Carillon (Vol. 60 Iss. 3)

Student Health...p.3

Swampy music...p.7

Soccer results...p.13

Strong no to racism...p.17

60 the staff editor-in-chief

john loeppky editor@carillonregina.com

the carillon The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 September 7 - September 13, 2017 | Volume 60, Issue 3 | carillonregina.com

executive director jae won hur business@carillonregina.com

cover

photos

URSU decided to make their Welcome Week about making waves, so we thought we’d make some of our own. This week we look at all matter of things related to our campus and you get to look at this cover rest assured that our graphics editor knows how to swim and is way too bad ass for a life jacket.

production manager ella mikkola production@carillonregina.com advertising manager brendan hill advertising@carillonregina.com technical editor frank nordstrom carillontechnical@carillonregina.com multimedia editor jael bartnik mutimedia@carillonregina.com copy editor michelle jones copyeditor@carillonregina.com

cover....................................jaecy bells news....................................jaecy bells a&c......................................jaecy bells sports............................caitlin taylor op-ed...................................jaecy bells

errata

We managed to spell our A&C editor’s surname wrong in the last issue. It is Sliva, Mason Sliva.

news editor kristian ferguson news@carillonregina.com a&c editor mason sliva aandc@carillonregina.com

in other news

sports editor vacant sports@carillonregina.com

After the carillon server committed ritualistic suicide during the last issue of the paper, it was decided that the paper’s document filing system would revert back to good old filing cabinets.

Please let un know if you have one, or a thousand, to spare.

op-ed editor annie trussler op-ed@carillonregina.com graphics editor jaecy bells graphics@carillonregina.com distro manager

john kapp distribution@carillonregina.com staff writer

ethan butterfield

staff writer

ethan williams

a&c writer sports writer

taylor balfour danielle corson konstantin kharitonov

contributors kennya bhijmi, shelbi glover additional material by: the staff

news

news writer

Welcome Y’all

the paper

Letters should be no more than 350 words, and may be edited for space, clarity, accuracy, and vulgarity. The Carillon is a wholly autonomous organization with no afilliation with the University of Regina Students’ Union.

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.

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.

illegitimi non carborundum

Page 7

a&c

Correspondence can be mailed, emailed, or dropped off in person. Please include your name, address, and telephone number on all letters to the editor. Only the author’s name, title/position (if applicable) and city will be published. Names may be withheld upon request at the discretion of the Carillon.

Four-foot vulvas P. 8

More fans needed

sports

The Carillon welcomes contributions.

Enjoy healthcare while it lasts P. 3

Swamp Fest is happening this weekend and music lovers in the Queen City seem to think it’s time to get hype. Check out our coverage to see what all the commotion is about.

Page 13

In order to be relevant, the Cougars and Rams need more fans to come to their games, especially after the athletic review and hiring of new staff (more on that last part in this issue as well).

Controversal statues

op-ed

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

Welcome Week is upon us, as you’re reading this you are probably hogging all the mini donuts and wishing the event didn’t mean the start of classes. Fear not, we have the background of this year’s edition.

New Festival in Regina!

THE CARILLON BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jae Won Hur, John Loeppky, Brendan Hill, Nicholas Giokas, Ethan Butterfield

Page 6

Canadian hoop star P. 14

Page 17

Protestors in our province are campagining to have Regina’s statue of John A. Mcdonald torn down in this era of truth and reconciliation.

Meaning of identity P. 17

news

Editor: kristian ferguson news@carillonregina.com @carillon_news the carillon | September 7 - September 13, 2017

Studentcare under the microscope Is it worth it? ethan williams staff writer It’s no surprise that some university students spend copious amounts of cash a year to ensure they have coverage for their medical expenses, including costs from dental and vision care, to medical emergencies, but it’s also no surprise that there are multiple options out there for students to choose in terms of which insurance company will cover them for these various costs.

Studentcare, a student insurance company that partners with multiple post-secondary institutions, claims to have “over 2,500 professionals across Canada” and has partnerships with over 40 universities. Many have wondered what exactly is covered in the plan, and if the plans are even worth it at all.

According to Studentcare, the U of R’s plan costs around $205 per policy year (Sept.

1 to Aug. 31). The question is, what exactly are students getting for their buck?

Studentcare’s website explains that there are three main aspects that are covered in their plan: Health, dental, and vision care.

Under the health subsection, highlights include coverage of up to 80 per cent of the cost of prescription medication, full coverage of medical equipment usage such as crutches and wheelchairs, and full coverage for accidents and ambulance transportation.

Dental coverage provides $750 per year for visits to the dentist, and full coverage for repair and/or replacement of “sound natural teeth damages through an external accidental blow to the mouth” which includes implants.

Finally, vision care coverage includes $50 per two years for eye exams, and $150 per year for costs amounted from laser eye surgery.

As for glasses? The plan covers $100 per two years for replacements or contacts.

Studentcare also lists price comparisons with other insurance plans, however won’t comment on which insurance companies were included in the research.

Employee plans are priced at $619.44, and Private plans at $906.00. A disclaimer on their website reads in part that the data was from research that was done by the company itself and that it is an average cost of other plans similar to theirs.

The other plans that exist in Saskatchewan include Saskatchewan Blue Cross. In an email to the Carillon, the insurance company provided information on their Blue Choice health insurance plan. Included in their email, the company notes that it doesn’t

Jaecy Bells Enjoy it lasts (their slogan, not ours)

have a specific plan for students, however states that the premium for health, dental, and prescription drug coverage in the Blue Choice plan for a person under 34 years old is $464.40 per year, which is less than the average listed on the Studentcare website.

As for what’s included in policy, many of the same elements and coverage aspects as Studentcare’s plan are included in the plan.

Core health benefits include coverage for ambulance rides, casts and crutches, and massage therapy.

Blue Cross’s dental coverage runs on a year-to-year basis.

The package states that there is a six-month waiting period, and then the first year of the plan com-

percentage amount covered, and then up to $1,000 per year.

URSU VP Finance and Operations, Derrick Gagnon, says that the Studentcare plan is one that adequately meets students’ needs.

“The URSU plan covers equally, and in some cases, more than other private brokers at a cheaper cost to our students.”

Gagnon went on to list some of the package highlights, including those listed in the dental plan. “It is definitely worth the $205.00.”

Gagnon says URSU execs review the plan each year to ensure it meets everyone’s needs.

When asked if anything could be improved upon, Gagnon said he hoped people would come forward with their opinions.

universities offer plans to students as well. So how does the U of R stack up against other schools?

Three institutions across the country were compared with the U of R plan.

The University of Waterloo undergraduate plan totaled $300. So what’s different between it and the U of R’s? Not much, except for two additions: the Waterloo healthcare plan includes access to a homecare nurse in the event an injury or illness leaves a student bedridden. There’s also an out-ofprovince referral system, which allows a student to be served by healthcare staff in another province, and have general amenities covered by the plan upon written referral from the student’s doctor in their home province.

“I would like to hear from students on what they think should be covered in their plan.”

- Derrick Gagnon, URSU VP Finance and Operations

mences. Included in the first year is 75 per cent of basic services up to $500. The second year increases to 80 per cent plus 50 per cent of “major services” up to $750.

Finally, the third year and each year afterward includes the same

“I would like to hear from students on what they think should be covered in their plan.”

But the U of R isn’t the only post-secondary institution in Canada that partners with Studentcare. Various colleges and

The University of Saskatchewan is also slightly higher - $250.17. The differences? One hundred per cent coverage for vaccinations, as opposed to the U of R’s 80 per cent. Other than that, there are no differences in

terms of vision and dental care; however the homecare nurse option is offered for U of S students as well.

Finally, the University of Victoria’s plan falls at $288.

Differences from the U of R plan include 80 per cent coverage for a Learning Disability Assessment for students who struggle academically, as well as tuition insurance, which is a new addition to Studentcare’s plans and is touted as a benefit that is “not included by a parent’s plan.” This benefit allows students who have to quit school due to an injury or illness to opt out of continuing paying tuition, as the plan would cover 100 per cent of all tuition costs up to $10,000 and up to $1,000 for textbook purchases over one semester.

In a general overview of the research, the U of R’s premium for the Studentcare plans appears to be the cheapest out of those observed. However, it does seem that the school lacks features that are common on other campuses.

Regardless of opinion on the matter, many students continue to go with Studentcare, while others will shop around and look for cheaper alternatives.

