Issue 5, Vol. 153, The Brunswickan

VOLUME 153, ISSUE 5, MARCH 2020

Editorial Board

About Us

Editorial Policy

Letters to the Editor

Editor-in-Chief Brad Ackerson

The Brunswickan, in its 152nd year of publication, is Canada’s Oldest Official Student Publication.

While we endeavour to provide an open forum for a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we may refuse any submission considered by the Editorial Board to be racist, sexist, libellous or in any way discriminatory.

Letters must be submitted by e-mail to editor@thebruns.ca.

Include your name, since letters with pseudonyms will not be printed or posted online. Letters must be 500 words at maximum.

Deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m.

Business Manager Mathew Gracie Art Director Maria Nazareth Araújo Multimedia Editor Jules Keenan News Editor Ally Buchanan Arts & Lifestyle Editor Marlowe Evans

Staff Marketing & Sales Coordinator Noubahar Hasnain Copy Editor Julia Pazzano Reporters Emma Warwick Hannah Rudderham Maria Hernandez Taylor Chalker Samantha McCready Photographers Maria Nazareth Araújo Jules Keenan

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We are an autonomous student publication owned and operated by Brunswickan Publishing Inc., a nonprofit, independent body.

We are also a founding member of the Canadian University Press.

Now a magazine, we publish monthly during the academic year with a circulation of 4,000. We publish weekly online at thebruns. ca.

The opinions and views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Brunswickan, its Editorial Board or its Board of Directors.

All editorial content appearing in The Brunswickan is the property of Brunswickan Publishing Inc. Stories, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the express, written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

@thebrunswickan @Brunswickan @thebrunswickan Front Page: Drag Kings Coal Drynn (top), Ace Spade (middle), and Damion Danger Dixon (bottom)|Photo by Jules Keenan.

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News Briefs

by Taylor Chalker

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Something Bigger than Myself: Introducing the Bruns’ 2020-2021 Editor-in-Chief

by Ally Buchanan

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Coronavirus: A Timeline of how the COVID-19 Outbreak is Evolving

by Brad Ackerson, Maria Nazareth Araújo and Jules Keenan

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Saying Goodbye: Outgoing Presidents

by Taylor Chalker

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Gallery 78: Exhibit Highlights Female Artistry for International Women’s Day

by Hannah Rudderham

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Theatre UNB: Culture is not a Costume

by Marlowe Evans

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Fredericton’s Growing Drag Scene

by Emma Warwick

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The History of Sexual Health in Canada

by Samantha McCready

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Campus Businesses Work to Reduce Plastic Use

by Maria Hernandez

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Toxic Productivity Culture at University

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The Round-Up

by Ally Buchanan

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UNB prepares for COVID-19, launches awareness website and suspends international travel

New Brunswick, the threat remains prevalent, especially with increased travel happening over the March break.

UNB administration has begun efforts in preparation and awareness for potential local effects of COVID-19, also referred to as the novel coronavirus, in suspending university sanctioned international travel and launching an informational website.

The university announced on March 13 that all travel to Europe, the Middle East, China, South Korea, Singapore, Hong-Kong and Japan have been suspended until further notice. This includes exchange programs, travel studies, international internships and practicums, and other university sanctioned travel.

Though at the time of writing this article, only a single presumptive case has been recorded in

In order to maintain access to accurate information, UNB launched a website detailing everything

The UNB Naach (Dance) Club performed at the 2020 “World of Talent� and won second place for their dancing presentation.

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you need to know to be aware and prepared for COVID-19.

The site, unb.ca/coronavirus, details what UNB students can do to take caution against the virus, and also lists various resources and informational support to ensure the UNB community is not ignorant to the threat.

UNBSU 2020/2021 executive and representative elected Next year’s Student Union was chosen in a general election, which ran from Feb. 24 to 28.

Union at UNB have been working without a contract since 2013, and have been in negotiations for the duration of that time.

To combat the university’s lack of response, a rally began at noon on February 13, beginning at the UNB Student Union Building.

It was followed by a march on campus that was led by Tabatha Armstrong, as the group of supporters chanted and demanded recognition for their work.

For more information visit thebruns.ca.

Sean Mackenzie was elected as President, Kelsi Evans was elected as VP Advocacy, and Vishnu Vardan was elected as VP Student Life.

Grace Pelkey ran unopposed for VP Internal and Adriana LeFort ran unopposed for VP Finance and Operations, and both were elected with large support.

