekly meetings. This ground Board meetings to a halt, because the meetings couldn’t achieve their 50 percent plus one quorum. That won’t be possible anymore. Stricter motions and policies were passed by students at last year’s URSU Annual General Meeting (AGM). One such policy is called the “URSU Board Director Accountability Provision,” the motion amends the constitution so that directors must send their regrets at least a day before the meeting starts (one board director from last year never sent any regrets), and, if a director misses more than three
meetings in a row without sending their regrets, “the Board will have the power to ask the member step down from their position.” The reasons for the motion were that the board couldn’t reach quorum, which hampered effectiveness of the organization. The minutes from the AGM reported that “the Carillon has noted in its February 24 article on board absenteeism, that some board members have not attended a single meeting.” The motion passed. This year, URSU has a new executive after the latest round of elections in the winter semester. Along with the new executive comes a new board, yet this year’s Board is notably smaller. Just over half of the positions are still unfilled, with 11 of 21 student constituencies like the Arts, Aboriginal, and LGBTQ seats still unrepresented. The by-election date is not set yet. According to URSU President Devon Peters, “campaign packages will circulate mid to late September, then the voting days will be sometime in October likely.”
Michael Chmielewski Let’s hope URSU board meetings no longer look like this.
URSU has made some big changes with the new, but condensed, board, including approving preliminary funding for Welcome Week in the tune of $8000, repairing URSU’s phone system ($2500), sponsoring the Cougar Athletics Program ($10000), updating URSU’s “very out of date and slow” computers which evidently lost data ($15000), updating the Financial Policy, revising the Elections Bylaw, and adopting the 2014-15 budget. It seems, at first, dis-
concerting that such changes were made with many student constituencies not represented, yet, since students didn’t run, URSU was left with little choice. Peters defended the summer motions, saying that these changes were necessary to make. “The budget needs to be passed. An organization can’t function without a budget. There’s no way we could have existed without that happening.”
He went on, saying, “We had a lot of things to fix, and a lot of work to be done over the summer. We are functioning as a democratic organization, it’s just such a shame that the process broke down in such a way that students chose not to run.” According to URSU’s constitution, the board upholds URSU’s principles, legislates and manages its by-laws and fiscal policy, while administrating its affairs, amongst other duties.
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
news
What the hell happened at the U of S? A brief recap of the summer’s hottest academic debacle alec salloum news editor
The University of Saskatchewan had an interesting winter semester in 2014, to say the absolute least. A new program, TransformUS, was met with ire and outrage. A tenured professor was fired for breaching “protocol” and speaking out publically against the program, only to be re-hired the next day. The acting President was fired. National attention was paid to the U of S and with torrents of accompanying criticism. And finally a former Lieutenant General of Saskatchewan came to serve the acting president of the University. This all happened over the first few weeks of May, so if you happened to blink, much of this might have passed you by. As such, we will now try to recap what the hell actually happened at the U of S earlier this year. Essentially, the catalyst to this debacle was the provincial budget not providing funds requested by the U of S, much like what happened at the University of Regina. The program sought to address and manage a projected deficit of $44.5 million by the 2016 scholastic year. The University addressed this deficit
Haley Klassen National attention was given to the U of S in the wake of recent events.
and stated that it was false on the Q & A portion of their website. It instead outlined a deficit of approximately $15.3 million after the 2013/14 scholastic year, though it did not address the projected deficit for 2016. Regardless, the TransformUS operated as a means to eliminate the least effective, in terms of cost and enrolment, classes at the university. From this the president, faculty and
students would vote to defund or continue these cost infective classes. Fair enough, austerity and tight budgets require some hard decisions. The crux of this scandal begins and ends with the TransformUS program and how it was run. Enter Professor Robert Buckingham, a tenured prof and executive director of the School of Public Health. During a meeting with U of S deans, then
President Ilene Busch-Vishniac, stated that she expected “her senior leaders to not ‘publicly disagree with the process or findings of TransformUs.’” Understandably, someone took issue with this; that someone was Robert Buckingham. He would go on to publish a letter titled “The Silence of the Deans,” describing his relation with the School of Public Health, the U of S and also his disapproval of the program. The let-
ter also describes how any tenured staff speaking out against the program would find that their “tenure would be short,” by mandate of Busch-Vishniac. The letter was published in early May, and on May 14, Buckingham was fired. This drew international attention, given the disregard for tenure and also the internal silencing of dissent against the administration. Given the coverage and outrage surrounding his dismissal, Buckingham was promptly reinstated May 15. Four days later on May 19, University Provost and Vice-President Academic Brett Fairbairn announced his resignation in the wake of the controversy. And finally on May 21, by rule of the University of Saskatchewan’s Board of Governors, Ilene Busch-Vishniac’s appointment as university president came to an end. In her stead, Dr. Gordon Barnhart was appointed acting interim president until a more permanent replacement can be found. If one thing is to be taken from the events at the U of S, it’s this: freedom of speech is still vehemently cherished. When it’s stripped or censored it warrants action and outrage from the public and national community.
The state of Indigenous Studies 100 Should it be a mandatory class? madina azizi news writer “Lets make Indigenous Studies a requirement for graduation in all programs here at the University of Regina and around Canada,” said Julianne Beaudin-Herney. Back in Nov. 10 2011, a petition started to go around the University of Regina. The goal of this petition, entitled, Student Initiative to Change On-Campus systemic racism, was to end systematic racism through making Indigenous Studies a mandatory class in the University of Regina using the voice of the students. Beaudin-Herney is the creator of the students’ initiative to help change systematic racism in U of R. A support petition was also designed to allow any high school student, high school teachers, university professors, SIAST students, and employees of any business or corporation to sign this petition in support of such a movement. Petitions were also sent out to Aboriginal organizations such as Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), The Circle Project, Regina Treaty Status Indian Services, and to the reserve areas. Furthermore, all universities across Canada also received this
petition on Feb. 1, 2013. The petition circulating all across Canada is expected to take around 5 years, said Beaudin-Herney, in a video on the U of R blog. Once this petition reaches students outside of Saskatchewan, it is up to those students to spread awareness of this petition and to get supporters. When, and if, this motion is passed at the U of R, it is expected to expand all across Canada. This petition has been receiving both positive and negative feedback from students and professors thus far. There are many students and professors, such as First Nations University (FNU) President Doyle Anderson, who believe that by educating ourselves, we can move forward in society in a harmonious way and we can understand and come into terms with our history. Others, like Josh Dehaas, a journalist from the University of British Colombia, expresses some concerns in his Maclean’s article, ‘Why Indigenous Studies shouldn’t be mandatory.’ “Indigenous Studies is fine as an elective, but for many, it would be a waste of time and money. Above all, it’s wrong to force students to take classes focused on one minority’s history,” said Josh Dehaas.
Haley Klassen There is still contention over making Indigenous studies mandatory.
Beaudin-Herney is aware of such concerns, but this will not stop her from pursuing her goal. “Some of the resistance is concerned that it is going to be made a forceful type of education, they don’t have a choice, they don’t want to admit there is a problem with racism here in Saskatchewan… but I’m willing to help change that and help people understand that we want to change to make a bet-
ter Canada.” There were a lot of rallies, awareness, and promotion of the petition going on around campus when the idea first originated back in Nov. 2011. There was also despicable racist backlash, predictably, such as swastikas drawn on the public petitions. However, things seem to have quieted down for some time now.
Beaudin-Herney was contacted for comment, but she did not reply before the Carillon went to press. The circulation of the petition around Canada is expected to take nearly five years. There haven’t been any updates or additional information on the future plans of this movement. The Carillon will continue to cover this story as it unfolds.
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
news
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Maclean’s University rankings are out! We suck a bit less!
Haley Klassen Hah! Take that York!
madina azizi news writer Maclean’s annual University Rankings came out Oct 31, 2013. New and old students are sure to check where their universities place. New and existing students attending the University of Regina will be glad to know that the U of R has moved up a spot
in the comprehensive university category. In Maclean’s university rankings we are now ranked 8 out of 15. Maclean’s University Rankings takes into consideration reputation surveys, research funding, student support and much more. Maclean’s has three categories that it places universities in. They are Medical Doctoral, Comprehensive, and Primarily Undergraduate.
It “recognize[s] differences in types of institutions, levels of research funding, diversity of offerings, and breadth and depth of graduate and professional programs” states the Maclean’s website. As outlined by the magazine, universities in the Comprehensive category have a significant degree of research activity and a wide range of programs at the undergraduate and gradu-
ate levels, including professional degrees. “The University of Regina has traditionally had a low student/faculty ratio, which is beneficial to our students and has helped the University maintain its position in the Maclean’s rankings,” said President Vianne Timmons on the U of R’s website. “In recent years, we have increased the amount of scholarship, bursary and other support for our students, and our students and faculty members have been recognized with a number of significant national awards. These factors contribute to and reflect the quality of education we provide, and I am pleased that they have helped us move up in the rankings this year. At the same time, however, we always have areas where we can improve, and the Maclean’s guide is one way of helping to identify them as we set our priorities in the context of our strategic plan”. University of Regina has seen improvement on “student/
faculty ratio, student support, scholarships and bursaries to students, and social sciences and humanities grants,” states the University of Regina website. The Maclean’s survey, as submitted by the 2012 Canadian University Survey Consortium, states that 9 of 10 students in University of Regina are content with the post-secondary institution that they are attending. They are also happy with the general quality of their education here in U of R. In world rankings, the University of Regina makes it to 827 out of the 1,000 with Harvard, Stanford University, and MIT taking the top three. With the new school year, the U of R is certainly motivated to keep on improving and to keep moving up the scale in Maclean’s Comprehensive University category. At the end of the day, this is still simply a magazine’s poll of our university’s performance. It’ll be interesting to see where the U of R ranks in the next poll.
U of R Book Series
An examination of potash, past, present, and future alec salloum news editor
“I asked Don [Black] if there was any chance potash could be developed by the province; that is, through public ownership. His response was, ‘I’m afraid not John. We just don’t have the finances or personnel that would be required.’” And with that, our province lost out on an industry worth billions annually, our gilded egg laying goose. Potash: An Inside Account of Saskatchewan’s Pink Gold, is John Burton’s account and analysis of the early days of potash development in the province of Saskatchewan, from the initial discovery in 1942 to the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan being sold off by the Grant Devine government in 1989 – an event that Burton regards as the death of the company. However, from the genesis of potash development in the province it was not Canadian companies mining, but American ones. “When I first came on the scene the decision had already been made. The government decided we can’t do this on our own” says Burton. This was a decision that was already out of the hands of the Saskatchewan government. As it stands, Saskatchewan holds 53 per cent of the world’s potash deposits. Potash is used largely as a fertilizer, opposite nitrogen and phosphorus. As such, it is instrumental in agriculture and food production the world over. Burton stated, “It is my contention, that Saskatchewan
would be much better off if potash had remained in the public fold. It would’ve been better off for the corporation and for the people of Saskatchewan.” This is a hard point to disagree with, given that in 2012 potash sales and royalties generated close to $6 billion, with the Saskatchewan government seeing 7 per cent of these royalties. As much as it recounts in factual detail the initial rumblings of potash development, the book also gives candid anecdotes of the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) party during its prime. “At the time, it wasn’t easy, because of the actual circumstances of the provincial difficulties, debt, and drought, etc. But also because there were quite a lot of people who … regarded CCF as being a bunch of Bolsheviks.” In fact some of the province mused, “CCF meant Crazy Canadian Farmers.” An overarching theme of the book is the struggle between public and provincial ownership and the growing trend of corporate dominance. “I’m trying to persuade people to think about what should we do now- what should we do in the future.” Though Burton does not give a plan for the future, he does express his concern in moving forward. “People, from here on have to make up their mind whether they’re just going to let the world carrying as it is, with the corporate world having an even greater stranglehold on the economy and on society
or are we going to do something about? Are we going to change directions? In order to change directions, it’s going to take some tough decisions and it’s going to involve some quite
drastic action.” At it’s core Potash: An Inside Account of Saskatchewan’s Pink Gold is a vision of what could have been and a cautionary tale for the future. Moving forward we will have to face the issues
brought on by corporate ownership of natural resources and their subsequent affect on our society. For Saskatchewan, the seeds of this trend are traced back to their origin in Burton’s book.
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
news
The changing face of education
How newly built schools seek to improve education as whole matt wincherauk sports writer
This week marks the beginning of a new journey for the residents of Prairie Valley School Division, as the brand new Emerald Ridge Elementary School opens to serve the growing White City-Emerald Park area. The Carillon was able to talk to some of the School Board members planning and building this school over the past six years. Ben Grebinski is the CEO and Director of Education at Prairie Valley School Division. When asked about the 21-century school, and how it differs from the traditional school buildings that many of us attended in our elementary and high school days, Grebinski had much to say. Among the key differences are presentation and design. “Schools of today certainly look a lot different than what traditional schools have looked like. Traditional schools took an institutional approach. Low ceilings, no windows, not a lot of space available for recreation or socialization. Everything looked the same no matter where you went!” Grebinski said with a chuckle. “It’s not the most in-
viting learning environment. In schools today, the building is influenced by the learning desires that we have within the education environment.” The Carillon received a tour of the new school guided by Superintendent of Product Management, Lyle Stecyk, and Manager of Facility Operations, Bob Ballantyne. Just looking around the open common area provides a great sense of how open and vibrant the whole school is. It is a colorful, warm and welcoming environment that any child would be happy to attend in the coming years. Moving on from the aesthetics of the building, the next question was about how student learning happens in the 21-century school. How much has the educational program changed in the past decade? Quite a bit in fact. A key change is the digital environment, a development that schools must accommodate. “Today’s learning is all about accessing information; retrieving the information as opposed to being an expert in every area. Technology now drives a lot of what schools look like.” An example that Mr. Grebinski used is that computer
labs are not the only places that students can access information now, especially with students bringing their laptop, phone and tablet devices with them to school. It is all about being able to access information and data everywhere in the school. “Schools are not just about bricks or mortar anymore. It’s about being able to access information through Wi-Fi anywhere in the building.” Another new improvement to the education system is specified and assisted learning programs. It might seem difficult for some to believe, but every child has their own unique form of learning that must be encouraged to grow. “We know that learning is natural, it is not institutional.” Mr. Grebinski stressed. “Kids learn in natural environments.” In the case of Emerald Ridge Elementary School, Grebinski noted that the space almost does not look like a school, but more like a recreational centre. With the large gym and massive music and arts rooms, as well as project rooms and other learning spaces, Emerald Ridge students will not be held back in any way, whether academically or artistically.