September 7 - September 13, 2017

carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 4

news

Sask. Polytechnic Students Associations unify The SPSA is unifying

taylor balfour news writer Saskatchewan Polytechnic has four campuses across the province located in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, and Regina. Before now, the Polytechnic has had their student association divided amongst campuses. However, the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Students Association [SPSA] announced at the end of August that they will be unifying their organization to represent as many students as possible, and meet their needs.

“The SPSA represents Saskatoon and Prince Albert Saskatchewan Polytechnic students,” Vann Cortez, the president of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Students’ Association, states.

“On July 1, we will be representing all four campuses, including Moose Jaw and Regina.”

In the summer of 2016, the Regina Students’ Association was vacated from the campus premises. An agreement between Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Students’ Association had expired and, not being able to come to a new agreement that satisfied both sides, the group was asked to vacate. Cortez had stated that it was “unfortunate that the former Moose Jaw and Regina Students’ Associations were not able to come up with a new agreement with the institution.”

He also claimed that “all the student representative groups were

saskpolytech.ca Many unions are going to become one

given a number of opportunities to come to the table and have a conversation with Saskatchewan Polytechnic Administration.”

An interim agreement was put into place to ensure that the Regina and Moose Jaw campuses still received services as negotiations continued. After being told to vacate, the student group attempted to appeal the eviction, but were dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

According to the Saskatchewan Polytechnic official website, the students’ association “provides peer support, services and organizes student activities and clubs, as well as locker rentals, in each campus city.”

The page also details information about extracurriculars on campus.

“Your time at Saskatchewan Polytechnic shouldn’t be limited to academic learning,” their website continues.

“Get more from your education by getting involved with our year-round activities. Join a club, be a part of student government, volunteer your time and skills – build confidence and have fun.”

However, at the end of August, Cortez stated that an arrangement had come together to establish a students’ association on all campuses, and that the SPSA would become a large organization overseeing all campuses and institutions.

In the SPSA’s press release describing the change, they stated

that “Saskatchewan Polytechnic has issued a letter that contains commendation to the SPSA’s commitment and efforts in reaching a constructive Agreement and, further, recognizes the SPSA as the sole representative of students attending all Saskatchewan Polytechnic Campuses effective July 1, 2017.”

“Having one official representative for them, because there are 28,000 distinct students for Saskatchewan Polytechnic, could help lobby the students more effectively by numbers,” Cortez explained.

“Our structure was designed in a way to ensure Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon’s unique individuality and campus culture is retained.”

“There will be a vice president per campus and three directors for every campus. There will be equitable services, but there are some things in specific that we were able to adapt,” Cortez believes that this is the best step forward for the Students’ Association, and he also believes that it’s important for students to get involved in the by-election taking place in October.

“As a member, it makes sense to have a say on who is being elected on their behalf and who would be in charge of governance in their association. So as a member they should exercise that right to vote their representatives because this representative will be representing their best interests. It’s im-

portant,” he states.

Nominations are open from Sept. 25 to 29 for all student members. The election itself will take place on October 4th at all designated Saskatchewan Polytechnic Students’ Association campus offices.

“I believe this is the best step forward not just for the SPSA but for the students as well.” Cortez claims, spreading motivation and energy.

“We need to be represented in a way that has a unified voice for all the students and all general concerns that students have,” says Cortez.

Also in the press release, Cortez states, “It is our responsibility to safeguard the best interest of our members and that is why we were actively engaged and came to all discussions with the institution with an open mind.”

“With issues with declining support for funding and advanced education for Saskatchewan Polytechnic, it’s more vital now than ever to be unified and have a staff on the things that are important for the students,” he continues.

Declining funding has been an issue for not only the SPSA, but for Saskatchewan Polytechnic in general. In April of this year, news broke that Sask Polytech was letting go of 23 workers province wide. This was due to the provincial budget release earlier this year, cutting funding to technical institutes by $6 million.

The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, and the Gabriel Dumont Institute are other institutes, like Sask Polytech, that are affected.

A month later, in May of 2017, four managers were hired despite the layoffs, causing anger amongst the union for front-line employees at Sask Polytech.

Exactly one year earlier, in April 2016, Sask Polytech had undergone more changes, with notice of 16 more employees being laid off. Fifteen of said positions were academic. The remaining one was an administrative position.

In response to this, Saskatchewan Polytechnic responded by saying that the layoffs were “part of an operational review” and that the manager positions had been listed on their website.

It was countered by the union that the institution should be using their funds to increase their management, they should be using it to keep existing staff positions or fill the positions that are vacant.

“This year is the turning point for the SPSA,” Cortez said in the SPSA’s press release.

“I am very excited to work with a full slate of General Council members that represent over 28,000 students across Saskatchewan.”

September 7 - September 13, 2017

carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 5

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URSU making waves at Welcome Week Despite the drought, URSU is partying it out taylor balfour news writer Every year, The University of Regina Students’ Union [URSU] organizes a back to school Welcome Week to kick off the new school year and it’s marketed as “the biggest party of the school year.”

This year the Students’ Union is taking a spin on their always popular kick off week with a “Make Some Waves” theme. The Carillon was able to interview the VP of External Affairs for URSU, Haris Khan about the event.

Despite the drought, URSU is determined to have a good time and make a splash into the 2017-18 school year.

Following orientation day, this year taking place on Tuesday, Sept. 5, URSU kicks off the first week of school with a themed, five-day-long party.

“This year our team decided to go with [a] theme related to [the] ocean. Just to make it more fun and attractive. Make some waves,” said Khan.

“Every year, the University of Regina Students’ Union welcomes hundreds of new and returning faces to our campus with Welcome Week, the biggest party of the school year,” the URSU website claims, followed by their list of events.

“Top it off with the hype of our annual concert, WelcomeFest, and relieve that back-to-school stress in a heartbeat,” WelcomeFest in particular was something that Khan stressed that students focus on.

“We have a great lineup for [WelcomeFest]. Our team did an excellent job. It will be our biggest event during the Welcome Week.”.

Despite classes starting on Sept. 6, URSU has events lined up starting on the very first day of the month, entitled their “Welcome Weekend.” Starting on Sept.

1, these days are filled with campus tours, breakfasts, movie nights and, of course, a Saskatchewan Roughriders Labour Day Classic viewing party.

The weekend, packed to the brim with events, also held coffee and craft nights, parties, and gaming nights and video game tournaments, all to get the most out the last weekend of summer.

The real party begins on Sept.

6 with classes going back into full swing. On Wednesday, there were club fairs, smudging, a cultural showcase, and sports in the courts, ending with trivia night, karaoke, and an after party, all for 19+ students.

On Thursday, keeping up with their making waves theme, is URSU’s always popular outdoor movie night, with the feature film being Moana.

“Admission to the movie is free and free popcorn will be supplied by the Alumni Engagement Office,” URSU’s Facebook post details.

“But the event is BYOB (Bring Your Own Blanket).”

Jaecy Bells Tubular, dude!

URSU decided to take an interesting step with Welcome Week that differs from previous years. Khan notes that the Students Union decided to look at more dry options for students.

“We had feedback that in the past, the majority of the events were focused around drinking.

This year, on our team, we made sure that we have a good balance of events. In this way we are mak-

ing sure that all students are welcomed at the events during the Welcome Week 2017” On Friday, opposed to sports in the courts, the events are flipped to beer on the courts as a way to end the first week back into routine. The night ends with Welcome Fest, the party of the year, the Night Owl 5k, a marathon that is starting and ending at the university, and the after party.

These three events are all for 19+, and will be taking place on the Dr. Lloyd Barber Academic Green and The Owl, respectively.

The entire detailed schedule for the full week of events is listed on URSU’s Facebook page.

“It’s important to know when and where your classes are,” they say, “but here’s the schedule we know you really want to remember!”

Checking out their Welcome Week Facebook page also allows students to see which classmates are attending which events, and what is yet to come.

September 7 - September 13, 2017

carillonregina.com | The Carillon |

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Maria Aman lodges human rights complaint Former URSU candidate contesting election results john loeppky editor-in-chief Former candidate Maria Aman has lodged a human rights complaint against the University of Regina Students’ Union.

Aman says that she made the complaint to highlight issues within the organization, in her words, “To expose the corruption that occurred during the 2017 elections.”

The complaint came after Aman was removed from the 2017 elections and her competitor, Shawn Wiskar, was selected as vice-president of student affairs.

Maria gave further reasoning as to why she made the complaint.

