We’rewell into fall as of now and we’re already starting to notice the changes. For once, Calgary has decided to have fall for more than just two weeks and the change of colour in the leaves couldn’t be a better mood-lifter. It’s now time to blow the dust off those oversized sweaters and celebrate the new season we’re in.
As Sept. 30 marked National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the Gauntlet team have taken the time for a deeper reflection on the meaning behind this day, and the dark truth of our country’s history — a dark truth that continues to have an affect on the Indigenous people of this land.
The damage residential schools have done to our Indigenous communities is irreversible and permanent. Many Indigenous people must now live with this hurt, and continue to see how the government fails to take responsibility, as even clean drinking water remains to be inaccessible
on some reserves. So instead of using just a day to reflect on the genocide performed by our country, we take Sept. 30 as a reminder to always respect and acknowledge the land in which we live on, and to learn and understand more about Indigenous experiences. We want to continue to find ways to support our Indigenous communities in Canada, who even to this day, are going unheard.
In addition to celebrating and supporting those who have been on this land longer than anyone, we also celebrate the diverse communities that now call this country home. October marks National Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month (NHLHM), where the many countries that make up this group embrace their heritage and celebrate their differences.
As a university with so many international students from various countries, NHLHM observes the students on campus that have left behind everything to come to
this institution and still manage to bring a part of their culture with them. As seen through clubs such as the Latin American Students’ Association or the Brazilian Student Association, there is a wide representation of students with Hispanic and/or Latino heritage on campus that keep their traditions alive outside their country. The Gauntletstaff celebrates NHLHM as a few members of the Latino community are on our team who — regardless of them being international or local Calgarians with Latin-American descent — express parts of their culture and background in their work.
October always proves itself to be such a busy month, especially when Students’ Union (SU) By-Elections kick in. With voting days starting this week from Oct. 12–14, students will get to have a say on who represents their faculty and executive positions. VP Operations and Finance will continue to be vacant, as no one ran
for the position in this by-election. Students, though, will have to choose between three potential candidates for the VP External position — a spot that has been vacant for far too long. Other faculty representative positions will get filled this election, which is necessary for proper student representation throughout the year.
As students, it is our duty to make sure the appropriate people with aligning views are making our voices heard.
With October having lots going on, it can be easy to forget to give yourself a break sometimes.
Learning to enjoy your own company is a recommendation I leave with you, which shouldn’t be too hard in this gorgeous fall season. Take in that fresh, cool air on the way to your next class, or go catch a football game and watch the sun set — there’s tons to do.
Editor-in-Chief: Sophia Lopez eic@thegauntlet.ca
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Contributor: Enobong Ukpong // Anjali Choudhary // Jillian Cung // Eric Hilbrecht // Sylvia Lopez // Mackenzie Ashcroft // Malea Nguyen // Nimra Amir // Andrea Silva // Maggie Hsu // Radhya Comar //
Furor Arma Ministrat Room 319, MacEwan Students’ Centre 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 http://www.thegauntlet.ca
The Gauntlet is the official student newspaper of the University of Calgary, published monthly throughout the year by the Gauntlet Publications Society an autonomous, incorporated body. Membership in the society is open to undergraduate students at the U of C, but all members of the university community are encouraged to contribute. Stories under the Opinions and Voices sections contained herein are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire Gauntlet staff. Editorials are chosen by the majority of the editorial board. The Gauntlet is a forum open to all U of C students but may refuse any submission judged to be racist, sexist, homophobic, libelous, or containing attacks of a strictly personal nature. We reserve the right to edit for brevity. Grievances regarding the Gauntlet follow a three-step process which requires written decisions from the Editor, the GPS Board of Directors, and the Ombudsboard. The complete Grievance Policy is online at: thegauntlet.ca. The Gauntlet offices are located on Treaty 7 land.
The Gauntlet is printed on recycled paper and uses an ink made from the egg whites of the Prairie Chicken. We urge you to recycle the Gauntlet by burning them as a peace offering to the chicken herself.
All students will be able to vote for a Vice President Exter nal and the Board of Governors Student-At-Large. Additionally, students will be able to vote for their respective faculty repre sentatives.
sole candidate.
Julieanne Acosta News EditorE very year, the Students’ Union (SU) of the Univer sity of Calgary holds a gener al election in March to elect a new Student Legislative Council (SLC). If positions are left vacant following that, the SU holds a by-election in the fall semester.
PRAIRIE CHICKEN »
With campaigns beginning this week, students can expect to see candidates talking to those passing by in MacEwan Hall and posters of the candi dates throughout campus. It is throughout this time that stu dents can really begin to learn more about the candidates run ning to decide who they want to vote for.
The race for VP External was cut short during the previous general election as a result of an invalidation by the Review Board. The Review Board is re sponsible for judicial decisions within the jurisdiction of the SU Students may go to the board should they believe their rights were violated by the SU’s con stitution, bylaws, procedures or policies.
With a three-person race currently underway, Mateusz Salmassi was the student who went to the Review Board due to his nomination of candidacy for VP External being voided on the grounds that he is an inter national student — effectively barring Salmassi from the race and leaving the race with one
“The Review Board ruled unanimously in our favour and then my would-have-been op ponent filed an appeal against that decision which escalated things to the tribunal,” said Sal massi.
The tribunal is above the Re view Board and can choose to uphold, overturn or amend their decisions.
“After a long arduous appeal process, in which the SU sub mitted a brief in support of the appellant, the tribunal ruled in our favour and upheld the Re view Board’s decision,” said Sal massi.