This general election also saw a significant drop in voter turnout from the 2019 election, with only 13 percent of registered voters casting a vote.

The transition to the new student government will take place over the next few months, with the new team beginning full time in the Summer semester.

UNB International Student Advisor Office hosts the “World of Talent” On Feb. 22, the International Student Advisor Office (ISAO) held the third annual UNB World of Talent showcase, highlighting the talent that UNB international students have to offer.

The show consisted of various student acts showcasing singing, dancing and playing instruments for the enjoyment of students, faculty and the public.

The World of Talent was judged by a panel who chose the top three performances of the evening.

Marcel Pefang and his band were awarded the first place prize.

PTSU Rally to Advocate for First Contract Members of the Professional and Technical Staff

Armin Kabiri performed a variety of songs with his guitar during the 2020 “World of Talent.”

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Words by Ally Buchanan Photo by Jules Keenan I can still clearly remember walking into my first pitch meeting.

It was late October, 2018, a month into my first year at Renaissance College. I had stumbled across a post advertising two open reporter positions and excitedly applied, looking for a way to get involved on campus.

That first meeting was terrifying. I had wandered around the Student Union Building for fifteen minutes struggling to find the office hidden down a back hallway and was almost late. Ideas and questions flew around the room, overlapping and bumping into each other, all coming from voices that sounded so sure of themselves. I remained completely silent, making a mental list of jargon to look up later, until I heard myself say “I’ll take that� to a commentary piece on a straight-pride flag that had been raised in Chipman.

Journalism is at its best when it is a conversation.

It is the responsibility of a publication to provide relevant, accurate and interesting content to its audience, while also listening to what that audience is looking for. At some point, the conversation between the Bruns and its audience became quite one-sided. So in the next year, the team and I hope to bring the Bruns back to you, the student body, in new, creative and engaging ways.

I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to step in the role of Editor-in-Chief for the 2020-2021 academic year, and look forward to another year of working and growing as a part of this community.

That was the first of many stories, on topics ranging from historic elections and depleted counselling budgets to a campus-famous meme page and local alien research. Over time, that terror was overtaken by excitement, and I found myself to be one of the voices confidently pitching ideas and asking questions. Working here has pushed me outside of my comfort zone both creatively and personally, has led me to incredible opportunities I would never have imagined for myself, and has allowed me to contribute to something bigger than myself.

In the time that I have been here, I have seen the Bruns grow following a significant shift in management last fall. The staff of the last two years have done incredible work in restabilizing and rebuilding the publication in the face of change, conflict and uncertainty, but we are still missing an instrumental piece of the puzzle: you.

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Words by Taylor Chalker Photos submitted As winter semester begins to wrap up, Craig Fernandez and Husoni Raymond prepare to finish their terms as Student Union Presidents at UNB and STU respectively. With the incoming executive teams having been officially elected, The Brunswickan spoke with the outgoing presidents to discuss their time in office.

UNB Fredericton’s Student Union President this year was Craig Fernandez, who ran on a platform that focused on expanding clubs and societies, strengthening the campus event brand and expanding advocacy connections. One major movement that came out of last year was the “Don’t Cut Our Future” campaign, headed

by Fernandez, that addressed financial aid in the province.

“We saw lots of good success come from that [including meeting with members of the Legislative Assembly] and meetings with the minister,” Fernandez explained. This is an ongoing initiative, as Fernandez awaits for the coming budget to hopefully reflect the recommendations of that campaign.

Fernandez is originally from Sunny Corner, NB, and chose UNB Fredericton to ease the transition following high school. He reflected, “I don’t think I was ready to make a huge leap...Fredericton was a couple of hours away and I had some friends going, I think that made the transition to university easier.” Initially, he grappled with what program to pursue, but landed on Renaissance

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(top) STU Student Union President Husoni Raymond and (bottom) UNB Student Union President Craig Fernandez

College, with a minor in Business Administration, due to the “uniqueness” of its program offerings.

The initial transition into the presidency, “was overwhelming, but you learn quickly—you learn on your feet.” As he reflected on his time spent in office and his legacy, Fernandez expressed the hope that people, “look back and think that they had a good year.”

St. Thomas’ Student Union President for 2019/2020 was Husoni Raymond, who ran on a platform focusing on, “innovation and collaboration, enhancement of the student experience and [increasing] transparency and accountability.” Still, he keeps a campaign poster detailing his

platform on the wall in his office, to hold himself accountable to remind him of his initial goals.

“I think we have done a great job in meeting our mandate, and delivering what we promised the students,” Raymond said of his executive team.

