The Carillon - Volume 65, Issue 9 - October 27, 2022

the carillon

the staff editor-in-chief holly funk editor@carillonregina.com business manager thomas czinkota business@carillonregina.com production manager shae sackman production@carillonregina.com advertising manager holden norrie ads@carillonregina.com communications mehrnoush bahramimehr comms@carillonregina.com technical editor vacant tech@carillonregina.com

multimedia/graphics editors multimedia@carillonregina.com safal gangwani graphics@carillonregina.com lee lim copy editor aurel dumont copyeditor@carillonregina.com news editor gillian massie news@carillonregina.com a&c editor vacant arts@carillonregina.com s&h editor vacant sports@carillonregina.com op-ed editor hammad ali op-ed@carillonregina.com distribution manager chandra wassill distribution@carillonregina.com staff writer amina salah staff writer victoria baht staff writer bodie robinson news writer josh king a&c writer jorah bright s&h writer sophia stevens contributors navjot singh

board of directors holly funk, jacob nelson, and honourary members: shiva souri, jorah bright, hammad ali, shae sackman, amina salah and thomas czinkota

227 Riddell Center

the paper

University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2 www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586 8867

Printed by Star Press Inc, Wainwright, AB

The Carillon welcomes contributions.

Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are 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.

The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the sum mer. The Carillon is published by the Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non-profit organization.

land acknowledgement

The Carillon is written on treaty four territory. As such, the staff recognize that we are living, working, and telling stories on and of Indigenous lands. We recognize that we are on the traditional homelands of the Nakota, Lakota, and Dakota peoples, along with the homeland of the Métis nation. The Carillon understands that it is pointless to acknowledge the land on which we work without speaking to our commitment to telling stories and prioritizing voices that further the return of the land to its place sacred place in the cultures of those that live here.

the manifesto

In keeping with our reckless, devil-may-care image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is the story that’s been passed down from editor to editor for over sixty years.

In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these pro posed buildlings was a beltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower.

The University never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Car illon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.

the people’s friend; the tyrant’s foe

We’re officially past the semester’s midpoint and there’s no doubt the next few weeks will breeze right by, but you can keep counting on our paper to catch you up on the happenings if you’re feeling like things are a blur.

I would like to briefly explain why the article

“Demand for affordable queer counselling not being met” from issue 6 is no longer available on our website. Certain concepts in the article were not addressed clear ly enough or in enough depth to ensure misunderstandings wouldn’t be caused for our readers, and there was an error in the interview transcription that left the interview source feeling incorrectly portrayed. It is always our goal to provide the most accurate information possible and to resolve situations when we’re made aware that we’ve missed that goal. Thanks to those who took the time to point out these mistakes as you gave us the opportunity to correct things, and we’ll now be better equipped to catch these problems before our issues hit the stands.

On October 22, Regina residents took to Wascana Park area to protest human rights violations in Iran, and the inaction of the West acting as silent approval.

s&h op-ed

FIFA World Cup

continuing

Stevens

op-ed

Joining many who’ve speculated on the new Conservative Party leader’s patterns of reasoning, Bodie Robinson argues that Poilievre’s problem lies in a naïve lack of cynicism.

Fast fashion, no action p.

Clothing company Shein is one of the most successful of its kind and Amina Salah digs into why that might be, tying in information on their horrific treatment of staff, and pollutants in their fabrics.

Regina rally p. 4

Poilievre’s problem p. 10

An interview with Brianna Redlich, the owner of new Regina crafting shop Yarn Over Fibre and Crafting Co., on getting a shop like this started and getting into yarn crafts as an adult.

Yarn Over p. 6

Planned Parenthood p. 3

fraud p.

Planned Parenthood to open new location in January

Back by popular demand

josh king news writer

Much to many people’s dismay, Planned Parenthood Regina had to close their location last May.

Throughout the years, Planned Parenthood has been a presence not only in the broader Regina community, but also on campus.

Fortunately, the local Planned Parenthood has found a new lo cation on Albert Street that is slated to open in January 2023. I sat down with the Risa Payant,

them out.

How does Planned Parent hood impact the university community?

Early sexual health intervention can start in high school and uni versity. Being on site and having a good presence at the university is definitely important. However, over the past six months, not just our location has changed, but we also have lost significant funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). It was the edu

allocations from the Ministry of Health and Saskatchewan Health Authority cover only about 40 per cent of what it takes to run a barebones clinic. Which includes having one nurse practitioner, one receptionist, one registered nurse, and then myself as the executive director. Our education program is currently not funded by the province at all. I think it’s safe to say that education is the biggest upstream solution to dealing with some of these sexual and repro ductive health concerns.

the capacity to support everyone in Regina needing that kind of care. It’s overall a really frustrat ing system for everyone involved. There’s much, much more need than there is capacity to serve cur rently across the healthcare sector in our province.