“We must ensure that proper standards are followed when it comes to democracy and fairness. Even at a university level, this is where values are learned. If it’s okay to do here, what’s stopping our future leaders from doing it again later in their lives when the stakes are even higher? To me, (and I hope to many others), that is not okay.”

Wiskar, in response, referred back to the initial decision document provided by the board and noted URSU’s current stance.

“URSU is aware of a human rights complaint that has been submitted to the Human

Ella Mikkola URSU in hot water

Right Commission. However, we have no idea about the state of the actual complaint and we are awaiting hearing from the com-

mission itself.”

Wiskar did confirm that URSU was aware that the complaint was in regards to the elec-

tion, but not the specifics.

Aman says that her goal is to prevent others from experiencing what she has, adding, “Se-

crets are lies.”

We will continue to update this story as it develops on our website carillonregina.com.

Student smokers squashed Smoking areas have been significantly reduced kristian ferguson news editor In order for the University of Regina to align itself with other universities in regard to smoking, the number of smoking areas on campus have been reduced.

“The University of Regina is moving toward a smoke-free campus with a newly-revised smoking policy which comes into effect on September 1, 2017,” states the university website.

“The University of Regina will not permit smoking or the use of tobacco products in any University owned or leased building, on leased or owned University property, or in University vehicles, or vehicles parked on University leased or owned property.”

This is not to say that there will be nowhere left to smoke on campus. The university is maintaining three designated smoking areas.

There is one in between the Language Institute and the Paskwāw tower, one between the Research and Innovation Centre and College West, and, finally, one just outside of Luther College.

“We know that exposure to second-hand smoke and the use of tobacco products is a major health hazard. We want to reduce and eventually eliminate this health risk

Jaecy Bells Its hard out here for a smoker

on our campuses,” says Dave Button, Vice President of Administration, in a statement released on the university website.

However, the university is aware of the importance of tobacco for many First Nations people and has organized options for ceremonies.

The university says “tobacco is an integral part of cultural ceremonies and cultural research and

requests for guidance, knowledge or knowledge sharing” and has a policy that can be referenced on their website, in regards to smudging and pipe ceremonies.

The Carillon took to some of the student population to see how they felt about the changes to the smoking areas.

First-year MAP student, Eli LaFoy said, “I think it’s a good thing. Even if I smoke, its gross

and it’s a health hazard. It makes quitting a better idea, and something with a push behind it. Its good news, even if it’s irritating to smokers.”

Eli finished off with a piece of advice to fellow smokers.

“If it sucks, maybe stop smoking, dudes.”

However, not everyone is on the same page about the changes.

First-year theatre student, Hannah

Grover, felt differently.

“Its absurd. I think its really limiting and damaging to students who rely on smoke breaks for their mental health.”

Grover, while not a smoker herself, expressed concerns about how using tobacco may be a valuable tool for many students.

“It shames smokers who suffer from mental illnesses; it’s classist because addictions like tobacco are directly related to class struggles.

It segregates low-class students who are dependent on smokes for a plethora of reasons. They don’t need to be shamed for an addiction.”

Regardless of personal stance, the university has fully enacted the changes to the smoking policy.

While there is no stance on potential punishment to be found on the university website, it is clear that they are serious.

Button ends the statement with a word of encouragement.

“We recognize that smoking is an addiction and we know this change will be difficult for many in our community. We encourage students, faculty and staff to access the smoking cessation programs available to them.”

Students can contact the Students’ Union for further information on smoking cessation programs.

a&c

Editor: mason sliva aandc@carillonregina.com @carillon_arts the carillon |September 7 - September 13, 2017

Get your swamp on Investigating Regina’s first algae-themed music festival

Jaecy Bells Not sponsored by beats, just has some sick beats, if you know what I mean

danielle corson a&c writer There is a new music festival coming to Regina this month.

Performances will be at the German Club and on Willow Island on Friday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 9. Swamp Fest is “dedicated to increasing the visibility to Regina’s alternative music and arts community to a broad and diverse audience” according to their website.

There are 19 bands and artists performing at this year’s Swamp Fest. These artists include: The Garrys, Snake River, the Bureau, the Florals, and the Power Buddies. This festival is a platform in which local and emerging artists are supported and have opportunities to showcase their talents.

Swamp Fest was conceived by five creative individuals: Tim Weisgarber, Amy Weisgarber, Eric Hill, Jeff Meldrum, Amber Phelps Bondaroff. This festival will be a great way to end the summer and transition into the new school year. Tickets are available at T+A Vinyl and Fashion or online at swampfest.com.

On Willow Island, well-behaved, leashed dogs are allowed and do not need a wrist band.

More information about the festival can be found on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Amber PB, one of the organizers of Swamp Fest.

1. What inspired the creation of Swamp Fest?

Swamp Fest came about through the mutual desire of its

organizers to see a multi-venue music festival that would support independent artists and bands while fostering a greater sense of community amongst music fans and artists alike. We also all felt like Willow Island, in Wascana Lake, was this great, rather under-utilized outdoor space, right in the centre of our city! Rather than lamenting the lack of cultural events in Regina and waiting for someone else to do something

We were largely inspired by the body of water that sits, rather stagnantly, in the center of our city.

4. Where are the artists coming from? (Western Canada/ Prairies/Local?)

The musical artists are all from Western Canada. We’ve got bands from BC, (Summering – Vancouver); Alberta, (Melted

Artist contribution is really hard to pin down as we have experienced a lot of unsolicited artistic contributions in the form of TAB inspired fan art, a Swamp Monster-themed comic series, and various improvised performances from local TAB enthusiasts! To experience the whole breadth of artistic contribution, you will really need to come to the festival and see what people bring and make!

All Swamp Fest/TAB-inspired

“Rather than lamenting at the lack of cultural events in Regina and waiting for someone else to do something about it - we decided to just go for it!”

-Amber Phelps Bondaroff

about it, we decided to just go for it! Once we started planning the festival, we realized how many others in the community were excited about its potential. We also gradually learned of the resident swamp monster that resides in Wascana Lake, who we now know as the creature called TAB (Toxic Algae Blob). TAB has become the festival’s mascot of sorts, and a large inspiration behind the event!

2. Is the plan to make Swamp Fest an annual event?

Yes! Swamp Fest is planning to be a yearly festival, and to grow in the future!

3. How did the title of the festival come to fruition?

Mirror – Calgary, J Blissette – Lethbridge); and many Saskatchewan-based bands: The Garry’s, The Avusions (both from Saskatoon), and lots of local Regina-based acts (Natural Sympathies, the Florals, The Steves, and many more)!

We also have a number of collaborations with performing and visual artists, including Fada Dance from Regina, and a project called Scummy Magic out of Saskatoon.

5. How many contributing artists are in the festival?

There are 19 official musical acts performing over the course of the weekend as well as a number of performing and visual artists.

creative contributions are greatly encouraged!

6. Can you describe what one may experience while attending the festival? (atmosphere/music, etc.)

An array of independent music ranging from garage rock, to electronic dark wave, to doowop swamp tunes, along with a healthy dose of crypto-zoological and paranormal enthusiasts posing as music fans!

7. What are you most looking forward to with the festival?

I’m really looking forward to ‘The Swamp Stomp’. Saskatoon band, The Garrys, have written a

theme song, or Swamp Fest Anthem if you will, entitled ‘The Swamp Stomp.’ They will be performing this song during their set on Willow Island on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. Swamp Fest organizers have developed a series of dance moves to accompany this song and we’re hoping that everyone in the audience joins in – in a big display of swampy, loosely choreographed dancing mayhem!

The moves are pretty straight forward and easy to learn, and will also be led by our enthusiastic Island hosts from Fada Dance! It should be a real apex of creative energy and a whole lot of fun!

8. Can tickets be purchased at the door?

There will be a limited amount of tickets available at the door for each event, but be sure to arrive early if you want a ticket at the door! Passes are selling fast, and we expect things to sell out – especially the daytime Willow Island events!

Advance weekend passes are available at T+A Vinyl and Fashion (1603 Victoria Ave) and at swampfest.ca. Weekend passes are $50 in advance, and $60 if purchased the day of. Prices at the door are as follows: Friday evening at the German club - $15 Saturday daytime on Willow Island - $30 Saturday evening at the German club - $20 (upstairs) $10 (downstairs)

September 7 - September 13, 2017

carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 8

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Providing a voice Young artist Haley Holtslander speaks about the meaning behind her art

Courtesy of Haley Holtslander Some of Haley’s works

danielle corson a&c writer Haley Holtslander is a thirdyear Bachelor of Fine Arts student enrolled in the visual arts department here at the University of Regina. Holtslander has exhibited her works in the Fifth Parallel Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan and in the Southern Graphics Convention International in Atlanta, Georgia. She is definitely an emerging artist to watch out for in the near future. She works in various mediums including printmaking, letterpress, silk screening, modelling, and photography.