He further explained that, following the election, they sat down together to outline action items relevant to the pillars of his platform. These are reflected in engagement campaigns such as the Wall of Debt in James Dunn Hall, which allowed students to write their total student debt on a brick to symbolize, “how not having strong financial support from the government can pose a barrier to accessing post secondary education.” Raymond feels that prioritizing, “grassroots campaigning,” and student engagement are what allowed himself, and his team, to reach the goals set at the onset of his position.

mond did not plan on attending university in Canada. It was by chance that he attended a university fair with a friend, saw the UNB booth, and was drawn in by the possibility of having a new experience in a different country. With his end goal being law school, he felt that, “being able to learn within this kind of social justice environment,” would be valuable for his future career.

Now, as he faces the end of his time at St.Thomas and reflects on his position, Raymond hopes that he is remembered as, “someone who cared and was passionate about enhancing the student experience.” He reflected, “that’s what compelled me to be involved in student politics, and that’s what has motivated me to continue and always [give] my best.”

Originally hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Ray-

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Gallery 78 welcomed two new exhibits in February: The Nine Muses and Sottobosco: The Forest Floor. Both will be on display until March 22.

Germaine Pataki-Thériault, managing director of the gallery, recommends checking out the new exhibits.

“If you’re feeling like you’re having a hard time solving a problem, sometimes it’s interesting to see how artists resolve things,” said Pataki-Thériault. “That gives you a fresh perspective.”

The Nine Muses The Nine Muses celebrates International Women’s Day. It highlights nine female artists: Susan Paterson, Cathy Ross, Marilyn McAvoy, Victoria Moon Joyce, Sonya Mahnic, Danielle Hogan, Alexandrya Eaton, Lori Doody, and Jessie Babin.

To the left of the gallery’s entrance, Hogan’s exhibition, Accommodate, shouted with vibrant colours as you walk in.

“It’s how we always, as women, have a tendency to accommodate for situations,” Pataki-Thériault said.

The piece is located above the fireplace. Four wood frames carry words or phrases like, “it’s nothing personal,” “calm down,” “needy,” and “too loud.” Above the small frames, a longer frame reads, “you’re overreacting again,” and below the frames is an un-framed threaded “no.”

Hogan has a Ph.D from the University of New Brunswick and currently lives in Fredericton, curating the Government of New Brunswick’s provincial art collection. A lot of her work is inspired by care among communities of women. She’s the founder of the intersectional feminist galley, Gynocratic Art Gallery.

Alexandrya Eaton’s work also features bright colours. Her first piece features a bouquet of pink roses in a rainbow vase and her second is a row of trees covered in bright rainbow leaves with colourful grass. Some artists shy from colour, but Eaton is not one of them.

“Big beautiful bright florals,” is how Pataki-Thériault described Eaton’s work.

Eaton’s acrylic paintings stand out, and flowers make an appearance in a large number of her paintings.

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Marilyn McAvoy showcases four oil paintings with different fruit and a deep mix of reds, yellows, purples, oranges and greens. Conversely, Babin uses charcoal and graphite, and coloured pencils.

She uses Babin simple materials to create her realistic drawings.

Sottobosco: The Forest Floor To the right of the entrance, Sottobosco: The Forest Floor is the other exhibit that debuted this February. The pieces are pencil crayon drawings on black Stonehenge paper.

The artist, Barbara Safran de Niverville uses old traditional ways of creating and exploring parts of the forest floor.

“She’s looking at the forest floor, looking at vegetation. Some are more endangered species and others are very common, but things you may overlook when you’re exploring the forest,” Pataki-Thériault said. “They’re done in very quiet shades.”

Compared to the Nine Muses, Sottobosco: The Forest Floor is very quiet. Everything is done in dark colours as if you’re actually exploring the floor of the forest at night.

The English translation of the Italian “Sottobosco” is “undergrowth” or “understory.” Ecologically, the understory of a forest or wood is the plant life that grows beneath the forest canopy but above the forest floor.

Drawings in the exhibit include “Rock Egg,” “Lady’s Slippers,” “Cinnamon Fern,” “Old Man’s Beard,” “Rock Lichens,” and “Bunch Berry Plants.”

“My work explores the complex relationship between the man-made and the organic within the built environment, where invasive plants thrive in disturbed ecosystems,” Safran de Niverville’s artist statement reads.

She’s been living in Moncton since 1979 and has her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University.