An analogy that Grebinski likes to use to support this new open and unconventional school is, “The most brilliant people in the world, learned under a tree.” Why force our students to learn in uncomfortable environments, when they can also have fun while they learn? As Grebinski put it, “Learning should be filled with joy and laughter, and if our schools can generate joy and laughter, then I feel we are being very successful.” The building was the product of a long and intense planning process, as Lyle Stecyk explained. “We worked with our architectural firm and the engineers on their team to design a building that is going to be useable and practical for the long term. On average, our schools are 50 years old. As for the structure itself, efficiency is key, efficiency as far as utilization and people flowing in and out of the building. In terms of utilization of space for teachers, we spent a lot of time running differing scenarios with furniture in different classroom sizes. We wanted to make sure we were introducing characteristics that were best for
long term stability, maintenance and repair.” Stecyk tells me. Ultimately, this project showcases the changing face of education, both in the province and across the world. Education is changing, hopefully, to better suit the needs of students and instructors. Architecture is one of the first steps in revolutionizing the learning experience. The excitement around this project has been incredible. Seeing the looks on the faces of administrators and teachers as they walk around the new school makes the long, grueling process seem more than worth it. The enthusiasm that both Mr. Grebinski and Mr. Stecyk feel for the project and their pride in the legacy that they will be leaving behind are evident. Grebinski put his feelings about the school and the legacy it will leave behind in the community into words. “For me, what is really exciting about it is that I know that the school will be around for a very long time. It will be around for 50, 60, 70 plus years, and many people will go through the building. It is going to be a centerpiece of that community for a long time, and that is the legacy that I like to see this school division leave.”
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
news
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Maha Malik Sentiment echoed the world over.
Mohammed Abu Khedir The effect Israel’s recent military incursion has had on one family eman bare contributor
This summer marked an escalation in violence that ravaged the Middle East, claiming thousands of lives and injuring so many more. From the terror of ISIS, now IS, to the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli settlers, and the call for violence and revenge from Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, the Middle East claimed headline after headline. The story of one young boy in Gaza deserves to be told, not because his life is more valuable than any other Palestinian, or Israeli, but because of the manner in which he was brutally killed and the way the Israeli government, as well as media outlets around the world, handled his death. The death toll in Gaza during the six-week siege was over 2,000 lives, mostly civilians, with thousands more injured. Mohammed Abu Khedir was 16 years old when he was killed. Let’s understand what that means: he was in grade 10, he was younger than every U of R student, he was a son, a brother, a cousin, and a young boy with dreams. He had the right to live. He has the right to have his story told, so that we can understand that there are thousands of others like him, who have been killed because of an oppressive state employing illegal settlements and blockades. In June, I interviewed the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khedir, and Tariq Khedir. Mohammed was kidnapped, beaten
and set on fire by Israeli settlers, where as Tariq, Mohammed’s younger cousin from the United States, was beaten by Israeli police while he was visiting his family in Gaza. The reason this story is being written now is because of how emotionally exhausting the thought of transcribing this interview was. What would you do if your younger cousin was burned alive, and your other little cousin beaten to an unrecognizable state? These thoughts sat with me for weeks and months, and I could not escape the thoughts that we as Canadians, particularly our government, were dehumanizing Palestinians to the extent that we were blaming them for their own deaths. We are responsible, because we choose ignorance. Our understanding of history is so temporary and short, that we cannot truly understand any conflict. We blame the oppressed instead of the oppressor and we justify colonization and apartheid. This is the aftermath of Mohammed’s death on his family and the updates on his trial as told by his cousin, Wedad, whose name was changed at
her request to protect her identity. “The situation in Gaza is unbearable to watch, it’s unbearable to see what’s going on there. It’s like watching someone shoot fish in a barrel. They are surrounded, there is no way for people to come in an aid them and all [the Israeli’s] are doing is bombarding them. They have no defense. They have homemade rockets. “ “I believe that we will never truly get justice for Mohammed. To begin with, [Israeli authorities] never tell us what’s going on. They never give us any information that we can hold onto, or be comforted with. If a child is killed here in the U.S., you know the names of the killers and what is going on. [The Israeli government] don’t release any information and when they do, it’s little trickles that you can barely understand. They told us that there were six suspects that had collaborated and three that had actually abducted and killed him. They said they had let three of the six go because they did not commit the killings, the conspired but they had not actually done the killing. So they
just let them go free, so then they told us that the other three were minors, and therefore they were going to be more lenient with them and now they are trying to give them a way out.” “It’s blatant racism. It’s blatant favoritism of an Israeli suspect over a Palestinian. If a Palestinian had even come close to something of what had happened to my cousin [Mohammed], they would be killed. Look as far as the three Israeli settler boys…those boys…we don’t even know what happened in their kidnapping and death. And what did they do for them? For the suspects, they completely demolished their homes. They say that Israel is a democracy….in America, if someone was guilty of a kidnapping or murder, would they demolish their home? No. Do they get rid of their entire family? No. But in Israel, they demolished the entire home of people they had suspected [of a crime], because they were Hamas members and therefore they were the ones who had committed the crime.” “Now, for my cousin, for those men that they had caught in conspiring and committing
In America, if someone was guilty of a kidnapping or murder, would they demolish their home? No. Do they get rid of their entire family? No. But in Israel, they demolished the entire home of people they had suspected [of a crime]. - wedad
the abduction….they are not going to erase their houses or bulldoze their houses. We don’t even know who they are, they want to keep it as quiet as possible and that sends the worst kind of message because that means ‘go ahead, do what you want to Palestinians, they don’t have the same rights…their blood isn’t as valuable as an Israeli Jew. So if you want to murder them, if you want to abduct them…go ahead.” “I’ve said it from the beginning, the Israeli government as well as the army leaders were calling for vengeance (after the Israeli settler’s bodies were found), they were enticing the crowds they continued to call for vengeance. The people went into a frenzy. The Israeli people started rioting on the streets and called for ‘Death to Arabs.’ They said that they would make our month of Ramadan, our holiest month, into a bloody month. And they did. They ruined our holy month for us.” Although a ceasefire has been reached, and it seems life will return to normal for Israelis and Palestinians, one must ask are we normalizing occupation by allowing things to return to how they were before the uprising in Palestine/Israel. In the political warfare of the Middle East, are we turning a blind eye to justice and deciding some deserve it more than others? For too many families in Israel and Palestine, like the family of Mohammed Khedir, life will never return to normal.
everything you wanted to know about the u of r University can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking time, especially for first years. With so many new things coming at students, it might be hard to keep track of all of them. Although certainly not all of them, the Carillon has compiled some things to help students out, mainly things we wish we had known earlier. Essentially, things you wanted to know about the U of R, but were too afraid to ask. Read the Carillon, and good luck. Love, The Staff
Haley Klassen This place, man. This is the place.
but were too The Carillon
Did you know that the campus has a student run and published newspaper? Most of us wish we had got involved with the paper sooner, except those who have been here since their first year. Although you are reading it, which is a good step, there are many more ways that you can become a part of the Carillon. Any student can contribute to our pages. To get started, email carilloneic@gmail.com Frequently, we hear that students thought it is simply a journalism student’s paper. That’s not true. The paper is for every student, and our staff members and contributors represent most types of academic programs offered at the U of R. Personally, we also hear that students don’t know they had a paper. This is especially frustrating, as many miss the opportunity to read it, but also to get involved. Furthermore, there are stands literally all over campus. One would think it hard to miss. The Carillon has been the U of R’s student newspaper since 1962. The paper is named after a belltower that was supposed to be on the academic green. We never got that belltower, but as our manifesto says, “the university never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.” When the doors get locked If ever you’re on campus late, and let’s face it, this isn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’, you need to know when doors get locked for the night. Nothing sucks worse than going out for a smoke in the winter or grabbing a coffee for a late night study session only to return to a locked door. A locked door behind which your coat, laptop (which is still on), books, and personal affects are now up for grabs to all those left behind. The University does a full lockdown at 11pm. You can still be inside the building, but once you leave, the doors will be closed behind you. If ever you’re locked out or need help in general, call up Campus Security at 306-585-4999, they’ll help you out if you’re in a pinch. If it’s not an emergency, not all Campus Security guards might let you back in, so you might have to come back in the morning (burned once twice shy). Avoid getting locked out at all costs. Always carry your U of R student ID. That thing can be a lifesaver, so always have it (important for writing finals as well).
afraid to ask
dents’ Union’s mandate states that URSU is to mediate between students and school administrators, to fight to keep the university affordable and accessible to attend, and to aid students in adapting to a changing academy. A former Student Representative Council president, the late Simon de Jong, laid out the new role of student representatives in 1964, “While the S.R.C. has an important duty in coordinating social events on the campus, we also feel that it must do more than that. It must also act as a union. It must be totally concerned with all student problems and must be willing to act on all such problems affecting students.” Through the 1960s URSU shifted from a de facto social planning committee to resemble its current role today, coming into conflict with both school administrators and local politicians in the name of improving the lives of students here and abroad. Currently, URSU needs more students to run for its Board of Directors. See pg.3 “URSU adopts new accountability policy.” Parking Constant complainers moan about parking at the U of R, and it seems to a be a ubiquitous URSU election issue(or vain promise), but what’s the best way to solve not standing in line in College West for hours to get a parking pass? Buy it during the summer, fuck goof. It took me (Michael Chmielewski) all of two minutes to buy mine. This advice is too little too late now, but remember it for next year. Federated Colleges Many students seem unaware that they can register through federated colleges on Campus, like Luther, Campion or the First Nations University. Registering through these colleges can yield several benefits, especially for new students. If you’re unsure of what classes to take, or are needed for your course, federated colleges or able to offer more personal one on one support. Advisers are more readily available for students and can often offer information and guidance in a timelier manner. Also, being registered through a federated college gives you access to college specific scholarships. The colleges confer many benefits without any negatives. A federated college student is still a U of R student, so those registered through a college do not loss access to any services.
Gender Neutral Bathrooms
Libraries
The U of R has gender-neutral bathrooms all over campus, and as the signs read, “this restroom may be used by any person regardless of gender identity or expression.”
There are many libraries on campus, not just Archer Library. Campion, Luther, and the First Nations University all have terrific libraries, with great niche collections. RPIRG also has a small library (located in the Riddell Centre), as do the Women’s Centre and UR Pride. These are all great places to get free read-
URSU The University of Regina Stu-
ing and research material. They are also all underutilized, frankly. Also, when it comes to research, hardly any students use the amazing interlibrary loan. Archer Library can request books from a large network of libraries to get you what you need for that essay. U of R email
As unappealing as it first looks, the U of R email is really useful, because it gives you library loan warnings, lets you know about events, and some professors think that only the U of R email should be used for U of R dealings, so they may email you there with important information, and put the onus on you if you miss it. Also, various other U of R info is sent out there, so make sure to check it at least weekly. Wudu
Haley Klassen
For those that don’t know, there are Wudu stations on the 2nd floor of the Riddell Centre. Also, because someone requested clarification on a note pinned above the toilets: don’t flush the brown handtowles because it clogs the shitters.
lectures, substance-free social Events, a Positive Space Network, Youth Programming, safer sex supplies, publications, and much more.” They’re the best! The Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG) is a resource centre funded by students “committed to social and environmental justice.” They are super friendly, and do great work, and their mission statement reads “student-run, student-funded non-profit organization dedicated to community-based research, education, action and awareness in the public interest. RPIRG exists to provide its members with the resources to be active citizens on the University of Regina campus and in the greater community.” WUSC, standing for the
Friends Down the Hallway Right down the hallway from our office on the second floor of Riddell are other student groups that we think are great, and that you should check out. UR Pride is a non-profit LGBTQ “Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity.” As their website says, UR Pride provides “a lounge with a multi-media library, confidential peer support and referrals, workshops and
Underrated.
World University Service of Canada, is an organization that believes that “all people are entitled to the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to a more equitable. WUSC here is the Regina chapter of the larger organization. The Women’s Centre, according to their Facebook page, “is a feminist organization that provides numerous services accessible to all students and a space where students can relax or study.” A cool place to hang out, the Women’s Centre also provides crisis counseling, referrals, and information on women’s health, violence, and much more.