Holtslander states, “I want my modeling to tell a story just like my 2D art.” The rest of our interview was insightful, exciting, thought provoking and is as follows:

2. Can you tell me a bit about your current projects for this upcoming year including exhibitions, collaborations, etc.?

I took a small break from art over to summer to recharge, but I’m slowly starting to get back to work on a big project I have planned for the winter. It’s a feminist exhibition where the goal is to make feminism more approachable and also showcase struggles I personally have faced as a woman.

to give first-years – and everyone – that opportunity to feel accepted by this department and group.

4. Are there any repeating themes within your artworks and can you describe the meaning of some of your works?

In the past year I’ve tried to keep my themes and ideas very... natural. If I’m interested in something I explore it, draw it, learn about it, even if it’s odd. At first,

“I have used it to express my emotions and my journey into loving myself.”

- -Haley Holtsander

1. What have you recently been up to in your art practice?

Last year, I curated my first exhibition titled “In Plain Sight,” which was about the prairie landscape and how it is more than just flat. The artwork I had in that exhibition was featured in the University of Regina research magazine.

Before that, I had my photography on the cover of Maclean’s magazine. Since then, I have done less photography and more printmaking and experimenting as much as I can. I fell in love with letterpress and took large self-love prints with me to a printmaking conference in Atlanta and it was submitted into the Southern Graphics International Conference archives.

again was the body and society’s view of the female body. I painted this huge vulva as a means to make it obvious and very present. When you’re in a room with a 4-foot vulva you can’t not see it, you can’t ignore it. It’s dripping with blood to represent the period that women are shamed for having, despite it being HUMAN. So, the goal with that piece was the talk about the female body and all the ways society has told women to cover up, not talk about it and ignore it. This influenced my upcoming

3. Can you discuss your involvement within the arts community?

This year I’m co-directing VASA. I have lots of plans for this year to help out our arts community here at the university. For one, I’m hoping to reach out to firstyear students to help them feel accepted and included, because it can be difficult to get your foot in the door when it comes to a community like this. It’s not that it’s full of difficult people to talk to, but it’s always a bit hard to take that first step when you have no real opportunity. So, I’m hoping

I was interested in drawing bums.

Specifically, mine. I was interested in the way society sees the female body and how my views of my own body have changed over the years. In high school, I would wear push up bras because media was telling me the bigger the boobs, the better. I am now comfortable enough to not wear a bra. Currently, I personally find the media pushing bigger butts, but I have reached a point in my life where I am okay with my, well, small butt. So, I celebrated it with multiple drawings and prints. Then I moved onto the vulva where I ended my semester with a fourfoot painting of a vulva. The idea

feminist project where I talk about issues of the female body and what it’s like to be female directly from my point of view. Ultimately, my works have always been personal; I use it as a way of expression. I have used my art to take myself and my body back from sexual assault. I have used it to express my emotions and my journey into loving myself.

5. What do you wish to accomplish with your works?

I hope to help people with my art. I have never hidden my emotions or my challenges in life.

I never want to appear as though

I’m something I’m not and in doing that I hope I help others who are in situations like mine. I speak openly about my eating disorder within my art practice and hope to humanize this disorder to end the stigma and encourage others to ask for help. I also hope for people who don’t consider themselves feminists to possibly see what true feminism is. It’s difficult to see a feminist story on the internet and take it seriously. Who knows who it is behind the computer screen?

I hope to put a face to the stories I tell, and I hope to be a source of knowledge for those who have questions or are unsure. I have so many things I want to normalize and when I think about it, it seems impossible for one person to do.

But it always starts with just one, right? I want to normalize the female body and talking about our problems and being OPEN and willing to grow with others.

6. What are some of your future goals with your artistic career?

I’d love to have my work featured in art magazines. And anything related to feminism. It sounds cocky, but I want to spread my thoughts as far as I can. I feel like I have a different and important view on issues that aren’t always talked about. I want to spread not only the art itself, but the narrative it brings and I hope it inspires both women and men all over.

You can check out Holtslander’s works on Instagram at: @haley.holtslander and @yela.h.

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a&c

Mail time

From our mailbox to your eyeballs john loeppky editor-in-chief It’s Monday, production night, and as I look over at our mail area – less area, more disaster zone – I am confronted by the fact that our entire office is overflowing with promotional materials.

The list includes: approximately seven million indie albums with songs on them like “Godforsaken Town,” “You Certainly were My Man,” and “Love is Like a Spinning Wheel.”

The point is not to ask the budding public relationship managers of our audience to write better ad copy. The point is to say that in order for Canada to have a more vibrant arts scene, we need to start reviewing its contents more thoroughly as youthful experiencers of music, theatre, and film. We need to think critically and forget the idea that we must support a band just because we know one of its members.

So, in that spirit, I’m going to review the three songs I mentioned earlier: Elephant Stone’s “Love is Like a Spinning Wheel,” Kiera Dall’Osto’s “You Certainly Were My Man,” and Government Town’s “Godforsaken Town.”

In the end, I’ll rank them one through three, just for the fun of it.

First up, “Love is Like a Spinning Wheel.” Coming from their 2016 album, Ship of Fools, I happen to agree with a YouTube com-

menter named Scotty Christmann who says that the tune reminds him of the “lusty ‘70s.” Now, I wasn’t alive then, but I’d like to think this would be the kind of song you’d listen to with your love on the hood of your ‘70s Pontiac Firebird while wishing you were part of the University of Regina’s LSD experiments instead of trying to create small talk.

Elephant Stone, an indie-rock band hailing from Montreal, bring what others have called psych-rock to the stage. The title fits well with the styling of the song and the colourful line work of the album art certainly brings the listener into the psychedelic sphere. Sadly, this song was listened to under the bright fluorescents of our office and so its full effects were lost.

Second in line, Government Town’s “Godforsaken Town.”

This song really reflects the band’s country roots. According to their website, the band really came together in university and, with eight members, Government Town has put out three albums in four years, putting them on quite a prolific pace.

This song is everything you would expect from a prairie country tune, but it isn’t boring or uninspired. Quite the contrary, while the dead and dusty town of the song’s imagining mixes voices well, letting the lyrics jive with the whole musical ensemble. “Godforsaken Town” is the kind of song

John Loeppky Uncovering these albums

you listen to as you graduate from a high school where you hate the other four people in your class and are dreaming of finding a lover from the big city, even if that big city might be Moose Jaw. Last but not least comes “You Certainly were My Man” by Kiera Dall’Osto. The Saskatoon artist brings with her bluesy and Americana sound that makes me feel like I should be enjoying cigarettes in a Regina saloon, smoking ban be damned. Even Dall’Osto’s bio

highlights the fact that her music defies specific categorization. I like the grimy, end of workday feel, but I just can’t bring myself to call myself even with the impressive vibrancy of Kiera’s voice. There’s no doubt she can sing.

Final verdict: I’m not a massive country fan, but the downhome music of Government Town takes the cake here.

Dall’Ostro’s music is nice enough, but needing to gargle lucky num-

ber seven in order to match my mental state to the tone of the music is just too much of a jump for me. Lastly, Elephant Stone’s tune needs to pull a Men in Black IIIstyle regeneration and jump back in time to be enjoyed. To be fair, the latter song feels like the kind of music you need to be in front of to enjoy and, since I live in Regina and not Quebec, I’ll stay away from psych-rock for now.

What to check out in Regina over the next few weeks mason sliva a&c editor

Art Now Fine Art Fair

Swamp Fest

Welcome Fest Concert

Date: September 8-9, 2017 Location: German Club, Willow Island Summary: Regina’s newest music festival is set to be a blast.

Swamp Fest features four sets over two days, and the Saturday afternoon show on Willow Island will be one of the best local sets of the year. Get your Swamp on.

Info: Swamp Fest on Facebook; swampfest.com

Date: September 8, 2017 Location: University of Regina Academic Green Summary: The University of Regina Students’ Union is capping off Welcome Week with an electrifying show hosted outdoors. Artists include XANA, Stoop Kids, and DJ Shub. Admission is free but the Green fills fast, so show up early.

