NOVEMBER 22, 2021 The University of Calgary’s independent student newspaper Vol. 61, Issue No. 3 THE GAUNTLET NEWS: FEATURE: LIFESTYLE: NEW ENGINEERINGDEGREEBIOMEDIN U OF C PROF TALKS ANNUAL FLU VACCINE WINTER FASHION TIPS TO LOOK HOT WHILE IT’S COLD p. 5 p. 12-13 p. 19
Voices Editor: Aymen voices@thegauntlet.caSherwani Voices Assistants: AnjaliJenzelleChoudharySalazar Visuals Editors: Megan Koch Valery visuals@thegauntlet.caPerez
News Editor: Sophia Lopez Julieanne news@thegauntlet.caAcosta News Assistants: Luis ArmandoEnobongSanchezDiazUkpong
Contributors Manahil Hassan // Frankie Berardino // Nicholas Cervania // Christian Lowry // Samantha Amundarain// Mihret Amdu Yirgeta // Andrea Silva Santisteban Fort // Megan Wilson // Jackson L. Mullins // Furor Arma Ministrat Room 319, MacEwan Students’ Centre 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N http://www.thegauntlet.ca1N4
Online Editor: Masoud Karimi online@thegauntlet.caFatemi
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 spilled soy sauce from the Layout Editor’s lunch and bad jokes from the Editor-in-Chief’s grade 8 classroom. Please bring enough napkins and a sense of humour to the nearest recycling bin.
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It’s the same old story —students are tired and overworked, but they continue to advocate for change
T hese past few years have felt like screaming into a void, but the last couple of weeks have been exceptionally frustrating. No matter how hard we try, it hasn’t felt like we’ve been able to make any substantive, permanent change for the better in a very long time. Over the summer of 2020, the world took to the streets, urging our leaders to take a step towards eradicating injustices that have become fundamental in our societies. We raised our voices only to be let down, like we have been time and time again. Maybe this is the nature of the capitalist society we live in — profit of the elite trumps all. In the past two weeks alone, we’ve had many monumental calls to action that went unheard. Albertan students protested tuition hikes in the midst of a global pandemic that has crippled many financially. Global citizens demanded climate action at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, only for our so-called leaders to stick a giant, old band aid called “compromise” on the gaping wound of the world. Alberta physicians have cried their voices hoarse, calling for some semblance of action from the provincial government to prevent a fifth wave of the pandemic, only to be ignored as they have been time and time again over the past two years. As we stand now, being hopeful is extremely difficult. It seems no matter how desperate for change the world is, all anyone in charge has to offer is inaction. How do we keep going when every effort seems pointless — when we feel absolutely powerless?
General Editors: Ava general@thegauntlet.caRachneetZardynezhadRandhawa
- Ava Zardynezhad Gauntlet Editorial Board
MASTHEAD Editor-in-Chief: Cristina eic@thegauntlet.caPaolozzi
EDITORIAL
Twitter: @GauntletUofC Instagram: @gauntletuofc Online: www.thegauntlet.ca
The capitalist values of our society have brainwashed us into having tunnel vision, solely focused on individual goals and achievements. However, the circumstances of our world — this pandemic, our climate crisis and more — require a collectivist mindset, one that puts more emphasis on the goals and the wellbeing of the whole. Looking back on the past couple of weeks, it’s also necessary to take the time to grieve our failed efforts. Being let down time and time again, combined with the imminent sense of doom that brews as our lives are threatened by the pressures of living in capital-driven realities can cause a great deal of anxiety. It is important to allow some time to process what is happening to us and make opportunities for recovery. Finally, it is just as important to be persistent and motivated. History has shown that change in our modern societies happens slowly. Despite failures, it’s essential that we keep sight of what truly matters, that we pursue our values and call forth the change that we want to see in the world.
The Golden Spatula – Manahil Hassan For tackling a difficult but needed discussion on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit people in Canada. We hope that her work fosters continued engagement in this conversation.
Cover Photo by Ramiro Bustamante Torres
Layout Editor: Ramiro Bustamante layout@thegauntlet.caTorres
Nawab said that Life Long Men tors are trying to provide options outside of the traditional medical model so that young people can find more accessible and relatable
As a result of the pandemic, many young people have continuously struggled with mental health issues, and Nawab said that he has seen the use of Life Long Mentors help with increased feelings of loneliness, burnout and a general lack of social “Unfortunately,connection.
“That true compassion between the peer support, mentor and mentee is something that we really want to cultivate,” he said. “So in that ser vice, we can see the benefits of peer support which is all about meeting people where they’re at and having that lived experience, where a psy chologist or psychiatrist or some one in the medical model may not have to provide that comprehensive However,care.” the peer support model is also the source of some challenges Life Long Mentors have faced.
“Thesupport.big idea here is that these in dividuals have lived experience, but they have recovered and demon strated resiliency throughout their experiences with mental health,” said Nawab. “They’re really trying to provide that glimpse into their life and share it as a way of hope and en couragement to people that are un dergoing any challenges with their mental health.”
“Peercountry.support has a benefit, and we should be creating more of these programs for youth to access be cause it does have a positive impact for youth mental health.”
Life Long Mentors have a threestep procedure for those who access the service. The first step is an ini tial consultation to pair that person with the best mentee. The second step is a volunteer and mentee meet-and-greet and the third step is the individualized peer-support sessions, which are primarily taking place over Zoom.
Nawab has two main goals for the future of Life Long Mentors — to conduct research on peer support solutions regarding mental health, and to provide this care not only within the province but across the
Nawab stressed that while the medi cal model is necessary and still very important as a pathway for recov ery, Life Long Mentors offer a more holistic approach to youth mental “I’mhealth.not saying that people shouldn’t seek support from a doctor or psy chologist — that’s also very, very important,” he said. “But when we’re looking at mental health and ways to overcome any challenges that peo ple are facing, it’s very important to have that holistic model approach, and that’s something that Life Long Mentors really strive to achieve.”
A
Life Long Mentors offer peer mental health support for youth
with the whole COVID situation, we have seen an increase in individuals accessing the program,” said Nawab. “Loneliness is a big one because, with COVID, we were restrained with the lockdowns, we can’t go outside, some people are more extroverted than other people or even the paranoia that comes with going outside — normal, daily events were really tested with COVID. But Life Long Mentors adapted through that virtual platform and it’s been really good in terms of increasing Someaccessibility.”ofthe successes Nawab has already experienced with Life Long Mentors includes the feedback from people who have accessed the ser vice being overwhelmingly positive.
A holistic approach to youth mental health.
“Peer support is pairing someone who is facing a mental health chal lenge with someone who has lived experience with mental health as a way to offer help,” he said. “Peer support philosophy involves peer education, peer listening and also peer mentorship — so it’s basically meeting up with someone who has been in your shoes. I found that to be the most compassionate way of addressing mental health challeng es faced by youth.”
s students are preparing to wrap up their first semester back from almost two years of completely online learning, more and more young people are access ing mental health resources. While there are many services across the city students can access, a new initiative called Life Long Mentors provides an alternative ap proach to mental health aid. Created by a first-year medical stu dent from the University of Calgary, Hassan Nawab, Life Long Mentors offers peer support services that connect youth with a trained volun teer who has lived experience with mental health. This service is of fered free of charge, and there is no need for prior referral. Nawab spoke with the Gauntlet about how this service hopes to change the shifting landscape of mental health resources and how it’s specifically targeted for youth to ac cess in times of need. A long-time mental health advocate, Nawab obtained an honours psy chology degree from the University of Alberta and was involved with an organization called Active Minds. “We were basically a grassroots movement that I founded,” said Nawab. “It was a student movement but I wanted to see ourselves more as a social movement dedicated to changing the conversation sur rounding mental health.” Nawab said that a huge inspiration for Life Long Mentors came from a goal to move past advocacy, putting the skills he learned in his psycholo gy undergrad together with his cur rent studies in medicine. Nawab also spoke about the stigma that peer support specifically has as a mental health resource, and how he hopes to overcome that and provide quality services for youth.
Life Long Mentors are looking for volunteers to get involved and help with their peer-support program. For more information and to see the requirements to apply, check out their website www.lifelongmentor ing.com.
Cristina Editor-in-ChiefPaolozzi
Nawab wanted to create some thing that was both accessible, but focused on compassion and found that using a peer-support system with people who have had lived ex perience with mental health chal lenges was the best approach.
Editors: Sophia Lopez & Julieanne news@thegauntlet.caAcosta@GauntletUofCNEWS » NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 3 PEER SUPPORT »
“Is this a legitimate program? It’s something that we get asked a lot,” said Nawab. “So just shining the light on peer support and talking about the research that’s being done and the fact that this sort of program has been also implemented in hospital care as a part of a holistic model is very important to overcome.”
COURTESY HASSAN NAWAB
AFFIRMING
“It will give researchers in the field an award to strive for and it will give the researchers who are already doing great work in this field a lot of validation — that they deserve,” he said. “This will trickle down to students who look up to these professors and researchers and they will see themselves in the research that is being produced.”
VALERY PEREZ
Equity, Diversity
The Office
Sophia Lopez News Editor
Over the next few months, the pi lot program will go through exten sive consultation among the U of C community to receive feedback and “faculties will begin to imple ment the principles and practices” laid out in the plan.
Members of the U of C community are encouraged to read a two-page summary or the complete plan and provide feedback to equity@ucal Visitgary.ca.the Taylor Institute of Teach ing and Learning webpage to read more about the nomination pro cess as well as the requirements. To learn more about the initiative, check out the EDI office’s website. Read the complete pilot program at ucalgary.ca. of and Inclusion launches pilot plan for EDI award in research and teaching MEGAN KOCH
While the policy is something that helps all U of C students, it especially impacts international students, abuse victims and transgender students.
In an interview with the Gauntlet, the co-president of the Residence Rainbow Council at the U of C, Grace Donner, discussed her initial thoughts on the announcement and how such a policy is a positive step forward.
“I think the university can always do more for students,” she said. “There are so many ways that the university has fallen short in terms of supporting students — but I do think that this is a first positive step in the right direction. I hope that we continue to see positive changes in the future as time progress Donneres.” shared her personal experi ence as a queer woman of colour on campus, and how the university needs to make a greater effort in protecting all of its students.
“Myself, as a queer woman of colour, I definitely feel that I’ve experienced a lot of marginalization in general, but particularity at the University of Cal gary,” said Donner. “As students, we have rights to fair treatment, to respect, to dignity at the school. So making sure students feel empowered to stand up for themselves if they think that their needs aren’t being met, and to ask for changes if they think that change needs to take place, could be really powerful for Donnerstudents.”emphasized the importance of the flexible name-change policy and how it shows respect from the universi ty to its students.
let, Students’ Union ( SU) Vice-Pres ident Student Life Assad Ali Bik, welcomed the consultation process and expressed that it is a step for ward in advancing EDI goals.
The deadline for submitting nomi nations is March 3, 2022.
INCLUSION ON CAMPUS »
In a conversation with the Gaunt
The university has faced heavy crit icism these past few months over its lack of student consultations on de cisions such as the increase of tuition for the Fall 2022 semester. Donner believes that although the university has struggled to meet the needs of stu dents, this new policy is a positive first step in making students feel more seen and heard.
The Teaching Awards have the aim of celebrating and recogniz ing the “outstanding contributions to teaching and learning,” made by “members of [the] university community who, through their commitment and expertise, create deep and lasting learning experi ences,” according to the Taylor In stitute for Teaching and Learning.
The Residence Rainbow Council offers support for students. Deadline for nominations is March 3, 2022.