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Editor: Destiny Kaus aandc@carillonregina.com @carillon_arts the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
Drop out now Sarcasm at its finest
Allan Hall See ya later, university…
destiny kaus a&c editor Well, folks, it’s happening. The 2014-2015 academic year is upon us. My advice? Drop out now while you still have the chance. According to the University of Regina’s Associate Vice-President of Resource Planning, Brian Christie, during the 20112012 academic year, “81.0% of students who started [their] first year returned to the U of R the following year. This is up from 80.4% the previous year.” Kindly notice that these statistics focus on student retention (the percentage of students who return to school) rather than on student dropouts (the burnouts who say screw it and peace out of school). In my humble opinion, I’d say “Hurrah for those lucky little people who fit into that 81%.” But, let’s face it…in all reality, you’re probably in that 19% percent that’s going to drop out. So, you best drop out now and save yourself the looming grief, which will find you and smother you sooner or later. Yes, if you’re stressed out, struggling in school, and hating life, I guess you could check out the support services at the University of Regina: academic advising, the Student Success Centre, the Career Centre, blah, blah, blah, and blah. Will these services really help you? Probably not. They’ll likely just prolong the agony of the reality that, yup, you’ll prob-
ably drop out anyway. In contrast to this lovely opinion of mine, Christie suggests that instead of just dropping out ASAP, students should “get engaged with social activities on campus: clubs, intramural sports, etc…[and] consider signing up for UR Guarantee.” Lame. Why would you want to make friends, join a team, and have fun? Seriously, people. If you join intramurals or some other socially interactive crap, your heart will just ache all the more when you end up dropping out. Not worth it. In more recent statistics from the University of Regina’s Resource Planning Office, Keith Fortowsky, the Director of Institutional Research states that, “Broadly, our retention has improved annually over the last several years.” Well, isn’t that encouraging? Nope! Focus on the negative here people…students still drop out, and you’re probably one of those students who will. In August of 2014, Fortowsky and his Resource Planning team submitted their retention rate stats to Maclean’s 2014 Questionnaire. They reported on the University of Regina’s retention percentage, which documented “first-time, full-time, [and] first-year undergraduate students enrolled in the 2012 fall term who returned to the institution in the 2013 fall term.” The results? From the fall term of 2012 to the fall term of 2013, the retention rate was 79.0%. Dang. Looks like that re-
tention rate is dropping. *sad face.* Fortowsky states, “This rate is actually a slight decrease from what we reported in 2013, which was 81.0%. But, overall, over the last decade, our retention has climbed from the mid 70s to the low 80s.” Mmmm yes, as slight as the decrease is, it’s still a decrease. More students are dropping out. So, why don’t you join that ever-growing population? If you do, you might actually fit in somewhere. Again, I urge you….drop out now. There is no hope. Ah, now you might ask “How do I drop out most effectively?” Well, I vote you start by returning all those terrible textbooks you’d never use anyway even if you were in school. According to the University of Regina Bookstore, textbook “refunds and exchanges [are] allowed up to Sept. 17, 2014,” and, for dropped classes “refunds [are] allowed up to Oct. 15, 2014,” but you must provide documentation with proof that you actually dropped that class. What a pain in the butt to have to return your books in “mint condition” and include a proof of drop documentation. Since you probably don’t have time for that in the process of dropping out, you might as well just throw your books around a little, tear ‘em up, and leave ‘em in a garbage bag right outside the Bookstore for the staff to find at their leisure. I mean, seriously, these books are useless to you now
that you’re going to drop out, so why not disrespect the crap out of them? Who cares that you’ll be left with a $500 hole in your pocket? Not me. By now, I hope you’ve realized that you dropping out is inevitable. So, pay close attention to the following dropout dates (otherwise you might end up royally screwing yourself by missing out on these glorious refunds). According to the University of Regina’s Academic Schedule, to drop a class with no record left on your transcript, you must drop that class by Sept. 16; to receive a 100% tuition and fee refund, you must drop out of school by Sept. 16; and, to receive a 50% tuition and fee refund, you must drop out of school by Sept. 30. I won’t even mention the drop dates for the winter ‘cause I highly recommend dropping out before your second semester. The sooner you drop out the better: more substantial refunds and more free time on your hands to do whatever the heck you want…like travel! Woooooooo! Travel Agent Denise Mihell, who works for Regina’s own Carlson Wagonlit Richert Travel, states “A lot of university students travel to Europe in the fall. But, the Far East, in particular Thailand, is also very popular and incredibly cheap to tour, eat, and drink…with a beautiful climate and spectacular beaches!” Well, there ya have it folks.
Instead of wasting your time in useless classes during the fall, drop out and go travel the world. “Travelling allows you to learn about new cultures, nationalities, try new food, [and] meet all kinds of people from all different walks of life,” says Mihell. “It opens the mind to understanding people from different cultures and allows you to learn how they live. Travelling is life changing!” You cannot experience all these things if you’re tied up in school. Seriously, drop out now. You won’t regret it. Heck, let’s face it, it’s probably cheaper to drop out and go travel than it is to pay for tuition and books, especially with all the sick travel discounts available. Mihell states, “There are a lot of tour operators out there that offer so many special offers year round not just for one particular season, whether it’s an airline seat sale or a discounted offer on a tour, it’s really limitless!” Boom! There it is y’all! Use all that refund money you got from dropping out to go meander around this large, round earth. Heck, who knows? Maybe after you’ve actually experienced the world instead of becoming mouldy sitting in a rotting wooden desk for years, you may just want to go back to school to become a Travel Agent and do something you actually enjoy instead of learning about something you hate, like Philosophy. Mihell became a Certified Travel Agent through a Travel and Tourism course in Winnipeg. “It’s not a position that you can walk into without previous experience,” Mihell says. “We are expected to know about every destination in the world… the market is always changing and we have to move with those changes quickly and efficiently!” I guess if you’re into that kinda stuff, go grab your backto-school gear from Walmart and go to Travel Agent School. I mean, if you end up hating it, just drop out…it’s not like you haven’t dropped out of school before. Here’s how I see it: drop out now, go travel, try Travel Agent School, and if you love it, stick with it and get even sicker travel discounts as a Travel Agent; if you hate it, drop out and spend the rest of your life sitting on your couch watching Netflix and paying rent with all those hardearned dropout refunds. Golden. Drop out now, and all your problems will be solved. *Note: All quotes from Brian Christie, Keith Fortowsky, and Denise Mihell are totally legit. Everything else is complete sarcastic bullshit.
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
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Music makes you (s)cream
I (s)cream, you (s)cream, we all (s)cream for singer Saidah Baba Talibah! laura billett a&c writer
If I only had two words to describe singer Saidah Baba Talibah, they would be power and passion. Even such loaded words, however, do not capture the personality and the vocal strength of this woman. Saidah Baba Talibah hails from Toronto and was born into a family of musicians. With accomplished and talented singer Salome Bey as her mother, Talibah grew up surrounded and nurtured by music. “I was dancing in the womb,” She says. “I always felt like [performing] was something that was a no-brainer. What else would I do, become a doctor? My mom’s a singer, my aunt, my uncle, my cousins, [and] my sister.” Talibah developed her love of the performing arts when she went to an arts school, majoring in dance. She has since made a career as a performer, acting and singing. Even if there is no such phenomenon as fate, Saidah Baba Talibah was destined to perform. “I guess it sounds really cliché, but I come alive on stage,” states Talibah. “I really like being on stage; I really like being taken by the music; and I really like to be surrounded by people who feel the same way about music.” I have listened to her album (S)cream through and through,
and it never ceases to impress. The album is possibly so addicting because of its diversity. Every song is unique in pace, style, and mood. She gives you everything from a sweet love melody to a heavy rock song. What is consistent throughout the eleven-song album, though, is the energizing, seductive vocals. The album wasn’t named (S)cream just to look different. This album is powerfully provocative and passionate. It isn’t just the impressive combination of blues, rock, and jazz that makes this album make you want to (s)cream, it is the power and emotion that emanates through Saidah Baba Talibah’s voice. It is seriously impossible to sit still while listening to her music. Even if you aren’t big into dancing, I am willing to bet that you will be inadvertently rocking your hips like a metronome, keeping time with Talibah’s rocking beats. Watching her live at Folk Fest, I was blown away at how naturally she took over the stage. Her’s was by far my favourite performance of the weekend; her happiness on stage was so genuine it caught the audience and brought us all together into one grooving group. Her music created a frenzy; people were entertained, impressed, and energized by her performance. Even in her recorded music, Talibah’s personality shines
Laura Billet Bright lights, big singin’.
through. Just like you can hear when someone is smiling on the phone, when listening to Saidah Baba Talibah’s album, her smile can be heard through her singing. It is evident that Saidah Baba Talibah possesses the gift of being a true performer. She easily brought hundreds of folks to their feet and immersed them in music they likely hadn’t heard before at Folk Fest. So naturally, I had to know, what is it that moves Saidah Baba Talibah? Talibah says, “Anything that’s expressive. Anything that’s soulful. Soul comes in all kinds of music. I think soul is what moves you. And I would say that
that would be my inspiration.” Soul is what feeds passions and radiates energy, and Saidah Baba Talibah does exactly that with her music. So forget powerful and passionate; the adjective that will do Saidah Baba Talibah justice is soulful. She has now returned to Toronto, after having rocked the Regina Folk Festival, to work on her second album Red, Black and Blue. “It’s based on the three colours of my totem animals: the red robin, the black panther, and a blue butterfly,” Talibah explains. “It’s [inspired by] the guidance that our totems give us, and also the relationships
that I have with three really strong women in my life ... how those relationships relate and how I internalize it into living my own life.” So as we eagerly await Talibah’s second album, as summer ends, and as a new school year begins – whether that fills you with excitement or dread – we would all do well to remember what makes us inspired as we embark on a new year of studies and adventure: “My advice to anyone,” says Talibah, “is to stay open to being inspired because you never know where inspiration is going to take you.”
Regina Band Interview Series: Laska Yay! another good band! jessie anton contributor
Whether you’ve watched them kill it at Relay for Life, or you’ve caught up with them on NoiseTrade and Bandcamp, local Regina band Laska certainly satisfies both your Indie and Alternative needs. On Friday, Oct. 3, these guys will be sure to leave your ears smiling as they perform at the Artful Dodger with special guests NAYSA and Gunner. Want to know more about the band that rhymes with fun? I thought so. In this second edition of the Carillon’s “Regina Band Interview Series,” we get up close and personal with the group’s drummer and back-up vocalist, Landon Leibel. Just like their upbeat music, Landon answers these ever so thought-provoking questions with feverish candour, while adding a dash of fun in each answer. What first got you interested in music? My dad and grandpa put me on the path to music. My dad
Driving a Ford Focus car, and hauling my band gear in it.
consequences, you punch?
Do you like cats?
I’m a lover, not a fighter!
I’m allergic, but they are cute and cuddly.
What are your favourite ice cream flavours?
Who are your favourite sports teams?
Tiger Tiger and Rolo.
was also a drummer and played drums a lot at our church. He gave me his drum set when I was 10-years-old. My grandpa taught himself to play guitar, bass guitar—pretty much any instrument he could get his hands on. Fortunately, I inherited this paternal gene (and my grandpa’s bass guitar and ukulele).
every now and then, get some walking in and try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”
How did your band get into the music industry?
Do you prefer reading fiction or non-fiction books?
We did some recording and uploaded our self-titled EP to the Bandcamp website. We’ve also been featured on the NoiseTrade website, and have played at a lot of local venues in the city.
Books?
Baltimore Ravens, Saskatchewan Roughriders and the New Jersey Devils (not in that particular order, though).
Which superhero do you look up to the most?
Which musicians inspire you the most?
Me (because I sneak out at night to save people).
What are your future goals as a band?
If you could eliminate one of the 10 commandments out of the Bible, which one would you eliminate?
My grandpa, my dad, Jack White, Dave Grohl, Brad Wilk, and all my bandmates!
We are looking at recording a full-length album in the next year. As well, we will continue to write music and play shows in Regina. What is the meaning of life? Funny, I asked SIRI the same question and she replied, “Try and be nice to people. Avoid eating fat. Read a good book
What is your definition of true love? The opposite of false love.
Would you like your life to end with a fairytale ending or a tragic ending?
The number 11 one?
Happily ever after (like Shrek).
What are your greatest failures?
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Reading music… I just feel it!
People filing their fingernails.
What are your greatest successes?
If you could go back in time historically and punch anybody you wanted to with no
who
would
Why is the sky blue? Because that’s an official colour of a Crayola crayon. What physical aspects of yourself are you most proud of? My height, personality, and my drumming! What areas of life do you take the most pride in? Family, friends, music…oh, and chocolate pudding. Seems reasonable to me – who doesn’t love chocolate pudding? (I know I do). Well, my good people, I give you Laska’s chocolate pudding-loving, Shrek-watching, superhero/drum-man, Landon Leibel. Don’t forget to catch up with Laska at 7:30p.m. at the Artful Dodger on Oct. 3.
