The Gauntlet -- September 2022

EDITORIAL

Back to everything all at once

Three weeks have gone by since the beginning of the fall semester, and we’re already in need of another break. Even if you aren’t in your first year, the adjustment to school every September is always tough. Getting used to waking up early, having an outfit planned out the night before and fighting the urge to not buy food on campus are just a few things that we have to start familiarizing ourselves with once again.

While it’s only been a few weeks, a lot of us are already feeling the pressure of deadlines and getting to class on time — especially after such an odd back-and-forth transition between online and in-person classes in the last academic year. Summer is now officially over, meaning

the cold weather is starting to come back and puffer jackets will soon be the only reason we don’t freeze to death on our commute to campus.

We now get to have the true university experience once again — something we’ve all been waiting for — but this also means we have to start acting like responsible adults, unfortunately.

The add/drop period for classes and paying tuition deadline have now passed so hopefully you didn’t miss that, but if you did, I’m sure we all know someone who has if it isn’t already yourself. University is a learning curve especially if you’re a first-year student. Though it’s important to try and not to, it’s okay to miss a deadline or two even this early on in the year — I can’t pretend like I haven’t before.

This month is all about getting used to the environment and getting involved on campus. Joining a club or organization is a great way to find people with similar interests and to build those connections that will help you get through this transition period.

For those more than halfway through their degree, I feel your pain. I’m sure trying to graduate is probably the only thing on your mind, but it’s important to value this last year or two of post-secondary education as we had to be online for a big chunk of it. Appreciate the extra-long lineups at Tim Horton’s or Starbucks, embrace the noisiness on the third floor of TFDL, and take in the odour of people who don’t wear deodorant in the hallways — we won’t be experiencing these things for

much longer.

So, yes, continue to complain because the reasons are very much valid, but remember that it’s the little things that stick with us after we graduate. I for one am happy to be back on campus and I think this year is going to be a good one … knock on wood.

— Sophia Lopez, Gauntlet Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief: Sophia Lopez eic@thegauntlet.ca

News Editors: Julieanne Acosta Eula Mengullo news@thegauntlet.ca

Opinions & Humour Editor: Ava Zardynezhad opinions@thegauntlet.ca

Arts & Science Editor: Sheroog Kubur arts@thegauntlet.ca

Sports & Lifestyle Editor: Rodrigo Verney sports@thegauntlet.ca

Voices Editor: Aymen Sherwani voices@thegauntlet.ca

Visuals Editors: Megan Koch Valery Perez visuals@thegauntlet.ca

Layout Editor: Ramiro Bustamante Torres layout@thegauntlet.ca

Volunteer Coordinator: Namratha Badawadagi volunteer@thegauntlet.ca

Online Editor: Masoud Karimi Fatemi online@thegauntlet.ca

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Contributor: Nazeefa Ahmed // Mackenzie Ashcroft // Anjali Choudhary // Sylvia Lopez// Eric Hilbrecht // Malea Nguyen // Maggie Hsu // Andrea Silva // Logan Jaspers // Megan Wilson // 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 sweat and tears from all construction workers across campus. We urge you to recycle the Gauntlet by giving it to your youngest sibling for their upcoming art project.

Cover Photo by Megan Koch

U of C Mental Health Strategy aims to make campus well-being a priority

Eula Mengullo News Editor

September marks Suicide Pre vention Month. In the United Kingdom, the Zero Suicide Initia tive has been introduced in healthcare settings as well as post-sec ondary institutions. In Canada, there have been considerations that Canadian post-secondaries should follow suit.

At the University of Calgary, the Campus Mental Health Strategy aims to create a caring campus community. Born out of this similar vision is the U of C Suicide Aware ness and Prevention Framework. The framework was developed in 2019 and was officially launched in November 2020.

In an interview with the Gauntlet, Dr. Andrew Szeto — the director of Campus Mental Health Strategy — describes the ongoing campus initiatives pertaining to mental health and suicide prevention.

“The Campus Mental Health Strategy does prioritization, and about three and a half years ago suicide came up as something that we have to address more on our campus,” said Szeto. “We listened to students, faculty members, staff members. It was an opportunity because we [already] had some things, we have some program ming and other things to address suicide on campus, but we needed

to do more.”

Modeled after the Zero Suicide Initiative, U of C’s Suicide Aware ness and Prevention Framework takes a holistic approach grounded by the principle that zero suicide is the only acceptable goal.

“The [zero suicide approach] was started by the Suicide Prevention Resource Centre in the United States and has picked up in various places like the United Kingdom post-secondaries. In Canada, we’re one of the first [universities] to take it on, if not the first,” said Szeto.

The Zero Suicide Initiative is guided by pillars including train ing, identification of suicide risk, engaging with individuals who are at risk, treatment and transition to resources and continuous improve ment. While Szeto recognizes that these pillars were created within a healthcare context, U of C’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Frame work was adjusted to be adaptable for the post-secondary community.

The U of C framework is led by seven pillars: Lead, Educate, Iden tify and Connect, Engage, Guide and Assess, Transition and Im prove.

However, Szeto also recognizes that as a post-secondary commun ity, the scope of services on cam pus is limited due to funding and resources. Hence, the framework also aims to transition individuals to the appropriate community re

sources.

“We want to educate our cam pus community to understand mental health generally, to create that [community of] caring and support, especially with peers,” said Szeto. “We want to identify students that are at risk, connect them with resources that they want to engage with and reach out to students through supportive out reach. We want to guide students to appropriate resources because as a post-secondary institution, we may or may not have the scope or resources to support students who are [facing] major mental illnesses.”