What kind of difficulties has the organization had in find ing a new space?

The biggest thing is that typical ly it does take four to six months to secure commercial space. Un

Specifically, we hear a lot that if you come to Planned Parenthood, we’re going to force you to get an abortion. We really are just look ing to make sure that people have access to appropriate sexual and reproductive healthcare, whatev er that means for them.

The climate in Saskatchewan is not as far away from our neigh bors in the south as people think. There are massive barriers to ac cessing terminations here in our province. Beyond access to abor tion, there are issues around the way that bodily autonomy is be

– Risa Payant

the executive director of Planned Parenthood, to talk about the role Planned Parenthood has in the community and the journey to open a new location.

To start, in a broad sense, what does Planned Parent hood do for the Regina com munity?

Our primary focus at Planned Parenthood is making sure that people in Regina and surround ing area, especially youth and other vulnerable populations, can take control of their sexual and reproductive health. So that means offering everything from STI tests to contraception coun seling, to PAP tests, and IUD inserts, and pregnancy options counseling, medical terminations.

Just anything that folks might need to access, we’re going to help

cation staff that were going into the university to provide service. Unfortunately, they were support ed through the PHAC.

In a previous CBC article, it was mentioned that there are funding concerns, con siderably amplified from the pandemic. From your per spective as a sexual health non-profit partially funded by the province, are there any changes you would like to see?

Because we work outside of a feefor-service model, it needs to be recognized that Planned Parent hood is a non-profit. We have a lot of requirements that clinics might not have, where we’re really kind of unique in the sector in being both a medical clinic and a non profit organization. Currently, our

Have you seen more cases of people unable to get the healthcare they need since your last location had to close?

Absolutely, we used to run a wait list, and unfortunately that wait list was getting to be months and months long. We modified just before we closed. At the last Monday of the month we’d open up appointments for the coming month. Sometimes those appoint ments would fill within a matter of hours. Unfortunately, what that meant is that if someone needs emergency care, if they need to seek medical termina tion, emergency contraception, even just people who don’t realize their contraceptive prescription is running out or that they’re due for an IUD swap, it really can be frustrating but we just don’t have

fortunately for us, we got real ly close with a couple of places, and in the end, plans ended up falling through because of land lords who are really interested in dictating aspects of our mandate. Ultimately, we always want to be serving the community. We also wanted to make sure that our new location was central, pedestrian accessible, accessible via transit.

Planned Parenthood has re ceived a lot of negative cov erage in the USA from the anti-abortion lobby, and of course there are a few lobby groups in Canada. Has that animus carried north of the border and, if so, how has it affected your operations?

Because of all the media in the United States, there’s a lot of as sumptions about what we offer.

ing affected, you have to be think ing of the intersection between trans healthcare rights, and abor tion access, and medical racism. They’re all these ways that differ ent individuals are being denied access to taking agency over their healthcare.

On a day-to-day level, the one thing we do deal with is trolls on social media, and I personally get a lot of emails. I’d say at least two or three a week of people making all sorts of anti-choice statements, and that can be really discour aging. I always worry that if I’m not going to catch those things, especially when they’re in social media fast enough, that someone who comes to our page looking for stigma-free education is going to see these comments from these trolls and be scared away.

If people are concerned about sexual health, how can they help and get involved?

We’re always short of funds, and the more money we get from the community, the better we are able to serve that community. Beyond that, we really encourage you to follow us on social media, share our posts, access our services.

Is there any last thing you’d like people to know?

I’d really love folks to know about our new fall pop-up clinics. We re ally want to see more people out, especially for things like STI test ing the best thing to do is come to us, get tested, and we’ll help you get treated, and then you’re keep ing yourself and anyone else that you encounter safe.

If you want to access services, Planned Parenthood can be found online at plannedparent hoodregina.com and posts popup clinic schedules every week on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

“Ultimately, we always want to be serving the community. We also wanted to make sure that our new location was central, pedestrian accessible, accessible via transit.”

Protests continue for Mahsa Amini

bodie robinson staff writer

It has been over a month since mass protests broke out in Iran.

On September 16, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini died in a Tehran hospi tal. Amini was detained by the Iranian morality police who al leged her hijab did not meet dress code. Iranian authorities claim that Amini died of a heart attack due to a pre-existing condition.

Independent observers deny this, asserting that Amini most likely died from a cerebral hemorrhage caused by police brutality.