“We have only seen the short form version of the tribunal’s decision that upholds the Re view Board’s decision and re jects the grounds of the appeal,” said Salmassi’s campaign man ager, Isabelle Reynolds.
Both Salmassi and Reynolds note that the judicial processes they had to go through to allow
for Salmassi to run were over whelming.
“To expect anybody else to go through this would be com pletely disconnected from real ity,” said Reynolds.
“The nomination’s package is now very clear that inter national students have the right to run for any position,” said Salmassi. “We really need an international students as sociation. There’s one at the University of Alberta that we can look to. I just want all inter national students to know that they can run for any position they please.”
As no one chose to run for VP of Operations and Finance, the position will continue to remain vacant since previously elected Taimur Akhtar is no longer in the position.
Voting runs from Oct. 12-14. Students can vote on their U of C portal or in person. To view the candidates’ platforms, visit the SU’s website.
Enobong Ukpong News AssistantThe 18-foot high, 4.5 ton sculp ture was installed by George Norris for the 1975 Centennial Program, according the Univer sity of Calgary website. Although the piece was untitled, it has become known as “The Prairie Chicken,” or just “the chicken,” a term coined by Norris himself.
Although old students and alumni have fond memories of the Prairie Chicken, there is a new generation of students who have no idea what it is or what it’s significance is, as the sculpture was removed in 2018 in order to construct the McKimmie Com plex. However, as the building is finished, the sculpture has been re-installed atop the hilltop rem iniscent of what Norris designed.
In a statement to the Gaunt let by Marina Fischer, collections specialist at the Nickle Galleries, the removal caused a lot of angst for students who were frantically posting on social media lamenting
the “death of the chicken” and desperately trying to find out the sculpture’s fate, as other sculp tures previously removed had not been reinstalled.
“It is a hilltop gateway open to the sun. It is the pages of a book spread out for those who will be transported by its content. It is the Prairie Chicken’s feathers spread in full array or it is the ritual-dance costume of the Blackfoot Indian. Its supporting members grow out of the hill and tell of interplay of the energy between the earth and the sun. The spreading forms cre ate a canopy under which speak ers may speak and performers may perform,” said Norris about the sculpture.
The Gauntlet also spoke with Courtney Pascoe, a recent alum with a BA Multidisciplinary de gree.
“I think one of my favourite memories was as a first year stu dent who moved into Rundle hall, exploring campus in the even ings after O-week activities with friends, coming across the Prairie
Chicken and being completely perplexed by what it was. It never occurred to us it was a book,” said Pascoe in reference to the fact that the Prairie Chicken was design to resemble a book being splayed open. “It eventually became a landmark among our residence community for providing direc tions to other new students who
hadn’t spent as much time on campus or maybe didn’t frequent that side of campus. It was also a great meeting spot far enough re moved from Mac Hall for us that we were still in the heart of cam pus but with more space to spread out and study. We didn’t find out the Prairie Chicken was a book until several years later and even
then we still didn’t feel fully con vinced.”
The Prairie Chicken has been a symbolic sculpture for many stu dents and alumni at the U of C. While its return has startled and left many confused, first-year stu dents and those who were online can now experience walking by this figure in Swann Mall.
“What is that giant metal thing in the middle of campus?”
this can alleviate the financial bu rden on students.
“Materials are an additional cost on top of the already inflated tuition that we’ve been paying,” said Morsette. “We’ve experi enced exceptional tuition increas es, and also seen immense budget cuts at the same time that have impacted faculties across the in stitution. This leaves students in a challenge where they’re spend ing more and feel like they’re re ceiving less. So when it comes to academic resources, this is one area [where we see that] there is a viable solution to alleviate some costs.”
in the establishment of a perma nent OER librarian within the Li braries and Cultural Resources.
Additionally, the SU had been running an OER awareness cam paign to educate students of its benefits. This campaign was an integrated effort with the Librar ies and Cultural Resources on campus.
In a statement, SU faculty representative Sandra Amin de scribed the importance of edu cating students about the finan cial and educational convenience of OERs.
their classes. Imagine if instead of buying expensive textbooks, stu dents could put that towards their basic needs like food and housing.”
Morsette also highlighted that Alberta lags comparatively be hind other provinces in investing on free learning resources. While there is some discussion about OERs in the Alberta 2030 plan, there has not been any meaning ful action taken towards that vi sion yet.
Eula Mengullo News EditorThe University of Calgary’s Students’ Union (SU) is advo cating for increased use of open educational resources (OERs).
OERs are any type of teaching, learning or research resource presented in different formats which are free and openly avail able through an open copyright
FOOD INSECURITY »license.
With the constant rise of tu ition over the past years along with provincial budget cuts, stu dents have seen added financial strains in attaining course ma terials.
In an interview with the Gaunt let, VP Academic Shaziah Jinnah Morsette elaborates on the sig nificance of providing more open educational resources and how
The SU identifies OERs as an innovative solution to combat the inflated costs that students are required to pay on top of their tuition.
In the last few years, the SU had been advocating for the increased usage of OERs on campus, as well as their development across dif ferent faculties. Last year, the SU had invested $500,000 to support OER development which resulted
“OERs are a great tool to help students save money on text books. In addition to affordability, OERs are accessible and can be made into a variety of formats to accommodate different stu dent learning styles,” wrote Amin.
