The Dialog, March 5 to 18, 2018

ISSUE 11 / MAR. 5–18, 2018 GBC Student Newspaper • Founded 1982

NEWS / P. 4

SPORTS / P. 6

ARTS AND LIFE / P. 10

College board of governors mostly male and white

Ace Zeng smashes OCAA badminton

Kitchens a lifeline for Myles Chaulk

NEWS

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THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 8

What's in the federal budget for students?

"THE NEXT CONVERSATION WILL BE AROUND SOLUTIONS TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE"

Federal budget aims to open up trades, address sexual assaults on campus STEVE CORNWELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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APPRENTICESHIPS The budget sets out $46 million over five years to establish a pre-apprenticeship program to encourage underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples and folks with disabilities to look at careers in the skilled trades.

According to the budget, the program will work in partnership with post-secondary institutions, training providers and employers to help people "make informed career choices and develop skills needed to find and keep good, well-paying jobs in the trades."

The government is also launching a five-year pilot project worth $19.9 million where women would receive a grant of $3,000 for each of their first two years of training in one of 56 Red Seal trades, which are recognized to a national standard.

For Peyton Veitch, the Canadian Federation of Student's national treasurer, the fact that the budget doesn't mention student debt or tuition is a problem. He said that the investments in skills training and education for women and other underrepresented groups are welcome, but don't address the accessibility problem in post-secondary education.

Veitch added that encouraging women in trades means addressing

SAFFRON BLAZE PHOTOGRAPHY

he federal budget, which was released on Feb. 27, offers several new funding opportunities for post-secondary students, as well as measures to address gender-based violence on campus.

The federal budget, which launched on Feb. 27, has measures aiming to improve access to apprenticeship for underrepresented groups and to address sexual assault on post-secondary campuses.

harassment they face in programs and on the job.

"It's one thing if women are able to access the program from a financial stand point, but if they're facing harassment, discrimination and inappropriate treatment in those programs, that's going to be a significant barrier to getting more women certified in the trades," he said.

INNOVATION There is a $140 million investment over five years in the college and community innovation program aims to increase support for collaborative projects between businesses, colleges and polytechnics.

Abdullah Mushtag, College Student Alliance director of advocacy, said that the investment would help students stay in touch with changes in technology, the economy and better prepare them to land fulltime jobs.

"We know that moving forward, we can't just rely on the same strategies that we're relying on @DialogGBC

CONTACT US dialog@sagbc.ca Tel: 416-415-5000 ext. 4274 Room E122 - Casa Loma 142 Kendal Avenue Toronto, ON M5R 1M3

www.dialognews.ca Read this issue and back issues online at https://issuu.com/dialog

"SEXUAL ASSAULT IS OCCURRING IN MULTIPLE SPACES, IN OUR WORKPLACES, IN OUR HOMES AND WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS IT WITH ALL SYSTEM ACTORS, INCLUDING OUR EMPLOYERS, THE FOLKS TEACHING US AND OUR PEERS" now," he said. "So seeing that the government is actually putting money into enhancing these programs, I think will better prepare our students when they're out there looking for jobs."

GENDERED VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS The government is also pledging up to $5.5 million over five years towards developing a national framework in addressing gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions.

The budget cites Statistics Can/dialognews

ada surveys from 2014 that show that 41 per cent of incidents of sexual assaults were reported by students and 47 per cent of sexual assaults were reported by women between the ages of 15 and 24.

"This isn't an issue that is going away," said Awo Abokor, communications coordinator for METRAC, an organization that works to end gender-based violence. "(Sexual assault) is occurring in multiple spaces, in our workplaces, in our homes and we really need to address it with all system actors, including our employers, the folks

@thedialog

teaching us and our peers."

The budget states that the government will consider withdrawing federal funding for post-secondary institutions that are not implementing best practices to address sexual assault on campus.

Abokor said that budget measure is a welcome start and that a federal strategy to improve campus policies on sexual assault is needed.

"The funding is a good start, and I think the next conversation will be around solutions to gender-based violence," she said.

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION The budget also includes an Indigenous skills and employment training program, an investment of $447 million over 5 years. The program is replacing the Aboriginal skills and employment training strategy and is aimed providing training for higher quality jobs.

"There a lot of things that the federal government could do to not only generate more revenue, but to reduce inequality and to fund the things that students have been calling for, whether that's eliminating tuition fees, fully funding Indigenous education or making sure that we're expanding childcare opportunities for student parents," said Veitch.

CANADA SUMMER JOBS The Canada Summer Jobs program was also given a bump in the budget to the tune of $448.5 million over the next five years. The program subsidies the wages of secondary and post-secondary students between the ages of 15-30 working for eligible businesses and organizations.

/TheDialog

EDITORIAL

OPERATION

CONTRIBUTING

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Editor-in-Chief Steve Cornwell . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogeic@sagbc.ca Managing Editor Mick Sweetman. . . . . . . . . . . . .dialog@sagbc.ca Art Director/Designer Manar Hossain . . . . . .dialogdesign@sagbc.ca Podcast Host/Producer Manseeb Khan. . . . .dialogpodcast@sagbc.ca VIDEOGRAPHERS Devante Thomas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogvideo@sagbc.ca Gurdas Singh Panesar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogvideo@sagbc.ca REPORTER-EDITORS Lidianny Botto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter1@sagbc.ca Chau Nguyen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter2@sagbc.ca Megan Kinch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter3@sagbc.ca Matthew Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter4@sagbc.ca Ashraf Dabie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter5@sagbc.ca Carolina Toca Perea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter6@sagbc.ca Ad Sales Phillip Chung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogads@sagbc.ca

The Dialog newspaper is published by The Dialog with the support of the Student Association of George Brown College.

The Dialog is responsible for the overall vision and direction of The Dialog newspaper, as it coincides with the larger vision and mission of the Student Association.

The cost of producing a monthly newspaper is in part defrayed by advertising revenue and largely subsidized by student fees.

Occasionally, some advertisers, products and services do not reflect the policies of the Student Association.

Opinions expressed in The Dialog are not necessarily those of The Dialog, the Student Association of George Brown College, or its editorial staff.

Contributions to The Dialog are always welcome. We request that articles be submitted as digital copies in plain-text (TXT) or rich-text (RTF) format.

Letters to the editor can be sent in an e-mail message to: dialog@sagbc.ca.

Images should be in EPS format for vector files or in TIFF format at 300 dpi for raster files.

We acknowledge that the work we do happens on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and most recently, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, and is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. The meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island.

The Dialog is a member of CUP, the Canadian University Press

NEWS

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 18

SA bylaw changes pass easily

EVENTS CALENDAR MAR WED

CHAU NGUYEN/THE DIALOG

Constituency and education representative roles restructured, executive term limits extended DIALOG STAFF

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fter two bumpy Student Association (SA) general meetings in a row, one which saw heated exchanges over part-time staff pay, and the other which failed to make quorum, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Feb. 13 was relatively well-attended and smooth.

The SA funds The Dialog.

All of the board's proposed bylaw changes were passed at the AGM, including restructuring the constituency and education representative roles, extending terms limits for executives and moving the duties of the board from the bylaws to the SA's voting directors accountability manual.

Two students members asked questions during the meeting and the bylaws passed quickly.