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
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You should read this book. A summary and review of the book, A House in the Sky suzanne barber contributor
It is August 2008 as a 27-yearold Amanda Lindhout and her Australian companion travel to Somalia. As the plane begins to descend, Lindhout peers out the window, watching as Mogadishu’s turquoise coast comes into view. Somalia, from this vantage point, looks beautiful, even peaceful. Lindhout is optimistic; she is hoping to cover a story that will kick-start her career as an aspiring journalist. Lindhout is unaware, however, that the story she will later tell is one of her own kidnapping. Four days after arriving in Mogadishu, the pair is taken by a group of Islamic insurgents and held for ransom for fifteen grueling months. Lindhout, along with New York Times writer, Sara Corbett, vividly detail the 460 days of captivity in the heart-breaking, yet enlightening memoir, A House in the Sky. At 19, Lindhout moves from
Sylvan Lake to Calgary, leaving her impoverished childhood, spotted with domestic violence, behind. She lands her first job serving at a high end lounge and (now with the ability to finance it) soon turns her attention to travel. Inspired by the pages of National Geographic she collected growing up, she is ready to go “anywhere”. Bitten by wanderlust, Amanda travels throughout her twenties, visiting the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Once her bank account runs dry, she skips back to Calgary to collect a wealth of waitress tips and begin planning her next adventure. After years of travel, she starts thinking about a career. She buys a camera, takes a sketchy reporting job in Iraq and begins hunting for stories that will help her gain credibility. For Lindhout, Somalia is a place where she can find a story: “Somalia was a mess. There were stories there — a raging war, an impeding famine, religious extremism… I understood that is was a hostile, dangerous
As Lindhout painfully discovers, there is a reason few reporters dared to go there. - suzanne barber
place and few reporters dared to go there.” As Lindhout painfully discovers, there is a reason few reporters dared to go there. After she is taken prisoner, she lives a brutal reality, overcoming beatings, starvation, rape and torture. As her body withers, however, her mind becomes stronger. It is through this unimaginable adversity that Lindhout illustrates both empathy and grace; she transcends her darkest, most desperate times by finding solace in her imagination, building a safe “house in the sky.” Up until the point of Lindhout’s capture, she is not a very sympathetic character. She recklessly puts herself, along with her Australian companion, between the cross-hairs. At times it is easy to wonder, what did she expect? She is lucky to be alive— and she is. However, Lindhout’s memoir has no self-pity or grandiose and, instead, becomes increasingly powerful as the months of captivity cumulate. This is a coming-of-age story that illuminates both inhumanity and humanity. The beautiful writing will pull you into the thoughts of Lindhout, resulting in feelings of sorrow, suspense and hope – sometimes all at once – and likely, for long after the final turn of the page.
Haley Klassen Whoever created this book cover sure likes teal…is that teal?
Mentally healthy? Nope.
Recent article You Are Good Enough speaks out on mental health issues
Haley Klassen Mental health needs to be discussed further and more openly, without consequence.
laura billett a&c writer On Aug. 11, 2014, Robin Williams committed suicide in his California home. The news exploded across North America. I was shocked. Every time I read something about him, my heart dropped as if I knew him, and in a way, I was connected to him. Our generation grew up watching Mrs. Doubtfire, The Birdcage, Hook, Good Will Hunting, Aladdin, and so many more of his great films. He was the movie hero of
my childhood, and I could not believe that he had been so tormented and in such despair, that he took his own life. He made me laugh, so surely he was happy…or so I assumed. Unfortunately, artists are one of the most likely groups of people to be affected by mental illness. Anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and other conditions are more common among artists than any other professionals. Strangely, artists, in particular performing artists, are idealized in our culture. Famous
actors are role models for many, but unfortunately, more time is spent on their exterior qualities than their true inner-selves. To be fair, mental health awareness is becoming more and more publicized, but there is still much more to be understood. The great challenge in understanding mental illness exists because it is manifested in individuals, and is thus slightly different in each person. “My hope is that beyond awareness about mental health, there will be a greater appreciation and better understand-
ing that ‘mental health’ is not just obtained overnight or with a pop of a pill. It is a journey requiring an ongoing commitment to building and continually strengthening our self worth, which extends to our belief in our chosen craft. Doing this makes one less susceptible to or dependent upon the constant judgments cast by other people or ‘society,’” clinical hypnotherapist Sherly Sulairman wrote in an email correspondence. Sulairman recently wrote an article entitled You Are Good Enough, addressing depression and feelings of failure in artists. In it, she argues that our insecurities root from our childhood experiences, and they constantly lie beneath our happy selves, emerging when something negative happens to us. In order to stop the cyclical fall into a depressed state, we must find a way to change those deep-rooted beliefs so that when life inevitably throws us a curve ball, we do not sink into feelings of failure. Sulairman likens these deep-rooted beliefs to a software program: “Your unconscious mind is like the hardware that stores everything,” she writes. “You need to learn and gain insight into your mind so that you can change, delete or update the software – your beliefs.” Our biggest challenge, then, is not to change society or
our culture; we do not need to try to change an outside force. Instead, we must change our own selves, change how we view others around us, and change how we react to challenges we face and the challenges we see others face. “We tend to see ‘society’ or ‘industry’ as an external power or omniscient being. It’s not how can society or an industry change, but how we, as people, choose to behave or change within that broader society/industry,” Sulairman explains. Sulairman goes on to say, “‘Change’ must take place internally, not externally, with the individual constantly cultivating a strong foundation of inner strength and self worth. Society (people) only dictates our own self worth if we let it. This is not a ‘problem,’ per se, but an ongoing challenge that we all face in our daily lives, not just artists.” So, it is up to all of us to work within ourselves to help, not only our own happiness and healthiness, but those of everyone around us. Becoming more aware that insecurities play a large role in everyday interactions could potentially help us all become a little more understanding and maybe even happy. As Sulairman writes it in her article, “Believe that you are good enough and you will be.”
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
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How a misnomer did the impossible Reader discretion is advised pop goes the culture kyle leitch production manager
“This is great!” A friend of mine remarked. “Now I can listen to this song all I want!” We had just gotten through listening to “Word Crimes,” “Weird” Al Yankovic’s parody cover of last summer’s blockbuster hit, “Blurred Lines.” “You couldn’t before?” I asked my friend. “Sure I could,” my friend responded. “I love the beat, but every time I listened to it, I felt like I was supporting rape culture.” Well, that sure was an interesting notion. Now, for those of you expecting me to come to the defense of Robin Thicke, read no further. I’m not going to deny that Thicke is probably an unbelievable shitbag in real life. And no sane human being could deny that “Blurred Lines” (both the album and song) isn’t at least a little rapey. This is, after all, the song that contains such immortal prose as, “You the hottest bitch in this place,” and, “I’ll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two.” Charming. The term “rape culture” first appeared in print in 1974’s Rape: The First Sourcebook for Women, edited by Noreen Connell and Cassandra Wilson. The phrase was coined to describe a culture in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender, sex, and sexuality. Like almost everything from the ‘70s, the idea was popular in its time, before disappearing into the cultural ether, only to be hijacked by the Millennials and Generation Y. Seemingly overnight, “rape culture” became the shameful buzzword de jour. The forceful resurgence of rape culture could probably be pinned on Robin Thicke, but was made all the worse at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax where, as a part of last year’s welcome week activity, organizers led students in spirited chants condoning rape and sex with the under-aged. Similar events also occurred at the University of British Columbia. After the history lesson comes a quiz: what do you, gentle reader, consider to be more forceful? A) Calling someone a rapist or B) Loudly whining about someone’s active participation in rape culture? If you said “A,” then you probably know where this is going. Any time the Millennials or Generation Y co-opt a preceding generation’s theories, they tend to castrate it of all of the power and meaning it once held.
Kyle Leitch The photo is almost entirely unrelated. I’d just like to see this jerk-ass against some velociraptors.
Congratulations ladies and gentlemen—our endless pursuit of marketing things with snappy, social-media friendly names has finally gone too far. Wow. Bravo. Champagne. Cheers. Highfive. Slow clap. We did what I thought was impossible: we actually managed to trivialize rape. Rape is a despicable, terrible act. It occurs to both men and women (but more so to women), and it degrades the whole of humanity by simply existing as a thing that we do to each other. But, by attaching that needless suffix, “culture” to the act, we have completely destroyed all of the negative connotations surrounding it. After all, isn’t culture by its very nature something that should be celebrated, revered, and protected? Especially in the multicultural nation of Canada? How long do you think it’ll be before there’s a rape pavilion at Mosaic, Regina’s preeminent celebration of cultural diversity? I’m not in favor of painting everybody with the same brush. Calling someone like Robin Thicke a rapist for his songs would be counter-intuitive. What I’m suggesting is that we realize that he is trying to make rape okay at a popular level, rather than saying, “He’s contributing meaningfully to rape culture.” Rape culture is perhaps one of the most unfortunate misnomers that humanity has ever created to push academic papers. Like most theories, it is outmoded, outdated, and embarrassingly irrelevant. I’m not saying that rape isn’t prevalent
and, unfortunately, relatively normalized. What I’m saying is that we shouldn’t continue to enable not only rapists, but those who contribute to painting rape as tolerable behaviour by giving them a very defendable banner like “rape culture” to hide under. That’s why I’m calling for
rape culture to end. Not because it’s despicable. But, because it’s allowed despicability to exist, and make it sound like it’s something to be celebrated. I, for one, will no longer use “rape culture” as a part of my lexicon, and I encourage you to do the same. Instead of sterilizing the language and cramming all of our sentences with
meaningless prattle to make ourselves sound important and learned, I suggest we resume calling spades just what they are. By identifying sexual insensitivity for what it is, we can begin to do some real work towards reversing the damage of what these rapists have done to decent society.
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
a&c
Back to school fashion Fashion tips to help students dress for success kaitlynn nordal contributor
Well everyone, it’s that time of year again: that time of year when you walk into a classroom and might make assumptions about your new classmates simply because of what they are wearing. Although, as a society we like to say, “we don’t judge,” but everyone judges whether they realize it or not. But, have no fear, the Carillon is here to help you put your best fashion forward. In fall, most people wear more neutral colours. But I ask, “Why?” Just because summer is over does not mean colour has to be. This fall, add a little fun to any outfit with bright colours. Here’s a little tip: if you are feeling blah about a neutral-coloured wardrobe this fall (sometimes you have to wear neutrals to the office or to school), spice it up with bright underwear. It will improve your mood. Until it gets too cold in Saskatchewan to wear them, crop tops are still a must to have fun with an outfit. To make a crop top a little more dressy, pair it with a leather jacket and skirt to
ier.
Haley Klassen Sassin’ fashion
make it look a little more professional and put together. For the first few weeks of school, it will still be hot enough to wear shorts, and I say, “Take advantage of this!” To add a little style to an oversized sweater – hey, sometimes you just want to be comfortable and stylish – pair it with a pair of cut-off shorts and thigh-high boots. Graphic shorts are a perfect way
to add a little je ne sais quoi to any outfit. Acid washed jeans are also a must. Leather pants add a little rocker edge to a preppy knit. Skinny jeans and strappy heels offset the bulk of any army jacket hiding in the back of your closet. Have to wear a skirt? Pair a bright clutch and a crop top to make a pencil skirt a little dress-
If you want to do a dressed up, but not too dressed up look, pair a varsity jacket with more of a lady-like bag. Madonna’s line, “Material Girl,” is something to look at this fall. She has a lot of bright-coloured and printed tops to check out. Don’t be afraid to wear animal prints either. If you don’t want to spend lots of money on clothes, go to thrift stores. They have hidden gems that can be paired with jewelry and shoes to make them unique. Mixing street and classic pieces is the best way to make a tried and true outfit all your own. If you are a fan of fringe, don’t hide it. Most people will say wearing fringe should only happen at music festivals, but why? Pair it with a bigger sweater and heals, and you have a killer outfit. Finally, no outfit is complete without jewelry. Big jewelry – that’s right welcome back 1980s – and long necklaces are the perfect addition to any outfit. So, rummage through your mom’s closet and hope they have the jewelry from their childhood.
A little bit of art
Art exhibition “Completely Exposed” leaves its mark at the Fifth Parallel matt wincherauk sports writer Taking my first foray into the arts and culture world at the University of Regina, I was fortunate to be guided by Danielle Kostiuk, photographer and curator of the “Completely Exposed” art exhibition on display at the Fifth Parallel Gallery. We first talked about the name itself, “Completely Exposed”, and what it means to the artists and their photographic works. “In ‘Completely Exposed,’ we [the artists] fully immersed ourselves in the analog process of photography and producing photographs versus our generation’s standard of digitally editing and digitally producing photographs,” Kostiuk explained. “As well, we’re completely exposed [and vulnerable] as artists showcasing our works for the first time in the gallery. I guess it is also a pun, in the literal meaning in that our film is exposed.” Being shown around the gallery was a bit of an overwhelming experience for someone who is new to the whole art gallery thing. As Kostiuk explained the ins and outs of her photographs and those of her collaborators, she also talked about the Fifth Parallel Gallery and what exactly it does for students and faculty of the University of Regina. Kostiuk states, “The Fifth Parallel as an art gallery gives
students, alumni, and faculty the opportunity to work in a safe environment, with the freedom to be experimental versus other public art galleries outside of the University.” She added that it was very exciting to note how photography is becoming an increasingly more recognized art practice. The University now offers a photography minor, which allows students to learn the basics of both the analog and digital practices of the medium: a topic that Kostiuk talked about passionately. The pieces on display were striking with the use of different processes that included re-exposing some pictures to light very quickly. As Kostiuk explained, “Taking the pictures of the cows for example, I re-exposed the partially developed photograph to light for mere seconds and thanks to the process of solarization, it is almost like the color values became inverted. Just playing around and experimenting with light is quite amazing.” Some pieces showed scenes that just happened to catch the photographers’ eyes, while others were of the human body, which boldly stood out as attention grabbers. The wide variety of photographs was captivating: landscapes, special people within the photographer’s lives, the theme of Mother Nature and abuse of landscapes, or my personal favorite, the elements of
Haley Klassen Look at dem stairs reflecting in the glass
movement done by Kostiuk herself, particularly the shot of the Canada Day fireworks. Finally, Kostiuk talked about the artists themselves and what exactly they went through with this new, yet old, process. “Each artist went out and did some style of street photography, portrait, landscape, and I even recreated famous photographers’ works from as early as the 1930s!” says Kostiuk.“There is a very wide range within this show, with pieces that are inspired by the things that the photographers see, focusing on negative space, or even just trying to figure out the functions of the camera to develop a picture
that is in focus. It was interesting to see the actual hands-on method, getting through by trial and error.” The “Completely Exposed” show was a very cool experience for me, being able to hear about not just the technical process, but also what was going through the minds of the photographers and how they view what they did. In Kostiuk’s words, “It’s very interesting to see how four different people can take the same camera, the same film stock, and just see how they capture the world differently through a lens.”