Consequently, the framework also prioritizes student transition to campus after engaging in treat ment and accessing the correct re sources appropriate for them.

Being in such a fast-paced en vironment where it’s easy to place mental health in the back burner, Szeto emphasized the significance of prioritizing mental and physical well-being in post-secondary insti tutions.

“In a post-secondary institution, there’s a culture of achievement and productivity, whether it’s the students or faculty members. We really need to put an emphasis on mental health, [because] if people really think about it, addressing our mental health will actually help us [become] more productive and efficient — it will help us achieve

[more] academically because of the correlation between mental health and academics,” said Szeto.

Additionally, Szeto addressed that one of the purposes of the Mental Health Strategy is to re-think cam pus culture and post-secondary institutions to be more supportive.

“What we really want to do is change the culture on campus to be more supportive. One way we can do that is to really re-think post-secondary. There are a lot of things students can learn and gain in post-secondary beyond the knowledge [specific to their pro grams]. We want students to have good experiences, to connect with others, to gain lots of skills beyond what’s in their discipline.”

In terms of available resources

on campus, there are a variety of services that students can access through the Student Wellness Ser vices. These include mental health services, including a few training courses specific to suicide aware ness and prevention.

Lastly, Szeto also encrourages students to take part in UFlourish, an annual celebration of mental health consisting of workshops and activities happening from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4.

To explore and sign up for UFlourish events, visit their web site.

To learn more about the Cam pus Mental Health Strategy and Suicide Awareness and Prevention Framework, visit the Student Well ness Services online.

Opens September 9,

Pat Adams

YW Calgary receives funding to help families fleeing abuse

The Willow Park Charity Golf Classic gives 100 per cent of the proceeds they raise to charity.

Since 1998, the golf classic has donated over $11.6 million to Cal gary charities.

In 2021, the long-established YW Sheriff King Home — which helped provide programming to over 21,000 women and children escaping domestic violence — was taken down to allow for a new shelter and affordable housing fa cilities equipped with a wellness centre, courtyard and playground to help women and their children in their transition.

be accessible for children of all abilities from 3-12 years.”

In response to being chosen as this year’s recipient, YW CEO Sue Tomney thanked the Willow Park Charity and emphasized the im portance of charity groups like them.

Julieanne Acosta News Editor

YW Calgary is a century-old women’s organization in Cal gary that aims to help women and their families through preven tion, intervention, empowerment and leadership.

“We’ve provided a range of services for women and their families struggling with poverty, homelessness, domestic abuse and isolation,” read their website.

“As part of our supportive role, we also speak out in ways that educate the community about the oppression, inequity and con

strained choices that women ex perience.”

In a press release to the Gaunt let, YW Calgary announced that they were a recipient of the 2023 Willow Park Charity Golf Clas sic — effectively providing them with the funds to begin construc tion for an accessible playground.

“Today, we mark the beginning of a year-long partnership that will provide funds dedicated to the construction of ‘Willow Park’ — an accessible playground for children residing in the newly re-developed YW Sheriff King Home and Affordable Housing,” the press release reads. “As well as support for the ongoing main tenance of the park, well into the future. This new playground will

YW’s work in the community is empowered by the generosity of groups like the Willow Park Charity Golf Classic and we are so thankful to be this year’s recipi ent. Play is such a critical com ponent in the healing process and the Willow Park will ensure every child can play, make friends, learn, grow and heal,” wrote Tom ney in the press release.

YW Calgary hopes to open their affordable housing component of the YW Sheriff King Home Re development this winter and the shelter itself in the fall of 2023.

For more information on how to help YW Calgary, visit www.yw calgary.ca. For more updates on the redevelopment project please visit ywcalgary.ca/sheriffking.

Preview of Orange Shirt Day Events in honour of Truth and Reconciliation Day & RECONCILIATION

Nazeefa Ahmed News Assistant

On Sept 30, the University of Calgary’s Office of In digenous Engagement will be partnering with the Calgary Pub lic Library to host an afternoon panel discussion and an evening film screening in honour of the National Day for Truth and Rec onciliation. The panel discussion will be hosted at the Husky Oil Great Hall inside the Rozsa Cen ter at the U of C from 12 to 1:30 p.m. The evening film screening will be hosted at the Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall by the Central Library from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

In an interview with the Gaunt let, Vice Provost of Indigenous

Engagement Dr. Micheal Hart spoke about the intentions of the panel discussion, as well as the focal topics, such as the inter generational impact of residential schools, the Pope’s apology and the discovery of the unmarked graves in 2021.

“The goal of the event is to raise a deeper understanding of what Indigenous peoples have experi enced through residential schools and to provide an open learn ing opportunity for people who wouldn’t otherwise get to hear from Indigenous peoples about these experiences and about the impacts of these experiences,” said Hart. “We are looking at different impacts [such as] the findings of the graves at various residential schools and the legal

matters, also hearing the com munity perspectives tied to the Pope’s recent visit to Canada and the Pope’s apology around the Roman Catholic Church’s partici pation in the running of the resi dential schools.”

Hart discussed the importance of hearing first account experi ences of attending residential schools — stating that it is both a necessity for the public to hear and also a way Indigenous indi viduals can process the experi ence into something benefiting the community.

“Two of the speakers actual ly attended residential schools and Elder Reg Crowshoe has at tended residential school as well,” said Hart. “If you look at oral systems, we hold these people in the highest regard because they are able to speak from that direct experience. More often than not, I know individuals who attended residential schools and want to share their experiences so that something can come out of that to create positive change in our society.”