“We were around campus raising awareness and educating students about what OERs are. Our hope is that students will advocate to their professors and departments to en courage the development and use of OERs instead of textbooks for
“[Investing in OERs is] a poten tial way to alleviate some of the affordability challenges in a sus tainable and long term manner. We’re not asking for government support to help pay for students’ textbooks every year, we’re advo cating for investment into a long term strategy that will alleviate affordability challenges for stu dents,” said Morsette.
To learn more about open edu cational resources on campus, visit the U of C website.
For more information about the SU’s advocacy for OERs, visit their Instagram page.
October marks food secur ity month and as students face tuition hikes and rising costs of living, many have fought for ways to combat food insecurity. At the University of Calgary, Food Justice Now is a student-run initiative that’s main mission is to address this problem on our campus.
In an interview with the Gauntlet, members Frankie Berardino and Harris Ahmad talked about the importance of this club for the campus com munity.
“We’re a part of Students for Direct Action — a club on cam pus — and we aim to create a long-term and autonomous stu dent food collective,” said Ah mad. “The Meal Exchange sur vey from 2021 further proves our mission and showed us that what we’re doing makes an im pact. We’re committed to pro viding free low-cost meals that anyone can access and they’re
almost always gluten-free and vegan.”
Meal Exchange is an initia tive that gathers data on stu dent food security and campus food systems to help student initiatives — like Food Justice Now — by mobilizing the data they collect. The published report in 2021 for the U of C showed that 66.1 per cent of student respondents indicated they are facing food insecurity. The report also notes that stu dents most impacted by food insecurity were Indigenous, East/South East Asian, Latino, Middle Eastern, international students and those in the LG BTQIA2S+ community.
“Based on the survey, if you’re in a classroom, you’re looking at two-thirds of those people pot entially facing food insecurity,” said Berardino. “Food is a basic human right and this is some thing that so many people on campus aren’t having access to and that’s wrong. Students get used to the idea that they can just eat ramen for every meal
and ramen is food but is it food that’s actually satisfying you? Is it nutritious? Does it give you the fuel to get through the day?”
When you’re hungry you can’t show up. You’re [struggling to] focus in class and that’s a reality for students on campus,” con
tinued Ahmad.
Some may have noticed the initiative’s first free meal of the semester — apple overnight oats — being given away at clubs week.
The group plans to serve a zucchini-based dish based from
one of their members’ home countries during their upcom ing event.
“We really want to target cul turally sensitive foods and have students try different foods,” said Ahmad.
“Our next event is Oct. 17 out side the Sustainability Resource Centre in the Science B hallway,” continued Berardino. “We’re planning on being there from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.”
The two note that the initia tive is always looking for volun teers in any capacity.
“If there’s anyone on campus and you’re passionate about food insecurity, please come talk to us. We’re always looking for people. We’re always wanting to connect with our community,” said Berardino.
To learn more about Food Justice Now visit their Insta gram @food_justice_now or email them at studentsfordirec taction@gmail.com. To donate to the cause, e-transfers are ac cepted at their email with the subject line “Food Justice Now.”
Jillian Cung Voices Assistant
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, people around the world mark their calendars to observe National His panic and Latino Heritage Month (NHLHM). Who is considered Hispanic and Latino get blurred when these terms are used inter changeably. Note that through out this article the term “Latnix” will not be used due to its contro versial nature. To be clear, while these identities are distinct, they may overlap as well, having dif ferent socio-political and cultural realities for people depending on whether they are Hispanic and Latino, only Hispanic or only Lat ino. When celebrating NHLHM, we are not only celebrating achieve ments, history and culture — but also celebrating the fact that the identities being celebrated are rich and diverse in their own re gard. Here is a list of people in the Latino and Hispanic communities that have done their part to repre sent their cultures and identities in
their own unique ways.
Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico to a German father and a mother of Spanish and Indigenous descent. Although she was considered a “mestiza” — a person of mixed European and Indigenous ances try — she closely identified with her Indigenous heritage and loved the Mexican people. She chal lenged the Mexican art world as she broke through predominantly Eurocentric standards and facili tated its removal from “the shadow of Europe and its bourgeois ideol ogies,” as said in the essay by Liza Bakewell.
Kahlo’s 1949 piece, The loving embrace of the universe, the Earth (Mexico), Diego, me and Señor Xólotl, is explained to use Indigenous iconography, popular folk art and revolutionary political themes.
Carlos Diaz, better known by
the stage name Cynthia Lee Fon taine, is a Puerto Rican drag queen who swept away audiences on Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race Diaz raised over $80,000 USD for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and is a positive pres ence on the show as a queer, Lat ino and Hispanic creator — a long time coming after a long history of negative portrayals of such com munities in Hollywood. Negative stereotypes — such as machismo
men or drug lords — leave audi ences with narratives that confine people into positions of needing to defend themselves before even being known. Diaz’s presence, in stead, is a refreshing portrayal that encourages other creators to feel seen.
In a political climate of afflu ent, White men, Francia Márquez breaks barriers by becoming the
first Afro-Colombian Vice Presi dent in the country. Colombia’s racial and class structures make it difficult for marginalized people to move up in the system of power, particularly because roles are frequently determined by racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Becoming an activist at 13 old, Márquez has been advocating for environmental and ancestral land rights since the construction of a dam threatened the destruction of her community, receiving the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work in preventing illegal gold mining as she organized a 350-mile march of 80 women to Bogotá — ultimately pushing the Colombian government to take action.
Despite being faced with inci dents of sexism, racism and cor ruption, Márquez initiates change and continues to challenge institu tions to take action.
This NHLHM, take the time to look into the work of figures like these and learn about their achievements and contributions to the community.