Word: Bibliopole Not the Definition: (adjective) a descriptive word for Bipolar Disorder; (noun) the most popular ski pole brand in Switzerland; (verb) the act of balancing a Bible on top of a pole; (verb) Biblical pole dancing. The Real Definition according to Oxford Dictionaries: (noun) a person who buys and sells books, especially rare ones. Wowzers. Never would’ve guessed that. Well, now that you know the real definition of “bibliopole,” you can use it in everyday conversation to completely confuse the heck out of everyone you talk to. For example, if you have a hobby of purchasing or selling books, when you introduce yourself to others, you can say, “Well, hello there. My name is *insert name here*, and I’m a bibliopole.” Don’t be offended by the odd looks you may receive. Also, if you find yourself perusing the aisles of a sketchy, musty, dusty antique store with racks upon racks of old books, you can pretty much guarantee that the owner is a bibliopole. So, why not walk right up to them and say, “Excuse me sir/madam, are you a bibliopole?” When they furrow their little eyebrows in confusion and stand there gawking with their mouth hanging open pondering a response, just walk away. Anywho, that’s all for now. Go meet some bibliopoles. Later gators.
sports
Editor: Michael Chmielewski (interim) sports@carillonregina.com @carillon_sports the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
Hole in none
Why doesn’t the U of R have a golf team?
Michael Chmielewski The U of R needs more of these.
bram lerat contributor As the beginning of the fall semester starts at the University of Regina, many of the regular sports will pick up right where they left off. Missing from those CIS favourites and programs is competitive golf. Why? Golfing programs are scattered across Canadian universities ranging from UBC to Laval. With that in mind, the old excuse of not having good enough weather for a golf program seems to be out the window. Weather aside, Saskatchewan is no stranger to golf and its rising popularity. According the National Golf Foundation, Saskatchewan has the most golf courses per capita in the world. For more recent examples, none compare to the introduction of golf in the next 2016 Rio Olympics and the rise of Saskatchewan’s Graham DeLaet on the PGA Tour. These two modern examples may not be enough to start a golf program, however, with the amount of junior interest and the rise of club sports, a golf program may be a possibility. While many universities don’t support programs due to interest, it seems that there is no shortage of it in Regina and Saskatchewan as a whole. After speaking to multiple junior golf-
ers from Regina it seems that a golf program could not only be supported but also competitive. When asked about a University of Regina golf team, Regina junior golfer Ryan Gilewich explained he simply wouldn’t have had a problem choosing the University of Regina over his current school. “I wouldn’t have to move or look for anywhere else to go to school and also golf. They’d be able to make a good enough team with talent from within the city”. Daegan Wall, another Regina golfer who golfs competitively outside of the U of R, also supported the idea. “I think they could start a golf program because there’s a lot of talent in Saskatchewan. Some [golfers] don’t go to the U.S. to play and some that do, come back because they don’t like it here”. It seems that overall there have been several young players in Regina alone who would be qualified and wanting a program to rise at the U of R. Beside the stance that the junior golfers are taking on the possibility of a program, there is also the support of John Papandreos, Coordinator of Recreational Services at the U of R. Papandreos believes that because universities are so diverse with student interests and that CIS offerings are limited in
I think they could start a golf program because there’s a lot of talent in Saskatchewan. Some [golfers] don’t go to the U.S. to play and some that do, come back because they don’t like it here. - daegan wall
scope, that golf and other club sports will be the way of the future.
“University and Collegiate Golf in Canada is on the rise and this is evident in the number of schools offering programs. It is my opinion that universities need to start to think outside the CIS ‘box’ as there are a number of other sports having national university championships with no CIS affiliation, like rowing, golf, ultimate, rugby 7’s, badminton, squash and a number of others. This is where competitive varsity club programs come into play”. With support coming from both potential participants and sports leaders inside the school itself, it’s clear that the interest is there. Unfortunately, having golf here also comes down to funding, which may be a reason why the program does not already exist. This problem may already be taken care of in some ways. While speaking to Dean Manz, CPGA Professional and
Head Professional at Wascana Country Club, he said that not only should a program exist, but also that it would receive support from many local courses. As golf is considered a rather expensive sport today, support from multiple courses within Regina would again be a huge boost and help to a brand new program. With support seemingly coming from all over the city, whether it be students or professionals, it looks like golf will or should soon have a future at the U of R. Hopefully, this sport pushes the boundaries of regular university athletics. Although CIS has not sanctioned this sport, support from Golf Canada, the rise of club sports and the growing popularity of golf should be enough to make a case for a U of R golf program. Now let’s get some Fall golf going, U of R!
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
sports
Predicting upcoming Cougars’ seasons A look at women’s b-ball, the Rams, and cross-country matt wincherauk sports writer It is the start of a new school year, which means it is the start of a new athletics season for our University of Regina Cougars and Rams athletes. Expectations are high for some teams, while others are looking to rebuild and stay competitive this year. I’ll be looking at some teams that you should keep an eye on this season! First -- the big girls on campus -- the Cougars women’s basketball team. The women had a bit of a disappointing end to their season last year, when they lost in the third place game of the Canada West Championships and did not advance to the CIS Championships. Although team leader Nicole Clarke is moving on, they have plenty of ammo to make another run at a CIS Championship berth. Watch out for Janine Guijt, who made the Canada
Haley Klassen Is that Cougar lying dead or ready to pounce?
West All-Rookie team last year, and third year player Charlotte Kot who averaged 10.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, at forward. Coach Dave Taylor has a challenging road ahead with the expectations and pressure on this team, but I fully expect them to continue their winning ways this season. The Rams are always a hot topic on the U of R campus, and that’s no different this year.
There’s some optimism for the team this year, and while they are quite young, a lot is expected out of them. This will be head coach Frank McCrystal’s last season with the team and hopefully he’ll go out with a bang. But at the very least, hopefully he can leave the team in a good position heading into next year, while some of the young guys like running back Atlee Simon and slotback Riley
Wilson get some valuable experience. Also, be sure to take note of wide receiver Addison Richards, who is looking to build off a very nice 2013 season that saw him named to the EastWest Bowl game. Moving on to a lesser-known team, take a look at the Cougars men’s and woman’s cross-country teams. While they may not be as well recognized as the
football or basketball teams, the cross country teams are poised for big years, both the girls and the guys. Led by Matt Johnson and Avery Westburg, they look primed to make waves in the cross country world. Throw in the likes of Wyatt Baiton, Michael Middlemiss, Adam Strueby and Anneliese Davis, and you have an absolutely loaded roster led by coach Graeme “Doc” McMaster. Keep an eye out for these guys and girls, especially when they have all the eyes on them in Minnesota for the Roy Griak Invitational. At the beginning of a new school year we get to see the fresh faces of the athletes, coming off an entire summer of improving in their respective fields. I encourage all readers to get out to these events and show some pride in what our colleagues are doing, because I expect some big things this year.
Seeing sports through a fractured lens Going to a White Sox game in Chicago kind of sucked michael chmielewski editor-in-chief
After working multiple jobs all summer, I finally decided to take my first vacation in years. My dad, brother, and I finally found six days that worked for all three of us to go somewhere. Chicago, relatively close and historic, was quickly picked as a destination. With the Windy City beckoning, we put the Oldsmobile through its paces on the interstate. Chicago, amongst many other things, is famous for its sports. Mike Ditka and the Bears, the Original Six Chicago Blackhawks, Michael Jordan and his Bulls, and its two famous baseball teams, the Cubs and the White Sox, make up the huge sports scene of Chicago. But this isn’t your normal sports story. I’ve always wanted to go to an MLB game. Something about America’s Pastime compelled me. Going to a game also seemed ideal during a vacation: beer, Polish hotdogs, pretzels, and, of course, the game. I decided to go see a White
Sox game, partly on the advice of a great Canadian singer-songwriter, partly because I didn’t feel like seeing the melancholic Cubs, and more practically because the ChiSox were in town that week. On a humid Illinois afternoon, the White Sox hosted the Cleveland Indians. The Indians batted first, and scored a few runs. Although they dampened the mood of the crowd, it didn’t last long. As the Sox came up to bat with Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” playing on the loudspeakers, the crowd got back into the game. While talking to people in Chicago and walking around, I obviously noticed a rivalry between the Cubs and the White Sox. This rivalry ran deeper than simply two teams from the same city. The White Sox are also know as the “South Siders,” with their home, U.S. Cellular Field, located in the infamous South Side. The Cubs, on the other hand, are on the North Side. The South Side is home to extreme gun violence, a phe-
Michael Chmielewski The towers tower, the poor can’t be seen in this picture.
nomenon tied up in race, social and economic realties (or less euphemistically, tragedies), American politics, the gun debate, an apparently chronically underfunded and underequipped police force (paint peeling off cruisers and cops carry revolvers, not semi automatics) and ultimately, the U.S. Constitution. All these factors mix into a lethal cocktail that results in nonchalant headlines and attitudes like “Four Dead in overnight shootings” and a blissful ignorance of poverty and violence in Chiraq, as some locals call it, a portmanteau of Chicago and Iraq. The White Sox struck back, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Beer in hand, and a few more innings in, I tried to enjoy myself during the game, but ultimately kept thinking about the city’s problems. A few blocks away from my seat by 1st base, young, and predominantly Afri-
can-American, lives were being snuffed out by a problem they found themselves born into through no fault of their own. The next few innings were a real stalemate, with no one looking like a decisive winner. Even in the tourist trap downtown, known as the Loop, the city provides a literal contrast. Rich capital manifested in
sky rises like the Trump Tower, loom over poor beggars, again predominantly African-American. I didn’t even have to go to the South Side to see gun violence. Once, walking back from a deep-dish pizza restaurant, we heard rifle shots right by the Loop. The White Sox lost the game.
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
sports
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A chat with Cayman Shutter Number 15 talks to the Carillon john loeppky contributor
Earlier this week, Ram’s starting QB Cayman Shutter spoke with the Carillon about the upcoming season, Frank McCrystal, and more. Having completed your first season behind centre for the Rams, what are your primary goals for the upcoming year? Obviously we weren’t satisfied with the record [last year,] but this year our goals are definitely to make the playoffs and pursue a championship. I think we will be very disappointed if we fall short of those goals. With fall camp wrapping up, what do you see as some of the team’s strengths? Offensively, we have tons of weapons at wide receiver and at running back. I think we have talent and depth, which is what you strive for. On defense, we have a lot of guys who can attack the ball and play aggressively.
How does it feel to have your cousin, Mitch Thompson, with you on the field this season?
back: the side where you factor in how many rushers are coming to your side that are unblocked and how to get yourself out of a bad play and not make a bad play worse. You just have to enjoy those moments where the highest pressures raise your game to the highest levels.
It’s a dream come true that he is now playing for us. He had a fantastic game in the first preseason game and it’s just a flash of the potential he has as a player. Obviously, it’s a special connection for me because he is a wide receiver and I get to throw him the ball and we’ve been doing things together since we were young. It’s something that I’ve been grateful to share with him. Coach McCrystal has recently announced that he will retire at season’s end. Do you have any good stories or anecdotes that you have picked up from him in your time on the squad? Coach McCrystal is one of the better head coaches I’ve had. He’s led the program to great heights and I think he doesn’t ever lose sight of big picture, which is something that I really admire. He’s a guy that can go down the line and talk about every player individually: who they
Lastly, do you have anything you want to say to any U of R student who has never attended a game and are looking for a reason to?
Arthur Ward Hopefully more of this to come.
are, how they contribute, where they’re from, and little stories about each person. He really shows that he cares about you. Do you have any advice for young QBs looking to succeed in the CIS? Obviously, you want to develop
your mechanics as much as you can. I think if you are flawed in your mechanics, whether it be in your footwork or your motion or body position, you are not going to be consistently successful. Get as much experience as you can. What’s going to win you games as a quarterback is the unsexy side of the quarter-
I would say our team is one of the most exciting football teams to watch, at any level. Every side of the ball has got athletes, and characters, and guys that I love and I would die for. I think something that gets lost in translation between fans and players is that it’s a joint venture to create an atmosphere in that stadium that is memorable. The last thing I’ll say is, if you want to get to know us, there’s no better way to do that than to come and watch us on the field. It’s an emotional game, it’s a mental game, it’s physical game, it’s a strategic game, anything that you can think of is involved in football.