The two exhibits will be staying at Gallery 78 on Queen Street until March 22. Gallery 78 is the oldest private gallery in New Brunswick and is located across the street from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

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1 1. “Top Drawer” Artist: Lori Doody

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2. “The Cinnamon Fern” Artist: Barbara Safran de Niverville 3. “Love Letters” Artist: Cathy Ross 4. “Fog Bank” Artist: Susan Peterson 5. “Still Life with Fruit Trio” Artist: Marilyn McAvoy

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6. “Seashell II” Artist: Jessie Babin

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Theatre UNB is staging a production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Woman of Szechuan at the end of March. With the play taking place in a slightly fictionalized version of China, and the cast being predominantly white, and not even mildly Chinese, the question must be asked­—is this cultural appropriation?

Brecht, a white German man, wrote the play in the 1930’s having never been to China, or the province of Szechuan. The play is being performed predominantly by one of the UNB drama classes, along with a couple community members.

None of them are from China. The play is set in the “province of Szechuan” and all of the characters have Chinese names. The play has also been known to have harmful stereotyping and even racist undertones, but newer translations of the German original have aimed to correct this.

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However, the production’s director, Dr. John Ball, decided to use one of the older translations.

“We looked at both. I chose it mainly because the language I find is clearer and more economical. It’s a shorter script than the other one.” The show’s assistant director, Devin Rockwell agreed.

“I think that the newer version… actually ends up correcting ‘a lot of the mistakes’ that Brecht made originally. Like it changes the ‘city of Szechuan,’ which is fictional, that he made for this, to ‘province,’ which then I thought was a very strange decision—because then it sets it in this real Chinese place, which I thought it was specifically not the intention of Brecht in the first place.”

It seemed that the directors were dedicated to the idea of divorcing the play from its Chinese context. However, trying to bring something out of the cultural context in which it was set, even if

it was done in a misguided way by someone like Brecht, who had never been there, is still problematic.

Leslie James,* one of the students involved in the production, noted that once the class had taken the play home, “everyone read it and was like, ‘I’m really uncomfortable with this. That’s not something we want to do.’ Because I feel like it’s unauthentic. If you’re starting to find these authentic pieces and you have an unauthentic performance, it doesn’t really match up. And then on top of that, as a performer, I think we’d all feel really uncomfortable.”

A group of students from the class expressed concerns at the beginning of the term about cultural appropriation and the issues of putting on a play that seems to have been written for a Chinese cast.

“I think there could be dangers with the script, of cultural appropriation,” said Ball. “And the students were right to flag those. And some productions have run into problems with that… I didn’t want to do a play that students would be uncomfortable doing or do it in a way that they would feel they couldn’t embrace and get on side with.”

Both James and the directors interviewed discussed trying to remove the play from China, and how they were working towards trying to have the play set “everywhere and nowhere” as Rockwell put it. However, James said that Ball had wanted to put the cast in traditional Chinese dress.

“He was thinking, ‘we’ll have traditional Chinese dress,’ and people will do ‘Chinese gestures.’ So instead of hand shaking, you do a bow or something.” This is problematic. James admitted that after discussions, the director was dissuaded from some of these ideas, however, several costumes and props were borrowed from the Chinese Cultural Association of New Brunswick.

Culture is not a costume. Even incorporating only elements or only some costumes that are taken from a culture to which you do not belong can be a morally complicated issue. It’s even more morally complicated when no one involved is actually Chinese, and the play itself has issues with underlying stereotyping. The characters live in a slum, on “Yellow Street.”

“This could be as much set in a Chinatown or simply in, you know, in a Western inner city, and it’s supposedly set in a slum—in a slum that could be

in any number of big cities, you know, anywhere in the world,” said Ball. James, did not agree.

“I don’t think that’s going to convey to an audience. If somebody was like, ‘okay, we’re doing a play. It’s not set in Canada. Now zoom in. It takes place in the city of New Brunswick.’ I’d be like, ‘Okay, well, they just lied to me. It does take place in Canada, because New Brunswick’s a Canadian province.’”

Cultural appropriation is a very touchy subject in general, and has become a pressing issue in the performing arts. In 2019, the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto performed Puccini’s opera Turandot. It takes place in Peking just like Good Woman, and also struggles with profound racial stereotyping. The Toronto production was slammed because of their botched attempts at salvaging the opera from its racist wreckage. It will be interesting to see in UNB’s production of Good Woman will face similar issues.