Abandoning a non-affirming name is a big step for anyone. At the Res idence Rainbow Council, support is always offered to students who need it and offered an inclusive space for everyone. Visit the Residence Rain bow Council’s website if you need any support, to find out about future events, and other general informa tion about the council and who to Youcontact.can find out more about how to change your name on U of C identifi cation documents, on the university’s website.
Assad mentioned that the SU is currently not involved in the pilot program but hopes that they will be part of it in the near future and stressed the importance of taking student voices into account.
NAMES » Luis Armando Diaz Sanchez News Assistant T he University of Calgary’s Of fice of Equity Diversity and Inclusion ( EDI) recently launched a pilot plan for the EDI award as part of the Teaching Awards by the Taylor Institute of Teaching and ItLearning.wasco-developed by Dr. Ma linda Smith, vice-provost equity, diversity and inclusion along with Dr. Leslie Reid, vice-provost teach ing and learning and Dr. Robert Thomson, the vice-provost of re will run from Oc tober to April 2022 and was “de veloped to embed a foundational commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion ( EDI) in the identi fication and nomination of can didates for external research and teaching excellence awards,” and it is grounded in research that “demonstrates that diversi ty makes us smarter, improves problem-solving enhances deci sion-making fuels creativity and drives innovation,” as stated on the U of C’s website.
Overall, there are 14 categories and the number is expected to increase to 15 next year once the EDI award is included in the list. The catego ries include awards that celebrate Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Graduate Supervision, Curricu lum Development and Experien tial Learning Initiatives, among others. Out of all the awards, there are only four that are given on an individual and group basis — Edu cational Leadership and Non-Aca demic Staff.
The policy approved by the Calendar and Curriculum subcommittee and the Academic Planning and Priorities Committee of the General Facilities Council, allows students to submit a statutory declaration, marriage licence or passport documentation of the name they would like used in the university’s system. This can be done online and free of charge.
“As [transgender people] come out and adopt their new identity, many of them choose to change their given name — the one they were given at birth — be cause it no longer represents who they are or no longer aligns with their gen der,” Donner explained.
4 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 news@thegauntlet.ca
“I think that, in general, seeing an in stitution like the University of Calgary, thinking about marginalized students and minority individuals in ways that they can support them and make their lives easier is definitely a good thing,” she said. “I definitely think that mem bers of the queer community appreci ate this effort.”
“What I’d like to see in this con sultation is the diverse student’s voice. There are many different groups on our campus that can lend great input into this project and this pilot program — I feel their voices should be adequately represented,” he said.
Residence Rainbow Council appreciates allyship from the university on name change option for students
Donner spoke about how making name-changing a more facilitated pro cess will help many LGBTQ+ communi ty members feel more comfortable.
“I think that this change shows a mark of allyship from the University of Calgary and I think that a lot of trans students will really appreciate that,” she said. “Recognizing trans students’ pronouns and their chosen names is a great way of showing respect to those individuals.”
Thesearch.initiative
The University of Calgary recently announced that a flexible namechange policy has been approved for students who wish to update their per sonal names on university identifica tion documents.
“It’s nice to see new programs coming into effect that are cross disciplinary and moving us further and further in the direction of transdisciplinary as per our framework for growth, and so this is definitely an exciting one,” said Balser.
“It’s building upon multiple decades of biomedical engineering research and graduate education and now undergraduate education,” said Rosehart. “It’s something that we took our time and developed the proposal well over a year in terms of consultation to be able to maintain the real transdisciplinary nature of biomedical engineering, while also giving it a disciplinary route to be able to successfully deliver the new engineering undergraduate program in biomedical engineering.”
“This is a department that basically pays for itself through some of the grants that already exist in the institution,” said Finley. “And the hope is this will grow over time.”
“I think this works well with the transdisciplinary model of the university,” said Finley. He noted that in large institutions like the University of Calgary, the transdisciplinary model is often lost due to bureaucratic issues. “So I think anything like this, in the accretion of new departments, is actually really positive.” Finley mentioned that the creation of this department costs nothing at all.
“This new department will be an anchor of multi-faculty activities,” said Kallos in a statement. “It will bring together undergraduate and graduate programming, as well as research and scholarship opportu“Inities.think we really have an awesome opportunity to build a leading biomedical engineering department with support for both of those elements, BME as a discipline, but also the transdisciplinary research and Informationscholarship.”on the Biomedical Engineering program can be found online on the U of C’s academic calendar.
Frank Finley, Board of Governors representative, spoke in favour of this decision.
Enobong Ukpong
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 5thegauntlet.ca/category/news WHAT ' HAPPENINGS FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR TICKETS & INFO machallconcerts.com Feb 262054 Dec 103 Jan @MACE29WANHALL GWAR MACEWAN HALL Killy MACEWAN HALL Cat & Nat MACEWAN HALL T he G l o r io us S o ns MACEWAN HALL 16 Le i f Vo llebe k k MACEWAN BALLROOM E r i c Na m MACEWAN HALL J o J o MACEWAN BALLROOM The Beaches MACEWAN HALL Mar 6 Epik High MACEWAN HALL 30 Big Wreck x Monster Truck MACEWAN HALL
MACKENZIE ASHCROFTThis degree is part of the transdisciplinary model of the university.
News Assistant
New Department of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Teri Balser, provost and vice-president academic, at the University of Calgary, expressed her excitement over the development of the new Department of Biomedical Engineering, and how she is eager to continue seeing the university grow.
The biomedical engineering graduate program has been around for 25 years, as discussed by Dr. Michael Kallos, the director of biomedical engineering. A minor in biomedical engineering has also been offered for 18 years at the undergraduate level. Kallos discussed how offering biomedical engineering as a major will open new opportunities for students, and that a demand for such a major is growing by the day.
O n Oct. 22, the Board of Governors unanimously approved the creation of the sixth department in the Schulich School of Engineering — the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME). Previously, Biomedical Engineering was only available as a specialization, but it is now available as a full Bachelor of Science degree.
Dean of the Schulich School of Engineering, Dr. Bill Rosehart, spoke on his enthusiasm regarding the new department, and how taking the time to prepare the proposal for it is now paying off.
ENGINEERING NEWS »
THE STUDENTS’ UNION Complete listing of student events, concerts and more: www.su.ucalgary.ca/events NOVEMBER 2021 Unde r g r adua t e Re s ea r ch S y m po si u m For more infor mation, visit: s u.uc al g a r y .c a/ ur s Le a r n s ometh i ng ne w a t th is y e a r ’s UR S , w he r e s tu d ent s f r om a c r o ss a ll f acu lti e s s ho w c as e the i r exce p t i on al un d ergr ad u a te r e s e a r c h V i e w r e s ea r ch p r e s en t a ti on s on ou r You T ube channe l du ri ng Re s ea r ch W eek , N ov . 22 - 2 6 www. you t ube . co m/ SUUo f C The SU Campus Food Bank Holiday Hamper We understand that money can be tight over the holiday season so to eliminate some of your stress the Campus Food Bank has introduced the Holiday Hamper. The Holiday Hamper will be available as an add-on to your regular hamper request or can be ordered as a stand-alone hamper. All your favorite holiday food items will be included! Available Nov. 12 – Dec. 3, 2021 Clients are only eligible to receive one Holiday Hamper. Must show valid University of Calgary ID. For more information contact the SU Campus Food Bank at foodbank@ucalgary.ca or 403-220-8599 suuofc 5 x $2,000 to be awarded in April Q PrideCentreScholarship The SU Pride Scholarship is a Quality Money initiative dedicated to recognizing University of Calgary undergraduate students who are actively dedicated to the queer community. Five $2000 scholarships are awarded in the winter semester. Apply Deadline:Today!Feb.25, 2022, at 4 p.m. For more information and to apply, please visit www.su.ucalgary.ca/qcentre
Ultimately, if you are a person with out an invisible disability then you will never understand what it’s like to live with one — no matter how much knowledge and understand ing you gain. But, as a non-disabled individual you can step back from the conversation and allow space for the person living with the dis ability to explain their story and describe how they navigate the world. You can support them when they need it, however, people with invisible disabilities do not have to explain anything about their dis ability or justify anything to you. Some people may be unaware they have a disability or don’t see them selves this way. Potentially, they may not know if they should share their story or if they want to, they may be unable to articulate it. Like everyone else, people with invisible disabilities have the right to priva cy and do not have to share every thing. So don’t pressure or make them feel like they owe you an ex planation, because they don’t. Simi larly, an individual with an invisible disability cannot speak on behalf of every person with invisible disabili ties. There are common themes for many people, but everyone’s expe rience is different and understand ing this can allow for more people to share their stories.
Invisible disabilities, post-secondary education, and compassion
Editor: Aymen voices@thegauntlet.caSherwani@GauntletUofCVOICES » NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 7
DISABILITY AWARENESS »
VALERY PEREZThe Student Accessibilities Services are available at U of C for students who need accomadations.
nvisible disabilities can be loosely described as a branch of disabilities that are not im mediately noticeable to the average person, but still impact the way they go about their lives. Crohn’s Disease, Chronic Pain and mental illnesses such as Generalized Anx iety Disorder (GAD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), just to name a few, affect a significant portion of Canadians that live with them silently, in fear of judgement from others. Living with an invisible disability can be challenging in many circumstanc es, especially in post-secondary Betweensettings.
Get to know the terminology: Getting to know the basic terminol ogy and correct phrasing for invisi ble illnesses to use for people in the disabled community can be very helpful. Referring to someone with any disability and describing them as a victim or the sufferer of their condition is highly problematic as it actively dehumanizes them and suggests they are helpless. Instead, referring to them as a person with their said disability is much more appropriate. For example, “he has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS),” or “They have ADHD,” rather than statements like “They suffer from ADHD.” An article from the Stu dent Accessibilities Services (SAS) at Brown University outlines some general suggestions for “speaking to and about people with disabil ities” and is a great place to get started if you want to be part of the solution. Another informative arti cle from the Students with Disabil ities as Diverse Learners comprises a small list of the many invisible disabilities, how they impact stu dents and the very real challenges that non-disabled persons should be aware of.
At the University of Calgary, the Student Success Centre, Student Accessibility Services Advisors, and Wellness Services like counselling are great tools if you are someone with an invisible disability or think you may be, and need support.
Frankie VolunteerBerardino I
On top of that, many people with invisible disabilities feel like they need to fight for their diagnosis, po tentially as it isn’t as visible as other disabilities. By nature of invisible illnesses, many people around the person with the invisible disability don’t believe they are struggling initially. Certain comments like ‘well, you don’t look like you’re on the spectrum’ or ‘you don’t seem sad because I often see you smiling’ to someone with depression can feel incredibly invalidating to their experience.
Break down your assumptions of invisible disabilities: Perhaps a student seldom comes to class, or one of your friends is rarely able to explain why they feel so exhausted all the time. Invisi ble disabilities are called invisible disabilities for a reason — they are not visible at first glance. You may think they are lazy or boring, when in reality, this is likely not the case. There may be more going on in the bigger picture of their life than what you see. For example, a stu dent with Dysgraphia may be un able to write down all the necessary information in the allotted lecture time, potentially making it difficult for them to excel in said class if they are missing some material — especially if accommodations are not in place. Realizing that there is no one appearance for invisible disabilities is significant because it helps to break down the stigma of people with invisible illnesses be ing less capable than non-disabled folks. Similarly, being gentle with the people in your life, regardless of closeness, can be a great way to make them feel appreciated and less guilty about being unable to be there as much as they’d like to be.