Hart hopes that observers will actively engage with the conver sation through self-reflection and developing empathy, ultimately understanding that history does

not stay locked in a forgotten past.

“The first thing is to be able to participate in the event in a way that is going to cause them self-reflection,” Hart continued. “You may see or hear these things that can be very challenging, and [the events] will raise some emo tions. But [self-reflection] helps us get away from those responses of ‘Just get over it, it happened long ago.’ When we have the empathy in place, I’m hoping that people will have something impactful that they are going to carry and use to move forward in their learning.”

After the panel discussion, the Evening Film screening will be a free viewing of Night Raid ers, a Canadian-New Zealand post-apocalyptic film that follows a Cree woman losing her daugh ter to the state institution. Hart commented on the parallels be tween the movie and the Indigen ous experience.

“The movie itself acknowledges the dynamics of the residential school as the baseline for the story in Night Raiders,” said Hart.

“There is the experience of the main character losing her child and what she is going through, which is a reflection of what

Indigenous parents have gone through when their children were taken away, as well as what a child has to go through when they’re taken away and trying to navigate the reconnection back to family and community.”

In his concluding remarks, Hart expressed how the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation should be more than just thinking about history. Recognition, ac cording to Hart, needs to result in a step towards something greater.

“I see recognition as an ongoing process,” Hart continued. “It’s a part of our life’s journey. Recogni tion understands the dynamics of the past, how it relates to current experiences, and how it relates to future aspirations, whether of in dividuals who have been impact ed, or our aspirations as a society.

“We need to understand these experiences not just in our head, but our hearts,” Hart continued. “It is when we are able to do both of these things that we establish a deeper commitment for creating positive change. Truth and rec onciliation is a process, not just a day.”

Those interested in attending the in-person event or watching virtually can register on the U of C website.

YW Sheriff King Home has provided for women and children escaping abuse.

MEGAN KOCH Symbols Lodge is located on the second floor of MacHall.

MACKENZIE ASHCROFT

Queen Elizabeth II has passed at 96 — let’s review her active participation in colonial oppression

Aymen Sherwani Voices Editor

Everyone knows where they were when news broke that the Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth passed on Sept. 8, 2022 — whether or not you’re a supporter of the British monarchy, the news sent indiscriminate shock waves to everyone across the world, with reactions to her death being mixed. To some, Queen Elizabeth was the young girl who had the monarchy thrust upon her and — despite this — has left behind a leg acy as a sweet grandmother-figure who has tea parties and marmalade sandwiches with Paddington Bear.

Her 70-year reign, to them, was a glittering transition from the old world to one of technological innov ation and political progress and her passing causing insurmountable levels of grief to those who mourn her.

Others around the world, instead,

mourn the pain and trauma caused by the British royal family, view ing Elizabeth II’s reign as a period of apathetic detachment from the political turmoil arising from syn thetic racial hierarchies — created and left behind in post-colonial na tions, like Canada, India and Kenya, where the cultural impacts of these policies are still felt today. These are nations that still demand that the UK return stolen artifacts that are tastelessly displayed by the British Museum and priceless jewels — the bulk of which encompass the royal family’s jewelry collection — the largest of which are India’s Koh-iNoor diamond and the Great Star of Africa. Yes, Elizabeth II did not start Britain’s notoriety for colonial ism, with monarchists claiming that her reign actually ended such a con vention, but she was by no means a liberator.

The royal family’s hunting trad itions have disrupted ecosystems in the colonial world — with now-en

dangered tigers and water buffalos being shot, stuffed and hung in their private collection. Residential schools thrived in Canada well into her reign and sanctioned by the Church of England — of which she was the silent and complicit figure head. In 1999, she used her veto power to strike down a bill against military action that supported the US-led invasion of Iraq — a region that continues to be destabilized by the events that have unfolded since then.

When it comes to circumstances that are closer to her domestic do main, Britain tries very hard to re brand the Queen as the sweet and witty grandmother overseeing the UK — one would question wheth er it is to detract from the royal family’s excess at a time when more than one in five people are living in poverty, rely on food banks and go to bed with their coats on because they cannot afford to pay electri city. The Queen’s funeral alone cost

around $9 million CAD, while she has spent taxes to fund a life that is one far-removed from the lives of the everyday Britain. As a repre sentative of the people, her dedica tion to being apolitical — while wise within political gray zones — has been a quick cop out during times where neutrality can be seen as in herently oppressive.

In understanding this — people around the world have a right to have complicated emotions and should not be policed for refusing to mourn the death of a figure head that is representative of a very distinct and inter-generational manifestation of sorrow. They have the right to feel a certain degree of happiness and relief. As a Pak istani-Canadian woman — I don’t know how to feel. My family has had a very close and multi-gener ational relationship with British colonialism. My great-grandparents had no choice but to fight for the British Empire in both World War

I and II, my grandparents worked under — but never above — British officers throughout their lives lead ing up to the Partition of 1947 and even my parents had British school teachers growing up who indoc trinated them into believing that speaking their ancestral languages was inferior to English-language proficiency.

Living in Canada for my entire life — another realm in the British periphery — and seeing the Queen’s face on our currency, while know ing this nation is another blood stained legacy of the crown’s greed, feels unsettling. As the National Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada approaches, recognizing the horrors of the residential school system, Indigenous communities question whether a mandatory mo ment of silence to mourn the late monarch is in good taste. At this time, I am not mourning the death of the Queen — I am mourning the people affected by her.

Calgary has a huge problem with houselessness and the unhoused are not the issue

address the issue — not because of those that are victim to their circumstances. It is time to de construct the narrative around the blameworthiness of unhoused individuals and shift the focus on calling for effective policies relat ed to mental health, substance use and housing.

