the carillon vol. 65, issue 2
july 28 - august 31, 2022
carillonregina.com
conservative kerfluffle p. 3 yqraffirmations p. 7 privatized addiction p. 10 ADH-who? p. 14
the carillon the staff
editor-in-chief editor@carillonregina.com
holly funk
business manager business@carillonregina.com
the paper
jacob nelson
production manager production@carillonregina.com
shae sackman
advertising manager ads@carillonregina.com
holden norrie
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
communications mehrnoush bahramimehr comms@carillonregina.com technical editor tech@carillonregina.com
safal gangwani vacant
copy editor copyeditor@carillonregina.com
aurel dumont
news editor news@carillonregina.com
gillian massie
a&c editor arts@carillonregina.com
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.
sarah nakonechny
sports editor sports@carillonregina.com
vacant
op-ed editor op-ed@carillonregina.com
hammad ali
distribution manager distribution@carillonregina.com
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.
chandra wassill
staff writer
amina salah
staff writer
victoria baht
staff writer
bodie robinson
a&c writer
Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are entirely 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.
thomas czinkota
multimedia/graphics editors multimedia@carillonregina.com graphics@carillonregina.com
news writer
The Carillon welcomes contributions.
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 sixty years.
vacant jorah bright
sports writer
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.
vacant
contributors rayanne gwilliam, dhruval shah, amanda stapleton, vineet sharma
vol. 65
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.
board of directors holly funk, jacob nelson and honourary members: shiva souri, cassandra byblow, jorah bright, hammad ali, and shae sackman
the people’s friend; the tyrant’s foe
The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 july 28 - august 31, 2022 | volume 65, issue 2 | carillonregina.com
news
We’re excited to include two new names on our masthead this issue! Holden Norrie is our new Advertising Manager, and will be available to chat with any businesses or organizations looking to purchase ad space in our printed paper or on our website. Mehrnoush Bahramimehr is the first in our newest position, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, and will be bringing our social media game to life while working to better connect us to the campus. With this comes a new feature in the Carillon: throughout this academic year we will be offering free advertising in our paper to campus student groups for meetings, events, and announcements. If you’re a part of one and would like to see your outreach efforts hit a wider audience, keep your eyes peeled for announcements with more details (and an email from Holden in a few weeks)! If you’re not a part of one but are looking to get more involved with student groups on campus, keep picking up these copies to stay up to date on on- and off-campus opportunities. Holly Funk Editor-in-Chief
Conservative kerfluffle
cover .................................................... safal gangwani news ................................ Ottawagraphics via Pixabay a&c .......................................................... victoria baht a&c ..................................................... yqraffirmations sports ........................................................... holly funk op-ed ........................................................ amina salah op-ed ........................................................... holly funk
p. 3
An update on the federal party’s leadership race including Patrick Brown’s ousting, voting details, and a brief profile on Pierre Poilievre.
Country thunder
p. 7
Victoria Baht reviews the return of this Sask country music festival and its Friday headline act, Lee Brice.
p. 10
Shocker everybody: ignoring the drug crisis isn’t working! Bodie Robinson covers increases in these preventable deaths in Saskatchewan, and the racism inherent to the government’s lack of response.
Youth summit
arts & culture
yqraffirmations
p. 7
If you’ve been eating up the Instagram page you’ll love this Q&A piece with its creator. Spoiler: they could be your classmate...
op-ed
op-ed
sports
Privatized addiction photos
arts & culture
p. 13
Amina Salah recounts her experiences and takeaways from the National Youth Leadership Summit in Saskatoon this past June.
ADH-who?
p. 14
A fresh contributor speaks on the underfunded mental health care system in Saskatchewan, using examples from their own life, a friend’s experience, and news events.
news
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editor: gillian massie news@carillonregina.com the carillon | july 28 - august 31, 2022
Conservative party leadership race overview Out with the old, in with the new; still just as troubled
holly funk editor-in-chief Through an 11-6 vote by the Leadership Election Organization Committee (LEOC) on July 5, Patrick Brown was disqualified from the Conservative Party’s current leadership race for what the party called “serious allegations of wrongdoings.” In a statement issued by Ian Brodie, LEOC Chair, it was revealed that Brown’s campaign was suspected of violating the Canada Elections Act area of financial provisions. Brodie concludes his statement by saying that the LEOC “will not be speaking further on the subject.” They will, however, be working with party members as well as Elections Canada, the group responsible to enforce the Canada Elections Act. John Reynolds, cochair of Brown’s campaign, has been quite vocal in condemning the decision made, saying they will be appealing first to the party, and then to the court if necessary. He is not alone in condemning the expulsion. The LEOC members who voted to allow Brown’s candidacy to continue claimed to have done so in a Globe and Mail article by Ian Bailey and Robert Fife because evidence of said wrongdoings had yet to be brought forward. The appeal from Brown’s campaign is not expected to conclude before this current leadership election passes, and Brown has opted to bid for re-election as mayor of Brampton, Ontario for the time being. He was first elected as mayor in 2018, and seems to be as polarizing a figure locally as Pierre Poilievre, the candidate widely assumed to be leading the Conservative leadership race, is nationally. While Brown has pleased those in his municipality with decisions like freezing property taxes for his four years in the position, five city
Sad. Tiburi via Pixabay
councillors made a statement outlining irregularities in the city’s finances, and expressing their displeasure with Brown’s pattern of only getting Brampton on the map for scandal after scandal. They see a pattern in their mayor’s conduct, describing him as a politician who will do anything to win. While Brown has denied any knowledge of financial provision violations, Debbie Jodoin – a regional organizer for Brown’s campaign from May to June – said that Brown personally connected her
election were printed, addressed, and mailed before this LEOC vote – that Brown’s name will not be struck from them. Instead, members of the party registered to vote will fill out their ballots as usual, and party officials counting votes will disregard any who select Brown, moving up their subsequent choice. The ballots must be received by the party no later than September 6, with the winner scheduled to be announced on September 10. The five remaining eligible candidates include Scott Aitchi-
more than doubled. When Erin O’Toole was elected as Conservative party leader in the previous leadership race of 2020, registered membership for the party was recorded to be roughly 270,000. Just before Brown’s disqualification, the Conservative party announced the current number of eligible voters registered: roughly 675,000. While this seems a drastic increase in interest to observe over just two years, this number may turn out to be a drastic overestimation, and the campaigns of
“
Any attack on the Conservatives sort of raised his hackles and got him sailing in with his fists balled up. The choice to be a partisan attack dog was probably just that.” – Shannon Proudfoot
to a third party who would cover her expenses. Jodoin became concerned with the arrangement and sought legal counsel, who she then brought to her conversation with the party and their LEOC. Brown’s campaign has since offered a reimbursement of $10,000 to the company Jodoin had received payment from, claiming the connection was intended as a job referral with the assumption campaign work would be done outside company time. This occurred after Brown and campaign took to social media the week of the disqualification, claiming that the sudden ousting was a strategic move by the LEOC to give Poilievre – his main rival in the leadership race – a guaranteed win as party leader. The ballots are mailed, the show must go on. Several sources have outlined that the ballots for this leadership
son, Leslyn Lewis, Roman Baber, Pierre Poilievre, and Jean Charest. In an interview with CTV News, political analyst Lori Turnbull mentioned that many who intended to vote for Brown may simply refrain from voting altogether, despite similarities between Brown and eligible candidates Aitchison and Charest. Brown’s campaign wrote an email to Global News on July 12 outlining Brown’s endorsement of Charest specifically, but more generally that he would support any candidate other than Poilievre. “The note added that Brown also has high regard for candidates Leslyn Lewis and Scott Aitcheson,” said Heidi Lee in her coverage of the endorsement, “but ‘Charest has the best chance to stop Pierre Poilievre extremism.’” Conservative party memberships (may have)
multiple candidates have raised concerns. Mike Coates, the chairman of Charest’s campaign, wrote a letter to the party’s LEOC criticizing processing delays for party members registering to vote. Complaints were made to members of both Charest’s and Lewis’s campaigns by members uncertain of their voting eligibility who had purchased a duplicate membership in an attempt to ensure their standing. In an article for The Canadian Press, Stephanie Taylor cited Lewis’s claim that “tens of thousands” of duplicates may have occurred through this last count, and processing delays are only one facet of the problem. Both Lewis and Reynolds have voiced concerns over an email sent by Poilievre’s campaign team which warned individuals that their membership status was incomplete just prior
to June 3, the deadline for party supporters to sign up as voting members. This email also led to duplicate membership purchases according to Lewis and Reynolds, leading the latter to request in late June that the emails be investigated by the LEOC. It has not yet been confirmed whether the emails were sent solely to unregistered individuals; Poilievre’s team claimed they only sent the warning emails to those not registered in the records they had available. Official numbers have yet to be released by the party, and there has been no elaboration on the possible investigation into these emails. Each membership costs the member $15 for a year, meaning the Conservative party is at the receiving end of a comfortable $10 million this year whether or not every payment comes with an eligible voter attached. For those who, for one reason or another, purchased more than one membership, their payment will be carried over into the following year; in other words, someone who registered twice will be an eligible voting member until 2024. The party’s current priority is validating the purchased memberships, especially the near-312,000 memberships that Poilievre’s campaign claims to have sold through their website alone. Though official membership numbers per candidate have yet to be announced, three separate sources on background from leadership campaigns shared with Global News that a majority of Poilievre’s sign-ups are new to the federal Conservative party, drawn in for the first time by this man and his message.
july 28 - august 31, 2022
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Conservative party leadership race overview continued from page 3
Pierre Poilievre’s core constituency.