Info: Welcome Fest Concert on Facebook

‘Til The Cows Come Home

by Joe Fafard Date: September 1-October 14, 2017 Location: Slate Fine Art Gallery Summary: Nationally renowned sculptor Joe Fafard displays a new exhibition in the Queen City. An opening reception is being held on September 7, and the exhibit runs until the middle of October.

Info: slategallery.ca

Date: September 14-17, 2017 Location: The Sound Stage Summary: This Saskatchewan Fine Art Fair hits the Queen City in mid-September, and brings together art from all around the province. A variety of artworks are to be found in the over 5000 square foot area.

Info: saskgalleries.ca/saskartfair

If you have a local event coming, please email our a&c editor at

aandc@carillonregina.com

graphics

Editor: jaecy bells graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | September 7 - September 13, 2017

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Banding with Butterfield: Spirit of the West Canadian folk legends look back on a wonderful career

Courtesy of Alec Watson The band lookin’ fresh

ethan butterfield staff writer I hope you’re all ready for the current semester and I’m sure it’ll be full of obstacles, as well as surprises. Or maybe it won’t, I don’t know, I’m not a psychic.

What I do know, however, is that things seem to get increasingly interesting for me as this summer comes to a close. One such thing in that regard is my interview with Vancouver folk-rock band Spirit of the West. For those who aren’t sure, Spirit of the West has enjoyed an incredible career that saw the release of two platinum albums titled Save this House and Faithlift, as well as several hit singles including “Political,” “And if Venice Is Sinking,” and “Home for a Rest.” So, without further delay, here’s the interview with band member Hugh McMillan: 1. How did the group know this was the style of music they wanted to perform?

The band began with Geoffrey, who studied and grew up with Celtic music, and is a poet and music collector. He surrounded himself first with Jay Knutson, a folk-rock guitarist and singer/ songwriter, then later John Mann, a very gifted singer and songwriter. The combination of Geoffrey’s Irish music training and modern relevant song writing was obvious.

2. What was the feeling like when performing live? Any moments that really standout?

Too many to count. Each gig would have its’ outstanding moments, either during the show or afterward, sometimes beforehand! Probably the most fantas-

3. One of the bands biggest selling albums and my personal favourite is Go Figure. Now, I’m sure you get this question a significant amount, but what was it like making that album and putting it together? Any stories you could possibly share?

The first album with our

of change and readjustment for the band. New (bad, but we didn’t know at the time as is so often the case) record deal, new drummer, big league producer. Glad you like the album! We went through a big shift of audience at that time. The acoustic folkies were pretty upset, whereas the college crowd was most pleased with the harder di-

“Closer than family in many ways, shipmates for a large proportion of this life journey.”

- Hugh McMillian

tic tours we have played were in Germany, Netherlands, and Switzerland in the ‘90s, in terms of touring conditions and scenery, whereas the most meaningful gigs were often in the UK. Opening for the popular UK band “The Wonderstuff” at Walsall Stadium in Birmingham deserves mention, as does playing the small club in the legendary “MilkyWay” in Amsterdam. Then there were the symphonic concerts, playing the Open Heart Symphony setlist, every one a gem.

own drummer. We’d used session drummers previously and tried touring with a hired drummer, and it was time. Vince Ditrich had recently joined the band and was a wellspring of wonderful grooves and arrangement ideas. We were also extremely fortunate to be under the watchful ears of producer Joe Chiccarelli. The studio was plagued with personality conflicts and childish attitudes (on our side) during the production of that album, but we managed to pull it together. It was a challenging time

rection we wanted to go in.

4. On the topic of albums, Spirituality: 1983-2008 was the band’s last release to my understanding. Being a show of Spirit of the West’s greatest works, what was it like to look back on the band’s history?

That album is a collection to be sure, although there are two tracks on the album which were recorded specifically for it and only appear on it. “Winter’s Now

the Enemy” and “Happy New Year.” As for a definitive “best of ” it’s a pretty good couple of CDs. 5. Being a Canadian band yourselves, how has the feeling been regarding fans both in country and out?

We are extremely humbled and grateful for our fan’s interest and appreciation over the years.

Our “foreign” fans are no less avid, albeit much more scarce!

Gratitude, that’s the best I can do, as to how we view this “popularity” ... amazement? Wonder?

Those are in there too.

6. From the live performance at Massey Hall to the documentary Spirit Unforgettable, what has it been like to be a member of Spirit of the West?

That would only cover the last two years of my 31 with the group. That’s a book in itself.

Closer than family in many ways, shipmates for a large proportion of this life journey. We’re still in fairly close contact and as much as we’re able to, rallying around John and his family.

sports

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Editor: vacant sports@carillonregina.com @carillon_sports the carillon | September 7 - September 13, 2017

Soccer team concludes preseason tournament Team takes tentative steps before regular season konstantin kharitonov sports writer With the soccer season beginning the minute you step foot on campus during Welcome Week, the ladies wrapped up their preseason play and are ready to start their quest for a berth to the U Sports Championships in Winnipeg.

After a decent season with ups and downs leading to a slightly below .500 win percentage following an abysmal 2015, the Cougars are looking to keep their upward trajectory this year, hoping to obtain a winning record and have a deep run in the Canada West playoffs.

To start their year off right, the ladies wanted to have a strong showing at the Great Plains Challenge. Unfortunately, the team wasn’t able to start off on a high note, tying their first game and losing their next two.

The first match was against University of Alberta Pandas, with a 0-0 draw to start off. While the game itself was pretty uneventful, both Savannah Williams for the Cougars and Rebecca Reif for the Pandas earned shut-

outs for their work.

The second did not go as well for the ladies in green, as they dropped a 3-1 match against the University of Calgary Dinos. The Cougars were able to respond to a Dino goal just before half time with one of their own at the 85th minute, but then two late goals at the 89th and 92nd was the Cougars’ undoing.

Much of the same in the last game of the exhibition tournament, with the Cougars losing to the undefeated MacEwan University Griffins. The Griffins had potted one very early in the match at the eight-minute mark, but the Cougars shortly rebounded with a goal to tie it with a header from Brianna Wright. MacEwan would again go up a goal but not without the Cougars tying the match again, this time coming in at the 45th. However, the Griffins took flight in the second half, plotting in two goals, and defeated the Cougars and securing their perfect week.

While it wasn’t the result that the team had intended heading into the preseason tourney, but it is not one that should really be seen as anything but a tune up.

The team did not hold a lead

John Loeppky A visual representation of where the games were played

during any of their three games, the team had been able to answer back right after being scored on in their latter two games.

The Cougars, for the most part, showed that they are what they are. While they might not truly be ready to be a force game in and game out, they surely have

shown that they are no pushovers and will battle for possession and drive to the net until the very last minute.

There are still some growing pains to be had by the Cougars, but they are a team who are ready to takes steps forward and could potentially go above .500 and

possibly make some noise in the post season. The Cougars start their season with a back-to-back against the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg, which then is followed by a four game home stand. Time to start the show.

Fans need to show up and show out We’ll lend you the foam fingers ethan butterfield staff writer The student body at the University of Regina is filled with some of the most unique individuals I’ve ever met. Whether they’re from the sciences, the arts, or education, there’s always been someone who’s had an interesting story or a different experience altogether. Usually this pertains to a certain class or maybe a certain professor that they had. What I find really interesting, however, is the lack of stories and experiences that come from attending a game put on by one of our University of Regina-based teams.

Now I realize that actually spectating one of the sports is easier said than done. There might be certain critical issues that arise such as travel (if you live off campus), finding the time (you may be taken a full slate this semester), or perhaps the cost of a ticket is just a little too expensive for you (editor’s note: if you’re not already a lowly student). Believe me, I think all of us understand the concern that is money. That being said, allow me to sway you, so to speak, on why attending may be beneficial rather than a hassle.

For one, the support for our teams is always a plus. Even

if it’s just one game, it means the world to players knowing that people do care. Now, I may not be the best spectator on campus and I admit to that, but I’m always ready to support the U of R sports teams whenever need be (Go 1-0 Rams).

I know it sounds cheesy, but team spirit is a legitimate thing. Trust me, nothing is worse than when no one gives a damn. As someone who used to play floor hockey and basketball, I know that feeling all too well. Like I mentioned above, you don’t have to be a season ticket holder to prove you care, you just have to go to a game here or there.