Kushagra Manchanda, the SA's director of operations, said that he was hoping for more discussion about the bylaw changes from students and employees at the meeting, but was happy that the meeting had quorum.

He added since the bylaws had already been passed through the

board, the meeting was "more about making students and employees of the SA understand the bylaws changes and how those changes are particularly affecting them personally."

While the board can change the bylaws, students at a meeting of members have the final say in if they are ratified or not.

The changes to the roles of constituency and educational representatives had previously drawn criticism when it was proposed prior to the Nov. 30, 2017 AGM which failed to make quorum. The constituency roles represent marginalized students, while the educational positions represent students from the college’s seven education centres.

Under the new bylaws, the positions will no longer have an hourly requirement of five-hours a week.

They will also be receiving a remuneration of $2,000 a year, down from around $3,705 a year for fivehour work weeks.

Mercedes Burrowes, the SA's director of campus life, said that board was responding to difficulties with ensuring that students in the roles fulfilled their responsibilities and that it's important to the board that the voices of the constituency and education representatives are

still heard.

SA executives will now be able to serve for three terms within a five-year period, instead of two under the previous bylaws.

“I think that's a great change that we made that, just for the longevity of the SA," Burrowes said. "If an executive wants to stay for that long then we have somebody who will have known the association and the ins of it for a long time to help guide other members."

Other bylaw changes successfully passed by students include: • Only executives will need to maintain a minimum 2.0. grade point average to be on the board.

• Campus directors and education representatives will again need to be registered at their respective campus and centres during their term.

• Board meeting minutes will now be published 10 days after approval.

• Rank-and-file students can now place a motion for a meeting of members on the agenda of the board, if they can submit 15 members’ signatures in support of the motion 10 business days prior to a board meeting.

• Certified candidates who are running unopposed will be on the elections ballot with a “yes” or “no” question; if they get 50 per cent valid “no” votes the candidate will not be elected.

Former rivals form joint slate MEGAN KINCH REPORTER-EDITOR

The nominations are in. This year's candidates for the Student Association's (SA) board of directors includes several members of this year's board, organized into a new slate called Students With A Dream (SWAD).

They are being challenged by several independent candidates, some of them on smaller slates.

Candidates vying for re-election

to the board include Mercedes Burrowes, who is facing Kizzie St. Clair in the director of equity race, and Arnel Fleuant, who is taking on Kavi Ramgoolam for the director of education position.

Several of the SWAD candidates now running together as had run against each other in last year's elections as part of two different slates, Act Now and Values, Voices, Virtue (V3). The Act Now and V3 slates split the board nearly evenly after the election.

None of the independent can-

didates have organized a slate of more than one person, although a few registered as "slate to be determined", so it remains a possibility that a slate could be organized to run against SWAD. According to chief returning officer, Charles Wilson, several of the nomination periods for the various positions were extended until March 5.

Nureisse Khan was acclaimed as the student representative to the George Brown College board of governors.

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ZINE DREAM: DO IT YOURSELF/DO IT TOGETHER 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m Casa Loma Student Centre E Building, First Floor 142 Kendal Ave. Radical Media Workshop via Tools for Change. Zines offer active community engagement, radical distribution models, and strategies for working outside mainstream media. Learn the radical potential of zines, and get hands-on experience.

Trainer: Sheila Sampath. Free for GBC students in partnership with Community Action Centre.

MON

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SA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Career Centre St. James A Building, Room B155, Workshop room 2 200 King St. East Don’t be shy! A visit to a board meeting for the first time may seem intimidating. Just remember, board members are your fellow students. They are there to answer your questions and are accountable to you. Snacks provided.

SAT

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SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA: GETTING YOUR STORY OUT THERE 1 p.m to 4 p.m.

OCAD, Room 544 100 McCaul St. Workshop via Tools for Change Learn the craft of messaging for the media. Practice sound bites that will resonate. Explore strengths of different social media platforms. Working with the knowledge in the room, we'll list some best practices using scenarios. Trainer: Loveleen Kaur Kang. Free for GBC students in partnership with Community Action Centre.

TUE

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INTO TO GRAPHIC FACILITATION & RECORDING 6 p.m. to 9 p.m Casa Loma Student Centre E Building, First Floor 142 Kendal Ave. Take your flipcharts to the next level. Graphic facilitation and recording are techniques to help groups think through and document their goals and projects. Picture large scale drawings. Build confidence and your visual vocabulary. No experience is required. Trainer: Tanya Gerber. Free for GBC students in partnership with Community Action Centre.

WED

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COLOUR BETWEEN THE LINES: BIPOC BOOK GROUP 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Community Action Centre St. James A Building, Room 165B 200 King St. East Discussion group for Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC), centring books by BIPOC writers. Using intersectional, decolonial, anti-oppressive frameworks. March Reading: Even This Page is White by Vivek Shraya. Limited free copies available for advance pick-up. Hosted by the Community Action Centre.

NEWS

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THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 8

NDP adopts free education policy Motion to increase payments to provinces, remove cap on Indigenous education spending passes at NDP convention

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he federal New Democratic Party (NDP) passed a motion at their convention Sunday that makes free post-secondary education an official policy plank.

John Hutton, 28, a student at Concordia University, wrote the proposal and worked to win support for it. By the time it hit the convention floor a 47 riding associations, clubs and unions supported the idea.

“It took a lot of organizing with a lot of young folks and allies and it felt really great to have a national party that is viable and mainstream adopt free tuition for the first time ever,” said Hutton.

Originally from Halifax, Hutton

wants to go to law school, but can't afford the tens of thousands of dollars in tuition that it would cost him at Dalhousie University where he did a bachelor's degree in international developments and economics and was the vice-president of the student union.

The NDP's policy will now be in favour of eliminating tuition and administrative fees by working with provincial governments, which are responsible for delivering education.

The NDP would help provincial governments eliminate tuition by increasing the transfer payments to the provinces. The new policy also states that the party would be for creating student debt relief and forgiveness programs for students who have already accumulated student debt.

SHAUN IYER/THE DIALOG

MICK SWEETMAN MANAGING EDITOR

Students protest in 2016 for free education in Toronto.

Canadian families owe an estimated $37 billion in student loans.

According to the most recent National Graduates Survey college students with debt had an average debt of almost $15,000 while university students had an average of debt of $26,000.

A statement from the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) on Facebook said that they are celebrating the NDP's new free education

policy and look forward to seeing it in the party's election platform.

“I hope other parties follow suit or see the value and equity in increased access to education like the NDP do,” said Coty Zachariah, the national chairperson for the CFS. The policy also added language that the cap on funding Indigenous education be lifted. Currently there is a two per cent cap on increasing federal funding for Indigenous ed-

ucation that was put in place by the Liberal government in 1996.

In the 2015 election, the NDP said that they would increase funding for Indigenous education by boosting the Post-Secondary Support Program by $1.8 billion over four years. In the 2017 federal budget the Liberals allocated an additional $90 million over two years, effectively lifting the two per cent cap.

“We're not a poor country, we have lots and lots of resources,” said Hutton who said the NDP would work to close tax loopholes to pay for free education. “But we're letting them sit in offshore bank accounts.”

