NEWS
“We want justice”
Protesters demand answers after police shooting PAGE 3
EDITORIAL
ARTS
UMSU continually fails transparency test
Intergalactic sapphic love
Something to hide
PAGE 8
Local author holds book launch PAGE 19 COMMENT
Career quiz Match your interests to opportunity PAGE 10
VO L 1 0 5 · N O 2 6 · M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 9 · W W W.T H E M A N I TO B A N .CO M
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Index
VOL. 105 NO. 26 March 6, 2019
NEWS
Meet your community reps Candidates discuss priorities
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Garett Williams
editor@themanitoban.com / 474.8293
BUSINESS MANAGER Sohni Tappia
accounts@themanitoban.com / 474.6535
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Sydney Last
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EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR Malak Abas
PAGE 6
me@themanitoban.com
NEWS EDITOR Malak Abas
news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770
COMMENT EDITOR Jacob Singleton
comment@themanitoban.com
ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR Emelia Fournier
comment@themanitoban.com
SPORTS EDITOR Jason Pchajek
sports@themanitoban.com
COPY EDITOR Matthew Doering
copy@themanitoban.com
ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR Sarah Doran
sarah@themanitoban.com
SPORTS
Wiki Wog
DESIGN
DESIGN EDITOR Kellie Huynh
design@themanitoban.com
GRAPHICS EDITOR Evan Tremblay
Swimmer sets sights on world stage
graphics@themanitoban.com
PAGE 20
photo@themanitoban.com
PHOTO EDITOR Asha Nelson PHOTO EDITOR Quincy Houdayer
quincy@themanitoban.com
PHOTO ASSOCIATE Alex Decebal-Cuza DESIGN ASSOCIATE Ernest Zarzuela GRAPHICS ASSOCIATE Scott A. Ford
REPORTERS
NEWS Ty Brass COLUMNIST Kenny Ingram COLUMNIST Rebecca Balakrishnan ARTS Amin Montazeri ARTS Zachary F. Sigurdson SPORTS Kellen Taniguchi
VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTORS
Meghan Sadowy Raphael Paul Megan Pietrus Matthew Teklemariam
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COMMENT
Who’s accountable? Transform corporate boards now PAGE 13
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News
News Editor: Malak Abas Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770
Community rallies after man killed by police Organizers demand independent investigation into killing of Machuar Madut MALAK ABAS, STAFF
PHOTO BY QUINCY HOUDAYER
W
innipeggers gathered in the cold outside of the Winnipeg Police Headquarters Friday morning to demand justice after a police shooting left a newcomer to Canada dead. Machuar Madut, 43, was shot and killed in his apartment last Saturday after a confrontation with police. Madut was South Sudanese and community members say he had struggled with mental health issues. Madut had come to Canada from Sudan with his family in 2003. About a hundred people were present at the rally, some holding signs and some wearing shirts with Madut’s face and name printed. The gathering was hosted by the Council of South Sudanese Community of Manitoba Inc. and
Black Space Winnipeg. Speakers and shooting of 2019. tive director Nadine Sookermany immigration, language and all of the the crowd chanted “Black lives matOrganizers at the rally said they connected the shooting to incidents barriers that Machuar experienced ter” and “We want justice.” want an independent investigation of race-based brutality happening here in this city. And the Winnipeg Black Space Winnipeg founder into the shooting and for police to across the border — particularly the Police do not understand.” and president Alexa Potashnik said publicly identify the officer who case of Trayvon Martin, an AfricanPotashnik said Madut’s death the gathering was organized to send killed Madut. American 17-year-old who was shot could have been avoided, and that a message to Winnipeg police. “These things don’t happen only and killed while walking through police had acted on “the manifesta“We’re demanda Florida neigh- tion of anti-blackness.” ing answers and bourhood. The “If they saw him as a threat, why “We’re demanding answers and justice” justice,” she said man who shot him did they see him as a threat?” she said. in an interview. was eventually “We have to ask these questions. — Alexa Potashnik, Black Space “We have no found not guilty. There could have been a million other information, the “Seven years scenarios they could have done, but Winnipeg founder articles that are ago, almost to the first thing that they did was use coming out online the day, Trayvon excessive force. And that’s why we’re are sketchy, we don’t know all of the in the United States of America, Martin was shot,” she said at the rally. here to say that that’s not right.” details, and we need answers to know these things happen on the streets “Seven years ago, and nothing what actually happened so we can get of Winnipeg,” rally organizer Sandy has changed. Nothing has changed. justice for Machuar’s life.” Deng said. And so I think it’s important that we This was the third police-involved Women’s Health Clinic execu- make the connections between race,
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News
News Editor: Malak Abas Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770
ASBC issues refunds after over-selling social President says high turnout is a first for arts council TY BRASS, STAFF
S
ome students were resigned to a never been an issue in the past,” he “In all honesty, we are used to peo- tickets at the Hub that night. ple buying tickets to arts socials and “RSAC actually wasn’t a part of the dull night after the Arts Student said. The social took its name from the not showing up.” Body Council (ASBC) and Resident group selling at the door at all, it was Student Association Council (RSAC) glow sticks offered to ticket holders He also said RSAC’s involvement ASBC working the table,” Robert oversold tickets to its Glow-Up social upon entry. boosted sales more than ASBC had said. on Valentine’s Day. The glow sticks were available expected. “Our council sold tickets in “We were also surprised to see advance outside of the Fresh Food The social took place at the Hub in three colours meant signify the RSAC sell more tickets than we Company like we do for all of our and began at 9 p.m. As early as 11:30, wearer’s relationship status. a line began forming at the door after Students were events and we the venue reached its capacity. offered a choice gave ASBC a total “We are used to people buying tickets and not number for how Tickets were available for for $5 between green for from Feb. 7 to 14 and at the door, and single, yellow if showing up” — Julius Chester, ASBC president many we had sold. some students who purchased tick- their relationship “So, no, we ets were forced to wait before being status was “comweren’t aware of allowed inside. plicated” and red the overselling.” Some waited up to 50 minutes in if romantically unavailable. expected, as they were with us — as ASBC also held a contest through line. The supply of green glow sticks I said, in the past arts socials tend Instagram beginning Feb. 11 where ASBC president Julius Chester had run dry by midnight. to be overlooked compared to other students were entered to win free said, to his knowledge, while this Chester said tickets were oversold student council events,” he said. cover for themselves and three friends event had oversold, the council had in part because of low turnout at other “RSAC’s help in ticket sales was if they tagged them in an Instagram never previously oversold tickets to ASBC socials. really appreciated, however.” post and all four students were fola social. “I believe we over-sold tickets RSAC co-president Erin Robert lowing both the ASBC and RSAC “This year’s social programming because we underestimated the said the council had not been made Instagram accounts. team has been the most active it’s amount of people who would attend,” aware the social had over-sold and Hub manager Brandon Whyte been in years, and overselling has he said. there were no RSAC members selling said the Hub does not moderate the
number of tickets sold for U of M events. “We simply inform the social coordinators of our maximum capacity, set by the city and by the [Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis authority]” said Whyte. The ASBC eventually offered refunds for ticket holders waiting in line, but by that point some had already left, ticket in hand. The ASBC is still offering refunds. “We have offered to refund people’s tickets if they were not able to get into the social, which was posted on our social media,” said Chester. Chester said the incident has been a chance for the ASBC to rethink its event planning structure. “Moving forward,” he said, “we’ll learn from this experience.”
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VOL. 105 NO. 26 March 6, 2019
UMGSA continues exec restructuring TY BRASS, STAFF
UMGSA Election The University of Manitoba Graduate Students’ Association (UMGSA) has announced the list of candidates in the running for the association’s executive positions for the 2019-20 school year. Official campaigning begins March 11 and ends March 22. An election forum will be held on March 19 at the UMGSA lounge, and voting will run from March 20 to 22. Ademola Adesola will be acting as chief returning officer (CRO) through the election. Two candidates — Carl Neumann and Cody Ross — are running as incumbents, for president and vice-president finance and administration, respectively. Both are running uncontested.