Attending sporting events can also be, and brace yourselves for this, fun! I know, weird. Turns out enjoying the fast paced play of basketball or hockey can be just what the doctor ordered. I know I myself have had an absolute blast over the years going to either U of R games or preseason openers and, the fact is, going to a game may sound like a pain, but there is a lot to be taken away from the experience. Winning, for example, is one of the best feelings one can feel, to point out the painfully obvious. Now, I’m sure it’s a much better feeling for the athletes who are actually playing, but if you’re really engaged in the moment, then it’s one hell of a time. Where-

as on the other hand, losing is a such bummer (obviously). That the range of emotions you get from a game though, a high tension and high level of play that, sure, could go either way. But you may find yourself enjoying regardless.

Enjoyment aside, this particular point will probably only apply to some rather than all, but heading out to support a local team can be oddly relaxing. Yes, yes, I understand when people think of a sporting events, they picture loud and obnoxious, but hear me out.

Sometimes there’s a certain bliss to watching two teams play for a lengthy amount of time. Which I know doesn’t sound like I’m singing it’s praises, but it’s true. These are athletes that train for long stretches to perform at a high level of play, to see what they can do is nothing short of amazing. So when two teams come together to put on a show, that’s something definitely worth checking out.

So, as I’ll say again, I’m not unknowing to the fact that attending for some may just not be possible. And there’s no guilt in that, that’s just how life works. If you are someone that can make it out though, I encourage you to do so.

If not for the sport itself than perhaps for the speculate it provides.

It may sound odd to say that it’s

Caitlin Taylor “Yell if you hate shirts!”

an experience, but it most certainly is. So whether you’re a fan of football, hockey, basktetball, swimming, or volleyball (among many others), do yourself a favour and check it out.

Editor’s Note: Some of the relaxing, as Ethan puts it, events over the past while have been the Rams’ season opening win over UBC. More to come in the following weeks as the sports season begins in earnest.

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Bongomin dons red and white Cougar athlete’s summer filled with national team experiences

konstantin kharitonov and john loeppky sports writer editor-in-chief Throughout our lives, we all strive for a certain goal, regardless of what may seem achievable to others. There will always be doubters, there will always be dream killers. And past all of these, there are the ones who dared to accomplish. Our very own Angela Bongomin, a second year U of R Cougar, is one step closer to her dream after being named to the Development Women’s National Basketball team.

The local phenom joins the Cougars after completing high school at Luther College, where she was a part of the city tile champion team in 2015 as well as being named the Luther Invitational Tournament MVP after leading her school to LIT championship. In her first season with the Cougars, she averaged 3.3 points and rebounds per game in her rookie season, and had earned her place at the international stage.

Bongomin has represented Canada at two basketball events previously, winning a silver medal at the FIBA Americas U18 Championships in 2016 and just this past July, Bongomin and her fellow Canadians captured bronze in a close 67-60 game against Team Japan at the U19 Women’s Basketball World Championships. She says these experiences really helped her in

John Loeppky The championships will be here again this year.

her recent outings for the national team.

“It was amazing, it was nice to have played last summer because it put me in the right mindset for the intensity and atmosphere that I was put in at both levels this past summer.”

With being named the Development Team, Bongomin was off to Toyko to play in the U24 Women Basketball League,

ferent times before even starting her second year of university. Yes, believe the hype, because Canada Basketball surely is.

So do the Cougars, who will rely heavily on the sophomore in the upcoming season as the team are destined for greatness after the team’s impressive run to the Canada West Finals and USPORTS championship last

ready for the season. With the preseason starting on September 23 with a date with Lakeland College, there is no time to waste for Bongomin and the rest of the team.

An extra incentive to strive for a great performance this year is that the U Sports women’s basketball championship is happening right here in Regina this year. By being able to perform

“It was amazing, it was nice to have played last summer because it put me in the right mindset for the intensity and atmosphere that I was put in at both levels this past summer.”

- Angela Bongomin

a round robin tournament where the Canadians squared off with Japan, the U.S., and Australia.

The fun didn’t stop there, as Bongomin was off to Taipei, Taiwan to represent Canada in the 2017 Summer Universiade. In 25 minutes of court time in 4 games, Bongomin recorded 10 points and 8 rebounds. The Canadians finished 7th in the Tournament, after losing in the quarterfinals against the eventual Gold Medalists, Chinese Taipei.

In total, Bongomin was able to represent Canada four dif-

season. The team will be hungry to avenge their losses against the University of Saskatchewan and McGill University, and are once again favourites for the top of the Canada West division. Bongomin also hopes that her work this summer will pay dividends later in the year.

“I think it gave me a lot experience and gave me more confidence in how I play, so I hope that translates into next season.”

One thing is for sure though, Bongomin has certainly kept busy playing and getting

as well as they have last year, the path to a potential championship on home court becomes all the more likely.

Bongomin and the Cougars have a huge year ahead of them, and the added pressure will definitely show just how good both can be. For Bongomin, being on the Development Team can open many doors for the young centre.

A strong performance this year could start opening more scouts’ eyes which could potentially lead to an apprehended

on the Canadian World Championship teams and even a trip to the Olympics some day down the road.

While it may be premature to have such thoughts at such a young age, the window is starting to become wide open. It would certainly be hard to deny a player who represented Canada at such a young age throughout her university years.

First things first for Bognomin, as while she may be on the Development roster now, the challenge is to keep playing at the high level expected of her to succeed.

At this point in her basketball career, however, anything is a possible with the right mind and a will for success, and for a rising star who has been able to perform at every level, it is quite exciting to watch. The potential for greatness is anything but hidden.

It’s best to get on the Bongomin bandwagon now, as it looks to be one that is surely with seeing through. However, let’s now take some time to celebrate Angela Bongomin, a member of the Development Women’s National Team, is a University of Regina Cougar.

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Backlash leads to quick Hamilton firing Briles canned amid controversy ethan williams staff writer Art Briles walked into the Hamilton Ti-Cats offices on Aug. 28 looking to start a new position as assistant offensive head coach and, perhaps, looking to start a new life after the lengthy scandal he was involved in at Baylor University while he was head coach there. But by the end of that same day, Briles was in a much different situation. He had been fired by the organization, not even 24 hours after it was announced he’d be a part of the team. The move to hire him obviously proved to still be too harsh on the tender wounds caused by the Baylor fiasco, and by those who loathed him.

So how exactly did this incident come to a head? The situation began at Baylor University in 2012 and slowly surfaced over a period of four years. Multiple Baylor University football players were accused and, in one case, convicted of crimes involving assault and sexual assault of classmates. Ultimately, Briles, the then-head coach of the university’s football team, took the blame for not responding quickly enough to the situation even though he had knowledge of what was occurring. It was clear that his career would come to a standstill for quite some time because of his involvement, and possibly never be the same. However, that changed on Aug. 28 when the Ti-Cats announced he would be joining the team.

Attempts were made to contact both the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Hamilton Tiger Cats Football Organization. The CFL did not return the Carillon’s request for information or an interview, and the Ti-Cats directed the Carillon to a video posted by the organization on their website. The video was footage shot from a media scrum featuring Ti-Cats CEO Scott Mitchell. In it, Mitchell told reporters that the organization had made a mistake.

“What we thought was an opportunity to give someone a second chance was clearly not acceptable in relation to what previously happened.”

“There may be a time and a place for coach Briles to coach, but it’s not now”, Mitchell went on to say.

When asked if he felt that the hiring was unacceptable, Mitchell was very clear on his stance.

“In retrospect, clearly

the timing was inappropriate. It was a poor decision. Clearly we missed the mark in terms of the message we were sending.”

Mitchell also claimed full responsibility for the incident. He mentioned that any situation regarding hiring is brought to him, and that the organization had a lapse in judgement in terms of their image in the community, and they may have gotten carried away with what he called “the inner sanctum of football discussions.”

The Ti-Cats organization also directed the Carillon to 3downnation.com, a website that features reports on the CFL and its teams. A report from Drew Edwards of 3downnation.com on Sept. 1 shows a letter obtained by the Fort Worth Star Telegram from Baylor to Briles notifying him that the university was clearing him of wrongdoing as he spoke to various football organizations about potential employment with them. A section of the letter reads in part:

“As you speak with others regarding these issues, you can be assured you may make certain statements without fear of contradiction from Baylor based on the information known to us.”

The letter goes on to say:

“At this time we are unaware of any situation where you personally had contact with anyone who directly reported to you being the victim of sexual assault or that you directly discouraged the victim of an alleged sexual assault from reporting to law enforcement or university officials.”

This letter essentially confirms that the university would not accuse Briles of any wrongdoing as they claimed they had no evidence to hold him to the incidents that took place at the university.

