APRIL 12, 2022 The University of Calgary’s independent student newspaper Vol. 61, Issue No. 6 THE GAUNTLET VOICES: SPORTS: ARTS: Observing Ramadan During Finals Season TransformationBatmanContreversial Calgary’s OpinionCommissioner’sFilm p. 9 p. 11 p. 17
Layout Editor: Ramiro Bustamante layout@thegauntlet.caTorres
always
The Gauntlet is the official student newspaper of the University of Calgary, published monthly throughout the year by the GauntletPublicationsSociety 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 determination and courage of the editorial team for enduring another year. Please recylce by coming into the office by giving each editor the biggest cinnamon bun ever. Purr <3 Cover Photo by Megan Koch & Valery Perez
As a pre-service teacher in my last year of my Education degree, I have seen the epic burn-out many teachers across the province have faced. Since March 2020, teachers have been asked to respond to the updating situation on a dime, while also maintaining avenues and entry points for children to finish their school year strong. The expectations that have been put on teachers since the start of the pandemic has been nothing short of incredible, and the lack of initiative and effort from the province has been deafening. Cuts to education in this province by the UCP government, as well as the proposed changes to the Alberta curriculum that will leave you with your jaw on the floor have been the consistent message from this government — teachers are taken for granted. Not to mention the fact that teachers were never considered “essential workers” when vaccines were being administered. While there are hundreds more stories I could go on about, the commitment to Alberta students from our teachers has been nothing short of amazing. This pandemic has left all of us in turmoil, however, the continued effort to resume life as we once knew it is both admirable and a little naive. Our efforts to our communities, especially the most vulnerable of our communities, should always be protected. But it’s also reasonable to take a giant collective breath, and press the pause button. And not the “we’re all taking a weird and fun two week break,” kind of pause, but more of a “holy crow I need to process and heal from the insane roller coaster that all of humanity rode on together” kind of pause. I guarantee we all need it.
News Editor: Sophia Lopez Julieanne news@thegauntlet.caAcosta News Assistants: Luis ArmandoEnobongSanchezDiazUkpong General Editors: Ava general@thegauntlet.caRachneetZardynezhadRandhawa
MASTHEAD Editor-in-Chief: Cristina eic@thegauntlet.caPaolozzi
- Cristina Paolozzi Gauntlet Editorial Board are what’s in okay to pause after the collective trauma the pandemic has caused
Stör. MacEwan Student Centre, main level It’s
Twitter: @GauntletUofC Instagram: @gauntletuofc Online: www.thegauntlet.ca
Contributors Grace Kabengele // Mitra Samavaki // Malea Nguyen // Sylvia Lopez // Eren Just // Saeed Abdollahi // Nazeefa Ahmed // Rodrigo Verney // Mihret Yirgeta // Andrea Silva Santissteban Fort // Eric Hilbrecht // Matt James // Lamara Jaber // Abdul Abbas // Davor Curic // Megan Wilson // Furor Arma Ministrat Room 319, MacEwan Students’ Centre 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N http://www.thegauntlet.ca1N4
The Golden Spatula – Rodrigo Verney
Online Editor: Masoud Karimi online@thegauntlet.caFatemi Business Manager: Gurman business@thegauntlet.caSahota
EDITORIAL
The past two years felt like a blur, and 300 years all at once — and I know I’m not alone. Hundreds of thousands of front-line workers have been feeling the brunt of this pandemic since the beginning. From the healthcare professionals expected to heal and care for the increasing number of COVID patients while conspiracy theorists protested outside hospitals, to retail workers — many of them young people struggling to get by — enduring crazy work schedules and even crazier customers.
Voices Editor: Aymen voices@thegauntlet.caSherwani Voices Assistant: Anjali Choudhary Visuals Editors: Megan Koch Valery visuals@thegauntlet.caPerez Volunteer Coordinator: Namratha volunteer@thegauntlet.caBadawadagi
New snacks
For being an amazing lead sports volunteer, covering events online across different Dinos teams. We can’t wait to see what championship article we’ll find your name in. W ell. We’ve made it another year. As the world slowly starts to return to in-person meetings, events and learning, it’s hard to imagine that two years ago, we were entering one of the most stressful and confusing periods of the last hundred years. Students were forced to pack up and finish their semester online, and navigating virtual meetings and assignments was the “new normal” for the next year and a half. It’s hard to believe that the graduating class of 2022 will have an in-person ceremony and it’s even more difficult to look back at the collective trauma we’ve suffered and expect to move on like nothing ever happened.
Although general food hampers for the campus community are already being supplied for those who may be experiencing food insecurity, Sadiq explained how the SU Campus Food Bank believed it was necessary to also help Muslim students who may also be facing this issue.
Sophia Lopez News Editor I n 2022, Ramadan falls within the month of April — a tradition cel ebrated where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset until the end of the month. While fasting is a major part of the month, Ganiyat Sadiq, the Students’ Union (SU) Campus Food Bank coordinator, spoke with the Gauntlet on other aspects of Ramadan that are often not spoken “[Ramadan]about. is usually a month of humility amongst others, remem bering our privileges and just giving back to the rest of the community,” said ThisSadiq.year, the SU Campus Food Bank is introducing Ramadan Ham pers in addition to the regular food hampers already available. This new initiative is intended to support the Muslim community on campus by offering food items that are tradi tionally consumed during this time.
“I think I’m just very excited,” said Sadiq. “This is something that we’ve been planning for most of the year, so I’m very excited that the time is here and that we’re able to offer this Tosupport.”request a Ramadan Hamper, email the SU Campus Food Bank at foodbank@ucalgary.ca. For more student support and to contact the SU, visit their website.
Sadiq is ecstatic to have this initia tive going, and hopes that the ham pers will help students.
“It feels honestly amazing,” she said. “I’m so honoured to be able to be one of the people leading it and supporting its creation. When I was growing up, it was something I’ve never heard of, and it’s never been offered at the University of Calgary before. So it feels really great to be a part of our change.”
Editors: Sophia Lopez & Julieanne news@thegauntlet.caAcosta@GauntletUofCNEWS » APRIL 12, 2022 | 3
to May
SU supports Muslim students through Ramadan Hampers from April 2 2.
GRACE KABENGELE
FOOD SECURITY » Ramadan goes
Sadiq elaborated on what inspired the SU to start this initiative, and how an idea was put forth by Nikhat Ahmed, the student services man ager at the SU “It was [Ahmed’s] idea that she put forth, and as someone who cel ebrates Ramadan myself, it was something that I looked forward to,” said Sadiq. “I’m just very excited. This is something that we’ve been planning for most of the year.”
“We do have a lot of students expe riencing food insecurity, and if they happen to be Muslim, they’re going to be fasting all day,” she said. “So being able to provide that security is something that I hold very close to my heart, as someone who under stands how hard it is to fast all day.” Sadiq believes the SU is doing a great job in recognizing different traditions that are celebrated by the University of Calgary community and accommodating to the needs of different groups of people. She sees this as a step forward in breaking barriers that exist for the Muslim “Wecommunity.tryto make sure most of our food items are halaal and make sure that they can be eaten by Muslims — I know that might be a barrier that people face in other realms,” said Sadiq. “In being the Food Bank coordinator, I’ve been able to see how we make sure [students] re spect people’s religious values and religious beliefs. I think in gener al there is always more to be done to celebrate the community, but I think with Ramadan Hampers it’s a very, very good start.”
As a Muslim herself, Sadiq is proud to be a part of this process of creat ing change at U of C. She expressed how rewarding it has been to help establish Ramadan Hampers.
Feedback received on the Rama dan Hampers has been very posi tive, and Sadiq said the number of hamper requests the SU Campus Food Bank has received continues to “We’vegrow.seen a lot of Muslim students on campus respond very positively to it. So I think it’s a support that a lot of Muslim people do appreciate,” said WhileSadiq.the Ramadan Hampers was an initiative intended for Muslism students, Sadiq explained how the hampers could be requested by any one, regardless of their religious “Evenbeliefs. though they are Ramadan Hampers and it is majorly celebrat ed by Muslims, anyone and every one can have a Ramadan Hamper if they request for one — so it’s not exclusionary in any form,” she said.
“Student feedback helps to shape the annual tuition proposal that has resulted in tuition rates at UCalgary remaining lower, in many instances, compared to other U15 post-secondary institu
DIVERSITY
Prachi Mishra, a member of AUPE 52 spoke on her difficulties as a non-academic staff member at the U of C amidst budget cuts.
Incoming vice-president academ ic, Shaziah Jinnah added to Pey era’s comment by furthering her own concern.
All written input will be summarized anonymously and presented at a meet ing of the SCPA Council on April 8. This information will be published on the U of C EdiD website.
Students were invited to share their input at the town hall and were also invited to email the SCPA directly with their Brucesuggestions.Barker,director of the SCPA, started the town hall by emphasiz ing the importance of the opinions of members of the SCPA in drafting the Action Plan.
“I’m here today because the SU stands with students who are deeply concerned about provin cial funding cuts and the resulting rise in tuition,” said Renzo Peyera, outgoing vice-president academic. “Students are currently paying at least 25 per cent more than they did in 2019. Students are paying more and getting less. They’ve seen tuition skyrocket at a time that the government cut the tui tion tax crEdit, and increased in terest on student loans.”
School of Creative and Performing Arts hosts EDI town hall
STUDENT ACTION »
In a statement to Global News, the University of Calgary said they respected the right to freedom of expression, but ultimately stood by their financial decisions for “Thestudents.university has been trans parent with students and the com munity over the past three years regarding its plans to align tui tion with the requirements of the Alberta Tuition Framework,” the statement reads.
Students rally outside TFDL Quad to protest against budget cuts TALKS » Enobong Ukbong News Assistant
The one-day student strike led by Sofia Huarte Aguilar for the Drama department was voted in during a meeting last Friday to call for the reversal of nearly $700 million in budget cuts to post-secondary edu
The action plan was drafted by the SCPA EdiD committee. As stated in the Action Plan, the goal of the EdiD committee is to “advance and promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and decol onization in all of SCPA’s practices.” It was formed in response to the killing of George Floyd in May 2020.
The EdiD Action Plan describes a multi-year agenda towards addressing issues of discrimination in terms of hiring priorities, recruitment, curric ula, programming, student experience and the overall teaching, learning and research environment.
Prior to the town hall, SCPA students were sent a draft of the EdiD Action Plan, which details the actions the EdiD committee has taken to promote equity and diversity, the consultation the committee has received and the future actions it has taken.
The SCPA held a Town Hall to get student voice input. MEGAN KOCHStudents gathered to protest at the Quad.