Have compassion, trust, and learn to listen: A good place to start is understand ing that even if you cannot see an invisible illness you can still have compassion for other students who seem to be struggling. Everyone’s disability is different, and you can know two different people with the same invisible illness — yet they have vastly different experi ences and struggles. The reality is that, as a non-disabled person, the best thing you can do is to be com passionate. Being compassionate can look like listening generously within your boundaries, trusting that they are sharing their experi ence the best they can and keeping your judgements to yourself. Un derstanding you may be unable to understand everything is also key, as it allows you to be empathetic toward the person with the invisi ble disability — while also making them feel accepted and recognized.
Let the folks with invisible disabil ities tell their story:
the constant bombard ment of academic pressures, soci etal expectations and the stigmas associated with invisible disabili ties, many post-secondary students with these disabilities find them selves falling through the cracks of the academic system. Additionally, students with invisible disabilities often feel misunderstood or inval idated because their disability isn’t apparent to others. However, as a member of the University of Cal gary community, there are a multi tude of ways you can support those living with invisible disabilities.
For instance, since the reintroduction of in-person learning, the MSA has had to petition to use the Multi-Faith Rooms just to be able to pray the five daily prayers required of Muslims. A personal initiative that Warraich says she has undertaken is asking “anon ymous questions” on the MSA Insta gram (@msaucalgary) through which students have shared their stories of anti-Muslim microaggressions on campus. She states that there have been “allegations against professors making insensitive remarks in class” and “as a club, we provide a channel open where you can tell us your prob lems, and from there we take it to the university and tackle those concerns Intogether.”away, clubs like the MSA define Islamic heritage and possess the ad vocacy driven approach that a lack luster government-issued statement on Islamic History Month is missing. While it’s definitely not something the community was expecting in terms of change, the MSA plans to use this new platform to redefine what it means to be Muslim in Canada.
Warraich ends with saying that she “would define Muslim heritage as who we are right now.”
COURTESY SHAHBAZ AKRAM FROM PEXELS Gondek is the newly-elected mayor of Calgary.
Anjali Choudhary Voices Assistant Jyoti Gondek made history by win ning the 2021 Calgary mayoral election as a woman of colour. This was not only a personal win, but also a huge step forward for the young and aspiring female politicians in the city.
Feminism and the advancement of women globally must be inclusive, in tersectional and truly meaningful in order for change to be concrete. We often see the tokenization of women through self-proclaimed feminist com panies that ‘champion diversity’, but keep women in middle-management positions and at the bottom of the hi erarchy to maintain gender-balanced optics. Not only does this fail to create equitable opportunities for women but it also slows the advancement of their interests overall. Tokenism in a politi cal cabinet or the use of generic buzz words for a campaign creates a false narrative in which women are alluded to be in major positions of power, when in reality, they are used as social instru ments. Justin Trudeau’s claims of a gender-balanced and feminist cabinet, followed by the demotion and ejection of two key female ministers emexpli fies this dangerous pattern. The sat isfaction that these unsubstantiated claims create in the general population slow down the crucial work being done for the advancement of gender equali ty. One effective and inspiring method to truly advancing gender equality is having women represented in posi tions of authority in order to create role-models for younger generations, as symbols of leadership and author ity, rather than a representation of a gender equality quota. Not only is this important symbolically, but positions of authority allow for womens’ aspi rations and goals — often including an agenda for gender equality — to be actualized. This is especially true in traditionally male-dominated spheres, such as Studyingpolitics.political science myself, there are not many influential women in politics who are integrated into the curriculum. As a result, any inspiration for future careers or goals must come from external searching and personal curiosity. Surprisingly, this has proven to be quite difficult despite Canada’s outspoken claims of being a fair and equitable society for all. As a trailblaz er, Gondek allows students, especial ly those at the University of Calgary, to see a woman in a position of true authority and feel confident in the realisticness of having similar goals. Her strong presence in Calgary’s city council is enough to encourage more women to follow in her footsteps and continue to serve as representation for young However,women.in reality, not everyone wants to be a champion for women’s equality and not everyone wants to constantly fight for a seat at the table. Most simply want to realize their goals without absurd and unproportional obstacles. But until this is possible, female role models must continue to take their rightful place at the top of hierarchies. Physical representation itself in these top positions is a crucial symbol. It allows other women to pur sue top positions without wondering whether or not the space exists for Itthem.isextremely detrimental for young women to not see representation in their respective fields and aspirational careers because it implies to them that the goals they hope to fulfill are ex tremely difficult,unlikely, or that they simply aren’t meant to lead. Despite commitments towards gender balance and equality being made by a large majority of institutions, the image of a career filled with old men is un doubtedly intimidating and discour aging. These consequences continue to perpetuate the cycle of a lack of substantial and meaningful represen tation. Thus, it is crucial for women to spearhead the feminist movememt with groundbreaking achievements such as Gondek’s win, and use it to fos ter Systemicchange.and cultural change will only happen when these movements and achieved representation is meaning ful and substantive. While physical or symbolic representation is certain ly the right step forward, the actions taken by women and their genuine belief in the advancement of all wom en through intersectional feminism is key. The aggressors of tokenism and suppression of women empowerment are not limited to one gender and as a result, the values, claims, and actions of women in power must be critically evaluated. Only when this is done can true empowerment of young women happen.
Anyone can wish their fellow Muslim a “Happy Islamic History Month,” but is that really impactful if Muslims them selves are only now learning about its existence? Is it even a happy month to begin with, considering the recent attack against a Muslim family in Lon don? Or the fact that innocent Muslims have been demonized in Canada for the past 20 years post-9/11? Reflecting on this month, what Muslims, like my self, feel most right now is confusion — we did not ask for an arbitrary month to be chosen to commemorate our ex istence, without our consultation, in a country that continues to marginalize us after said month is over.
8 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 voices@thegauntlet.ca
Jyoti Gondek’s mayoral win and what it means for women in politics
Warraich also mentions that she knows of Canadian masjids — or mosques — and Muslim non-profit organizations that do a substantial level of work to tackle Islamophobia, but feels as though “they are not getting the out reach from the government” and have been excluded in Canada’s narrative of Islamic History Month. This is besides the fact that the Alberta government’s acknowledgement of the month has been virtually nonexistent. We’re now left with one essential question to an swer: if the Muslim community does not feel represented through Canada’s Islamic History Month right now, what can be done to achieve it?
According to Warraich, it starts at the grassroots level of advocacy through student organizations like the MSA
The Government of Canada de clared the month of October to be known as Islamic History Month, aimed to recognize the role that Mus lim communities play in Canadian so ciety, highlighting their contributions and acknowledging the ongoing chal lenges they face as a result of racism and Islamophobia. Retrospectively, while the observance of Islamic her itage has been long overdue for the Muslim community in Canada, many Muslims this year had no knowledge of such a month’s existence, while oth ers were skeptical of the government’s intentions — even the University of Calgary’s very own Muslim Student As sociation (MSA). Fatima Warraich, who is the vice-president of administration for the MSA, said that the first time their organization had heard of such a thing was when the Gauntlethad reached out to them for a statement.
MUSLIM VOICES » MEGAN KOCH
WOMEN IN POLITICS » Aymen Sherwani Voices Editor
“Clubs, like the MSA — we’re a part of Muslim heritage. It’s who we are as a community and what we do that de fines our actions and legacy, right?”
While the Awareness Week is hosted in the winter semester, the MSA also plans on repositioning their initia tives towards an advocacy-approach, in light of the Islamaphobic attacks on Canadian soil over the pandemic.
A fearless and unapologetic advocate for women in politics, Gondek serves as a great role model and positive au thoritative figure for women across the country. Being a woman of colour, she has broken down multiple barriers and misconceptions surrounding the ste reotype of political leaders in large ur ban cities like Calgary. This challenge to the status quo paves the path for fur ther development and advancement. In Gondek’s case, this win signals the ability for more women to fearlessly seek positions of authority and have an established figure symbolically guide them through the process.
“We didn’t even know it [Islamic His tory Month] was a thing, and it’s funny because we feel like a lot of things are just done for the sake of doing them — to be like ‘Oh, well we got that box checked, right? We have the Muslims, right?’” Warraich said, highlighting the government’s lack of consultation with Muslim communities in the month’s conception and their negligence to use it to target concrete issues that Muslims continue to suffer from on a day-today basis. “I think that if they’re trying to tackle that problem, genuine ly, it should start with us.”
Look out for Islam Awareness Week by the MSA.
“The MSA has an Islam Awareness Week every year at the U of C and it would be a great way for anyone to come show solidary with us, learn more information about Islam, or even just talk to us about who we are and what we do.”
Canada’s Islamic History Month: Was it practical or performative?
Petito was a victim of an awful crime, and no parent should have to bury their own child. Having said that, a parallel exists between the news coverage she received and the lack of media attention towards MMIWG2S, whose families are still wondering where they are.
Whitman — who is also known as “Grandmother White Sea Turtle,” and is a member of Nova Scotia’s Glooscap First Nation — stated that “it is clear to me that the murder of a young, white girl who is shot while shopping outside the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto is going to get a lot more coverage that a girl of the same age who is shot on a reserve.”
“The attention given to this issue [the Petito case] is causing more po lice to pay attention when an Indig enous girl goes missing. But it is still far easier, and far more common, for police to just tell the family of an Indigenous girl that “she has just run off, and she’ll come back when she wants to,” said Whitman.
REMEMBERING MMIWG2S
Although the term was first coined by journalist Gwen Ifill, the saying gained a little more traction after it was described on the TV show YOU by one of the show’s characters, Marienne Bellamy — a Black wom an. She remarked that the media sensationalizes cases shrouding the stories of white women and ignores everyone who does not fit into the cookie-cutter mold of victimhood.
As the president of the NWAC, Whit man is dedicated to changing this.
“Editors must understand that the problem [is] not solved, and the story was not ended by the Final Report of the National Inquiry [on MMIWG2S]. The National Inquiry was just the beginning of this story.”
The media storm behind the tragic case of Gabby Petito sheds light on this blatant discrepancy. During the summer of 2021, Petito and her fi ancé Brian Laundrie embarked on a cross-country road trip and was reported missing in early Septem ber when her fiancé returned home without her. After a week of frantic searching and rising media pressure, the police found Petito’s remains at a Wyoming national park.
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The Contemporary Dilemma: Unpacking the ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’ narrative
MEGAN KOCHThe Gauntlet interviewed the president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada.
Manahil Hassan Volunteer Iused to believe that Canada was a utopia with no pressing issues, because everyone was treated fair ly and justly. I learnt quite quickly that this could not be farther from the truth this year, in light of over 1,300 unmarked graves found at the site of residential schools. Now, I am no stranger to the double standards this country has. Canada holds itself up with pride in the international system as a beacon of human rights, while reports show the nation’s true colours. Many argue that “this was simply in the past,” and Canada is apparently “doing more for Indig enous peoples,” since the closing of residential schools, but the rising re ports of Missing and Murdered In digenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) that go ignored say Theotherwise.truthisthis — there is an ep idemic of MMIWG2S in Canada and the US. In a flawed system such as ours, Indigenous women, girls and 2-spirit people experience violence disproportionately more than oth er communities. They are not only more likely to be victims of violence, but less likely to receive justice at the hands of the judicial system despite only making up 3 per cent of the population in Canada. What is more troublesome, is that when families report their loved ones missing, they are dismissed and rarely get the news coverage white victims receive. This systemic bias is referred to as “Missing White Woman Syndrome.’’ For centuries, it has plagued both Canada and the U.S. and refers to the disparate amount of media at tention, conspiracy theories and urban legends that are created sur rounding the cases of young, middle class, attractive white women when they go missing. This is in compari son to the hundreds of nameless In digenous women, girls and 2-spirit people whose cases aren’t given the time of day on the news because, to media and news outlets, their stories don’t catch the attention of viewers.