“No one wants to make someone feel like they weren’t welcomed,” explained James. “For a lot of people theater is like this escape. It’s a really open place. It’s very accepting... And so the idea of someone coming to a show and feeling hurt and like they aren’t supposed to be here and they don’t fit in or were targeted in some way or misrepresented—would be really shitty.”

It feels almost as if they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Putting a bunch of white actors into traditional Chinese clothing is wrong.

Trying to divorce the play from its context, whatever the directors might say about it just being a “brechtian moral parable” that’s not set in any one place, is also problematic. The seeming mishmash that the production has created? Maybe they’ll find some sort of… balance?

When asked, James said they wished that they could have done a different play. “It would have been so much easier,” they said. Either way, the production is on.

The Good Woman of Szechuan is currently scheduled to run April 1-4 with performances at 7:30.

Ticket prices are $8 for students, $10 for seniors, and $14 for adults.

Despite everything, James, “hopes people will still go.” *Names of students in this article have been changed to respect and protect the privacy of our sources.

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Brought to media attention and pop cultural relevance in the last ten years with the hit TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag culture has become much more accessible and influential. This is definitely evident in the Fredericton drag community, with an ever-growing number of performers.

Based on interviews with nine local drag performers, this article seeks to highlight some of the people behind the makeup.

At first glance, it’s likely you would underestimate the extent of Fredericton’s drag scene. In reality, drag culture in the small city has developed into a growing, diverse and positive space. There are over 20 drag performers who perform on a regular basis, (which earns you the title of royal), and multiple locations that host a variety of events, including Boom, Klub Khrome, the Cap and the Fredericton Public Library.

“We have so much drag here, and not only is it a lot of drag, it’s a lot of diverse drag,” said Freeda Whales, who works and performs at the Cap and has been highly involved in fostering the drag community in Fredericton over the past three years.

Though RuPaul’s Drag Race has launched drag culture into the public sphere, most of the Fredericton performers echoed the sentiment that the reality tv show only represents a small part of drag culture.

“When you go to your local clubs to support your local drag queens and drag kings and drag performers, you’re really seeing the versatility and wide range of performances that are under the drag umbrella,” said Roxie Champagne.

In truth, the spectrum of drag is vast—and includes drag kings and genderbending performers who are too often left out of mainstream drag culture. Fredericton has many drag kings who perform regularly, including Coal Drynn. He explained that drag kings can be ignored because they often are not based in the feminine glamour of mainstream drag.

But as Venom Devine puts it, “Your drag is your creation; there are no rules in drag.”

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One of the longest performing Queens in Fredericton, Venom has helped expand the scene through work with Fredericton Pride and has been very

influential in advocating for spaces for drag culture in the city.

There are multiple different drag families (collectives) in Fredericton, including the Phun House who perform at the Cap, the Sugar Babes who perform at Khrome and the Boom performers. While the community is not entirely cohesive, the established drag performers stressed the need to keep the space welcoming.

“We want to keep it positive and fun and to entertain people,” said Heather Silk, a member of Phun House. She explained that the community is too small to allow much animosity, and that keeping things positive is also important to give newer performers a good platform and experience.

The drag scene is not only a space to entertain, however. Events led by local drag performers have raised both awareness for social issues as well as money for programs in the Fredericton community. Bottomless bingo, which happens at the Cap, has raised over $10,000 for local non-profits, and drag performers have also fundraised money for the Save Clinic 554 campaign.

As well, even though most performers interviewed explained that they liked to keep politics out of their performances in order to provide an escape from political stress, for themselves and the audience.

“Whether we want it to or not, every time you get into drag you’re making a political statement,” said Whales.

The drag community in Fredericton features a wide array of performers. Some have been doing it for more than 10 years, while others have only started in the past year. There are drag queens and drag kings, performers who are trans and non-binary, performers of different sexualities, performers who dance and performers who do comedy.

The one thing most performers have in common is their love for drag and how their drag is an act of self care. It offers a creative space for self expression that many did not have growing up.

“In my life I’ve always been told you need to be a little quieter, you need to be a little softer, you need to

be more masculine, you need to be something else that you’re not. And I’d always been struggling to fit into that niche,” said Miss Amour Love, a host at Boom. “So finally, I found a profession that tells me to amp it up and that I’m not loud enough, I’m not dramatic enough, and that I can be more.”