4 | APRIL 12, 2022 news@thegauntlet.ca
Julieanne Acosta News Editor O n March 28, students from the University of Calgary organized outside Mac Hall in the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) Quad in the second prov ince-wide Student Day of Action on Thecampus.mission behind the Alberta Student Day of Action is to create a union of Alberta post-secondary students who are ready to demand a reverse of advanced education budget cuts and an immEdiate freeze on tuition increases. Student leaders from the Students’ Union (SU), other faculty clubs and U of C community members were seen at the demonstration to voice their support.
On March 21, the School of Cre ative and Performing Arts (SCPA) hosted a town hall on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decoloniza tion (EdiD), where students were in vited to provide their input on a draft of the EdiD Action Plan.
“Students’cation. basic needs are just not being met and a lot of that comes down to the cost of education and the quality of our programs,” said Salmassi. “At the last day of action, we alluded to student strikes. The drama program has led the way and enacted the first Alberta student strike in history. If we do this on a larger scale, we will have real lever age over the government. We’ve tried petitions, we’ve tried lobby ing, we’ve tried protests and it’s not working.”
“We need to hear from primary stake holders, such as yourselves,” said Bark er. “As well as from faculty and staff.”
“This is an attack on our quality of education — we all lose,” said Jin nah. “The current government’s ongoing annual cuts with no end in sight in tandem with reductions in basic support is resulting in a generation that can no longer see the value in post-secondary edu cation. [Students] were promised more. We are critical to Alberta’s Infuture.”astatement to the Gauntlet, SU Faculty of Arts representative Sir aaj Shah expressed his support for the “It’scause.great to see a lot of student support when it comes to tuition cuts,” said Shah. “It’s extremely important for us to show our voice together. I put my full support be hind the activities that are going on and hopefully we can see some impacts that come as a result of Shahthis.” later went on to speak at the protest to urge students to fight back against the government. “Now on this historic day, you must send a message to the gov ernment. Inflation increases, un employment increasing and stu dent cuts are detrimental not only to our student spirit but to our survival,” said Shah.
Intions.”the most recent Board of Gov ernors meeting on Dec. 10, tuition was increased for students in the Faculty of Engineering, the Cum ming School of MEdicine and the Haskayne School of Business for the third time this past year.
MITRA SAMAVAKI
“We started to work in a really self-con scious way about the cultural diversity of our program,” he said. However, Barker highlighted that the Action Plan is by no means complete, and is an ongoing document.
Barker briefly talked about the mea sures the SCPA plans on taking to in crease Edi, as well as the steps it has already taken. He said that the EdiD committee found that increasing the cultural diversity of the performanc es offered in each division was so that they could quickly do.
Mateusz Salmassi, President of the Faculty of Arts Students’ Association (FASA) was also present at the protest to show his support not only for the protest but for the drama program at the U of C that has held a strike and are picketing their classrooms.
“The cuts came, and they came to the most vulnerable people. It was the non-academic staff who lost their jobs and livelihoods,” said Mishra. “Remember you’re getting a raw deal here. The U of C caretakers, the lowest-paid staff on campus, who don’t make living wages, are women of colour, immi grants and newcomers have had their shifts changed by the U of C so they don’t have to pay them an additional $2.50 each hour. The only way to win is to fight back.”
“One of our very first advisors, Cheryl Foggo, who is an Afro-Canadian play wright, was one of the first people who guided us,” said Barker. “And what she said was what we knew — that this isn’t a sprint, this is a marathon. And what we really are is an ongoing process. We’re now in a new sprint within that Attendeesmarathon.”of the town hall were split into groups where they could discuss their opinions amongst themselves and offer solutions to EdiD Committee members. Additionally, students had the option to email questions and sug gestions to the SCPA directly.
THE STUDENTS’ UNION Complete listing of student news, concerts and more: www.su.ucalgary.ca APRIL 2022 suuofc SU Volunteer Tax Program Taxes stressing you out? Get FREE help! welcome to use our services. Please visit our website for eligibility criteria. February 28 - April 14 Last day to submit new returns: April 7 vstax@ucalgary.ca | 403-220-2000 su.ucalgary.ca/vtp Book your appointment through our website at www.su.ucalgary.ca/vtp The Volunteer Tax Program is provided by a partnership bwgween the Students’ Union Volunteer Tax Program and the Canada Revenue Agency’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. Student volunteers bene from tax training and experience, while providing a free tax service to the U of campus community. volunteer FOR TICKETS & INFOFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA machallconcerts.com @MACEWANHALL Don t miss a show ! JOIN OUR MAILING LIST AT www.machallconcerts.comAPR 19 Caribou MACEWAN HALL 25 Royal Blood MACEWAN HALL 28 Home Free MACEWAN HALL MAY 4 Action Bronson with Earl Sweatshirt MACEWAN HALL 6 Shakey Graves MACEWAN HALL 7 Hamza Namira MACEWAN HALL 12 Isaiah Rashad MACEWAN HALL 16 Future Islands MACEWAN HALL 21 BBNO$ MACEWAN HALL JUN 24 The Glorious Sons MACEWAN HALL
VEXXED » You can watch Bridgerton season two on Netflix. MEGAN KOCH
Bridgerton season two: Diversity or tokenism?
representation is some thing white people take for granted. I did not expect myself to become emotional when I saw the main characters wearing traditional In dian jewelry and silks, braiding and oiling their hair, throwing around witty quips in Hindi or applying haldi — but I did. I did not expect to hear the male protagonist en dearingly refer to Kate Sharma by her Indian name — Kathali Sharma — when I have heard South Asian names being mocked for most of my life. I did not expect him to say that the way she smells was irre sistible when a popular stereotype against Indians is that they smell bad. And when the classical ver sion of Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham played, for a fleeting moment, we were able to conceptualize a world in which conventions of racism and colourism made no difference in Escapistromance.or not, what the Bridger ton fantasy does masterfully here, in my opinion, is normalize the presence of people of colour in the predominantly white historical genre. That in itself is a massive leap forward for women of colour that struggle with conceptualizing themselves as beautiful in a world where everyone tells them that they are anything but that.
Aymen Sherwani Voices Editor T he question of whether the South Asian representation in season two of Netflix’s Bridger ton veers closer to diversity or to kenism is a complex one. On the one hand, Twitter is in an absolute uproar about the technical and cul tural discrepancies surrounding the identities of the Indian protag onists, Kate and Edwina Sharma.
I’m thinking of the likes of Shake Chatterjee from Netflix’s Love is Blind and his comments about pref erences for white, blonde women on top of making incrEdibly desex ualizing comments about his onscreen partner, Deepti — the only other Indian person on the show — by comparing her to his aunt. De humanizing statements like these reinforce perceptions surrounding women of colour as undesirable due to their features, but Bridger ton subverts this in what I think is the best way possible.
The presence of characters like Kate and Edwina Sharma on such a large platform is significant for a number of reasons, the first being that this is probably the first time South Asian women are seeing themselves being portrayed as not only desirable — but the most de sirable in the room. Edwina Shar ma is referred to as the “diamond of the season” — the most beautiful debutante of the English social sea son — and is played by Charithra Surya Chandran, a British actress of South Indian heritage. Kate Sharma, the other main love interest, also has a South Indian Tamil background. Casting darker skinned actresses to be love inter ests instead of villains is something that the Indian film industry itself is still struggling to overcome due to the aforementioned struggles with colourism and white suprem acy. To see someone represent you with overtly ethnic features — with out the blue contacts, bleached hair and kowtowing to the rhetoric of “whiter is better” — is refreshing in Positiveitself.
Editor: Aymen
Taking the historical relationship between Britain and India into account, it is a little unsettling to watch a show that reimagines an escapist relationship between the colonizer and the colonized, minus the oppression. At the same time, relationships between Indians and Britons during the 1800s were not uncommon, especially those which solidified economic prospects with in the upper echelons of the aristo cratic societies of both countries. At the end of the day, when the ques tion of whether Bridgerton’s cast ing of two Indian women is diversi ty where it’s not needed — I would disagree. It was very sorely needed. Many South Asians, such as myself, live in a post-colonial reality. What this means is that the legacies of co lonialism and white supremacy re main deeply ingrained in the minds of other South Asians, manifesting themselves through notions of co lourism. White skin is the standard of beauty in South Asian societies, despite the large bulk of the com munity having darker complexions, and being tanned is often the cause of bullying and harassment. Obviously, living in Canada pro vides a certain level of distance from such a mindset, but an issue that is increasingly prevalent in di asporas located in the Global North is the preference of white women — the beauty standard — over South Asian women.
voices@thegauntlet.caSherwani@GauntletUofCVOICES » 6 | APRIL 12, 2022
One user comments “I love when bridgerton tries to be ”inclusive” and ends up with kate calling ed wina bon (sister in bengali), they both call their father appa (father in Tamil) and their surnames are Sharma (common mostly north In dian surname) [sic].” Personally, I too was a little taken aback by the show’s referral to the Hindi language as ‘Hindustani’ — which is the nationality — and questioned why the show seemed to completely look over the very real and very violent aspects of British colonialism in India. It’s important to take into consideration that a large bulk of the wealth and splen dor that the Regency and Georgian eras are remembered for are due to colonial exploits from India — par ticularly the silks and jewels that the women of the time adorned.
9 TO 5 » Does
APRIL 12, 2022 | 7thegauntlet.ca/category/voices
Unemployment rates reached an all-time high during the pandemic.
Anjali Choudhary Voices Assistant K im Kardashian is not only a billionaire who comes from a wealth of privilege, but as of last month, she is also apparently an expert on business advice for wom en. In an interview with Variety she stated that “it seems like nobody wants to work these days,” followed by a real slap in the face — telling women to just get up and work. Aside from the popular soundbite, Kardashian goes on to talk about creating non-toxic workplaces and surrounding yourself with work-ori ented individuals. Is this good ad vice? Sure, for a woman who comes from familial wealth which allows her to turn her passions into a job without worry. But, for the dispro portionately large number of wom en who have faced layoffs due to the pandemic, this advice was purely Whetherinsulting.
the Kardashians meticu lously planned this interview as a PR stunt to gain traction for their new show, or whether they are truly that out-of-touch with the realities of the working middle-class is hard to decipher. Nonetheless, the real ity star’s attitude raises the highly problematic view many people still hold about the validity of meritoc Theracy.meritocratic system — based on the principle that wealth or power is a direct result of individual effort — is easily proven false. If 7 million people are considered “working poor” in the United States, surely it is not because “nobody wants to work these days.” If, for some reason, lived experienc es fail to convince you, studies have made a similar claim for years. In a 2015 report, Oxfam claimed that “fifty percent of the world’s billion aire wealth is found to be non-meri tocratic owing to either inheritance or a high presumption of cronyism.”