President:
Carl Neumann (incumbent)
VP finance and administration
Cody Ross (incumbent)
VP services and support:
Eric Gagnon (UMGSA political studies and public administration co-councillor) Okechukwu Efobi
PHOTO BY ASHA NELSON
T
he University of Manitoba “Improvements in our executive Graduate Students’ Association transition process and the enhance(UMGSA) council moved to cre- ment of our office assistant's role in ate an executive advisor position to governance both alleviate the need replace the previous executive-at- for additional advice as well, so a large position at its regular meeting more limited advisory role fits well Feb. 27. into this new reality,” he said. The executive advisor can be The transition process for new appointed at the beginning of an executives will be restructured to executive term for a period between make it simpler for incoming execuone and four months and will be tives to settle into their new roles. optional based on the needs of the “Our executives will be expected executive committee. to arrange for incoming execs to job The advisor will attend all shadow them, to the extent schedUMGSA council and executive ules allow, which has rarely been committee meetings and provide done in the past,” he said. advice based on their experience. “In addition, new documentation Rather than the current arrange- specifically to guide new executives ment — where an executive-at-large will be created by the current execs. receives an honorarium of $9,300 for Though some of this exists the year — executive advisors will already, significant enhancements not be part of the executive commit- will be made in expanding upon the tee and will receive an honorarium incomplete notes that were given of $250 per month. to us when we started in our roles. UMGSA president Carl “Some minor changes to our poliNeumann said the decision was cies are planned so that executive made after the association exam- transition is a noted expectation of ined how it could cut back costs. each executive role. Transition is “The UMGSA has been looking not noted at all in our policies at for savings in our budget, and this is present.” a significant savings,” he said. In January, the UMGSA executive committee was reduced from Debit card and account six to five members by combining regulations set the VP external and VP marketing The council also voted to open an roles into a single position. Other expense account and corresponding duties traditionally performed by debit card for operational expenses executives have already been taken and purchases that could not be over by the association’s office made by cheque. assistant. Due to restrictions on existing Neumann said the executive accounts, some expenses had to be and bylaws committees agreed the paid for out-of-pocket by UMGSA smaller executive would not hurt executives or staff who would be the association’s operations and that reimbursed afterwards. opening the optional position to At the Feb. 27 meeting, council monthly terms would create further approved a set of regulations and savings. limitations for the use of the card. “We figured that new executives The debit card can only be signed should be up to speed in their roles out for a maximum of two business by the end of the summer, and an days at a time, its associated account advisor should not be needed fur- will only hold a maximum of $5,000 ther into their executive terms,” he at any given time and the debit card said. will have a maximum point of sale Neumann added that the role amount of $3,500. more accurately fits the needs of the Cash withdrawals will be UMGSA. prohibited.
In order to keep funds secure, the card will only be accessible by signing authorities and will require a second signing authority to approve an expense estimate. Any misspent funds will be paid for by the card user responsible.
Senator responsibility changes and honorarium increase
The UMGSA council voted to amend the required workload and increase the honorarium of the executive committee’s senator positions. Each of the two senators were previously required to serve on at least one senate committee and two internal committees. Under the amendments, the senators will be required to sit on at least two senate committees but no internal committees. The two current senate representatives each sit on multiple senate committees. The annual honorarium will also increase from $4,200 to $6,000. Neumann said the change in pay and responsibilities was “certainly intended to reduce the workload that senators are required to work.” “The reality is that our senators already put in significant hours on senate committees and also on many faculty of graduate studies committees,” he said. “Though we would continue to welcome our senators on our internal committees, we wanted to allow the senators to focus their time and energy on academic matters, and not be forced to take on even more committee work unrelated to academic affairs.” The senators currently serving on the UMGSA council, Felix Nwaiwu and Laura Forsythe, said they will not be running for the positions next year and so will not benefit from the increased honorarium. The next UMGSA council meeting is March 27.
News
VP academic:
Roxie Koohgoli (UMGSA human nutritional sciences co-councillor) MD Shadhin
Senator:
Ehsa n Ta h ma sabia n (UMGSA electrical and computer engineering co-councillor) Satwant Kaur Julia Minarik (president, Philosophy Students’ Association)
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News
News Editor: Malak Abas Contact: news@themanitoban.com / 474.6770
Meet your UMSU community
Accessibility, international students’ reps have multiple candidates MALAK ABAS, STAFF
Accessibility students’ representative Eliza Hydesmith
Eliza Hydesmith is the current UMSU accessibility community representative and said she hopes to bring her experience back to the board for a second year. “I’ve worked super, super hard to make connections and try and figure out what I can do, and what the community can do to help provide resources and just awareness for students with disabilities who live here on campus,” she said. She has “tons of projects that are actually in the works right now,” and added she hoped they will continue whether or not she is elected. “I have been working with — we’ve been working with — the Student Accessibility Services (SAS), they have a peer-mentoring program, and we’re wanting to expand that into the accessibility centre, so just expanding the program,” she said. “And as well as renewing the accessibility centre, so making it fit more of the needs of the students and just making it a more welcoming place.” She is also working on an art showcase that will be held in the accessibility centre. Hydesmith, who was recently diagnosed with a learning disability, said she hopes to use her experiences both on the board and after her diagnosis to advocate for students who use accessibility services on campus. “It was very surprising how many students with disabilities did not want to be identified, that they had a disability,” she said. “And just how, to me, that’s so unfortunate. And I’ve found quite a bit of a lack of knowledge about what disabilities are and what it means.”
Brandon Wozniak
Brandon Wozniak, the current Arts Student Body Council (ASBC) director of sustainability, said he wants to improve the U of M’s current SAS for all students, but particularly those coming from rural communities. “Growing up Métis and attending school in a rural community, I was never exposed to medical care pertaining to mental health — I grew up with ADHD and anxiety thinking that it was normal — it wasn’t until I realized I was working way harder than my friends for a significantly lower mark,” he said. “I’d like to work with [the University of Manitoba Access program] to incorporate SAS [into] their intake program to help those coming from northern communities to realize there’s a problem before their GPA is jeopardized.” The program provides resources
PHOTO BY MEGAN COLWELL
helped him reach out to the wider voice,” he said. international student community. Abdallah Es-Haq “Culture’s always dear to our Abdallah Es-Haq has said he hearts, you know,” he said. “And as would build his policies on four international students, we don’t have major pillars: advocacy, communicaour parents here. We don’t have our tion, engagement and transparency. family here. And it’s actually quite “International students feel like intriguing to see the home environ- they are not represented well enough, especially with regards to policy ment here.” Ahad said tackling international that the university chooses to pass student healthcare will be the first and implement wherein academic and fiscal policy changes have the order of business. Manitoba recently became the potential to have a disproportionate first province in Western Canada to and unfair burden on international scrap universal healthcare coverage students,” he said. He said he plans to fight the for international students. “This is the most important out of cuts to international healthcare in all the advocacy for this particular Manitoba, and to increase transparency and outreach among the interyear,” he said. national student community. “There are many challenges and “I intend to establish a bi-weekly dangers that students have been facnews bulletin talk show facilitated ing for the last few years — the first by UMFM wherein news from the being the tax rebate being removed two-week period that is vital to by the provincial government. international students is summaSecond being the constant increasing rized into a half-hour long episode,” of tuition fees, 6.6 per cent this year, he said. which is [very] challenging for us, “In my opinion, it’s too easy and seeing as we have to pay three times accessible to not attempt in order to Indigenous students’ the amount of tuition as a domestic try and bridge the communication representative International students’ student.” representative gap with international students.” Ahad said he would reach out to Alicia Kubrakovich Es-Haq adds he will demand furinternational students to gauge their ther financial transparency from the — Uncontested Abdul Ahad Abdul Ahad has a long history opinions on how advocacy should UMSU board. Alicia Kubrakovich is a firstyear student and executive mem- of leadership positions within the be structured, and this would rely “To be very blunt, most internaber of UMISA who said she U of M — he currently serves as on whether or not students would tional students draw a blank when it plans to continue on the path set the vice-president of finance of the vote to remain in the Canadian comes to understanding how UMSU out by past Indigenous students’ Bangladeshi Students’ Association Federation of Students for the 2019- uses the funds it accrues from manand the international student repre- 20 year. datory fees that we pay into the representatives. “We’d like to educate students union, and it is not our fault,” he said. “I want to continue working with sentative of the U of M Economics the [National Centre for] Truth and Society, positions he said have more, and we’d like to hear their to students with a “demonstrated Reconciliation, and to continue the personal, academic or financial 94 calls to action, and number 16, and revitalize the language to conneed,” according to its website. Wozniak is looking to other tinue to make sure it’s still getting Canadian universities for policies put through,” she said. to bring forward to the board of The National Centre for Truth directors. and Reconciliation released a list “I would also like to put our poli- of 94 recommendations to further cies more in line with other univer- implement reconciliation in Canada sities, like the [University of British — the 16th of which is to “create Columbia] by advocating for their university and college degree and on-campus priority housing for diploma programs in Aboriginal students with accessibility needs languages.” Kubrakovich said she also hopes policy,” he said. He said he also hopes to work to follow the path set out by previous on creating a relationship between Indigenous students’ representative U of M accessibility services Alannah Mckay and her work on and the Canadian Council on promoting Indigenous advocacy. “Every time it came to me, because Rehabilitation and Work, set up a scholarship program for students I sat in those meetings, and [Mckay] with accessibility needs, re-examine just kept pushing everything,” she the SAS exam booking policy and said. “And that’s one of my [goals], is improve snow removal services — particularly during reading week — to keep pushing [advocacy services] to improve accessibility throughout to make sure it’s happening, and to campus. just never give up on what I’ll be pushing.”