To experience the drag scene in Fredericton, check out the regular performances at the Capital Complex, Boom, and Khrome, as well as Drag Storytime at the Fredericton library for a child-friendly space. There is also Drag Out Your Party, a company run by the Phun House where you can book drag performers for entertainment, Drag 101 at Enigma Clinic and Spa with Venom Devine and Miss Amour Love, and the newly started drag DJs Divas on Deck with Roxie Champagne and Sasha Stratus.

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Instagram: @ace_spade_dragking Time in drag: 6 months 3 words to describe you: charming, hyper, a-little-bit-bashful Drag Advice: “You don’t need to know a lot of knowledge, that will come.”

Instagram: @missamourlove Time in drag: 2 years 3 words to describe you: energetic, animated, encouraging Drag Advice: “Go in without any expectations, go in with your heart, go in with your soul, and let everything else reap its benefits.”

Instagram: @coal_drynn Time in drag: 6 months 3 words to describe you: creepy serial killer Drag Advice: “Support your local kings and queens and remember that gender is a social construct.”

Instagram: @damion.d.dixon Time in drag: 7 months 3 words to describe you: no warning needed Drag Advice: “Definitely go for it. It can really build confidence so explore yourself and don’t be afraid to fail.”

Instagram: @freedawhales420 Time in drag: 4 years 3 words to describe you: slippery when wet Drag Advice: “Don’t try to pigeonhole yourself or identify yourself as something that’s going to prevent you from experiencing the wide range of what drag can be.”

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Instagram: @heathersilksays Time in drag: 10 years 3 words to describe you: Wow, she’s wasted Drag Advice: “Just do it, don’t give a damn about what you look like.”

Instagram: @barbiedream_haus Time in drag: 8 years 3 words to describe you: fatal, fierce, flawless Drag Advice: “If you’re gonna do this, you’re gonna have to do it for yourself.”

Instagram: @theroxiechampagne Time in drag: 1 year 3 words to describe you: Davie Bowie, Lady Gaga, and Dolly Parton Drag Advice: “You can be anything you want up on stage.”

Instagram: @sashastratus Time in drag: 2 years 3 words to describe you: 100% stratus-faction guaranteed Drag Advice: “Make sure you’re doing drag for your own reasons, not because it is a trend right now within our society.”

Instagram: @venomdevine Time in drag: 16 years 3 words to describe you: Powerful, extraverted, sure Drag Advice: “Don’t let what you see on television, or things like that, influence what you are going to do in your drag” and “learn your history of drag.”

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Take a walk through the Student Union Building, or the library, any time of the day, and you’ll find students at every table, buried in books or staring at a screen.

These students will then run in between classes, society meetings and shifts at a part-time job.

Ask a university student to show you their to-do list, and you will see pages of assignments, midterms, appointments, meetings, and, somewhere in the margins, a social life.

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This August, the University of New Brunswick changed the definition of a full-time student from those taking 12 credit hours, or 4 courses, a semester, to those taking 9 credit hours, or 3 courses, a semester. However, a standard course load for a semester is 5 courses, and many students are taking 6 or even 7 in order to complete their degree.

In 2018, Statistics Canada identified youth aged 15 to 25 as making up 34 percent of the part-time workforce, with nearly three quarters,

nisms and take care of themselves.

University counselling is seeing massive upsurges of students seeking therapy, with appointment rates at UNB Fredericton’s Counselling Services increasing by 40 percent in the last ten years. The severity of case for those accessing counselling has also increased in areas such as anxiety, depression, social anxiety and suicidality.

The demands placed on students are clearly leading to some forms of hardship, so why do we continue to fill our schedules in this manner?

As students, we are told that it is crucial that we build our resumes, take advantage of all the opportunities available to us and make the most of our university experience. We are also informed by generations of past university students regaling stories of all-nighters, coffee and Red Bull, and hours spent in the library.

73 percent, of that age demographic reporting working part-time because of schooling. “Going to school” was, in fact, the most commonly cited reason for part-time work.

The University of New Brunswick boasts “more than 120 ratified clubs, societies and groups” available to students, ranging from Student Union and campus media, to department societies and special interest groups, and the importance of getting involved is imposed upon students from the moment they step on campus.

Because of all this, there is a certain guilt that comes with taking a night off, almost like a fear that we are not doing as much as we could be— should be. We fall into a cycle of toxic productivity and procrastination, filling every minute of our day and only allowing ourselves a break when we are putting something off.

Personally, I think we need to ask ourselves what the benefit of all this might be. Are we really getting the most of our university experience if we are exhausted all the time, burnt out and resentful of the things we are learning?