Gonzo Labour Day Classic
Brady Lang gets into the thick of it at the game view from the cheap seats
brady lang multimedia editor
Another Labour Day Classic has come and gone for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. With all of the added Weston Dressler hype, the game took on new meaning for fans and players alike, yet this didn’t feel just like another Labour Day Classic. First of all, the Riders didn’t come out and kick the Bombers out of Mosaic as we’ve witnessed in recent memory. With the after thought of 48-25, and 52-0, ass-whooping’s in the past two seasons respectively, the Bombers actually stayed in the game until the dying minutes of the fourth quarter. If it wasn’t for a strong first half and final few minutes of the fourth quarter, this article would have had to take a whole different spin, yet the Riders were still able to prevail 35-30. Now, if you’ve ever been to a Labour Day Classic game as a fan in Riderville, you would know that this isn’t just another football game. In Saskatchewan, Labour Day is the unofficial end to summer and the grueling start to the next eight months of five feet of snow on the ground. As Saskatchewanians, it seems like this calls for a celebration, trying to soak in our last few moments of sun. Drenched in muggy sweat while being doused in ice cold Pilsner is what makes the Labour Day Classic the classic that it is. Yell-
Courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders He’s back.
ing at Bomber fans and having a not-so-friendly rivalry with our graceful neighbours is something that is truly special in the hearts of Rider fans. As the game wore on, Rider and Bomber fans alike were
thrown into a ring of constant edge of your seat action of decent football put on by the two clubs. When the game ended, so did the rivalry to some capacity. It seems like the same
old same old chirps flying back and fourth from fan base to fan base, with a little bit more dash of Willy talk due to the Riders relationship with the Bombers starting quarterback Drew Wil-
Being an avid Riders fan, grabbing a beer with our neighbours to the east wasn’t as difficult and painful as I’d thought. - brady lang
ly- the Riders old back up. After the game, the city seemed to erupt in parties whether you are crammed into a smaller sized bar for post game activities, in your buddies basement with a few of your friends, or taking the route I took, a night out at Eldorado’s Country Rock Bar. The crowd was basically 70-25 in favour of the Riders with the other non-football fans mixed into the crowd. I was able to talk to a few loyal Bombers fans that actually did have a lot of respect for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Having conversations with other loyal sports fan bases is one of the great things that Labour Day brings to the city of Regina. Being an avid Riders fan, grabbing a beer with our neighbours to the east wasn’t as difficult and painful as I’d thought. When it comes down to it, both bases know a lot more about football then the rest of the CFL combined. The fans know what needs to be done for their respective teams to reach the next level, but that’s always been the pure beauty of professional sports. After this classic, we can now start to burrow in our fictitious holes and brace for the winter months ahead. Although the CFL season is just getting into the home stretch, our summer is now over. But hey, at least the Riders fans can sleep easy again after another Labour Day Classic win.
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
sports
U of R Rams looking strong
Coming off a win over the U of A, Rams ready to roll matt wincherauk sports writer
The University of Regina Rams begin their season this week, opening up at home versus the UBC Thunderbirds. The team is coming off a grueling training camp led by Head Coach Frank McCrystal to prepare for a long season. I was able to talk to slot back Riley Wilson about training camp, the preseason game, and the upcoming season for the Rams. Training camp marks the beginning of every team’s year and sets the tone for the entire season, so it was important that the Rams players and coaches got themselves off to a good start and right into the swing of things. Wilson talked about the focus of the camp. “In camp, we were focusing on bettering our year’s record from the previous 2-6 last season by working hard every week.” As Wilson mentioned, the Rams had a disappointing season last year and plan to improve on that record by maintaining a razor- sharp focus every time they step on the field, whether at practice or in a game. Shifting from a team fo-
Arthur Ward TUCK IN IT DUDE!
cus to a personal focus, I asked Wilson about his own priorities during training camp and over the summer. “I’ve been working hard all summer in our off-season training programs to get stronger and faster. As well as making sure I read my playbook so that I know my assignments.” Watching how Wilson
moves on the field, even after an injury, it is evident that the work has paid off. I saw crisp route running and some great movement after the catch. The preparation culminated with a beautiful touchdown grab in the back of the Mosaic Stadium endzone from quarterback Cayman Shutter, which Wilson described to me.
“Yeah, I just ran a seam, Shutter threw it right to my numbers, caught her and tip-toed in the endzone. It was nice,” Wilson noted with a smile on his face. Our conversation moved on to the soon-to-be-retired Head Coach of the Rams, Frank McCrystal. If you have watched our Sports Roundtable on the Car-
illon Facebook page, you will know that McCrystal is entering his 31st and final season with the Rams. Wilson noted McCrystal’s great passion for the game and his impact on the team. “He’s a very motivating coach and considering this is his last season we want to win it for him as much as we want to win it for our teammates.” McCrystal’s influence is also felt off the field. Wilson noted: “He also helps out off the field with our class selection and does a good job of helping the rookies get set up.” The Rams have had their struggles in the recent past, but they looked sharp in their pre-season game last Friday versus the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Right now, confidence is sky high for the team, and that is something that Wilson feels strongly about. “I think we have a very strong team this year with a lot of potential. I can’t see why we couldn’t make it to the Hardy Cup and beyond.” The Rams open their season on Friday at Mosaic Stadium versus the UBC Thunderbirds at 7 PM. Be sure to come out and support the boys!
What the hell are they wearing?
Autumn McDowell takes down your latest dumb purchase
Canada Hky Even the practice jerseys look better.
what the balls? autumn mcdowell contributor With hockey season not officially dropping the puck for another month and a half, all of the attention in Canada is focused on football. This is nothing new for Rider fans, being that the Saskatchewan Roughriders are the only thing that the people of Saskatchewan have to cheer about for miles, the Riders have been getting all the attention, as per usual. The only difference this year is that something else is trying to steal the spotlight: Their hideous new uniforms.
In an apparent cash grab, Reebok has recently released a series of third jerseys for CFL teams, and while many of them are incredibly ugly, the Riders jerseys have a look that only a mother could love. The fact that multiple people had to sign off on the design for these jerseys is still mind boggling to me, because instead of implementing an ultra-cool and intimidating matte black finish like the BC Lions had, we got some garbage that apparently is supposed to be wheat, but clearly makes the team look like a bunch of cowardly watermelons running onto the field. Why they decided to go
with wheat, the most unintimidating, boring, flat object to be the central point of the jerseys is beyond me. I mean, I realize that they are a staple for Saskatchewan but wheat, on a football jersey, really? The wheat theme doesn’t just stay on the jerseys either, it also makes an appearance on the helmets, though I am still sure those are meant to resemble the classic watermelon that fans always wear on their heads at games. Writing that out on paper just made me realize how ridiculous it is that thousands of people willingly put watermelons on their heads in an attempt to show support for football. The other thing about this
whole jersey fiasco that is beyond me is that people are actually buying this monstrosity, lining up in fact, to get their hands on this piece of crap, because in their minds having the Riders newest merchandise before everyone else makes them a hardcore fan, no matter what it looks like. By putting so much energy, time, and crap into one jersey, it appears that other teams in the league have also suffered in the jersey department. The Toronto Argonauts jerseys seemed rushed, as just a simple gradient, that any amateur designer could create was used. And that’s about it to transform their new look. The Winnipeg
Blue Bombers got a new type of horrendous blue camouflage, bowling balls for helmets, and were without their other signature colour, gold. Thus, making them look an awful lot like Toronto at first glance, until you see them play that is and realize they are much better. The only people that I can point my finger at for creating this hideous Roughriders uniform is Reebok. By trying to cram as much crap onto one jersey as humanly possible, they have created something that has terrified many Riders fans, more so than when Chris Milo is up to kick an important field goal, which is saying a lot. Reebok, you’re fired.
op-ed
Editor: Taras Matkovsky op-ed@carillonregina.com @carillon_oped the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
Welcome from the Editor-in-Chief First of all, welcome back to class! Or, if this is your first year, welcome to the University of Regina and the Carillon, your student newspaper! The Carillon is the U of R’s student newspaper, so this is your paper. I can’t emphasize that enough, friend. Although we are journalists, we’re not all journalism students. Our staff is representative of the whole student body, and we want you, no matter your field of study, to get involved. We hire staff for the year (keep an eye out), but we thrive and survive on contributions from students just like you. Your work is what makes us who we are. Articles, photos, comics, humour, and all else. Never hesitate to contribute, so join us! I don’t think there’s ever been such a great time to be a part of the Carillon, honestly. With you we can make it even better. I’d say that we have the best student newspaper staff in the country (I’ll fight anyone who disagrees): we’re ambitious, driven, and ready to provide you critical reporting and journalism across news, arts, sports, and opinions. I’m also extremely excited to announce that this year we’re expanding into Multime-
Haley Klassen
dia journalism. Videos, podcasts and everything in between, we are going to try and bring you the content you deserve on every platform. Every aspect of the paper is getting stronger, and with a new Multimedia Editor, the Carillon’s journalism can reach you on all levels. We are also hiring right now, so try your hand to work
for us (See page16). The Carillon is great for your resume, especially if you are a pre-Journalism student (being able to write as much as you want, with wide latitude? Sounds like a good opportunity) but it applies for everyone else. This paper is for all students. Resume fodder is not the only thing you’ll gain: the thrill of
seeing your name in print is one thing, but having professors and students comment and debate on your article is another. Who knows? Maybe you’ll break the next big story? Email me at editor@carillonregina.com if you are interested in getting involved and working with us. The best, and most edu-
it is easy to understand why universities would go along with this. However, such an approach is harmful to both students and university staff. The former are encouraged to gain a higher level of education without being convinced of the necessity of what they’re doing. While it is possible to be stuck in university not knowing what you want, it is much more difficult if you are unsure if you want to be in a classroom. Unskilled work is called so because human beings are capable of doing it without extensive instruction. Consequently, those people who are eager to be active would have an outlet
to contribute to society. Yet, with news sites such as the Huffington Post reporting that Canadian college graduates are destined for part-time service jobs with little security, those people would be alienated from not only their studies, but also their work. With a potential Janette Navarro-style future of low wages and irregular hours awaiting them, those students will be stuck in a system that offers them no hope forward. On the other hand, the increased enrollments in universities will further increase cost-cutting pressures on the university. Episodes like the Robert Buckingham firing at the U of S will become more commonplace as principles such as tenure will be cast aside. With this, the idea that universities represent a special level of education will fall by the wayside. Anything that in some way hinders the university’s new role as a conveyor belt delivering students to the job market will be suppressed. The case of Ontario, where 42 colleges and universities have already agreed with the provincial Liberal government to narrow their program focus, will ensure that the traditional prestige of holding a degree, as well as that of being a professor, will be severely weakened if not destroyed. Ultimately, I feel that mass university participation has evolved into something that has eroded the idea of the university as a place of examining the mind. After the financial
cational, part of my university has easily been the Carillon. I’ve grown so much, and learnt more, as a person from this paper. A professor recently exclaimed to me that this job “is like a second degree.” I’d say so. The Carillon has been, through thick and (very) thin, the student newspaper of the U of R since 1962. As our print manifesto says, in the “late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildings was a bell tower on the academic green.” You’ll notice that there is no such carillon at the U of R. “The University never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.”
michael chmielewski editor-in-chief
Degree Deflation
Allan Hall
As the school year starts up again, it is worth reflecting on what is going on outside the university. Specifically, look at the job market. The press has been painting a general picture of graduates stuck in low-wage, part-time jobs in the service sector with little hope of advancement. At the same time we have technological advances, such as a Silicon Valley-made machine that supposedly does all the work needed to prepare a burger, which threatens to render non-skilled work obsolete. This combination will, in my opinion, lead to increasing numbers of university enrollments in order
to get a better chance of landing a high-paying, stable job. Such an increase will not only hinder the maintenance of the university’s traditional mission, but it will also make work a more alienating activity for the workers. Therefore, universities today need to ensure that students have choices besides university. Universities today are encouraged to maximize student enrolment in order to survive and provide value for the public funds that they obtain. In the current environment of governments encouraging the marketization of formerly public goods,
crises of the 1970s, universities were expected to do more in terms of educating a workforce rather than a citizenry. Today, a university degree is not as prestigious because the university has lost an aura of exclusivity. While the old exclusivity is deservedly gone, universities need to retain some uniqueness from the rest of society. It would be better if universities attracted those who wanted to learn rather than those who want to merely burnish their resume. Therefore, universities need to promote alternate forms of post-secondary achievement in order to preserve its historic role. Universities could help in living wage campaigns or join the struggles to retain manufacturing jobs. But whatever they do, it must be understood that students should not be confined to the quadrangle at the cost of joblessness.
taras matkovsky op-ed editor
20
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
op-ed
New beginnings
A world of tanks?