When Amini was declared dead by Iranian authorities, pro tests began in Tehran. These quickly spread to other provinc es in the country. Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) claims that since the protests began, the Iranian government has killed at least 240 demonstrators. HRAI also claims that there have been over 900 injuries and over 12,000 arrests. Internet blackouts have also been imposed, which are meant to stifle dissent and impede organizing by protestors. Internet blackouts are also used so that the government can escape account ability for its brutality.

Rallies of solidarity have been held throughout the world this past month, including here in Regina. On Saturday, October 22, a sizeable crowd gathered in front of the Legislative Building.

The rally began at 1 p.m., and al ready there were about 150 peo ple present.

Banners and placards float ed above the crowd. “Freedom for Iran,” “Say her name: Mahsa Amini,” “No more forced hijab,” “Death to the dictator,” “Wom an, life, freedom,” and “Justice for Mahsa” were just some of the messages protestors took with them. There were also large photographs of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, made to appear stained with blood. Other photographs featured Putin and Khamenei shaking hands with a caption reading “Murderers.”

Shiva Riazian, an Iranian woman who recently immigrated to Canada, gave a furious speech to an equally furious crowd. Ri azian spoke with righteous anger and strength. She spoke about the corruption of the Iranian govern ment. She rallied against Western nations that are not doing enough to help the Iranian people. “Your silence is the regime’s violence,” she shouted into the microphone. Riazian also mentioned Iran sell ing arms to Russia, which the Russian military is likely using to perpetrate its criminal invasion of Ukraine. “We demand the end of the regime, […] revolution is the only solution,” she declared.

The day before the rally, I spoke to Riazian about her expe riences living in Iran. She spent her whole life in Iran, until last year when she immigrated to

Canada. “We don’t have any free dom of speech back home,” she said. “We don’t have any chance that we can change our religion. We have so many conflicts about basic human rights over there.”

Riazian explained to me that change is wanted. In 1979, the Iranian Revolution was promis ing radical change, a shift from the old monarchical system under the Shah. However, the radical change that was promised turned out to be very different than previously imagined. Instead of democratic reform and greater freedom of conscience, the Is lamic Republic of Iran imposed a new set of strict and oppressive rules. “I don’t say that my people don’t want hijabs. Some of them want hijabs, some of them don’t

want hijabs; they want to choose. And we can’t change our religion. If we change our religion, […] they will execute us.”

Riazian also stressed that the protests both inside and outside Iran are not merely about the hi jab. Commenting on runaway in flation, Riazian said, “our money is not working anymore. […] The current situation is not accept able for anyone.” Criticizing the West’s tactic of sanctioning high government officials in Iran, Ria zian said, “Putting sanctions isn’t helping us. It’s somehow helping us a little, but it’s not the solu tion.”

After about an hour of speeches, enthusiastic chants, and singing Persian songs, the rally left the steps of the Legislative Build

ing. Demonstrators marched down Albert Street to the Albert Memorial Bridge. There, the demonstrators waved flags and displayed signs to passing traffic. The human chain spanned over half the bridge. Drivers honked and waved as they passed.

Around 2:30 p.m., the rally began to dwindle. Many Iranians will continue to fight the theocrat ic government in their country. When facing behemoths like the regime in Iran, it is easy to slip into despair and cynicism. But there will always be people like Shiva Riazian, indignant and en raged at injustice. “Iran is not a paradise. […] For us, Iran is like a hell,” she told me. So, what is the solution? “Most people [in Iran] want revolution.”

Regina Public Schools board trustee by-election

University students encouraged to go out and vote

josh king news writer

School board trustee may be a position that sounds small, but as many of us know, size mat ters not. In Regina, there are six school board trustees for the pub lic school system, and a board for the Catholic school system. The committee of trustees are elect ed officials who, together, decide on overall academic goals, policy, and funding distribution for the school division. On October 25, a by-election for the subdivision’s two public school trustees will have been resolved. In the current byelection, we

are fortunate to have a diversity of candidates with numerous qualifi cations. When asked about what the biggest problem in Regina Public Schools is, the candidates for this election had a variety of responses.

One candidate, Mavis Olesen, a mother and grand mother with a Ph.D. in Educa tion, said that public schools are “a public system where all chil dren and families are welcome. Thus, respectful accommoda tions must be a focus of a Public Board.”

Candidate Nasir Sohail, who has an M.Ed., stated that his first priority is to “build an education system that equips Regina Public

Schools with 21st century skills.”

Greta Lange, previous mem ber of the School Community Council, stated “There are great programs, but they do not exist in sufficient quantity to cover the needs that have been identified.”

Matthew Thompson, a fa ther in the area, identified that “mental health supports were lacking before the pandemic and that shortcoming has just been accelerated since. Teachers and student stress has increased dra matically.”