Nonetheless,ished.”
there does exist some hope as we have witnessed a shift in media coverage when it comes to issues affecting the Indigenous community in Canada.
This issue of systemic racism proves that race truly does play a factor when one defines victimhood. It tells Indigenous communities that race decides whether your child is found. That race decides how quickly justice is served. For in stance, Journalist Adriana Rolston, in her review of the media coverage of the victims that disappeared on the Highway of Tears, found that “the first-time papers really cov ered the murders on that highway were in 2002, when [Nicole] Hoar, a 25-year-old [white]…woman van
“The work of groups like NWAC, the Sisters in Spirit campaign and others have forced coverage of the issue, and that has made it impossi ble to completely ignore. Reporters have written about it, the MMIWG have become an important issue for more and more Canadians. It is hard to ignore what a sizeable section of the population considers import ant,” she Althoughsaid.there is still a long way to go in breaking this cycle of ig norance and violence towards MMIWG2S, we have an obligation to pay attention to Indigenous voic es. We must speak out to prevent the harmful stereotyping of their communities from persistiting and pressure our government officials to act on the 231 Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry. Most im portantly, we must push for greater Indigenous representation in news rooms and news offices.
Since 1974, NWAC has been the voice of First Nations, Metis and In uit women and have fought to bring attention to this crisis. The NWAC website is a useful tool in learning and appreciating the organisation’s efforts and goals to preserve Indig enous culture, improve the well-be ing of Indigenous women and pro mote their equality through policy and legislative reforms.
Petito’s case went viral, with mil lions of people all over the world sharing and reading her story — a Google search of her name yielded 340 million results. Although it was inspiring to see people all over the world tuning in, Indigenous women, girls and 2-spirit people deserve the same media coverage and attention with over 710 missing Indigenous women from the last decade, in Wy oming alone — 710 families desper ately hoping and waiting for some news about their loved ones.
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 9thegauntlet.ca/category/voices
In an interview with the Gauntlet, president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), Lor raine Whitman, spoke about this discrepancy in media coverage.
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“So the virus is circulating around the southern hemisphere and we anticipate that the virus will, as the seasons change, move its way north on travellers,” said Jenne. “So we take a look at that virus and basically make our best guess at what the virus is going to look like several months down the road — we make a vaccine for that.”
It’s important to get the vaccine every year as the flu virus chang es a lot — it’s like a professional shapeshifter. As a result, our im mune system is essentially blind to this new version of the flu every fall. To avoid significant disease, clinicians match a vaccine to that new flu strain every year. “We don’t think of the flu shot as a booster. We think of this as a new vaccine every year that is designed specifically for the flu strain we anticipate facing here in the prov ince,” said Jenne. “So even if you got the flu shot last year, the virus will be different this year and you need another vaccine to educate your immune system about the new version of the flu virus.” Do you ever wonder why the flu vaccine is less effective some years compared to others? Unfor tunately, there is no one-size-fitsall solution and we can’t instant ly make a vaccine, according to Jenne. It takes several months to have a vaccine ready when the flu arrives in Alberta, let alone North America. The flu spreads far and wide and becomes an amalgama tion of places like Australia, Chi na, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere, as the seasons are opposite — our sum mer is considered their winter and the peak of flu season.
In some years, the virus may change a little bit as it works its way up north and picks up an ex tra mutation or two. And in those years, the flu vaccine becomes a
12 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 general@thegauntlet.ca
FEATURED OPINION »
“It seems to be more of a belief that if somebody is young and healthy, there’s no need to get vac cinated. And for a large percent age of people, the personal risk of disease is fairly low when it comes to fluids,” he said. “It’s nasty, it’s inconvenient but your person al health risk is rather low. What we tend to forget, though, is even though your personal health risk is low, you do present a threat to Asothers.”long as the virus can spread Craig Jenne explains why it’s still important to get your seasonal flu vaccine amidst the pandemic
MEGAN KOCH
“They both happen to infect our airways. But this is like saying a whale and a giraffe are both mam mals,” said Jenne. “So they’re very different entities and that really there’s no cross-protective immu nity. If you’ve had the flu, there’s no protection against the Corona virus. If you’ve been vaccinated or had the Coronavirus, it offers no protection against the flu.”
Before COVID-19 arrived, the sea sonal flu was the leading cause of death from infectious disease in North America. Add to the fact our hospitals and health care system are under significant strain from the pandemic at full capacity, there is not simply any room for additional patients in the hospital and ability to offer beds to every body who has the flu, Jenne men tioned. By getting the flu shot, you reduce the chances you’re going to develop the flu which has very similar symptoms.
“So even a badly matched flu vac cine still has a dramatic protective effect of keeping people out of the hospital and really keeping seri ous disease away,” said Jenne.
poor match. But despite it all, it’s important to remember that even in those years where the vaccine is not a good match, the vaccine will prevent those affected from end ing up in the hospital.
“So given the heightened security around COVID-19, it’s essential we do not develop symptoms for the flu and the best way to do that is to get vaccinated,” said Jenne.
Rachneet Randhawa General Editor I t’s officially flu shot season. The current crisis of seasonal influenza and getting the flu shot in the context of the ongo ing coronavirus pandemic include the controversy of the anti-vacci nation movement. Both COVID-19 and the seasonal flu are conta gious respiratory illnesses that have similar symptoms. The ideal time to receive the shot is from September to early October as flu cases are expected to accelerate early into October and continue until May. According to a research study conducted by the CDC and an article by Purdue University’s Libby Richards, the effectiveness of flu vaccination from 2019-2020 was 50 per cent overall — and 55 per cent in youth — and estimated to prevent 4.4. million flu-related illnesses, 58,000 flu hospitaliza tions and 3,500 deaths. Regard less, why are vaccination rates low? The Gauntlet sat down for an interview with Dr. Craig Jenne, an associate professor in the Depart ment of Microbiology, Immunol ogy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at the Uni versity of Calgary to learn more “The flu vaccine is a shot we get every year,” said Jenne. “And what this shot contains is a couple of the proteins that are on the surface of the influenza virus. The purpose of this is to expose your body and to show your immune system what this year’s flu virus is going to look like, and then dealing so our body can start to build defences. Specif ically, our body builds antibodies against the flu virus. So if later in the season we’re exposed to that virus, the antibodies can bind to it, neutralize it and stop it from en tering and infecting ourselves.”
But what exactly is the difference between the two different virus families of Influenza and Corona virus? These are both viruses but that’s the only thing they have in common.
Last year, nobody caught and died from the flu in Alberta due to the onset of COVID. After having done genetic tests and examining the genetic material of the flu, re searchers were unable to identi fy any positive cases. There are a couple of reasons for this. For one, we had very little travel in the last flu season which meant that viruses couldn’t move around on their own. A virus needs travellers to pick them up in other parts of the world that have a flu season to bring them back to Calgary. With limited travel there was a less er chance of importing the virus. Second, even with the few cas es of flu that might have arrived, people were mostly going into quarantine as travellers, wearing masks, not gathering indoors and washing their hands — surprising ly all things that work against oth er transmissible diseases and not just COVID-19. However, now that border restrictions have eased up with no quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers, we are back to the basics of taking higher “Soprecautions.wedoanticipate the flu to be spreading much more like a nor mal season this year. And in fact, we already have confirmed cases here in Alberta right now,” said AsJenne.for the rate at which Albertans get vaccinated on average we are slightly below the cutoff of 40 per cent which Jenne said was quite disappointing. For influenza, the optimal level is something above 60 per cent for community-level Nonetheless,protection. the number one key reason Jenne believes vaccination rates are low, is due to the stereo type that young people are able to recover quickly.
U of C’s Dr.
Seasonal flu was the leading cause of death from infectious disease in North America before COVID-19.
As for mistrust around vaccines and how to alleviate some of the confusion, Jenne states that concerns to each individual are legitimate and you must take into account all the facts and evidence.
“At the end of the day, people ask me, ‘Do I get vaccinated?’ And the answer is yes,” he said. “I personally trust the vaccines. I personally believe in the benefits. And I personally believe the risk is extremely small. So, when it comes to my personal health and those around me, we get vaccinated every year.”
Jenne also addressed the heaps of misinformation that has been circulating against vaccination for the flu in which many of the arguments are similar to getting vaccinated for coronavirus. Similar to the COVID-19 vaccine, some believe that you can get the flu from the flu vaccine. “There is always the misconception or the fear that they can get the flu from the vaccine,” said Jenne. “And we know that not to be true because the vaccines offered here in Alberta do not contain any virus or live virus, so it’s impossible to get it.”. Another misconception is that a mercury component is present in vaccines. Jenne agrees that, yes, there is mercury in a multi-dose vaccination but it’s a matter of per“Wespective.have to look at that within the perspective of the vaccine in that it contains mercury that is really not an available format for our body to use or absorb,” he said. “We’ve often seen the argument that there’s more mercury in a can of tuna than there is in your vaccine.” Most anti-vaxxers misinterpret the vaccines as being a significant threat, when in fact when you closely examine the details of what’s in the vaccine, it’s not problematic.
“Unfortunately, flu changes and the virus we experience every fall is fundamentally different — it has completely changed its coating,” said Jenne. “And that means it’s able to hide from our immune system.
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Another common misconception is if you have been vaccinated in the past you aren’t required to get vaccinated again every year. This is incorrect as the flu shot is not a booster but rather an entirely new vaccination every year.
*Consignment means that you do not get any money until your books have been sold. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. through the community, we will still have hospitalizations and tragically still lose Albertans to the “Andflu.the best way to stop that is to get to that level of herd immunity by people volunteering to be vaccinated. And that will break the transmission chain of this virus that, as I said, prior to COVID actually killed more people in North America than any other infectious disease,” said Jenne.
For those interested in getting vaccinated, more information can be found on the Alberta Health Services ( AHS) website. You can also contact your local walk-in medical clinic or pharmacy near you to book an appointment.
COURTESY CDC FROM PEXELSMisinformation has harmed the conversation for flu shots.
So every year when we offer a new flu shot, it’s not a booster for your last flu shot. It’s actually a vaccine designed for the new strain of flu that is approaching or circulating in North America.”
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“We’ve been using the same approach to flu vaccines now for decades and we have a very good idea. We know exactly what the adverse events are, what the rate is and that level is extremely small,” said AsJenne.for adverse events which are associated with the flu shot, they are usually reported by the government and are transparent. Examples of adverse events include soreness and redness at the injection site which is just a function of your immune system responding to the vaccine. Others include Guillain Barre Syndrome, which are instances of inflammation around your nerves that is a significant side effect but often temToporary.treat any adverse reactions, individuals are typically asked to sit out a waiting period after getting vaccinated for 10 minutes or so to gauge side effects. “If it does, they can be treated, they are reversible,” said Jenne. “But even then, these are extremely rare events, far less than the number of Albertans that, for example, are hospitalized every year for flu, so you do have to look at a risk-benefit ratio.”
COURTESY KIARA WORTHCOP26 was held in Glasglow, Scotland.
The United Nations (UN) climate change conference will take place from the first of the month un til Nov. 12. Major political leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, among many others. Some say this could be the last opportunity people have to prevent the most drastic cli mate change effects.