In a study conducted by Dr. Maurice M. Ohayon at Stanford University it was found that 62.4 percent of the students were involved in extracurricular activities, devoting an average of 16 hours a week to these activities.

All of these factors contribute to a busy lifestyle that can have negative effects on the wellbeing of students, with many describing feelings of burnout, a lack of motivation and chronic tiredness.

Ohayon’s study also found that 27.2 percent of students report “moderate or severe daytime sleepiness,” and 17.9 percent of students report less than six hours of sleep a night. This was directly linked to participation in extracurricular activities, including part-time jobs.

This strenuous lifestyle can also be a factor in mental health issues, as students have minimal time to recover, develop healthy coping mecha23

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Canadian laws surrounding birth control and a woman’s right to control her own body have undoubtedly evolved over the last century. Many women across the country cling to this right as some states south of border challenge abortion laws.

But, just how far have we come?

While methods of preventing pregnancy have been around for thousands of years—actual education on planned parenthood did not exist until very recently.

In 3000 BCE in Egypt, around the same time that early condoms were being fabricated, many women were practicing birth control. These women would aim to prevent pregnancy using relatively ineffective and often unsafe methods such as sponges with soap suds and douches made from honey and crocodile dung.

In 1932, the first official Canadian birth control clinic opened in Hamilton, Ontario, despite it being illegal to do so.

The end of the Second World War saw public acceptance of birth control increase rapidly.

By 1960, the birth control pill was available in Canada, however doctors only prescribed it for therapeutic and not for pregnancy prevention purposes.

Contraception was legalized in 1969 with one big exception: abortion. A woman could ask for an abortion, but it wasn’t up to her to have the final say.

The general use of birth control was made legal in 1972.

In 1988, laws prohibiting abortion were abolished.

Abortion is now considered a medically necessary service.

By the mid 2000s, abortion rates and teen pregnancy rates were in steady decline.

Today, there are a variety of options for birth control: pills, injections, inserted devices, condoms and natural methods.

A survey from 2015 conducted by the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada found that the most commonly used methods of birth control in Canada were condoms at 54 percent, oral contraceptives, patch, and ring at 44 percent, and the withdrawal method at 12 percent.

Despite advances in sexual health, stigmatization around sexual topics still persists.

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In particular, sexually transmitted diseases continue to carry a significant social stigma.

“People are embarrassed to talk about sexual health if they think they have an STI, sexual dysfunction or if they are questioning their sexuality or gender,” said Stacey Taylor, a nurse practitioner working with Student Health Services. “These are all difficult topics for people to open up about and seek help in dealing with.”

As public knowledge of HIV/AIDS has increased and society has become more accepting of homosexuality and the LGBTQ+ community in general, a lot of the stigma attached to HIV and other STIs has decreased.

“While it is difficult to generalize what the knowledge of the general public is with respect to sexual health, I think people are more open to discussing sexual health now than they were 50 years ago, which I see as a positive thing,” said Taylor.

Although she sees sexual health education increasing, Taylor maintains that there is room for improvement.

“I do think we need to continue to push for more sexual health education in schools so that we can ensure that younger people a) become better informed earlier and b) receive information that is accurate,” said Taylor.

The gradual increase of acceptance of various sexual topics has certainly led to a society more open about sexuality and knowledgeable on sexual health, and that, arguably, makes for a society that’s sexually healthier than the one a few hundred years ago.

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NOTE: The use of reusable and personal containers at food services on the University of New Brunswick campus have been temporarily suspended due to concerns over COVID-19.

Plastic use has become a serious issue. The exorbitant amount of plastic that ends up in the oceans poses a huge threat to the planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity. For this reason, reducing plastic use around the world has become very important, and has led different businesses to take action to try to reduce the use of plastic.

Businesses around campus at UNB have been trying to catch up with the problem, and have implemented incentives to reduce plastic waste.

Campus Shoppe, located in the Student Union building, encourages its customers to bring their own reusable cups by offering a discount for this action. This allows the store to reduce the use of

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plastic cups and even paper cups, resulting in a win-win situation for both the customer and the business. The convenience store also takes plastic bottles to recycle them. If you have recyclable plastic bottles you can leave them at the convenience store. The store still uses plastic bags, but they have also incorporated the use of paper bags.

Food businesses are major global contributors to the use of plastic. Takeout orders often involve plastic cups, plates, cutlery and straws. According to some estimates, plastic litter from takeout orders contributes approximately 269,000 tonnes of plastic pollution annually.