Voices Assistant
“For the Métis, we had a very unique experience. Many Métis families paid to go to residential schools.”
This shocking revelation from Métis scholar, Billie-Jo Grant, at the University of Cal gary’s Métis Memories of Resi
dential Schools event is just one aspect of Métis history that has been erased from the main stream narrative. Métis experi ences have been omitted in the conversation around colonial impacts and truth and recon ciliation — because of that, Grant and fellow Métis scholar Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt have created a visual resource titled
Métis Memories of Residential Schools: A Testament to the Strength of the Métis. Through this, they shared Métis residen tial school stories and the dire need to amplify the voices that have been suppressed behind a veil of Canada’s dark past and present.
In commemorating the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, many non-Indigenous people felt confused on how to truly act to wards reconciliation when gen erations of Indigenous peoples have endured irreconcilable injustices. How do we stop this movement from becoming per formative — much like land ac knowledgements are criticized to have become? Pratt claims that an important step is to lis ten to the true story of Métis people.
“In sharing these stories, we can begin to address the inter generational impact this dis
tressing legacy has had on our families and communities. For many Métis, these stories re main untold,” said Pratt.
The speakers went on to recount anecdotes from resi dential school survivors, also emphasizing how hard it is to describe the difficulty in ex pressing this dark history — especially because it has been suppressed for decades.
“I was nine, my younger sis ter was six, and the other one was three,” said Grant, reading the anecdote. “We walked into the room on that cold day, we walked right into the gray sheets hanging in the hall in the smell of fish and went upstairs where all the girls were — introduced to about 115 children. That first week, my mother died.
“Two days after we got there, we only heard about it a week later,” she continued. “I remem ber feeling so alone and so lost and so very lonely. It was brutal.
It was humiliating. And I don’t have the words to express how I really feel about those years that I and my sister spent be hind those convent doors.”
Federal and provincial gov ernments have not only left out Métis peoples historically — such as denying them “Indi an” status under the Indian Act — but continue the discrimin ation to this very day. In 2021, First Nations in Manitoba over the age of 75 were eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine while the Métis were delib erately left out, according to CBC. Pratt and Grant’s project — working aside Elders, com munity members, and residen tial school survivors — is an im portant step in demanding the recognition of the unique Métis identity and in taking control of an environment which con tinues to allow the government and mainstream society to ex clude them.
Rina Sawayama has been on a steady mission to become one of the best pop musicians of our age. Her music has an undeniable edge to it but manages to be polished and crisp, marrying the demands of a meaningful album and marketable singles perfectly.
The album opens with “Minor Feelings,” which carefully tells the listeners exactly what to expect for the record. The title is a reference to the Cathy Park Hong book of the same name discussing East Asian identity in the Western world. It’s the premise of the album — a woman reflecting on her world with contempt and frustration. She asks “How am I supposed to feel when you tell me nothing in my life is real?” through gritted teeth, contrasting the atmospheric aura of the song.
If SAWAYAMA was her finding her musical identity, Hold The Girl was her proving that boxes and labels don’t work.
It’s noticeably more ethereal to her previous releases, calling on heavenly church choir-esque harmonies and atmospheric production choices to make the tracks feel like they float above the ground. This makes sense given the overwhelming religious imagery in the lyrics — themes range from forgiveness and discovering the truth, all to instrumentals that are reminiscent of hyper-pop, glam rock and country all rolled up into one. On paper it’s overwhelming, but plugging in your headphones and taking a minute to listen means you understand its appeal — it makes sense as a whole project but also as individual tracks.
However, it wouldn’t be a Sawayama album without some healthy genre exploration. Hold The Girl has a country flair to it with songs like “This Hell” and “Your Age,” but she maintains her musical edge. “This Hell” is a pop-culture infused cheeky jab at a world that feels intolerant, inviting listeners to go “I understood that reference” with each
line. “Your Age” is filled with distorted and repetitive vocals, sounding more like a swan song despite only being at the halfway point.
Sawayama’s true talent lies within the translation of her lyrics into the music. Each song isn’t simply a story being told, it’s a full blown auditory performance. A track like “Frankenstein” is fast paced and grating, with vocals that sound hopeless and an instrumental conveying a sense of urgency — a pre-chorus picking up in energy until it explodes into her begging to be fixed, until the grand finale with berating drums and cries. “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)” opens with church bells in the distance, feeling like you’re hearing them echoing among a grey and misty morning, until it evolves into a rave anthem with synths bouncing around in a stone cathedral. It’s evocative and heart wrenching.
Hold The Girl is the perfect introduction to Sawayama’s discography. It is growth from SAWAYAMA but keeps her persona
as an artist. It’s overwhelming and complex, taking listeners on a journey through her psyche.
The album is about healing, and each of the songs reflect how she’s been able to go through it all. As much as it is a hodgepodge of genres, production and
pop-culture, it’s still an experience — and that’s what Sawayama does best.
Sheroog’s Recommendation: “Frankenstein” to feel the buzz of the 8 a.m. coffee without the coffee and “Hold The Girl” to come back down from it.
Iam in the business of misery, but now things are looking up. That’s right, Paramore has come back from a hiatus and they’re still together. Actually, they’re so together rumours have been confirmed that singer, Hayley Williams, and guitarist, Taylor York, are dating. You’ve heard it hear for the twentieth time folks.
On Sept. 28, 1:15 p.m. EST, Paramore made an appearance to debut their new single “This Is Why” for their new album — of the same name. The single was already released on streaming platforms earlier that day but the music video premiered on YouTube. It was preceded by a message from the band themselves, which in-true post-pandemic fashion, they were muted for
the entirety of it. Thankfully, the music video was not muted and went through without a hitch.