Ottawagraphics via Pixabay
holly funk editor-in-chief The politician, the partisan, the pipsqueak: Poilievre. With Brown out of the running, Poilievre appears to be the candidate to watch in this leadership race. His political upbringing began with selling Reform party memberships for Alberta’s Jason Kenny in 1995. He first became an MP at age 25 in Ottawa’s Carleton riding in 2004, was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Board President, then as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Stephen Harper at the time) before being appointed Minister of Employment and Social Development. He has consistently held a seat in the House of Commons since 2015 and has been the Shadow Minister for Jobs and Industry since February 10, 2021. Ottawa Bureau Chief for Maclean’s, Shannon Proudfoot, compiled and wrote a profile on Poilievre, published parts of their interview transcript, and appeared on The Big Story podcast to discuss who exactly he is behind the “partisan attack dog” we see in the House of Commons. In his university years, Poilievre penned a 2,500 word essay titled Building Canada through Freedom for an “As Prime Minister” essay contest; Proudfoot states the “argument is nearly identical to the pitch Poilievre would make more than 20 years later when he announced he was running for real-life prime minister.” An excerpt from Poilevre’s essay reads “Politics should not be a lifelong career, and elected officials should not be allowed to fix
themselves in the halls of power of a nation.” The statement appears ironic, or perhaps hypocritical, seeing as he’s spent nearly two decades in politics, and is vying for even more time. He’s moved up in the party’s ranks quite quickly, which Proudfoot outlined during the podcast. ”He kind of vaulted himself out of being a backbencher almost immediately because of his willingness to be a partisan attack dog. I mean, you think when someone in their mid-20s gets elected, normally they’re going to be riding the back benches for like 10 years. There’s no reason anyone would know their names, that they would have any sort of profile, and he very much did not do that. [...] Any attack on the Conservatives sort of raised his hackles and got him sailing in with his fists balled up. The choice to be a partisan attack dog was probably just that.” Poilievre did not take kindly to labels given, however, and attempted to reframe rather than take accountability for his reputation at present. Proudfoot said he focused on his ”10-minute monologues, sort of graduate-level seminars on, like, the history of money, and so his contention is that that’s what people really love him for. Now, I find that really interesting; there’s two ways to take that. One is he’s BSing me, and he knows darn well that he’s an attack dog, and sure he’s capable of these other things – he’s really smart, and he’s capable of these long riffs on really complicated ideas. So, one possibility is that he knows that that is not really how he’s made a name for himself politically, and he’s sort of trying to argue with a reporter who’s ad-
vancing a thesis that’s not very flattering.” “The other possibility I actually find more interesting on a human level,” continued Proudfoot, “which is that maybe he doesn’t really think he’s that guy. Maybe he’s really kind of puzzled and annoyed on some level that the rest of us keep seeing him as this angry pipsqueak when he sees himself as kind of being more professorial, as having more to offer [...] Again, there is a heavy possibility that there is some political gamesmanship going on in that back and forth, but he just sort of wouldn’t entertain the idea that he is this kind of partisan ankle biter.” While in her profile, her transcription, and her statements during the podcast Proudfoot showed no hesitation in describing Poilievre as very smart and incredibly strategic, overall she expressed disappointment in the version of himself he’s chosen to portray to the public – those he’s hoping vote him in. She ends her profile by stating that ”the Poilievre who is available to us is the one who snarls ceaselessly about Justinflation, lobs bombs just to bask in the glow of the blast and throws in his lot with protesters terrorizing ordinary citizens because – well, frankly, it’s hard to fathom why. Poilievre is very, very bright, a clever strategic thinker, and at some point he decided to bury one of those versions of himself and make the other his ride-or-die, because that seemed like a more certain path to political success. Maybe he was right. And that is all of our loss.” The far-right: flirtation or family reunion?
When asked on his vision for Canada as a nation, on what Pierre Poilievre as Prime Minister would do, he describes his ideal as making Canada into “the freest country on Earth.” This follows his passionate and continuous support of the Freedom Convoy, a group of far-right protestors in Canada who occupied Parliament Hill in Ottawa earlier this year and have returned many times since. During one such march on June 30, Poilievre not only joined the march but led it, alongside anti-vaccine protestor James Topp and Paul Alexander, a former health official from Trump’s administration – both of whom have well documented ties to farright individuals and ideation. In early February this year when the convoy was still settling in Poilievre was not shy in defending their actions, saying of the group: “You’re bound to have a number who have, or say, unacceptable things, and they should be individually responsible for the things they say and do, but that doesn’t mean we disparage the thousands of hard working, law-abiding, and peaceful truckers.” Footage of Poilievre in an interview for CBC has surfaced from February 13, 2020, where he voices significantly different thoughts on the Wet’suwet’en blockades. He quite passionately starts the clip by stating: “Right now these blockaders are taking away the freedom of other people to move their goods and themselves where they want to go, and that is wrong, and the government has laws and tools in place to combat it.” He later continues: “Here at home all hell is breaking loose. Our economy is about
to be turned on its head, our entire transportation system is being blockaded, we have CEOs of some of the largest employers in the country who are stepping forward to say that this is a crisis, and what we hear from the government is that they’re observing the situation.” While these situations are not identical, they do reveal even more intriguing irony, or perhaps hypocrisy (or, racism and egocentrism). When Indigenous peoples are being forcibly removed from their land by RCMP, being stolen from, uprooted, and disregarded, he sees their protest as an inconvenience at best. When people get upset they can’t go to a restaurant because they are more likely to be carrying a virus that could kill or permanently disable the other people there, that’s what he sees as worth marching for. In an article for the Toronto Sun, Bob Hepburn characterized Poilievre as someone who “either somehow truly believes in the crazy ideas and causes that he spouts, or he’s a dishonest non-believer who just shamelessly promotes such nonsense in order to gain support from angry, disaffected Canadians in his bid to become party leader. What’s more disturbing is that I don’t know which of these two appalling options is more dangerous – for what they say about Poilievre as a potential Prime Minister, or what they suggest about where Canada is headed as a nation. Clearly, right-wing extremism and populism is gaining acceptance in Canada – and Poilievre is enthusiastically milking this gathering storm.”
If they’re your party, stay updated so you know if they should continue to be. If not, know thine enemy. Aitoff via Pixabay
july 28 - august 31, 2022
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
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Inflation costs cut students’ disposable income drastically
And yet, tuition continues to rise
victoria baht staff writer
Have you noticed an increase in your grocery bill? Did you suddenly start to feel lightheaded now that cheap gas is considered $1.70? Have you noticed eating out costs more than it used to? Let me tell you why all these prices are going up. It’s a wonderful thing called inflation. Now what is inflation, you might ask? It is when the prices of things go up at a gradual or fast pace, which results in the growth of prices affecting a great majority of people. It can affect our families, community, provinces, and country in a variety of different ways. Inflation tends to affect us, and those around us, in a variety of different categories. It has affected people in a way in which they may choose to make more affordable decisions in their ways of living. Those around us seemed to be the most concerned about the prices of food, gas, and housing. According to Statistics Canada, inflation has hit its highest percentage in 39 years. Inflation skyrocketed last month in June at 8.1
per cent, which makes it the highest percentage since 1983. Why are we back to such crazy prices and why is this happening now? Seems to be a common question that is coming across people’s minds. Well, it appears that there are a variety of different reasons why the prices of things are going up. It can be because of a supply shock, which can occur naturally, just not as expecting such high demand in certain products, or it can depend on the distribution of certain products in areas. A prime example of supply shock could be when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit. Something went missing for a period of time that hardly ever goes out of stock. The thing that was disappearing off shelves and was delivered by the truckload to Costco. The answer is: toilet paper. When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, a great majority of people were buying toilet paper to stock up in case they had to had to isolate. This resulted in families not being able to find supply. Stores had to control the amount of toilet paper they gave to people, and prices were jacked
up now that it was a hot commodity. This was the result of supply shock. Now in 2022, the pandemic has slowed down, but there is still a supply shock on a variety of different products in stores which then results in a push towards a cost-push. This is when the prices of food, gas, and housing goes up because of the amount of supply that is around. The major categories affected by supply tend to be food and gas. To put into perspective how much prices have gone up for food products, you can look around in your local grocery store and see how much more food costs. It appears that food now costs much more than what it did about a year ago. In Saskatchewan, the Consumer Price Index states people’s grocery bills have gone up by 9.7 per cent since May 2021, which is certainly driving a wedge in healthy eating habits. Making food at home tends to be a way to have healthier options, meet certain dietary restrictions, and create bonding experiences with those around you. Not to mention enjoying the process of making and eating it.