MALEA NGUYEN
Regardless of how successful her businesses may be, Kim’s success cannot be linked to pure and simple hard work.
The evidence of systemic barriers in the workplace is seen in every sector — including academia — and impacts every age group. Whether it be race, gender or disability, many uncontrollable factors impact the wealth and quality of life of work ing-class groups, playing a heavy hand in the outcomes of their lives. Unlike the ultrarich community the Kardashians fall into, most peo ple do not have a financial security blanket to rely on and avoid toxic work Beforeenvironments.peoplemake claims of this being another oh-so-evil ploy by cancel-culture, it is important to realize the implications of Kim’s statements. It is no coincidence that this interview has completely blown up. The Kardashians are a house hold name with large popularity, especially among younger women. While her words are blatantly ab surd to many, to some, statements like this may create a false version of what reality is in our modern capitalistic society — largely ex ploitative and unfair. According to Forbes, Black post-secondary graduates have al most double the rate of post-grad unemployment rates in comparison to their white peers. Following the meritocratic ideals, both parties are led to believe that the system atically disadvantaged group is not working hard enough to achieve employment. But, if simply having a certain name blocks you from get ting your foot in the door, neither your qualifications nor your efforts play any Unfortunately,role. the harsh reality of academic and employment dis crimination has not made the leaps and bounds in progress that would even allow for the prospect of mer itocracy to account for individual Onsuccess.theflip side, working too much may also harm post-secondary stu dents. Having to financially sup port yourself by working — often for minimum wage — on top of classes and extracurriculars places a disproportionate burden on those Dr.students.Anthony Carnevale from Georgetown University found that 59 per cent of low-income students who work above 15 hours a week had an average grade of C or low er, because of less time available to devote to course work. While it is true that grades are not entirely re flective of knowledge or effort, the circumstances for these students have an undeniable impact on their Ieducation.wonder if Kardashian would tell the full-time university stu dent working two part-time jobs to get up and work in order to be as successful as her — who didn’t even go to law school and used her high-profile connections to help her pass the bar exam. The Kardashian family will un doubtedly recover from the back lash they received and continue to prosper as billionaires. Neverthe less, calling out the harmful ideals of meritocracy perpetrated by the wealthy helps to advance the con versation around equality in the workplace. For now, I suggest the media personality limit her busi ness advice to her circle of rich elites who may actually need to get up and work. anybody really want to work these days?
THAT’S NOT MY NAME » Transgender Day of Visibility was March 31. SYLVIA LOPEZ
Eren VolunteerJust Last November, the University of Calgary introduced the Change of Name Statutory Declaration — a form which allows students to change their name on all university systems without requiring a legal change of name. This is important because legal name changes can be inaccessible for many reasons, including immi gration status and financial costs. The changes were meant to reflect the university’s commitment to use the names of students in ways that are respectful and inclusive — par ticularly to individuals who identify as transgender and non-binary.
Preferred name changes: Are they even ‘accessible’ to students?
Although, students are able to fill out the form online to change “the official name on [their] student re cord without making a legal name change,” there are a few compli cations that arise from here. The Change of Name Statutory Decla ration changes a student’s name on all university documents, including transcripts, tax receipts, immigra tion, RESP providers and health insurance documents. This only makes it more difficult for students to confirm their identity and access services outside of the university — such as student loans or making in surance claims — by adding an extra step in the process. A real solution is sorely needed. Currently, students are able to add a preferred name to their MyU Calgary and D2L profiles. They can also update their IT login and email by contacting IT Services alongside being able to obtain an updated UNI CARD by contacting the UNICARD Office. However, there are some systems that continue to display an individual’s legal name — including the career portal Elevate and class lists used by some professors. In the four years since I first changed my name, I have followed conflicting information from uni versity staff and second-hand ac counts from friends who held the same skepticism. Across the many offices and departments that make up the U of C, students continue to navigate these systems with little to no Thisguidance.isespecially personal to me as we just observed the Internation al Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. My experience as a trans student is already difficult enough but when documents such as class lists display my legal name, I also risk being outed in the classroom. While I am proud to be trans, self-disclosure is a deeply personal choice. Being visibly trans can feel empowering and liberating, but it can also be uncomfortable or dan gerous, especially for trans people who are multiply marginalized and underrespresented — facing great er risks of discrimination and vio Visibility,lence. in general, is complicat ed and contentious for many of us. Trans people in North Ameri ca right now are more visible than ever, but are also facing unprece dented and brutal attacks on their rights and dignity. Visibility does not guarantee inclusion or accep tance and must be balanced with the need for safety and wellbeing. The U of C can help by making name changes easily accessible and consistent across its internal sys tems — wherever possible — while ensuring that official documents can still be obtained with one’s legal name. This would improve the lives of many trans students and all oth er people who would benefit from a more inclusive approach to our information systems.
8 | APRIL 12, 2022 voices@thegauntlet.ca
Since fasting during Ramadan is integral, students also may be wor ried that by focusing on school, they are not fulfilling their religious ob ligations to the fullest extent. But Maryam Agunbiade — a third-year Biological science student — takes a different perspective. “A lot of people think about school [and] work as separate from deen,” she said. “I don’t see it as separate because, in the Quran, Allah com mands us, ‘Read in the name of your Lord.’ If you perceive studying as an act of worship, you are not separat ing your time anymore. Yes, reading the Quran is important, but learning about the world you live in is also im Fastingportant.”during the last stretch of the semester will be challenging, but with some discipline, community support and trust in God, Muslim students at the University of Calgary will finish the semester with flying colors.
A s of April 2, 2022, Muslim stu dents at the University of Cal gary will be fasting during what is known as the holiest month of the Muslim calendar — Ramadan. Be fore sunrise every day, Muslims will eat a heavy breakfast and not eat or drink until after sunset. This year, however, on top of the phys ical and spiritual demands of the month, students will also be en during final exam season. This is the first in-person Ramadan many students have had in two years and there are many supports available at the U of C to make the transi tion as smooth as possible.
In an interview with the Gaunt let, Zareen Tasnim, a University of Calgary alumna, talked about her experiences with fasting while studying in person before the pan “Gettingdemic. rid of distractions was a big thing for me [...] I always went on social mEdia to take a ‘break’ from studying but it really helped to change that habit during Rama dan,” she said. “I would prioritize my work in a way so I could use those breaks to nap or finish a task that required less focus.”
Navigating Ramadan during final exams season
If students are staying late on campus to study, there will be free Iftars offered every Friday in the Vitruvian Space. The Landing has also been opened before sunrise and after sunset for Muslim stu dents living in residence. Clubs like the Muslim Students’ Asso ciation (MSA) will also be hosting Taraweeh prayers for the first time on campus — making it easi er to connect with their faith in an academic setting. This club in par ticular, according to their Insta gram, will be “posting educational quizzes throughout Ramadan to facilitate easy learning on differ ent Islamic topics.”
Nazeefa Ahmed Volunteer
FASTING WHILE STUDYING » SAEED ABDOLLAHIStudents that need accomodations should reach out to their professors.
Fasting students can also apply for an exam deferral if they want to write their finals after Ramadan is over, but your professors are also here to help during the course. “Accommodations depend from professor to professor, but many are flexible so if you need extra time on an assignment, struggling with a concept or want to alter nate a time for your presentation — ask,” said Tasnim. “You won’t know if they’d be willing to make those changes unless you ask.”
APRIL 12, 2022 | 9thegauntlet.ca/category/voices
It is important to remember that, while these supports are available, students should not leave every thing to the last minute. Especially since finals are during the last ten days — the holiest period of the month — getting as much work completed as early as possible will allow you to focus on both aca demic and religious obligations.
To be successful in the last stretch of the semester, Rufida Elhouderi, a first-year accounting student, takes a hardworking and spiritual “[Iapproach.am]taking a moment to think about how I can help myself com plete my tasks successfully, by relying on the most powerful, Al lah,” said Elhouderi. “He knows my struggles and efforts, so ac knowledging that first will help a lot. Then, I recommend writing an actual schedule — write down exactly what you will do that en tire day, includ[ing] prayer times, breaking the fast, as well as study Despitetime.” the challenges, Muslim students continue to fast during this month because it is one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting is not simply a deprivation of food and water, but it is also a month to purify one’s heart, increase one’s connection to God and create hab its to carry into the rest of the year.
Oftentimes aiming to be perfect stems from imposter syndrome. But always having to be 100 per cent correct down to the details stifles your ability to churn out any first draft. But some easy hacks can help with this. Firstly, carry around a handy dandy pocket notebook and jot down ideas, including imag es and thoughts — or even a word that intrigues you — that come across your day. Set aside at least 15 minutes from that day to have a free write on that idea and scribble your heart out. Again this is not necessarily going to turn out to be a dramatic poem or polished lyr ics to a song you’re writing. It can simply be the jumping-off point to map our stories, develop character profiles or chapter themes.
Character profile: Many of you have probably heard about the Hero’s Journey or the ‘monomyth’ that nearly every mas sively popular book is based on from Lord of the Rings, Harry Pot ter or The Chronicles of Narnia. It’s the story of the protagonist — typ ically a lonely hero who is trying to find himself — who embarks on a sudden and unexpected journey full of wonderment and adventure. This hero then faces the ultimate test of character, strength and skill which leads to the final battle to test the hero’s resolve which of course leads to triumph and return Thehome.first thing you do is write down a name that comes to mind of a person you either know, a per son you read about or just someone random and underneath that start brainstorming questions about the said person including who is the person? What does he/she look like? Who has relationships with this person including family and friends? Then try to visualize the character and imagine what they do daily and their struggles, aspi rations and desires. Now comes the fun part — tossing the character into a random scenario that might spark some sort of conflict they have to overcome — what is the character’s adversity?
one sitting, is never recommended as it leads to an inferiority complex and a mental rut where you are al ways overthinking and jumping to conclusions about how good of a writer you are.
MALEA NGUYENIt can be hard to overcome writer’s block.
Change your mood: For the basic go-to hacks — cut out distractions like notifications from your smartphone and read for fun to get you in writing mode. Lis ten to your favourite lo-fi track or preferably classical or instrumen tal tracks. Swap your usual writing spot and take a change of scenery such as a nearby park, as this will allow you to adopt a new head space. Grab a cup of coffee or tea or diffuse your favourite essential oils as it’ll help give the room am bience and alleviate any stress. Or simply take a break by doing phys ical stretches and exercises.
But of course, this is all generic advice and something you should already be doing when studying for exams. It’s not always a matter of taking a break and about how hard and fast you write. Sitting in silence quietly contemplating and appreciating the lull in between writing drafts allows your mind to tune in and out of what may truly spark your imagination. So much of the time, we force ourselves to become masterminds of scribble when we should simply sit back and relax until something sheds light and sparks a bright idea at the opportune moment.