As the harsh Albertan winters loom ahead, the consequences of the city’s actions will only worsen. Last May, Dustin Mckeeman, an unhoused veteran, suffered from extreme frostbite as a direct result of station closures. With this up coming winter being projected to hold record-breaking cold temper atures, the need for change is dire and urgent.

Anjali Choudhary Voices Assistant

In the midst of a nation-wide cost of living crisis where large portions of the population are struggling to pay rent and afford basic necessities, there remains a gross lack of empathy and hostil ity towards unhoused individuals who battle these issues in their most extreme sense. By embed ding this hostility into policy, the City of Calgary refuses to target the root issues of houselessness. Rather, they continue to undertake targeted and harmful measures to push these individuals out of public spaces. In the beginning of 2022, the City of Calgary announced the closure of three LRT stations dur ing overnight hours. They cited the 170 people who used these stations as shelter and the related social dis order calls as the primary reason for the closure. In July, trees and bushes were removed from select LRT stations for similar reasons. Although the city claims to be pro viding more support to transport individuals to shelters as a solution, the issue of houslessness is a deep ly systemic one and causes housing shelters to often not be a viable op

tion.

“We are looking at systematic barriers with people accessing cer tain types of shelters,” said Chaz Smith, founder of Be The Change YYC, in an interview with Global News. “What people are asking for is pet friendly shelters, a shelter where they can go with their loved one and not be separated. A shelter that is Indigenous geared.”

Unfortunately, there are very limited shelters across the coun try that offer these accommoda tions. This issue runs deeper than the decisions of a few elected officials. The prejudice and dis gust that surrounds conversations around houselessness drives the lack of meaningful action. Because notions of houslessness being a choice and result of laziness still dominate mainstream discussion, people fail to see the systemic fac tors that contribute to the issue.

Are the people who are moving back to their parents’ homes be cause they can no longer afford rent lazy? Or is there a possibility that they are simply victims of so cial and economic circumstances beyond their control? A bit of com passion and strategic planning may be the missing link in beginning

to help one of the most vulnerable populations in our society.

The actions the City of Calgary is taking becomes further problem atic when considering the fact that the number of safe and welcoming spaces for unhoused individuals is dwindling. Social disorder calls — which have largely caused the LRT station closures — often involve discomfort around drug use. But, similar concerns were also raised by Calgarians around the safe injection site at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. As a result, in 2021, in the midst of an opioid epidemic, the Alberta government decided to shut down this space and relocate its services. This de stroys the relationships that have been built between the space and community, and the convenience of the central location.

Further, the harsh attitudes of Calgarians towards this site brings to light a deep-rooted problem. A solution to decreasing drug use in spaces such as LRT stations is to continue to protect places like safe injection sites. But, people have issues with that as well, seemingly only wanting to further marginal ize an already marginalized group. If an issue is glaringly obvious

across the city and generates out cries of discomfort, it is because city and government officials have not taken the appropriate steps to

It is not unfair to feel unsafe or even angry in witnessing drug use and overdose or facing harassment at LRT stations and on public trans portation. I myself have felt weary about traveling on buses and trains. However, channeling the anger into hostile infrastructure and un fair policies does not do any good. It neither helps the population facing homelessness nor does it create any headway in solving the underlying problem. Displacing unhoused individuals does noth ing but displace the issue out of the public eye.

As winter approaches, many unhoused individuals are vulnerable to the dropping temperatures.

MEGAN KOCH

End of

SYLVIA LOPEZ — VISUALS ASSISTANT

ERIC HILBRECHT

MALEA NGUYEN SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT

ARTS SCIENCE »

Artemis I launch postponed and the history behind NASA’s mission

Rodrigo Verney Sports & Lifestyle Editor

Artemis I has been as im portant of a mission as it has been controversial. The long-awaited launch has been delayed once more. Even though Canadian astronaut David SaintJacques agrees that this was the right move to make, public unrest continues to steadily in crease and the years of budget cuts and distrust of NASA as an organization are starting to ser iously threaten the hegemony that the agency upheld for 51 years now. Deadlines are clos ing in and threats to the budget being shifted towards private American space companies are more present than ever. Around so many expectations and let downs, it becomes almost a ne cessity to take man to the moon again.

NASA has been a household

name ever since it rose from the ground to help Neil Armstrong take one small step in Earth’s satellite. It won the hearts of everyone glued to the TV that day. Setting the bar for itself higher than ever and essential ly kickstarting the end of one of the biggest ideological disputes of the last century. Hence, the question on everyone’s mind remains the same. How can one organization fall so rapidly from grace? That answer will have to come with a little journey through NASA’s history.

What most people don’t understand about NASA’s first ascension is that it wasn’t as pretty as history makes it out to be. Their start at the end of the 1960s came from a necessity more than a natural movement towards the study of astronomy as some might make it up to be. The need to match the USSR’s rapid scientific advancements

gave rise to a devoted budget for space exploration. Things were quickly emerging for the newly assembled team of astronomers, scientists and space explor ers. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to beat the Soviet Union’s ever-growing conquests. They were the first to put up a satellite in outer space and to do the famous “Spacewalk” just four years before America’s trip to the moon.

NASA would need more than to naturally develop to match the Soviets’ intensity. As the conflict was gaining popular ity and the American people were starting to show interest in beating the Soviets, NASA’s budget skyrocketed from less than 0.5 per cent of the feder al budget to 4.5 per cent in an almost 10-year span. The stakes got even higher in the few years prior to the moon mission itself. The need for a successful mis

sion was so big that it led to the United States granting them a “get out of jail free card.” So just like that, NASA had a $5.9 billion ($54 billion in 2022) budget and full political immunity. En shrined by so many perks, NASA achieved one of humanity’s big gest conquests.