For Hutton, the policy fight was just the start of organizing for free education in the NDP. “We'll take this discussion into the streets, into our campuses and into our communities and to the news, so people know that free education is not only possible, it's coming soon and we're going to make it happen.”

GEORGE BROWN URBANIST

Davenport Triangle homeless shelter opens as respite 348 Davenport Rd. to be converted to full shelter with daytime supportive services in the spring MEGAN KINCH REPORTER-EDITOR

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new respite centre has opened at the Davenport Triangle, and will be converted into a permanent homeless shelter later this year.

The location is where Dupont Street meets Davenport Road, close to the Casa Loma campus of George Brown College, has up space for up to 100 people. When converted to a shelter, 348 Davenport will have beds for up to 90 people.

The shelter will be a small step in filling an urgent need for beds in Toronto. Current estimates say 1000-1500 additional beds are needed to fill the demand for shelter spaces in the city.

Joe Cressy, a city councillor in the area, points out that this location is going to be part of a new model for shelters in the city, one with daytime supportive services.

"The purpose here is not just to ensure that people have a warm place to sleep at night but to provide the wraparound services and sup-

ports so that people can stand on their own two feet," said Cressy.

Previously, many shelters provided space only at night, with people forced to leave the facility in the morning and hang out in the local area.

"The opening of that particular shelter is great if it proceeds on track and on time, but we need so many more," said Yogi Acharya, an organizer with Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), which has been fighting for better housing and shelters.

The shelter crisis has been exacerbated by the rental housing crisis which is driving up private rents, as well as excessive waiting lists for subsidized housing.

"For the last 10 years we've basically maintained the same number of shelters even though the need for shelters has increased," said Joe Mihevc, city councillor, and the mayor's poverty reduction advocate.

Mihevc, who has been a councillor for 27 years, said that former mayor Rob Ford didn't increase shelters and nor did John Tory, Toronto's current mayor, in the

early years of his term.

"So we've fallen behind the times, that's why there's this big push," said Mihevc. "Because we recognize that it's just crazy out there on the streets."

Anti-poverty advocates have pushed for the opening of emergency respite centres during the winter to prevent homeless deaths and injuries in winter weather.

OCAP has been critical of the conditions of the city's respite centres and brought cameras in document them in February.

"If you cram that many people with inadequate resources into these small spaces and staff who often times aren't trained then things escalate and living conditions deteriorate," Acharya said. "That's precisely what's happening in those respite centres, and the city needs to remedy that."

Homeless shelter locations have been met with opposition from local residents, as a classic NIMBY or "Not In My Backyard" issue. In this case, however, the Annex Residents Association, has supported the shelter.

Even so, a new residents group, the Davenport Triangle Residents Association (DTRA), have spoken out about the shelter. But their outof-touch arguments have been ridiculed as almost a parody of the usual anti-homeless shelter arguments.

GURDAS SINGH PANESAR/THE DIALOG

"THE ANNEX IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN AN INCLUSIVE PLACE AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT THAT WAY." For example, Nigel Napier-Andrews from the DTRA, told the Globe and Mail, "I am driving a Mercedes. Will I leave this on the lane? No, I will not."

Shawn Micallef called Davenport Triangle Residents association

"gold-plated, straight from central casting community villain opposition" in his piece in The Star.

Mihevc said that dealing with NIMBY's is always part of city politics, but eventually, folks who are resistant to shelters become supporters.

Cressy agreed and said that overall he'd been heartened by the response from the wider community.

"The Annex is and always has been an inclusive place and we're going to keep it that way," Cressy said.

NEWS

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 18

5

128% more students using accessibility services 128% Growth in ALS Student Numbers since 2010 3500 3000 2500 2000 3,061

1500

CAROLINA TOCA REPORTER-EDITOR

Y

useph Jackman is like many students, juggling a full class schedule and a part-time job.

In this case, he is the accessibility representative at the Student Association (SA), which funds The Dialog.

Jackman is also one of about 10 to 12 per cent of students at George Brown College (GBC) registered with accessibility services.

Over the last seven years, there has been a 128 per cent increase in the number of students using accessible learning services at GBC, according to documents presented at the college council meeting on Jan. 18.

Mental health has been the most significant driver of the increase, with 1,055 students in 2016-17, up from 288 students in 2009-10, an increase of 266 per cent.

"As we move forward to the

future, you're going to see that (accessible learning services) are becoming more and more of a prominent thing," said Jackman. "It's growing so much, because people realize that, even though it might be small, they still need their accessibility services."

More students are also requesting help with complex issues, meaning that they need accommodation for more than one disability.

"We are not just accommodating medical and physical (needs) but it's also mental health, or mental well-being, that we are looking at as well," said Anne Moore, manager of accessibility services at GBC. The Ontario Human Rights legislation states that service providers—in this case, a public college— have to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.

According to Moore, the most common accommodations requested by students are extra time for tests, note-taking and to write the

1000 500 41 0 28

320 87

248 124

150 120

877 517

2016-2017

1,342

1055 37 22

110 99

2009-2010

288

50 0

169 67

GBC ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS

Students needing accommodation for mental health up 266 per cent in past seven years

A graph shows accommodation for mental health increased from 288 to 1055 students.

Discover the many ways we can help. /ASA exams in a test centre.

Under Ontario law,georgebrown.ca many orgacareer, I want to move ahead on my

Moore said that accessibility services are essential because people with disabilities need to be able to work and have a good life.

"The employment rate of people with disabilities in Canada is low," said Moore. "There's no reason for that in Canada. We have the infrastructure, we have accessible sidewalks, we should be able to do a better job."

Jackman agrees, "in order to succeed, students need to be accommodated, and everything needs to be accessible."

nizations like businesses and post-secondary schools must be accessible by 2025. By 2020, George Brown College's libraries must provide, purchase or borrow accessible or conversion-ready formats, where available for its digital or multimedia resources and materials.

Moore said the biggest challenge for students with disabilities is not the impairment itself but the stigma.

"A student said to me once: 'These are the people I want to impress. I don't want to tell them what my basic needs are. I want a good

life, I don't want to be perceived as someone with a disability,'" Moore said.

Some accessibility initiatives that are being recommended at GBC are the use of digital note-taking and blackboard to share notes, the creation of accessible classroom materials choosing e-texts and e-resources, the reduction on the penalties for use time materials, and a new transition program called Great Beginnings for Deaf students.

Little diversity in the boardroom Board of governors at Toronto-area colleges are disproportionally male and white MATTHEW GREEN REPORTER-EDITOR

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n many workplaces, diversity is becoming an important part of an organization’s key objectives.

Leadership at the top is no exception.

But a survey of colleges' board of governors in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) shows that the boards, which are charged with making high-level decisions, are still predominantly male and white.

In terms of gender balance, the boards have almost twice as many men as women. The average representation of men on college boards is just over 64 per cent at Toronto-area colleges, which includes George Brown, Centennial, Durham, Humber, Seneca, and Sheridan, while women hover around 36 per cent.

“I think that visible minorities in general, women as well, are not represented on boards to the extent that they are represented in the population as a whole," said Michele James, a Durham College board member. "So, for me, as a visible minority and a woman, I think it is still very rare to see us represented

on corporate boards."

An examination of the gender balance reveals a range of statistics.