Well, now that is not always the case with such an increase in the price of food. Not only does it cost almost 10 per cent more to buy groceries to cook at home, but restaurants also have to compete with high inflation costs. Many restaurants struggled with prolonged closures, shipping delays, and empty tables due to the pandemic. For them to balance the budget at the end of the day, it will mean raising the costs of their food too so they can make ends meet. But for many customers, they may have to find cheaper, alternative options to spend on a nice meal because the price is now beyond their budget. Now that we have discussed how much the percentage of food has gone up, let us take a look at the price of gas. The price of gas has grown a significant amount which is deterring people from travelling to their ideal summer vacation destination, among other hardships. Summertime travel is a fair bit different than winter, the majority of us may be using boats, taking vehicles on more trips to meet with others, and getting out more compared to colder
months. Not only are you using more gas, but the price of gas is going up which makes it harder for us as well. The price of gas went as high as $2.07 per litre earlier this month. With these prices, many are certainly seeking alternatives to getting around. Bus passes, cycling, walking, and e-bikes have been particularly popular means of getting around. Overall, the prices of things are skyrocketing because of inflation. It can be because of supply and demand, or how supplies are distributed, or because the causes are out of our control. Will the inflation keep growing or will it go down? It appears that it is hard to say at this exact moment. The prices of food, gas, and housing are constantly fluctuating and the advice that appears to be best is look out for sales, talk with family and friends where they see good prices, and just keep an eye on the news, radio, and more so that you are aware of what is going on around you.
What they really mean when they say “You have such a bright future!” Geralt via Pixabay
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editor: sarah nakonechny arts@carillonregina.com the carillon | june 30 - july 27, 2022
Premier brunch at Lady of the Lake Highlights and blunders from this Brandon, Manitoba restaurant
jorah bright a&c writer People love brunch. There’s just something about going out with your friends on a Sunday at 11 a.m. to enjoy some good breakfast or lunch, and maybe a cocktail that everyone enjoys. In Brandon, Manitoba, the premier place for brunch is Lady of the Lake. Lady of the Lake is a quintessential brunch spot to the point that it’s not even open for supper most days. All the food available is either breakfast or lunch foods, and everything is fresh, homemade, farm-to-table food. I’ve had the chance to go to Lady of the Lake a few times while in Brandon, and I have some thoughts. To start, it’s loud. It’s always busy in Lady of the Lake. If you don’t time your visit exactly right, chances are there will be a long wait time. This is a testament to the quality of the food and the high opinions of the people who are there, but the noise level makes me feel overwhelmed. I could barely hear the people I was sitting with talk because it was so loud in the restaurant. It’s not exactly a cozy, intimate brunch with your friends
when you can’t hear your friends talk. The food is good, but it’s fancy. Nothing is plain and simple. It’s loaded with a variety of vegetables and sauces – and, if you’re getting a dish with bread, it’s not just bread. It’s sourdough, rye, or an organic whole-wheat bun. It’s very fancy bread. Regarding the food I had when I was there, it didn’t stand out that much to me. But my mom and grandma, who I was with, loved it and kept talking about how good it was. I had ordered the eggs benedict; it wasn’t cooked right. The yolk wasn’t even a little bit runny. It was still good, just not what it was supposed to be. But I’ve never had a better biscuit in my entire life. Lady of the Lake has absolutely incredible biscuits. To be blunt, I hate the flooring. It just doesn’t work. The walls and ceiling in the main area are a bright red with a wooden floor, which is fine. In the next area, divided only by this little divider on the floor, the tile is yellow and white checkered. The change feels very abrupt and uncalled for. The red chairs that worked perfectly fine on the wood flooring don’t fit at all with the checkered floor. It
feels out of place and like it doesn’t belong. Keep your flooring consistent or make a bigger change in flow to make it work together. Inside the same building, but not in the restaurant, is The Shop. The Shop is open earlier and later than the restaurant and specializes in vintage furniture. I’ve never been into The Shop, so I can’t comment too much on it, but from the pictures it feels very modern
farmhouse. And they have wooden flooring, making the change from wood to tile back to wood even weirder. One of their stand-out attractions at Lady of the Lake is the tea truck. Outside the restaurant is an old truck decorated entirely with old teacups, tea saucers, and other tea-related memorabilia. You can look at it and find tea supplies from all kinds of different places, all lo-
cated on one truck. To conclude, yes, Lady of the Lake has good, fresh food, but it’s fancy. If fancy brunch isn’t your style, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you want to go to brunch with older members of your family, I think they would enjoy it and you could get some good food in the process. But, if you get overwhelmed by noisy restaurants, try not to go during the lunch rush.
Jorah Bright
If you think empty cans on the back of a “Just got hitched!” car are noisy, imagine trying to drive a block in this truck.
Summer programming with the Saskatchewan Band Association Information from their program coordinator on their summer events sarah nakonechny a&c editor
I had the opportunity to sit down with program coordinator Robin Tinani from the Saskatchewan Band Association (SBA) to find out what this local non-profit organization is working on for the summer months. The SBA was established in 1983 and are dedicated to the development and promotion of band music throughout the province of Saskatchewan. They are open to any individual, group, or organization who is interested in furthering the development of bands in the province. The Association represents a variety of groups including community and school bands, the Saskatchewan Pipe Band Association, directors
and educators, parent associations, students, and educational institutions. Tinani expressed a deep love for music in Saskatchewan. Raised in Regina, she left to pursue an undergraduate degree in Brandon, Manitoba before returning to Regina to complete a Master’s in Music Performance at the University of Regina. She first got involved with the SBA through their camps and other programs prior to becoming an employee with the association. Beginning in fall 2019 she was a part of the initial five-year plan to provide digital content to all of Saskatchewan. She expressed that “this plans timeline was quickly sped up with the arrival of the pandemic, turning it from a five-year plan into a five-month
A Saskatchewan group whose colours aren’t green and white? Impossible. Saskatchewan Band Association
plan.” During summer 2022, the SBA is focused on the return of live music to Saskatchewan residents and the enjoyment that can be felt from the experience. They have organized an event series called Band in the Park, which has taken place in Yorkton, Saskatoon, and Regina in June and July, with future events set in August. All are welcome to attend and enjoy the music for free, and musicians of all ages and skill levels are welcome to bring their instruments and play as well. It is requested that you RSVP on their website if you intend to come play and that you bring copies of the sheet music which they have available for printing. Tinani assured me that “all of the information and
RSVP information can be found on the SBA’s website.” You can enjoy this communal expression and enjoyment of music August 2 in Moose Jaw at Crescent Park Amphitheatre, August 16 in Regina at Rochdale Park, August 23 in Saskatoon at Rotary Park, and August 23 in Yorkton at the Historic Flour Mill. All events start at 6:30 PM. For those with younger students in elementary and high school, they also offer a variety of camps that they have been fortunate enough to run. July 3 to July 8, they held their Jazz Camp at the University of Regina. Following, they have three orchestral band camps that are taking place in Yorkton, Regina, and Saskatoon. “We have been fortunate enough to work with band directors across the province to run and organize these camps,” says Tinani. When asking Tinani why she believes it’s important for people to play and experience live music, she spoke of a few points indicating the importance it plays for everyone. “The Arts is what sustains us. It’s what saved us during lockdown, the hours of music that was consumed was very noticeable. However, nothing beats sitting down and feeling the music.” Being in the same room as the performers has a different impact on the consumer than sitting in a room listening to the same song through headphones. “Without elementary band there would be no Toronto symphony,” she ex-
pressed as she explained that it is becoming harder to offer band because of the pandemic, with enrolment numbers falling due to the online delivery. For those who are wanting to play music but are not sure where to start, she has pointed to a few options that the SBA provides and promotes. “Those who are wanting to continue playing have access to bands in their community, there is a community band in most Saskatchewan communities.” These groups and their performances are promoted on the SBA website, allowing locals to get into contact with them easier. “If you are wanting to learn an instrument for the first time, or a new instrument, the SBA offered options for how to learn any band instrument.” The association offers private and group lessons where you can have your lessons with another student of a similar skill level. “For those wanting to try lessons there is information on our website or they can email us at lessons@saskband.org.” To see what the SBA is up to in the Fall, more information will be made available on their website. If you are wanting more information about the association, you can reach out to them through email at info@saskband. org. This local non-profit is working hard to spread the joy of music in Saskatchewan and are very appreciative of any support and encouragement that the community expresses.