Little did they know that their golden era would be short-lived. That budget was too unsustain able to remain, so they had to lower the bar accordingly. Everyone expected a budget cut, but no one would believe how far they would take that. By 1970 they suffered a loss of more than half of their budget. That by itself is already hard enough to handle. You don’t just go from $5 billion to $3 billion without some major layoffs and de-escalating production. They also lost their political immun ity which was ultimately for the better. When everything

seemed bad, however, it some how got worse. The 2008 mar ket crash coupled with a con stant increase in the military budget made it impossible for NASA’s budget to uphold a con stant value and remained in a steady decline ever since.

That is why Artemis I, II and III mean so much now. This may be NASA’s redemption mission. The moment it will turn a whole generation into believers again. Even after facing so many set backs, both in the path that got us here and in the laugh mission itself, it will become a worthy endeavour even with more de lays if they are to happen. It will be a lesson for every person that dreams about the stars. They’ll be putting the first woman and people of colour on the way to sink their feet on lunar soil. Em powering them with a simple enough step, but taking a huge leap in the right direction.

Artemis I launch was postponed.

MEGAN KOCH

NIKU: The black sheep of pop rock

things and bring it together — we have some stuff with a bit of a twang to it but it’s still fast paced guitars and has the rocky grungy vibe to it,” said Hansen about the band’s sound. “The simplicity of our song structure and the play fulness of music, the honesty of the lyrics — it’s honest pop rock music.”

to help bring them to life.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve a little bit — I talk a lot about personal experience, whether it’s heartache or anger,” Hansen said about the songwriting process.

curious about the range of music Calgary has to offer, NIKU is the way to go.

Sheroog Kubur Arts & Science Editor

Living in Calgary means you become painfully acquainted with the Western-ness that per meates through it — from a week dedicated to honouring the his tory of rodeos to our stadium in the shape of a horse’s saddle. For local pop rockers NIKU, the coun try twang of their hometown isn’t a nuisance but an opportunity to distinguish themselves in the music scene.

Frontman Hunter Hansen ad

mits the band’s inspiration comes from various 90s and 00s grunge rock bands, mixing in pop ele ments to create a pop rock sound. However, this sound is disturbed with the introduction of western elements — like guitarist Erik Jurgen’s playing that is reminis cent of an acoustic guitar, Con nor Muth’s drums sounding like high-energy blues or Hansen’s vocals sounding more like a cow boy-hat wearing buckaroo than the traditional strident voice of pop rock bands.

“We were able to grasp all those

These elements make the band so uniquely Calgarian — no other group in any other city could have possibly brought these two worlds together, yet, at the same time no Calgary-based band has done it before. The band is differ ent, but in a way that makes you want to hear more.

NIKU is a fairly young band, making their first appearance in 2019. The band was born from another, initially starting as a garage-band project for Hansen. As more familiar faces joined the band, the group was able to find its colour and get the ball rolling. Hansen isn’t the only songwriter of the group but admits to taking the reins in some aspects of the creative process — writing songs and bringing them to the others

Hansen and bassist Jordie Po tekal both write music for the band and collaborate frequent ly on the songs. Aside from this connection, both have agreed that the corporate life of Cal gary doesn’t suit them very well and use their music as an outlet to express their feelings of being outcasts.

“Growing up in Calgary and being someone who didn’t really keep up with the corporate rush in this city — I was always a bit of a black sheep in my surround ings and growing up,” Hansen said about the inspiration behind the songs.

For those who aren’t in tune with the local music scene and looking to find a gateway, NIKU is the perfect place to start. They relish in the folk roots that exist throughout the city while carv ing their own pathway. If you’re interested in pop rock or are

“Calgary has a lot of great bands and it’s a goal to bring people who are outside of that music community in and create an ap preciation for local music,” said Hansen about what he wants listeners to take away from their music.

This peculiar mix will be on full display in NIKU’s self-titled debut album releasing Sept. 23. Despite the tragedy that struck in 2020 that made live music and promotion impossible in their early days, they persevered to the point where they are able to not only release the album, but also a headlining show at the Palomino Steakhouse on the same night. If you miss that show, they can be found open ing for The Beaches on Oct 28, playing at Dickens Pub on Nov. 11 and the Ship & Anchor Pub on Nov. 23.

Sheroog’s Recommendation: “Waking Up” to understand exactly what it means to be pop rock with a country twang.

NIKU is a Calgary-based band.

credit HUNTER HANSEN

Canada strikes gold against Team USA again at Women’s World Hockey Championships

Maggie Hsu Sports & Lifestyle Editor

C anada has always had an epic rivalry with the United States in international sports. Some of the most intense match es happen on the ice hockey rink between the women’s teams. Both teams are dominant forces in hockey and are perennial fa vourites to compete for the gold medal at every international competition. These two national programs have been so domin ant that no other team has won a gold medal outside of these two heavyweights of Women’s hockey.

As of Sept. 4, 2022 Team Can ada has won 17 gold medals, in cluding five Olympic golds, out of the total of 28 tournaments — with Team USA claiming the other 11 gold medals. The 2022 International Ice Hockey Fed eration (IIHF) Women’s World Championships was what many

considered the rematch of mul tiple battles for gold, as a major ity of both teams were returning members from their 2021 IIHF World’s teams as well as their 2022 Olympic teams.