George Brown's board of governors shows 17 members, of which 11 are men while six are women. When compared with other colleges in and around Toronto, the female representation on the GBC board

is in the middle of the pack.

So while GBC's student population by contrast is 57 per cent women, its board of governors is 35 per cent women.

GBC president Anne Sado has chaired many boards in the past and this issue has caught her attention.

“I quite often have noticed that when I join a board there are not very many women on it, so we've focused on that and we've had a pretty good track record of anywhere from 33 to 57 per cent (female representation) if I look at any given year.”

In terms of racial diversity, publicly available information on GBC's board appears to have at least 29 per cent visible minorities on the board, slightly above the 24 per cent average of GTA colleges.

GBC said they don't ask board members to self-identify according to spokesperson Brian Stock but that The Dialog's estimate was as close as one could get.

A request to Humber to verify the number of people who identify as visible minorities was not returned by press time.

The 2016 census by Statistics Canada showed 51.5 per cent of people in the city belonged to a visible minority group. Data on students and staff at the college who identify

as a visible minority is not available.

At the lower end of the spectrum is Durham College, where there are just two visible minorities on a board of 15. In the Durham region, 27 percent of people identify as a visible minority.

James, who joined the Durham board in 2016, has also noticed the makeup of the groups that have attended various college conferences and summits she has been a part of.

“I'm not speaking on behalf of other colleges, but I'm just saying from my vantage point when I do get a chance to go out to these bigger events, I'm struck by the lack of diversity.”

As for George Brown, a board position was just recently filled as Gerard Hayes was elected to begin serving on Sept. 1. As for filling other openings as they arise, Sado made it clear that they have criteria to follow.

“We're always looking at diversity, but also trying to choose the right and the best candidate for the board so that they can support us in doing the work that we do."

A recent report by business law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP, found that in 2016, of the S&P/ TSX 60 companies that disclosed, just under 25 per cent of total board seats were occupied by women.

SPORTS

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THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 8

Ace Zeng smashes OCAA badminton

MATTHEW GREEN REPORTER-EDITOR

H

e's won every singles tournament he's entered this season.

No, that's not a typo. Yuge (Ace) Zeng has come out on top in each and every one of the six Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) tournaments he's suited up for. In fact, he has not lost a single match in Ontario all season.

Did we mention he's going to be

around for a while—he's a rookie?

The first-year culinary management student at George Brown College (GBC) was born and raised in Hunan, China. Zeng eventually decided to continue his education in Canada, coming to Toronto in March of 2015.

His journey to North America was not supposed to include badminton. Zeng and his parents thought focusing on his studies was the priority.

"I was just going to study because I played too much badminton in China. My parents and I just wanted me to study," said Zeng.

However, the badminton court was again part of his routine.

Prior to joining the Huskies, Zeng plied his trade with the KC Badminton Club in Toronto. It wasn't long before George Brown presented itself as an option. It was a friend of Zeng's that asked him to consider joining the badminton team at the college.

"I heard George Brown is a pretty perfect college and that they have a very good badminton team," said Zeng. "I have a lot of friends from George Brown badminton, so, they

"I HAVE A PERFECT TEAM HERE. THEY SUPPORT ME." MATTHEW GREEN/THE DIALOG

Rookie Yuge (Ace) Zeng leads Huskies badminton program by claiming victory at every OCAA tournament

The Huskies Yuge (Ace) Zeng is undefeated in his rookie season, winning OCAA Men's Badminton Player of the Year.

encouraged me to come here, so here I am."

Huskies head coach Will Schram actually knew of his 18-year-old star before he joined his team, having seen him in the junior ranks.

Upon meeting Zeng, Schram was interested to see what discipline the newcomer wanted to compete in.

"I knew what his talent was. I'd heard of him, and saw him as a junior," said Schram. "I knew what

kind of level he was. I knew he was the strongest player on our team.

He wanted to play singles and I said 'yes, you're in'."

Strong results came immediately for Zeng and the victories have piled up. Aside from tournaments that he didn't play in, Zeng took first place in men's singles four times before his wins at the regional and provincial levels.

In the lead up to the playoffs,

Zeng also collected a first place finish in Men's doubles with Yang Jin, as well as a gold in mixed doubles with Yan Zhou.

It might be surprising for a rookie to come in and dominate in this fashion. But his coach had a hunch.

"To be honest, I couldn't say that for most of the athletes but Ace is just, he's at a certain level that's just ridiculous," said Schram.

In terms of pre-season expectations, Schram claimed he didn't have to say much to his new recruit.

"He told me right off the bat, 'I want to win', so he answered it for me," said Schram. "I didn't have to say anything."

For Zeng, it's all turned out to be a great situation.

"I have a perfect team here. They support me. Coaches, my teammates, we're very close," said Zeng.

SPORTS

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 18

Badminton team dominates provincials Huskies capture men’s and women’s singles titles at provincials and takes top spot in national rankings

T

he Huskies badminton team is heading to the national championships, ranked number one in the nation. George Brown College's (GBC) performance at the Ontario championships showed exactly why.

At the provincial tournament, hosted by Mohawk College on Feb. 16 to 17, the Huskies claimed both the men’s and women’s team titles and picked up medals in all five disciplines, collecting two golds, two silvers and a bronze.

Huskies head coach Will Schram said there are always surprises and ups and downs at tournaments, but he was extremely pleased with the team.

"I know our athletes. I know what the talent is,” said Schram, who was named Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) coach of the year. “I know what their season has been so far. I strongly felt that we'd have four disciplines (making nationals)."

In what has become a regular

event, Yuge (Ace) Zeng claimed yet another singles title, beating Fanshawe College’s Sahil Sahil in straight games in the final. Zeng, who is undefeated all season, put up a spotless 7-0 mark.

Zeng, the 2018 OCAA Male Badminton Player of the Year, has won every tournament this year and will look to add a national crown at the Badminton National Championships in Edmonton.

Minh Anh Hoang punched her ticket to the national championships by taking home gold in women’s singles. Hoang, an OCAA AllStar, went undefeated, beating Fanshawe's Riley Hogan in the final.

In women’s doubles, fifth-year player Yunji Kim teamed up with Angeline Alviar for a silver medal.

Kim and Alviar lost the title match to Humber College's Elizabeth Duong and Chloe Rowe. The second-place finish was especially important for Kim, as it secured a trip to the national championships in her final season.

“I've been to nationals before once with Angeline and I really wanted to make it again in my last year," said Kim.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

The Huskies men's and women's badminton teams took home several medals from the provincials, including the top teams honours.

On the men’s doubles side, Alex Chao and Yang Jin bounced back from a tough semi-final loss to earn the bronze, knocking off University of Toronto Mississauga’s Gary Kwok-Chun Tin and Thanh Tran Lam. While they will not be competing at the nationals, both Chao and Jin were named OCAA All-Stars.

Mike Ra and Amy Ding combined to add a silver to GBC's medal haul in mixed doubles. The Huskies duo were defeated by Crystal (Yuying) Qu and Arpit Teneja of Humber in the championship match. The finish has the pair off to Edmonton for the nationals, an achievement not lost on the Huskies head coach.

"I'd say Mike Ra and Amy Ding surprised me. They were third at regionals,” said Schram, who felt at that point the pair “weren't playing to the best of their abilities.”