14 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 general@thegauntlet.ca
So where will we see real action? The responsibility lies with everyone — governments and individuals alike. Keeping up with little actions is bet ter than nothing. Staying informed and holding governments account able for their actions is also better than nothing. This means more than going out and protesting. Protest ing draws attention to the issue but now that everyone is paying atten tion, what’s next? What’s a realistic and feasible way to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale? Small actions like voting for political can didates willing to spend the money on potential solutions is a start. Hav ing the hard discussion with peers, carpooling, reducing plastic use are all examples of actions that can have even a small impact. Any impact is an important impact.
Trudeau made his statement propos ing a global tax on carbon emissions, which he claims will dramatically curve the use of fossil fuels. Before he made this statement, Trudeau should have looked in his back yard to see if Canada’s carbon tax is working. Since 2019, Canadians have been paying $20 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent — a price that will steadily increase as the years go by. Currently, it sits at $40 per tonne. As far as effectiveness, it isn’t super clear how well the tax is working if at all. Because of the pan demic, global emissions dropped in large part because people did not need to drive to work every day, for example. Trudeau did admit that implementing the carbon tax nationally was an “uphill battle” in Canada, but that battle was already won. As of right now, only about 20 percent of emissions are covered by the carbon tax. Trudeau would like to have that number tripled by 2030. Several other political leaders also made pledges and promised to in crease their efforts. Biden signed a treaty agreeing to cut the States’ methane emissions to 30 percent of what they were in 2020 by 2030. Along with that, he stated his inten tion to cut US greenhouse gas emis sions by a gigaton by the next de cade as well. The political leaders of more than 100 countries, including Brazil, China, Russia and the US, all vowed to end deforestation by 2030.
COP26 Glasgow
As politicians discussed, people took to the streets to pressure said poli ticians into action. Activist Greta Thunberg says, “This COP26 is so far just like the previous COPs and that has led us nowhere. They have led us nowhere.” With the use of some colourful language, she has ex pressed her disdain for the political leaders for “pretending to take our future seriously.”
On the other hand, protesting is not much more of a solution. Using Thunberg as an example, her con sistent calls for immediate and bold action are followed by absolutely no plan. While some of her actions, like sailing to conferences, reduce her carbon footprint, what does she expect to see from the global politi cians? They should be stepping up to their promises, that’s true, but her witty one-liners are fanning a flame that has nowhere to go.
It’s time to get real. Cutting out en ergy industries in less than a decade is — simply put — unrealistic. We’ve already seen these politicians let us down since the Paris Agreement was made. It’s the reason COP26 was so crucial to the future of humani ty. Despite this, what the political leaders have delivered are halfbaked ideas and unbacked plans. Is there really a realistic way to be rid of deforestation in eight years? If it is, what are we going to replace the energy that comes from the lum ber industry? Similarly, fossil fuels currently control Canada’s econo my. Its price determines the value of our dollar. Canada as a country heavily depends on fossil fuels in the form of gasoline for transporta tion of resources and natural gas to heat homes during the long winter months. A carbon tax may make us more aware of how much we emit, but is it really a long-term answer?
Samantha Amundarian Volunteer
The answer is not clear. It is crucial to our future how we grow up to shape the world. Actions we, as in dividuals, take these days can help the world. Even sifting through the words of politicians and realizing what is actually possible versus what is just empty promises can affect ev eryday actions.
The urgency of this particular conference stems from the Paris Agreement made in 2015. Several countries signed on to limit glob al warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial lev els by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Six years later, COP26 in Glasgow is an opportunity to re-evaluate their plans and goals. The strategies laid out in 2015 did not work out, and the world is still far out from lowering its tempera ture. For this reason, COP26 must be decisive if global emissions are to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
COP26 did not have the bold and de cisive action people were hoping to see. After their panels, politicians have made it clear that they have almost certainly no realistic plan to reduce global warming. Hopefully, what can be done will be enough to get the world a couple more years. Climate Conference: Now what?
Since Nov. 1, government leaders have come together in Glasgow, Scotland to discuss and make a plan to reduce global world emissions.
CLIMATE CRISIS »
The art piece that was presented by the NaAC at COP26 was headed by an artist based in Scotland — Simon Sharkey — who worked alongside a Toronto-based theatre practitioner, Erica May Wood. They collaborated to put together a showcase on Canada’s interpretation of the Conference of the Birds in Glasgow.
persons with disabilities face a high barrier to entry, whether fi nancially or physically, the NaAC aims to flip the model on its head and meet the artists at their comfort levels. The concept is revolutionary as to Ryu’s knowledge — it’s never been done anywhere around the world.
INCLUSIVE ART » COURTESY
“What makes us quite unique is that we don’t teach, we don’t see ourselves as a school, we don’t consider our art ists to be students, we consider them as artists,” Ryu says. “And we’re about creating a supportive environment for them to be able to realize their creative vision. In the arts, we call that self-di rected residency, because it is the artist who drives the creative agenda across a wide range of artistic disciplines.” Unfortunately, the general public is still fairly uneducated on what a disability entails, which can bring about stereo types about persons with disabilities.
“Those two had gotten involved and developed an idea around rallying multiple countries together to show case cultural responses, or arts-related responses, to a Sufi poem — a Syrian
“I can’t begin to tell you the number of times that I have had conversations with audience members, visitors to our various exhibitions locally and around the world, who attend [and claim] ‘I can’t believe that this work was creat ed by a non-verbal artist with cerebral palsy.’ It begins to shatter their mis conceptions that they’ve held on to for probably [a] decade,” says Ryu.
Ryu has been with the organization for the past four years and the NaAC sup ports a community of 350 artists living with developmental or physical disabil ities across a wide range of programs and supports. Artists can explore, ex press and showcase their creativity through any visual arts medium like arts, media, music, dance and theatre.
NaAC strives to include those living with disabilities in conversations and challenge the fallacy that those living with disabilities are incompetent.
“What we’re seeing through our par ticular project and through the re sponse of our artists is that they do care and they want to be a part of that conversation,” says Ryu. “They want to play central roles in shaping that conversation, not simply as citizens with developmental disabilities, but as Becauseartists.”
NaAC unique in repre senting Canada is that they were the only organization to be a part of the global participatory art project which included original artist designs with the creative contributions of artists living with developmental disabilities.
As for the breadth of programs they offer and the artists they cater to, Ryu says they are diverse and inclusive.
Initially, Ryu’s career began in politics working for the Liberal Party of Can ada and later primarily in commu nication and publication roles in the nonprofit sector before he dedicated himself to working with persons with disabilities. The turning point for him was when he was Director of Public Affairs for the Canadian National Insti tute for the Blind. “It completely changed my life and learning about disabilities and the re ality of what living with a disability is like and the kinds of barriers that are placed in front of people living with disabilities, both literally and meta Howphorically.”would one describe what disabil ity arts are? This interpretation differs for everyone, however, the NaAC pro vides arts training, creation, exhibition and presentation opportunities for in dividuals who identify as having a de velopmental or physical disability.
“I tell people all the time, every city has an art school. Every city has a museum or a gallery or performing arts center. Calgary and Alberta is home to the only organization that is creating these programs across multiple platforms and building both the physical and metaphysical space to support artists living with devel opmental disabilities. We’re the only city that’s doing that across this coun try,” says Ryu.
Ryu says it’s really important for us to think about what our individual roles are and what our community rules can potentially be in providing the next level of inclusion and acces sibility. In other words, it’s no longer simply about giving a person with a disability physical access to a build ing and calling it a day. Ryu is talking about something beyond accessibility.
Ryu mentioned that the arts are a pow erful medium to break down the stigma and misconceptions that people have around people living with disabilities.
Rachneet Randhawa General Editor Calgary’s National accessArts Cen tre (NaAC) is courageously taking on new feats with the disability arts organization achieving a global mile stone. The organization, founded in 1975, is Canada’s largest and oldest disability arts organization which has been selected to represent Canada at the 2022 United Nations (UN) Global Climate Change Conference — better known as COP26 — which took place in Glasgow, Scotland in November. The Gauntlet sat down with the director of the National accessArts Centre, JungSuk (JS) Ryu to learn more.
“When we think about accessibility, we think about the elevator or the ramp. Now, it’s about that next layer of how we provide equitable space for people with disabilities to belong and to not be on the margins or the fringes of our communities anymore?”
Calgary’s National accessArts Centre involvement at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference NAAC NAAC
COURTESY
As for their participation as the official designate in the UN Climate Change Conferences this year, they were se lected by Global Affairs Canada as they wanted a great way to tell the Canadian story abroad. This included demon strating and supporting the export and the showcasing of Canadian art and culture around the world illustrating the creative outputs of individuals with Thedisabilities.NaAC’s relevant cultural presenta tion in response to the message sur rounding COP26 was one of urgency and action around the climate crisis.
Ryu says that based on a recent demo graphic survey, one in ten Calgarians identify as having a disability with a Statistics Canada survey claiming it’s closer to one in five. This indicates that people identifying themselves with learning disabilities or being “neurodivergent” is increasing.
poem called the Conference of the Birds — which is a poem that speaks about these different valleys that birds navigate through both challenges and Whatopportunities.”madethe
Calgary’s National accessArts Cen tre continues to challenge the status quo of the potential of persons with disabilities and their access and par ticipation in the arts as they foster an inclusive and diverse palette of programming. A preview clip of the COP26 video art can be seen here. For those who are interested in getting involved, they can consider signing up to be a volunteer on their website, at www.accessarts.ca.
NaAC is expanding the view of accessibility.
“Many people believe that disability arts should stand alone as its own pil lar of the arts and culture ecosystem, which we agree with. But in our case, we also believe very much that artists with disabilities need to be provid ed with opportunities to shine in the mainstream segments of our arts and culture ecosystem,” says Ryu. “The role of the NaAC, is to be able to stand strongly alongside our mainstream partners and also partner with them, to make sure that those voices are seen and heard and celebrated.”
Jung-Suk Ryu is the director of NaAC.
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 15 Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofCARTS & CULTURE »
Nicholas Cervania Volunteer The popular TV show iCarly, ran from 2007 to 2012, and is undoubtedly one of the most popular series the company has ever produced. In fact, four out of the top ten most viewed telecast premieres in Nickelodeon history are iCarly episodes. Capitalizing on the rise of popularity with the internet in the early to mid 2000s, iCarly saw main character Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) hosting a webshow with her friends Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) and Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress), out of her brother, Spencer’s (Jerry Trainor), Seattle Inapartment.December of 2020, it was announced that iCarly would see a series revival, and was released in June 2021. iCarly (2021) isn’t very good, but it’s representative of the issues a lot of TV series revivals suffer from. To me, the biggest problem with the iCarly revival is that it can’t decide on which audience it wants to appeal to. The original show was targeted towards teenagers and young children and while this series carries the same plot structure and tone, it also has profanity and sexual content — something clearly not suitable for children. The show’s growth is artificial, it’s older but without being more mature. The script is also really bad. It reminds me of the bad expository dialog they use as a joke in the Family Guy episode where they spoof a revival of the series.
Compare this to Cobra Kai, where it’s clear that each character has grown and matured since, becawuse of the events from the original series. Johnny Lawrence is still a bit of a stubborn hothead, but because his life has turned into a downward spiral, these traits have regressed, leaving him fairly broken and directionless.
It would have been more interesting to see how Carly, Freddie and Spencer have changed since the finale of the previous series. The show ended nine years ago and while they talk about what they did since then, they’re still the exact same characters and act the exact same way they did the last time we saw them. Carly is still an easy-going boy chaser, Spencer is still an eccentric wacky artist and Freddie is still a tech nerd momma’s boy. While Freddie has a daughter now, fatherhood hasn’t changed his character at all. There isn’t anything new that the revival adds to these characters.