Almost instantly after Briles’ Monday hiring, there was public outcry, notably on social media. Retired CFL defensive end Jason Vega tweeted:

“This can’t get enough attention. #Artbriles and anyone who identifies with the same ideology as him does not belong in the #CFL.” Another popular post came from Twitter user @DustyFootDre, who tweeted:

“@CFL I fixed your campaign material. #ArtBriles #ticats #wwmo” The photo attached showed the CFL’s “Diversity is Strength” logo with the words “unless you’re a woman” Photoshopped in pink text over the logo.

Wikimedia People aren’t smiling in Steeltown right now

The hiring of Briles has come at a time when the CFL has been trying to act progressive in its handling of more controversial social issues, such as the “Diversity is Strength” campaign, which was created as a reaction by the league to the racist riots in Charlottesville. In fact, it was the league that brought forth a “Violence Against Women” policy in Aug. 1 of 2015 to deter violence from players and those within the league against females. The

“Clearly we missed the mark in terms of the message we were sending”

- Scott Mitchell, Ti-Cats CEO

hiring of the ex-Baylor coach seemed to go against that stance.

The Ti-Cats are, unfortunately, not the only team in the league to have suffered from similar public relations disasters, or from players and coaches with a history of ignoring acts of violence or promoting violence against women. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have had many players and coaches go to court over charges involving sexual assault. The most famous, perhaps, was the case of former Rider GM Eric Tillman in 2009, after it was alleged he had sexually assaulted his children’s babysitter.

In the meantime, here at the U of R, the Rams have also had to deal with allegations of sexist behaviour within their organization. In fact, just last year several players were reprimanded for making sexist and racist remarks during a Cougar girls’ soc-

cer game, in which several of the football players attended together.

In a story from CBC News Saskatchewan in April, university president Vianne Timmons spoke about how she had considered cancelling the rest of the team’s season, but ultimately decided against it. No one on the team was singled out for the remarks, according to Timmons.

“Nobody could identify who had made the comments.

There was a group of people.

There were a couple of comments yelled out. No one could tell the investigator.”

The incident ended shortly thereafter, and no suspensions or charges were pursued.

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Athletic review suggests changes Report outlines suggested alterations john loeppky editor-in-chief For the first time since 2004, the University of Regina’s athletics department has undergone a review. The stated objective of the review team was to highlight changes that could be made to make the programs better, or in their words: “The purpose of this review is to reflect upon and evaluate the direction and performance of athletics during the past five to 10 years; has the approach served the university, the athletic department and student athletes well?

To that end, this review will examine the current state and provide recommendations that foster progressive change toward a central University vision while being mindful of the various challenges faced, not only by Athletics, but the University in general.”

But what specifically does this mean? Three main areas were focused on: strategy and leadership, programs and systems, as well as the culture of the department.

One main finding was that the department lacked (and lacks) a “clear strategy and vision and this has caused frustration among coaches and staff.” Reading between the lines, the report details that the department needs to rethink its approach. In fact, the report is pretty damning in this respect, stating, “The current departmental structure is not fit for purpose or able to keep up with the demands of supporting 16 programs in an effective or sustainable manner.”

Another key finding, though not one many will find surprising, is that the university is under significant financial pressures that are having an effect on the programming of the department.

With the aforementioned leadership void, comes a note about the fact that the definition of success employed by the university is not uniform, and so varies from team to team depending on coaching philosophies.

There are some positive notes, like one about the university community being committed and supportive of Cougars ath-

John Loeppky How’s this for a worn out brand?

as in, there isn’t any, but the report takes a slightly more tactful approach.

“An underlying message from coaches and staff was they felt they couldn’t compete with other Canada West universities. This was specifically mentioned in the student athlete meeting.”

Then came the really interesting part: the proposed solutions, which included – as written in the report and simplified here:

here’s the one that will catch the headlines – “Consider eliminating some programs.”

Now, before any athletes start squabbling over which team should be cut, it should be noted that Dr. Vianne Timmons, while praising the reports efforts in a written response, highlighted that such a move would not be undertaken at this time, or as she says, “Until the permanent head of Athletics has developed a robust performance evaluation process,

versity among students, faculty, staff and alumni, and the wider community. As a result, the impact of the Athletics program on revenues and resources is institution-wide. UET is concerned that the reviewers focused on revenues and expenditures within the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies budget envelope, thereby overlooking the broader impact our Athletics program has on student recruitment, retention, tuition and ancillary revenues,

“An underlying message from coaches and staff was they felt they couldn’t compete with other Canada West universities. This was specifically mentioned in the student athlete meeting.”

letics.

After that come the no-brainers. Graphic design wizardry aside, “The current brand is tired and in need of a fresh plan and image, which creates an opportunity to execute a re-launch in line with the new strategic plan.”

Another line that will not come as a shock is aligned with the values of completive balance,

creating a mission and vision statement, hire a director of athletics and create a strategic plan, create a student-athlete development, defining what “excellence” means to the program, making sure “that the department structure is ‘fit for purpose,’” hiring staff members to meet program and planning demands, and –

the portion of the review that pertains to the number of varsity teams will not be considered.”

President Timmons also called into question the definition of sustainability that was used by the reviewers.

“Our Athletics program generates pride in our institution and creates enthusiasm for the Uni-

-University of Regina report

spending in the community, and more.

A full account of these institutional and community impacts needs to accompany any future recommendations for changes to athletics programming.”

The report also noted the need for what it calls “…a Mission 2020 program that tracks

the progress of the new strategic plan on an annual basis and is embedded in the report meetings that take place within the department.”

One of the recommendations has since led to the hiring of Lisa Robertson, who brings a wealth of experience to the table from her time at the University of Calgary and at the Olympic oval. Robertson cautions against any presumptions on her part as she has only just begun her term as director of sport, community engagement, and athlete development, but she does say that the issues brought up aren’t necessarily unique to the Cougars.

“I think that some of the issues or challenges that were brought out in the athletics review are not unique to the University of Regina. From what my experience is, they’re quite common across the country, specifically in Canada West. The fact that there seems to a willingness to look at different ways of doing business, that intrigues me.”

op-ed

Editor: annie trussler op-ed@carillonregina.com @carillon_oped the carillon | September 7 - September 13, 2017

Through their eyes: Austin Ahenakew Due to the recent controversy surrounding the removal of John A. MacDonald statues around Canada, I thought it best to reach out to the Indigenous community for their opinion. Many hope the removal of these statues will begin to ease painful wounds. My search took me to high school student Austin Ahenakew, who openly offered his thoughts on the entire situation. Thank you, Austin, for your heart, your experiences, and insight so few of us could hope to understand from our perspectives.

How do you view John A. MacDonald?

As a historical figure, as a political symbol, and moreover, a major player in violence against indigenous peoples?

I see John A MacDonald as an image of what Canada is and should be working to not be. He was a drunk, hateful man and I feel he doesn’t deserve a statue honouring him for his (for lack of a better word) evil ruling.

What does the removal of his statues mean? Does it mean anything?

Having the statue is a celebration of genocide. To remove it, doesn’t only recognize that celebrating this is wrong, but also recognizes that this man isn’t someone to idolize.

Are these steps that need to be taken?

If yes, what are the steps after this?

Yes. I feel that if we idolize these kinds of people than we are doing a great injustice to all the people that they have wronged in the past. Moving forward, we must also rename the schools and streets that are named after Indian agents and anyone involved in the Indian Act or residential schools. It would also

be a good step for the government to stop labelling all kinds of aboriginal peoples as Indians in legal documents.

As an Indigenous person, please offer your perspective on life in Canada generally. What do you think about political policies? Does the Canadian government serve you in the way you believe it should?

No matter where I am, I am often seen as a criminal or someone who will cause a problem. For example, I am often removed from or followed in stores. My knowledge on political policies is very limited, but when it comes to things like the Indian Act, I feel like at least one-fourth of the people making the policy should be part of, if not half of, the affected people.

[And] no, and simply due to the lack of Indigenous people allowed a part in government.

If you could tell the non-Indigenous Canadian public one thing, what would it be?

It’s much worse than we could tell you, or you could imagine it to be. And it’s ten times worse on reserves than in cities. And, no, the treaty promises don’t make up for it (due to the fact that the government fails to meet everything promised and even if they were, it still wouldn’t be enough for people to celebrate the genocide of our people).