After an 0-2 start in this tournament, Ra and Ding turned it around winning their next four matches and making it to the finals.

“It was a very nice surprise because they've been working really hard on improving their game," said Schram.

The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Championships was held from Feb. 28 to March 3 at Concordia University of Edmonton.

See our website for results from the national championships.

Men’s volleyball team places 6th in OCAA ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Garrett May named Coach of the Year MATTHEW GREEN REPORTER-EDITOR

T

he 2017-18 season may not have ended the way the men’s volleyball team had hoped for, but it will go in the books as a successful one.

While the Huskies did not come away from the OCAA Championship at Georgian College with a medal, they did collect an important victory at the provincial championship, defeating Fleming in a consolation semi-final.

The four-set win was a nice bounce back after a tough quarter-final loss to Redeemer that ended any championship aspirations for George Brown College (GBC).

“The past seven years this program didn't have a single match win at the provincial championships," said May. "We knew it was a great

The Huskies men's volleyball team beat Fleming in the OCAA consolation semi-finals.

opportunity, and possibly our last matchup of the year, to go get this program's first match win at the provincial championships.”

Following the victory over Fleming, the Huskies concluded their season with a loss to Conestoga in the consolation final.

However, the sixth place finish won’t overshadow the club’s impressive regular season, a campaign

HUSKIES SCORES

ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

MATTHEW GREEN REPORTER-EDITOR

7

that earned May OCAA Coach of the Year honours.

After dropping their season-opener, GBC reeled off 11 wins in their next 12 matches on the way to posting a 13-5 record, good enough for second place in the East division.

The Huskies were road warriors, winning seven of nine matches on opposition courts. GBC had three

players named OCAA All-Stars: outside hitter D’Artaniel Jackman, middle Ahmed Youssef and setter Pradeep Bhogal.

For Jackman, who played his last game in a Huskies uniform, this season was special.

"I'm glad that we were able to go to provincials again,” said Jackman, who led GBC in almost every offensive category this season. “Obviously, it didn't go our way, but the journey it took to get there was something that can't be replaced at all and I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

May has just completed his second season as head coach and has put up a 23-13 record in the regulars season. The player turnover for next season is something that will present a challenge for the men’s volleyball program.

“What's going to be tough for us going into next year is we're graduating, I think, eight players, five starters. It's going to be tough to recover from that,” said May, noting that bringing in recruits will be a part of the building process.

“We're excited. I think we're going to be very competitive next year.”

Feb. 14 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . 73 Georgian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Feb. 17 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . 79 Loyalist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 OCAA Playoffs George Brown . . . . . . . . . . 97 Conestoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 MEN'S BASKETBALL Feb. 14 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . 70 Georgian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Feb. 17 George Brown . . . . . . . . . 101 Loyalist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 OCAA Playoffs George Brown . . . . . . . . . . 86 Mohawk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 OCAA Championship Humber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . 73 Lambton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . 84 WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Feb. 10 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Canadore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Feb. 13 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 MEN'S VOLLEYBALL Feb. 10 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Canadore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Feb. 13 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 OCAA Crossover Playoffs George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sheridan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OCAA Championships Redeemer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 1 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Conestoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 George Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 1 BADMINTON OCAA Championship Women's team: 1st Men's team: 1st Women's Singles Minh Anh Hoang (1st) Women's Doubles Yunji Kim/Angeline Alviar (2nd) Men's Singles Yuge Zeng (1st) Men's Doubles Alex Chao/Yang Jin (3rd) Mixed Doubles Mike Ra/Amy Ding (2nd)

8

FEATURE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 8

FIGHT

LIKE A

GIRL

A timeline of women fighting to live, love, vote and work

BY CAROLINA TOCA & ST EVE CORNW ELL

19 TH CENTURY

20 TH CENTURY

1884

1916

In Ontario married women get same legal rights as men, allowing them to buy property and enter legal agreements. Manitoba followed in 1900, but not all women in Canada had these rights until 1964.

1879

Dr. Emily Stowe, the second woman licensed in Canada to practice medicine after Jennie Trout, was charged and acquitted of performing an abortion.

1918

Federal Women's Franchise Act gives all women who are British subjects aged 21 and over the right to vote in federal elections.

1911

1920

1882

First major strike of women workers in Canada when around 250 shoemakers in Toronto went on strike against five factories demanding union recognition, a uniform bill of wages, and a wage advance. The strike lasted three weeks.

1948

1921

Agnes Macphail is the first woman elected to parliament.

Japanese Canadians are extended the right to vote federally, removing the last statutory limitation on voting for Asian Canadians.

Quebec is a last province where women get the vote and can stand for provincial office.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City caught fire killing 146 young women workers.

Under the Indian Act, Indigenous women would lose their band status when marrying men outside their band or non-Indigenous men. The law was on the books until 1985.

Bill C-31 amende to fall in line with under the Canadi Rights and Freed

1940

First International Women’s Day

1869

1985

Women get the right to vote and stand for office in provincial elections in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. In 1917, British Columbia and Ontario follow suit.

Dominion Elections Act excludes British Columbia residents of Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian backgrounds of the right to vote federally.

1950

Inuit women and men get the right to vote, but ballot boxes were not brought to communities in the Arctic until 1962.

1960

1988

After dec Court of laws as u becomes

Inspired by activist Margaret Sanger, endocrinologist Gregory Goodwin Pincus starts working on the birth control pill in 1951. The pill is approved in 1960.

Indigenous women and men win the right to vote federally without losing their status.

FEATURE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 18

9

International Women's Day (March 8) is a good time to reflect on women's achievements. Looking back it's undeniable that women have been able to accomplish many things that were unthinkable 200 years ago. It's been a long path, but as gender inequality is a still a worrying reality, the fight for more changes continues to influence the 21st-century women's fight.

21 ST CENTURY

ed the Indian Act, h gender equality ian Charter of doms.

2015

Stats Canada report shows that visible minority women are more educated, yet had a higher unemployment rate and earn less than non-visible minority women.

2000

Millennium Development Goals include a goal to promote gender equality.

2009

cades of protest, the Supreme f Canada rules anti-abortion unconstitutional, and abortion s legal.

13 per cent of all Indigenous women aged 15 and older living in the provinces reported that they had been violently victimized.

Doctors allowed to prescribe abortion pill, mifegymiso but it remains hard to obtain.

After decades of pressure, the federal government announces an independent national inquiry to address missing and murdered Indigenous women, and girls, including two-spirited, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and queer folk.

2008

UN Security Council recognizes that sexual violence can be categorized as a war crime.

1993

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered an apology to all former students of residential schools.

Kim Campbell becomes the first, and only, female Prime Minister of Canada.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada is created.

Thousands attended the Women's March in Toronto in 2017.

Photo: Silvia Maresca

2017

#MeToo and the Time's Up movements help embolden women to come forward about sexual assault and harassment

JAN 2018

2013

RCMP report finds that from 1980 to 2012, a total of 1,017 Aboriginal women had been murdered, making up 16 per cent of the total for all women homicides in Canada.

Soulpepper artistic director Albert Schultz accused of harassment of a sexual nature.

MPP Patrick Brown, MP Kent Hehr, and former Nova Scotia PC leader Jamie Baillie are accused of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct.