While Paramore has already begun their tour on Oct. 2, their sixth album This Is Why is scheduled for release on Feb. 10, 2023. From the glimpses we’ve gotten from the singles, Paramore’s sound has once again evolved into something new. The shift from their most recent album’s synth-pop vibes to a math
rock-inspired single has shown that they have experimented with their sound and, in my opinion, succeeded. The lyrics and vocals are still consistent with their sound but with a more mature tone and the story being told as the band also has aged in the last 20 years.
The music video itself has also contributed to setting the tone for the coming album which seems to follow the trend of their
previous album, After Laughter, and Hayley Williams’ solo album, Petals for Armor — navigating mental health issues and taking agency of your own life. Many of the shots and actions that are done in the video resemble life during the pandemic and the lyrics allude to that along with the hardships of the band having their lives made public.
With two singles out and concerts already underway there were some issues with the way they went about selling their concert tickets, especially their Los Angeles show. Paramore worked with Ticketmaster to use their Face Value Ticket Exchange — a program that allows fans to buy tickets from other fans at the original price, as long as both parties have a Ticketmaster account.
While this tactic is used to fight resellers hiking up prices, it can
also make it harder for some fans to be able to get tickets for shows — as well as ticket prices being higher than before and venues smaller than expected. The Los Angeles show is one of the few places that allow this type of program but other methods are being put in place for the rest of the shows abiding each state and region laws.
There are a variety of locations for the tour including the usual choice of Toronto in Canada even if there aren’t many places on the list. There is a “request a show” feature on their website which I would like to invite anyone who is a fan or has some free time, to request a show in Calgary to maybe increase more band presence in our truck-filled city. If you are interested in tour dates and places, check out their website www.paramore.net/tour.
wound closure like silk-based sutures, wound care like silk textiles and meshes and more recently, scaffolding that sup ports cell growth for tissue re construction and tissue engin eering.
The advancement of silk as a biomaterial did not stop there — there has now been a recent shift toward recombinant spi der silks.
Xiang-Qin (Paul) Liu from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
tweak those materials to provide new functionality,” Rainey said to CBC .
Nimra Amir Arts & Science AssistantSpiders are not in the good graces of most humans but maybe that is all about to change. A group of research ers at Dalhousie University in Halifax have just published a paper in the Advanced Func tional Materials journal that outlines how spider silk could one day direct the regrowth of
nerves that have been injured. This could mean potentially restoring movement in cases such as paralysis.
Even though silk has been used as a biomaterial in nerve repair for centuries, its first recorded performance in 1977 was disappointing. Since then, however, the production of high-performance biocompat ible silks has advanced con siderably in applications of
Like all silk, the use of spider silk goes back centuries but it has been especially difficult to harvest from natural sources in sufficient quantities to meet demand. Even if enough can be harvested, there is no control over the material’s properties. This is the problem that Dr. Jan Rainey, a professor from the Department of Biochem istry and Molecular Biology at Dalhousie University, has been working to solve for more than a decade. In collaboration with Dr. John Frampton from the university’s School of Bio medical Engineering and Dr.
Rainey first became inter ested in spider silks because, for their size, it is much stronger than any materi al that humans can make. In fact, spider silk is known to be stronger than steel and even Kevlar — the material used in bulletproof vests. So, it can absorb large amounts of force before it breaks.
That is not all though — spi der silk, unlike most other bio materials, is environmentally friendly. Of course, spiders do not produce enough silk to replace plastics or metals that other biomaterials are made from. But again, with the re search on spider silks that was published, we can better understand how to engineer it synthetically.
“We really wanted to under stand what gives rise to these amazing properties and then to understand how we could
Spider silk is made of pro tein — a natural material that could be consumed by humans without being rejected by our bodies. In engineering a new lab-produced spider silk — based on the form of silk used by spiders to wrap prey — re searchers found that the spi der silk-based protein would hold onto another protein to enhance the growth of nerve cells. The material would then be capable of supporting and even enhancing neuron-like cell growth.
This innovative material can now be further developed so that it could be applied dir ectly to an injury site to stimu late nerve regeneration. This closes a critical gap which is hugely beneficial not only for those who have suffered a nerve injury but also for the Canadian healthcare system as a whole.
Alot of the movies or shows
we see on TV are based on books. With this in mind, I want to provide some book recommenda tions that can now be seen on the screen!
This is one of my favourite books because of its plot, charac ters and narrator. The story is set during World War II, on Himmel Street, in the outskirts of Mun ich, Germany, and tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a girl in the foster care system that is adopted by the Hubermann family. As the book progresses, Liesel learns to read with the help of her foster father Hans. In books, she dis covers a refuge from the war and the horrors of the Third Reich.
The Book Thief is a story about the power of reading, how story telling can be a form of expres sion, and why that represented a huge threat for the Nazi officials — hence why they burned any literary piece they did not agree with. The Book Thief is also nar rated, and one could argue, led, by “death.” This gives the book a unique atmosphere and form of narration. Overall, this book cen tres on Liesel’s survival through the war, and the plot will surely take you by surprise. Lastly, this novel was adapted into a movie in 2013. I actually watched the mov ie first and loved it so much, then read the book. Both were great, but I always recommend reading the book first.