Masterminds of scribble: How to overcome writer’s block
Get into the creative flow: Don’t judge while you create. Re member you can edit later. Be ing our own inner worst critic is the thing that makes most people “blocked” and stops them from getting into the flow. Keep this in mind or you’ll never begin. For ex ample, Elton John’s lyricist, Ber nie Taupin, never took his pen or pencil off the paper until the idea for the song was completely out of his mind onto the pad. It’s a similar process to what other well-known lyricists follow. This is what is called the “flow of creativity.”
Don’t aim for perfectionism:
As far as productivity hacks go, the “Pomodoro” technique described above where you set a timer for a certain number of minutes and freely write your narrative until the timer runs out, will actually motivate you. And also, the “Don’t Break the Chain” method in which you invest little by little into this goal each and every day makes the task of writing much less daunting.
Rachneet Randhawa General Editor W e’ve all found ourselves at moments we are unable to write. Writer’s block is a condition in which one finds themselves un able to write anything tangible, and according to Britannica is defined as a problem of not being able to think of something to write about or not being able to finish writing any piece of text. This spell for some can last weeks and for others, even up to years. Perhaps you’re thinking of writ ing a short story or even starting your column this summer for the Gauntlet. Either way, it’s not nec essarily a matter of motivation but positively encouraging good and consistent habits to constant ly practice your writing. But why does one get “blocked” in the first place and what are the pathways available to meld our skill with our talent and abilities to write so it al ways flows? Heed to the advice and you’ll be composing literature in no time! Free write: Write everything and anything that comes to mind. Literally. As cliché as this sounds it gets the creative juices flowing. Don’t pay attention to sentence structure, grammar, spelling or the technical aspects. Don’t worry about chronology of the order of events, try starting the story from the middle or end of the plot. Sometimes, if you be gin with the climax in a story arc, you can deconstruct and work your way backwards to the beginning. Spark your imagination by writing a reflection about your day, how you’re feeling and what’s been on your mind recently. You may think this is silly, but you’d be surprised that in grade school it was common for all of us to have a free writing period to write a simple journal entry. And permit yourself to write garbage. It doesn’t matter what you write as the whole point is to get into the mechanical act of writing itself. That’s why you have multi ple drafts which serve as so-called “missed takes.”
Use a prompt: Does anybody remember doing Mad Libs growing up? A mad lib is a word game where one player prompts another for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story consisting of nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. To get into freeflow mode, prompts are one of the most effective approaches. Pick a theme such as love, loss, power or happiness and set it to a person, place or thing (a noun!). It can be as simple as using a random word or sentence or even an illustrated photo to ignite your inner writer and jumpstart a short story. For example, write a narrative from a unique perspective of the superhe ro or villain, pick a major event in your life experience or write about an inanimate object or an animal such as your pet.
Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofCSPORTS & LIFESTYLE » 10 | APRIL 12, 2022
Read for fun: Get your inspiration by reading a book that you enjoy and explore genres — from romance to sci-fi to biographies to poetry to a thriller. After reading about this fascinat ing topic, pull your favourite parts or key quotes that get you motivat ed. Go back and reflect by reading your previous stories and studying your writing style. Set a routine: Spend at least 15 minutes a day just writing — it’s the only way you’ll make a habit out of it. You’ll re markably find that writing won’t be as intimidating when you’ve set a personal quota for yourself and followed through. Binge writing, such as writing 10 plus pages in
Unfortunately, the majority of peo ple have been falsely led to believe to judge as they create their mas terpieces. But that’s not necessarily true in retrospect. If you’re trying to write a book and become an author, it’s going to seem like an incredibly daunting task from the get-go. Remember, you can copy edit later — stop blocking your cre ativity on all fronts and don’t fix the flaws until the very end.
WORDSMITH TIPS »
He would later claim that to be a joke, but his comments were also directed toward a bigger problem within the industry that Pattinson bravely refused to take part in — the steroid culture. Pattinson wouldn’t take any steroids to portray Batman. This is somewhat of a controversial statement since steroid use is prom inent in Hollywood, although many actors stay quiet about it. Challeng ing this stigma and, in turn, the male perception of what a superhero body looks like, is a commendable stance but he would have to defend it on the big screen as well. Pattinson went to extreme measures to be certain that he would be able to fulfill the role’s physical demands. His training routine consisted of a lot of cardio to be able to lose fat quickly and bulk up. He was even counting sips of water on set. His diet consist ed of meticulously counting his calo ries and proteins to extreme degrees. Cutting down so much and intaking so little water and food is very dan gerous to most who want to gain muscle mass healthily. This is why his portrayal of Batman’s physique has been a huge concern for his Thehealth.controversy lies in the fact that his workout regimen is sure to take a toll on his body. Humans can’t eas ily cut weight in a short span with out expecting some health issues to come along. Analyzing Pattinson’s diet and workout, make apparent the problems during and after the Dehydrationcutting. is a technique often used to make muscles more promi nent. This practice puts a lot of stress on the urinary system. Dehydration might have also contributed to his feeling dizzy after performing a stunt in the hot batsuit. Many wonder if he would be better off on steroids rather than putting his body on the line the way that he did. Although the question can be raised, it doesn’t seem like he would be better off taking perfor mance enhancing substances while switching his diet the way that he did. Anabolic steroids can have se rious adverse effects if taken in an immunocompromised state, which might be achieved on an insuffi cient diet. After the announcement of the new Penguin series finally being con firmed, we can expect more appari tions from The Dark Knight in the future. Pattinson might have more time to be able to fully adjust and perfect his diet and workout plan to better suit his new physique without limitations posed by the pandemic in the way. There’s no doubt that Pattinson’s opinions on the physical look for the role are controversial yet respectable. But, if the studio wants him to bulk up, we could be looking at just the tip of the iceberg health-wise. With all of that said, fans every where hope the best for Pattinson’s health. Movies can be a powerful mEdium. They touch on the source of our imagination, allow us to tap into emotions and create a sense of excitement that makes us forget we’re seated on chairs. If Pattinson’s portrayal was able to provoke the sense of excitement that we some times forget we can feel and inspire at least one person to believe, then, much like his Batman, Pattison too is a symbol of hope.
RIDDLE ME THIS » VALERY PEREZ
APRIL 12, 2022 | 11thegauntlet.ca/category/sports
Batman would, theoretically, have to focus on taking in a lot of protein and calories to maintain his size. His training would prioritize powerlift ing movement and compound lifts to train his muscles to peak perfor It’smance.clear that representing the icon ic character isn’t an easy task. After many adaptations and the amazing Nolan trilogy, fans of Batman are more selective about who will por tray him on the big screen. This, coupled with the unfaithful and disappointing version that War ner Brothers presented within the SnyderVerse, left a lot on Pattison’s Theshoulders.attention he received was only heightened after the unfortunate comments he made regarding his training and conditioning during the pandemic. In an interview with GQ magazine in 2020, the actor said that he wouldn’t be working out for the role. “[Other actors] are part of the problem, [they] set a precedent. No one was [working out for a film] in the ’70s. Even James Dean — he wasn’t exactly ripped.”
Rodrigo Verney Volunteer
Another rendition of the caped crusader hit the theaters on March 3. This time around, the man to dawn the cowl was famous British actor, Robert Pattinson, a choice that brewed controversy from the mo ment it got into the public eye — as fans naturally wanted to protect the legacy left by so many before him. This depiction presents a young Bat man and his incredible journey from intimidating criminals hiding in the city’s streets to becoming a beacon of hope to the people. Now that everyone has added the latest Batman theme to their work out playlist, it’s time to pull back the curtains and analyze the controversy behind Pattinson’s training and diet ing routine to become the hero that Gotham Batman’sdeserves.physique has been the source of a lot of debate within the bodybuilding and martial arts com munity. The body and diet a real-life Bruce Wayne would have to main tain to constantly protect the streets of Gotham would be nothing short of a challenge. He can’t be too lean to the point that he sacrifices power and he can’t be too bulky to the point that he compromises agility.
Robert Pattinson’s controversial Batman transformation
Many actors have had the opportunity to portray the Batman character in a different light.
team.
Dinos men’s and women’s volleyball playoffs recap
“It’s been amazing, I’m really going to remember the support from the fans, the athletic department and everyone who showed up and cheered for us. I think it’s such a good building block for next year, especially since we have such a young team,” she said.
U
Vaadering, alongside Marina Culo and Julia Sprentz, graduated from the program and are already missed by Dinos fans.
Thesituation.fifth set was a tug-of-war between the two teams, both having amazing looks and kills during the game, converting kills at a very high percentage. The Blues were exceptionally good on the later part of the game, converting half of their offensive possessions, giving them the edge to take the extra set 15–13. Though, the Dinos had to accept their season stopping short in a match that would be hard to Vaaderingforget. played her last match wearing the Dinos’ colours — an amazing battle and send off to one of the few veterans on this young squad. The now-graduate states that she is simply ecstatic about the weekend as a whole and glad that it ended in front of her home crowd.
Rodrigo Verney Volunteer
Everyone will be missing the amazing performances these veterans brought to the game. However, as Vaandering said, this will be just another opportunity to smile and know that the future is bright for the team.
The consolation semi-final match at the USPORTS Women’s Volleyball Championship didn’t end with a win but this team has so much more to offer. What this relatively young squad has done this past season has been a statement on teamwork. All the players have had amazing opportunities to grow and adapt to each other and all of this culminated in last Saturday’s consolation game, with players like Kenzie Vaandering and Sheridan Coninx giving unforgettable Vaaderingperformances.setthepace of the game early on by beginning the game with three straight kills, putting the Dinos in a 4–0 start on the first set, forcing a Toronto timeout call. This start was crucial to set the initial intentions and dominate the match — something that the squad was itching to do after the bitter loss in the National Quarter-Final game against Trinity However,Western.thiswasn’t the end of the U of T team. If anything, this moment would only signify the beginning of an entertaining matchup, as the Blues would go on to have a 6–0 run halfway through the first set, regain the lead and remain four points ahead, 19–15. The Dinos fought back later in the set to squeeze a 21–20 lead. Unfortunately, that would be the last time they would score in the opening set as Toronto won 25–21.
12 | APRIL 12, 2022 general@thegauntlet.ca
The Dino’s women’s volleyball team has put up an amazing display of teamwork and effort as they hosted their last game of the postseason. What more could the University of Calgary varsity fans hope for in a send-off as the team gave their all against a hard-hitting and resistant University of Toronto? U of T advanced to the consolation final after outlasting the game against the Dinos and went on to beat the Brock University Badgers 3–1.