Jan. 20, 2018. Millions take the streets around the world for the annual Women's March.

2005

Same-sex marriage is legalized in Canada with the passing of the Civil Marriage Act.

10

ARTS & LIFE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 8

After being homeless, GBC culinary student Myles Chaulk shows that it's never too late to go back to school LIDIANNY BOTTO REPORTER-EDITOR

T

he first time Myles Chaulk worked in a kitchen, it was punishment for a party gone wrong.

Chaulk was 13-years old and staying at his grandparents' house when he and some friends decided to have a party. He made the food himself, and everyone got sick.

When their parents started to ask about what happened, it led to Chaulk's grandparents' house, which was clearly partied in.

"My punishment was to spend the rest of the summer working at my family friends' restaurant," he said. "I really enjoyed it."

Chaulk never met his father, and his mother left when he was around 16-years old, leaving him homeless and in Toronto's shelter system. He

had to rely on his previous kitchen experience to land jobs and support himself.

"I was abandoned," he said. "So I had no choice, I had to start to work."

Of course working in a kitchen was a question of survival for Chaulk. But when he was experiencing homelessness, he explained that working in kitchens was a way to get free food, because you could always eat while working in a restaurant.

For youth experiencing homelessness, there's a program by Covenant House called Cooking for Life, which trains them for jobs in the culinary industry.

Michael Kim, a job developer at Covenant House, said that youth are drawn to the program because it's an opportunity to learn important life skills like cooking for yourself and a chance to get professional

training.

Kim said he has seen big changes in the participants' confidence after they have completed the program. "(They think) 'I have some income, I have this confidence and self-esteem, maybe I think about going to college or university or get my high school diploma or GED,'" According to a 2017 Covenant House report, 70 per cent of participants in the program find jobs or go back to school.

Chaulk, now 29 years old, found housing with the help of Eva's Place, the shelter he lived in for nearly three years. He has now become a brand ambassador for Eva's Place and teaches culinary skills to youth in the shelter every Tuesday.

"I don't have lots of money, if I did I'd give that," he said. "But I do have skills and I do have the ability to teach and I do have a great story to share."

For Chaulk, who has over a decade of experience in kitchens, going to George Brown College for a culinary certificate is about adding formal training to his resume and taking the next step in his career.

LIDIANNY BOTTO/THE DIALOG

Dreams don't happen by accident

Myles Chaulk uses his culinary skills to teach cooking to youth in a shelter.

"(Going to school) has always been something that I've wanted to accomplish but I could never afford it," he said. "Having this opportunity (to be) at George Brown and get advice from chefs who have been around for so long—it's really good for me."

In addition to his studies, Chaulk is working at Pinnacle Catering as a sous chef. He is also working to become a full-time private chef, because he said that his focus is bringing people together.

"It's incredible—the power of a meal, the ability of one single meal to bring a family together who havn't seen each other in a month," said Chaulk.

And for folks who are experiencing similar troubles as Chaulk, his message is simple: it takes hard work.

"Dreams don't come true by mistake. Dreams come true because you work for them and you make them happen. They don't happen by accident," he said.

ARTS & LIFE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 18

11

Serving justice at Chefs for Change

CHAU NGUYEN REPORTER-EDITOR

T

hroughout the cold winter months, there’s an event that helps warm people’s hearts and, well, stomachs.

Chefs for Change is an annual winter-dinner event series that’s held at Propeller Coffee from January to March. There are five dinners in the event series, each consisting of a four-course meal that is prepared by at least 10 chefs.

Joel Rousell, a professor at George Brown College (GBC), has participated in Chefs for Change ever since the start. Every year, he brings 10 students from GBC's

culinary school to the dinners.

“It's an amazing opportunity.

These types of things haven't always existed where there's that opportunity to expose the students to that kind of experience,” said Rousell.

“And at the same time, they've earned it. They've earned the experience. These kids have been the top in my classes."

Net profits from the event support Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to “create health, belonging and justice in low-income communities across the country through the power of food.”

CFCC builds community food centres, dedicated to low-income communities across Canada. The idea is that everyone can walk in to a centre, enjoy a healthy meal, grow some food and make some dishes by themselves with the help of chefs and volunteers.

Chefs for Change, aside from its social contribution, is a chance for GBC students to network and build their culinary skills in the real world.

“They get the experience, they end up getting externships with some of these chefs, a lot of them get jobs with the chefs so it really helps to kick start their career,” said Rousell.

"EXPOSING THE FUTURE GENERATION OF PROVIDERS, COOKS, TO THE POLITICS OF FOOD AND THE POWER OF FOOD IS REALLY IMPORTANT"

LIAM MOGAN

GBC culinary students gain real-world experience while raising money for community food centres

Chef Joel Rousell (centre-left) has participated in Chefs for Change from the start.

Nick Saul, CFCC's president and CEO, said GBC students are “the backbone of the event” and contribute a lot to the success of the series.

What’s more important to Saul, however, is the fact that students can gain more from Chefs for Change,

apart from it being a milestone in their career.

“I think that exposing the future generation of providers, cooks, to the politics of food and the power of food is really important and I hope that really sticks with them as

something that they carry forward,” said Saul.

According to CFCC website, Chefs for Change 2017 helped raise $100,000 for healthy food programs across Canada.

Presenting in a new language

CHAU NGUYEN REPORTER-EDITOR

I

t was a snowy Monday afternoon when I first stepped in room 308 at St. James H building. There were eight other people there, already chatting to each other cheerfully. I wasn’t late, fortunately. I was just in time for the public speaking workshop to get started.

Nearly an hour into the session, the presentations became heated and almost turned into a debate. I was close to entering into it if the facilitators hadn't stopped us and got back on the right track.

English isn't the first language of the participants in the work-

shop, but that doesn't temper the participation or enthusiasm in the room. These students are just taking their first steps in learning this language, and everyone is aiming at improvement.

“I am a class rep and I do a presentation once a week. The problem I'm facing is to keep eye contact and the confidence,” said Xiaoxuan (Jason) Tian, a student at George Brown College (GBC) school of ESL (English as a Second Language).

“The club is where students go to practice and improve their presentation skills whether it's for assignments or it's just for general skill building,” said Trucy Lau, president of Speakers of GBC, the club that runs the workshops.

For every session, there's a different topic. Most sessions focus on improving what students are missing in with regard to their presentation skills, which is often body language or eye contact. There are workshops on how to deliver a formal presentation while using technology as well.

The activities during a onehour-and-a-half workshop include ice breakers, discussions, doing presentation and giving feedback.

CHAU NGUYEN/THE DIALOG

Speakers of GBC helps international students perfect their public speaking skills

Xiaoxuan (Jason) Tian, student at George Brown College school of ESL, joined the workshop to improve his presentation skills

Members are often asked to give feedback to each other, and the workshop facilitators give them the final comment.

A success story from the workshops thus far, includes Augusto Camilotti, an international business student at GBC. Camilotti started his studies in Toronto as an ESL student at George Brown. After nearly two months joining the public speaking workshops, he became the workshop facilitator and now he’s the vice-president of Speakers

of GBC. Camilotti said the progress that students make is his favourite part of the club.

“The best part about the club is that you see students that come, they come really raw, with no experience, actually being afraid of doing presentation or speaking in front of people," said Camilotti.