july 28 - august 31, 2022
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
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Lee Brice at Country Thunder 2022 Here is one writer’s experience of the Friday night headlining act victoria baht staff writer
During the third weekend of July, a big, well-known event in Saskatchewan returned. Yes, that’s right, you guessed it, Saskatchewan’s Country Thunder has come back! Here you will find some history about Country Thunder and a review on the Friday night headliner, Lee Brice. Country Thunder was previously known as Craven Jamboree which is an annual country music festival that began in 1983. This festival takes place just outside Regina, approximately 38 kilometres northwest of the city. Country Thunder always is a great way to spend time celebrating in the prairies! What draws attendance to this event is the music. Normally Country Thunder has a line-up of musicians every day of the event, which takes place from Friday to Sunday. They have big headliners to end each of the nights, consisting of big-name artists that many people will recognize. This year’s line-up had some big names help draw more people to make up for the two years missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The headliners for this year were Brice, Morgan Wallen, and Blake Shelton. For the remainder of this piece, I’m going to do a review of the concert performed by Brice. So, it’s Friday, and some musicians already played throughout the day. Andrew Hyatt, Kameron Marlowe, Tanya Tucker, and Lindsey Ell took the stage before
ending the night with Brice. By the time he took the stage it was already late due to some wind and technical difficulties – it can’t be considered Country Thunder without some stormy weather! The show started around midnight and the music and experience was certainly a great one. Brice, the accompanying musicians, and the tech teams ensured that the crowd had a great experience. A few of the things that they did to make sure the crowd was well engaged was having popular songs on their set list that most people were familiar with, having moments of upbeat songs and sad moments, giving each of the team a chance to shine and show their personal talent, and lastly assuring that the energy was high and lasted the entire show length. When Brice took the stage the mood and the excitement of the entire crowd completely changed. You could just feel the emotions circulating in the crowd and the feeling that yes, this is what Country Thunder is all about, this is the first big moment of the event. Now, if you know Brice’s music, he has a few sentimental, slower songs and upbeat, fun songs. A few songs that were remarkable parts of the show involved the song “Soul.” As Brice was singing this song, he took moments to walk around the stage, pointing at people in the crowd as though he was saying “I like my crowd’s soul for liking me and my music.” This helps to show the crowd that they are appreciated
Paid for the music, stayed because you got stuck in the crowd. Victoria Baht
by the artist for being around and showing their support. Another great one was “Love Like Crazy.” If you listen to this song just on the radio, it has a slower rhythm and really emphasizes the lyrics and the guitar’s melody. But when Brice played this song live, he could tell that the crowd was ready to sing the song with him. So instead of being sentimental about the song, playing it in the way he initially intended it to be performed, he sang it with the crowd, matching the mood as a very vibrant happy sharing of love! Now, as you’re singing away, dancing, assuring that the crowd has a good time, you will need some water and a good break. Although, that did not stop the
show at Country Thunder. When Brice needed a break, the guitarists and the drummer had their own jam sessions and song that they played on their own while Brice took a moment to collect himself. Not only did it help show different parts of the country music experience, but it helped get the attention of the crowd and show that each and every individual up there on that stage plays a key importance to helping run the concert. It takes more than just one member to ensure that music is played strongly, correctly, and with life. This is what needs to be noticed and praised for every group of musicians that accompany a singer! Not only were the musicians accompanied by great musicians
and listened to intently by the crowd, at the end of the night when Brice was done his show, he left the stage following his goodbyes. But that was not enough for the Country Thunder crowd. Nope! They asked for an encore, and he did not just play one more song, he played a few more which helped show the power of the band, crowd, and the place where the concert was happening. Overall, Brice was an amazing headliner for the first night, and the concert was definitely one for the books. If you are a country fan and want to see a variety of different artist in a short period of time and for a decent price, Country Thunder is the place to get it!
Interview with Instagram account YQR Affirmations
Inside scoop on the inspiration and motivations behind the Instagram account YQRAffirmations the city. I wanted it to show that Regina is kind of cool, heavy emphasis on kind of. I want it to be fun and exciting instead of trashy.
Someone tell me why I’m getting Sally from Peanuts vibes.
YQR Affirmations
The transcript that follows is our exclusive interview with the creator of the Instagram page @yqraffirmations – they’d like to remain anonymous, but confirmed they are a student at the University of Regina.
and she told me to go for it. I made it two months ago thinking nothing of it. I expected it to be forgotten, I wasn’t even sure I’d get any followers. But then more people found out about it and people just enjoyed it a lot.
What inspired you to create the Instagram page? It was this other account. There was the same idea for Edmonton. It was my best friend’s idea. Nobody made an account like that. A year later, I realized we still don’t have one here. I texted my friend asking, “What if I just make the account?”
What exactly is YQR Affirmations? What does it mean to you? For me, it’s fun to do in my free time. It is almost a hobby. When I’m bored, I just create a couple of memes for it. I feel like Regina has a bad rep, so I wanted it to be something that showcased the fun things about
What is the purp ose behind YQR Affirmations? Is there anything you hope or wish to accomplish with it? I would love to do collaborations. I have done a few interviews with different people that were really interesting. I’m still trying to figure it out because I don’t know much about social media. But in the future, I would love to do collaborations with more people and more businesses. What is your favourite thing about living in YQR? I feel like we have a lot of good restaurants, our restaurant scene is really good. What is your least favourite thing about living in YQR? I hate the cold and I feel like we don’t have enough things to do, I wish we had more things to see. I also hate the lack of good public transportation. I’ve been to bigger cities, and I know we don’t have the same population; there is also so much stigma surrounding public transportation. I wish Regina was a walkable city
but it’s such an issue in the city. I went to Vancouver last year and I was out really late, but it was still quite safe. If you’re not going to fix the public transportation system, at least fix the roads. What goes into creating content for the page? Do you take your own pictures? How do you edit the pictures? Mainly I find all my images on Google, I do occasionally have people send in things […] In terms of editing, I use PicsArt. I don’t spend a ridiculous amount on the pictures. I spend more time for the captions and what I hope to say for the pictures. Do you miss Zellers? Target? Why do you think stores constantly leave that one area in Northgate? I think it’s just the location. There’s nothing really around there. There isn’t much of a market for a big store there. I don’t think it’s the right area. I don’t know if Lowes closed because of the pandemic but that area was not a good place for the store. It was the wrong year to open Target. It didn’t have enough hype. If they re-opened it know it would be so big. What are some YQR or U
of R related conspiracy theories that you personally believe or have heard of ? I don’t think the Riddell area is far-fetched. I feel like it’s probably true. I also think that the entire area in Ad-Hum with the bed bugs is absolutely filthy. I don’t know why they won’t rip the carpet out or clean the entire area. I think the government house is haunted. The area has weird creepy vibes. There is a mirror there and I think the mirror is haunted. I have no proof or evidence, but I think the Hotel Saskatchewan is haunted. It has creepy vibes in there (Author’s note: mine is that there are cockroach shavings in anything you get at the Tim Hortons in Riddell. I remember at one point they had to shut it down because there was an infestation. That Tim Hortons activates my fight or flight mode anytime I’m in the vicinity). Is there anything else you would like readers of the Carillon to know? I’m open to more interviews and more people reaching out. Just message me on Instagram!
amina salah staff writer
july 28 - august 31, 2022
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
arts & culture
8
Paradise Square lawsuit breakdown
The fall of producer Garth Drabinsky’s Paradise Square, and the lawsuits that followed closing night jorah bright a&c writer At this year’s Tony Awards, one of the stand-out performances was Joaquina Kalukango from Paradise Square singing “Let It Burn.” It was an emotional and incredible performance. Kalukango won Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Nelly O’Brien in Paradise Square. The show closed on July 17, 2022, just six days after the closing date was announced.
$350,000 by Actors’ Equity and United Scenic Artists. Actors’ Equity is claiming that Paradise Square has not paid them $190,000. The missing money would have gone towards health, pension, and taxes. It is a rare occasion that Actors’ Equity takes legal action against a production. According to the union, “Equity is pursuing every avenue available to ensure the actors and stage managers of Paradise Square receive everything their contract guarantees them.” Originally,
amount of $174,091.32.” The total number was expected to grow since, at the time of filing, the production was still in operation. In addition to the owed funds, the filing stated that the production was also expected to pay interest on the unpaid funds, 20 per cent in liquidated damages, and all the union’s attorney fees. It has been reported that this suit ended in a settlement agreement for $412,000, but since Paradise Square did not finish paying the settlement agreement, the Union
bargaining agreement when they did not pay the designers for their work on the production. The hearing led to Paradise Square being required to pay United Scenic Artists $156,000, and that they would have to pay interest on those payments. If Paradise Square did not pay the entirety of the payment by December of 2022, the production rights would belong to the designers who were not paid. As of the July filing, no payments had been made. Paradise Square owed the designers
ings when asked. The Executive Producer Zackary Florence and Drabinsky both did not answer important emails sent by the sales worker. This concluded in the sales worker no longer receiving compensation for his work. After the sales worker sent invoices and email inquiries about the unpaid work, he was locked out of his Paradise Square work email and was never informed of a termination. The court files claim four causes of action against Paradise Square including breach of con-
is taking them to court again for $189,000. In court filings from the United Scenic Artists case, a grievance was filed in April of 2022 because Paradise Square
a total of $143,215.85. Back in February of 2022, Drabinksy’s general manager stated that every salary was paid during the nine years Paradise Square was in development.
tract and breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing. This case is still pending, but the production filed to dismiss the case on June 24, 2022. Back in April of 2021, the Workers’ Compensation Board of New York sued Paradise Square for $16,000. According to court files for this case “no payment of award has been made except $0.00, leaving $16,000.00 due and payable.” The case was settled in June of 2021, but the filing is another example of financial precedent for Paradise Square. While Paradise Square may have had some incredible leads and incredible performances, not everything was happy in paradise and the lawsuits coming out of it are clear. Drabinsky, a man who was already arrested for fraud regarding the theatre, is following his first big Broadway show since being allowed back into the United States in 2019 with more financial problems. The show may have gotten low box office sales, but it certainly has high unpaid wages for the workers.