Worth Your Time?: Reviving a series isn’t easy
OLD FAVOURITES » “Oh hey there, Stewie. Or should I say, “G’day mate,” since you’re in Queensland, Australia where you moved with Brian and Meg after mom and dad died.” // Scene from Family Guy
The way I see it, there are two ways to revive a series. The first is to create a cash-grab, heartless, effortless endeavour aimed to target old viewers’ nostalgia and trick them into watching. Think of shows like Fuller House, which are basically almost identical to the original series, but feel anachronistic by today’s stanThedards.alternative to this is to create something that not only improves upon the original, but can stand on its own as its own piece of work, while still being good. Something like Cobra Kai, or to a much lesser extent, SavedByTheBell (2020). Yes, the characters in iCarly (2021) are older and they swear sometimes, but the overall tone and themes of the show are the exact same. For a revival to work, a series has to mature alongside its audience. Otherwise most older fans will lose interest and younger fans won’t be able to relate to it. The show ends up only appealing to a very small subset of the population — nostalgic fans eager to return to their childhood.
In contrast, Daniel Larusso has gone from a plucky young kid to a rich and successful businessman with a family. It’s clear that the lessons he learned from Mr. Miyagi have influenced his choices and shaped him into the man he’s become. What elevates this character writing is that most of it is shown visually through their actions, as opposed to having the audience told outright through bad expositional dialog. It helps that the tone of this series is much more mature compared to the origIt’sinal.clear from the beginning that the point of the story is to recontextualize the events of the original series and make the viewer question if morality is truly binary in nature — the narrative has a point, it has a reason it’s being told. The same cannot be said for the iCarly revival. Reviving a series should not be easy. When a series ends, it usually does a good job of completing character arcs and tying up loose ends. Why fix what isn’t broken? Does this story need to be told? Does this story add to the original series in a meaningful way? Or does it simply rely on the success of the original series to capitalize on viewers’ nostalgia? I think if studios asked themselves these questions before pitching a concept, we’d see a lot less boring, low-effort, cash-grab TV series.
I’m not saying I wanted a gritty and dark Riverdale-esque shift in tone, but I wanted something more interesting than this.
COURTESY YOUTUBE COURTESY FAMILYFANON.FANDOM.COM
A scene from the intro of the original iCarly
16 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 general@thegauntlet.ca
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake has had many renditions through the years.
Swan Lake by The Alberta Ballet: A review
The songs on the album show her ability to make her listeners feel the way she feels with her music — which is saying a lot since I haven’t taken a single French class since 12th grade.
TCHAIKOVSKY TRIBUTE »
COURTESY COUER DE PIRATEAlbum cover for Impossibleàaimer
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 17thegauntlet.ca/category/arts
Jackson L. Mullin Volunteer S wan Lake, unarguably one of the most famous ballets in history, composed by Tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by Julius Reisinger, is performing at the Jubilee auditorium from Oct. 21 to Oct. 30, and again in Edmonton from Nov. 5–7. It features the story of Prince Siegfried and Odette, inspired by both German and Russian folk tales. It is performed in a prologue and two acts, and features a happier modified ending than the original composition. I had the absolute pleasure to watch this piece of art history performed on Oct. 23. So, with my bountiful experience of going to only two other ballets in my life, and this being the first time I have witnessed Swan Lake, I feel I am best suited to critique this Themasterpiece.performers gave an exquisite display of skill where both solo and duet dances were expertly choreographed and executed their parts expertly. Most notably Jennifer Gibson and Naoya Ebe, the performers who played Odette and Siegfried, gave an impassioned performance and displayed much chemistry on stage. “[The preformers gave] a lively and enchanting performance, filled with passion and emotion in which the performers truly functioned to the highest standard even after a long hiatus.” said University of Calgary student Yuliana Sanchez. Although the displays by the smaller groups and soloists were encapsulating, when larger numbers of performers took the stage together, the synchronicity in some areas began to fall apart. I cannot make too much of a fuss about this lack of synchronicity in some parts, as it was noted in the opening speech that the performers hadn’t the ability to rehearse among others for some time due to COVID-19.
Further, there were some issues present with the set transitions, that in some part took me out of the immersion of the performance — most notably, an unfortunate squeaky wheel on a set piece at the end of the prologue that could be heard being shuffled off stage behind the curtain. But with these two very small, and largely excusable critiques aside, what was best with the performance? Of course, the best things can be blamed on Lighting Designer Renée Brode and Set and Costume Designer Peter Farmer. The combination of enchanting set design and carefully considered lighting drew my eye to each graceful movement of the performers, and further created a completely appealing and pleasing stage to view. This, along with cleverly choreographed side-characters sitting on the sidelines, created every scene to be akin to some kind of high-renaissance painting;— The Last Supper and The School of Athens come to Inmind.all, the Alberta Ballet’s performance of Swan Lake was an absolute pleasure to watch, and I personally enjoyed it greatly. With only a few minor critiques which are easily fixable on the performers part, I can wholeheartedly recommend this spectacle to anyone who even has a passing interest in ballet. I give it an 8.5/10.
Julieanne Acosta News Editor
As a student who grew up in French immersion, Béatrice Martin — better known for her stage name, Cœur de Pirate — was a staple in all my French classes. The Canadian singer-songwriter is a native of Montréal and sings mostly in French. Her third album, Roses, was one of the first French albums I truly enEarlierjoyed. this year, Martin underwent vocal chord surgery and temporarily was unable to sing. At this time, she still managed to release an album. Perséides was announced and released on the same day and was a fully instrumental album. In this album, the listener is really able to grasp Martin’s love and intimacy with music. Ultimately, less than six months later, Martin released her newest alOnbum.Oct. 15, Cœur de Pirate released Impossible à aimer as a testament to the comments she had received about how she must be hard to love. The album contains beautiful melodies and incredible production quality, no short of what she has released in the past.
My personal favourite of the album is a three-way tie between “Le Pacifique,” “On s’aimera toujours” and “Tu ne seras jamais là,” While “Le Pacifique” and “On s’aimera toujours” begin on strong notes with the instrumental and immediately reels the listener in, “Tu ne seras jamais la” begins softly with a beautiful piano feature from Alexandra Stréliski — a composer and pianist based in Québec. “Le Pacifique” — with its catchy chorus and instrumental — combine for a truly unforgettable song. The chorus’ lyrics “Je t’attendrai là bas/ Sur les rives, morte de froid/ Dans l’espoir que j’ai partagé/ Avec moi seule pour constater/ Que tu ne m’atteins pas/ Et c’est comme tous ces pas/ Que le sable pourra effacer” describes a love filled with waiting, and inputting imagery of freezing to death if need be. The passion through the song is easily heard and eloquently spoken. Some songs, such as “On s’aimera toujours” describe a lasting love. The beginning instrumental is intensified with its use of strings and upbeat tone. The lyrics in the chorus describe the feeling “Et je sens mon cœur s’étendre/ Quand mes yeux se fondent au vert des tiens” where Martin shows her vulnerable side, writing that her heart expands when she sees her lover’s eyes. Though these two songs sound very dancepop, their lyrics are well-spoken and “Tulyrical.ne seras jamais là” however, has a calm instrumental accompanied with hard-hitting lyrics such as “Mais quand le vent s’élève je t’entends/ Tu existes au loin, ça fige le temps/ Et si tu prenais l’air comme avant?/ Mais quand tu partiras au large essaie de rester loin de moi.” Here, she describes her lover’s voice lingering in the air and she urges him to stay away. The song to me was the most heartfelt and hit me harder than the Overall,rest.
the album does a great job of taking intense lyrics and transforming them into light-hearted pop songs. After everything Martin has done throughout her career, I am continually impressed by the music she puts up — only continuing to raise the bar from her previous releases.
Cœ ur de Pirate releases new album: Impossible à aimer MUSIQUE CANADIENNE » SYLVIA LOPEZ
Scarves follow within the same vein as this. To get that effortless Burberry look without breaking the bank, try to opt for a patterned blan ket scarf from Just Cozy instead of your run-of-the-mill knit infinity scarf from 2014. And when it comes to hats, beanies can be a hit-or-miss stylistic choice. Yes, you’ll probably stay warm, but at the risk of look ing like a 2012-era coffee-snob hip ster that has a moustache tattoo on their finger. If you must, opt for a BHODE Scottish-knitted lambswool beanie that is ribbed and has a twoinch cuff hat that makes you look like a Swedish runway model when paired with a black overcoat. But if you have a round face like me and couldn’t be caught dead wearing one, I would recommend just pull ing a wool beret over your ears and calling it a day.
Winter style options that are functional and fashion-forward for the long Calgary winters
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 19 Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofCSPORTS & LIFESTYLE »
Outerwear: While Canada Goose down jack ets are cold-weather essentials in Canada, plucking feathers off geese and stuffing them inside a puffer-lining is like — as Grimes would say — “really not a vibe.” Warmth and style both don’t need to come at the expense of sus tainability, so try and opt for veg an down jackets like the ones at NOIZE that are at a fraction of the cost and way less generic-looking too. However, puffer jackets are bulky looking, and I would simply carry on my wool coat from fall into the winter season and layer a scarf and warmer materials under neath. Just make sure said coat is oversized so you can move around while wearing three or four layers underneath.
Bottoms: Legs don’t get as cold as other parts of your body, so don’t worry too much about freezing to death if leggings are the only thing you can fit into after nearly two years of a pandemic. I would opt for thin leg gings as a base layer under any pair of wide-leg jeans or trousers when it’s really cold — which it no doubt will be this year.
VALERY PEREZThe choice between dressing nice and dressing warm shouldn’t be a problem.
FREEZING FASHION »
Aymen Sherwani Voices Editor F or Canadians, one of the hard est things to deal with every winter is balancing warmth and style when it gets too cold to even function outside. When it comes to choosing warmth, you pose the risk of walking out of your house look ing like the living incarnation of the Michelin Man. While I’m per sonally from the school of thought that believes “a hoe never gets cold” — and choose to dress like it’s 10 degree Celsius when it’s actual ly -20 degree Celsius with a wind chill — not everyone is built differ ent. Your best bet to stay warm is to invest in materials designed to achieve that purpose like sherpa, cashmere, wool or faux fur — just to name a few — so your layers are minimal, and you aren’t sacrificing style for functionality. Below are some options to prevent you from looking bulky when styling your layers.
Footwear: Timberland, UGG, and Dr. Martens are the holy trinity of winter foot wear. But, if you ask me, wear what ever shoes you want, given that they have a good interior lining, grip and thick soles, but do not un der any circumstances skimp out when buying a good pair of socks. Avoid cotton socks that add mois ture to your feet and instead opt for a wool blend pair with moder ate thickness because anything too thick will cut off your circulation. I like to go on winter hikes, so I like wearing REI’s moisture-wicking hiking socks that prevent my toes from going blue by the time I reach the summit. Thank me later when you’re still able to feel your toes come late December.
Accessories: Picture this — it’s 7 p.m., you’ve just finished your midterm, and the train isn’t coming for another 22 minutes on a night that is likely below freez ing. Staying out in the cold for long periods of time is a quick way to get hypothermia, so covering up your hands is the most important thing to consider — and you don’t need to wear those comical-looking, finger less, polyester mittens to achieve that. Instead, opt for some sleek and affordable leather gloves that have a thermal lining. Style aside, you’re better off wearing leather gloves as many of them are touchscreen too.