VOL. 105 NO. 26 March 6, 2019
News
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representative candidates
PHOTO BY TANVIR AHMED
community,” she said. “If that ultimately results in new she said do not qualify for grants as the women’s representative. “Why I believe this is crucial and friendships being formed, that and scholarships available to other “My aim this year is to make Fourth-year student Victoria I prioritize this even before talk- would put a huge smile on my face.” students. more awareness for healthcare and Nwabuisi said, above all, what sets ing about [international] healthHe also said he would continue “I started talking to different also plan more workshops with her apart as a student leader is her care, which is very important also, is the work done by the previous rep- faculties as well about implement- women coming together to talk,” passion for advocacy. because I feel that because the inter- resentative to decide whether or ing scholarships that were based she said. “I am a very passionate indi- national community is so spread not to change the position’s title more with mature students in mind, Yamba is involved with the vidual,” she said. “And I don’t stop out [...] when the government does from LGBTTQ* representative to because we often don’t do a full Womyn’s Centre on campus curfighting for what I want to see as things like take away our healthcare, Gender, Sexual and Relationship course load,” she said. rently and has volunteered with change in whatever aspect of life it affects everybody,” she said. Diversities (GSRD) representative. She also said if next year’s UMSU in the past, experience she I’m working with.” “But just the Nigerian Students’ “The previous LGBTTQ* rep- UMSU executive continues to lobby said she will use to be a more active Nwabuisi said her time work- Association can’t go up against an resentative admitted that she had federally for the elimination of the presence on campus. ing as a volunteer organizer for entire system. They can’t go against not initially consulted the broader tuition tax credit and the re-allocaShe said she hopes to provide Aiesec — which connects students the entire system. But as an inter- community on campus regarding tion of funds to student grants, she resources for women through to international internships — was national community, if we’re able to the proposed title change contro- will advocate against the change. weekly tabling and regular gatherformative in shaping her leadership integrate ourselves and really form versy,” he said. “I don’t think UMSU thought ings where women can feel safe to style, particularly with the setup of that solid network [...] the govern“For myself, I think it is impor- that through very well,” she said. open up. an Aiesec conference in Winnipeg. ment will not be as passive as it’s tant to remember the vast diversity MacCoy previously spoke out “What I intend to do is just to “Because I really wanted to have been in the past year.” of people I will be representing in against the switch and the impact it bring them together, every week the hands-on experience of dealing all initiatives I undertake, rang- would have on families in a January or every two weeks, have a specific directly with the hotels, I decided I ing from [Rainbow Pride Mosaic] UMSU board meeting. event where we talk about things would directly deal with planning LGBTTQ* representative through to individuals who might “From my own perspective, like like that,” she said. everything that had to do with the not even feel entirely comfortable I’m putting myself through school, “We all come together to voice hotel and the costs,” she said. identifying with the community and I’ll be putting my children out our opinions [about what] we Trevor Smith “And from, I would say from — Uncontested yet.” through school in the next two, go through: mental health, whoever January to June, I was going to Trevor Smith is currently the three years,” she said. “So taking has come across sexual abuse, how different hotels and speaking with ASBC director of communications away that tax credit has a huge they want help, and [if they] reach sales managers and negotiating and will bring that experience to Mature students’ impact on my ability to afford out to us to help them and what we thousands of dollars that I never the UMSU board of directors as the representative school.” can actually do for them.” imagined I would be capable of union’s LGBTTQ* representative She said rather than removing Yamba added she will work Sharlene MacCoy effectively doing — but then I was for the 2019-20 year. the tax credit, she would advo- to provide free materials includable to bring down a budget of over Smith said outreach to the wider — Uncontested cate instead for additional fund- ing menstrual aids for people on $60,000 to $37,000.” campus community was a top priorSharlene MacCoy was appointed ing opportunities for low-income campus. Her work as UMSU interna- ity for the upcoming year, including to the mature students’ representa- students. tional students’ representative “ally training sessions” and other tive position in December 2018 and would begin with working along- conversation outlets. is running unopposed to continue side fellow international students “Interacting with the LGBTTQ* leading the position she originally Women’s representative to bring the U of M’s international community and being able to put a moved to create. community together. face, a name, a story and a person to One of her main goals for the Sia Yamba — Uncontested “I want the leaders of the differ- the alphabet soup is infinitely ben- upcoming year is to look into fundWorkshops centred around ent country groups [...] represented eficial in reducing discrimination ing opportunities for mature and issues women face is a goal for Sia as one, as the international student and creating more allies,” he said. part-time students, many of whom Yamba, who is running uncontested
Victoria Nwabuisi
Editorial Editor-In-Chief: Garett Williams Contact: Editor@themanitoban.com / 474.6770
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UMSU’s aversion to transparency The executive endlessly violates its own governing documents JACOB SINGLETON, STAFF
GRAPHIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY
U
MSU has failed for years to be and posts it on its office door. I doubt transparent and accountable. it, but it’s impossible to independently This election, those goals must be verify now. This total disregard for front and centre. transparency underscores just how While UMSU’s own position unwilling UMSU is to be accountstatements document promises to able to its membership. offer the highest level of transparBut even if the executive published ency in decision-making, the cur- its office hours in these pages or its rent executive, along with legions of website, it likely would not do anyone previous executives, has not kept this any good. promise. In fact, the current executive — UMSU has bred a many of whom are seeking re-election — is violating multiple bylaws culture of opaque intended to enforce transparency. operation by the According to UMSU’s governance and operations manual, the execuexecutives tive is supposed to publish its office hours in the Manitoban at least once a month. The obvious intention is to UMSU bylaws mandate that each ensure members of the union know of the executives must dedicate one when they can access their union hour per week to office hours without leadership. any appointments. This is open office A public schedule published in time when members can freely access these pages would ensure union their representatives. This is a serious leadership adheres to the schedule requirement of the executives manmembers have access to. dated by the governing documents. The current executive has never Since the executive violates one once published its office hours for of its obligations to transparency by union members in the Manitoban. not publishing its office hours in the Neither did the executive previous. Manitoban, the only public record of UMSU maintains its own website these office hours are the individual — paid for with member fees — where executive reports. These reports one would imagine UMSU might include all the meetings and events post office hours despite violating the each executive attended and are writgoverning documents. ten by the executives themselves. The It does not. reports would be easy to falsify. Perhaps UMSU prints a schedule Despite there being no account-
ability within the record keeping of rent executive who have failed to these reports, the executives have achieve the stated goals of transparreported failing to hold the required ency and accountability outlined by office hours several times. Since UMSU. UMSU has bred a culture of Sept. 14, UMSU president Jakob opaque operation by the executives. Sanderson's reports alone suggest All executives have routinely put forfailure to comply with the UMSU ward motions that board members office hour bylaw eight times as of have had only two days to review, Feb. 7. which invariably leads to boards and Some of the executives, such as councils that simply rubber stamp the VP finance and operations Mbuli the executive’s decisions. All have Matshe, who is seeking re-election, failed to abide by the entirety of the have never reported holding a sin- governing document. gle one of the mandatory open office hours as outlined in UMSU governing documents. Sanderson’s While the executive is accountable executive has to the board of directors, the executive can only be punished for violating crafted a motion the governing documents if a formal that would make complaint by a member is filed. Members on the board can lodge any future similar a complaint but none have so far this year. requests impossible UMSU’s judicial board is responsible for addressing complaints lodged against elected UMSU representatives when they violate the UMSU But transparency and accountgoverning documents. It investigates ability constitute an important well the validity of the claim and submits of false promises for UMSU execua report to the board who can poten- tives. All the UMSU slates running tially escalate the complaint into a are promising to be more transparent vote to remove the executives who and more accountable. Every execuare violating the UMSU governing tive ever elected has said it will bring documents. in more transparency. The offences listed here are appliAt this point it is a rite of passage cable for such action. for an UMSU slate to promise better To be clear, it is not just the cur- record keeping and better access to