How fast until somebody is removed from this courtroom? Daniel_B_photos via Pixabay
Paradise Square is a musical that takes place in 1863 in New York during both the American Civil War and the New York Draft Riots. It centers around Paradise Square, a saloon in Lower Manhattan frequented by the show’s characters. The show got mixed reviews, but received 10 Tony Award nominations. Since its closing was announced, a lot has happened – starting with the producer being added to a “Do Not Work” list by the Actor’s Equity, the labour union for actors and stage managers working in theatre. Producer Garth Drabinsky was placed there by request from the cast and crew of Paradise Square. They stated in a letter that Drabinsky was abusive and neglectful. Not only was Drabinsky abusive and neglectful, but he also was not allowed to oversee the finances for the show because of a fraud conviction in 2009 for incorrectly stating finances for a theatre company. Along with the closing, and the addition of Drabinsky to the “Do Not Work” list, Paradise Square is getting sued for almost
there was a settlement agreement between Paradise Square and Actors’ Equity where the production agreed to give the union $413,000 in May of 2022. According to court doc-
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Along with the closing, and the addition of Drabinsky to the “Do Not Work” list, Paradise Square is getting sued for almost $350,000 by Actors’ Equity and Unite Scenic Artists.” – Jorah Bright
uments filed in May of 2022, Paradise Square owed Actors’ Equity a certain percentage of funds based on the Rules Government Employment Under the Equity/League Production contract. The documents claim that Paradise Square owed the union “$33,512.28 of pension contributions; $57,900.00 of health contributions; $45,711.92 of 401(k) employee salary deferrals; and $36,967.12 of 401(k) employer contributions, for a total principal
failed to pay designers for “outstanding fees, minimum wage guarantees, pension and welfare contributions, annuity payments, out-of-pocket reimbursements, union dues, and 401(k) salary deferrals.” A hearing was arranged for June 1, 2022, over Zoom, but Paradise Square did not respond to any communication about the hearing. During this hearing, the arbitrator assigned to settle the dispute stated that Paradise Square violated their collective
Outside of the Union and United Scenic Artists lawsuits, Paradise Square was sued twice previously. In May, a group sales worker that had previously worked for the production sued for $9,000 of unpaid wages. The sales worker signed a contract to be the show’s Director of Group Sales, and they would report to Drabinsky. According to the court case files, the sales worker was excluded from necessary meetings and denied access to those meet-
july 28 - august 31, 2022
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
arts & culture
9
Interview with Tim Ubels from The Sylvia Platters
A look at the inspiration behind Youth Without Virtue; the motivation behind The Sylvia Platters rayanne gwilliam contributor I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a member from an indie band called The Sylvia Platters. Some back story for those who aren’t familiar with The Sylvia Platters: they’re a Canadian-based band who records and produces their music in British Columbia. They’ve produced various music over the years, most recently releasing a five-song cassette called Youth Without Virtue - which is available on various streaming services like Apple Music and YouTube Music, to name a couple. When discussing this release, I had asked Tim Ubels, the bands drummer, for more information on the inspiration and meaning of these songs and he said “Youth Without Virtue is a summery dream pop album that deals with the anxiety of growing up in an environment where conservative structures and leadership can constrict your own self-discovery.” A very relevant topic amongst young adults, one could argue, as adulthood could be described as figuring out who you are. This sparked further curiosity regarding what they hoped people would get out of the music, to which Tim responded, “We wanted to release something that went beyond just a digital version, streaming version. We wanted something people could take home with them — it’s a little bit of nostalgia. Working with Renee Campbell on the artwork, we figured that a physical release would showcase that more. We could include liner notes, for example, which can get lost in a digital release.” The thoughtfulness behind the band’s decisions became very
apparent as the interview continued. This made the band’s collaborative skills and attentiveness to detail imminent, which made me intrigued about the band’s plans aside from touring. According to Tim the band is “looking to do video, either a music video or live recording using one of the songs off Youth Without Virtue to have ready for the fall, potentially. The next thing we’re looking forward
religious upbringing, all 4 members of the band, but we feel these themes of the songs can relate to all kinds of people, even outside religious circles. At least, that was the idea.” As a band that has a good dynamic amongst all involved with seemingly strong lyrical ability, time management, and work ethic, I wondered if there were any advice that could be given
a new city you make new connections with people you wouldn’t have normally met. Sometimes that can lead to more connections, future shows, and long-term friendships. COVID really took its toll on local and small venues, so having those connections has really helped when planning tours.” It’s very heartwarming to know there is support both from and for these small local venues
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Youth Without Virtue is a summery dream pop album that deals with the anxiety of growing up in an environment where conservative structures and leadership can constrict your own self-discovery.” – Tim Ubels
to is our next batch of songs, a follow-up to Youth Without Virtue. We’ve already started writing a few tracks!” Considering all the work involved, one comes to wonder how the band works together. Tim praises his bandmates regarding this, saying “the group has a good balance of working together. As much as Nick is the lead singer and the de facto leader, it’s democratic and everyone contributes to the songs. This band is not a career path for any of us, we all have our lives outside of the band and we all realize that the commitment level is not the same for other bands trying to get signed or go on cross country tours. It’s not the end-all-be-all, which is a good attitude to have. We throw ourselves into the music but try to keep our egos out of it. Also, everyone’s nice.” Given that the band has developed as a serious hobby among its member instead of a full-time
Drummer provides the interview, guitar still gets all the glory. Holly Funk
career path, I wanted more information about the motivation to pursue being a musician, without the typical ideas of fame, fortune, and world tours. Tim gave his perspective, saying “my dad and brother and I were all members of the worship team at our small Baptist church. I started playing drums because Nick, my brother, was a guitar player. It’s like when your older brother joins hockey
and he needs someone to practice with at home, you end up being goalie.” It’s often very true that members of families combine interests over time, simply from their exposure. After covering the music portion for Tim and consequently his brother, I questioned what the song writing process would be. Regarding the most current release, I was told that “the majority of these songs were written in lockdown, 2020 or early 2021. The band worked on the songs remotely. The title track ‘Youth Without Virtue’ was one of the first songs that was written and set the tone for the lyrical themes for the rest of the record. In particular, the line ‘every benediction is a chord without conviction,’ which is a line written by Nick Ubels, my brother. The rest of the songs kind of followed the theme of childhood upbringings in a very strictly controlled and more conservative atmosphere. We had a
to aspiring musicians and fans. The advice I got from Tim was: “Don’t let anything hold you back, as much as you can. Try and put yourself out there. People will try to get you to hold back or doubt yourself, but the music scene is always looking for new voices, new writers. You don’t have to release everything you write, but that shouldn’t stop you from writing and finishing songs. Find like-minded people and that’s how you start a scene, not just with music but with other arts too.” One of my final questions was what Tim was most excited for regarding the music release, and the tour, since COVID-19, had obviously put a damper on these kinds of things. He said, “I’m mostly looking forward to meeting people from other music scenes. Oftentimes when you play the same towns or cities it’s a similar crowd who comes out, who you love, but when you go to
utilized by their band. Lastly, I reached out for any final commentary from Tim, and he ended off with this: “We hit up Regina last time, we’re not going to make it this time but for next time, if there are any bands hoping to come to Vancouver, we’d be happy to help. We’re open to messages from other bands who are looking for Vancouver venue options. Our DMs are always open!” After both listening to their music and interviewing one of their members, I recommend showing your support for these guys. Their music is refreshing, and lyrically interesting, but they are also very transparent and honest about their band and its future. There’s clearly a passion for their craft and it being about the music, even if it’s not the top priority for them all. Personally, I look forward to seeing what they do in the future.
sports & health
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editor: vacant sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | july 28 - august 31, 2022
The privatization of addiction: Regina’s drug crisis
As deaths from toxicity and overdoses skyrocket, policy responses continue to tank bodie robinson staff writer
Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 until 1990, once famously quipped in an interview: “There’s no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families.” Although her words have often been misinterpreted and taken out of context – I may be doing it right now – her words still reveal an erroneous and commonplace belief. Namely, the insidious lie that certain problems are individual, atomized, and disconnected from a larger and intelligible context. In particular, the problems of mental illness and drug addiction are considered, for the most part, individual problems. You’re depressed? Your brain chemistry must be out of sorts. You struggle with addiction? You have made bad decisions and developed a dangerous coping mechanism. Obviously, these are not adequate explanations for the causes of these problems. The causes of mental illness and substance use disorders can’t be located solely within individuals, families, or small social circles. Undeniably, these problems also have causes within a much larger formation: that thing called society, which certainly does exist. But if we misunderstand the causes, we have no hope of finding the solutions. The late Marxist critic Mark Fisher identified a grave by-product of the pervasive deregulation and privatization of Western economies beginning in the 1980s – of which, politicians like Thatcher and Reagan were at the vanguard. This by-product is what he calls the “privatization of stress.” In his 2009 book Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?, Fisher argues that the privatization of the economy also entails the privatization of social problems. Specifically, it entails the utter privatization of mental illness. Fisher writes, “Instead of accepting the vast privatization of stress that has taken place over the last thirty years, we need to ask: how has it become acceptable that so many people, and especially so many young people, are ill? The ‘mental health plague’ in capitalist societies would suggest that, instead of being the only social system that works, capitalism is inherently dysfunctional, and that the cost of it appearing to work is very high.” The same thing can be said about the proliferation of substance use disorders. When we individualize and privatize addiction, we imperil ourselves and, especially, those made most vulnerable in our society. There is no question that mental illness, trauma, and substance use disorders are reinforcing and interconnecting problems. The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) also understands the connection between mental
illness and substance use disorder. On the SHA’s website, it states that the most common method of coping with depression and suicidal ideation is increased alcohol and/or drug use. Trauma, and especially childhood trauma, significantly increases the chance an individual will develop a substance use disorder. Homelessness
deaths. And in 2021, that number rose to 376. As of July 4, 47 people have died of an overdose in Saskatchewan this year. The vast majority of these deaths are accidental. Accidental death by drug overdose is a dire problem in Saskatchewan, and especially in Regina. In 2021, 187 people died of
para-fluorofentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, among others. Since 2016, the number of accidental overdoses on these drugs in Saskatchewan has exploded. In 2016, fentanyl caused eight accidental overdoses. In 2021, it caused 252. There were no accidental overdoses of para-fluorofentanyl in 2016, but in 2021, there were 65.
in stewardship, and – most importantly – our responsibility to one another. By definition, every single death by accidental overdose has been, is, and always will be preventable. Thankfully, there are people and organizations responding to this crisis. The Nēwo Yōtina Friendship Centre provides a safe
Contact the Aids Program South Saskatchewan for access to naloxone kits.