Me Before You tells the love story of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor. Louisa is a lighthearted young woman who likes to wear colourful clothes. Will is a quad riplegic man that, due to a motor cycle accident, had to put an end to his adventurous lifestyle. After losing her job at a coffee shop, Louisa is hired as Will’s caregiver. As the story develops, the reader can see how Will’s injuries have left him physically and psycho logically devastated. To the point
where he is confident that he wants to end his life. As the book progresses, both of the main char acters get to know each other and develop feelings for one another. Louisa is simply unwilling to let Will go down without a fight, and in her efforts to save his life, she changes her own. This book was adapted into a movie in 2016. Lou isa was portrayed by the actress Emilia Clarke, while Sam Claflin represented Will’s character. I per sonally really liked the movie but think that the book offers a more insightful perspective of the char acter’s development and points of view.
The story is set in the aftermath of World War II. A young woman, Juliet, who wrote funny stories for a British paper that aimed to bring the morale of the population up, is trying to expand her literary hor izons through more substantial material. As she is looking for her
next project, she receives a let ter from Guernsey. A man named Dawsey has in his possession a book she used to own. The novel was read in the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Soci ety — a secret society formed by a group of friends of Guernsey, dur ing the Nazi occupation. This as sociation was a form of rebellion, a way for them to get together and break the curfew imposed by the occupying army. As she learns the origins of this society, Juliet decides to respond to the man’s letter. This transforms into a cor respondence-based friendship with Dawsey. This novel is a tale about the hardships of the war, friendship, resilience, and the im portance of bravery. In 2018, this book was transformed into a mov ie, led by Lily James and Michiel Huisman. Both the movie and the book are amazing.
I’m always hesitant to provide too much information about a mystery novel, as I believe the less
one knows about it going in, the better. But for context, the story focuses on the disappearance of Amy Dunne. Nick, her husband, finds himself as the prime sus pect of the case. The story unfolds from Nick’s perspective in the aftermath of Amy’s disappear ance but is complemented with diary entries, written by his wife, that describe her point of view. As the reader learns, through the de velopment of the plot, their mar riage was not what it seemed on the outside. Then, the case grabs the attention of the media, which further complicates the plot. Overall, this is a gripping mystery novel for readers in need of a story filled with interesting characters and a complex plot. Gone Girl was adapted into a movie in 2014, star ring Ben Affleck, who plays Nick, and Rosamund Pike, who portrays Amy. And, in my opinion, the mov ie was as captivating as the book.
Normal People is a book cen tred around the complex relation
ship between the two main char acters: Marianne and Connell. Their story starts in high school, but the plot follows them through the years as their paths collide and diverge. This novel is a dissection of the very meaning of love; an observation of how quickly things change and how difficult it is for people to come together, after their circumstances pull them apart. In 2020, Normal People was transformed into a short ser ies produced by BBC and Hulu, with the main actors being Daisy Edgar-Jones, representing Mari anne, and Paul Mescal, portraying Connell. The fact that this adapta tion was a series, instead of a mov ie, allowed for more parts of the book to be seen on screen which I personally liked. Nevertheless, from what I have seen online, this is a very popular book with some having loved it and some abso lutely hating it. Nevertheless, it is definitely a uniquely written con temporary novel that dives into the complex subjects of solitude, solace and love.
C
algary is in the midst of experiencing history as the Victoria Tse and Ron nie Postnikoff dynamic golf duo continues to set the field ablaze. The two Dinos golf ers are striking fear into the game of the majority of the competition as they continue on to top the charts in their respective categories. Luck ily for us, the Dinos march doesn’t just stop there. The six University of Calgary players present in the sea son are all breaking the mold from the inside out. May that be from sweeping the podium on the women’s side to our rookie player tying for the third place not much behind teammate Ethan Banks and Postnikoff himself.
The Dinos have dominated the game over the last 16 days. The hot start was ignited by
Tse after she secured the first title for the Dinos golf team at the season-opening compe tition hosted by their rivals — the University of Alberta. Tse wasn’t about to let the com petitors believe in a chance even after her opening-round score of 77, following that up with an impressive 79 for the win. Her teammates also made headlines after incred ible plays to raise the bar even higher for them. Lana Wong came in third with a two-day score of 173. She was followed by Georgia Macken zie who placed sixth overall with a score of 194.
The Dinos’ rampant win streak wouldn’t stop there, of course. Not long after, they swept the competition at the Pronghorns Open with a fan tastic performance by Tse, who lead the charges and dominated the tournament from the moment the ball touched the field. She had the
best result on both Sunday and Monday completely sep arating herself from the rest of the competition and safely securing her spot at the top.
The Pronghorns Open was a moment of revelation on the men’s side. The newcom er Sam Bratvold led the Dinos to the top spot and his first win at the University varsity level. The freshman prodigy finished with a score of 146 to put his markings in the first place. Banks joined Bratvold on the podium with a secondplace tie, putting two Dinos in the top three. Postnikoff held on to the ninth place after matching Bank’s final-round score of 76, sharing the spot with Tommy Sluka.
It was the Dinos’ turn to host their tournament on the 25 and the 26. The Dinos took every advantage the home turf gave them and extended their start to the season by setting fire to the
leaderboards by dominating the three podium positions in both the men’s and women’s divisions. A clear message to every participating univer sity. Tse once again secured her first-place streak with a 16-stroke difference from the second. Wong and Divya Chawla followed closely pla cing second and third, re spectively, to dominate the podium.
On the men’s side, Postni koff posted the best round of the tournament to sit comfortably on the number one spot with a final score of 144. Banks was a mere two shots away from Post nikoff and clinched second place at home. To cap off this performance, rookie Cian Besler-Chalcroft tied for third place on the podium completing the Dinos’ per fect sweep of the podium.