The second set was dominated by the Blues, with Outside Hitter, Hope Kutton. She had an amazing performance, leading her to a total of 17 kills throughout the game. U of T was heading towards a peak in the third set. The Dinos tried to stop their overflowing offense with some correcting defensive schemes but the adjustments couldn’t stop the fundamental focused Toronto offense. The U of T had a match-defining performance with a third of their hits converging — a percentage that left the Dinos in a tough spot, only converging .226 of their hits. However, the Dinos shone brighter when they had their backs against the wall and were able to come out of the third with an important win. The defensive adjustments of the Dinos paid off. This was their best set in defense, racking up a total of five blocks. This was necessary to slow down the rampant Blues, who went from hitting a third of their hits to .108 — easily the lowest of the match. This defense coupled with Vaadering’s performance tipped the scale for the Dinos to come out with a victory in the third. Having to fend for their lives, the Dinos triumphantly took the fourth set to tie the overall game. Following their great third set, the young squad came back from being five points down to even the set halfway through. Trailing at the end of the game 21–18, the Dinos had a much-needed 4–0 run to send the game to a fifth set. Finishing it 25–22 was a powerful display of resistance and teamwork in a late-game
»
Line up of U of C’s
The Outside Hitter led the Dinos in front of the home crowd, with 22 kills and racking up 14 digs. Vaandering reflects upon her career and performance as she sends a lasting message to the people that helped her grow during her journey.
SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS courtesy DAVID MOLL courtesy CHRIS LINDSEY of C women’s volleybal team celebrates an epic play. women’s volleyball
Tomas Sorra, Hamish Hazelden and Parker Siroishka are the three names that will be leaving Univer sity of Calgary team this semester. Their countless efforts to reach the ultimate goal were finally achieved as the Dinos won the USPORTS bronze medal in men’s volleyball.
This philosophy quickly changed, however, once they went to the playoffs. In the regular season, every game is important. Howev er, it is hard to distract the mind from the fact that you have a lot of games on your schedule, so a win in some places may not mean as much as in others. However, the playoffs were a do-or-die situation and the team’s headspace was a “win-or-stop-playing” mentality. This brought forth the powerful performances that we saw during the playoffs. Led by Hazeldene, both the seniors and the new play ers were able to penetrate deeply into the postseason — an effort that brought them to the place they wanted to be. Just the thought that they could be competing for a med al was enough to fuel their drive to succeed. The result was an amazing experience for both the new play ers, the seniors and the fans — a tale that Rex won’t let anyone forget. Everyone involved with the growth that these players displayed will be fondly looking back at the amazing efforts and stories that they built together. Varsity sport is an incrEd ible opportunity, not only to experi ence but also for growth. From the nerve-racking first games to the almost mirror opposite final play off run, these are the moments that will forever stay with the players. Our congratulations go out to the team and we wish the best for these graduating athletes!
In their case, of course, knowing that you are improving and being in that position is very rewarding but the focus wasn’t on the past.
The mindset that the team had, especially the seniors, was to fo cus on every game and to be able to persist and come out with the win. The thought of being part of a new generation of players and sharing the memories and the fun with this young squad, while also knowing this would be their last season favored their competitive Thisedge.was a big feat considering the context of the pandemic and the effects that it had on players. To be able to step onto the court and to enjoy the game and be present in the moment while also being a symbol of guidance for the new players, was a very rewarding ex perience for the senior. Though every game counts, the team was happy to be able to be part of an other season and to finally play competitively again.
Sorra also had to push his limits by putting everything he had into the game. He appeared in all the matches this season and put up amazing numbers as usual. The mentality he brings to each game is unimaginable and unmatched.
The headspace he is in to contin ue to bring his A game every time he is on the floor serves as a great indicator of how strong and cen tred the seniors are. However, it’s not only through a tough mindset that wins games. These three in dividuals have brought everything they had from the moment that the match started to the last call. Utiliz ing strong offensive positions and leadership is at the core of every winning Hazeldenteam.has been a much-need ed help as a leading force for every player on the court. The first team Canada all-star has been putting amazing numbers throughout the board. Starting every game along side Sorra, Hazelden has been the deciding factor in many matches and has been a prime example of the capabilities these three seniors have to score efficiently.
These players have been through all the challenges posed by this pan demic together and had to adapt to a variety of different situations. But through it all, they managed to maintain their chemistry and their ability to work as a team — a team that was much different from the last time we’ve seen them.
courtesy DAVID MOLL courtesy DAVID MOLL courtesy DAVID MOLL U of C men’s volleyball team sets up for a spike.
After a challenging year that brought forth many adversities, the Dinos Men’s Volleyball team has had another opportunity at star dom, as three names rose to the oc casion when they conquered a new step in their decorated careers.
These players became such lead ers throughout this season. We saw this throughout the first couple of months through great wins, espe cially against strong competitors like Mount Royal University and McEwan University. The impor tance of starting a season hot is un measurable. To take the reins early on and demonstrate the growth of the players is what defines a great winning team. It is crucial to understand that the first couple of months are usually months where the teams are com ing back and starting to play with real competition, so this is the mo ment to strike and maintain a good lead, especially in an environment as competitive as varsity sports. This philosophy was worth it as the season followed suit. The team not only had a great game-bygame performance but they also finished the season with a 21–13 overall record. This is the type of improvement that you want to see at every level.
APRIL 12, 2022 | 13thegauntlet.ca/category/sports
courtesy DAVID MOLL
Hamish Hazelden
It is an understatement to say that the Dinos aren’t the same as they were two years ago. Siroishka himself, who originally played out side hitter, had to switch halfway through the season to fill the role of the libero. This season, however, he would finally return to the outside hitter position — a welcomed but arduous task. Though, he embraced this transition very naturally. He states that this was the position he prefers to play and his intended role but this goes to show how a varsity player has to adapt.
Tomas Sorra Parker Siroishka
Things You Save in a Fire by Kather ine Center: Things You Save in a Fire is a wom en’s fiction novel about Cassie, a fire fighter who leaves her life in Texas to move to Boston to help her mother who needs her. One of the most inter esting aspects of this book is that it is about the experience of a woman in a male-dominated field. I also liked how one of the main themes of this book was about the journey of forgiveness the main character has to do to let go of the baggage she has been carrying for a long time. Cassie was a complex character that developed interestingly throughout the book. There is also a romantic as pect of the story, between Cassie and Owen, the “Rookie” that adds a light hearted aspect to the plot. Overall, this book offers a great read for those looking for a strong female lead in a well-written and heartful plot.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel: The Forest of Vanishing Stars tells the story of Yona, a German girl who is stolen from her home and raised in the European forests by a mysterious elderly woman, Jerusza. As twenty years pass, Yona learns about the im portance of survival in a difficult en vironment and strives to find her own identity despite the many unanswered questions she has about her past and Meanwhile,origin.
as the atrocities of World War II begin to spread, Yona uses her gained knowledge and intuition to help Jewish refugees seek refuge from the Nazi atrocities. This presents new challenges for her, as she learns to do something she has never done before — trust people. In this book, Harm el creates a story led by a strong and independent female character in a unique set of circumstances and mys tical atmosphere. The character and story development were extremely well executed, which makes for a great recommendation for those looking for fast-paced historical fiction.
14 | APRIL 12, 2022 general@thegauntlet.ca
This book is centred around the ex periences of three different women during the World War II. Caroline Fer riday is a wealthy American socialite that works for the French consulate in New York and is dEdicated to aiding refugees fleeing their war-torn coun tries and helping children and families impacted by the war.
LilacGirlsby Martha Hall Kelly:
Dr. Herta Oberheuser is a young Ger man doctor who strives to succeed in the mEdical field, which leads her to perform unimaginable mEdical ex periments on the female prisoners assigned to her in the concentration camp she works at. Kasia Kuzmerick is a Polish resistance fighter who ends up a victim of Herta’s crimes, at the Ra vensbrück camp.
One night, that uneasy balance is bro ken as she witnesses the shooting of Khalil, a childhood friend, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil’s death makes national news and gets the attention of protesters, intimidating police offi cers and drug lords. Everyone wants to know what happened that night.
The story rotates in chapters between the points of view of each of these women before, during and after the war. In my opinion, Kasia and Caroline are examples of strong female leads, as they both show bravery and develop through the story in a very interesting way. Caroline, a character inspired by a real person, showed the importance of proactivity and having the courage for standing up for what is right, while the reader gets to see Kasia’s journey of surviving the unthinkable and being stronger for it. Overall, Lilac Girls is an intense but worth-reading book.
This book dives into the complexity of the Black Lives Matter movement, diversity and police brutality through an amazing plot and an insightful main character. I liked how the story is about a girl trying to find her voice in a very loud and oppressing world. As the main character of a young adult novel, Starr is an example of resilience and strength, which serves as a great role model for younger readers.
Andrea Silva Santisteban Fort Volunteer In celebration of International Women’s Day last month, I want to provide four book recommendations with strong female characters. These are great reads for those seeking books where the female leads of the story are fierce and resilient. Happy reading!
TheHateUGiveby Angie Thomas: The Hate U Give follows the story of the 16-year-old Black girl, Starr Carter. She lives in a low-income neighbour hood but goes to a white-dominated, elite private school. This makes her feel like she is in the middle of these two very different realities.
GIRL POWER » Andrea’s Book Nook: Recommendations with strong female leads
SYLVIA LOPEZHere are some great examples of strong female characters.
Vu also commented on his experi ence serving students.
“I went to the University of Victo ria and they did not have a com mon place like the University of Calgary does in Mac Hall. It is nice to be in that environment and interact with students on a daily basis.” he said. “We are also really happy with the number of Muslim students that enjoy our subs.” Quality food means the world to university students. We are busy people, learning how to take care of ourselves for the first time. But, for me at least, it is comforting to know that if I am ever in need, Bake Chef is always around the corner, ready to serve delicious subs with a smile.
Fitness influencers who promote body positivity Work out for both your physical and mental health. Bake chef is the best.
@mynameisjessamyn: Jessamyn is an influencer whose amazing yoga prowess showcases the strength and ability of the hu man body. Her artful photos and messages of self-love and inclusivity are inspirational and motivational. She has links to yoga classes and her captions leave you inspired long af ter you leave her page. Jessamyn is also an advocate and a writer, with a new book out recently, as well as a podcast host. These are just a few of the many body positive influencers out there. If your goal is to become more fit or to live healthier, body positive influencers with an emphasis on fun and healthy lifestyles are better role models than the popular “lose weight fast” brand of influencers. Hopefully these four influencers can get you started on your fitness journey.