Holly Funk
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Indigenous and Métis people accounted for 53% of accidental overdoses in Saskatchewan; these groups only make up about 16% of the province’s overall population according to Statistics Canada’s 2016 census.” – Bodie Robinson
is also demonstrated to seriously increase the chance of developing a substance use disorder. In 2018, the Canadian government found that, among unhoused people, “the proportion of individuals who reported addiction or substance use increases with time spent homeless, from 19.0 per cent at 0-2 months to 28.2 per cent for those who reported over 6 months of homelessness in the past year.” In 2015, unhoused people numbered about 232 in Regina. By the end of 2021, that number rose to 488. In Saskatchewan, the number of deaths by drug toxicity have grown inexorably over the past few years. In 2019, there were 179 deaths. In 2020, 322
overdoses in Regina, compared to 106 in Saskatoon – remember that Regina’s population is about 40,000 fewer than Saskatoon’s. Accidental overdoses also disproportionately affect Indigenous and Métis people. Out of the 294 people who died in 2021 by accidental overdose, 156 of them were Indigenous or Métis. Indigenous and Métis people accounted for 53% of accidental overdoses in Saskatchewan; these groups only make up about 16% of the province’s overall population according to Statistics Canada’s 2016 census. Opioids are, by far, the drugs most likely to cause an accidental overdose. Specifically, the opioid drug fentanyl and its analogues:
The same goes for acetyl fentanyl: in 2016, there were none; in 2021, 196. The conclusions to be drawn from these grim numbers are numerous, but a few predominate: Regina, more so than any other Saskatchewan city, is in crisis; the drug supply is becoming increasingly unsafe with the introduction of fentanyl and its analogues; and, Indigenous and Métis people are being disproportionately affected by the crisis. The numbers are intolerable. That accidental overdoses affect Indigenous and Métis people so disproportionately bespeaks this province’s unceasing commitment to white supremacy. Each and every accidental overdose indicates a failure in policy,
consumption site near downtown Regina. The centre began operation in June 2021. Despite a slow start, more and more people are coming to the centre for supervised consumption. In June 2021, the centre saw fewer than 50 supervised consumptions. In February 2022, that number had risen to 224. The provincial government has provided the Friendship Centre an exemption to allow its operation, but this expires in September 2022. Beyond that, the future is uncertain for safe consumption sites in Regina. What is certain is that safe consumption sites and other harm reduction programs work. With the proliferation of fentanyl, it is more imperative than ever that drugs are tested. Needles need to be used, exchanged, and discarded properly. People may need help or supervision while they consume in order to prevent fatal overdoses, and people need to be reminded that they are not alone, to have access to consistently available help. Addiction in Saskatchewan is not a private matter. It’s a public health crisis.
july 28 - august 31, 2022
carillonregina.com | the carillon | 11
sports & health
Garrett Marino is sorry (that he got suspended)
The Roughriders’ notorious defensive lineman just earned the longest suspension in CFL history
bodie robinson staff writer Garrett Marino is a 27-year-old defensive lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He’s a hulking man at 6’2” and 290 lbs, notorious for his aggressive and uncouth playing style. Before joining the Roughriders in early 2021, Marino played for the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He has described himself as one who plays “the game with an edge,” but on July 8 Marino took it too far when he illegally tackled Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. This low hit injured Masoli considerably and visibly. Not only did Marino celebrate the illegal tackle, he also made racially-charged comments toward Masoli. Consequently, Marino earned himself the longest ever suspension in CFL history. The four-game suspension is broken down as follows: a two-game suspension for the low hit and subsequent celebra-
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Tumisu via Pixabay
Rendition of a CFL press release.
tion, a one-game suspension for the racist comments, and a onegame suspension for another illegal tackle on an offensive lineman from a previous play. Unsurprisingly, a litany of statements from players and coaches have flooded Twitter and sports news. You know, all the usual refrains of “this isn’t who we are,” and “his actions don’t represent the CFL or its fans,” and so on. I have no doubt that Marino’s actions have met universal disapproval. I know that Roughriders fans do not condone such egregious displays of racism. And if the fans could have heard what was said on the field (EIC note: this has not been disclosed to our knowledge thus far), I’d hope none of them would have cheered Marino’s grandstanding. Perhaps the only fortunate spin on this event is how Marino’s choices reopen the conversation
about racism in football; specifically, Saskatchewan football. Racism and the CFL certainly have a past. In April last year, CBC journalist Jason Warick wrote a brilliant exposé on Roughriders legend George Reed. In it, Warick describes Reed’s incredible perseverance against the racism he experienced playing in the CFL and living in Regina. Reed was drafted to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the early 1960s. He recounts having to live in hotels during his first two seasons playing for the Roughriders; not for the living arrangement’s feasibility, but because landlords wouldn’t rent to a Black man. He makes it clear that most of his teammates were supportive, but some of them certainly weren’t. For example, some white CFL players refused to shower at the same time as their
Black teammates. Some of Reed’s teammates would even “prank call” him, pretending to be Ku Klux Klan members (EIC note: these calls occurred at a time when the Klu Klux Klan was pushing to once again increase their presence in Saskatchewan). Reed went on to be one of the most celebrated and awarded Saskatchewan Roughriders players ever. But Reed never shied away from calling out the racism he experienced in the CFL, and in Regina. During an interview in 1967, Reed said that living in Regina was akin to being “in the heart of Alabama.” In the mid-1960s, he was given a membership at the Wascana Country Club. This was remarkable because, at the time, Black and Jewish golfers were banned from using the course. Despite the racist prejudices and barriers Reed had to face, he more than earned his
This isn’t an apology. It’s an admission of guilt, sure, but the remorse is entirely misplaced. It seems that Marino isn’t sorry for his racism; he’s sorry that he got disciplined.” – Bodie Robinson
status as one of the CFL’s greats. Reed’s story is just one of many. Unfortunately, Marino’s revolting behaviour shows that people of colour playing in the CFL must still endure racism both on and off the field. To literally add insult to injury, Marino released a shallow, tone-deaf non-apology on his Twitter on July 13. He wrote, “Regarding the comments I made during the game, I regret that I said them, as I now understand their consequences.” As he now understands their consequences? This isn’t an apology. It’s an admission of guilt, sure, but the remorse is entirely misplaced. It seems that Marino isn’t sorry for his racism; he’s sorry that he got disciplined. Marino was just given the longest suspension in CFL history, and rightfully so. It should indicate that the league is taking this matter seriously; it’s literally the least they can do. We all enjoy watching these men play. We all cherish their incredible athletic ability and endurance. But we also need to respect the players as people, worthy of dignity. It would be grotesquely hypocritical to love the sport but disrespect the players. Let’s hope that Marino learns this lesson sooner rather than later.
july 28 - august 31, 2022
carillonregina.com | the carillon |12
sports & health
The base and background of a running coach
Laura Sullivan, owner of and coach at Run Kulture, shares how and why you should chase that runner’s high
There are two types of people in the world: those who absolutely love running, and those who despise it. For this issue, I interviewed Laura Sullivan who absolutely loves and adores running. So much so, in fact, that she chose
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were more of a social norm? Definitely I feel gratitude that I am able to run, no injuries […] Feel happiness, excitement, emotional, thankful, blessed, and being able to have positivity around
ning faster. The longer portion of running is more based on nutritional information and educating yourself about how to run. Can you give an example of a speed drill?
Start with running around Wascana lake one time. Small, little goals to help reach the big goals.” – Laura Sullivan
to make a community and a job out of it. Before we get to know about her running program, we’ll go over her running history and why she loves it so much. It all started when Sullivan was asked by a friend to do a half marathon together. Instantly she was ready for the challenge. Sullivan went hard with the training, learned this new skill of running, and started to fall in love with it. When it came to marathon day her friend was unable to run the race with her. However, amazingly the running community was still there by her side. Sullivan said it was something she had never experienced before, but that it was one of the greatest feelings. She finished the race and hugged and cheered with everyone that she had seen involved with the race. She ended the race with sore cheeks from smiling and signed up for her next race that day! One of the main experiences that got her to sign up for a race was a “running high” where she could feel proud of herself and others that were finishing the race. Now that you know Sullivan’s running story, let’s get into the main reason she created the program she did – to learn about other people’s stories. Her program is known as Run Kulture. What is your favourite part about running? My favourite part about running is the connection it brings within myself. The part where I can challenge myself to come to new limits, and then achieving it […] Running as well brings a connection between people, lifestyle, community, the sweat connection, and being able to bond with others. Do you have any personal suggestions on how and why people should get into running? Start somewhere, don’t overwhelm yourself. Start with running around Wascana lake one time. Small, little goals to help reach the big goals […] Making it fun for each person whether they get a fun playlist, sexy top. What are some emotions you feel while running that you think benefit you, and would benefit others if running
it. Yes, you will have bad and good runs, but that is like any day. Now, everyone is different, but can you describe to us how you would help coach someone into reaching an end goal of a half marathon? Typically, when I work with clients it’s one-on-one start point. So, we focus on fitness level and goals. We will start with a big goal, half marathon, then small goals […] A lot of the time typically we’ll have a goal time, and we will work on controlling their pace in a specific time frame. The way I work with Run Kulture, and we work in three different zones. Power running is more hills and tempo runs, working with short intervals and speeds. Strength, holding your pace for longer; this helps with endurance and pushing your pace faster for a longer period of time. Endurance, longest distance of the week for one time. This where you do not worry about speed […] this is a really good form of running for learning where if you need to add nutrients, water, or nutrition. This is where you have to be mindful that everybody is different and keep in mind the end goal, and going step by step. This is my philosophy of running and getting someone to running a half marathon, and working one-on-one is a big point of that to help someone individually.