The food court area in the Atrium has a lot of demand throughout the year, and the food service company Sodexo has also taken action to try to reduce its plastic use and environmental impacts. Tim Thornton, the Sodexo General Manager explained some of their initiatives.

Thornton said their efforts of reducing plastic in Sodexo’s worldwide businesses has been progressive.

In the SUB, Sodexo has stopped putting out straws, and encourage their customers to bring their own reusable cutlery. Thronton said they do not sell any reusable cutlery at the moment because the sustainability group on campus was giving it out for free earlier in the year, but the company is looking into it for the upcoming school year. Their business is 100 percent takeout orders, therefore, diminishing plastic use is quite a task. For this reason, some of the plastic they use is recyclable and some of the cups used for parfaits, vegetables and fruit cups are biodegradable, and all of their paper plates are unbleached and biodegradable.

Thornton mentioned that several years ago a program was implemented that utilizes a reusable meal container. Customers at the Marketplace can purchase the container for $4.99. The containers are hard plastic, dishwasher safe and have three compartments. When a customer brings the container back for a refill, they get their food in a different sanitized container, (the container must be sanitized

by Sodexo to meet the Health Department standards). The customers also receive a discount of $0.30 as an incentive.

Tim Hortons is not under Sodexo’s jurisdiction, they are required to follow their own brand standards.

However, they do allow customers to bring reusable mugs. There is a $0.10 incentive for bringing your own mug.

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Kristin Bondza

Nikita Popli

“I’m worried for my family in Germany because they have over 3,000 cases. My grandparents and dad are in the at-risk group.”

“I’m from Ghana and we just recorded our first cases yesterday [Mar. 12].

There’s a lot of panic.

People are running to grocery stores and clearing everything out.”

Ishrat Zahan “I think now because of social media we are panicking more. People are recovering from it.”

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Nana Agyei “I’m really happy that UNB is already taking a lot of precautions even though there’s only been one case in New Brunswick.”

Abbey Hunter

Ashley Ring

“I feel nervous and I guess confused.”

“It doesn’t help with the panic when everyone’s saying different things.”

Want to share a cartoon of your own? Submit it to editor@thebruns.ca and it may be used in an upcoming issue!

Send any questions regarding school, university culture, or life in general to dearsharkie@thebruns. ca in less than 100 words for a chance to gain really bad advice from everyone’s favourite red herring. Disclaimer: Please don’t actually follow this advice.

is don’t you dare go home with your black flies and party mix and start watching Bambi or something. Watch something uplifting. Or even watch something that you know is stupid, like Love Island. Just occupy your time.

Dear Sharkie, I’m really upset about having to go home. My concert tickets have been refunded, and there won’t be any more big parties.

What can I do to make myself less miserable?

Sincerely, Despair

Now you may be thinking that you have too much liquor and snacks. However, you would be wrong. Because watching just one movie and getting drunk and eating cookies is not enough for you. I think, dear despair, that you’re really going to have to cultivate a little bit of joy for yourself.

Dear Despair, You’ve got to laugh at the situation we’re all in. There isn’t much else to do. So don’t actually despair. There is a silver lining.

So your concert tickets are refunded. You’re better off now!

That’s what—$100? $200? Now you have that money back and can spend it on other stuff. Here is my recommendation.

Go to the liquor store. They’re still open. Stock up on your favourites. Spend half of what you paid for your concert ticket.

Then, go to Sobey’s. Buy snacks.

Spend the other half of your concert ticket. You should have a decent amount of snacks and alcohol. Food and liquor > concerts.

Next, go home and watch a movie. We all know that staying inside and napping is really more your vibe anyways, so go home, Netflix, and chill. Watch a fun, happy movie. Watch a weird movie. My one condition

Staff member writing an article , 1982

Use the rest of the snacks to have e-dinner. Get all your friends together on a call and eat snacks and chat. Bam! “Family” dinner. And we all know family dinner > parties anyways.

I know you’re sad about parties.

I would be sad if I was missing out on a cool concert too. You’re not alone. We’re all missing out on things. But if worst comes to worst, just forget everything I said—use your concert ticket money to buy ducks. I went on Kijiji and it’s not too hard to find ducks. Once you have a duck, there’s no way to be upset.

You’ll have to laugh at it. As a bonus, it’ll eat all the snails in your garden.

Layout day, 1976

You’re trying your best here.

Just remember this simple equation—Food and liquor > concerts, family dinner > parties, ducks > everything.

Don’t despair too much.

Double-checking newspaper before printing, 1982

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