Starting university in the fall, there are many things to be excited for. I look forward to meeting new people, taking advantage of the university’s resources, and getting one step closer to starting a life on my own. After taking a year off of school to work, I can honestly say it helped me choose what I wanted to do and motivated me to do greater things than what I am currently doing jobwise. It’s a comforting feeling knowing that if I work hard enough and make the right decisions, I won’t have to work in the food industry for long. Although it was nice working for a year, I’m happy that I’ll be experiencing a whole new different life soon. This transition feels like I’m a small fish from a small pond being moved to an ocean. There are many different kinds of people, and it’ll be easy to find people who I share mutual interests with, whether I meet them in class, or a school club. The idea of being surrounded by people who are self-motivated and are attending university because they want to be there is wonderful. Their positive and hardworking attitude would be very contagious, and will just give a great vibe. People who want to succeed surround you, and I can’t tell you enough how beautiful this is. The resources the university offers seem to be endless. There are so many different clubs that it’d be difficult to not find one that sparks your interest. There are also a lot of events that happen that I look forward to attending and making connections that I may need in the future. I noticed that the most well connected people are usually very success-
A recent National Post article highlighted an uptick in the amount of Canadian police detachments that are purchasing and/or deployed armoured vehicles. In the past few weeks we have seen the radical militarization of the American police force come into the spotlight. I am talking about Ferguson, Missouri, where the riots surrounding the death of Michael Brown sparked law enforcement blowback so severe that residents of the Kansas City suburb were trading tips and tricks (via Twitter) with Gazan citizens on how best to minimize the effects of tear gas. Such a conversation is definitely a first-world problem we shouldn’t need to be discussing. As Canadians, we like to think that we are immune to such “ridiculousness,” but are we? And, if we are venerable to such encumbrances on personal liberties, where does it start? Well, what if your friendly neighbourhood diner installed a gun range? What if Fuddruckers’ newest game was Blast the Target With an AK-47? If you have not yet been informed of the most recent example surrounding the gun craziness affecting good ol’ America, allow me to fill you in. On Aug 25, a nine-year-old girl in Arizona was allowed to shoot an Uzi at a gun range/restaurant combination named Burgers and Bullets. Security protocol was not followed and the instructor on duty died when said nine year old fired the weapon, lost control, with the resulting recoil causing a fatal wound and, I’m sure, the young girl to be mentally scarred for life.We can chalk this up to the complete insanity of a nine-yearold handling a weapon that most adults
ful in what they set their minds to. I love knowing that I get the opportunity to meet people that would be able to help me in what I want to go into. Although I know that if I need help academically, I can easily get tutoring, and it’s encouraging to have that in place. Not everyone transitions well from high school to university, and there’s no way in telling whether or not you’d succeed before actually being in a class for a while. I love the fact that I have free will to go into any program I’d like and being one step closer to getting my future career started, as well as being completely independent. But if you’re in a program that you know you aren’t enjoying, it’s reassuring to know there are so many degrees to choose from if you want to change. Before going to university, you meet a lot people who are dead set on going into a certain field, but then later change their minds. It happens, and as long as you’re a flexible person, you’ll be fine. If Plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters!
melody findlay contributor
are not trusted with; we can argue until we are crimson that the gun culture, so prevalent in the United States, has infected the minds of so many and injured many innocent people; we could argue that safety protocols were ignored and that the entire thing could have been avoided; but the answer is not a singular nor is it definitive. Each of the preceding arguments has merit, but it is the melting pot of influences that created this tragedy, one that will, sadly, end up being repeated. We are talking about a country with guns so heavily rooted in its culture, that weaponry has become the norm, even for a child. To say this incident was preventable has to be the understatement of the decade. Which brings me back to the militarization we are seeing - albeit very slowly - in the ranks of local Canadian police forces. We are witnessing a new wave of equipment that is as much about intimidation as it is about safety. As we have seen in Ferguson, intimidation does not always equal a safer world. In fact, escalation is the more likely result. So far, the returns have been mostly positive when it comes to the deployment of the units in question. Saskatoon police have been deploying their armoured vehicle, dubbed the “BearCat”, to an increasing number of calls without any evidence of a military coup, but one does have to wonder: when will an armoured vehicle become the norm? And, when that does happen, how far will militarization’s talons extend?
john loeppky contributor
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
op-ed
21
Ragged Ass-holes
Haley Klassen
It is always disheartening to hear that in the year 2014 humans are still struggling with being decent to each other. It is even more disheartening to find out that the city I, a gay transgender man, have moved to only recently already has headlines highlighting a seemingly misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic place of business. Regina’s Ragged Ass Barbershop has come into the
spotlight after refusing to cut a woman’s hair, saying that they want to adhere to a tradition of male grooming. If tradition and male grooming are so important, I want the owner of Ragged Ass Barbershop to research the history of barbering and go back to the true roots of being a barber. I want people to be able to walk in and ask for a leech treatment and bloodletting. I want my bar-
ber to be my dentist and doctor; as historically barbers once practiced surgery and dentistry. Is that a bad boil you have? Great! Your local barbershop, if they’re truly dedicated to the traditions of being a barber, will drain it for you. I want barbers to continue to style hair to keep the evil spirits out of their customers (also, all hairdressers were called barbers in the past. If sticking to tradition is that important, maybe Ragged Ass Barbershop should start catering to a wider clientele which is, you know, everyone besides men.) The owner of Ragged Ass Barbershop, Craig Zamonsky, is most certainly discriminating against women and LGBTQ+ identified people based on their gender and/or sexuality. It might just be me, but I’m certain that discrimination based on gender or sexuality is not allowed anymore. This unfortunate debacle is a case of discrimination and cannot be compared to women-only gyms as Zamonsky told CBC News. These places exist out of necessity as safe spaces
because women experience so much harassment and violence that is majorly perpetuated by men. Not to mention potentially religious reasons. Muslim women have every right to utilize gym facilities without violating their religious beliefs about exposing their bodies to strange men. In the end, a women-only gym falls under the same reasoning as a university’s Women’s Center or Pride Center. These are safe spaces for minority groups that require them. Besides, there are many gyms and health services that are open for use by men. Why be mad over a couple women-only gyms? Especially if your place of business is some sort of boys’ club. Ragged Ass Barbershop specializes in men’s haircuts. When someone specializes in one field or another, it means they are particularly skilled in that area. It does not mean that they are incapable of doing something else. Are women’s heads shaped different somehow? Do they have horns or weird protrusions that make barbers unqualified to cut their
hair? To be honest, a grown man throwing a tantrum over a woman wanting to cut her hair short, or a transgender person wanting a snazzy haircut, is probably not worth the time or money. There are more important things to be upset over, but Craig Zamonsky is choosing to be upset because a woman wants a short haircut by people who claim to specialize in short hair. I’m less surprised by his blatant bigotry and more shocked at his immaturity.
harvey michael contributor
Memories of summer The evils of sarcasm It’s a late Monday afternoon, my day off. A fan runs steadily in the bedroom blowing around the warm, stagnant summer air that comes in through my apartment window. I look occasionally out at the blue sky and it stares back at me, knowing I probably won’t go out to enjoy its company. No, instead today will be spent in front of the fluorescent lights of my laptop screen, switching between Youtube videos and old episodes of Breaking Bad. I’ll probably spend a bit of time on Facebook and various other social media outlets. Maybe I’ll even take a break from the computer and check out Instagram on my phone. I’ll click on the link bait and criticize whichever follower posted it. “How can they believe this?” I’ll say, “Isn’t it obvious that this website doesn’t care about the quality of their work? Whatever happened to real articles, instead of the myriad of top ten lists we all come across?” That was early August, now I’m back at the university. Soon, I’ll be following the orders of my professors, which are calculated to become increasingly vague over time, giving students the quasi-real life experience they all need. But I don’t need to look far to find actual life experience. All I need to do is look back to the lull of the summer to peer into my future. All that time I wasted on the Internet was really just me living a life outside of school. The place your parents annoyingly referred to as “the real world” is a place that doesn’t answer your questions and won’t give you direction. There aren’t due dates, grades or paid mentors. There are only groups of people moving to places that you haven’t seen, too busy to make eye contact with you. In a couple of years, I’ll look again at these streams of people with more intent, and I’ll frantically wave around a piece of paper that’s supposed to convince them I’m worth allowing entry. Maybe someone will recognize me and do me a favor. Maybe no one will notice and I’ll be doomed to an existence as stale as the air in my room or the bread on my counter. I should try to be a little less pessimistic. After all, the
coffee place a few blocks away just put up a help wanted sign; that’s an opportunity for upward mobility, right? I know I should be more grateful for the opportunity to go to school in the first place. Sitting at my computer and complaining isn’t going to help my future at all, and it isn’t anyone’s fault but mine that I feel so bored. I’m reminded of that episode of South Park when Stan starts to see everything around him literally as shit. Everything on TV, all music, everything his friends say all appears like diarrhea in his mind. His doctor diagnoses him with “Being a Cynical Asshole”. As the nearly God-like figures for youth today, it’s pretty difficult to ignore the wise words of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Perhaps my blankly staring out the window on beautiful days and complete lack of optimism for the future can simply be attributed to that incurable malady being a cynical asshole. However, it was my own cynicism that prompted writing this and some things should be seen as shit, no matter the person’s amount of cynicism; if I viewed half of the programming on TLC nowadays as gold I think it would be time to just give up on everything. A little bit of negativity can be a good thing sometimes, but my own seems to have amplified after a summer with too much time for introspection. Perhaps I should’ve gotten a second job, if not for my wallet, for my sanity. Luckily now I can look forward to the school year. Instead of staring indifferently at the blue summer sky I will stare indifferently at textbooks. The stagnant air of my apartment will become the stagnant air of the library. Everything I do will be done with the safety of knowing that I have purpose; I’m not just wasting time, I’m slowly improving my quality of life. See, school seems to provide more than just an education sometimes. Having a shelter from dealing with a fully adult life can be a welcome thing.
simon fuh contributor
I’m sick of seeing sarcasm in public discourse. Not because it might simplify a potentially nuanced thought, but because there is the danger that it will make those thoughts irrelevant and distort the person. To quote Marc Barnes, contemporary debate seeks “to make an already sympathizing audience sneer. One wonders whether debates aim to convince at all — an object which demands the respect and love of the other — or whether they exist entirely to publicly dismiss others, a thrill unique to those — myself included — who forsake the pursuit of truth for that of popularity… Humour is one of the most powerful weapons human communication can wield, for it makes a friend out of an enemy, but we are too intent using it for the sake of our already-nodding audience to bother using it for the sake of conveying the truth.” Sarcasm becomes a means of achieving congratulations. It enforces the boundaries of in-groups and cliques, making the persons, not the arguments, the central focus. It is a dismissive pose seeking affirmation from those who are already friends instead of establishing agreement with opponents. In fact, these dismissals hinder cooperation between these groups by seeding enmity. If the sarcastic person is superior to the person being dismissed, what point is there in listening to another point of view? Conversely, what point is there in presenting one’s point of view to a person who refuses to honestly engage with it? The thoughts are irrelevant if they can’t be discussed honestly and charitably. If I seem to win an argument because of my sarcasm, I falsely perceive myself as a good debater. Not having listened to my obvious inferior, I believe myself to be right. Sarcasm has hurt my ability to honestly assess my beliefs and myself. James Tillman says that, “sarcasm, for the most part, is like cocaine: snorting it through your nose might make you feel good about yourself, but it hurts your ability to understand and engage with reality.” Sarcasm does become habitual. In-
Haley Klassen
stead of engaging with an idea, an automatic, unthinking knee-jerk reaction takes over. Many of the sarcastic things I say don’t ultimately mean anything; the statement was made to say something sarcastic, not to make a point. It’s not that sarcasm distorted the thought, it’s that there was no thought to begin with. Sarcasm initially perverts a truth by absurdly expressing its opposite, but eventually, when I say something sarcastic for its own sake, there is no truth anywhere in the statement. The statement is gratuitous, having no relation to truth, and contributing nothing to the discourse save cheers. I’d rather be saying something. I admire my friends who respond to new information by reflecting upon it. They feel no need to show off their ability to fatally deconstruct an idea, or ridicule a shortcoming in that thought. I, however, have frequently allowed sarcasm to be my first reaction to new information, not engagement. People can be described as sarcastic; sarcasm becomes more than an action, in that it is a trait. It is not truly clever to sarcastically espouse a simplistic view of something complex in order to mock it, or to ironically say something that is absurdly untrue for a laugh. It’s obvious and unimaginative.
patrick malone contributor
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
op-ed
The BDS call at the U of R
Haley Klassen
The Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the longest-running conflicts to emerge out of the 20th century. In terms of importance in our current global geo-political discourse, it’s arguably one of the most persistent. The conflict at its core is about the protection of human rights and dignity; this in turn makes it a highly charged and emotional issue to many people throughout the world. Thus, the conflict has found its way into the discourse at the University of Regina. At the U of R, the BDS campaign has been at the forefront of efforts to lobby on behalf of
the Palestinian cause. The BDS campaign “call[s] for a campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with International Law and Palestinian rights.” Recently, the campaign has been protesting the U of R’s alleged connections with Hebrew University regarding potential partnerships between the two institutions over a joint MBA on public safety, among other concerns. It is completely understandable why the BDS campaign would be so opposed to the alleged connections since Hebrew University works closely
with the Israeli Defense Forces in terms of technology and leadership development. Both of which will most likely be used in the ongoing conflict against the Palestinians. While I support the BDS’s core principles to attempt to peacefully dissuade Israeli states suppression of Palestinian rights and freedoms, I feel as if their target in this current case may be the wrong one. Universities are intended to be institutions where opinions and knowledge flow freely without hindrance or suppression of any kind. This thereby creates a unique environment that fos-
ters peaceful and meaningful dialogue. Hebrew University is one the most highly recognized post-secondary institutions in Israel. Boycotting this institution here at the University would send a powerful message to Israel and solidify our stance with the Palestinian cause. However, I feel that it would be more detrimental than advantageous for BDS campaigns long-term goals. One would argue that it would be better to promote a discourse with them regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. Seeing as Canada has had a long-standing involvement in
global peacekeeping and mediation and that the U of R itself is home to the First Nations University of Canada, which has become a instrumental in creating better relationships with First Nations communities across Canada, would it not be better to share this knowledge and information with Hebrew University? To create a foundation of dialogue, so that they may be able to educate future potential policy makers on alternatives routes to peace and security in the region. If we do not keep these lines of dialogue open and do not give a fair and equal voice to the Israeli side, then we run into the potential risk of hardening them against any attempts of future dialogue. Education is the bridge to understanding and understanding is the key to peace. At the end of the day, we must keep in mind that the only viable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be one that is made of fair and equal terms for both sides.