You can start with a warmup of 10 minutes, 2 kilometers, then work on a track workout or Tabata. Track workout can involve 3-4 sets of 400 meters; run 400 meters with a slow down for 1 minute, run 400 meters slow down for 1 minute, and repeat […] Compared to Tabata where you sprint for 20 seconds, rest for
10 seconds, sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, [for a total of] 4 minutes. Can you explain what the key goal is for your Run Kulture community? My big vision of Run Kulture community would be to grow in a way that involves another coach. It would look to have people come looking for [someone to] coach their next race. Then with the community events I am running, I had four past events in June to help create a connection, as well partnering in with Lulu Lemon, or Track and Trail, and involved draws and giveaways. Creating a fun positive group to get and be active together […] Community events are more to bring people together and challenge yourself and get out active. My big end goal would be a travel group […] where we can enjoy the holiday together, race together, and still have an individual story and run!
victoria baht staff writer Do you have any advice for anyone who is scared to start running, or scared to join Run Kulture, to help motivate them into joining it? Honestly just come out and get there! Come with your baby, puppy, spouse, anyone basically. Once you come to a gathering, if you run or walk up Douglas Hill – kudus to you! At this moment you showed up, you joined the experience and you bonded with people! These feelings and connections are what will bring you back. And that’s all for this interview with Sullivan! She told us her amazing story and why she has such passion for running, and she was so happy to share it. Plus, she gave you some tips on how to get better, or even start at running. Sullivan would love to hear your running story and see you become a part of the Run Kulture community.
What is your favorite thing about coaching running? My personal favourite thing is seeing people have a reaction and response to what they have accomplished during running. It is great to see one’s pride and confidence about running, […] being able to share my knowledge of running. It is awesome to see people come out of their shell, and enjoying learning and living life. Do you have any suggestions to help people learn how to run faster and longer? Working on your strength and power runs, getting involved in speed drills, incorporating interval training, and getting involved in strength training. Work on being, overall, a well-rounded athlete, having the muscular endurance or cardiovascular endurance to help focus on run-
Running coach Laura Sullivan. Allan Roeher
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editor: hammad ali op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | july 28- august 31, 2022
Once in a lifetime opportunity
This National Youth Leadership Summit is the gateway to many opportunities
Amina Salah
Everyone looks tired and ready to go home after a hard day’s work at the summit.
The National Youth Leadership Summit is a three-day event hosted from June 5 to June 8 in Saskatoon, by Canada World Youth (CWY-JCM), an international non-profit organization that seeks to empower young people. It does so by collaborating with partners in Canada and across the globe. The purpose of the non-profit is to foster learning opportunities that focus on spreading knowledge and building leadership skills through various projects. These projects are created to help young people navigate the world and to learn from each other and from those who are more experienced.
on Health, STEM Minds, Be The Change YYC, Youthful Cities, the Stronger BC Young Leaders Council, Apathy is Boring, and more. Furthermore, there were incredible guest speakers and keynote speeches from inspiring women like Sarain Fox, Erica Violet Lee, Zainab Muse, and Anu Bidani. The Honourable Marci Ien, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality of Canada, also joined for a Q&A session. The most important thing when it comes to attending summits is packing. It’s important to pack casual to business casual to loungewear clothes. I made sure to pack PJs, loungewear clothing, a hoodie, and
portant workshops because I am someone who struggles with public speaking. There was emphasis put on speed, tone, volume, and how you articulate yourself. On the second day, I attended a workshop on project management hosted by Apathy is Boring. This was interesting and I was given many tips and tricks such as the best websites to use when it comes to meeting deadlines, planning out your work, and being accountable to yourself and others. The last workshop I attended was about how to turn your hobby into a potential business. This was hosted by STEM Minds. I particularly liked this workshop
that are healing for my soul. Nature heals me. It gives me perspective, it allows me to realize how small and insignificant we really are. The world is a lot bigger than our problems, and as weird as it may sound, it gives me some comfort. Paying a visit to Wanuskewin instilled new values in me. All in all, the summit was amazing because I got in contact with many different people. I think networking is the gateway to many opportunities, and I hope that this continues to open many more doors for me in the future. I ate great food, had deep late-night conversations with my fellow delegates, and learned from the workshop
“
In many ways, the summit was healing to me. It allowed me to meet different people from all over Canada. I also made a mental note to reconnect with the land. As a university student, I am always busy. It is difficult for me to make time for things that are healing for my soul.” – Amina Salah
Some of the other summits that are hosted by CWY-JCM include the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City, Pathways for Indigenous Youth Leadership hosted virtually and in Peru, and the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods Initiative in Ghana and Senegal. This June, I was able to participate in the National Youth Leadership Summit in Saskatoon. The process had some difficulties along the way, especially with getting some of my documents sorted out. Out of around 300 interviewees, only 127 youth from across Canada were accepted. The summit was sponsored by Heritage Canada, and the governments of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, the Northwest Territories, New Brunswick, Yukon, as well as Saskatchewan. There were many wonderful workshops hosted by organizations such as the Young Canadians Roundtable
blazers. Shoes are also important. I find heels useless if I am going to be walking all day, thus I packed comfortable yet chic shoes. I arrived on Sunday evening, checked into the hotel, had dinner, and went to sleep sometime after. We stayed at the Saskatoon Inn & Conference Centre. The hotel itself was absolutely stunning. It had lots of greenery, a beautiful swimming pool, and great nearby restaurants and cafes. The first day I attended a workshop titled “making how and where we live work and play better for all”. This workshop was hosted by Youthful Cities. It was introspective. It allowed me to think about my future and things that bring me joy. It focused a lot on how we can be better workers by also making time for the things we love. It emphasized on the importance of balance. I also attended a workshop about public speaking. To me, this was one of the most im-
because it focused on marketing and technology. The summit was amazing because we were also able to do things in the city. On the second day, we went on a trip to Wanuskewin Heritage Park. We went on a bison walk where the tour guide told us about what bison mean to Indigenous peoples. Although we couldn’t get close to them, we were able to watch them from afar. The heritage park also has an art gallery and a kitchen inside. The staff served us some bannock with strawberry jam and butter. There was also some tea to go with it. Personally, this was the best thing I ate during the summit. In many ways, the summit was healing to me. It allowed me to meet different people from all over Canada. I also made a mental note to reconnect with the land. As a university student, I am always busy. It is difficult for me to make time for things
hosts and keynote speakers. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I would never trade for anything. I am very introverted, so I went into the summit not expecting to make friends. However, during that short period many of the delegates have now become my friends, which is something I never expected to happen. More than anything, I am grateful to Canada World Youth for making the Youth Summit happen. A lot of work went into it and I am extremely grateful that I was chosen to attend. This summit helped me learn more about myself.