“I think bread is a staple. You can never get tired of eating fresh bread. We have a full bakery in the back so we can make everything by hand. It has always been about the quality for us,” Vu said. “Anoth er thing we notice is that students really pay attention to price and value. When students eat our subs they are filled for the entire day so it is worth it.”
@curveswithmoves: Jessie makes weekly dance workout videos that are perfect for people who don’t like to go to the gym or who prefer a different way to exer cise. Her upbeat attitude is infec tious, and she has some beautiful affirmations for when you work out. Jessie is actively against diet culture, which is a definite bonus and tries to spread positivity for all body shapes and sizes. She also has the most ador able workout outfits.
HEALTHY HABITS » TAKE MY MONEY » ERIC HILBRECHT MATT JAMES
@leanbeefpatty: This girl is so incredibly strong and just watching her workouts is very inspiring. All her posts are very en couraging and motivational and she has a range of different workouts on her page — from strength building to flexibility and cardio. Plus, she’s also just a fun person to follow (her cos play game is strong).
As the university returns to full ca pacity and Mac Hall fills up again, Bake Chef is once again surround ed by dozens of fans.
I had the privilege of speaking with Phong Vu, the current owner of Bake Chef who has been serving the University of Calgary commu nity for over 15 years. He spoke to me about his family’s humble be “Whenginnings.my father came to Cana da, he was trained as a baker, but when he opened his own bakery the business was not doing so well because of the big-chain bakeries in the area. After 15-20 years the opportunity for Bake Chef came and he took it.” he said. “My father used to keep a box of recipes for all the breads, and he always want ed to throw it away but my mom said, ‘No, don’t throw it away. Who knows, you might need it one day.’” Business at the University of Cal gary was not always easy. “When my dad first bought Bake Chef no one wanted it, and it was the slowest business. It was diffi cult in the beginning because peo ple did not want to try out our subs because it looked so exotic. Most thought, ‘Do I really want to spend good money on something that I didn’t know?’ That’s the hard thing about not being a franchise — get ting someone to try something new for the first time. That is why it is so important for us that some one has a friend to recommend us. Ninety-nine percent of our busi ness now is repeat customers and Whenreferrals.”commenting on why people like his family’s subs so much, Vu says that it’s all in the bread.
Nazeefa Ahmed Volunteer B ake Chef is the only place on campus that I trust to serve me a fresh, affordable and mouth-watering lunch on days I need it the most. Their bread is soft and their vegetables seem to be picked fresh from a gar den. More importantly, however, they serve halal chicken and beef, something that is a blessing for Muslim students such as myself. During rush hour, they fall into an assembly line that serves subs by the dozen, yet they still know who ordered what without having to read the number on the order ing form. They have enriched our university eating palette infinite ly, yet most of us do not know who they are.
@hybrid.calisthenics: Hampton’s account is full of easy-tofollow exercises and tips on how to improve your workouts and range of motion. It’s motivational, inclu sive and very beginner-friendly. He explains the reasons behind all his different exercises and he’s very en couraging as he does so. I like the line from one of his videos — “It’s about health, not ego.”
people who are just looking for a new workout or a fitness lifestyle page to follow will have to find them under mountains of influ encers hawking different diets and supplements claiming to make peo ple lose weight instantly.
“Most of the time when someone orders we pay attention to what they are wearing. Usually, there is a color-popping out, such as blue or red. Then, once the sub is com plete, we look for that color in the crowd and point.”
Mihret VolunteerYirgeta With spring coming in and the weather warming up, our feed will start to get an influx of messag es saying things like “Get your bi kini body ready!” or “Lose weight in time for the summer!” This has been a trend that has been going on for years, with so-called fitness influ encers telling people to lose weight and get their summer bodies ready while trying to sell people on all their different diet fads. However, the pressure to lose weight from these perfect-looking people on the inter net can be incrEdibly detrimental to people’s health — mentally and phys Theseically. messages of weight loss and the glorification of thinness set in crEdibly unreasonable expectations on people, adding to the already un realistic standards of beauty. They also make anyone who has not achieved a “summer body” feel bad about themselves, creating body im age issues for people. The extreme diets being shelled out by some in fluencers can also cause eating disor ders in people who believe they need them to lose weight. The pressure to be thin and the fear associated with being perceived as fat or overweight as a bad thing can create self-esteem issues and can be a source of mental Additionally,anguish.
Most of us have had the bizarre ex perience of a Bake Chef employee knowing our order by just looking at us, even when it is rush hour. I was dying to ask Vu how they do it.
The university closures due to the pandemic was a change that they also had to adapt to. “It was weird because the entire time that we have been at the uni versity Mac Hall has always been full, so seeing only a few people around when the university goes online was something we were not used to.” he said.
Bake Chef: The best place to eat on campus
Fortunately, there has been a recent wave of body-positive fitness in fluencers who focus on things oth er than weight loss and thinness, such as building strength, becoming healthier, improving mental health and building a more positive attitude towards your body. Their workouts tend to be more motivational and supportive — some of them even emphasizing the importance of hav ing fun. Here are a few body-positive Instagram accounts to follow if you want to get more active or even if you are just looking for a change in your workout routine.
APRIL 12, 2022 | 15thegauntlet.ca/category/lifestyle
Of course, a good argument is never general. So, for the sake of making this argument a good one, I’m go ing to limit my discussion to film. The Academy Awards is the largest American award show production with a viewership of over 40 mil lion in recent years. The Oscars are hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science which is composed of a group of “industry professionals” who get together and decide which one of the abun dance of films produced all across the globe over the year, deserves the most Thesepraise.professionals include people from all the categories you see pre sented in the Oscars but also cast ing directors, producers and other stakeholders and crew members we don’t typically get to see. However, this group, as you might imagine, is quite limited in terms of diversity — being mostly white and male. Only recently — as recent as 2020 — has the Academy started includ ing more minorities. In a 2016 in terview with the LA Times, former President of the Academy, Frank Pierson said, “I don’t see any reason why the academy should represent the entire American population. That’s what the People’s Choice Awards are for. We represent the professional filmmakers and if that doesn’t reflect the general popula tion, so be it.” That sounds fair enough until you start asking the big question — why are the demographics of the film industry so overwhelmingly white and Well,male?I’mglad you asked. The Acad emy is not the only group of “pro fessionals” in the film industry to at tempt an erasure of minority voices.
In a New York Times article, A. O. Scott writes, “I recently watched an insightful, timely and at times pain fully funny movie about a young African-American actor trying to break into the movies. [...] he finds that the available roles are limited and limiting. He can play a slave or a thug, a buffoon or a saint. The filmmakers and casting directors — virtually all of them white — urge him to shuffle and suffer, to clown and strut and in every case to con firm their ideas of what a Black per son should be, which is not really a person at all.”
You see, this whole business is one vicious cycle. At some point, white men started gatekeeping the indus try — as they do — and with that power and privilege, they started excluding all minorities from the discussion. Everyone, from the person who decides whether a film gets funded to the person who de cides what films get nominated for an award are overwhelmingly white and male. So, how is a woman, a person of colour, anyone who falls outside of that standard supposed to keep up?
How can an environment where people are selected on biased crite ria, by a privileged majority, forced to conform to white standards of what makes “good art” and are robbed of their authenticity to gain eligibility to compete, nurture com munity-building? If y’all find the an swer, shoot me an email.
Let me introduce you to Alice GuyBlaché, a pioneer in cinema. She was one to attempt many firsts, including being the first female director in the recorded history of cinema. Coincidentally, she also di rected AFoolandHisMoney, a film with an all-Black cast about people who get rich and take over the ar istocracy — really makes you think, doesn’t it? I’m sure it wouldn’t sur prise you to hear that male film his torians at the time took a big, old white-out to her name and basically wrote her off the history of cinema.
16 | APRIL 12, 2022 Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofCOPINIONS »
Afew weeks ago, I was finding comfort in rewatching Daria In the season two episode “Arts ‘N Crass,” when asked to participate in a student poster competition by her arts teacher, Jane says, “I really don’t think artists should compete with each other. See, I believe in a community of creativity.” This got me thinking — why is it that we put such value into evaluat ing art, so much so that we’ve built entire cultural phenomena around it, when art is completely subjec tive? Every year, around the globe, millions are spent on creating award shows to celebrate the best of art, whether that be film, television, mu sic, you name it. Now, there was a time when I would argue that these award shows actu ally contribute to community-build ing. They’re basically huge network ing events where artists appreciate each others’ work and get to know people in their respective indus tries. However, with the way award shows are currently laid out, is com munity-building really achievable?
The film industry needs to reflect the general population, in the sense that the people making the films, the people in front of the camera, the people behind the camera, the people whose stories are being told, need to represent the diversity that exists within our North American population. Film is such a sacred mEdium in that it provides an im mersive experience for viewers, it inspires, it opens up a whole world of possibilities. So why limit the conversations that can be had, why limit the communities that can be forged, why limit the films that can be made?
BRING OUT THE POPCORN »
MALEA NGUYENArtists should work together instead of competing.
Ava GeneralZardynezhadEditor
So, what point am I trying to make here? Well, quite frankly, award shows are a flop for me. You might say, “Ava, you’re generalizing. This is just the history of the Oscars, what about other shows?” and I would say, “hold my chai,” and write you an article per major award show.
Award shows: Bop or flop?
Under Bill 21, the Coalition Avenir Québec party (QAC), led by François Legault, stigmatizes religious and racialized minorities by further positioning them at the center of political and social debates and contentions that seek to challenge their clothing, identity and religious choices. Consequently, this fuels Islamophobic, anti-Semitic and anti-Sikh sentiments and acts by denying their identities to employment, economic or social stability andunderpins their advancement in the workforce.
Canadians need to stop associating this Bill with a localized or national issue. As seen in the discriminatory hijab laws in France, community members and leaders must acknowledge their silence and hesitant position concerning racism as it appears hypocritical and superficial — both on the national and international levels. The research behind Bill 21 exposes its faults in creating second-class citizens and economic determinants. As many Québecois Jewish, Muslim and Sikh students find themselves contemplating their future, the toxicity, vulnerability and danger that will come out of Bill 21 will be detrimental. Bill 21 has and will continue to dramatically affect student bodies and communities due to its divisive nature. In the aim of change, petitions can help foster awareness on this matter. Such calls to action become vital when garnering support, inclusion and even resistance.