"And you see, week by week, how they have developed and gotten better, more confident.”

When he first came to Canada,

Camilotti said his English was nowhere near perfect. He knew about the club, but he wasn’t confident enough to join the workshops. He later got motivated by Lau and joined the club.

As a student success coach at the school of ESL, Camilotti also helps students with their English skills, either academically or non-academically. According to him, the ability to speak well contributes a lot to his job.

“Public speaking is, I think, one of the most important skills that one should have,” said Camilotti. “And I'm pretty sure that students who went or are taking our club workshops, by the end of the day, they're going to be a lot of steps ahead of others, whether to be prepared for an interview or for a real public speaking presentation.”

Aside from the weekly workshops, Speakers of GBC also holds an event called GBC Talks, which is an adapted version of TED Talks.

The event will likely be held at the end of April.

The workshop is run by the Speakers of GBC club, every Monday, at 1:30 p.m. and takes place at 341 King St. East.

12

ARTS & LIFE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 8

Colonial conflict in cottage country Cottagers and Indians, inspired by a real-life fight in the Kawartha Lakes, shows racism can make the most scenic place ugly

I

t's a case of "not in my back yard" versus "well, actually this isn't your backyard."

Cottagers and Indians is a story of a skirmish that is at turns both silly and serious. For fans of playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, the play is a vintage effort that highlights the humour and humanity in cultural clashes between white and Indigenous people.

The conflict of the play is seeded as a local Anishinaabe man Arthur Copper, played by Herbie Barns, plants and harvests wild rice in the lakes around the cottage of Maureen Poole, an upper middle-class woman from North York,

played by Tracy Hoyt.

The wild rice, or manoomin in Anishinaabe, is a business and cultural opportunity for the affable Copper, who views its planting and harvest as tying into the traditional land use of the area. For Poole, on the other hand, the rice stocks are an affront to views and uses of the lakes that she's accustomed to.

Poole's arguments for Copper to cease his operations could be thrown out entirely for their absurdity if they weren't so familiar. If fact, Cottagers and Indians is loosely based on a conflict that is ongoing in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario, just northeast of Toronto.

There, some cottagers have banded together and formed a group called Save Pigeon Lake, after James Whetung, a member of Curve Lake

BE BOLD. BE PURPLE. BU.

CYLLA VON TIEDEMANN

STEVE CORNWELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Herbie Barns (left) and Tracy Hoyt in Cottagers and Indians.

First Nation, began to cultivate wild rice in the region and sell it.

It's easy to dismiss Poole, who has all of the self-assured and white wine fuelled obliviousness of a Real Housewives starlet. She might mean well but somehow manages to be low-key racist almost every step of the way.

Her accusations that Copper didn't properly consult the cottagers

for his wild rice growing ambitions are too rich given Canada's history of plowing over Indigenous communities for resources, and her claims of reverse racism being directed towards the largely white cottage owners are laughable.

The defensive posture of Hoyt's character is also eerily familiar to many white reactions to racial tensions, as she oscillates from fragil-

ity to saying she loves Indigenous things, including writer Joseph Boyden, whose claims of Indigenous heritage are in hot dispute.

However, Hayden Taylor sharply provides some humanity to Poole as well. She begins to question her thoughts and actions—though long after the audience—and it becomes obvious that her own personal pain is a strong motivator for her campaign against the wild rice.

To ignore her suffering, particularly after Copper quietly pays tribute to Poole's loss, seems callous.

If he can have empathy for the insufferable Poole, so can the audience.

The only tricky aspect of Cottagers and Indians is that with so much humanity and humour at play, the darker edges — colonialism, racism, erasure of Indigenous culture and more — blur into the background.

But then again, maybe a funny and charming play can harvest more or different rice in the end.

Cottagers and Indians, directed

by Patti Shaughnessy, is playing at the Tarragon (30 Bridgman) until March 25. Tickets are $20-$60.

Over 100 flexible degree program options available. ubishops.ca

ARTS & LIFE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 18

13

Important film featuring mostly Black cast skillfully blurs the line between good and evil KHALIQ MARTIN SPECIAL TO THE DIALOG

O

ne of the biggest highlights of not only Black History Month, but 2018 so far, was the highly anticipated Black Panther movie. And for good reason.

The film features a predominantly Black cast and includes some academic and culturally relevant themes such as colonialism, race, class, and gender. It also touches on some of the systemic structures that have impacted the lives of Black bodies while providing a tiny bit of historical context outside the fictional world of Wakanda, where Black Panther takes place.

Most notably, the effect of these structures can be seen in some of the main characters in the film and their choices.

Black Panther is a tale of betrayal, revenge, doing what is right and the classic gimmick of good versus evil. Or is it that simple? The film is excellent at blurring the line between good and evil by complicating the actual story with the lived-in experiences of both the protagonist T’Challa (played by Chadwick Bose-

man) and the antagonist Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan). Black Panther shows how both characters’ experiences ultimately led up to the events that became the plot for the film.

As the movie draws to its conclusion the audience is left questioning the thoughts, ideas, behaviors, and moral codes of both T’Challa and Killmonger. Crucial question becomes: who would you choose to rule over Wakanda? T’Challa or Killmonger? The answer may be much more complex than you think.

At its core, the movie is about the fate of Wakanda, the mineral Vibranium, and is an examination of both characters that convey the differences in their attempts to help others and do what they believe is right.

Black Panther also has a vibrant soundscape, including a soundtrack produced by Kendrick Lamar, that comes together to give an in-depth experience to a world never really imagined by a lot of folks.

Due to a historical legacy of colonialism and a very persistent inequitable social hierarchy that has and will continue to exist for quite some time, Black folks rarely saw

images that didn't depict them as slaves, thugs or the usual stereotypical images of Black men, femmes, and queer folks.

What made this movie so important for Black and non-Black students, is that Black folks have never really seen genuine Black liberation because of the systemic structures that still plague Black bodies, such as state-sanctioned violence.

But that exposure to an idea that things can be different can be so profound for young Black or nonblack students with an aim to change the world or inspire others.

Representation is crucial in providing this exposure that everybody, including Black folks, can have the capacity to be brilliant and we aren't reminded enough of that.

Black George Brown College students gave me a gentle reminder of their brilliance just based on their excitement of the film. You could see it at the private screening of Black Panther that was organized by the Student Association, which funds The Dialog.

The outfits students wore in anticipation, as well as the discussion and critiques they engaged in showed that the film had stirred up something important and powerful.

I definitely recommend that anyone see the film at least three times. There is a lot to unpack from Black Panther and many nuances to the movie and its characters that require critical analysis.

MARVEL

See Black Panther three times

Fifty Acts of Green at George Brown College

LIDIANNY BOTTO/THE DIALOG

GBC green team challenges staff and students to do 50 sustainable actions by the end of the semester LIDIANNY BOTTO REPORTER-EDITOR

F

ifty Acts of Green is a campaign launched by the green team at George Brown College (GBC) to encourage students, staff and faculty to complete 50 sustainable actions this semester.

Stephanie Foster, green team sustainability co-ordinator at GBC,

GBC professor Jorge Olenewa said that for 17 years he has opened classes to turn off the projector when he notices that no one is there.

said one of the goals of 50 Acts of Green is to raise awareness about the environment.