decision making. Yet nothing ever improves. The current executive, however, has been particularly egregious in its pursuit of non-transparency. Earlier this year, the Manitoban requested several UMSU financial documents and minutes, including the union’s credit card statements. Sanderson initially rejected all requests except for board minutes and PowerPoint that were supposed to be online regardless of the request. Sanderson initially dismissed the request by stating all the documents requested were submitted to UMSU committees during closed sessions. Closed sessions can be called for any reason and make the minutes recorded and documents submitted private — inaccessible to the membership. Among the documents requested were the annual budget audits which have never been and should never be submitted during closed session. As a member of UMSU, according to the UMSU governing documents, I am entitled to access my union’s archives to review how my union is operating. It is a fundamental function of a democratic organization to maintain and offer free access to the organization’s archive. When I demanded evidence that all the documents requested were submitted during closed session, Sanderson and I entered into a protracted email exchange which resulted in Sanderson acknowledging he erroneously believed the documents requested could be kept away from union membership. The Manitoban eventually received the documents, but the UMSU executive is currently working to ensure no one can ever access them again. I made a request to view minutes from the selection committee, which is responsible for finding members at large to sit on the other UMSU sub-committees. These meetings are publicly held, and the minutes are for the public record. Despite Sanderson asserting I had no right to see these minutes, he was compelled to give them to me because the UMSU governing documents mandate I be able to freely access them. Since then, Sanderson’s executive has crafted a motion that would make any future similar requests impossible. This is an unacceptable affront to any claim the current executive might make about striving toward transparency and accountability. UMSU’s aversion to transparency and accountability is intensifying under the current leadership. Just a few weeks ago UMSU passed a motion stating the union needed to reduce its dependency on membership dues. Perhaps if it no longer depends on its members for funding, the executive can maintain a clear conscience as it destroys all vestiges of transparency for and accountability to its members.
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Comment Comment Editor: Jacob Singleton Contact: comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529
10
Is there racism and discrimination at the U of M?
The pain and impact of subtle racism RAPHAEL PAUL
Indian Residential Schools” or “Some Indigenous groups that are active of my best friends are Indians.” in the city and get positive coverage. As an educator and an Aboriginal But the majority of media coverage of person of 80 years, I have experienced Indigenous peoples is framed neganumerous incidences of blatant and tively. The media brings to the foresubtle discrimination and racism. front anything that paints Indigenous Blatant discrimination is easier to peoples as the “bad guys”: stand-offs deal with, but subtle discrimination with police, car theft, gangs, shootis more damaging. ings, drug deals. Reflecting on the past in my What positioned Indigenous peolife and as a teacher between 1959 ples in that negative role? Answer: and 1998, little was taught about racism and discrimination. All monies printed in Canada are Indigenous peoples in Canadian schools. backed up by the lands and resources My theory is that Europeans who that the Indigenous peoples released GRAPHIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY have never studied Indigenous peo- to Canada in their treaties forever. ples’ history in the 1930s to the 1970s The land in Canada is the tradiately, there have been some rev- This phrase really sums up the subtle are the ones that perpetrate these rac- tional lands of Indigenous peoples. elations as to the treatment some racism that exists at the university and ist thoughts. They do not know who Indigenous peoples do not get free Indigenous academics have received in many other places. Academics hide these Indigenous peoples are, so they education or health services. It was and been treated by the dominant subtle racism behind academic jargon only go by what they hear. paid in advance by the Indian treanon-Aboriginal academics at the U such as “racial microaggressions.” I reside in the most racist city in ties signed. of M. This academic term was first Canada; that was what Maclean’s But this was never taught I am an Aboriginal elder, a past coined in academic circles in the magazine denoted the city of in Manitoba schools. Many educator and educational administra- United States and denotes brief and Winnipeg about four years back. Winnipeggers think that Indigenous tor, an elected chief of my reserve for everyday slights, insults, indignities Little has changed because no one peoples are freeloaders who do not four years between 2007 and 2011. I and denigrating messages sent to wanted things to change. want to work and want to sponge off People were satisfied with the taxpayers. have two university degrees from the people of colour by well-intentioned U of M and have taken more courses white people who are unaware of status quo. Indigenous peoples in This type of thinking only generthe hidden messages being com- Winnipeg have nothing to be proud ates more of the same. since I retired in 2011. One phrase that sticks in my mind municated. These include sentences of. Socrates, the well-known philosowhen thinking about the issue is “The or phrases like “Well, my daughter/ Or that is what the media would pher of antiquity, first brought out the walls have faces that smile at you.” son is taking high school classes on have you believe. There are some idea that in order to promote changes
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and thoughts in a person, it must be started at a young age. This was done to Indigenous children placed in the Indian Residential Schools. Indigenous peoples that have attended Indian Residential Schools came home empty. The white man did not want them and they also struggled in their community because their youth was spent in these residential schools and as a result they did not learn the skills of survival and culture of their home communities. Another source of subtle racism that I discovered is through university professors that reconstruct their past from old manuscripts, church-printed books and edicts, and they bring to the fore the European concept of European superiority the world over. This produces a picture of Canadian history that is incomplete since the bulk of Canadian historiography excludes sources made by Indigenous peoples. In effect, Canadian history as we know it is a big lie. In part, the production of knowledge using only European sources results in racism and discrimination in the universities.
Career assessments match interests to work possibilities Using Holland code to explore your options REBECCA BALAKRISHNAN, THE WORK LIFE
I
f you are career undecided, you probably wish there was some kind of test you could take that would tell you exactly what to do with your life. You are in luck: the Holland code does just that. Sort of. The Holland code is an empirically supported personality test which assesses six dimensions of interest: social, enterprising, investigative, conventional, artistic and realistic to connect you to occupations which match your interests. Most people will have a threedimension type, with one dominant dimension and secondary and tertiary dimensions. Of course, you are much more complicated than your interests alone. Your aptitudes, values, geographic location, local labour market and educational aspirations are not measured
by this assessment. No test will ever give you a complete picture of who you are and what your future could be. What this assessment can do, however, is open your mind to opportunities you may not have considered before. And sometimes it simply helps to have words to describe things you already know about yourself and how you like to work. Let's dig into the six dimensions of the Holland code and the occupations you might consider based on your type.
Social
If you are social, you identify as a helper. Others might describe you as patient, empathetic and communicative. You are likely the person others turn to when they need someone to support them through a problem. Social people gravitate to work that allows them to heal, counsel or teach. Related jobs will put your helpful and supportive nature to work. If you are social, consider a career in something like marriage and family therapy, career development, speechlanguage pathology, occupational therapy or corrections.