Team Canada was revealed after an 11-day selection camp held in Calgary prior to the tour nament, boasting 19 players who won gold in the previous IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary as well as 18 players from the gold medal winning 2022 Olympic team. On the other side, Team USA also had 18 players return from their re cent 2022 Olympic team and 17 players from the previous 2021 World’s team. The two previous tournaments were won by Can ada, making Team USA hungry to break that streak and take gold home with them.

The aggression could be seen at every scramble for the puck in the crease and every whis tle. Team USA had the great

est opportunities to generate some offense in the opening period. Canada lost a defensive zone possession, allowing Ken dall Coyne Schofield to walk in and give Canadian goalie, AnnRenée Desbiens, her first test of this final game. Alex Carpenter managed to get a shot past Des biens but could not beat the crossbar. The border rivals came out of the first period score less despite Canada having two opportunities on the powerplay to get onto the scoreboard. The second period saw a shift in energy towards Team Can ada as Sarah Nurse snuck by the American offense, giving Can ada a great opportunity to score but could not beat Team USA’s Nicole Hensley in net. The re bound from this shot was taken up by Canadian forward, Sarah Fillier, as she took a shot from the blue line, giving Emily Clark the rebound but again, Hensley could not be beaten as she stood

strong protecting the net. At this point, both goalies were proving that they would be hard to crack but it was Team Canada that struck first halfway through the second period as former Calgary Inferno and University of Calgary Masters graduate, Brianne Jenner, connected with Marie-Philip Poulin and Ella Shelton. This was Jenner’s 100th international point, putting her at 13th in all-time scoring with the Women’s National Team.

Barely a minute later, Jenner would beat Hensley again for a powerplay goal as she received a pass from Fillier and Nurse, putting Team Canada in a com fortable position to leave the tournament with a gold medal. However, Jenner would take an interference call, putting the Americans on the powerplay and an opportunity to fight back. With 21 seconds left in the third period, Abby Roque would beat Desbiens for a powerplay goal to

put the Americans within a goal away from evening up the score. The third period went score less as well but neither team would end the game quietly. Both teams would take turns on the powerplay. Team USA had many more chances to even up the score but Ann-Renée Des biens, nicknamed “The Great Wall of China” after her incred ible showing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, kept the puck out of the net to seal Canada’s 17th international gold medal and 12th World Championship gold.

The Women’s World Cham pionship will move to Canada in 2023. The host city has not been determined quite yet but one thing’s for certain — Canada and USA will be the match-up to keep an eye out for. Team USA will be looking to break Can ada’s golden streak while Team Canada will be going for the three-peat.

Canadian Women’s Hockey team gets gold.

VALERY PEREZ

It’s time to curate a Fall 2022 capsule wardrobe

Aymen Sherwani Voices Editor

Fall, arguably, is the season of fashion. Layers are the easiest way to finesse yourself into looking high fashion while walking down the street. Despite this, a lot of us still panic when deciding what to wear in the morning because of how many clothes we own and questions about what looks good together. Here’s how to re-evaluate your wardrobe for the fall.

Find your statement colours

I’m saying it now – dark green is the colour to be wearing this au tumn. Pair with your classic cream, black, navy blue, maroon and rus tic orange tones throughout the season as most of these colours al most always look amazing togeth er. If you’re not big on colours, play around with shade ranges in stead. For people who have warm er undertones, play around with beiges and browns — a beige wool coat with dark brown pants and a cream sweater would be the per fect example. Some people don’t like mixing shades either — and you know what? That’s valid be

cause monochrome outfits are clas sics. Pair a cropped, black, woolen sweater with a pair of leather pants, a statement belt and some black vinyl ankle boots. Is it extra? Yes. Will you look amazing, despite also looking like a European off-duty model? Also yes — and you’ll thank me for it.

Play around with textures and fab rics

end of the day when it’s undoubted ly hotter but an absolute necessity when it’s raining or below zero de grees in the morning. Denim jackets are also a great casual alternative.

As it gets colder during the se mester, I switch into a fitted, kneelength, wool coat and pair it with a matching scarf or a pair of sunglass es because — even if the rest of our outfit is trash — you can still give everyone else the illusion of being put together with outerwear. When it starts snowing, it’s time for one of those giant oversized calf-length overcoats that you can wear a mil lion layers of sweaters underneath.

huge right now and can be paired with everything from oversized sweatshirts to more cropped tees. If you’re like me and love long skirts that give you the freedom of being bloated in peace, a calf-length midi skirt is your best.

Horowitz from Clueless and use fun gadgets to plan out your outfits!

I use ACloset, which is an AI outfit planner app that is available on IOS and the Google Play Store that al lows you to upload pictures of your clothing onto your virtual wardrobe and gives you outfit suggestions for what works best with each item.

Shoes will make or break your out fit

Leather, wool and knitted fab rics are your big three — if you’re a tryhard, then also tweed. Be ad venturous with the textures you have across your closet. Will you be wearing a silk skirt with a lycra bodysuit and a wooly cardigan? Will you wear an oversized leather jack et with a pair of black stockings? That’s for you to decide.

When it comes to tops, a reason able amount of turtlenecks to own and wear on rotation is four that you can all mix and match with the pairs of pants and skirts you own. Got some sweater vests? Sweat shirts? Mix and match them with your bottoms rather than buying new clothes over and over again for every outfit of the week.