ahsan amjad contributor
Gritty Dreams Justin Trudeau’s Liberals hope to win 170 seats in the next election and with good reason. Trudeau’s Liberals are gaining in popularity and Harper’s Conservatives are dying on the vine. Given the wunderkind’s popularity in recent months, it is highly likely the Liberals will form government in 2015 with or without the help of another party. The Liberals have managed to change a party that is older than Canada itself into the party of youth. With substantial policies like, “The Liberal Party of Canada believes firmly that all Canadians deserve affordable access to education,” it’s easy to see why. I am honestly perplexed by Trudeau’s position among the youth. Many commentators are quick to say that only kids give a shit about legal weed. Legalizing pot would prevent future arrests from being disproportionately perpetrated against Indigenous young people. But, legalizing dope is meaningless without pardoning those who have been or are currently imprisoned for crimes relating to the sale or possession of marijuana. The liberal idea of legalization creates a
sublation of the old situation in which youth of colour are disproportionately terrorized for their participation in the drug trade and white capitalists step in to take over the role of drug retailer. A just policy would include amnesty and compensation for people in prisons or otherwise negatively affected by a drug-related crime. What I am saying about Trudeau is nothing personal. I am sure he is a lovely person and I am sure Mulcair and Harper have their positives as well. Both New Democrats and Conservatives have alienated portions of their party in recent years. New Democrats alienated a great portion of their base with their support of Canadian intervention in Libya and Mulcair’s embrace of Israeli slaughter in Gaza. Supporters of Harper’s “Tough on Crime” agenda are hopefully upset over the party’s corruption of election laws, misdirecting robocalls in 2011, senators who have taken advantage of public funding, and a myriad of other scandals. Instead of volunteering their minds and bodies for hundreds of hours come election season, young people should revoke their support for
Haley Klassen
the process that drains their energy and gives little back. People concerned with a just Canada should withdraw their support from the bourgeois political apparatus and work toward creating institutions that operate counter to the established practices of the state. While I recognize that struggles have multiple fronts, none of these parties offer constructive solutions to the colossal problems faced by this generation going forward. Justin Trudeau will surely make a nicer,
friendlier Prime Minister than Stephen Harper. The history of the Liberal Party in government shows it is little friendlier to the average Canadian than the conservative party of the day. Liberals and Conservatives are more concerned with protecting the profits of dairy producers than they are with educating its young people. The Liberals’ lackluster section on post-secondary education shows a fundamental lack of regard for Canada’s youth looking to improve themselves.
Of the three major parties, the New Democrats offer the potential policies for youth. Unfortunately, these policies do not exist in a vacuum and must be considered alongside the New Democrats’ near-complete abandonment of socialism in favour of Tony Blair-inspired Third Way social democracy.
john kapp staff writer
letters
the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014 gina is a welcoming and supportive campus community, and all of us – faculty, staff and your fellow students – are here to help you.
Dr. Vianne Timmons And now, a word from the President.
Kyle Leitch Just like kids’ letters to Santa, only these get read by more than disgruntled postal workers!
Believe it or not, we here at the Carillon get some pretty nasty emails from time to time. In our never-ending quest to engage the student body more fully with our fine product, the Carillon staff has decided that we will begin publishing some of our favourite pieces of correspondence from folks like you. Since we expect all of you to be like, “Ye Gods! I must write to the student newspaper straight away!” we’ll take this opportunity to lay down some ground rules. Correspondence can be emailed, mailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name on all letters. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Letters should be no more than 350 words, and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy, and vulgarity. And of course, the opinions expressed in published letters are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of the Carillon, or The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Letters to be considered for publication should be submitted by Monday at 12:00, noon. Emails can be submitted to: op-ed@carillonregina.com Nec Pluribus Impar, The Staff
Welcome to the University of Regina for the 2014-2015 academic year! I would like to extend a special welcome to those of you who are beginning your studies here, and thank you for making the University of Regina your university! This will be an exciting, interesting and challenging year for you. While it may take a few weeks to get used to your new surroundings, I know you will soon feel right at home here as you start finding your way around campus, getting to know your professors, and meeting new friends. The University of Re-
For those of you returning for another year – I hope you had a great summer, and that you are starting the new academic year refreshed and excited about your studies! You have a lot more academic and life experience than you did at this time last year, and that that will serve you well as you begin another year of your studies and take one step closer to graduation. Over the course of the year, if you find that you need some academic or personal assistance, I encourage you to call the appropriate student support office – including our UR International office if you are a student from another country. Don’t be afraid to speak with someone if you need to, because we’re all here to help you and to make sure your experience at the University of Regina is a positive one. If you see me on campus, please take the time introduce yourself. In addition, I have an
open-door policy and like to meet with students whenever I can. Should you wish to provide feedback on your university experience or meet with me in person, please email me at the.president@uregina.ca or call (306) 585-4696 to schedule an appointment. I would like to get to know you and hear your perspectives on our University, because your input can help make a difference in the education of all students. Enjoy your studies, make the most of all the wonderful opportunities the University of Regina holds for you – and have a great year! Sincerely,
Dr. Vianne Timmons President and Vice-Chancellor
the funny section “UR Controversy” It’s truly lovely here An excerpt from Drinking Songs of the Academy, sung to the tune of Sung to the Tune of “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” By Crash Test Dummies.
glad ‘Cause one group had it worse than that
Once there was these two who Kept charging so much overtime over a whole decade But when the campus found out They kept it from the province for a year They couldn’t quite explain it They’d always keep paying them
‘Cause then there was this group who Cheered themselves into a corner with their wardrobes And when the pictures came out They were lambasted as insensitive Which honestly makes sense, yes It’s more than in bad taste
Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm
Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm
Once there was this girl who Faked her own credentials and taught here for two years And then they finally found out That she stole her ex-husband’s PhD She couldn’t quite explain it No one had questioned it Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm But both the girl and two were
farron ager Headmaster Emeritus
Photo Dictionary Crash test dummy, after listening to our parody of a Crash Test Dummies song.
Shit the Carillon Says!
“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” - Obi-Wan Kenobi the staff, for better or worse When asked how he would describe his time working here, a former editor-in-chief broke down in tears. He was inconsolable, even after repeated phone calls to the grief counselling hotline. But really, things around here aren’t quite so bad. The threats of violence are often counter-balanced by derogatory remarks aimed at members of staff’s family by other staff members. Truly, there was never been a more cohesive workplace. Luckily, our shit scribe and trusty pen were never far behind. In between being scalded by incorrect coffee orders and dancing for our amusement, they managed to copy down some of the funnier things we said this week.
On candy quality: “The better chocolate is on the bottom.” Staff Member 1: “Remember how much that girl freaked out on me for being a communist?” Staff Member 2: “Yeah but she was a weird one.” Staff Member 1: “Is that Leonard Cohen? When did he grow a goatee?” Staff Member 2: “When he became a fucking vagrant.”
On job anxiety: “You don’t know the meaning of the word ‘stress!’ You’re not even stress’ favourite cover band!” On military tactics: “If you’re going to get someone involved in a war, Pearl Harbor was a pretty good way to do it.” On cultural diets: “If it didn’t have butter or lard in it, it wasn’t considered food.”
Mind-Exchange First result for Googling “Obi Wan + Shit.”
On news outlets: “The Guardian is the Bad Luck Brian of the British press.” Staff Member 1: “Nik Lewis is my favourite non-Rider.” Staff Member 2: “Why?” Staff Member 3: “Because he’s a tank made of meat and rage.” On human resources: “I always felt bad yelling at him; he always looked like a hurt puppy when
I did.” On mail service: “She always gets the biggest packages.” On relationships: “That’s how I want to be greeted - like a piece of man-meat.” On psychological film: “This is your subconscious calling your conscience. Take that, Charlie Kaufman!”
On the importance of calculators: “I love the man, I do, but his math sucks.” On technology: Staff Member 1: “I think I deleted the internet!” Staff Member 2: “...Thanks. You obliterated porn.” On journalism: “We attempted to interview the Taliban - things didn’t end well.”
Devon Peters Good sport Devon Peters after having been freshly pied.
First years soon to encounter true nature of University The circle of life goes on and on michael chmielewski pretentious 4th year pseudo-journalist
As Welcome Week drew to a close, a sense of optimism filled the air. All week, many grumbly grad students, coming out thesis meetings with their troglodytic profs, kept saying “damn first years” every time they saw a bright eyed and smiling 18 year old with a tote bag full of U of R propaganda. “I remember being like that once,” moaned psychology Ph.D student Anna DuMount while a first year walked by. As the Carillon interviewed DuMount, a passing first year, surrounded by fellow baby-faced first year arts students, came too close for comfort to DuMount, and she spat on him. The Carillon caught up with the wet student, who was using a local newspaper to wipe himself off. He didn’t seem fazed at all. “Can you believe you get mini-doughnuts for free!” he exclaimed like it was God’s gift to man. “I hope they have them next year!”
The victim of grad student resentment was Phil Michaelli, a 1st year enrolling into Arts. “I don’t care what my parents say, I think Arts will be a great degree to have.” Michaelli said. “I read a Wikipedia article about Noam Chomsky, that guy seems fucking legit, and like, smart. I really want to learn about the world.” Having the attention span of a kid who not three months ago was raising his hand like a snot nosed punk so he wouldn’t shit himself in the middle of Math class, Michaelli ran off to class mid-interview. As all the various pathetic student groups, masquerading as grown-ups, pandered to the first years to try and hook them into their club for the next four years, many first years walked around, asking for directions. “Do you know where CL 110 is?” one first year, trying to his English 100 class asked a professor. “Haven’t you seen the maps in every fucking building, you fucking noob?” the professor screamed at the crying first year. He was a Business prof who, after seeing us standing there,
Kyle Leitch Pretentious 4th year pseudo-journalist interviewing the next target.
awkwardly mumbled “off the record” and walked away, leaving behind a pile of course syllabi. The first year took one to blow his nose into, and to wipe his shame away. Once Welcome Week is over, first years will start to notice
the changing, cyclical nature of the university, as the young man victimized by the Business prof realized sooner than others. Optimism will turn to pessimism, students will gain perspective and understand the world, and in four years, will be
filling out applications to grad school. Once there, they will deride first years, as the circle of life goes on. The Carillon will report on the story as it develops.
To the jaded and bitter staff of the Carillon, there is nothing more glee-inducing than watching the frightened faces of the first year students as they enter the U of R for the first time. These 15 are the exception to the rule. May you remain as hopeful as you were this day throughout the course of your degrees. Also, keep reading the Carillon. Love, the staff
Jared Dascher (Pre-Med)
Roger Jin (Engineering)
Amy Morris (Business)
Q. What are you most afraid of about University?
Q. What are you most looking forward to about University?
Q. What are you most looking forward to about University?
A. Experiencing life in a new and different way
A. I guess getting to know more people. Coming from a small town there aren’t many people.
Desiree Luzny (Nursing)
Korey Grenne (Psychology)
Hailie Logan (Education)
Q. What are you most afraid of about University?
Q. What are you most looking forward to about University?
Q. What made you want to study education?
A. Being late for a class. If you appear late for a class, all those eyes looking at you, it gives you an odd feeling telling you shouldn’t be out of class.
A. I’m afraid of the big change from going to a small school to a place where there are so many people. And how hard everyone says that it’s going to be.
A. Meeting new people and having new experiences. I’m from Toronto so it’s a lot different here coming to a small city. I’m excited to get started.
A. I love kids and I worked at daycare before I came here. It made me realize how I like hanging out with kids.
Darnell Pelletier (Computer Science)
Ethan Mcintyre (Film)
Teah Head (Pre-Law)
Q. What are you most afraid of about University?
Q. What made you want to study film?
A. I can’t really say. I guess that it would be the pressure of classes.
A. I’ve always been interested in films since I was a kid. I decided to study film when I was like 11. I’ve wanted this most of my life.
Q. What are you most looking forward to about University? A. The experience. It’s a big world and I want to experience it all.
freshman 15
Editor: Haley Klassen graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014
Tyler Mayhew (Computer Science)
Marsha Grool (Engineering)
Chelsey Keller (Film)
Q. What are you most afraid of about University?
Q. What is your favourite quote?
A. I guess the classes. I don’t know what the profs are going to be like and I don’t know what the difficultly levels will be for certain classes.
A. Cough, cough. Sorry I am allergic to bullshit.
Q. What are you most looking forward to about University? A. The overall experience of meeting new people, living in residence and exploring career options. I’m really exited to learn different things. Kayla Ahijada (Nursing) Q. What is something that inspires you? A. A quote by Jimmy Dean “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination”.
Makaela Harkness (Social Work) Q. What made you want to study social work? A. My dad had a really hard life going through the system so I wanted to go into it and see if I could change it.
Minda (Undeclared) Q. What are you most excited for University? A. Do I have to say it? University boys.
Photos by: Haley Klassen and Allan Hall
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the carillon | September 04 - 10, 2014