amina salah staff writer
july 28 - august 31, 2022
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carillonregina.com | the carillon |
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The infinite mind
Tips to snap your mind out of that inactive fog dhruval shah contributor Mind: one of the two things that the body relies on; the other being the heart. It is always full of undesirable thoughts, which we may never want to end up in our mind. There is a lot of unnecessary stuff that our mind contains. Think of it as a computer hard drive which is constantly overloaded with information and thus allowing it to perform errors. In today’s life, our mind is occupied by the burden of emotional thoughts, stress, fear, caring about what others think, and overthinking some things – the worthless stuff. This eventually ages the mind by feeding it rubbish things. This rids the mind of happiness, awareness, information, and the ultimate fascination of life. The mind can always remain young and active if used intelligently. But what is intelligence? It is the awareness of the moment. The mind needs to be creative on its own; it needs to think clearly. When this happens, the mind can never grow old. The mind can remain in a perfectly working condition until the grave. Let’s dive deep into the mind to see what magic it can do in our lives, the ways to keep our mind healthy, and eventually to let it live infinitely. Our mind is alluring in more ways than we think of. The body can age but the mind can retain its perfectly working state forever. One’s mind which is aware of the moment can never run into chaos. A person can use their mind to consciously tackle any situation and calmly deal with it. If the mind is overloaded with other useless thoughts, then there will be frustration and devastation. Education is one of the most important blocks to building a perfect mind. It helps the mind to think in vivid ways and keeps it in an active state. Education is not something we have to finish, not something we have to just make our way through, but instead try and learn new things and enrich our minds with it. A commitment to lifelong perpetual learning can grow our minds in an unimaginable way. An educated person can handle any situation with mindfulness and with the knowledge they
This looks like a lovely place, and a lovely day, for the sort of people who move around for fun and not just to get from place to place. Holly Funk
“
Education is not something we have to finish, not something we have to just make our way through, but instead try and learn new things and enrich our minds with it. A commitment to lifelong perpetual learning can grow our minds in an unimaginable way.” – Dhruval Shah
possess, whereas an uneducated person wouldn’t be able to handle unforeseen situations, leading them to distress. This is the basic difference between an active mind and an inactive one (one which is growing old). With the right education comes intelligence, which lights the hope to live a better life. The generation gap, one of the most popular topics today, is because of the manipulative mind. In today’s world, full of easily accessible gadgets, teenagers think that everything can be achieved with minimal efforts, like the effort taken to touch on a touch screen gadget. Their mind has been manipulated to believe that everything in life can be achieved with nearly no effort; they have lost the factor of patience in their life. This shows how delicate the mind is. One of the solutions to reduce this generation gap is to train the mind with the right information. We need to know patience
and the power of our fellow minds rather than living in this touch-and-tap world. A robust mind can be achieved with several things: physical exercises, mental exercises, healthy eating habits, and meditation. Let’s go through them one by one. Physical exercises can involve going to the gym, swimming, yoga, or playing a sport. By doing these sorts of activities, our minds can get diverted from our daily, mundane routines and can experience joy. Physical exercises can also include something as simple as a leisurely stroll around the lake or the neighbourhood. The crucial aspect of exercising is, at least in today’s world, to allow ourselves to have a break from screens and keep our bodies active. Solving crossword puzzles and playing games that make you think hard – chess, for example – are some very good options for mental exercises. They can even be as simple as doing your homework which,
usually, requires you to engage your mind. Even learning a new language or instrument can help your mind stay active. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a famous proverb meant to encourage healthy eating habits. However, it can be hard to maintain a consistent habit of eating an apple every day. Fruits contribute a lot to the sharpness of our mind. Green vegetables are also a great source for receiving essential nutrients. Meditation, the blissful way to enrich the mind, enlightens our soul, showing us the path to ecstasy. Meditation helps us to connect with our inner soul and the control over the mind. With a connection to the soul, we can overcome feelings of laziness. Thoughts are a part of a process going on in our heads, which are capable of vivid visions and can be controlled by meditating. Our mind is greatly influenced by these thoughts in ways, just like our speech,
attitude, and behaviour. Desire is a chain of never-ending processes starting with a small urge, which can be controlled by the practice of meditation, thus helping the mind to stay young. This doesn’t mean that a person should only walk along the spiritual path, but maintain a balance between their physical and spiritual world by pursuing happiness in daily routine through meditation. Understanding the significance of keeping our mind young and the steps we can take to keep it young through the course of our lives are outlined here (although it is not an exhaustive list). Now, it’s up to the reader to incorporate this (or parts of it) into their lifestyle and construct a mind that is sustainable, active, aware, and calm. Nonetheless, our mind, heart, and body should be in a balanced state to bring harmony in our life.
july 28- august 31, 2022
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carillonregina.com | the carillon |
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The need for improved mental health services in Saskatchewan
The mental health system in this province is often inadequate and leaves much to be desired amanda stapleton contributor
The mental health system is Saskatchewan is awful. I have been dealing with the mental health system in Saskatchewan since I was a child. My mom took me to two different psychologists to see what I needed help with. I didn’t get diagnosed with anything. After extensive research of my childhood, a psychologist was recently able to tell me I was likely dealing with severe social anxiety (turned into AvPD), ADHD, autism, and bipolar as a child. My mom and I dealt with my problems by ourselves. We didn’t have people helping, we didn’t know what was wrong and I was struggling. I couldn’t talk to people without hiding behind my mom, I would never stand up for myself, I would cling onto friends who just used me. Sadly, the mental health care system hasn’t gotten any better since I was a child; it’s still trash and needs to be called out. I’ve been to a dozen psychologists/psychiatrists, and most were no help at all. Most just focused on my anxiety since it’s so severe, and they missed all my other diagnoses. I didn’t get diagnosed with ADHD until I was 21, and am still waiting for my autism diagnosis. That’s a long time to deal with problems that affected most if not all of my life without having the information and support I need. Throughout school I always thought I was destined to be a failure, working at a dead-end job. I grew up not knowing what was wrong with me. I dropped out, I skipped, I got suspended on purpose. I just hated it, going to school was torture for me because it just reminded me how far behind I was from everyone. I finally graduated at 19 and had to go to Adult Campus
If there were ever a time to flip the system upside down, it’s now. ErikaWittlieb via Pixabay, manipulated by Holly Funk
to upgrade a lot of classes so I could, maybe, go to university. At 21 – the same year I was diagnosed with ADHD – I finally went to university, finally got my first 80 per cent in a course, and finally felt like I could accomplish something I wanted. After I got help for my diagnosis, I felt like I could accomplish what I wanted. I want to help people like me. I want to make sure others don’t have to go through what I went through. I want to be a therapist for on-reserve Indigenous people. But this all still feels unattainable at times. Even after 5 years, I’m not on the right dosage of meds. I’m still behind, but not as behind as before. My point is that having early intervention is important. So many people can avoid overwhelming frustration, difficulties, and mistakes by getting the proper help they need, but that seems impossible at times in this province. Even when you are able to get an appointment to see
someone, people seeking help are constantly swept under the rug. My best friend got told by her general physician that adults and women could not have ADHD. That’s a doctor that’s supposed to be helping people, but instead is putting more barriers in front of us because they haven’t updated their practice and beliefs to reflect current research in their field. Not only that, but people are getting turned away from getting inpatient care because they don’t “seem” suicidal enough. A young man named Samwel Uko died recently because of this, and still nothing has changed. Not only me, but multiple people have stories about being turned away. It is no secret that Saskatchewan’s mental health care needs a major revamp. It’s sad that we have to deal with so many barriers just to get adequate support. You have to wait months to see a therapist, we don’t have enough incentive to keep good psychiatrists here, and people are getting
turned away from emergency just because they don’t have a solid suicide plan. No one needs an actual suicide plan to kill themselves. Suicide can be impulsive, and arguably it is most of the time. We need to call out the government officials that can control these changes – specifically, Minister Hindley. He is the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and he has the power to change our system. You can contact him at 306-798-9014. It’s not fair that our mental health is brushed under the rug. It’s not fair that we have to deal with doctors telling us its all in our head (well duh!). We need to work on getting better doctors, better inpatient care, and faster access to therapists. We need change now before more lives are lost.
The student loan forgiveness debate Conversations about student loans ignite both sides with passion rayanne gwilliam staff writer
The conversation about student loan forgiveness has been faced with an amount of opposition that some have found surprising. Many people question why there would be any opposition towards student loan forgiveness considering how many tuition increases have happened, alongside the cost of basic necessities such as groceries, rent, etc. For those who have been out of school for some time, those who never went, or had other methods of payment and so forth, there may be a lack of knowledge on the impact student loans have on people’s finances. Student loans are of course meant to cover your tuition costs, but they may also go towards materials, fees, or miscellaneous costs. However, it’s important to note there are many variables that go towards determining a student’s financial aid. Due to this, a student loan may not cover all expenses – and even if they do, the more that is taken out by students, the needs to be paid back in the future, and the more interest will be building on in the future. Not to mention you only get a sixmonth period after finishing school in which your loans don’t acquire interest, and any payments made go directly to the loan balance. But one’s ability to make payments in that six-month period comes down to employment status and other expenses. However, once rent, groceries, car payments, cellphone, utilities, and other necessary expenses are factored in, it’s like-
ly no large amount is going to be able to be paid in that interest-free period. Considering the average amount of student debt per person in Canada is in the high tens or twenties of thousands, it may be much more of an undertaking than some people realize. Animosity and envy could be present from those who have student loan debt but don’t qualify for student loan forgiveness. As like any government program, the requirements and qualifications are quite specific and can be a difficult process to go through. They may feel it’s unfair if it comes down to minor technicalities, such as them taking years to pay off a portion so the amount is too small and they have to pay it all, or having a high income between them and their partner, despite them having extraneous circumstances that don’t qualify. Those who don’t qualify may feel that they’re being punished for doing well or taking the responsibility very seriously for years with no compensation, while others are rewarded with forgiveness. There may also be people who were fortunate enough to have their parents be able to pay for their tuition and schooling costs, who don’t see why student loan forgiveness is necessary. There is also the idea that it’s not the government’s responsibility to provide forgiveness, considering that the decision was made by the students themselves to go to college, knowing that they would have to take loans out and no one was able to financially fund those costs for them in their personal lives. There are also those wanting it to be recognized that there are other options available that could’ve
been used instead, such as grants, scholarships, bursaries, staying at home and doing distance education to lessen living costs, working to put themselves through school, ad infinitum – instead of hoping for or relying on student loan forgiveness from the government to cover costs when they’re already dealing with a deficit, inflation, and so forth. Now, it’s safe to say that anything involving the government is going to bring forth strong opinions amongst people. Regardless of differing opinions though, one thing that can be agreed upon is that an
evaluation of the cost of post-secondary education is necessary. There are many discrepancies and processes regarding the costs that are foreign to many people. This can become problematic as it’s more difficult to make a sound decision without complete transparency and understanding of the options and their consequences. Therefore, it’s arguable that there needs to be more transparency in terms of education, debt, and financial literacy, as well as teaching of these topics in earlier points of education, like high school.
If I had a dollar for every time tuition fees went up, they’d all be going towards tuition fees anyway. Holly Funk