"We hope everybody can practice behaviours that reflect environmental responsibility," explained Foster.

By using the hashtag #50GreenG-

BC on social media participants have shared photos and videos demonstrating what they have done to help the environment at GBC. Jorge Olenewa, a professor in the centre for arts, design and information technology, said that for

17 years he has opened classes or labs to turn off the multimedia projector when he notices that no one is there.

"Why would anybody leave a 500 Watt lamp on, often over an entire weekend?" he asks. "They consume a lot of energy unnecessarily. So, why waste electricity and money?"

In fact, energy efficiency on GBC campuses is part of the 201419 energy conservation and demand management plan at the college.

In the plan, 2012 baseline energy consumption data shows that electricity consumption on all campuses was 26,030,762 kWh and that 17 per cent of electricity used was from renewable sources.

Achieving a two per cent reduction in total energy consumption associated with the 2012 baseline, taking into account all campuses and the new student residence, is one of the goals of the plan.

This two per cent reduction represents 520,615 kWh. According to Statistics Canada, the average annual electricity for households in

Canada is 11,111 kWh. This means that GBC is planning to save enough electricity to power 47 homes for a year.

Alongside the bigger issue of reducing energy consumption as an institution, Foster said there are lots of ways individuals can help such as recycling, biking, or buying fairtrade coffee.

Yasmin Shah, a game development student, agrees. She said that one of the small things that she has done is trade drinking bottled water for using a reusable water bottle.

"I still think it will help and when everyone does, it will be contagious," said Shah.

50 Acts of Green will run until April 22 with prizes given out bi-weekly with random draws. Each post with the #50GreenGBC, or email to 50GreenGBC@georgebrown.ca will count as an entry.

Prizes include Keep Cups, GBC stainless steel water bottles, and GBC reusable tote bags.

PUZZLES & FUN

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // March 5– 18

If today is your birthday: Your Mars is showing.

You should really get that looked at.

ARIES (March 21-April 20) Behind every success is a hall of mirrors in which you grow increasingly distorted with every mirror until you simply cease to exist and your victories mean nothing at all. So, floss and stuff, y'know.

TAURUS (April 21-May 21) This is not the time to give up. Get a glass of almond/soy/cow/coconut/blood milk and keep going.

7

2 3

5

2 7

1

6 1 9

CANCER (June 22-July 23) You're still grappling with some sort of ugly betrayal but it's time to take the knife out of your back and put it to better use. Like menacingly sharpening it or going to the ER 'cause ouch.

LEO (July 24-Aug. 23) Age is but a number. Learn from the innocent joy of children, the endearing angst of teens and the unfathomable horror of timeless cosmic entities.

VIRGO (Aug. 24-Sept. 23) It's time to take the plunge. The water is cold and dark, you don't swim very well and there's all sorts of beasties waiting for you in the depths. But, something, risks and rewards, something.

LIBRA (Sept. 24-Oct. 23) It's time to break free from your cocoon of shyness as the creepy and hairy social moth you were always meant to be.

8

9

8

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) If you can have a conversation with someone entirely in memes, you need to put a ring on it or run for the hills. There is no in-between here. *becomes a Muppet and sips tea*

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) Sadly, blowing kisses to the FBI agent watching through your webcam is not "having an okay love life".

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21-Feb. 19) You can't control everything in your life but gosh, are you even trying?

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) The stars are screaming. Yes, at you specifically, like you always thought.

8 4

ISSUE 10 SOLUTION

8 4 2 3

1 4

2 3

3 5 4 7 1 8 9 6 2

6 1 9 4 2 3 8 5 7

2 7 8 6 5 9 1 4 3

Puzzle by websudoku.com

8 2 3 5 7 4 6 1 9

5 9 1 3 6 2 4 7 8

7 4 6 8 9 1 3 2 5

1 6 2 9 3 7 5 8 4

9 8 7 1 4 5 2 3 6

4 3 5 2 8 6 7 9 1

Puzzle by websudoku.com

PUZZLE CONTEST Complete a puzzle from this page and drop it off at any Student Association (SA) office* for a chance to win a $10 Tim Hortons gift card!

First Name Last Name Phone # Email

*SA OFFICE LOCATIONS Casa Loma Campus St. James Campus 142 Kendal Ave, Room E100 200 King St. E, Room 147 Waterfront Campus 51 Dockside Dr, Room 033

Ryerson Campus 99 Gerard St. E, Room 614

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Your serpentry may be your downfall.

Redirect the time you spend gossipping to focus on important things like your relationships and not shedding your skin near the Timmies again.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Need a good laugh or ugly cry? Zoom in super close to any photo, bonus points if it's fuzzy to begin with. Your friend falling off a couch? Z O O M.

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15

ACROSS

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Colour ads and a variety of sizes are available.

1- Lucifer; 6- Morse element; 10- Heat meas.; 13- Betel palm; 14- ___-Seltzer; 15- In a jiffy; 16- ___ cholesterol; 17- Like some dorms; 18- Periphery; 19- Spanish muralist; 20- Manciple; 22- Wiggle room; 24- Tantalizes; 28- Move with a bounding motion; 31- Shorthand whiz; 32- Decline; 34- "Respect for Acting" author Hagen; 36- Thames town; 37- ___ Beta Kappa; 38- Violent whirlwind; 41- Math subj.; 42- "Modern Maturity" org.;

44- Defense advisory grp.; 45- Small group ruling a country; 47- Night vision?; 49- Professor's goal; 51- Some mattresses; 53- "Dr. No" star Andress; 56- Block; 59- Clip; 61- Son of Jacob and Leah; 64- Pealed; 65- Bedouin; 66- "Jake's Thing" author; 67- Buffalo's lake; 68- Cupboard; 69- Datebook abbr.; 70- Vittles; 71- Foundation;

DOWN

1- Disrespectful back talk; 2- Whirling; 3- ___ Haute; 4- Sharply; 5- "Miss Saigon" setting, briefly; 6- Finger; 7- Spiny houseplant; 8- Depict unfairly; 9- Attacked; 10- Hunk's pride; 11- Dress (up); 12- Arles article; 15- Composed; 20- Old West watering hole; 21- Hi-___ monitor; 23- Habit; 25- Attack; 26- Name on a bomber; 27- Dance partner?; 29- Pound part; 30- School gp.;

32- Apportion; 33- Broadcaster; 35- Request earnestly; 37- Cushions; 39- They appear before U; 40- Sharer's pronoun; 43- Regional form of a language; 46- Tumor formed of nerve tissue; 48- Bub; 50- Pokes gently; 52- Rocky debris; 54- Gentle ones; 55- Video game pioneer; 57- Pasternak heroine; 58- Building block; 60- "Grand" ice cream brand; 61- Map abbr.; 62- Outback bird; 63- Contend; 65- Arrest;

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MARCH 12-23 ST. JAMES CAMPUS

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MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS (QUIET LOUNGE, INSIDE KING’S LOUNGE)

CASA LOMA CAMPUS

ROOM E116

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS (STUDY ROOM, INSIDE STUDENT CENTRE) By appointment only. Book online at www.studentassociation.ca/services/income-tax-clinic/ Appointment slots are limited. Visit www.studentassociation.ca for a list of free income tax clinics in your neighborhood..