It is essential that we non-Indigenous citizens heed these words carefully. Those of us who could never understand the Indigenous experience are obligated to listen when Indigenous voices speak out. In 2017, it is our

Jaecy Bells

duty to remove monuments to the hateful, the violent, and the genocidal – we are far beyond revering warlords, and after centuries of silence, we are obligated to listen to the opinions of the our indigenous people.

As counter-actions are taken against systems of white supremacy, those rebelling must expect blowback, sometimes in detrimental waves. There will likely be violence, outrage, and political attempts to protect

genocidal regimes. It is our responsibility as non-Indigenous peoples to use our privilege to eradicate white violence from the earth.

If those we have hurt for centuries say to remove these statues, then it is the very least we can do to comply.

of mixed race comes when I became a lesson for someone else, using my powers for good. As a student in one of my classes of 150 students, they spoke of race as though all those who identified as black came from Africa, and all those who identified as white from Europe. I stood up and asked one of these students where I was from.

Staring, she said nothing. She could not tell me where I was from because race is not bound to an area of the world.

Race is a social construction. Trust

me, it is not real. Although I am not brown enough to be brown, nor white enough to be white, I found myself in an area that has allowed me to thrive in multicultural and multi-religious households, and I am grateful for that every day. So, just a word of advice: next time you ask what someone is, make sure it’s Halloween.

annie trussler op-ed editor

What are you?

When was the last time someone asked, “What are you?” Maybe it was on Halloween when your costume fell slightly short of self-explanatory; or maybe it was when an alien race met their first human, which just so happened to be you. Well, if you are me, it’s become more of a daily thing. Although some more polite, asking what my background is, or just waiting patiently for me to say something that hints toward my nationality, all lead back to the question. “What are you?”

I am not green, nor do I have antennae, but when you exchange those characteristics with tan skin and facial features of both European and East Indian descent, you get the same outcome: an alien. I do not mind it, necessarily; I mean, such a question is always a great conversation starter! Guesses I’ve received include Italian, East Indian, First Nations, Spanish, Mexican, Columbian, and even Hungarian. Although I am quick to answer the question when people ask, I started to wonder why? I am a human, I was born in little Regina, Saskatchewan; I am also a student, waitress, and dog mom, yet there I go blurting out, “East Indian and British” before getting to any of my other great qualities that make me, well, me. Don’t even get me started on when people make assumptions.

Growing up with my very European mother during my high school years, she remarried and had two very pale, very beautiful children. We lived in an upper-class neighbourhood, and with the age difference between my siblings and myself being twelve or so years, I was sometimes mistaken as a nanny by the neighbours. I am not sure how they came to that con-

Tim Denner via Flickr

clusion, as I was the typical teenager and rarely ever home. I would have been the worst nanny ever. I only started to notice society’s obsession with my features during my second year of university. As a women and gender studies major, studying gender, class, and race opened my eyes to the problematic nature of this question.

Although some memories made me question my mixed race identity, it is also something that I would not have any another way. My favourite memory of being

kennya bhijmi contributor

September 7 - September 13, 2017

op-ed

carillonregina.com | The Carillon | 18

Bye-bye Brad Ding-dong, the witch is dead! The one, the only, the infamous Brad Wall has packed his Chanel bags with his bestseller “I Hate Poor People,” and finally freed us from his curse. Big Bad Brad bid farewell to his beloved rectangle full of farmers and, at last, I could sleep at night with just a little more ease. [EDITOR’s NOTE: Not actually the name of a book by Brad although we do hope it wasn’t on the short list for his eventual autobiography.]

Now, this is not a piece meant for the news section – I have no intention of sitting here and rattling off the reasons dear Bradley should have left his throne eons ago. That is the job of someone without cause for such uproarious celebration. Nay, I am an art student, I don’t hate indigenous people, and I have a very, very, obvious political preference.

I am more than aware that Bradley’s journey into the darkness is not the end to the Sask. Party as a whole (unfortunately, I must wait a little while longer for that brand of miracle). It’s more than likely a conservative crony equally as evil, if not more evil, will emerge from the ashes. At the very least, it will be a different evil.

What is important to take from this is the fact that evil can, in fact, be defeated; moreover, we now know that evil can be destroyed from within. Our voices, somehow, got through the thick, thick skulls of the far right, and even the self-important Mr. Wall got the hint and walked away from his gong show.

Saskatchewan is not particularly notorious for its progressive thinking.

We are a majority “elderly, racist farmer” demographic (no offense to our resident farmers). When I think about the general

Screenshot via Youtube

population of our beloved province, I don’t immediately go, “geez, we sure are a forward-thinking leftist bunch. We won’t tolerate racism in 2017, no way!”

We have protested, we have shouted, we have had sit-ins, sit-outs, sitdowns, and sit-ups, and by golly, it finally worked. Which, fortunately, offers us loud millennials fuel to counter the argument of “protests don’t work.”

Actually, it seems like they do! It seems as if the masses calling out gross injustice at our doorstep can, and do, make

a point. People, much like our own Brad Wall, hear that he’s doing a shit job, step away from his shit job, and continue elsewhere to do shitty things that don’t impact the population at large.

There is a curious stigma around protest culture – primarily sourced from those who don’t want us protesting in the first place. Those who are quick to say protests don’t work don’t want them to work.

The man, so to speak, belittles protests so they don’t grow beyond means that he can control.

This article is, above all things, an encouragement to those of us who seek evil and try to snuff it out. It can be done, it will be done, and will be done until this evil is but a distant memory. The Sask. Party is not the greatest evil we have ever known, but it’s a start – and, of course, we all must start somewhere.

annie trussler op-ed editor

Miles to km: an American look at Regina I feel like it’s necessary that I preface this by saying I’m from the southern United States; that is, the southeastern United States. I got my first rifle when I was six.

Yes, you’re reading this correctly. I then got my first shotgun at nine. When I dislocated my shoulder by firing it at Mountain Dew cans on Christmas morning, my dad laughed at me for not holding it the right way, and proceeded to snap my shoulder right back into place so I could try again.

Anyway, Canada is kind of alien to me; like, the Sigourney Weaver kind of Alien.

Y’all are the xenomorphs in this scenario.

Except, you’re less likely to murder me in some really graphic way. And, luckily, you all seem to have normal tongues, so that’s good news.

Seriously, though, Kentucky is a far cry from Regina, Saskatchewan in more ways than you can probably imagine. I know exactly what you’re thinking: “Oh my god, KFC!” And, yes, I can confirm that Colonel Sanders was a real man who actually existed. In fact, his grave resides mere miles from my previous university in Louisville.

I’ve gotta be honest, the quality of Canadian McDonald’s breakfast is nothing compared to the utopia we’ve built in the states. Who the hell eats McMuffins? What kind of sad torture are you people putting yourselves through? Does your healthcare cover the therapy I’m sure you probably need to go through after consuming one?

Y’all may have a hot prime minister who isn’t currently engaged in a pissing contest with North Korea, but we have biscuits at McDonald’s 24/7, so go us.

I still haven’t gotten used to seeing French everywhere, either. Diversity generally is just a new phenomenon. A few weeks

ago, upon re-entering the border with my fiancee and her mother, I became infuriated because the semi-truck next to us was entering via another route. “Hey,” I yelled from the backseat, “why does that guy get to use the ‘fast express’?! They didn’t even spell it right!” After several seconds of dead silence, my to-be-mother-in-law says, “honey, ‘exprès’ means fast in French.”

There’s also something to be said for the whole “Canadians are always nice” thing. Like, southerners are nice, for sure.

You can’t go anywhere in Kentucky without being called “darlin’” at least five times.

This, however, is because everyone wants to know your business. In the south, we really do store our secrets in our hair. That’s why Dolly Parton uses so much hairspray.

See, Kentuckians hope that if we’re nice enough, we can befriend you until you tell us your secrets, and then we’ll always have ammo against you. But you guys are really, genuinely... nice ...with no ulterior motives.

Who does that? Is that because your free healthcare gets you the psychological care you need and you don’t feel a need to put others down? Or is it because you’ll all need each other when the winter comes?

Either way, it’s creepy. But, you know, a comforting, nice creepy. Please don’t stop being nice to me, Canadians. I have so desperately needed this affection since last November.

Jacey Bells

shelbi glover contributor

Cartoon

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Jael Bartnik gentleman contender

If you’re funny or can draw cool, funny or pathetic things, email our hilarious op-ed editor Annie Trussler at op-ed@carillonregina.com. She’s pretty funny and, she’ll publish your stuff.

September 7 - September 13, 2017

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