The Dinos played at the Canada West championship
on Oct. 3 and 4 at Cordova Bay Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. Their mindset continued on to the conference title. The Dinos had an incredible run and were close to reaching the podium very early on. The women closed the first day of play with a combined scored of 236 for the fourth place spot while the men got an overall score of 308 to grab the sixth place. On the women’s side Tse used her veteran experience to place fourth overall on the first day. However, UBC ’s dominance over the tournament was clear from the first day with their star players Hudson La fayette and Jessica Ng taking the top of the scorecards. This has been one of the best seasons for the Dinos so far and they can safely look for ward to claiming their spot in some golf competitions at the Golf Canada level, the high est amateur level in Canada.
The Calgary Stampeders’ cam paign for their 9th Grey Cup had a fiery start as they went un defeated through the first five weeks of the season. Their first loss came on their sixth week of play at the hands of the two-time defending league champions, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Stam peders have some important games coming up if they want to maintain their dreams of making their 18th Grey Cup appearance after a sum mer full of tough matches have put the Stampeders at third in the West Division. Calgary will need to pull into second, above the BC Lions, if they want home field advantage in the West Division Semi-Finals.
Despite a difficult summer, there were plenty of lessons that could be learned for the last leg of the regular season. The Stampeders are one of the top scoring teams in the league and boast one of the best defensive lines but have shown that discipline and penalties have been major issues for them, as every loss came from very few points.
As the only team that is un defeated when playing teams out side of their division, the Stam peders are looking like a strong contender for the Grey Cup finals. However, in order to play in Nov ember, they must first battle the two teams they have not been able to defeat this season — the BC Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Despite having a 12–2 record go ing into week 17 of the season, many of their games have been tight, with Winnipeg only winning by a margin of a touchdown or less. Their first loss came in week 10 in which the Montréal Alouettes edged out the Bombers in overtime, exposing a flaw in Winnipeg’s armour. Their second loss came at the hands of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who man aged to put a dampener on the al most perfect-looking Winnipeg of fense, headed by quarterback Zach Collaros. Both losses are examples that with a strong and disciplined defense, the Bombers could fall just like any other team this season.
The season series against the BC Lions was highly anticipated as the Stampeders would look to see how they face off against the Canadian
quarterback making waves in the headlines, Nathan Rourke. Rourke has put up incredible numbers that are now deemed the league stan dard with a 79.2 per cent comple tion rate and has been the de facto starter for the Lions ever since June 11. When Rourke suffered an injury during a game on Aug. 19 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Stampeders felt like this may be a chance for them to take the second spot in the standings while the Lions’ star quarterback was out.
Going into the Sept. 17 game, the Stampeders were looking to pull a win off in a rematch of the close game on Aug. 13 in which the Lions won by a single point. This game would prove to be equally as com petitive and dramatic as the rivalry was taken up another notch. Ul timately, BC took home the win in overtime despite a strong effort to extend the extra quarter by Dinos football alumni, Jalen Philpot. Philpot went on to be a big player for the final matchup of the season between the two teams on Sept. 24 in which the Stampeders learned from their past mistakes and kept the powerful Lions’ offense at bay,
shutting out the Lions until the last minute of the third quarter. The Lions tried to make a comeback in the fourth but the effort came too late as the Stampeders added to their lead, topping the Lions by a score of 25–11 and tying BC again for second place on the West Division standings.
With three games remaining in the season and a playoff appear ance secured for the 17th straight season, the Stampeders will need to be at the top of their game in or der to edge out the Lions for that
coveted home field advantage for the first round. They will now be challenged by one of the only two teams that have defeated the de fending champions, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, on Oct. 14. Afterwards, they will round off the season with a home-at-home with their perennial divisional rivals, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, on the last two Satur days of October. All will be difficult and important games for the Stam peders in order to prepare for the post-season and challenge them to improve in time for the Grey Cup.
Politics work like a pendulum.
In a democratic country, the pendulum swings back and forth from ideology to ideology without warning — sometimes right, some times left. Through seven years, several scandals and three federal elections, this pendulum seems all but tethered to Justin Trudeau’s left-of-centre Liberal Party. At least, that was until a few weeks ago when the Conservative Party of Canada named their new leader, Pierre Poilievre.
Poilievre attended Henry Wise wood High School and the Univer sity of Calgary. His Albertan edu cation along with his middle class background have made him the province’s very own homegrown hero.
Born in 1979, Poilievre was one year old when Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau introduced the National Energy Program (NEP) in 1980. While the goal of this program was to strengthen the oil and gas industry across Canada,
the NEP forced Alberta to distrib ute oil to the rest of the country at a discounted price. This had disas trous consequences on the prov ince which included widespread devaluation of property in both Edmonton and Calgary, a six per cent rise in unemployment and an epidemic of bankruptcy. Alberta residents blamed their plight on the federal government and de manded freedom from these op pressive policies.
The sentiments at the time aligned perfectly with the conserv ative ideas of decreased govern ment involvement, which great ly influenced Poilievre. Having grown up in the aftermath of the NEP, Poilievre embodies the beliefs that have represented the Conserv ative Party for decades and appeals to the number of Albertans who wish for more economic freedom. Poilievre’s promise “to innovate, compete and challenge ideas free from excessive government con trol,” stem from this desire for an independent Alberta.