APRIL 12, 2022 | 17thegauntlet.ca/category/opinions Please clean out your fall/winter locker by April 29 $5 / bag to retrieve any contents left in locker Rent your locker for spring/summer semesters beginning April 1 Rent your locker at my.ucalgary.ca
Lamara Jaber Volunteer Following December 2021, Fatemeh Anvari, an elementary school teacher, was removed from her teaching duties in Québec. Why? Because she wears the Hijab. This is where we currently are in a ‘‘progressive’’ society and country. Known as Laïcité or Québec’s secularism bill, Bill 21 implements definitions and limitations regarding secularism, religious freedoms and ultimately reasonability. The notion of secularism becomes defined by political, social and even cultural communities, institutions and policies, where figures aim to foster a “balanced” relationship between a government and religious veins. The mentality behind Bill 21 has been defended through arguments of escaping the “toxic influence of militant Islamic fundamentalists” and upholding secularism which thus, bans definite religious identities. As it prohibits Muslim, Jewish and Sikh Québecois from wearing any religious attire and actively holding occupation in public institutions, this legality exposes stark governmental views and definitions on “proper” body politic and citizenProponentsship. of this Bill overlook its disproportionate implementation and impact on the economies and identities of racialized peoples. As adherents of non-Christian religions wear religious symbols as it is often considered to be a vital part of their religious duty, practice and connection, they become discounted in the name of politics. Its assignment upon certain groups in public and societal debates achieves an inherent racist aim to confine personal and collective practices on behalf of colonial ideals of so-called “incluInsion.”2019, Table de Concertation Contre le Racism Systématique (TCRS) publicly released statements that exposed Bill 21’s institutionalized discrimination, which places racialized peoples and increasingly women — who hold the majority of education jobs — in positions of vulnerability and is a far cry from secularism. This Bill is a clear case of systematic discrimination as its normalization from such policies further drives the wedge between certain peoples, customs and religions.
This denial and hesitance surrounding particular political figures and the suggestion that Bill 21 is a product of Québec’s “uniqueness” or relationship with Laïcité — secularism — mistakenly allows one to understand its legality by masking the hidden realities and experiences for many.
Bill 21: Secularism or racism? MITRA SAMAVAKIQuebec’s conterversial bill sparks conversation.
PROBLEMATIC QUEBEC »
As is known, everyday discrimination and racism become systemic when purported institutional practices develop into disparate regulations, laws, rules and policies. This limits access to resources for targeted individuals and groups, which restricts their participation in certain places and thus, reinforces social and economic inequities.
Lower level, MacEwan Student Centre
In another take, such legalities can show the other side of the coin — one that comes down to political advancement or self-interests. The inaction from many governmental authorities such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Canadian political parties indicates that affairs concerning human rights or minority issues fall short when considering electoral calculations.
Abdul VolunteerAbbas C algary’s footprint in the enter tainment space has been grow ing exponentially and shows no signs of stopping. Heartland — shot in Alberta — was the fifth-highest access point for Netflix. “[It had] 20 billion views in 2021,” says Calgary’s Film Commissioner, Luke Azevedo, in an interview with the Gauntlet Azevedo and his team are respon sible for bringing huge Hollywood productions and stars to our city and surrounding area, such as Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson for Jumanji 2, Paul Rudd for Ghost busters: Afterlife, Leonardo DiCap rio for The Revenant and Pedro Pascal for The Last of Us — filming now. So, if you’re looking for some one to thank — or blame for the traffic downtown — Azevedo’s your Givenguy. how fast the film industry has been growing in Calgary, it’s important to unpack what this means for our city and what oppor tunities it may present for students and young Calgarians. But first, let’s take a deeper look at what a film commissioner does.
ARTS & CULTURE » 18 | APRIL 12, 2022 Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofC
Azevedo thinks Calgary’s success in the film industry goes beyond our beautiful views of the Rocky Moun
Calgary’s
According to him, the Film Commission, the unions, the provincial government and post-secondary institutes have collaboratively been focused on creating capacity for students from the University of Calgary and other schools to enter the industry with whatever degree they have — so long as it can be applied to the industry. Regard less of whether it’s a theory-based degree or a technical, hands-on degree, it’s all applicable to this booming industry.
“Our job here at the film commis sion starts before we know a proj ect’s coming and lasts until the proj ect has left,” Azevedo said. “There’s no value to a show coming here if [we] can’t make the things that they need to happen, happen. [Studios] come to us as the one-window ac cess for all their needs as they move Toforward.”Azevedo’s team, this could mean getting approval to shut down the fourth avenue fly-over for a week end to film, reviewing a film’s script to see if Calgary fits the film’s visu al requirements or connecting the studios with local film unions to see if they have what it takes to bring their story to life. The job would also mean traveling the world to sell Calgary and Alberta as a great place to film. This level of holistic support is un common, as many cities can’t assist productions in the way Calgary does. This is because the City of Calgary has mandated the film in dustry as a “priority sector,” which gives the film commission the re sources it needs to attract film pro ductions to our city.
got to be a location that has talent behind the camera,” he said. “You’ve got to have a location that is striving for diversity, equity and inclusion in your sector. You’ve got to be a location that has sound stag That’ses.”
“In Canada, this is a significant im pact industry. Creative industries represent 600,000 employees — film and television is 170,000 em ployees [nationwide],” he said. “We have an impact on the Canadian GDP. No question.”
And if you’re thinking of getting into film, now is the time — Cal gary was recently ranked the 10th best city in North America to work in film.
You might be asking, why has there been such a drastic spike in film productions coming to Calgary in recent years.
“In Alberta, there was probably somewhere near $560 million [in revenue generated] — $520 million of that was done in Calgary.”
Is Calgary the next Canadian
Azevedo elaborated on the effects of this industry around the country.
“You’vetains.
CAMERAS, LIGHTS, ACTION! »
MACKENZIE ASHCROFTMany directors are choosing to film their productions in Alberta.
“We’ve always been known for the quality of the work that we do. We’ve been known for our crews. We’re known for our talent in front of the camera. We’ve been known for our infrastructure. All those pieces were in place. So as soon as we triggered the incentive […] the world opened up. All of a sudden we became nationally and internation ally Thiscompetitive.”referstothe film tax incentive, which is an amount of money that a government rebates to a film or TV studio for the taxes they paid during filming in that region.
At a time when young profession als are leaving the city more than ever in pursuit of better career prospects, it’s interesting to note that an industry that people don’t usually associate with Calgary is booming with opportunity. Given that the film industry requires talent from a wide range of disci plines — from electrical work to financial accounting — it’s very likely you’ll find an opportunity that fits your career path. filming hub? Film Commissioner weighs in
Lastly, Azevedo spoke about how young professionals and students can break into the film industry.
something Calgary has in spades, with three purpose-built film stages opening in the last few years. The Calgary Film Centre, Rocky Mountain Studios and For tress Studios combined account for “well over half a million square feet” of filming space in the city. However, none of this would mat ter if these productions didn’t pro vide financial profits to the city and province. Azevedo mentioned in an interview in January 2021 that the film industry was forecasted to gen erate $400 million of revenue for the Alberta economy in 2021.
Rachneet Randhawa General Editor
“The way this one’s going to stand out compared to all the other por trait ballets would definitely be the music. Everyone is so cononic in the arts that we danced to what people think of when they think of Bowie.
The second act was more mellow and direct and had fewer transi tions between scenes. For starters, they embarked on a forest nymph scene with the dancers eloquently parading around the green and lus cious enchanting backdrop. They breakaway into a duo performance by a couple of the starlet dancers, full of romance and gracefulness and perhaps the strongest set of the Theperformance.stagethen transformed into an almost grunge-esque scene with pa trol officers and security dogs run ning amuck. The following scene is perhaps the most iconic and represents the strongest character motif of presumably the boy who is stuck in this so-called digital world in that he finally comes to face his demons. The set is transformed into a sparring battle between the digital world boy and a giant viking creature and is the poetic climax of the story. The costume of the Where-the-Wilds-Things-Are-likecreaturewithdancersonstiltswasimpressivetosaytheleast.Thescenethencutsagaintotheenchantingforestbutthistimeit’sbecomemoreeccentricasescapeesfromthedigitalworldgatherintoalmostacultandpaytributeinanancientworshiptomothernatureherself.Asthecurtaincallclosestheaudiencewasleftwithaspectacularfeelingofhavingwitnessedsomethinguniqueandinsightfulofastoryofaboylivingin-betweenthedividesofthedigitalandrealworld.Theadditionofanunsettlingvoidandalmostcliffhangerinstunnedamazement,leftsomethinglefttobedesired.UnlikeotherperformancesfromAlbertaBalletwhichfollowatraditionalnarrative,PHIisbothabstractandmetaphoricalwithoverlappingthemesandoptsnottofollowachronologicalorderasitescapestootherworldlydimensions.It’sanew,creativeanddestructivenarrativeofthestrifeofthedigitalworldoverthenaturalworldreemerging.Itshedslightonthedailyhumanexperienceandhowwefindourselvestobemoredisconnectedduetotechnologyandtheinformationagethaneverbefore,alwaysfleetingaswelosetouchwithrealityandbecomedigitalbeings. tre’s sayonara portrait performance
PHI explores the contrast between the futuristic virtual world with the fleeting natural beauty of true real ity. The overall story arc focuses on a boy addicted to a virtual reality world who is rescued by a woman and whisked away to an escapist na ture paradise — an Eden of sorts — where he meets other fellow escap ees from the digital destined world such as himself.
It’s going to present his music in a way that no other artist will be rep resented,” says Kelly MicKinley.
APRIL 12, 2022 | 19thegauntlet.ca/category/arts
“The greatest privilege I’ve had over the past 16 years was to col laborate intimately with the most influential singer-songwriters of our time,” says Grand-Maître. “Joni Mitchell launched the concept and taught me how to understand the process. Her pedigree then opened the door to K. D. Lang, Elton John, Gordon Lightfoot, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan and now, the cherry on top, the legendary David Bowie,” says Grand-Maître. It took Grand-Maître nearly five years to piece together the music curated down to 22 of Bowie’s songs and includes some of his biggest hits including “Heroes,” “Life on Mars?” and “Ashes and Ashes” alongside crafting the $1.2 million stage set.
A fter two years of pandemic related delays, the highly an ticipated final installment in Jean Grand-Maître’s portrait ballet se ries, PHI, features the music of leg endary musician David Bowie and is ready to wow Alberta audiences. Although the story explores hu manity’s growing addiction to tech nology in a contemporary sci-fci ballet in which boy meets digital world, the score is set to legend ary rock and roll star David Bowie, which gives it that iconic lifeblood and “Fiveoomph.yearsago, the idea of creating a portrait ballet to David Bowie’s immense legacy was sparked. Three years ago, it was conceived and de signed. Then the pandemic crashed all of our dreams. But during those two long years, I used the time wise ly to perfect and refine the entire production. I’m hoping it will reveal David Bowie’s prophetic genius in a new, refreshing way,” says GrandThisMaître.ballet in particular was a milestone, as it’s not only one of the much anticipated shows to end the 2021/2022 season but also the retirement of artistic director Jean Grand-Maître and his final portrait ballet after nearly two de cades with the Alberta Ballet. This is also alongside star dancers Kelley McKinlay, who plays the title role in PHI and Reilley McKinlay — now a married couple.