TheLostGirlsofParisby Pam Jenoff
Andrea’s Four of the best reccomended mystery reads so thrilling you won’t be able to put them down
Everything I Never Told You by Ce leste Ng
This story is about Lydia, the middle and favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee. She represents a possi bility to each of her parents to fulfill their failed dreams. For her mother, Lydia has the opportunity to become what her mother Marilyn never could — a doctor. For her father, Lydia can achieve his dreamed popularity and social acceptance. Together, the two parents trap their young daughter and neglect their other two children, Nath and Hannah, in the process. As the plot progresses, the reader can follow the past and present and understand what happened to Lydia. EverythingINever Told You goes deep into the complex family dynamic of the Lees and what built-up resentment can do. This is an original and excellent-written debut novel with great character develop ment.
With this piece, I want to recom mend to you four books with a mystery-based plot. They range from paranormal and thriller reads to his torical and literary fiction that I hope can capture your interest and entertain you. Happy reading!
The Lost Girls of Paris is a book that gives you a fictional look inside of the lives of the young women who were placed as secret agents in occupied France during World War II. In oth er words, the context and plot of the story are based on the experiences of real-life women who were spies during one of the darkest times of human history. The plot is told under three perspectives that range in lo cation and time. One point of view is Grace’s, a young widow in 1946 who stumbles across photos she finds in a suitcase abandoned in Grand Cen tral Terminal. She is persistent in trying to find out who these women are and what their was role during the war. The other two storylines be long to Eleanor Trigg — the woman in charge of training the radio opera tors and other spies sent to occupied France — and Marie, a young and brave mother who leaves everything behind to serve her country in 1944. As the story progresses, the reader gets to learn what happened to the three women and who is trying to hide the truth about the events that occurred during the war. The Lost Girls of Paris is a mystery based on historical events but can also be con sidered a tale of bravery, betrayal and sacrifice.
THROUGH THE MAGNIFYING GLASS » VALERY PEREZCheck out these mystery reccomendations.
20 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 general@thegauntlet.ca
TheGirlsintheGardenby Lisa Jewell
This book is a psychological thriller situated in a communal garden square and packed with secrets, appearanc es and family drama. It tells the story of Clare and her eleven- and twelveyear-old daughters, Grace and Pip, who move to an apartment in a close-knit and peaceful community called Virgin ia Crescent. When Grace is found un conscious and badly wounded on her thirteenth birthday in the communal garden square, the community is shak en, and everyone starts questioning one another. As details about the event and more information about the past start to emerge, the reader can see how the tension slowly builds. This book is for mystery readers in need of a story filled with interesting characters and a complex plot. Laylaby Colleen Hoover Layla is a paranormal thriller that tells the love story of Leeds and Lay la. Leeds is a bass player for a country band he hates. As he is performing at a wedding, he is captivated by Lay la, a beautiful woman trapped in her imagination. They quickly become inseparable. Nevertheless, everything changes when a horrible attack occurs and Layla is severely injured. To help his soulmate recover, Leeds books the abandoned Bed and Breakfast in which they first met. As Layla’s mood and attitude change, their romantic vacation seems to be tearing them fur ther apart. Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds finds solace in Willow, an unex pected guest at the Bed and Breakfast. As his curiosity for Willow grows, so does his desire to help her find her self again. This forms a complicated plot in which things are not what they seem. Layla is a read that feels like a rollercoaster of emotions that I am sure will keep you captivated.
Book Nook:
Andrea Silva Santisteban Fort Volunteer
Another option to try out rugby is during intramurals on campus.
This past couple of years have been the longest off-season in history for the Dinos and making the tran sition back to the regular season didn’t come without its difficulties.
“It’s a little bit of a hybrid between the closest sport, which is prob ably football, and has a little bit of elements of soccer combined into it,” he said. “But basically, 15 players on each team play against each other. It is a very physical and contact sport. All players play both offensively and defensively and it’s a continuous game, similar to soc Hecer.”says it’s a very physical sport with the overall goal to score “tries” which are similar to touchdowns in football. The format is an 80-min ute game with 40-minute halves. Each team typically holds a roster of 23 players.
Lack of proper training and strength building made things very challenging, and making personal connections with newbie first-year recruits was also tough.
We were able to train last fall but weren’t able to do any contact or participate in competition,” said Hart. “And at some point, we were no longer able to train and things shut down for the rest of the year. We tried to do a lot of online coach ing. Our strength and conditioning moved online and they worked with our S and C coach just work ing out of their home through zoom meetings.”
As for the national championships they are set to take on after win ning in their league against the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Mount Royal Universi ty, University of Alberta, Universi ty of Saskatchewan and University of Regina. For the first time in the University of Calgary and Dino’s history, the men’s rugby team will compete for the winning title “We’re in a very fortunate position where we get to represent the prai rie provinces at nationals that are going to be held at Queen’s Univer sity later this month in November,” said Hart.
with it being quite a physi cal sport, it is an adjustment,” said Hart. “It is something that you have to get your body ready for again and work up to, so the guys man aged it really well. And we were able to have a successful season.”
As for how they made the transition back to sports in light of COVID guidelines they had to adhere to for training, Hart mentions they have been thankful to not have any di rect exposure to the virus. The big gest safety concern was, of course, playing a contact sport again. They had proper protocols in a place like taking attendance, physical distancing as necessary and best as possible when appropriate and Forsanitizing.recruitment, COVID did have a big impact this school year. For ex ample, a lot of students live either outside of Calgary or the province, and debate whether travelling back to the city for classes would be a realistic option. Some recruits even opted to forgo and made the deci sion not to pursue university stud ies this year. However, they relied on the returning players, most of which are upper-year or senior stu dents to become the strong core of the team and who have contributed well to the program thus far.
As for all-star players to keep an eye out for, Hart recommends Keegan Neary as he was voted as MVP by the league. Current ly, Neary is in his third year and, according to Hart, is one of the hardest-working players on the team and is very much deserving of the award. Next, we have Josh Windley who is the team captain. Hart claims Windley has worked extremely hard over the last four years and has played a massive role in the program and is excited to have him lead the team to na Astionals.forHart’s hopes and fears for the remainder of the season, there are of course the nationals which he hopes will have a good finish.
“This is the first time the U of C will be going and being able to rep resent the university,” said Hart. “We’re there to definitely go in and do as best as we can and hopefully come back with some silverware.”
Rachneet Randhawa General Editor N early two years since the start of the pandemic, the Dino’s men’s rugby team returned, hosting the Western Championships in late October against the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat, University of Saskatchewan Hus kies and University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. With this victory, the Dinos will travel to Victoria as they qualify for the national champion ships league playing against the University of Victoria. The Gaunt let sat down with Head Coach of the Dino’s men rugby team, Rayner Hart to learn more. Hart has been with Dino’s program since 2006 and joined as a rugby player while doing his undergradu ate degree at the Haskayne School of Business. Originally from South Africa, he played rugby growing up and moved to Calgary with his fam ily in 2001. After graduating from university in 2011, he transitioned into helping as an assistant coach and later became head coach for five years up until last year. Hart has overall accountability of the program, the players and how they perform, as he now holds the posi tion of director of the rugby pro Hartgram.would define rugby, from his perspective, as almost a hybrid of football and soccer.
After nationals, they will shift their attention to a different version of rugby called rugby 7s.
“It’s a seven aside game that we typically participate in,” said Hart. “And we’ve been the league cham pions in that format as well, and would hope that we can defend our Atitle.”key challenge they are hoping to overcome is maintaining their strong team persona as they’ve had a significant amount of graduating players in 2019.
Some techniques athletes utilized during the shutdown were getting creative and using heavy book bags to train or finding local objects they could buy from Home Depot and coming up with strength and condition elements that they could “Again,use.
“So it was a bit of an unknown of what 2020 looked like with COVID and then coming into the season and 2021,” said Hart, “And the com petition in our league is just getting stronger and stronger from teams like Mount Royal University and UBC Okanagan and University of Alberta and in some of the prairie Theirschools.”incoming group of regular players who are now senior stu dents really stepped up and rose to the occasion, allowing the team to successfully defend their title as champions of the league.
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 21thegauntlet.ca/category/sports
Hart encourages everybody to try the sport of rugby, like playing at a local club in the city. Hart recom mends taking a look at the Calgary Rugby Union website as they have a list of all the clubs in the city in which you can find one that’s near est to you that best suits your needs.
The Dinos men’s rugby team is set to play the University of Victoria Vikings during the Canadian Uni versity National Championships in Kingston, Ontario from Nov. 24–28. Be sure to keep an eye out for updates and wish them luck as they aim to bring home the win ning title.
“We do carry a roster of about 60 or 70 players and we get the odd play er in there that has never tried it before,” said Hart. “And again, we’d welcome anybody to come and join us and give it a shot.”
FORWARD PASS TO GOLD »
COURTESY PIXABAYDinos men’s rugby team is set to play for nationals.
Bringing Home The Cup: Dinos men’s rugby make the Championship League for the first time in U of C history
“It did take some adjustment. A lot of our players weren’t able to par ticipate and play in rugby over the course of the last 18 months.”
The overall gameplay strategy they aim to try out this season includes an extensive, wide attacking ap “Weproach.are a little bit of a small team but we’re very skilled with some fast players,” said Hart. “So we tend to play to our strengths and move the ball around a bit more, move some of the other teams around and try to tire them out. So we definitely aim to play a little bit more of an expensive game.”
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“His lab focuses more on organic me tallic chemistry and how to isolate different intermediates of a catalytic cycle,” said Koenig. “So I was able to supply him with some of my catalysts. And he would mimic what is happening electrochemically by using different chemical reagents and trap these and help us characterize what we can see happening during our electrochemical experiments and just confirm what we think is happening isn’t happening.”
the
One thing is for certain — the players are the most eager to be back. Fourthyear player Elizabeth Lang is excited to compete again after 18 months off the “Iice.think every player and every team had a year to get stronger, fitter and better, so with that, I think it will be a more competitive season,” said Lang. “I think this will give people that much more desire to want to work harder and play harder, so that’s exciting.”.
When attempting to enable the elec tron reservoir, Koenig attached the chromophore onto the catalyst in the hopes that it would work as a photo catalyst rather than an electric catalyst. But ironically during his observations and testing, he discovered a really in teresting electrochemical property in which the stored electrons on it were accessible to the catalyst and enabled the different reaction pathways.
For the Men’s teams, the hockey season ended during the Canada West playoffs in February of 2020, when they lost the semi-finals (4–5) to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in double over “It’stime.been a really difficult 18 months for everybody — emotionally, physically and mentally,” said Head Coach Mark Howell. “We stayed in touch [with the team] and have been around one an other a little bit, but a lot of it is over Zoom. My concern was always their mental and emotional wellbeing. It’s al ways hard when you’re an elite athlete to not be able to do what you do.”
COURTESY PIERCE & WELCH LAB
Dinos are back on ice during the Canada West games.
Of course, returning to the ice after 18 months does not necessarily make the smoothest transition. Considering most public training facilities were closed due to the pandemic during this time, returning to hockey meant get ting back in shape individually and as a Manyteam.of the team’s veteran players graduated in 2020, replaced with re “Thecruits.players who came in last year are all brand new,” said Howell. “They practiced a little bit with us for a couple months, but overall, everybody’s going to be new to what we do. I would say, two-thirds of our roster will be brand Howellnew.” explained his key concerns for the team are to ensure all members have integrated smoothly and that ev eryone is fit to play. “I think it’s gonna be a long road back — it’s not just going to be a quick fix.” Nonetheless, the news of returning to sports had the entire team excited after having to spend a season off the ice. “I think you know we’re anticipating having a really good season,” said How ell. “We got a really good group of play ers and guys are anxious to get going and get back to regular life.” So far, the men’s team is ranked fourth in the league. The road to recovery is slow, but the team persistently seems to be regaining their footing. Though the women’s team finished the 2019-2020 season under similar circumstances, they have undergone more changes since. The team’s season also ended during the Canada West playoffs, after a double overtime 0–1 loss against the Mount Royal Cougars during the semi-finals.