Tracy McMurchy, a local mom and previous Director of Education Funding for the Min istry of Education, identified her two areas of focus as “ensuring

students feel safe at school, while supporting learning and mental health.”

Since school is where most of us spend eight hours a day until we are 18, this is clearly an influ ential position for whoever wins the race. However, the highest voter turnout in any municipal election in the recorded history of Regina was 57 per cent, and the turnout sometimes drops below 30 per cent. Voting may be made harder for students due to the qualifications for voting, which require a residence in Regina for at least three consecutive months, and in Saskatchewan for at least six months.

As many students are aware, summer jobs can be hard to come by, and based on the residence requirements and the date of the election, one would have had to be living in Regina over the sum mer; a difficult option for many students. This highlights how vot ing is often made difficult for peo ple with a transient lifestyle, like students.

Yet, voting in municipal elec tions can be extremely influential.

For example, as recent history and current events show us, there are particular radical groups that will target small-scale elections as part of a larger co-ordinated strategy. According to CBC, one instance is in the current school board elections in Ontario, where dozens of candidates funded by

conservative lobby groups are running on an “anti-woke” plat form.

By “anti-woke,” these can didates explicitly mean bigotry towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ com munity, and despite running for public school board positions in several subdivisions, they openly push for an explicitly Christian agenda. The largest funder of these campaigns is the Campaign for Life Coalition, a Christian lobbying organization which lob bied against the conversion ther apy ban in 2020, tried to remove comprehensive sex education in Ontario schools, and deemed Pierre Poilievre not radical enough for them during the Con servative Party leader election. Dozens of similar candidates also ran in trustee elections in British Columbia last week.

The purpose of talking about the Ontario elections is not that there is evidence of similar candi dates running in the current bye lection, but because there may be at some point in the near future, and an engaged and informed electorate is the best inoculant against this. In the words of can didate Mavis Olesen, “university students are the future leaders, movers and shakers in our prov ince, city, and nation. I have great respect for who they are already, and I would hope they value vot ing and see it as a way they can be supported in their futures.”

A rally in Regina saw hundreds present to oppose state-sanctioned violence in Iran and the inaction toward it

Protestors stand on the Albert Street Bridge holding signs as cars pass by.

Photo: Bodie Robinson

A gavel sits on a wooden podium. Photo: Joe Gratz

arts

culture

Upcoming events you won’t want to miss

jorah bright a&c writer

Sometimes, you find yourself looking for something to do; something to intrigue you, some thing that you’ll find fun, some thing that matches with your in stincts. Well, if you’re looking for something like that, look no fur ther. I’ve compiled a list of events happening in Regina to close out Halloween season and bring in November. With so many events, there’s sure to be something for everyone.

Regina Pats

It’s hockey season, friends! The Regina Pats are back in the Brandt Centre and ready to play. Are you ready to watch? Home games have already started, and they go all the way until March 25. Go out and enjoy hockey night in Regina, and hope there are lots of fights to keep the ex citement up.

We Are All Electric Be ings: Rachel Broussard, Alys sa Ellis, Heather Shillinglaw, Laurel Terlesky

Hi art friends! If you’re look ing for an exhibit to check out, look no further. We Are All Elec tric Beings, a collection by Rachel Broussard, Alyssa Ellis, Heather Shillinglaw, and Laurel Terlesky, is at the Art Gallery of Regina from October 13 to January 8. Check out this exhibition that “[draws] on traditional knowl edge, Western science, and empa thetic relationships with plants.” This exhibition is full of plant and animal themes and is sure to be an incredible experience.

The Rocky Horror Show

Guess who’s back again this spooky season? It’s Dr. Frank-NFurter in Sterling Production’s The Rocky Horror Show. It’s run ning from October 26 to October 28 at the Capital Auto Theatre in the Conexus Arts Centre. By the time this article is published, there won’t be much time left to get out and see the show, so make sure you get tickets fast! Sterling Pro ductions always puts on a great show, so you can’t miss this one if you love Halloween and musicals.

Music lovers, I’ve got some thing for you! Gordon Lightfoot will be in Regina at Casino Regi na on October 29 as part of his 50 Years on the Carefree High way Tour. You won’t want to miss this incredible Canadian sing er-songwriter while he’s in Regi na. He has 17 Juno Awards and five Grammy nominations. This is a highly esteemed performer coming to Regina at the end of the month, so make sure you grab tickets for this event.

FRAG Games Day

I love board games and I hope you do too, because the Flatland Regional Association of Gamers’ – or, FRAG’s – Frag Games Days are back this year. