the carillon the staff
editor-in-chief editor@carillonregina.com
john loeppky
executive director business@carillonregina.com
jacob nelson
production manager production@carillonregina.com
jeremy davis
advertising manager advertising@carillonregina.com
ty cote
technical editor frank nordstrom carillontechnical@carillonregina.com multimedia/Graphics editors multimedia@carillonregina.com graphics@carillonregina.com copy editor copyeditor@carillonregina.com
kate thiessen sarah carrier morgan ortman hannah senicar
news editor news@carillonregina.com
sara birrell
a&c editor aandc@carillonregina.com
ethan butterfield
sports editor sports@carillonregina.com
tyler meadows
op-ed editor op-ed@carillonregina.com
taylor balfour
distribution manager distribution@carillonregina.com
kyle anderson
staff writer
elisabeth sahlmueller
staff writer
marty grande - sherbert
news writer
ben schneider
a&c writer
holly worby
sports writer
brian palaschuck
web writer
contributors
julia peterson
adeoluwa atayero and hammad ali
Vol. 62
board of directors Erickka Patmore, Lindsay Holitzki, Maddie Ouelette, Dustin Smith. John Loeppky, and Jacob Nelson
the paper
227 Riddell Center University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2 www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586 8867 Printed by Star Press Inc, Wainwright, AB The Carillon welcomes contributions. Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers, and not necessarily of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff. The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by the Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non-profit organization. land acknowledgement The carillon is written on treaty four territory. As such, the staff recognize that we are living, working, and telling stories on and of Indigenous lands. We recognize that we are on the traditional homelands of the Nakota, Lakota, and Dakota peoples, along with the homeland of the Métis nation. The carillon understands that it is pointless to acknowledge the land on which we work without speaking to our commitment to telling stories and prioritizing voices that further the return of the land to its place sacred place in the cultures of those that live here. the manifesto In keeping with our reckless, devil-may-care image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is the story that’s been passed down from editor to editor for over forty years. In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildlings was a beltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower. The University never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.
The People’s Friend; the Tyrant’s Foe
The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 January 16th - January 29th, 2020 | Volume 62, Issue 16 | carillonregina.com
News
Dildos for Relief
cover
Students attending spring/summer sememster classes should be able to make use of Regina transit service at a discounted price via URSU’s new agreement with the city to extend the U-Pass.
News
P.4
Geeky Sex Toys, an Australia-based company announced that the proceeds earned on their “Down-Under Donation Dildo” will be given to several different charities thought the country.
Arts
URFA Forum
P.6
On the Jan. 16 URFA held a forum in which students could engage with professors outside the classroom to discuss concerns.
Sports
Arts
Dead Levee
P.8
Regina-based band Dead Levee are about to set off on a Canada-wide tour, Ethan Butterfield sat down to discuss the band’s newest singles.
Op-ed
photos
cover................................ morgan ortman news................................ morgan ortman news................................................... urfa a&c........................................... dead levee a&c........................................... heidi atter sports.......... university of regina athletics op-ed..............................
Layton Burton
P.8
Layton Burton’s career has shifted since the film tax credit was cut. Now, he reflects on the new role he has taken up as a mentor.
Cougars Crush it
P.12
The women’s hockey team is on a sixgame winning streak.
Mental Health
P.18
With Bells lets Talk scheduled for the the Jan. 29, Mental Health disscusions are at the forfront for many. This week we Tyler Meadows breaks down how mental health is handled in Saskatchewan.
News
3
Editor: sara birrell news@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
U-Pass to extend into spring and summer Bus still not on time
ben schneider news writer In March of 2019, URSU held a student referendum to discuss the possibility of, and interest in, an expansion of the U-Pass to include access to transit during spring and summer. 85 per cent of those in attendance who voted, voted in favour of this extension. As outlined in a memorandum of intent signed by URSU, the U-Pass would be in effect for students enrolled in spring or summer courses from May 1 to Aug. 31. Additionally, cost would be determined as it is in the fall and winter, where unit price per student is determined based on the total sum paid to the City. Presently, students pay $87.60 each semester for their U-Pass, saving them $224.40 in regular transit fare for four months. There is also a provision that creates an additional ride on weekdays at 10 p.m. for routes 21 and 22 (Glencairn and Arcola East) as well as an extra ride after 6 p.m. A detailed report can be found on the City of Regina website under minutes of the Community and Protective Services Committee meeting held on Jan. 8. The report is set to be approved at the public City Council meeting on Jan. 29. City Councillor Andrew Stevens of Ward 3 spoke to how this change would affect students. “Basically, it’s an extension of that existing relationship, but into the spring and summer.” “[The U-Pass] has been a resounding success in terms of having transit access, accessibility across the city and certainly for students at the U of R. I take the bus all the time and since I’ve started here, the services have increased incredibly and it’s a result of the U-Pass.” Stevens is also an Associate Professor at the University of Regina in the Faculty of Business Administration whose areas of research include industrial relations and human resource management. As an active member of the campus community and an elected official, Stevens is able to see the benefits of the U-Pass first-hand. “What we know generally at the [City of Regina] is that if you reduce the cost of public transit, you maintain or increase ridership. Since 2015 there has been an increase in over a million U-Pass related rides. More people are taking the bus, in part because [of] the cost. One, it’s required, everybody pays for it. It’s distributed amongst the population so the cost decreases. It’s cheaper than parking your car. “We’ve seen an increase in the percentage of students who are activating their cards. What the city would be concerned with [is that] we have a benchmark of bus riders per hour. We can clock how many people are or not us-
ing it, based on how they use their R-Card. Because it’s real-time data, we know exactly how many trips people are taking. If it was demonstrated that students are paying this fee [and] nobody’s using it by measure of ridership, I think it would really be up to URSU to say ‘this isn’t working’ and the City to flag [if] buses are running empty. But the reality is that they’re not and we’re actually seeing an increase in ridership on certain routes, specifically routes that go to Harbour Landing.” “In every sense, it’s been a success when it comes to the transit improvements related to the U-Pass, but also coming to and from the university.”
“In every sense, it’s been a success when it comes to the transit improvements related to the U-Pass.” – Andrew Stevens
Jeremy Davis
Catch a ride!
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 4
news
Dildos for relief Satisfying the need for change
ethan butterfield a&c editor In what is an entirely different way for people to satisfy their need for climate change, an ongoing initiative has emerged in the form of sex toy fundraising. This, much like how Kaylen Ward raised money for the Australian wildfires by selling nudes of herself after people sent proof of donation (an endeavor that went on to raise an estimated one million dollars), is just one of the many unique and ways that the sex trade has been doing its part in the relief effort. To touch on the actual product more, the aptly named “Down-Under Donation Dildo” was unveiled on Jan. 9 on Twitter. The individuals from Geeky Sex Toys (an Australian-based sex toy company) made the reveal with a statement that all profit made from purchases of the dildo would go directly to helping their home continent. “This silicone toy was designed specifically as our way to help out our neighbours in need,” followed with “Buying a sex toy never felt so good.” As for the actual specs, Geeky Sex Toys noted on Twitter that
Morgan Ortman
Bushfire relief
“it has an insertable length of 5.5 inches, overall length of 6 inches, and a circumference of 4.25 inches.” The cost of the donation dildo comes out to $69 altogether, in what was more than likely a specific move made on the part of the company. Despite the somewhat heavy price (not all that heavy when one looks at the pricing for sex-related products), the cause is, if I may say, certainly worth it. And, according to the results of purchases made, so did others. There was an announcement on Geeky Sex Toys Twitter account that surfaced on Jan. 15, stating: “Hey naughty nerds! Can you believe we’ve now raised over $22,000 (over 15,000 U.S.)?!” According to their website, the company has now accumulated $25,000 AUS. For those interested in where the money is going specifically, Geeky Sex Toys (at the time) had this to say: “A specific charity has yet to be determined but we will be posting regular updates on our
Instagram and Twitter with the amount of money raised and specifically where it is going.” The company eventually did find a group to donate to. In fact, they split the proceeds among four different groups. The information regarding that can be found on Geeky Sex Toys website, as well as here: “We have chosen to divide up the money raised and donate it to several different charities and funds. Below is a list with the charity and amounts we have pledged to donate. We’ll continue to add to this list as more money is raised.” Humane Society – Wildlife Emergency Response Fund : $7500 AUS h t t p s : / / a c t i o n . h s i . o r g. a u / page/54414/donate/1 Australian Red Cross : $7500 AUS https://www.redcross.org.au/ Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Bushfire Appeal : $5000 AUS
https://azwh.blackbaud-sites. com/ Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland : $5000 AUS h t t p s : / / w w w. r f b a q . o rg / d o nate-to-rfbaq In a Pink News interview with company co-founder and designer of the dildo, Josh Porter, he stated why Geeky Sex Toys decided to go about raising money through such unique means. “We figured, we’re pretty damn good at designing and producing sex toys, so let’s make an Australian themed dildo with all the profits going to charity!” Porter said. “We also thought it was a unique way of helping out and could gather quite a bit of media attention, so even if people didn’t purchase a dildo they might still go and donate directly.” Porter, in the same interview, went on to comment on the response that the company’s product had received, saying it’s “incredible” and “overwhelmingly positive.” Porter continued on by
saying, “People seem to love the idea that something as random as a dildo can help raise awareness and most importantly money in times like this.” Geeky Sex Toys posted this on their website as an official declaration of their stance during this trying time: “All our toys are handmade in this wonderful country that we call home. We are proud Australians and to see our country burning like this is truly heartbreaking. The catastrophic spread of bushfires is devastating, and our thoughts go out to all the people, wildlife, and land that has been affected throughout Australia.” Geeky Sex Toys continued with, “Thank you so much to everyone around the world who has already donated in any way.” For those interested in purchasing the donation dildo, whether it be for charitable purposes or other uses, you can find pricing and purchasing options at Geeky Sex Toys official website, geekysextoys.com
“People seem to love the idea that something as random as a dildo can help raise awareness and most importantly money in times like this.” – Josh Porter
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 5
news
Six months at Bernie’s U of R student volunteers south of the border
john loeppky editor-in-chief Matt Fedler, a political science student at the University of Regina, has always been interested in the process of deciding on a nation’s leader. The former provincial and federal NDP hopeful has taken on a new adventure for the next few months, travelling to northern New Hampshire to volunteer for the Bernie Sanders campaign. How does one end up on the doorstep of rural Americans fresh off of an effort to become the NDP candidate in Regina Elphinstone-Centre? Through a friend. “Bernie Sanders has been a pretty inspirational figure to me. He’s one of the big reasons I’ve been so politically active in the last two years and I had an opportunity, a connection with a friend [ . . . ] They connected me here and I decided to throw my classes online and come on down and join the political revolution.” The former U of R wrestler said he was already pretty familiar with the Vermont Senator’s platform. The democratic front runner sparked Fedler’s interest because of his approach on In-
Gage Skidmore Via Flickr
Everyone’s Jewish uncle convinces one Canadian to come and support him
digenous issues. “He was the first American politician I can recall pretty consistently speaking about Native American rights and treaty rights down here. He’s also the first north American politician I have heard speaking about universal tuition-free college and university, which speaks to me as a young person and a young Indigenous person.” Recent polling numbers have been described by the folks at Fivethirtyeight.com as “pretty weird.” Their model has Sanders with a one-in-four chance of convincing more than half the delegates in the Democratic primary. That puts him behind everyone’s problematic woke uncle, Joe Biden, and slightly ahead of the chance that no one meets that benchmark. For context, Warren is at one-in-eight and Buttigieg (or as our news editor’s dad calls him, Mayo Pete) is sitting at onein-twelve. Fedler believes that the concerns of Americans primarily have to do with getting rid of Donald Trump. “I would say, absolutely, the
number one concern seems to be getting the current occupant of the White House an eviction notice. Everyone wants the candidate that’s best suited to defeat Trump and obviously I personally believe that’s Bernie. The other, I think, pretty consistent major issue is climate change.” “It’s one thing I’m gaining from being here is just it’s beautiful here in northern New Hampshire. A skiing destination, beautiful mountains, and trees everywhere. So I can understand why they’re concerned about the environment.” Fedler says he has typical duties like putting up signs and knocking on doors but hopes to bring more of a Canadian family feel to the process. “The sort of community feel of the campaign office where you have volunteers bringing in food, pretty much every single day during a campaign, and that’s not just in Canada, but in Saskatchewan itself. So, fostering that kind of community feel isn’t lacking at all in the Bernie campaign, it’s just a matter of maybe putting [it] into action.”
The Democratic Convention will be held in mid-July, with the American election being on Nov. 3. Matt, like many Saskatchewan voters, also has his mind on our own provincial election, the date of which is Nov. 2. The latest widely-reported on polls from Mainstreet Research (from March 2019) had the NDP pulling 31.2 per cent of the vote against the Sask. Party’s 55 per cent. The margin was much closer in Regina, with the numbers narrowing to 37.9 per cent pulling for orange and 42.4 per cent swayed towards the incumbent (mostly guys) in green. Rurally, those numbers ballooned, with the Sask. Party more than doubling their competitor’s number in all of the places not named Saskatoon or Regina. Fedler plans to stay until after the primary and perhaps as late as the conventions or the later federal campaign, if he can find a job south of the border as the calendar turns to November. If not, he says he has his eyes on the land of living skies’ next turn at the polls. “Obviously we have our own provincial election coming up in October and I’d be more than
happy to come back and get right back into the swing of things in Saskatchewan.”
“I would say, absolutely, the number one concern seems to be getting the current occupant of the White House an eviction notice. Everyone wants the candidate that’s best suited to defeat Trump and obviously I personally believe that’s Bernie.” – Matt Fedler
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 6
news
URFA committee holds open forum for students Union opens dialogue with students
ben schneider news writer On Thursday, Jan. 16, the University of Regina Faculty Association’s (URFA) Member Mobilization Committee held an open faculty and student social from 4-6 p.m. titled Here to Hear. The idea was to create an environment where students could meet with professors and other academic staff outside of the classroom to share concerns or ask questions. “The Member Mobilization Committee consists of Michael Shires (Chair, Library), Marc Spooner (Education), Andi Céline Martin (KHS), James Daschuck (KHS), William Arnal (Religious Studies), Darlene Juschka (WGS) and Robert Thomas (Library). Also in attendance were Andrew Stevens (Business), Cindy Hanson (Education), Ed Doolittle (FNUC) and Claire Polster (Arts). At its height, around 40 members of the campus community attended the event, which was a win – given the frigid temperatures – for Marc Spooner who teaches in the Faculty of Education. “I was pleasantly surprised that there was that many students who came out and that they were willing to really engage and talk about their concerns and things that had happened throughout their program that they weren’t pleased with or that they wanted to know more about.” Topics of conversation ranged from sessionals, the U of R’s poor value for money, to how
Courtesy of URFA
Bring on the conversation
professors spend their summer (are these months considered time off?) and the intricacies of tenure. Spooner enjoys being able to talk about his job and what it constitutes. “One of the conversations we had towards the end that I liked was just explaining how our jobs work. Students often see us in one course, in one context, but don’t see the full breadth of what our job is.” Teaching is often just one important but marginal aspect of a professor’s career. On top of teaching, faculty members are also expected to conduct research and publish meaningful contributions to their field of study as well as carry out committee work, such as that of the Member Mobilization Committee. Last year, URFA members organized to reach students as misinformation spread across campus while the University and the Faculty Association struggled to negotiate a fair collective agreement that didn’t compromise on issues of job security for sessionals and adequate salaries for academic staff. Spooner reflected on this contentious period, noting that URFA and several of its committees were able to engage with students in a stronger capacity, spreading awareness about what the Faculty Association is and how it serves its members as well as U of R students. “[The Mem-
ber Mobilization Committee] felt very strongly that consultation should be an ongoing thing that happens throughout the year and especially between bargaining years,” says Spooner. Spooner sees additional opportunities to increase healthy discussion and collaboration on campus through partnering with various groups, such as URSU, the Carillon, UR Pride, and RPIRG, all groups that advocate for students. Tuition was also at the forefront of discussion. It was noted by a student that under Vianne Timmons’ leadership over the last 11 years, tuition has doubled, making the U of R the fourthmost expensive university in Canada. Other concerned attendees noted the university’s business over education model, with students taking on the role of the customer. “One of the international students that was there was really asking ‘why don’t students mobilize more when tuition is going to get raised or when things aren’t going as well as they could be. I thought that was really astute and interesting,” recalled Spooner. It’s a great question, especially in an extremely competitive job market post-graduation. According to Maclean’s, the University of Regina ranks number 14 in the category of comprehensive schools, trailing behind the likes of Simon Fraser, Carleton, and
Memorial. Another concern that particularly interested Professor Spooner was around professors who may be experts in their field, but lack strong teaching skills. “It was good for me to be able to explain that, sure, that’s the responsibility of the prof to become as good a teacher as they can, but they have to be given professional development opportunities to get there. In most jobs, if you want to grow in your professional capacity, there’s courses you can take or places you can go.” “The university used to have a very vibrant centre for teaching and learning where professors could go get professional development and become better teachers. That was closed down by the administration a few years ago and it’s only beginning to [be] opened up again. There was a period of a couple of years where, even if you wanted to put in the time and effort to become a better teacher, there wasn’t really a place to go to get that professional development.” Spooner notes that, though the centre has reopened and is operating under exciting new leadership, it lacks attention and could use more support from central administration. Looking back on Here to Hear, Spooner celebrates this first iteration of an open forum and expands on the possibility he and the committee see for future
events. “The number one takeaway is that students are talking with us and having open dialogue about the experience of coming to the University of Regina. When you get 40 students out to anything when it’s -40 out, I think that’s pretty remarkable. And so I think that, on a nicer day, with more advertising as people get used to these forums, it could grow into something really interesting and beneficial for everybody.” “In the future, I would love to see events [with] the Faculty Association, the administration and the student union—I would like to see all three of us doing joint events together. I don’t like the ‘us and them.’ We’re all here with the common goal to provide the best experience for students to reach their maximum potential. That’s why we’re here. Research is also very important to society, but to me, we’re all on the same team and it’s unfortunate that bargaining went down in such a way where we were forced to fight with each other, because it’s such a better environment for everyone if we’re working collectively together to provide the best education people can get.”
Arts & Culture
7
Editor: ethan butterfield aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
Dead Levee Interview Two new singles and one new tour
Courtesy of Dead Levee
ethan butterfield a&c editor Regina-based band Dead Levee (founded in 2017) is starting to make waves on the music scene, releasing two new singles titled “Tension” and “Eyes on the Road”. On top of the singles, Dead Levee has also announced that they will be going on a Canada-wide tour, calling it their Tension 2020 Tour. The tour will kick off on Jan. 30th in Regina at The Exchange, with following locations including Winnipeg, Halifax, Hamiliton and Thunder Bay, just to name a few. I had the wonderful opportunity to discuss the new singles and tour with bassist/vocalist Tayler Morgan and Rylan Klapatiuk. That interview can be found just below: So, with regards to your new singles “Tension” and “Eyes on the Road”, what was the process like putting those singles together? Ray: “Oh, well, it’s like any song, it’s such a long process, it starts with an idea and it keeps building from there. Write the song, rewrite it, work it out with the boys, rewrite it again and then record, and then finally ask ourselves ‘okay, is this ready?’ [laughter].”
Tayler: “Yeah, exactly. That’s kind of what it was for ‘Tension,’ we kind of went in and out of it. Rewrote it a couple of times, because you can’t put a timeline on a masterpiece [laughter]. And then ‘Eyes on the Road,’ that one comes out on the 22nd, end of January here, that one was an idea that Ray had. He brought it too Dane Von Hagen, the lead singer, and myself, and we just had a couple of pints and just kind of rewrote it a bunch of different ways and it came to exactly what it is today.” Ray: “That one was a bit of an easier process. You know, having a few drinks and locking the doors. Closing the blinds for a couple of days and coming out three days later with a song.” Now, because both of those songs are singles, are there plans for an EP or album in the future? Ray: We definitely have plans for a couple of bigger releases in the foreseeable future. I don’t wanna put a date on anything but definitely have something in the works. Whether it comes about as a another chain of singles or an EP, or even a full length album, it’s gonna be something. We do have material and we’re constant-
ly working on more stuff. Moving away from the album and onto the tour, how do you guys feel about that coming up? Tayler: “Oh, that’s gonna be a blast. We never really toured out East. As far as we’ve toured is Winnipeg, so the fact that we’re going to go out an extra 4500km that way is absolutely unbelievable and doing it in February just adds tension to the tour, right?” Ray: “Everyone I’ve talked to says we’re nuts, but I’m pretty excited.” How does it feel to be starting out in your home town of Regina? Tayler: “It’s exactly as any musician would want, you start a tour big at home with all your friends and family, and then move on to cities with bigger markets that you’re not necessarily exposed to as much and you kind of build a reputation out there. But playing in Regina is always a blast.” Is there any place in particular that you guys are looking forward to playing at?
Tayler: “Well, playing Toronto is going to be wild, playing all the way out in Charlottetown, playing Prince Edward Island, is going to be crazy too. There’s just so many big cities out that way that it’s kind of tough to say, right? You have all these suburbs with 100,000 odd population, so it’s much like Regina being built around Vancouver, you know what I’m saying? There’s just like a lot of population out in the surrounding area out there, which is really going to be nice not having to drive four or five hours to play the next city.” Ray: “I wanna say, I’m super excited to play everything east of Winnipeg, because we’ve never played out that way before. That being said, we’ve quite the show lined up in Winnipeg, so I’m excited for everything [laughter].”
Tayler: “Just continuing to reach for the top, of course. We’d love to be on every radio station across the entire world.” Ray: “We’re not going to stop until we’re filling out stadiums across the world.” Tayler: “For sure, we’re that kind of band that’s satisfied for the night, but then you wake up the next day and you wanna do something twice as cool.” So there you have it, once again, if you’re interested in seeing Dead Levee live before they head off east, you can catch them (as well as Small City Blues and the Hourhand) at the Exchange on January 30. Tickets are available for $10 and can be found on The Exchange website.
Tayler: Me being a Manitoba product myself, Winnipeg is going to be awesome. I’ve got a bunch of friends and family that support us out there, everytime we go out there. So that’s always nice. So, last question for you here, where are you hoping the Dead Levee name goes after the promotion and the tour?
“That’s kind of what it was for ‘Tension,’ we kind of went in and out of it. Rewrote it a couple of times, because you can’t put a timeline on a masterpiece [laughter].” – Tayler Morgan
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
arts & culture
8
The great reinvention of Layton Burton Satisfying the need for change
Adeoluwa Atayero contributor A quick Google search will show you that Millenials and members of Generation Z are reportedly prone to sky-high levels of anxiety and depression. While there are a plethora of reasons responsible for this haunting reality, at the very top of the list is a daunting feeling of failure. Unlike the generations that came before them, Millenials and “Gen Zers” seem to be very in their own heads about what success truly means. This obsession with figuring things out and being successful at a young age has created a world filled with ticking time bombs. What the “kids” do not seem to realize is that though sometimes success comes early, many times it does not. However, as you grow older, your definition of having it “figured out” changes often and drastically. You do not have to take my word for it. Just ask Layton Burton. If you met Layton on any given day at the University of Regina’s School of Journalism, you would find it hard to believe that he is the vibrant age of 58. Whether it is the cheerful hue of his colourful laughter bouncing through the walls of the school’s studio or the passion that seeps through his intense glare when his eyes are focusing on a subject, Layton radiates youthfulness and a specific genre of warmth. However, years before he was sharing his light at the University as a lab instructor, Layton was a successful filmmaker who had it “all figured out.” He has worked on everything from news photography (CBC-TV) to working as lighting cameraman (Utopia Café and Sesame Street) and then going on to become a Director of Photography and Director on television shows, feature films, and documentaries (Patient 62, April Doesn’t Hurt Her, Basic Human Needs and Separate Beds). With over 35 years of working in the industry, Layton was able to lead an adventurous and comfortable life for himself and his family. Until he was not. On March 21, 2012, Saskatchewan’s provincial government made a decision to cancel the film tax credit. It was a decision met with much opposition because of the implications it would have for the province’s film industry. Many of Layton’s colleagues and friends, heartbroken and faced with a tough new reality, opted to leave the place they had come to know as home. Layton, instead, chose the road less travelled. “I decided to go back to school because I had an interest in teaching. I got my film degree and began my master’s degree”, says Layton. “I was lucky enough to be asked to come and work for the Journalism School at the university to teach broadcast news, which is where I started, and documentary production, which I loved and was a real training
“I decided to go back to school because I had an interest in teaching. I got my film degree and began my master’s degree” – Layton Burton
Heidi Atter
Regina film stalwart turned professor continues to support local
ground for me.” Layton recalls making a decision to go back to school and naturally, feeling anxious about taking classes with “young people”. “I wondered if I was going to measure up, wondered if I was going to be successful and wondered whether or not I had made the right decision.” A humbling experience by every standard, Layton chose to take it all in stride and that has made all the difference. Reflecting on changing career paths in his early fifties, Layton had this to say, “my reinvention of myself is surprising to me because I never thought I would find a career that I loved as much as making films and television in Saskatchewan until now.” It is noteworthy to mention that Layton is no stranger to resilience or adjusting realities. In fact, his journey with adapting and thriving can be traced back to the moment he officially joined the human race. Layton was adopted as a baby which made him always feel like something was different in his life. “I loved my adopted parents, they were my parents, but as I got older I needed to find out why I had been given up.” This need turned into a twoyear search to find his biological birth parents. Unfortunately, his biological father had passed away
by the time he began his search but his biological mother was still alive. At the age of 39, Layton describes his reunion with his mother as a “watershed moment”. Layton also believes that having children of his own (a son and a daughter) inspired the search and helped him process, understand, and appreciate that moment even more. In his own words, Layton says, “being a father accelerated my want and desire to find those people and find out who I really was”. The journey of self-discovery and reinvention continues for Layton who admits that he is understandably now “boring” these days. “My typical day starts by waking up and looking forward to getting to school and seeing my students. I love imparting knowledge whilst trying to learn from them. Then I come home and reunite with the light of my life, my wife.” Layton admits that while he does miss working on a set, he does not miss the hard work. “At my age, I do not know if I could have kept up with that lifestyle. This is why I love being a mentor. In my new role, I am able to inspire passion for people to become cinematographers, journalists, writers or painters. That desire to push boundaries and go
places you would never have gone but your art takes you to. That is my new passion.” African-American novelist, Toni Morrison, famously wrote “if you surrendered to the air, you can ride it.” This is not a school of thought that is popular with the youth of today and it is not hard to see why. In this age of instant gratification and “overnight successes,” it becomes increasingly easier to feel a need for planning out every second of every day and to hold yourself to impossible standards. With Layton’s story, however, it is evident that even after years of success and flying, life happens. And then what? What would you do if a career you’ve loved for over two decades was suddenly taken away from you? When life happens, what matters is how you respond. Will you cave in and retreat? Will you keep fighting with the wind? Or will you surrender to the air? Layton has obviously chosen the latter and from where this writer stands, surrendering seems pretty fly.
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
arts & culture
9
Malty National launches internship program Heritage brewery gives back to community
john loeppky editor-in-chief
Malty National, a local brewery in Regina’s Heritage neighbourhood recently announced internship and community grant programs. Brewer and co-founder Kelsey Beach says that the program has been in the works for a number of years, but that the holdup was because they were looking for grant funding. “We’ve been talking about the internship for a while actually, for the first few years. This is the first we’ve finally gotten around to it . . . We would apply because we’re a for-profit corporation, obviously our odds of getting something like that were slim, and then things start to get busy in spring and then we’d forgotten about it. So, this year we decided to get on it.” Beach said the goal of the internship is to give somebody in the community a new opportunity. “We’re hoping to get a unique skillset new brought in, temporarily. I mean as exemplified by the list of skills we’ve listed. I believe pretty much any skill can be applied to a brewery in some way or another. Especially if you think
creatively and outside of the box so there’d be that. The second one would be development. We don’t know exactly who we’re getting yet, but for someone’s who younger it would be resume development, to get something on your resume in your discipline. It could open a door for someone.” The internships involves one shift at the brewery a week, with a total of fifteen hours of work a week expected from the successful application. The pay is $1000 and the time for employment is May 1 to Aug. 31. Malty is also holding a community grant program, directed towards new one-off projects, with a budget provided of $500. Both applications are due to Malty by March 31 to maltynational@gmail.com, along with a 300 word description of why you or your project should be chosen. Heritage Community Association executive director Shayna Stock said that the initiative is a great addition to the area and that it is a good example for other businesses to follow. “I think the Heritage neighbourhood is really lucky to have businesses like Malty National that are so community-minded and that work hard to give back to the community in ways like this community grant program and
Courtesy of Malty National
Serving pints and sweet cash
the internship.” “Malty is a business that exists very intentionally within a neighbourhood that’s very diverse and includes people of many different backgrounds and income levels, and they seem to be really aware of their place in the neighbourhood and of their responsibility to be a good neighbour and to give back to the community in the ways that they can. It’s great that
they’re doing that and if other businesses were to feel inspired to do something similar that would be amazing.” Beach said any benefits community members feel will be shared by the company. “I mean, we’re members of the community, so we’ll gain what the community gains. Pretty much all of the owners and employees live in the neighbourhood
here. The business is rooted here in the community. We’ll reap the benefits of whatever the project is.”
How Abrams brought back (and then ruined) the end of Star Wars Your move, Edward Dodd ethan butterfield a&c editor In what is the classiest call-back article of my career as a writer and editor, there’s nothing I love more than talking about and then immediately ripping into the mega-franchise that is Star Wars. Before I really get into things, I should make the statement that this piece is a call back to an article that was written on Sept. 27 of 2011 discussing how George Lucas fixed and then ruined the ending of the titular saga. Now, coming up on nine years since it’s publication, it seems that things have come full circle with the galaxy, far, far, away . . . So, here’s a brief rundown/ timeline for the three people out there that haven’t seen the new Star Wars movies. Back in 2012, Disney acquires the rights to Star Wars from George Lucas, then gives the first film of their new trilogy, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to well-known director J.J. Abrams, which, in 2015 was released to both an impressive box office draw and equally as impressive reviews. The spark of Star Wars was alive and well, and the bad taste of the prequels had been metaphorically washed out of many a fan’s mouth. Then, moving forward to 2017, The Last Jedi (directed by Rian Johnson) is released to a massive, massive onslaught of “fan” (sorry John for the scare quotes) reviews that just tear it to shreds. Like, honestly, you should see some of the comments on
Twitter, my God. Despite such a whirlwind of hate and anger, the film also performed quite well, both box office-wise and critically. Flash forward to 2019 and so comes the end of the trilogy, the big hurrah, the last of the Skywalker-based films. The lights dim in the theatre and everyone is waiting with bated breath to see how this epic saga will conclude. Then, the movie ends, the credits roll, and the lights are turned back on. Silence. Silence, followed by an utter feeling of dread. We all wanted to like it – really, we did. However, the sheer level of pandering on display shows that Disney, much like George Lucas, doesn’t know how to stop and just keep things on a base level. The editing was all over the place, the characters and their stories jumped around like a wambat trying to avoid a T-16, and there was an impression that they were trying to force (no pun intended) plot points that did not need to exist. Listen, we all (well, at least most of us) love Star Wars on some level or another, but the spark of nostalgia that The Force Awakens brought back, followed by the subversion of The Last Jedi, could’ve built for this epic (and I do use that word unironically) end on such a grand scale. Instead, Disney was so scared of going off the beating path, so scared of trying something that might upset their cash machine of a fanbase, that they just gave people what they wanted and called it a day. Disney, grow some
Disney/Lucasfilms
teeth and stop reusing the same old things that the original trilogy already built for us. We’ve already seen Endor, we’ve already seen Palpatine, we’ve already seen all the old, tried and true characters, would it kill you to be a bit different?
Everybody loves a callback
Honestly, Disney, for being in the creative business, you have no business being here at all.
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020 arts & culture
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
10
1917 Review
Suspense-filled from beginning to end ethan butterfield a&c editor After having literally left the theatre in shock and awe, my friend and I were baffled as we couldn’t find ourselves able to describe the film that we had just seen. This World War I-based drama had struck a chord with our visual interfaces and all we could do was just keep looking back at one another, wondering who was going to speak first about what we thought. Eventually, the silence broke and the air was filled with a steady “Uhhhhhh, so yeah”. We had been left all but speechless. 1917, directed by Sam Mendes, is an editing and cinematography-based wonder. The camera work on display and the way that the light played with the dark was mesmerizing. On top of that, the lack of dialogue and heavy focus on imagery really helped the tone that the film was carrying set in. What is that tone? Unsettling. Yes, whether it’s (spoilers by the way) the camera weaving through the soldiers until it falls on the main protagonist in his emotionally broken state, or the nail-bitingly tense shoot-out scenes, or even the moments of quiet because you know something is going to amp up the tone all over again. Moving from the tone to the theme, the main one of 1917 may be linked with empowerment or the will to go on. However, I feel
wikimedia commons
it more so falls within the realm of “war is hell,” and that despite what you do, you can’t save everyone. An example of this being the theme would be (spoilers again) near the end, where the camera floats over the injured and dying from the charge against enemy lines. Even the final scene, which initially feels peaceful, has a grieving and downtrodden air to it. I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical going in, mostly due to the setting. “Oh, another war film. Time to tug at the heartstrings of the human condition once again,” I would say, only for the film to grab me by the collar and say “McCuse’ me with a large fries?
What did you just say? I’m an empowering story of perseverance in the face of absolute failure, son!” And then, you know, swirly’s ensue or whatever. On the same note, I had made a comment earlier in the month (during the Golden Globes) about how I was frustrated Mendes won both Best Director and Best Picture despite his film only being out for a week. Well, I would just like to formally apologize for that comment. He earned those awards, folks. Without getting much more into it, I’ll just say that 1917 is a very suspenseful film that, as I mentioned above, well leave you
with your jaw on the floor or your breath shortened significantly. If you’re on the fence about seeing this movie, allow me to verbally push you onto the side of seeing it. It’s a good film, a very, very good film.
Parasite review Snubbery is alive and well
marty grande-sherbert staff writer The first thing that we should all know about Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is that it was grossly under-served by both the Golden Globes and the Academy. I’ll say it: the fact that it was not nominated for any acting awards is pure garbage. You’re really going to tell me that Adam Driver in Marriage Story outperformed a single person in that cast? In the words of that one Irish mom from the famous Vine, “disgusting.” However, we know where that under-serving bias is coming from, I think: it’s the same bias that didn’t nominate Us for a single Oscar, despite Lupita Nyong’o giving a showstopping performance of not one but two roles in the same film. I also have some choice words for everyone who passed over Midsommar and Hereditary--why exactly does the academy hate horror movies?-but that’s not the point. The actors of Parasite were snubbed, but so was the film as a whole every time it was only acknowledged as an excellent “foreign film.” As Joon-ho himself said in his acceptance speech at the Globes, “if you overcome the 1-inch tall barrier of subti-
tles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” We so often in do not take movies seriously when they don’t directly work from our cultural perspective, and until the Golden Globes proved how fantastic it was, Regina was not even playing Parasite in theatres besides Studio 7 at the Rainbow Cinemas. Despite being smothered under the weight of movies like Marriage Story and Bombshell that were...just okay, though, Parasite still managed to be one of the most beautifully written movies in my memory. It is a passionately delivered criticism of class war, and a message of validation to working-class people who, like in the film, literally keep the lights on for the rich who do not notice them and could care less if they lived or died. It sprinkles satire, humour and the excitement of a heist film on top of its deep and serious symbolism, which struck me with the kind of reaction that I had only gotten from horror films. Additionally, the point at which the movie goes from lighthearted to horrifying--and if you’ve seen it, you’ll know which I mean--was stark and visceral. Parasite shows the brutality and tragedy of capitalism for what it is, and lights fires in the bellies of audiences who recog-
NEON/ CJ entertainmentr
nize the exploitation they see unfolding as it does in their own lives. If you haven’t seen it, see it, and then talk about it a lot. One thing I think should be discussed in particular is the use of appropriation of Indigienous peoples’ culture as a part of Parasite’s narrative, which Joon-ho said is meant to call attention to the colonial mindset of the rich. However, if the audience is not aware of history behind this appropria-
tion, it is possible for such a decision can do more harm than good. Shea Vassar, a writer for the publication “Zora” on Medium, wrote a piece called “How The Movie ‘Parasite’ Confronts Native Stereotypes” that picks this apart very well. I recommend it. In summary, Parasite slaps and the Academy has bad taste. Also, Rainbow Cinemas has really good peach juice.
Sports
11
Editor: tyler meadows sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 23th - January 29th, 2020
Split weekend keeps Cougar men in the playoff hunt Men’s hockey trip to Calgary at least partially successful
brian palaschuk sports writer The Cougar men’s hockey team has been the turn-around story of 2020. After winning just two games in the first 16 games of the season, the men have battled their way back into playoff contention, going 4-1-1 in the last six. This past weekend brought their toughest challenge of the new year, the fourth-place Mount Royal Cougars. A big part of this push has been Tanner Nagel, newcomer from the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. With five points in his first six games, Nagel has been producing at an elite rate and has seen the improvement in his short time with the Cougars. He says the lack of expectation given the poor start has contributed to their newfound success. “I think we just have been enjoying it and playing like we have nothing to lose really. Once you get on a little streak of playing good hockey you find things happen a little smoother and the teams been playing good hockey even before Christmas and the break.” On Friday night, the Cougars played one of their best games of the run thus far. In the first two
University of Regina Athletics
U of R Cougars take a point against Mount Royal
periods, it was a bloodbath. The Cougars from Calgary looked faster and hungrier, peppering star Regina goaltender Brandon Holtby with 16 shots. Riley Lindgren and Andrew Flyten were able to solve the Regina native, and Josh Bly extended the lead to 3-0 early in the second. Despite this early pressure from Mount Royal, the Cougars avoided falling into their early season pitfalls. They kept the pressure on Mount Royal and stayed out of the box while doing it. The disciplined Cougars took just one penalty on the night while drawing three of their own. Midway through the second, newcomer Tanner Nagel brought the game within two on a great feed from centre Conner Chaulk. The powerplay then went to work for the Cougars, with Chaulk scoring a goal of his own. Late in the third, again on the powerplay Nagel connected with Arthur Miller to tie the game. For the second straight game the Cougars went to work in overtime and again were unable to solve the tie in five-on0five Unfortunately, three-on-three overtime
brought the opposite result for the Cougars in green as Isaac Schafer’s high sticking penalty proved costly when Connor Blake was able to win it for the home team. Notably, Holtby continued his all-star season by stopping a tremendous 49 shots to allow the Cougars the opportunity to come back. The first-year starter has been a key to the Cougars recent success where he has looked like the other Holtby, Braden of the Washington Capitals who backstopped the Capitals to a Stanley Cup. Saturday brought a bit of regression for the Cougars who looked sluggish from the get-go. They showed a bit of jump in the third, but it was too little too late as Mount Royal was able to maintain an early advantage, winning 6-1. Holtby stopped another 45 shots while the Cougars generated just 22 of their own. For newcomer Tanner Nagel, the assessment on the weekend was more of the same. “I feel like we played really well the first game, obviously didn’t get the result we wanted, but we battled back from being
down to force overtime and get a point. The second game we just didn’t quite have the jump we did the first game.” Nagel is a big reason the Cougars were able to get a point on Friday, exploding for two big points to bring the Cougars back to even. What does he think of his performance so far? “I’m pretty happy with how I am playing. There’s always room for improvement, but I definitely am happy to be able to help wherever I can.” Having been a captain in the WHL, Nagel has leadership experience that is valuable when down 3-0 in a must win game, which is something he doesn’t take for granted. “Ya, I think playing in the WHL has helped me in a lot of situations.” One of the biggest adaptations for the rookie is a lifestyle one. Going from the heavy hockey schedule of the WHL to the demanding academic schedule of varsity is a big transition. How has Nagel been handling it so far? “It’s been good. I have been Learning lots and just trying to
make the most of it. The lifestyle is different. You are busy all the time and always have those due dates in the back of your mind.” After their 0-1-1 weekend the Cougars sit seventh in Canada West, just two points behind the UBC Thunderbirds. UBC didn’t do the Cougars any favours on the weekend, as they picked up four points against the Manitoba Bisons. The Cougars will have their chance to retake sixth place with a contest against Manitoba of their own. These games could be season deciding for Regina who close their season against U of A and U of S as they look for their first playoff berth since 2013. For Nagel, despite the mounting pressure, the goal will be to keep doing what’s working. “I think we just have to keep building off what has made us successful. We have to have a good week of practice and prepare properly. If we play hard and fast like we have been it’s going to be a good weekend.” The Cougars next home game comes Jan. 31 against the Alberta Golden Bears.
“I feel like we played really well the first game, obviously didn’t get the result we wanted but we battled back from being down to force overtime and get a point. The second game we just didn’t quite have the jump we did the first game.” – Tanner Nagel
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 12
sports
Cougar women’s hockey extends win streak to six Jane Kish continues to backstop the Cougars to success
brian palaschuk sports writer While the Cougar men’s season turnaround has been impressive, the Cougar women’s hockey team has been incredible. After sitting dead last in Canada West as late as November, the Cougars are undefeated in 2020 and have moved all the way to fourth place. They did so by leapfrogging Mount Royal, who they swept two games to none this past weekend. Netminder Jane Kish posted a record sixth shutout of the season and leads Canada West in that regard. For the veteran net-minder, the season turn around has been all about positive attitude. “I think positivity and buyin is what it came down to. Everyone has bought into their role and is putting team success ahead of their own. After Christmas we knew we were going to have to battle to obtain a playoff spot and everyone has come together and done their part to help us achieve that.” Kish talks about putting team success ahead of their own, and the Cougars epitomize that mentality. The team has just three scorers in the top 25 in Canada West: Jaycee Magwood, defenceman Tamara McVannel, and sniper Jordan Kulbida. Howev-
University of Regina Athletics
The Cougars sweep on the back of Kish
er, their depth is excellent. The Cougars have contributions from eleven different goal scorers. Against Mount Royal, the Cougars flashed their depth and toughness. On Friday the team won a hard fought 2-1 victory, the kind that good teams find a way to win. Captain Jaycee Magwood, who has continually elevated her game in filling a much-needed leadership role in 2020 scored first for the Cougars. After graduating leading scorer of 2018-2019 Emma Waldenberger, Magwood has taken her production to a whole new level; she has already tied her 2019 scoring total with six games left in the season. Martina Maskova added her first goal of the season that would be the decider as the Cougars held on to win 2-1. On Saturday the Cougars put together an even better performance. One of the issues for the Cougars this season has been penalties, but they were disciplined this weekend, taking just three while generating four of their own. They went to work on the powerplay, scoring both goals on the man advantage. These came courtesy of veterans Merissa Zerr and Shaelyn Vallotton.
Kish stopped all 16 shots she faced for her sixth shutout of the season. “Overall, we played very strong. The team did not allow for many shots, which resulted in a lack of chances for MRU to capitalize. As well, our team’s habits were crisp and the positivity by everyone is what helped drive us to that 6-point sweep.” Kish’s consistency has been one of the biggest reasons for the Cougars success. This year she has put up tremendous numbers, including a 1.27 goals against average, .942 save percentage, and a league leading six shutouts. For Kish however, it is all about the team. “For me, the main thing is that we get that win. We have a great group of girls and we deserve to be in a playoff position so being able to do my part in the back end is all that matters. Plus, the team is doing a great job ahead of me and in a team sport every role is important because when everyone works together and does their job the desired outcome is always achieved!” While Kish understands the importance of team-play, what has been the difference maker in her personal performance this
season? “For me, I trust my preparation that I put into practice the week prior to the games and I have fun. I try to relish in every moment because it is my last year as a Cougar athlete and I am enjoying my time on the ice as best I can, while doing the best I can!” While the Cougars are almost certainly in playoff position after their wins this weekend, aren’t resting on their laurels. For Kish, each weekend is more important than the last. “We play Manitoba next weekend. Obviously the end goal is to win both games so we will need to be prepared to play hard. At practices this upcoming week, we will want to keep the intensity up and maintain strong habits, such as crisp passes and driving the net.” The last-place Manitoba Bisons pose another weekend where the Cougars should be able to pick up six points at home, but the following games won’t be so easy. The U of R women will close out their season against the dangerous U of A Pandas and U of S Huskies. The Pandas boast league scoring leader Autumn MacDougall. Her and Alex Poznikoff have been a dominating force in Can
West, combining for 48 points on the season. The weekend after that, they play the rival Huskies who are a spot ahead of the Cougars in third place; both teams should serve to prepare Regina for playoff hockey. With these challenges dead ahead, Kish relishes the opportunity to stay the course. “As for the rest of the season, I think the biggest thing for us is to keep up our fast pace and to come out firing as soon as the puck drops. All teams in the CanWest league are strong. Therefore, whichever team comes prepared to play and capitalizes on their opportunities will win. This makes every game a battle and it makes the season that much more challenging and fun!” Come watch the Cougars at the Co-operators Centre in Regina Jan.24 and 25.
“Overall, we played very strong. The team did not allow for many shots, which resulted in a lack of chances for MRU to capitalize. As well, our team’s habits were crisp and the positivity by everyone is what helped drive us to that 6-point sweep.” – Jane Kish
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
sports
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
13
Victories and a few hard Knox at Tennessee swim meet U of R Swim preps for nationals in International Competition julia peterson web writer The U of R swim teams may be gearing up for the U Sports Canadian National Swimming Championships taking place in February, but some members still found time to make an international splash last weekend. Brian Palaschuk [EIC’s note, the very same amphibian who writes for us], Mitchell Brough, Kareem Tarek Mohammed, and Brendan Van Herk traveled down to the United States for the TYR Pro Swim Series which took place from Jan. 16 to 19 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Brough says that the most memorable part of his weekend was the atmosphere at the pool. “There were a lot of big university teams there, and everyone was super hyped up and cheering on their teammates,” he said. “The pool was absolutely massive. You had a lot of people in the stands from the public, and then there was this row of kids with the inflatable banger things. It was so much fun.” As this was the last meet before Nationals, head coach Abderrahmane Tissira sees – or Tennessees? – U of R’s performance
at the TYR Pro Swim Series as an encouraging sign of the team’s preparation. “The athletes performed really well,” he said. “They did really good. We are five weeks out from Nationals, and these are our last steps, our last preparations before the Nationals in Victoria, [B.C.] . . . Now we are in the final preparations: finishing the race strategy and knowing how they can be ready for their event. The athletes are ready – not only physically, but mentally they are ready to represent U of R at the nationals.” Regina-born Brough says that the Knoxville meet’s size and high standards for competition are helping prepare him for the meets to come. “It is nerve-wracking at first, especially coming from little old Regina, seeing this huge, massive, international-level competition,” he said. “It’s intimidating, but then you get to meet new people who are exactly like you. They’re feeling the same way.” In the men’s 100m freestyle, Brough competed in Final D and ranked fourth out of eight swimmers, with a time of 52.42 seconds. Mohammed, who will be returning to Nationals on the
Arthur Ward
Keep on swimming
heels of a strong performance last year, ranked 24th out of 36 swimmers in the men’s 1500m freestyle. Van Herk ranked 35th out of over 50 swimmers in the Men’s 400m individual medley, finishing the event in 4:40.84. The Carillon’s own Palaschuk, who currently holds six school swimming records, won Final C of the Men’s 200m individual medley, beating his competition with a time of 2:07.54. Tissira is particularly proud of Palaschuk’s performances over
the weekend event, especially considering the grueling training camp the team has just completed. “After the training camp, they are all tired, but Brian Palaschuk stepped up and did a really good race,” he said. “If this is what he does when he’s tired and with no rest, when he is rested he will be really fast.” Though the Knoxville meet was an intense weekend in the middle of an already-busy training season for the Cougars,
Brough says he would look forward to going back. “It was a really great opportunity for me as a swimmer, and I hope that more people who come to the Cougars swim team will be able to make it and get to experience this.”
Rookies shine again as track and field continues dominant early season The Cougars qualify two squads for nationals
brian palaschuk Sports writer The Cougar’s track and field team is off to their best start in recent memory. After putting up numerous U Sports top 25 performances at the Sanderson Classic in Saskatoon, on Jan. 17 and 18 the Cougars struck again in Edmonton at the Golden Bear Open. The team was led by their middle-distance athletes once again. This group opened up their competition with both 4×800 teams making automatic qualifying times for U Sports. The women’s team of Robyn Ham, Michaela Allen, Kelsey Haczkewicz, and Natalia McCullough ran 9:05.02 to shave a substantial five seconds off of their school record. McCullough is another rookie who has already contributed for the Cougars in multiple sports. She is also a member of the U of R soccer team. The women also got wins courtesy of Amou Madol, Kaila Neighum and Erika Stockhorst. Madol was victorious in the women’s high jump. The Regina local jumped 1.71m, which is also a U Sports qualifying standard. Neighum won the women’s 3000m run in 10:04.50, and Stockhorst won the women’s triple jump with a mark of 11.71 meters. Another standout performance came from multi-event phenom Joely Welburn who excelled in her first ever pentathlon. The second-year Cougar broke a nine-year-old team record with her score of 3905 points and finished second
only to University of Calgary post-grad Niki Oudenaarden. On the men’s side the 4×800 was a big highlight for the team. The quartet of T.J. McBride, Brayden Mytopher, Ret Brailsford, and Ron MacLean put together a winning mark of 7:40.30. This was not only good enough for automatic U Sports qualification, it is the fastest mark in the country this season. The Cougar men have been targeting this relay since their Bronze medal performance at Canada West last season, and for rookie superstar Ron Maclean, the sky is the limit for this group. “The team is looking fit and we had to run a lot of the legs solo, so we definitely have more in the tank.” Another dominant rookie, Scott Joseph, helped lead the men’s meet with two second-place finishes in the long jump and triple jump. The Swift Current native had already met U Sports automatic qualifying in his specialty long jump event but has continued to improve his versatility in advance of the Canada West championships. “Sometimes success is dependent on time and circumstance. My goals at the beginning of season were to make the standards. Now that I have achieved that, the goal changes. Moving forward, I want to be more competitive on a higher level bearing in mind that is even hard to maintained current standards.” Joseph has had great success in his first season as a Cougar,
Tyler Meadows
Record breaking Cougars
which is not always easy, especially when coming from a smaller city like Swift Current. “The transition has been very complex and challenging. Exams and assignment deadlines are two big ones. Handling academic expectations while trying to adjust to life in U of R without family and friends back at Swift Current was another challenge I had to deal with.” Despite these challenges, Joseph is taking them in stride, which is something that the track and field team has helped him with. “However, everything is being done to address these challenges. Athlete-wise, things have
been going smoothly. I have all the support I needed from the coaching staff and the team.” The highlight of the meet for Joseph was his teammate’s 4x800m relays. “Watching the men’s 4×800 relay race was really amazing and watching the women’s 4×800 relay break the cougar record was incredible. The men’s team (overall) was very impressive.” For Joseph, the team’s success was largely due to the hard work they have put in early in the season. “The team is well-coached and competition ready. Everyone is doing and their best at every meet. Many athletes have
been successful including athletes getting personal bests in their events.” The team’s action-packed season continues Jan. 31 in Winnipeg at the Bison Open.
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 14
sports
Fighting back against Parkinson’s Rock Steady Boxing launched at U of R
elisabeth sahlmueller staff writer Last spring, Rock Steady Boxing, a worldwide “non-contact boxing-based fitness program” was launched at the University of Regina’s Dr. Paul Schwann Center. Under the leadership of Erin Tyson, clinical exercise physiologist and facility coordinator, the Rock Steady Boxing program was established based off a variety of research studies from the past thirty years. These studies demonstrate that vigorous and intense types of physical activity, especially boxing, is neuro-protective, meaning that it can significantly help reduce the progression of neurogenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s. Referred to as a degenerative disease, Parkinson’s negatively impacts a person’s movement, posture, behaviour and psychological capacities. Although there is currently no cure for this disease; symptoms can be treated through therapy, medicine and even physical activity like that offered by the Rock Steady Boxing program. The program provides its participants the opportunity to effectively fight back against this disease in a way that is non-clinical, physical and very fun. As Tyson explained, the motivation behind launching Rock Steady Boxing at the University of Regina emerged out of the interest from the Regina Parkinson’s Support Group. In the fall of 2018, the group approached Tyson to see “if [the Dr. Paul Schwann Centre] would be interested in starting a class. They had been trying to get it
pixabay
going . . . for quite some time,” but had been unsuccessful. After looking into the program, Tyson decided that this was something that the university should become involved with, especially since “there was research to support the foundation of the class, as well as training available for staff to become coaches.” Five months later, after receiving generous monetary donations from the Regina Parkinson’s Support Group, Parkinson’s Canada Saskatchewan and the South Regina Rotary Club, which enabled the purchase of new boxing equipment and covered the cost of one individual’s training, the Regina branch of Rock Steady Boxing began. As program coordinator, Tyson is responsible for “setting up the classes, ordering equipment and supplies, managing the budget, scheduling and hiring staff.” Additionally, the program also involves three head coaches, Danielle Houle, Carmen Agar and Patrick Bernat. These three individuals “deliver the classes, coach, instruct, direct and motivate [the] participants.” Rock Steady Boxing is open to all Parkinson’s patients eighteen years and older. However, each participant must first be referred to the program by a doctor. Once an individual’s referral form is received, they are contacted to complete an hour-long assessment, which must happen before an individual can register and join the program. According to Rock Steady Boxing coach, Patrick Bernat, “this assessment
includes a complete history, some counselling and three functional assessment items that [are used] to determine which [of three levels] the participant is stratified into,” based on the level of their disease and physical capabilities. Currently, there are twenty participants enrolled in the program. Classes take place regularly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning and run roughly the same amount of time as the university semester. Interestingly, despite each session following “a similar structure,” as Bernie stated, “no two classes are ever the same based on the exercises, drills and the order of each.” Participants begin the class with a light warm-up and then some “more dynamic and challenging stretches.” From there, participants [divide] into their exercise stations, [and] work in groups” learning and practicing “between two and four exercises . . . with supervision from one of [the] coaches and/ or [student] volunteers.” The rest of the 60 minute class involves learning and practising different boxing techniques and skills in “a circuit style workout, [before finishing] with some core work, stretching and [the inspirational] ‘we are rock steady’ cheer.” According to Bernat, boxing is effective for helping individuals with Parkinson’s due to the direct correlation between the skills needed for boxing and the areas affected by Parkinson’s. Demonstrated by a recent ESPN study, various components including, “agility, hand-eye co-
ordination, analytical aptitude, endurance, strength, power, flexibility and speed” are required in the sport of boxing, but are also, “to various degrees, affected with those [who] have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.” The fact that boxing allows individuals to “train to improve in these areas, [makes it] an effective sport for improving symptoms” related to Parkinson’s. Bernat also emphasized that this concept of healing through physical exercise can also be applied to help treat/improve the symptoms of other “chronic and neurodegenerative diseases, not just Parkinson’s,” and can also occur with other types of “exercise and/or physical activity.” This idea is something being research by the American College of Sports Medicine, which manages “Exercise is Medicine, a global health initiative . . . aimed at including exercise and physical activity as part of the standard in clinical care.” Even though Bernat emphasizes that Rock Steady Boxing is not directly connected to this health initiative, he does feel it conveys the program’s “main goal quite well.” Over the course of the past nine months that Rock Steady Boxing has been running, Bernat has observed many benefits from the participants. These include the “obvious physical improvements [such as] muscular strength, power, endurance, cardiovascular capacity, agility balance and coordination.” However, there are other benefits Bernat has noticed too, including the development of a
“sense of belonging, community and camaraderie,” as well as the most important program benefit“it provides a great deal of fun for everyone who is involved.” Rock Steady Boxing has obtained very positive feedback from the community, media and the participants, who as Tyson stated, “really seem to enjoy the class.” With this in mind, Tyson hopes to see an expansion of the program. “If we have enough interest, I would love to offer more classes, more times and offer classes for participants rated at levels 3 and 4 separate from levels 1 and 2.” Rock Steady Boxing encourages people to not let Parkinson’s, or any other disease dictate their life, by showing that it is possible to fight back! Anyone who is interested or know someone who may be interested in this program should call 306-585-4004, or visit its website: https://www.uregina. ca/kinesiology/dpsc/additional-services/rock-steady-boxing/ index.html
Op-ed
15
Editor: taylor balfour op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
We are never alone in grief
Pixabay
With some shame I have to admit, when I first heard about the plane crash in Tehran, it did not hit me about what it meant. I could argue that the world is so messed up that we are ever more desensitized to loss, but that does not absolve me of apathy. I think it is important to concede that, so that I can do better. Soon, however, the impact of this tragedy hit too close to home for my comfort. My professor mentioned offhand in class that some of his friends were on that flight. A passing mention, yet enough to betray the pain he was in. Enough to make me remember all my wonderful Iranian coworkers and friends. To make me at once pray that they had not lost someone, and dread having to see them, to ask them how things are back home. In the days that followed, much was discussed in the news about what happened, why it happened, who was at fault. And I remember silently screaming, what does it matter? Over a hundred people, in the prime of their lives, many of them starting a whole new life in Canada, are
gone. They will never reach Canada. They will never make friends in this wonderful country, will never sit in lectures, will never start a new job. Nothing will bring them back. When I heard about the memorial service, I asked my friend Mohammad if I could attend with him. I felt, somehow, an intruder on his grief. But he took me along. I am grateful that he did. In that one hour, I heard about someone who had a friend on that flight. A friend whose last message said “I will text you when I am in Kiev.” That text never came. His friend, who could someday have been my friend in this new land, never reached Kiev. I saw pictures of faces. Every single face had a smile on it. Like my coworkers do when I open the office door each morning. Like my friends do when we pass each other in the hallway, nodding, saying “salam” to each other. Wishing peace to each other every day. Yet somehow, peace eludes us. I have no words of consolation for the
people of Iran. For those who were looking forward to meeting a friend at the airport, in a flight that never came. For the families that said bye to a child, a sibling, wishing them a safe journey and a wonderful time in Canada. After the service, all I could do was hug my friends tight, hoping that my firm hold on them told them I cannot bear the thought of losing them. As my friend Ashkan read so eloquently in the words of the Persian poet Saadi Shirazi: Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul. If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain. If you have no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you cannot retain. My brave friends from Iran, you are not alone in this grief. You will never be alone. While we cannot fathom your pain, we mourn with you. We stand with you in solidarity. And I am glad that I have met so many of you, shared a laugh with you.
May the days ahead finally usher in that peace and joy we all long for. Salam to you, my friends.
hammad ali contributor
“After the service, all I could do was hug my friends tight, hoping that my firm hold on them told them I cannot bear the thought of losing them.” – Hammad Ali
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
op-ed
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
16
Bell Let’s Talk needs to become Bell Let’s Act
Bell Lets Talk via Wikimedia Commons
Now don’t get me wrong, I think having a big, multi-million dollar company annually promoting the need for mental health care while empowering people to speak on their struggles while donating hoards of money to initiatives is great. In execution, however, I think Bell Let’s Talk frequently misses the mark. They miss the mark for one simple fact: Mental health awareness needs to be more than just talking about it. It means nothing if we don’t take action. Is opening the floor to where people feel comfortable sharing their mental health struggles and journeys great? Absolutely, and there’s no way I would discourage that. I would, however, suggest that we take it a step further. After you’ve shared your experience, then what? Sharing stories of struggle feels empty and hollow if it isn’t followed up by sufficient action to help those in need. Let me put it into perspective with the ever-common physical-versus-mental-health analogy. Let’s say I broke my arm because I fell off a fence in the school yard. Around comes a day at school where I feel comfortable enough to share the story of a possibly-traumatic event that left me with an injury. If the response to my speech is “wow, you’re so brave” rather than “holy shit we need to fix that fence,” the acknowledgement of my “bravery” feels fairly belittling. That’s essentially what Bell Let’s Talk is. Bell Let’s Talk is the metaphorical broken fence that never gets fixed, only promoting more injury.
But, like a lot of every-day dilemmas, there isn’t one set person or thing to blame. No one in specific is at fault for the flaws in the Bell Let’s Talk logic. The only fair way to respond would be to place pressure on all parties that could actually invoke change. That should be what Bell Let’s Talk is all about. Share your stories, open up about your truth and struggles, and use that passion and vulnerability to force governments, corporations, millionaires – everyone with the power to make a change – make a change. Bell Let’s Talk often runs into the problem of only assisting with “socially acceptable” mental illnesses, i.e. the illnesses that are most widely talked about. When it comes to illnesses such as borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, the comfort in sharing these stories seems to differ greatly. An anonymous writer, for an article for Freedom Of The Mind – a UK based website for a mental health festival – wrote: “so when it’s “Time to Talk”, what is really meant is that it’s time to discuss the palatable aspects of mental health, while brushing the unpalatable under the nearest rug.” “The kind of childhood trauma I experienced belongs in a different society, somehow. In a world of paedophile celebrities or grooming gangs or trafficking or whatever you can read in the tabloids. It doesn’t belong in leafy suburbia with respectable families.” This is exactly the flaw with societal stigma surrounding mental health and Bell
Let’s Talk. I have deeply struggled with mental health, especially so in 2019, but because of my privilege, income, and home life, I’m able to afford and find a lot of mental health supports that others are not able to access. I’m able to afford to go to a counsellor off-campus with short wait times. But what about other people who are struggling and aren’t offered what I have been? Bell is a multi-million dollar corporation, and it feels as though, as a brand, they’re profiting off of mental health awareness by doing the bare minimum toward making a difference. They are encouraging people to discuss their struggles while donating a minuscule amount to mental health initiatives while not actively making any attempt at better standards for their own employees, let alone the rest of their country. In fact, conditions at Bell were so bad that CBC released an article entitled “Bell’s ‘Let’s Talk’ campaign rings hollow for employees suffering panic attacks, vomiting and anxiety,” and notes that taking stress leave is a common practice for many employees. So, really then, what’s the point of Bell Let’s Talk? Because if it’s to end stigma, it isn’t doing a very good job, and if it’s to better conditions for those suffering, that’s laughable. So, take this time to be transparent about your struggles with anxiety and depression, then demand that your higher ups offer better health care services. Tell
your truth about schizophrenia, then demand that mental health education surpasses the “socially acceptable” illnesses that are mainstream to talk about. Share your experience with PTSD, and then demand that the government assists in providing adequate coverage for counselling support, medication, and time off. When Bell says that it’s time to talk, it’s really time to talk. It needs to be about more than just sharing our struggles, it needs to be about demanding better support for them as well.
taylor balfour op-ed editor
“Bell Let’s Talk is the metaphorical broken fence that never gets fixed, only promoting more injury.” – Taylor Balfour
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020 op-ed
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |
17
Why do we criticize people for speaking out? Wealth and popularity are two of the greatest perks that come with celebrity status. Unfortunately, most often this money is spent on useless and unnecessary items, like clothes that will only be worn once, overpriced vacations, additional homes, and high-end luxury cars with the popularity wasted on social media posts. Although everyone has the right to spend their money however they choose, in my opinion this type of frivolous spending is ridiculous, especially when there are individuals around the globe struggling to obtain essential food, shelter, health, education, or even more recently, dealing with a severe environmental disaster. There are moments when some celebrities step back from their fame and fortune to not only acknowledge a tragic situation, but to also take action. In the last couple of weeks, a great amount of attention surrounded numerous celebrities who have contributed significantly to relief funds in order to battle the wild bushfires in Australia. Some of these individuals have given large monetary donations or have undertaken fundraising efforts. Other celebrities have taken a much more indirect approach by expressing their concerns and sympathies for the situation and those affected, discussing climate change as well as encouraging people to provide help. Unsurprisingly, this type of celebrity action has resulted in controversy, as some people feel that speaking out is an ineffective course of action. Although I completely understand this anger, since speaking out seems like an easy and passive form of aid, the debate of what form of celebrities’ help is effective is a ridiculous controversy. Both monetary donations and speaking out are two forms of necessary help, because both achieve important short and long-term benefits. For the past four months, Australia has
been hit hard by intense wild bushfires. According to recent data from two weeks ago, the fires have led to the death of 20 people, roughly one billion animals, has destroyed millions of acres of land, and 1,400 homes. Due to the severity of the situation, many around the world have been donating to relief funds and providing aid in numerous ways. This includes celebrities. In the first week of January, pop-rock singer, P!nk and Australian couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban began the trend of celebrity monetary donations, each donating $500,000. Since then, many other celebrities, such as Kylie Minogue, Elton John, and Leonardo DiCaprio have followed their example, stepping up and also making significant monetary donations, ranging from $300 thousand to one million. Other celebrities have undertaken various creative fundraising efforts. For example, the Australian actress and comedian, Celeste Barber, launched an online fundraising campaign, which has raised over $3.3 million from 1.2 million individuals around the world. Although I have mixed views towards celebrities beginning fundraising campaigns intended for ordinary people to contribute to since they lack the same financial security celebrities have, rather than celebrities donating their own money, it is nice to see them taking positive action. These monetary donations are extremely beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, they provide a great deal of relief in the case of the bushfires, and this immediate aid is greatly needed. Secondly, they encourage others to take action and make donations, whether that is other celebrities, ordinary individuals, or even video game companies, like Ubisoft and Bungie, who are donating their profits from the sales of a limited edition Destiny 2 t-shirt to two different Australian relief funds.
needpix
At the same time, while speaking out is a more passive approach, it is still an effective source of aid because it creates awareness, which spreads the message and leads to important change. This is essential for the current situation within Australia. While the Australian government has stated that 200 of these fires were caused by a recent lightning storm, the severity of the situation has been heightened by climate change, according to environmental experts. In 2018, an Australian government environmental report was released, which emphasized that the country’s “changing climate . . . could result in natural hazards occurring at ‘an unimaginable scale.’” This report is supported by a group of British academics who recently reviewed 57 different scientific studies, focusing on the environment in countries like Australia, Canada, Greece and the United States. All 57 studies prove the same thing: there is a definite “link between climate change and increased frequency, or severity of hot, dry, ‘fire weather.’” Professor Richard Betts, one of these academics and head of Climate Impacts Research at the Met Office Hadley Center, stated that although “fire weather does occur naturally . . . [it becomes] more severe and widespread due to climate change.” As part of Russell Crowe’s Gold-
en Globes acceptance speech, he stated: “make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate change-based. We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the amazing place it is.” When celebrities like Crowe speak out about this situation, they are not only raising people’s awareness toward climate change, but are also forcing people to acknowledge and understand the environmental reality – climate change is a real thing and a major concern for everyone. As a result, because of their influence, when celebrities speak out about these types of important issues, they can encourage people to pursue greener alternatives, which can potentially lead to major improvement for the current climate change crisis. Monetary donations and speaking out are two different methods of aid, but they are both necessary. Instead of criticizing celebrities for speaking out but not donating money, direct criticism towards celebrities who have the money and resources to provide beneficial aid, but selfishly decide not to.
elisabeth sahlmueller staff writer
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
op-ed
carillonregina.com | The Carillon |18
An overview of mental health in Saskatchewan and resources for self-help The Bell Let’s Talk campaign has ignited mental health awareness and advocacy all over the country for the tenth year in a row. #BellLet’sTalk has been growing in popularity and the conversation around mental health has glaringly shifted from where we were as a society 10 years ago. But, with all this awareness what sort of action has taken place? In Saskatchewan, many people argue that all the talking needs to turn into action. The Saskatchewan Government committed 30 million dollars in the 2019-2020 budget primarily focused on investment in beds and care providers for severe mental illness and addictions treatment. The largest commitment to mental health in the history of the province, over $400 million dollars were committed to mental health services in total. In 2014, the provincial government committed to a 10-year plan that targeted seven categories for improvement: (1) enhance access and capacity to support recovery in the community; (2) focus on prevention and early intervention; (3) create person and family-centered efforts; (4) respond to diversities; (5) partner with First Nations and Métis people; (6) reduce stigma and increase awareness; lastly, (7) transform the system and sustain the change. Now for the opinion part that you’ve been waiting for: I had a conversation with a colleague and it led to the forming of my opinions. With all the awareness and openness with mental health, sometimes the conversation can go too far and the regression back to mean will begin to start. I won’t argue that this is the beginning because my ego is not that big and I’m not into hot takes. However, when normal human behaviours and emotions are pathologized problems begin to happen. It’s an easy to follow a slippery slope when we have a couple difficult weeks and label ourselves as depressed, or succumb to our anxieties a few too many times and see ourselves having a clinical anxiety problem. Obviously, these are gross generalizations and I’m not saying it’s everyone, however when these types of conversations are only going one direction, it is easy to fall into this trap. We all want everyone to have overall mental wellness, so if a friend thinks they are depressed after a rough few weeks, you want to support them, but this can be a difficult conversation to navigate if you think that person might be hyperbolizing.