Enterprising
expect when you get to work every and technology to get the job done. Enterprising people are comfort- day. You are most comfortable in a Your idea of an excellent Friday night able taking charge. They enjoy roles routine. might involve taking something apart requiring decision-making and are Conventional people are great then putting it back together again. comfortable taking risks. with data and are extremely detailRealistic types may enjoy being an If you are enterprising, you might oriented. If you are conventional, you athletic therapist, animal trainer, civil identify as energetic, ambitious and are the person others turn to when engineer, pilot or biologist. assertive. they need an efficient, logical solution. Enterprising people often thrive Conventional people might Finding your type as lawyers, financial advisors, sales consider becoming a statistician, If you want to know your Holland representatives and sustainability spe- accountant, librarian, dental assistant code, there are a few ways to figure it cialists. Remember, leaders exist in all or database administrator. out. You can try a free online assessprofessions. If you have an enterprisment like the O*NET Interest ing streak, find your leadership fix Artistic Profiler, which will give you your by moving into a management role These are the creatives. Artistic type and suggest related occupations. in any field. people might be creative in a traSometimes these assessments can ditional sense, loving music, art or be hard to explore on your own. Take Investigative writing, but they can also be artis- your results with you and go talk to Investigative people are the intel- tic in their thinking, preferring a career consultant if you would like lectuals. They love to learn and do not open-ended problems and creative support broadening your options mind working in a job which requires environments. and incorporating information about them to go to school for a long time. You prefer a job that is not bound yourself beyond what is measured in The more mentally challenging by arbitrary rules and allows you to a Holland code. the job, the happier an investigative express yourself. If you are seeking a more intenperson will be. Let your artistic side shine as sive assessment, you can also pay If you are investigative, you might a technical writer, astronomer, to have a career consultant or psymake an excellent chemist, biomedi- geneticist, art therapist or landscape chologist interpret the Strong Interest cal engineer, water resource specialist architect. Inventory. Career Services at the U or software developer. of M offers this service for $30 for Realistic students. Conventional If you are realistic, you are the Your Holland code is one way to Conventional folks are the hands-on type. The idea of working conceptualize yourself as a worker organizers. a desk job is your own personal hell. and imagine personally relevant If you are conventional, you want You thrive in an environment opportunities for your future. a job where you will know what to that keeps you moving, using tools
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VOL. 105 NO. 26 March 6, 2019
Comment 13
No accountability in corporate Canada
Politicians must treat corporations as the money-making machines they are KENNY INGRAM, STAFF
O
ver the past few months, the reality of corporate Canada has once again reared its ugly head. It is being shown in the form of bankruptcies of some of the largest retail chains in Canada. Sears Canada filed bankruptcy in June 2017 after years of losses. And why not? After all its missteps and failures to adapt to the changing world of e-commerce, the chain effectively became the Blockbuster of retail stores.
Corporations are not citizens and have no responsibility to any people or country they occupy outside of the profit of shareholders Make no mistake, these missteps are from the incompetent board of directors who made mistake after mistake in dealing with the aftermath of a failure to adapt. At the same time, this same board had a clever backup plan — albeit only to save themselves. Chaired by billionaire Eddie Lampert, the board has been gutting Sears and its assets for many years. This came in the form of the lending of capital from Lampert’s personal hedge fund with the intention of cashing in as soon as Sears tanked. And when Sears finally did, shareholders and Lampert took off with $5.2 billion in dividend handouts before Lampert stepped down as chairman.
Contrast this with the people who paid into Sears employer pensions for years only to have their payments cut by 30 per cent. These are elderly people who were promised economic security in the last stages of their life, and now many must once again seek employment. This is despicable. It is the duty of a functioning society to ensure that senior citizens can retire and spend their later years with dignity. Sears effectively redistributed the wealth of seniors to their executives. A similar tale is manifesting itself within Canada’s Hudson's Bay Company. The oldest retailer in all of North America is reporting it will be closing all of its Canadian Home Outfitters stores by the end of 2019, with CEO Alison Coville having stepped down effective March 1. This same story is again told with the parent company of Gap Canada recently stating it has plans to close Canadian locations as part of a twoyear plan to close half of its stores globally. These stories should worry every or country they occupy outside of the otic Canadian company was only Canadian. If a corporation can simply profit of shareholders. coaxed into keeping its jobs in the call it quits, pay off its wealthy invesCompanies like CN Rail, Shell country after a $372.5 million taxpayer tors and effectively throw its workers and Hudson’s Bay Company were bailout — a bailout that made its way on the street, no one is safe. companies thought of as being to the executive compensation which These systemic issues must imme- “Canadian” due to their conceptual increased by 50 per cent — from the diately be addressed by politicians origination in Canada. The reality is Trudeau government. and it begins with the framing of the all three of them are now majorityThese corporations have no discussion. American-owned, but, more than accountability to governments, counPoliticians often speak about the this, they are all multinational cor- tries or workers. This must change. responsibilities of corporate citizen- porations fronted by boards of direcThe solution lies in having the ship, yet they seem genuinely dis- tors whose sole job is to make the same people responsible for making appointed in companies when they company profitable. decisions accountable to those who inevitably outsource jobs for cheaper Bombardier is another com- must deal with the ramifications. labour. pany that seems to be perceived as Ideally, this would look like a true This understanding of the cur- a Canadian company with priorities worker co-operative so employees rent state of capitalism is laughable. in Canada. Yet, of the nearly 70,000 have total autonomy over their rights. Corporations are not citizens and people it employs, just 23,000 are in But in the current disastrous state have no responsibility to any people Canada. Somehow this proud, patri- of affairs, Canada must look to legis-
GRAPHIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY
lative solutions which quickly remedy these problems. The answer is co-determination. In Germany, by law large companies of over 2,000 employees must have half of the board of directors elected by employees. No one knows the needs of employees better than employees themselves and giving them half of the say of the company direction will help to address the criminally unequal power imbalance seen in companies like Sears. Canada must address the immoral practices of profit-driven corporations with common-sense solutions that cut down the power imbalance between employee and employer.
14 Comment
Comment Editor: Jacob Singleton Contact: comment@themanitoban.com / 474.6529
What engineering grad photos reveal
Preserving and reinforcing femininity in a male-dominated faculty MEGHAN SADOWY, VOLUNTEER
engineering graduating photos of the class of 1985 and the class of 2015? The first observation is that engineering was and remains male-dominated. In 1985, of 213 graduating students, just 13 were women (six per cent). In 2015, only 38 of 199 students were women (19 per cent).
But the photos of women and men in engineering are not symmetrical in another way
M
arch 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD) and it raises longstanding questions about women’s equality. The political slogan of IWD is “Bread and Roses,” which was coined by leaders who fought for fair wages and dignified conditions for women in the early 20th century. The slogan, “bread for all, and roses too,” is a rallying call: not only should women be paid well for their labour (the bread), but they also deserve a life filled with both respect and beauty (the roses). Women continue to fight to elimi-
nate societal and structural barriers while creating their own space within the workforce today. Here at the U of M, there’s a strong link with a different kind of rose — the rose associated with traditional femininity. In the halls of the faculty of engineering, graduation photo boards have been hung with pride, some of them dating back to the early 1900s. Few women’s faces are seen in these photos. But when they do appear, the women in the photos are holding a bouquet of roses. There is a high degree of gender
But the photos of women and men in engineering are not symmetrical in another way. The differential treatGRAPHIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY ment of women’s photos produces and reproduces gender differences. segregation across fields of study in The photos highlight gender difpost-secondary institutions, with ferences using objects and colour. many fewer women in STEM In both 1985 and 2015, female studegrees than men. dents were each photographed with The gender disparity is a prevalent a bouquet of roses. Men were not. concern, with many institutes devel- The flower bouquets visually separate oping gender-balancing curriculums women and men when viewing the and programs that focus on recruiting graduating classes. women. Moreover, in 1985, graduation Although there has been progress, photo colours were highly muted, fields such as engineering are still but the bouquets of roses held by male-dominated and strong cultural women had been brightened with beliefs dictate which occupations are red colour. The men's and women’s considered highly suited for one gen- faces, the background and the studer but not the other. dents’ clothing are all nearly black What is seen when studying the and white, however.
By tinting specific artifacts, the photographs direct the viewer’s attention to those objects. The inclusion of a bouquet (specifically coloured in the 1985 photo board) draws a gendered kind of attention to the female students. This indicates a method of preserving femininity in a faculty that is rife with hegemonic masculinity. In the 2015 graduating class, the effect is still the same. The gendered division — signified by the roses — in the photographs remains a key feature, even as the photographs appear in full colour. By examining the graduate photos of the classes of 1985 and 2015, it is possible to see how a male-dominated environment responds to the presence of women. Women are the minority, and in a sense, they are the exceptions. Does treating women differently challenge and transform masculine space? Or does it reinforce gendered expectations? The red roses held by female students in the engineering photos remind us that much work remains to be done to create true gender equality on our campus and in Canadian society. Meghan Sadowy is a four-year sociology and criminology student. She first undertook this research for SOC 3820, a course in qualitative and historical research methods.
GRAPHIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY
VOL. 105 NO. 26 March 6, 2019
Comment 15
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Diversions 16 Graphics Editor: Evan Tremblay Contact: graphics@themanitoban.com / 474.6775
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Arts & Culture Arts & Culture Editor: Emelia Fournier Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529
Local acts bring women’s stories to the stage
Sarasvàti’s International Women’s Week cabaret of monologues returns AMIN MONTAZERI POUR AGHA, STAFF
PHOTO BY PATRICK RABAGO
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n celebration of International “It just got me thinking that Another featured performer, The piece depicts a woman trying who understands, and that becomes Women’s Week, Sarasvàti ‘Wow, women are damned if they Amelia Warkentin, will perform to reconnect with her identity when evident throughout the piece,” she Productions will be presenting a do, damned if they don’t,’” said a monologue from the play The she realizes she will be returning to said. series of monologues and slam poetry Ramprashad. Lightfishers by Leslea Kroll. the outside world once more. Here I Am seeks to present varied entitled Here I Am March 9 at the “If they choose to wear a bikini, Taking place in a psych ward, Brooklyn Alice Lee will be explor- aspects of female identity to illustrate Asper Centre for Theatre and Film. they get criticized for that. If they the audience follows Chris, who is ing how honesty plays into identity how diverse women really are. Over the past two decades choose to be very conservative, they recovering from trauma and meth with her featured monologue from “I absolutely think that it’s Sarasvàti Productions has been at the get criticized for that. Who are those addiction. the play Sunday Morning Brunch by important we have a lot of women forefront of helping emerging artists people to tell us Ivy Charles. performing different pieces from develop their craft within Winnipeg’s what to do with Lee will be various backgrounds and ethnicities, “What defines me is who I theatre community. our bodies and playing Josephine, different sexualities, so it’s all about Its International Women’s Week how we choose to a 17-year-old les- embracing what makes you you and am as a person, not my sex, cabaret of monologues has been run- live our lives.” bian. Josephine embracing your identity,” said Lee. not my face, not my tragedies”— ning since 2003. Ramprashad has decided to “I would say no matter who [you] For this year’s cabaret, artistic said her experiint roduce, at are or what your background is, when Shereen Ramprashad, featured poet director Hope McIntyre has gathered ence as a cancer Sunday brunch, you’re watching these performances nine local female performers who will survivor helped her girlfriend to [...] you will be able to understand stage spoken word and performance her shape her her Christian fam- what the person is trying to tell, you pieces. self-perception. The monologue delves into the ily and pastor, who are unaware that can understand what the they’re feelThe nine performances are inter“This poem is a kind of commen- character’s anxiety surrounding her she is gay. ing, you can really sympathize with connected by the theme of women tary on how women are perceived in impending release from the ward. “I think the most important part each character and each piece.” asserting their identities despite eastern media, through social expecAccording to Warkentin, convey- of the piece is just about not feeling adversity. tations, through ourselves, and then ing “how anxious Chris feels about alone,” said Lee. One featured performer, Shereen saying ‘No, that does not define me,’” being released is, I would say, my “My character, though she’s very Here I Am will be performed March Ramprashad, will be presenting her she said. number one priority, that the audi- honest about who she is to herself, 9 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The cabaret will slam poem “I Am NOT a Victim.” “What defines me is who I am as a ence can feel really how scared she is she’s still unsure of how her family also be touring around Winnipeg and Ramprashad wrote the piece in 2016 person, not my sex, not my face, not and how alone she feels too.” will react and I think that she feels Manitoba from March 3 to 10. For as a response to the racism and sex- my tragedies.” “I also have to convey the power this loneliness in her nervousness. more information and to purchase ism toward the Muslim community Her poem shows how women’s of addiction in general, and how “I want to just convey that you’re tickets visit sarasvati.ca/season/ in Quebec during the debate over identities must be explored outside devastating that can be on the rest not alone, no matter what you’re iww-2019-cabaret-of-monologues. whether Muslim women should be of their perceived status as perpetual of your life but also on the lives of going through, no matter what you’re allowed to wear the hijab. victims. those around you,” she said. feeling, there’s somebody out there
18
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture Editor: Emelia Fournier Contact: arts@themanitoban.com / 474.6529
Local artist profile: Callen Froese
Multi-media artist talks sustainability, equality MEGAN PIETRUS, VOLUNTEER
ceramics, and is currently working with handmade paper. “Because of my focus on sustainability, I’ve been looking more into researching my own mediums, so that has led me to paper making which is my most recent tangent and what I’m starting to get more into,” she said. She recently travelled to Japan, where she had the opportunity to
study with a Japanese paper maker.
PHOTO BY ASHA NELSON
C
allen Froese is a freelance multimedia artist based in Winnipeg whose work focuses on equality, sustainability and human rights. Froese, who grew up in Wolseley, attributes her artistic drive to her upbringing. “I think that area, without you realizing it, has so much going on,” said Froese. “My dad’s an artist as well, so you know growing up doing ceramics
in the basement was just a common thing for us.” Froese began her career as an artist by selling handmade clothing but said it “felt too consumer-based and not true to my artistic drive.” Froese began freelancing as an artist by reaching out to businesses via email. “I just started looking at companies that I support, people who are working towards sustainability and
equality and fair pay for their workers and local companies,” she said. “I amazingly got a few responses which was very encouraging, you need that to start off.” One of her upcoming projects is a “food and visual arts collaboration” which will be held at Verde Juice Bar in June. She has pursued different mediums since her time constructing clothing such as canvas painting and
“Equality, I would say is the overarching idea [of my art], between humans and creatures and the earth” — Callen Froese Most of Froese’s work is based on illustration. “I’m always drawing, no matter what other medium I’m working in,” said Froese. Froese focuses her craft on themes of balance and interconnectivity between humans and nature. “Equality, I would say, is the overarching idea [of my art], between humans and creatures and the earth.
“I think they’re all so intertwined you can’t really separate them, we’re all a part of this experience together.” She believes her work holds a positive outlook on human interactions with nature and each other in a time of growing disconnect. “We spend so much time apart from each other and not experiencing face-to-face or real moments and so capturing that, I think, is something that people really connect with when they see it,” she said. Froese’s work looks at “How we do still have these tangible human moments, or connections, with nature even though nature can be so far away.” Her art also explores feminism and the female body. “Feminism is an important topic for everyone, everywhere, right now,” said Froese. “It’s about human rights, and because women are subjugated to discrimination and abuse, we must fight for equality, so that we can be treated equally, but it’s to create a world for everyone to have a better relationship with one another.” Callen Froese’s work is currently on display at Fools & Horses on Broadway until March 14 and the Tara Davis Studio Boutique until March 31. It can be viewed and purchased at callenfroese.com.
Ila Barker brings free music workshop series to the North End
#AIRSessions provides creative space for inner-city youth MATTHEW TEKLEMARIAM, VOLUNTEER
F
ree music workshop series #AIRSessions provides resources to inner-city youth aged 13-25. Local singer, songwriter and music curator Ila Barker is the primary mentor for #AIRSessions. The workshop series began in early February and will feature new guest mentoring artists every month. “#AIRSessions was my own brainchild,” said Barker. This past summer, Barker approached the National Arts Centre (NAC) for support in creating a regular ongoing music workshop series. Inspired by the NAC’s prioritization of Indigenous youth outreach and dissatisfied with one-off musical instruction programs, Barker decided to take matters into her own hands. “I wanted to develop some sort of reoccurring, consistent, sustainable programming,” Barker added. “It would have familiar faces, it would be in a targeted neighbourhood and would have an artist-inresidence feel.” Barker emphasised the emotional connection and creative vulnerability that serialized lessons can establish, which she said she believes is a particularly important aspect of musical
education. “What was happening is that the youth that would come to the day program or the two-day long program, whatever it was, they were super-shy, a majority of them, and we would have a very hard time opening up with each other and getting to a place where we felt everyone is vulnerable enough to be creative and be able to do things like write music together,” said Barker. “It’s a very intimate process, and I think you have to feel very comfortable in order to be open enough to expose that creative side of your being.” After partnering with the NAC and local grocery chain Foodfare, the team ran a three-session pilot project at their sponsor location, the Indigenous Family Centre, in August. “It’s really important for my teachings that I always provide a meal for my participants,” said Barker. For Barker, #AIRSessions was above all a passion project. “It’s something that came out of my heart because I really wanted to find a way to connect with, especially, our inner-city Indigenous youth, and find a way to help them have a space where
they can feel more comfortable.” Barker singled out a lesson more fundamental than musical scales or chord progressions that teens and young adults would take away from these sessions. “It became very clear that there’s a lot of people that, they don’t necessarily see them having a future,” she said. “They don’t see themselves as having a capability to be something when they age. “And for one of my main goals [is] to make sure that these teens know, these young adults know that they have potential, they have exponential potential, they can reach that and they can be who they want to be,” said Barker. Barker feels that artistry, and music in particular, is an essential medium for self-expression and a safe haven. “Music really is a massive therapy tool,” she said. “I think that’s what saved me growing up, and dealing with the trauma that I experienced, and music was the thing that was my outlet.” Inspired not only by her own experiences with the industry, Barker is determined to usher in the next
GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY AIRSESSION
generation of artists, particularly coming spirits.” Indigenous artists, who she believes will play a key role in paving the way For more information, or to prefor a better future. register for future sessions, contact Ila “It’s part of my life purpose to Barker at ilabarkermusic@gmail.com. help find and nurture those up-and-
VOL. 105 NO. 26 March 6, 2019
Arts & Culture
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McNally Robinson launches local lesbian space opera
Laurel Johanson’s “All Things Mortal” delivers queer sci-fi melodrama ZACHARY SIGURDSON, STAFF
PHOTO BY QUINCY HOUDAYER
I
n the latest in local literature, a “les- or queer in some way. That was obvi“In our second year [of creative release should be: awkward, brave bian space opera” was launched Feb. ously a huge concern that I had when communications], which is what and impassioned. Johanson spoke on 22 at McNally Robinson Booksellers. I was writing, making sure that there I’m finishing off right now, we were the process of writing her story, her Author Laurel Johanson’s All was that representation, because that tasked to do this ‘independent pro- journey with mental illness and her Things Mortal, a 100-page sci-fi saga, was one of the main reasons that I set fessional project’ from start to finish,” identity as a bisexual woman. guides the reader through a cosmic out to write it.” said Johanson. “I think I wrote All Things Mortal The project required her to create as a kind of story that my teenage adventure populated by star gods and Johanson has used writing as a dead planets. tool to develop and communicate her and sell a product of her own creation, self would have needed back when While space operas have often own identity, as well as an outlet for which ended up being her novel. she was alone and unsure and maybe been conflated with space fantasy — her to unpack her journey to mental Johanson created a “Lesbian questioning whether things were where the rules of science and phys- wellness. going to be okay,” ics are suspended — the defining “I’ve been writshe said during characteristic of space operas is the ing for so long, I “I wanted all of my characters her speech to the melodrama and emotion piled onto think for me writcrowd. to be kind of on the fringe of the their imaginative futurism. ing is like a form All T hings Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, Orson of therapy,” said Mortal is incredmainstream society” — Laurel Johanson, Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series, Johanson. ibly readable and author of All Things Mortal Frank Herbert’s Dune and the Star “I have strughas little pretence. Wars franchise are all considered gled with depresAs a first-time space operas. Star Wars is not con- sion and anxiety novel, passion can sidered a space opera simply because in the past and it’s often override polit has loose rules and space magic. It really helped me get out of my own Space Opera” playlist on Spotify to ish. While true in this instance, it is a space opera because of its over- head, just getting words on a page.” accompany the novel to help create does not stop All Things Mortal from the-top family drama where the fate While the idea for Johanson’s a tone and set the novel’s aesthetic, being a worthy read. of the galaxy is at stake. novel was originally inspired by which included artists such as Janelle This is an epically grandiose story But what about a lesbian space Algernon Charles Swinburne’s poem Monáe and Tegan and Sara. about elemental star gods, their opera? The Garden of Proserpine, Johanson’s creations, their realms and the con“I wanted all of my characters to creative communications program All Things Mortal: sequences of their sibling rivalries on be kind of on the fringe of the main- at Red River College motivated her An epic tale a galactic scale. Closer to mytholstream society,” said Johanson. to write, edit and publish a story she The launch itself was exactly ogy than traditional science fiction, it “I wanted a lot of them to be weird had been imagining for years. what a first-time author’s book takes the fantasy and operatic tropes
of the genre to a maximum. Its short length and the brief time allotted to produce the novel seems to have shackled its ideas and themes. Johanson’s queer, mute goddess of death Daiga is the only character allocated the time and space required for genuine depth. Much of the world and its cast are painted with vivid imagination but with the broadest brush, reducing many to tropes. If you are a science fiction fan and a supporter of local Winnipeg writing, it is a worthy read. One can only hope for a longer work by Johanson that would allow her more freedom to fully explore what she began here. All Things Mortal is pure epic cosmic melodrama. For any flaws or missteps, the reader is left wanting more from the novel. This is hardly a complaint. It is a challenge to the author. All Things Mortal is available on Amazon and at McNally Robinson Booksellers as an ebook and paperback. Laurel Johanson runs a blog and can be found on social media. For more information visit laureljohanson.com.
Sports Sports Editor: Jason Pchajek Contact: sports@themanitoban.com / 474.6529
20
Winning and Wikipedia
Kelsey Wog talks training, success and her online presence JASON PCHAJEK, STAFF
PHOTO BY RICH LAM & UBC THUNDERBIRDS
Someone might need to update Kelsey Wog’s Wikipedia page very soon. With four more gold medals at the U Sports national swimming championships, the Winnipeg-born swimmer continues to cement herself as one of the U of M’s most storied athletes. Now Wog is turning her attention to the biggest stage in her sport: the Olympics. “It’s honestly all dependent on how trials goes,” she said. “You have to be on that day and you have to finish top two in your event and under the FINA A standard.” The A standard is a time set by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) for each event athletes must finish under to qualify for the Olympics.
If Wog wants to qualify for her Wog would join the upper pantheon the swimmer. It is “more about being composed specialty — the 200 metre breast- of Bisons greats. Women’s hockey’s At last year’s national champion- when racing and being able to be stroke — she must finish faster than Venla Hovi was a two-time bronze ship in Toronto, Wog won three gold confident and know that you can do 2:25.52 at the upcoming Canadian medalist with Finland during her medals and one silver medal, turning it,” she said. swimming trials. time with Manitoba, and Desiree this result into four gold medals and a Whatever happens in the next few She certainly has the pedigree Scott won two bronze medals for U Sports record just a year later. months, as Wog chases a spot in the to make the team, This improve- 2020 Olympic Games, she has the after competing ment she credits interesting distinction of being one for Canada at to a more intense of the few Bisons to have a Wikipedia “He was like ‘You’ve got a Wikipedia the Pan-Pacific training regimen. page. page, you’re so cool’” — Kelsey Championships “We do a lot of “I think it has something to do in 2018. drills, a lot of racewith that I went to FINA World Wog, Bisons swimmer “We were in pace work and just Short Course Championships,” Wog Japan and we did a lot of volume,” said. the exact same Wog said. “They have a Wikipedia page of staging camp and rehearsal for what Canada in women’s soccer. “So I swim two hours every day all the results and I guess I made the they’re going to do for the Olympics “It’s now a dream of mine to do that and I do one to one and a half hours results page and then it’s like a link. I in 2020,” Wog said. and go to the Olympics,” Wog said. of dryland or weights every day.” think that’s how it got created.” “It was a good prep and yeah, While Wog has been a consistWog has also been seeing a sports “My brother told me a couple years for sure, I really want to make the ent winner in her three years as a psychologist to help her manage ago,” Wog said. Olympics in 2020.” Bison, the improvement over the stress levels and remain calm during “He was like ‘You’ve got a If she makes the Olympic team, past year shows strong growth for competition. Wikipedia page, you’re so cool.’”
VOL. 105 NO. 26 March 6, 2019
Sports
21
Turner gives back to Special Olympics community
Senior Spotlight: Tegan Turner KELLEN TANIGUCHI, STAFF
U
of M Bisons women’s track and field captain Tegan Turner’s biggest contribution to the sport may come when she is not wearing a runner’s bib. The 22-year-old has turned her talent and success on the track into important work coaching athletes preparing for the Special Olympics. “It’s really become something that I think has had a huge impact on myself,” said Turner. “I’m so grateful to give back to the community, I think as athletes — student athletes especially — we have this incredible platform and opportunity that not a lot of people get. “So to be able to give back has been really exceptional. To see the athletes improve, to work with them every week, has been exceptional for myself and has really brought me back to why we’re involved in sports.” Turner continues to help with the Special Olympics and said it benefits her just as much as it does the athletes. “I don’t leave a practice with Special [Olympics] without a huge
smile on my face because it’s just so comes from the people around her, much fun,” said Turner. especially her Bisons teammates. “That for me has been really incred“The group that I came in with [...] ible to give back to the community is just the greatest group of friends and to work with all the athletes.” that I could really ask for,” said Turner has applied to medical Turner. school and for a Canadian health “It’s like that all the years across the master’s, and hopes to continue team. It’s just an incredible group of working with the Special Olympics people that’s really the support netcommunity. work I think that’s kept me in it this “I think long-term I’d like to have long.” a career in both research and clinical Turner was recruited by Bisons aspects,” said Turner. track and field head coach Claude “Working [...] particularly with Berube during her Grade 12 year. She intellectual and developmental dis- planned to continue with gymnasability. Just again, my experience with tics for one more year, but a shoulder Special Olympics, I’ve found a pas- injury led her to commit to the track sion in that population [...] wherever and field team. I end up that’s the population I’m “I called Claude and I said, ‘Hey, hoping to work with.” do you mind if I come a year early?’” Along with her work with Special laughed Turner. Olympics athletes, Turner said she An injury also played a part in one plans to continue track and field fol- of Turner’s best races for Manitoba. lowing graduation. During the 2017 Canada West “Track is definitely something I Track and Field Championship, don’t think I’m quite ready to give Turner was battling through a up yet,” said Turner. chronic injury and the flu. This only This love of the sport, she said, served to fire her up for the 60-metre
PHOTO PROVIDED BY WINDSOR
event and led to a miraculous finish. “I was fortunate enough to have a really good run at Canada West in my third year, in the 60m,” said Turner. “I broke the Canada West record which was something completely off my radar at the time.” Turner ran the 60m dash in a record time of 7.42 seconds. “That for me was really exciting in that sense, but as a personal best I think after working that hard for that many months and crossing my fingers that it was going to pay off, it was nice
that it finally did,” said Turner. The success Turner has enjoyed with Manitoba comes down to the group of people she trains with every day. “I credit all of my success to the incredible team I have around me,” said Turner. “Not just my teammates, but my coach is exceptional at planning, at what he does.” “I really just show up and trust the plan,” said Turner. “Which I’m so, so fortunate to be able to do.”
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Sports
VOL. 103 NO. XX month XX, 2017
CEBL-U Sports partnership opens door for Bisons
Wagner and Browne could be drafted this March KELLEN TANIGUCHI, STAFF
GRAPHIC BY EVAN TREMBLAY
A
new deal between U Sports and student athletes the chance to stay in March 23 when the picks will be Canadian university players. game this season. the Canadian Elite Basketball Canada and pursue their dreams,” U revealed on a livestream. Rashawn Browne and James Bisons head coach Kirby Schepp League (CEBL) looks like a slam Sports CEO Graham Brown told the Rounds 1-4 of the draft will be the Wagner are two of the U of M men’s told Bison Sports in February that dunk for all involved. Chilliwack Progress. Canadian regional rounds and teams basketball players who could be Wagner always plays to his highest The CEBL and U Sports In a statement published to the will select top players from within drafted into the CEBL this spring. level. announced a new partnership, giv- CEBL website, Browne was “James is the epitome of what a ing the nation’s top basketball talent lea g ue CEO named to the student-athlete is and what, I think, an opportunity to continue playing Mike Morreale The CEBL tips off its inaugural season in May Canada West what U Sports is all about,” he said. high-level basketball during the sum- said a partnership Third All-Star “He obviously performs incredmer months. with Canada’s top with teams in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Hamilton, Team and aver- ibly well at every stage and we’re very Similar to an agreement in place university sports aged 16.3 points proud that James is a model for our Guelph, Abbotsford and St. Catharines with the Canadian Premier League, league will “help per game for the program, for Bison Sports and for the CEBL will hold a draft of grow the rising herd. what a U Sports athlete should be.” Canadian and U Sports talent. stars of basketball in this country.” their regions, allowing each to secure The point guard has shown he Wagner, Browne and the rest of The university players will then The CEBL tips off its inaugu- homegrown talent to their roster. can make clutch shots, as he hit a the Bisons will have to wait until midhave the option to sign a CEBL ral season in May with teams in Rounds 5-11 are the general draft game-winner against the University March to see if they will be playing development contract to play with Edmonton, Saskatoon, Hamilton, rounds and teams can select players of Winnipeg Wesmen on Feb. 2 this in the inaugural CEBL season this the team holding their drafts rights Guelph, Abbotsford and St. from outside their region. season. summer. during the season, before returning Catharines. Things will get interesting for Bisons forward James Wagner to their university program in the fall. The teams will take part in the U Sports athletes when the draft was a consistent force all season and “We are excited to partner with the 2019 entry draft on March 16, but reaches rounds 12 and 13, as the final played in all 20 games. Wagner averCEBL and give our men’s basketball selections will be kept private until two rounds will be dedicated to aged 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per
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Sports
VOL. 103 NO. XX month XX, 2017
Champions dethroned
Bisons swept in conference final, will look to change fortunes at nationals JASON PCHAJEK, STAFF
PHOTO BY ALEXANDER DECEBAL-CUZA
T
he queen has lost her crown — at least at the conference level. With a two-game sweep at the hands of the University of Alberta Pandas, the U of M Bisons women’s hockey team failed to defend its conference title. Now, the two clubs will turn their attention to the national championship.
Friday
Game one of the Canada West finals was all Pandas, as Alberta came away with a 3-0 win to take a 1-0 series lead. Bisons goaltender Lauren Taraschuk was under siege for most
of Friday’s game. The sophomore net- two-goal hole heading into the third. puck along the side boards and minder stopped 25 of 28 shots fired her Manitoba was unable to get any- snapped a shot on Taraschuk from a way, while Manitoba could only mus- thing going in the third and a Jaslin tough angle. The Bisons netminder Sawatzky goal gave Alberta the 3-0 squeezed her body tight and made ter 17 shots on Kirsten Chamberlin. It was Taraschuk’s first career win. the save. post-season loss. Then Sheridan Oswald had the best chance of the period for The game got off to a less than Saturday thrilling start for the Bisons as Alex The Pandas poured on the offence Manitoba, streaking down the right Gowie picked up a Manitoba turno- again Saturday, thumping the Bisons side and blasting the puck toward the 4-1 to capture the Canada West con- Pandas goal. ver and moved toward the goal. She hammered the puck by ference championship. Chamberlin, though, got her Taraschuk for the 1-0 Alberta lead Despite the lopsided score, the shoulder on it to keep the game tied just over six minutes into the game. two clubs battled and combined for 0-0 at the end of the opening frame. Alanna Sharman and Jordyn 42 shots on the night. In the second Poznikoff, Kennedy Zacharias got a pair of solid chances Both teams got started right off Ganser and Amy Boucher all got in the second, but Chamberlin shut the hop in the first period. pucks by Taraschuk to give Alberta the door. Alex Poznikoff scored late Less than eight minutes in, a 3-0 lead. in the frame to put the Bisons in a Danielle Hardy picked up a loose In the third, Lisa Lloyd made it
4-0 before Natasha Kostenko finally broke the goose egg for Manitoba. Erica Rieder picked up the puck at the point, sent it across to Megan Neduzak and she fired a point shot toward the goal. Natasha Kostenko got a piece of the puck, deflecting it by Chamberlin for Manitoba’s lone goal of the game. With the win, Alberta claims its second conference championship in five seasons. The Bisons still have a chance to defend the national title beginning March 13 in P.E.I.
1
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Winnipeg International
Jewish
Film Festival 2019
May 21–June 7
SHORT FILM COMPETITION CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Filmmakers (ages 16+) of all backgrounds are invited to submit a short film in any genre relating to Judaism, Jewish culture or history, the Jewish experience, or other Jewish themes. Cash prizes for winners plus acknowledgement at the Festival.
Submission details & more info: radyjcc.com Deadline: May 1, 2019. Film maximum: 20 minutes. Open to all Manitobans (current & former).
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