CH-CH-CHANGES » A scence from the production PHI courtesy PAUL MCGRATH courtesy NIGEL GOODWINAlberta Ballet practicing for PHI.
Alberta Ballet’s PHI is Jean Grande-Maî
The performance began with a charismatic David Bowie imitation solo later boldly introduced as he transitions into a conductor over his group of colorful mininiors. Or, in this case, a bombastic display of colorful dancers elegantly pirou etting below him as he dazzles us with his smooth and slick moves. The cyber dream was ignited by the costume choice of shiny metallic and alien-like dresses accented by a fringe bob-cut wig for the female Followingdancers. this, we come to the next scene in which we discover the two protagonists of the story — a boy friend and girlfriend duet couple — who embark on this kaleidoscop ic journey of the digital world to gether. One of their most intimate scenes comes later as a duet set to Bowie’s “You Feel So Lonely You Could Die.” Later the two lovers do this nifty retro skyline scene above a downtown cityscape of sorts. This quickly lapses into perhaps the most prominent features of the first act — the golden butterfly scene. Played by Reiley McKinley her self, she is literally strung up and flies around the stage as a center piece as dancers flutter around her. Hoisted in such elegant grace and interacting with the support of the male dancers it was a dazzling dis play of poise and robustness. Per haps the most thought-provoking scene in the first act was the naked man character doing a contempo rary dance. Although brief, the au dience was aghast to see something so alike to the essence of who Bow ie was and the lingering effects of the meaning behind his music and Next,persona.we had something very much in tune with the quirkiness of the themes of the performance — face less men with black umbrellas, top hat gals showing off their glitzy moves and a performer with fiery red hair scene set against various backdrops. As an exit out of the first act of the performance, the au dience was left with a more subtle green backdrop with an open and arching door mysteriously left out for the audience.
Davor
Within the U of C, a group of multi disciplinary researchers are tackling cybersecurity on a local level under the banner of the Institute for Se curity, Privacy and Information As surance (ISPIA). While many ISPIA members work on the technological side, many are also from outside the faculty of science. Researchers from law, mEdicine, the Haskayne School of Business and the Faculty of Arts are pooling their expertise with sci entists and engineers.
sometimes cyberse curity is a game of chance, but that doesn’t mean that we, as individu als and as a country, can’t stack the deck in our own favour.
As we move towards an increas ingly digital future, protecting ourselves online is becoming more and more important. That is why the University of Calgary, in collab oration with Concordia University, Ryerson University, the University of Waterloo and the University of New Brunswick, is leading a fed erally incorporated, not-for-profit national cybersecurity effort, aptly called the National Cybersecurity Consortium Cybersecurity(NCC).isabroad set of tech nologies and techniques designed to protect data, information and com puters from online threats. Accord ing to Dr. Ken Barker, an executive director of the NCC and professor of computer science at U of C, the mo tivation behind the consortium was to foster collaboration in enhancing Canadian cybersecurity. Instead of the traditional model of research ers bitterly fighting each other for research grants, the NCC distributes the money according to where it is needed. But this isn’t limited to the five founding universities.
While recognizing a need for skilled students and workers is one thing, actually building the capacity to generate them in a meaningful way is a challenge. Existing programs can address this to some degree, but it is not enough, according to Bark “Whater.
“If you think you’re safe because you’re not a target, you’re confused about how most of this works,” says Unfortunately,Barker.
SYLVIA LOPEZ
changing, our whole prov ince is going through a transition, and it is painful […] we have to think about [Alberta’s economy] differ ently,” said Barker. “These are peo ple who already have many of the technical abilities already in place.” Programs such as U of C’s profes sional masters in information secu rity and privacy, which work to re train professionals within a year, are seen as an important step towards tapping this large pool of talent.
20 | APRIL 12, 2022 Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofCSCIENCE »
Barker also says that while students are not targeted per se, it is still important to be diligent. Standard practices to keep yourself safe in clude interacting only with trusted sources, being wary of phishing at tacks (emails designed to trick an individual into disclosing private information), and of course, main taining strong passwords.
COOKIES AND CACHE » Calgary a leader in national cybersecurity
we’re discovering is that in formation security — this whole privacy issue — it’s different than computer science,” said Barker. And while certainly taking a few spe cialty courses will get students out the door, “once they’re out the door, they’ve got an awful lot of things to learn yet because they’ve looked at it from a purely technological per Instead,spective.”Barker suggests we should start looking at cybersecurity as an emerging discipline, one that may require an undergraduate degree in the Therefuture.isanother source of workers that is less traditional, but almost completely untapped — a massive cohort of educated Albertans who are finding themselves at the mercy of an unprEdictable energy econo “We’remy.
VolunteerCuric
“I think what the University of Cal gary has been able to do around ISPIA is to create a culture of multi disciplinarity in a really meaningful way,” said Barker.
Not only have 140 researchers across 40 universities joined the effort, but the NCC is also working closely with industry and other not-for-profit partners. This is all to promote cybersecurity across the board — from initial concep tualization to commercial product, and from individuals working from home to critical infrastructures like health care, banking and energy. And yes, this includes university students who keep assignments or thesis work in the cloud without a Forbackup.this to be feasible, however, the NCC needs to overcome what it sees as a shortage of expertise. This means an emphasis on training a new batch of cybersecurity experts. Part of this involves organizing col laborative training across the coun try — something only possible with a robust organizational network in place. But if you think this just means more computer science ma jors, think again. Cybersecurity is not only a technological challenge, it is also a social policy challenge, a business challenge involving com plicated intellectual property rights issues and much more.
Be careful when disclosing private and sensitive information.
The most common attacks howev er are simply random automated scripts designed to probe for poten tial weaknesses in software. Lim iting the number of organizations with which individuals share their personal information online is an important aspect of digital security.
GAUNTLET MIXTAPE VOL. 10 STAFF & VOLUNTEER PICKS
Aquarius (January 21February 19) Switching between in-person and online. You can be wishy-washy like the university’s administration and their decisions with our education in regards to COVID-19, so this fits you perfectly.
4. This mountainous country is famous for its hot tub loving monkeys, cuisine and anime.
5. This country is home to the world’s largest waterfall, Angel Falls.
LAST ISSUE ANSWER the world
Libra (September 23October 22) U of A stealing the Rock outside of MacHall. This is another famous tale for all new U of C students. You know when you want to fit in so you do something dumb so others think you’re cool? Libras like getting approval from everyone and this feels
3. This country is the only African nation with exposure to both the Atlantic Ocean and MEditerranean Sea.
Horoscope: Which U of C catastrophe is each sign?
CROSSWORD »
Scorpio (October 23November 22)
Leo (July 23 – August 21) The dumpster fire in the Education building earlier this year. You’ve always loved to be the centre of attention and what better way than to start a dumpster fire on campus?
like a dare you can’t back down from.
KEY: Around
7. If you love farm animals, then jet off to this island country where there’s roughly six sheep for every one person.
Virgo (August 22 - September 22) Engineer breaking his arm in the zipper. This tale is essential to understanding the university’s lore. Most faculties like to make fun of engineers for their many shortcomings and Virgo is no exception. Engineers and Virgos alike share in the euphoria of wanting to reach that peak, and one mistake feels like breaking an arm.
Ramiro Bustamante Torres Soothsayer
Aries (March 21 - April 20) Student official punching another student at Bermuda Shorts Day 2018. You are always one to fight for what you believe in, which may result in a scandal.
Gemini (May 21 – June 21) Rumours on the old U of C Confessions Facebook page of Bake chef closing. You hate drama but love to see it unfold. Whoever wrote this anonymously years ago, they knew how to strike fear in the hearts of students.
Student bringing in a paper mache firearm in 2019. Sometimes you do stuff to feel alive. Bringing something that looks dangerous to get the thrill of everyone being scared of you, and then getting escorted off campus might do the trick.
Catching a couple having sex on campus. We know at least a handful of people run into some funny business every year. You are considered one of the most attractive signs due to your allure which may seem great but can also lead to uncomfortable situations.
ACROSS
1. In this East Asian country known for its breathtaking beaches, it’s illegal to leave your house without your underwear on.
9. Alpaca lovers rejoice, because threefourths of the global population of these fluffy critters call this South American country home.
O ver the years, there have been a few mishaps and incidents that have occurred across campus that have brought us together or tore us apart as a campus community. Here are some of those moments and why they relate to each sign.
The behemoth shit that was taken at University station a month ago. Have you ever cared what others think of you? Maybe, but that won’t stop you from doing what you have to do.
Unnecessary tuition hikes. Capricorn is an earth sign, which in tarot, relates to the pentacles suit in the minor arcana. Pentacles tend to signify wealth, but not always your own, just like the budget cuts to university funding. These tuition increases are a sign of losing wealth.
Capricorn (December 22 - January 20)
6. If you love the winter holidays, check out this country, which boasts the worlds largest annual Christmas mar8.ket.This country is home to the titular city for noted banger Istanbul (not Constantinople). Send a photo of a completed crossword to volunteer@thegauntlet.ca Be among the first three submitters to be congratulated in our next issue and win a Gauntlettoque!
Pisces (February 20March 20) Craigie basement flooding. There is something about hiding your emotions and letting things bottle up inside, just like the basement bathrooms flooding the majority of Craigie basement and stinking up the place in the Winter semester of 2019.
Cancer (June 22 – July 22) The water pipe bursting in Science B hallway in 2019. Cancer always gets a bad rep for being the crybaby, but when you’ve reached your limit, you just have to let it all out. Turns out the pipe’s limit was -40 degrees Celsius weather.
Sagittarius (November 23 - December 21)
Megan Wilson Studying Abroad Hey Dinos! With borders around the world opening for international travel this spring, it’s time to dust of your geography skills. Use these fun global facts to guess the country in the crossword.
Taurus (April 21 - May 20)
22 | APRIL 12, 2022 Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofCHUMOUR »
10. This country boasts Africa’s largest economy, hundreds of butterfly species and a thriving film industry. DOWN 2. A popular legend of this tiny country is after sending 80 men to war with Italy, 81 came back.
OMEN ADVISING »
Editors: Megan Koch & Valery news@thegauntlet.caPerez@GauntletUofCVISUALS » APRIL 12, 2022 | 23 KOCHMEGAN PEREZVALERY SAMAVAKIMITRA LOPEZSYLVIA JAMESMATT KABENGELEGRACE HILBRECHTERIC NGUYENMALEA ABDOLLAHISAEED ASHCROFTMACKENZIE