Outline your basics

If making outfit combinations is really hard to do, make like Cher

Invest in outerwear

An overcoat is your best friend in this city. For the warmer days in the beginning of September, I like to leave the house wearing a standard Burberry-esque trench coat — the same one I bought from H&M from five years ago because they really do last a lifetime — or a leather jacket. They’re light enough to hold at the

If you struggle with coming up with outfits in the morning like I do, outlining the staples of your wardrobe always cuts your time in half. For pants — keep in mind your favourite pair of jeans, your comfi est leggings, a pair of slacks and an other with a bold pattern or texture. For the latter two, that means a nice pair of brown houndstooth slacks and some fleece-lined, high-waisted leather pants, respectively. If you’re someone who likes wearing skirts, tennis skirts and miniskirts are

Loafers. Ankle boots. White sneakers. Statement pumps. These four on rotation will carry you through fall and winter. Just invest in high quality materials that don’t scuff up when you’re running to class and slip on the ice. RECS

Andrea’s Book Nook: Historical fiction books you’ll enjoy

Andrea Silva Volunteer

Iwant to recommend some books from different historical settings. Each recommendation tells a unique story that will captiv ate any reader from the first page.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

This book is centered on the testimony of Lale Sokolov, a Slo vakian Jew imprisoned in the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. Due

to his ability to speak several lan guages, he was designated as the camp’s Tätowierer — a tattooist in German. This position required him to register new arrivals, by permanently marking other pris oners with an identification num ber. One day, he comforts a scared young woman awaiting her regis tration. Her name is Gita, and, in that first encounter, Lale vows to himself to survive the camp and marry her after the war. This is a real story of survival, as he was determined to outlive the horrors he experienced in the concentra tion camp, by risking his own life

to help other prisoners and keep Gita safe. This book provides a his torical account of what life was like inside Auschwitz, as Lale was a real prisoner who, not only shares the horrific atrocities he witnessed, but also shares the acts of bravery and compassion he saw during his stay in the camp. As a reader, you will find yourself rooting for the love story of Lale and Gita and will be amazed by the determin ation-filled journey these charac ters go through.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hos seini

This novel follows the life of Amir, a young boy from an afflu ent family of Kabul, Afghanistan, during the 1970s. He is friends with Hassan, the son of a Hazara servant. Despite their social differ ences, the two boys form a strong friendship as they grow up. Amir has one wish: to win the local kite flying tournament and make his Baba proud. In the afternoon he achieves this, something terrible happens, an event that will change his relationship with Hassan in an irreversible way. As the Russian army invades the city, Amir and his father flee to the United States

to escape the violence and chaos and start a new life. Nonetheless, the guilt and regret Amir feels over what happened to Hassan are something that the main char acter cannot escape. This book follows Amir’s journey into a new country and his return to Afghan istan years later. It is a well-written story about cowardice, trust and redemption.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I am of the opinion that any read er that goes into this book should do so without knowing much about the plot. Nevertheless, I want to introduce the characters to pro vide some context. Marie-Laure is a French girl who went blind at the age of six. When she is 12 years old, Marie-Laure and her father flee to Saint-Malo where some of her family members live, as Paris is occupied by the Nazis. Werner is a German orphan from a mining town. One day, he discovers a radio and finds himself fascinated by the news he hears from the machine. As he grows up, Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing electrical instruments and is en listed by the German army to track

down members of the resistance. This book follows the experiences of these two characters of oppos ing sides of the war, and how their stories intertwined. This is done in a compelling way that captures the reader from the first page.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book has been all over so cial media for a good reason — it is a captivating historical fiction. As the title divulges, the main plot focuses on Evelyn Hugo’s life story.

Evelyn Elena Herrera grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, with the dream of “making it” in Holly wood. As the story develops, the reader can see how Evelyn’s deter mination leads her to Los Angeles, in the 1950s, to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. After her retirement, the famous star contacts Monique Grant, a jun ior journalist, to share her story in her own terms. This book fol lows Evelyn Hugo’s testimony of her experience as a celebrity, her seven marriages, and the absolute love of her life. It is the story of a tenacious woman who earned the fame and recognition she always desired, at a very high cost.

Layering is an easy way to get a good look.

AYMEN SHERWANI

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men…

ing the monarchy’s future. The prime minister of Antigua said a referendum won’t occur until after the country’s next election, and Australia and New Zealand ruled out any change in the near-future.

Logan Jaspers Opinions & Humour Assistant

Following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing and King Charles III’s subsequent ascension to the British monarchy, there have been two prevailing but contradictory sentiments about the monarchy’s future in the 14 Commonwealth realms.

The first is animation, excitement to catch up with the times and replace the monarchy with

republics. Opinion polling in Canada shows the public favouring republicanism, so it’s likely that countries like Australia or Jamaica with stronger republican movements will have greater opposition to the monarchy.

The second sentiment is trepidation. Though Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Australia and New Zealand have avowedly republican prime ministers, they’re cautious discuss-

Of course, republicans are crawling to replace the monarchy because monarchists won the contextual battle. Monarchists frame the monarchy as an invisible institution with minimal material impact. Hence, replacing it would be a hassle at the expense of time for more pressing issues.

Yet the monarchy has been anything but invisible since Elizabeth II’s passing. Between a deluge of reporting on her death, to monotonous government statements lauding the Queen’s “dedication to public service,” monarchy has been inescapable lately.

Likewise, the excessive shows of loyalty have occasionally become medieval. The renaissance

OPINIONS HUMOUR stack the mac stack the mac

fair stray who proclaimed Charles as King made the ad nauseum declarations of “God save the King” during the recent Conservative Party leadership convention tame by comparison. These prostrations to a figurehead are so hyperbolic that they must be contrived.