Despite where the team stands in terms of a starting point, McLeod finds value in rebuilding the team from its “Whatfoundations.wequickly realize and appre ciate is the day-to-day habits and it’s understanding what it takes to get to [winning championships].”
Studying how to efficiently close carbon loop.
22 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 general@thegauntlet.ca SCIENCE »
“For [this season] and for the extra years that I’ve got, I want the Universi ty of Calgary to be a powerhouse team and the best possible team that can be,” Lang said Up to this point, the women’s team has been a little shakier than usual, but considering the almost-complete re construction of the team, their efforts and dedication must be recognized and saluted. We hope all the best for both teams this season.
COURTESY DAVID MOLL
ICE ICE BABY
After a year off the ice, the Dinos Hockey teams are back at the Fa ther David Bauer Arena this season. It’s been a few months since the men’s and the women’s teams have started com peting and a month since the Canada West games have begun. As the teams strive to find their footing, we took a look back at the sentiments shared by the players and coaches before the start of the season.
CAMPUS COMMUNITY PROJECT » Ava GeneralZardynezhadEditor
Since then, not only have the players of the team changed, but they’ve also had a change in the coaching staff. Earlier in 2021, former Head Coach Danielle Goyette left the team for a position with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After many months of searching, the Dinos finally hired former National Women’s Team superstar and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Carla McLeod, in Au “Ingust.a team environment, there’s always some adapting that you have to do and for us,” said Goyette.. “We have new incoming players this year and again from last year who didn’t have the whole team dynamic. So, there’s a lot of newness everywhere, which gives us a bit of a blank slate to figure out who and what we want to be.”.
Koenig claims that the CO2 conversion team at the University of Calgary is brand new and was less than a year old when he joined.
Koenig also spoke about the collabo ration with other researchers, one of whom was Zack Dobrowski who also works in the Pierce lab at the Univer sity of Calgary.
As for the overall process for the exper iment, Koenig’s research focuses on a specific catalyst called rhenium bipyr idine, which is a classic organometallic complex. The researchers attached an organic chromophore, known as an emulated perylene diamide, to this. This attachment resulted in an electron reservoir for the catalyst akin to batter ies, like a local source of electrons for the catalyst. And in doing so, the con ventional rhenium bipyridine com plex was enabled to access a different reaction pathway to convert CO2 into carbon monoxide. The best part is that this new pathway can be done at lower applied voltages, which means energy saving overall for the system.
“I had a proposed mechanism as to how I thought this would go. And he was able to confirm these things, using a computational technique called Den sity Functional theory,” said Koenig.
A year away from the sport they love has certainly boosted motivation for these athletes.
Renewable electrosynthesis:
Koenig’s research focuses on the design and development of new catalysts for carbon dioxide conversion. Closing the carbon loop can be described as taking the emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, for example, and captur ing this CO2, performing a conversion type of experiment harnessing this CO2 electrochemically or photochemically. The carbon dioxide is converted back into some sort of a chemical feedstock, or fuel, at which point it can be stored and used as an alternative type of fuel —basically, the same way you would treat fossil fuels to be stored and used for energy purposes. However, the concepts of closing the carbon loop and carbon capture are two related but different ideas. Carbon Capture focuses on the actual removal of CO2 from the atmosphere whereas Closing the Car bon Loop in CO2 conversion is taking the captured CO2 from the atmosphere and chemically converting it into a dif ferent molecule.
Rachneet Randhawa General Editor
His other collaborator, Dr. Keethan Rao, a Ph.D. student in chemistry at the University of Kentucky, helped Koenig construct a computational model.
Dinos hockey hits the ice again for 2021-22 season
“So there isn’t really a lot of background within the two different research groups here — the Pierce lab and the Welch lab — on how to do these things. So almost everything has kind of been self-taught. It’s been a lot of trial and er ror,” said Koenig.
Some further readings on carbon re search Koenig recommends are Phil de Luna’s paper “What would it take for renewably powered electro synthesis to displace petrochemical processes,” which explain how CO2 conversion can be competitive with existing technol ogies. Further research can potential ly lead to large-scale CO2 conversion performance at an industry level and radically change the way pollution is mitigated in the atmosphere. closing the carbon loop
Astudent-led international project has developed a new chemical pathway to turn carbon dioxide into useful products. The idea is to more efficiently convert greenhouse gas to fuels and chemicals — a process also known as closing the carbon loop. The Gauntlet sat down with a Ph.D. candi date in the Welch lab at the University of Calgary, Josh Koenig, to learn more.
Social Sciences Lounge: First on this list is the Social Scienc es Lounge — you know, that area in the Social Sciences building with all the couches. This place is par ticularly great if you are in between classes and are suddenly gripped by the urge to flop down and sob. Comfy couches line the hallway and there is a Cinnzeo there for a post-breakdown coffee and cinna mon bun. It’s not particularly great in terms of privacy — breaking down here would be a very public spectacle. However, you might encounter a concerned Arts student on their break between classes, willing to lend a shoulder to cry on. What ever happens, you can be sure that you will receive many stares, either from sympathetic students who un derstand the struggle or the over worked souls who are afraid they will be next.
LOSNG
Mihret Amdu Yirget Sadness Connoisseur A s we move from mid term-season to prepar ing-for-finals season with all the assignments and group proj ects in between, we are all due for a mental breakdown. Quite frankly, if you have made it this far without having one, I am very impressed with you — I’ve had a few already. While there is a general ominous sense of dread and doom associated with them, breakdowns can sneak up on you at the most inopportune times. Finding a place to comfort ably break down and have a good sob before packing up and going to your next class can be difficult. Fortunately, I am here to suggest five of the best places on campus to have a breakdown, in no particular order.
MEGAN KOCHLook out for the perfect place to breakdown.
NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | 23 Editors: Ava Zardynezhad & Rachneet general@thegauntlet.caRandhawa@GauntletUofCHUMOUR »
Rozsa Centre: This one is a bit of a curveball, I know. It’s just that it’s a very nice building and usually not that packed. It also has the added bo nus of having a performance hall. If you’re lucky, people will think you are a drama major just finishing up a performance. You can leave with your dignity intact and possibly flat tered that people think you could be an actor. That’s an upside, right? Trees near the C-Train station: The last place on this list is an in teresting one. It’s outdoors so it might not be the most convenient, especially as we are coming closer and closer to winter. We don’t want frozen tear tracks on our faces, do we? However, it can be private for the most part and incredibly conve nient for those commuters who just want to have a quick little break down before going home. Better to leave the negative energy at its source, after all. The trees are also great for dramat ic purposes — crying in the woods is very Twilight-era, teen movie-es que. Additionally, students passing by will hear your wailing from the trees without seeing you and that adds to the spooky season vibes of October. Definitely make sure you try this spot for your next break down.There you have it, my five best places on campus for a mental breakdown. If you can think of oth ers please, share them with each other. It is very important to have the support of your fellow students during these trying times. MY MIND AND MY STUDY SPOT »
TFDL Bathrooms: Yes, I know, TFDL twice in a row. It is not my fault this building radiates more anxiety than a caffeinated rabbit. It is the place most students go to for schoolwork after all. Technically, any bathroom on cam pus could work in a pinch for a sud den breakdown. However, the TFDL bathrooms are elite. They have the same proximity advantage as the stairwell and tend to be empty of ten enough. Any student who walks into a bathroom in TFDL and sees a breakdown will understand and give you space. They also have the added advantage of having mirrors, giving them a cinematic quality. This means you can have your mov ie moment right after your break down. Just picture it, leaning on the sink with mascara running down your face — real or imagined — and red-rimmed eyes, telling yourself to get it together. You can proba bly get an award at an indie movie festival for that scene alone — that should cheer you up.
The TFDL stairwell is an excellent spot to have a breakdown. It’s right inside your anxiety trigger — the li brary — and it is very empty most of the time. It’s heavily soundproofed so nobody will know that you are curled up in the fetal position on the floor of the stairwell and the acoustics are so that the sounds of your heavy sobs will reverberate around you. How fun! Just beware of those students who might come in because they don’t have the pa tience to wait for the elevator.
TFDL Stairwell: Ah yes, the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) — the congregation of students doing assignments, on line classes or cramming before exams. It must come as no surprise that the next place on my list is in this building.
Five best places for a breakdown on campus
have a
(NovemberSagittarius 23 - December 21)
(FebruaryPisces 20 - March 20) You haven’t had a good breakdown in a while — you should schedule it during your exam and maybe you’ll have a breakthrough. (MarchAries 21 - April 20) Power pose just before you take an exam to increase confidence and improve your chances. (AprilTaurus21 - May 20) Take a 12-hour break just before your exam to binge watch that new show your friends have been talking about. (MayGemini21 – June 21)
Lose your bullet journal with your study schedule and just study when it feels right. (SeptemberLibra 23 - October 22)
Rearrange your room until it meets the impossible ideal image you have in your mind, regardless of how long it takes. (OctoberScorpio 23 - November 22)
UNNECESSARY HELP » Megan ProcrastinationWilsonPro Complete the crossword puzzle below. This month’s theme is all things subscription streaming service, so sit back, relax, and procrastinate studying for that midterm. If an answer is a phrase or name multiple words, there are no spaces in between. Happy solving!
4. Where on campus can I buy a set of headphones if mine break?
7. Netflix’s latest international smash hit that takes “red light green light” to a whole new level.
ACROSS:
10. A psychological thriller that really has you wondering if you’re going to simp for a sociopath.
Ramiro Bustamante Torres University Dropout
Send memes and twitter rants to your friends instead of focusing on the paper you have to hand in. Make sure to look for the obscure memes on the Internet. (JuneCancer22 – July 22)
The stars aren’t always helpful.
Lose track of time by playing a new game that was conveniently released the same time as when your assignments are due. (JulyLeo 23 – August 21) Go to office hours with your professors and TAs to talk about how well you’re doing, but don’t give them a chance to talk and tell you where you need improvement. (AugustVirgo 22 - September 22)
11. After filming season 2 of her quarantine hit, this person (who definitely killed her husband) sued Netflix.
A fter reading these tips, you will have more stress than you did before reading them. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
8. What keeps dropping every time you try to stream on campus?
CROSSWORD » SYLVIA LOPEZ
24 | NOVEMBER 22, 2021 general@thegauntlet.ca
Exam season? Nothing Netflix can’t fix
2. Star of The Mandalorian on Disney+ and HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us caught filming in Calgary this summer.
Obsess over the outfit you’re gonna wear to your exam instead of obsessing over what your professor tells you to study for.
Horoscopes: Useless tips for the end of the semester
12. Sixth-floor building where you say you go to study, but actually you just stream your latest obsession. DOWN: 1. What website should you be putting in the address bar so you can submit your assignments instead of 3.binge-watching?Whatareyoudoing when you watch a show instead of studying for that mid5.term?Season 6 of this series featuring edgelord Archie and friends drops in No6.vember.Live-action adaption of the beloved space western anime. Lets hope its better than DeathNote 9. The latest Disney+ Marvel spinoff limited series that had better have a part two, to fix whatever that mess of a season end was.
Join a bunch of study groups and bail on them at the last minute. (DecemberCapricorn 22 - January 20) Invest your time on some truecrime podcasts instead of your recorded lectures. (JanuaryAquarius 21 - February 19) Manifest a good grade instead of spending time studying.