With social media headlines, clickbait, and the like being so prominent, hyperbolic language becomes normative, which can create communication problems for both the helper and the person seeking help. Clarity around what is pathology and what is not can be difficult, especially when the first point of contact is typically a GP who knows very little about depression. They give out a 15-item questionnaire and make a decision based on that result rather than taking a conversion approach to treatment and considering environmental factors. Not every situation is created equally, but GPs are stretched thin enough and their backlog of patients is a priority. The problem has compounded as the increased pace of society has permeated into medicine and mental health treatment. There is simultaneously a growing demand for integrated technology and a growing demand to make a quick buck by providing well-being products. This results in a lack of evidence-based technology in a high-demand market. In other words, we have a fuck ton of apps to help you in your wellness journey, if you pay a relatively moderate amount of money. So, instead of shelling out $150-250 dollars per session with a trained psychologist people will pay $5 for an app to help
them,that may not actually have any evidence to support its use and makes erroneous claims in the name of science. To be fair, there are some helpful apps out there, but they take truly a remarkable commitment. I study mindfulness and it can be true that mindfulness and meditation-based practices can help increase well-being. But the evidence is unclear if truly only doing 5-10 minutes per day consistently has any impact long term on well-being outcomes. There is however evidence to suggest if you dive deep into meditation and commit yourself to reshaping the way you think about and interact within the world that can have lasting significant changes. Fundamentally how you do that may not make a difference, but the commitment to changing the way you think about and interact with the world is no easy task. Many of the significant changes in brain structure come from years of practice and many thousands of hours. Even still this evidence of brain structure change cannot be causally linked to meditation. There are many other factors including genetics, environmental influence, and any predisposition to being open to beginning mindfulness in the first place that could theoretically contribute to these altered
brain structures. While there are no shortages for meditation apps, I personally pay for and use Headspace, and I have found that it can be a useful tool especially when beginning. The Waking Up app is also another one I highly recommend and is also offered for free if you truly cannot afford the cost. The Waking Up app also comes with podcasts made by Dr. Sam Harris, who is an excellent resource when it comes to information on this topic. Furthermore, if you want to dive deeper into how mindfulness can change and alter the brain and the benefits that have been observed, I recommend Altered Traits, a book by Richard Davidson and Daniel Goleman. If you want to learn where to acquire even more resources please email me at carillonsportseditor@ gmail.com.
tyler meadows sports editor
January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
op-ed
carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 19
This Week In Fascism: Kashmir and India’s BJP Since August of 2019, social media has featured more and more mentions of Kashmir and the Indian government, with hashtags like #redforkashmir trending on twitter and instagram accounts setting their profile pictures to red circles to bring awareness. Despite this, however, there are still many who aren’t fully informed about what the emergency in Kashmir entails, or even who Kashmiris are and where they live. Hindu nationalism, military occupation, communications blackouts and citizenship rights are all things that have come up in discussions again and again, but it can sometimes be difficult to sort through this information when we are far from the events as they unfold. Some in Regina, though, who have travelled here from the area or know those who have, are very acutely aware. On August 31, Ahmereen Salim, a third-year psychology student at the U of R, helped to organize a rally in Regina with its Pakistani community in support of Kashmir. The rally was attended by “just over 200 people” by her own estimate. Salim said she was “outraged” by the communications blackout which had happened in Kashmir a few weeks before, leaving Kashmiri people with no internet or phone access, and making it almost impossible for people to check on their families in the area. Salim also started a letter-writing campaign and encourages Canadians to write letters calling attention to the human rights abuses in Kashmir. In a phone interview with The Carillon, Salim went through the basics of Kashmir that she wants people in Canada to understand. Firstly, she says, it should not be conceptualized by the public as purely an issue between the states of India and Pakistan. Kashmir needs to be viewed as its own distinct region with its own people, who are Kashmiri, not Pakistani or Indian. Kashmir is not its own state, but rather is a highly contested area that is claimed by both Pakistan and India. During the 1947 partition of India, when Pakistan split from the nation, Kashmir was made Indian territory. However, it is still claimed by Pakistan. Regardless of both of these claims, however, Kashmiris should be seen as Kashmiris, who strive for autonomy, self-governance and independence. Furthermore, the abuses in Kashmir are contextualized by Salim as part of a worldwide “war on Muslims,” which rides on the rising wave of modern fascism. This war is seen across the United States (Trump’s “Muslim Ban”), China (Uighur Muslim state surveillance and detention in camps), and now India, Salim says. We can recognize even in Canada that Islamophobia leans on xenophobic racism to incite hatred, and is used frequently by fascists to generate outrage and division. Now, the history. Salim says that in 1947, the United Nations urged India to issue a plebiscite that would allow Kashmir a vote on whether it should be Pakistani or Indian territory. However, she continues, the Indian government would not facilitate this vote, and it never actually took place. As a result, Kashmir has become “one of the most highly militarized zones in the world,” partitioned and occupied
Wikimedia Commons
by both Pakistan and India while China claims another small part. Amongst a population of around 8 million, says Salim, there are “tens of thousands” of military troops. Salim also says that the part of Kashmir occupied by India is the most heavily militarized, with police on “every street corner,” and the human rights abuses of Kashmiris have also greatly worsened since 1947. August of 2019 was another significant point. The communications blackout occurred on August 5, and on August 6, the highly nationalist Indian BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the significant Article 370. This article was one that gave Kashmir special status and various rights, including a right to its own language and control over the land of the region. Without the article, India has more license to build on Kashmir and violate the rights of Kashmiris. Additionally, the Indian CAA (or Citizenship Amendment Act) does not grant Indian citizenship rights to Kashmiri Muslims or other religious minorities because of the Hindu nationalism or Hindutva of the BJP. These leaves religious minorities (Muslims, Sikhs) gravely unprotected. When discussing these rights violations, Salim emphasizes women and children as victims, who are “often ignored.”
She says that due to the communications blackout little details are known, but there have been multiple accusations of sexual assault as well as fetishization of Kashmiri women by military. There is precedent for such assaults, Salim says--over 30 women were assaulted by the Indian military previously, in one operation in 1991. Kashmiris are also often arbitrarily detained by the government, and on January 19 India put the NSA (National Security Order) into effect, which made it lawful to detain people for up to 12 months without informing them of the charges until 10 days after the fact. The speaker’s at Salim’s August rally included people who were from Kashmir and still have family living in the area, where Salim says people are “scared to leave their houses to this day” because of military occupation and violence. One of the speaker’s, a grandmother of Salim’s friend, “could barely speak” in front of the crowd of 200, and cried, overwhelmed by the fear and uncertainty. When The Carillon asked Salim what she would consider the most urgent part of the situation, she said that the total lack of information is an enormous concern. “No one knows what’s happening there 100 percent,” she said. “Some reporters have been able to come in and leave,” but that Kashmir was now experiencing “one
“No one knows what’s happening there 100 percent,” – Ahmereen Salim
of the biggest communications blackouts in any history of a democracy...it really is an emergency, the fact that we don’t know what’s going on is catastrophic.” Salim also expressed that it seemed like this situation would lead to a genocide. This worry is seconded by many--Equality Labs have many resources on their website under “Indian Fascism 101,” including a graphic that outlines the stages of genocide as experienced by Kashmir, which are progressing in a horrifying manner towards the end goals of extermination and then denial. Salim encourages students on campus to lift themselves out of ignorance when it comes to Kashmir--Equality Labs and Stand With Kashmir are good sources, and Regina’s own Briarpatch Magazine also has several articles--and not allow themselves to be in the dark any longer. The cry for justice in Kashmir among protestors is “Azaadi”--”freedom.”
marty grande-sherbert staff writer
graphics
20
Editors: sarah carrier, morgan ortman, kate thiessen graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | January 23rd - January 29th, 2020
On Jan. 18 I had the pleasure of documenting the Women’s March hosted by the Regina chapter of the Women’s March Canada organization. Amongst the marchers were my own mother and several other women from my reservation (Peepeekisis) including indigenous rights activist Summer Stonechild (pictured top left) Whilst my colleague Sarah Carrier and I had to leave the march early due to the bitter cold these women carried on despite the dismal temperature. After the march I had the privilege of hosting Stonechild and several other friends of my mother. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the importance of these women, this march, and how struck I was with their resilience and drive. The march itself took place in -40 we ather but had a solid showing estimated at 150 participants. What I found most compelling was their solidarity. The march included flags supporting Unifor,
signs supporting LGBTQ2S+ rights, Indigenous rights, affordable housing, and so much more. It was uplifting and refreshing to be amongst the crowd and amidst the optimism. After the march, as I conversed with Stonechild, discussing the affair and her activism I was again filled with a sense of optimism. Her will and drive to seek change at a grassroots level reminded me that there are individuals in my own community who are willing and able to address problems present in our communities, environment, and health and who have bright ideas that can make a difference.
jeremy davis production manager