The monarchy is so invisible that British police arrested multiple people for expressing their opposition to the monarchy. Arresting people for truisms like “not my king” to “prevent offense” blatantly contradicts any reasonable conception of free speech. One arrest was for heckling Prince Andrew, something which should not only not be criminal, but is an obligation for all until he is held accountable for his predatory behaviour.

It’s unsurprising that a regal environment of entitlement would foster a monster like Prince Andrew. What is surprising — and shameful — is that the Queen

supported him to the end. The monarchy’s subsidization of Prince Andrew encapsulates the self-serving culture of royalty — telling people all their lives that their superiority to everyone else is their birthright makes them act that way.

The monarchy is symbolic, but that symbolism matters. Even if the monarchy wasn’t a cradle for decadence and didn’t warrant virtue signalling, media overindulgence and arrests for opinions, the case to abolish the monarchy is still strong. Who elected Charles King? No one! He’s King because he was born to the right mother at the right time. Monarchy is antithetical to the democratic notion of equality regardless of birth. And given Elizabeth II’s personal popularity kept the monarchy alive into the 21st century, her passing marks a great opportunity to finally move on and replace this deeply archaic institution.

SYLVIA LOPEZ

The current monarch for the UK is King Charles III.

BINGING THE STARS

Horoscope: What Netflix docuseries are the signs watching?

Ava Zardynezhad Spicy Director

Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 22)

My Love: Six Stories of True Love

You thought I was gonna make this a joke about how indeci sive you are, didn’t you? But no, it’s Libra season, so I’ll be nice. You’re a hopeless romantic and you love love. So, this docuseries about older couples sticking together through it all is right up your alley.

Scorpio (Oct 23 –Nov 22)

Don’t F*** with Cats

You call it being “deeply sen sual,” the rest of the world pre fers “terrifying.” That’s all I’ve got for you, Scorpio.

Sagittarius (Nov 23 –Dec 21)

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

This docuseries is perfect for you because it’s not only adven turous but it also says it like it is. No one is more honest than an older, White English man — es pecially if he’s a dad — and we know how much you value hon esty. You are Michael Whitehall

and Michael Whitehall is you.

Capricorn (Dec 22 –Jan 19)

Unnatural Selection

This docuseries speaks to your need for control. Despite be ing warned not to try any of the procedures seen on screen at home, you will attempt to create a perfect colony of genetically modified babies to take over the world, right in your basement.

Aquarius (Jan 20 –Feb 18)

WildWildCountry

Your idea of friendship is start ing a cult, so this docuseries is basically autobiographical for you.

Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

I am Georgina Yeah, this is not a docuseries. But, to you it is, so you go on and keep the fantasy alive bestie. I’m not gonna be the one who breaks it to you.

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugi tives

You’ll start watching this docu

mentary thinking it’s just going to chronicle the life of a success ful yet socially conscious girlboss running a fulfilling business in New York City. But being the most gullible of the bunch, you will stay because getting conned into stealing from your restau rant and living on the run sounds too plausible for you not to take notes — on how to avoid, ob viously.

Taurus (Apr 21 – May 20)

Salt Fat Acid Heat

This show is everything you’re looking for in one package. You’ll have the luxary of going to all these fancy destinations from the comfort of your couch. You also won’t have to face your fear of change, because the show is gonna stick to the basics of your favourite foods.

Gemini (May 21 –June 21)

The Most Hated Man on the In ternet

This show was made for the dichotomy within you. You can satiate your need to be the cen tre of attention through idolizing Hunter Moore and his cult. But, you will also satisfy your urge to be heard and your obsession with connecting with others through

Crossword: It’s Fall y’all

Megan Wilson PSL Enjoyer

Here’s some autumnal awe someness to help you get into the spirit of the season.

Across

1. Need some luck in your se mester already? Catching one of these falling from the trees is said to be lucky.

5. This species of butterfly is set to begin its annual fall mi gration from Canada to Mexico.

8. This free event is a celebra tion of the beauty that comes from smashing art and science together. Catch it at the TELUS Spark.

9. Autumn starts on the 22nd of this month.

Down

2. This fall event is what hap

pens when day and night are perfectly equal in length.

3. Visit the mountains to see these coniferous trees go gold en right before loosing their needles for the winter.

4. Looking for local produce and vendors? There’s no bet ter time to check out the new location of this beloved Calgary market.

6. The bright full moon in the September night sky is known as the _________ moon.

7. It’s just a bunch of Hocus Pocus! The return of this belov ed trio of sisters will return in a much-anticipated sequel.

10. Science time! The season of fall in North America is caused by the ________ of the Earth.

Send a photo of a completed crossword to volunteer@the gauntlet.ca

Congratulations to Ezgi Ince, Leah Basanov and Ryan Bow ron!

Be among the first three sub mitters to be congratulated in our next issue and win a Gaunt let toque!

Charlotte Laws’ journey.

Cancer (June 22 –July 22)

Worn Stories

This series is your safe space. Get ready to wear your emo tions on your sleeves, grab a box of tissues and settle down for the most moving, tear-jerking docuseries of your life — yes, these are literal stories about clothes. This show will combine your two favourite things in the world — your love of glam and your ever-present need to emote.

Tiger King

Leo (July 23 – Aug 21)

Yes. Yes, it is because you be lieve that the world revolves around you.

Virgo (Aug 22 – Sept 22)

ThePlaybook

This docuseries is basically a workshop on how to be a Virgo. Your toxic trait is thinking you, too, could bring world-class ath letes to championships, despite lacking all the qualifications.

SYLVIA LOPEZ

What docuseries are you binging?