It is this sentiment of independ ence, felt around the country, es
pecially during the current eco nomic downturn, that might just allow Poilievre to become the next Prime Minister of Canada. The ever-present discontent with the liberal government focuses heavily on the country’s state in the wake of the pandemic. The liberal gov ernment’s vaccine mandates, travel restrictions and current inflations are all main points of contention.
Poilievre is one of the main crit ics of the current liberal govern ment. He regularly expresses his outrage on mandatory vaccines and went so far as to being associ ated with the trucker convoy. He vows to significantly ease travel restrictions and his most sensitive topic of discussion, inflation — or in his words “Justin-flation.” His discontent with Trudeau’s eco nomic management, specifically during the pandemic, is well docu mented in quotes such as, “the cost of government is driving up the cost of living.”
It is these statements that have propelled Poilievre to the forefront of national politics. His unrelent less remarks unite conservatives
both young and old against a com mon liberal enemy. This division is categorized in his own terms as the “have nots” vs. the “have-yachts.”
In recent weeks, Poilievre has shifted focus from criticism of Trudeau’s policies to promoting his own. Poilievre plans to curb the former by forcing metropol itan cities such as Vancouver and Toronto to increase new home building by 15 per cent. Mean while, his approach to stopping inflation is as simple as easing government spending which was “recklessly” increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also on the agenda is scrapping the carbon price — a tax paid by everyday cit izens on the consumption of fossil fuels. The promises to decrease government spending, scrap sup posedly unnecessary taxes and lower government involvement combine to point towards a trad itional conservative government.
Meanwhile, the Trudeau gov ernment plans to raise carbon tax while the cost of living continues to rise. Despite early campaign promises to lower taxes, they have
raised taxes for middle class fam ilies by eliminating beneficial tax credits such as those on education and textbooks. These changes have led to significant discontent among Canadian citizens.
With that being said, how much of the support being shown for Poilievre is a result of his polit ical prowess? How much is a re sult of growing discontent? While examining the impact of a failed attempt at economic nationalism and a global pandemic, it is im portant to remind ourselves that it is during these critical junctures in our history that the pendulum swings. It is during these uncer tain times where new leaders bid for power. These leaders, as char ismatic and clever as they may be, are only as strong as the senti ments that they represent. As the current dissatisfaction with the liberal government grows strong er, so does Pierre Poilievre. While there is no predicting where the pendulum will swing in the next election, if it is pushed to the right, Pierre Poilievre will undeniably be the man to catch it.
Ramiro Bustamante Torres Leaf Cruncher
A s the leaves turn yellow and the threat of snow looms over every student, this is also the perfect time for fun autumn activities your friends will drag you to. Look for your friend’s sign to see what you might have to fake-smile through.
Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22)
For a Libra, there is nothing more fun than baking goods with friends for the fall. Whether you are gluten-free or not, your Libra friend will have you over at their place to try their pumpkin-spiced cinnamon buns and all its iterations.
Scorpio (Oct 23 –Nov 22)
Cuffing season has started and this friend will not wait for you to make a move and force you on double dates with them so they can find the perfect person for their couples costume.
Sagittarius (Nov 23 –Dec 21)
What better way to forget your problems than going out on a hike to see the larches turn yellow? Make sure to have your hiking gear ready just in case you get a call early in the morning.
Capricorn (Dec 22 –Jan 19)
Beware of trivia nights at pubs, for this friend will drag you to each and every one of them if they can. If somehow they get the wrong answer they will simply find a way to debate their way into convincing everyone they are right based on technicalities.
Aquarius (Jan 20 –Feb 18)
With Halloween just around the corner, when going to haunted houses or exploring the abandoned house at the end of the road, you know an Aquarius will be there. So keep your eyes peeled for your friend’s BeReal and if you see them at a new con-
demned building this week, just know they will want to take you there later.
Pisces (Feb 19 –March 20)
Check your messages, a Pisces might have already messaged you about the newest coffee shop in town and they will want to get a hot chocolate even if a Chinook has brought the temperature back to the plus 20s. They will also take this time to tell you about their latest impulse purchase and family drama.
Aries (March 21 –April 20)
You might say that an Aries is aggressive and would enjoy pumpkin carving just for the act of gutting the pumpkin and using sharp objects. In reality, this will be one of the most peaceful moments for an Aries since this activity appeals to their inner child. That and they will be too concentrated on making the most detailed carving possible.
Taurus (April 21 –May 20)
As soon as the wind chills a little bit and the leaves start to fall, this is a sign that your Taurus friends will choose warmth and comfort over everything. Most of their closet is already made for the fall and the coming winter so they will only want plans that involve being indoors.
Gemini (May 21 –June 21)
You might get a few invasive questions about your to-be read list of books from your Gemini friend which will then prompt an invitation to a book club. Be warned that they will not actually read that book but use that time to tell you all the gossip they heard through the week, but at least you are getting one book off your list.
Cancer (June 22 –July 22)
If you’re a scaredy cat, avoid your Cancer friend for they will force you to sit through some
of the spookiest films known to humanity. Even if they themselves are not particularly brave, the season calls for some haunting features and they will want someone to be more afraid than them.
Leo (July 23 – Aug 21)
What is a corn maze but a place to force others to spend time with you with no escape? A Leo will purposefully get both of you lost so they can be the centre of your attention.
Virgo (Aug 22 – Sep 22)
Their season might have already ended, but a Virgo will continuously present their best — this includes their yard. They will want to rake the fallen leaves and keep a neat pile on the side to ensure they have the perfect pile of leaves to jump in and have a social media-worthy video. You might be lucky enough to join them or be assigned the camera holder.
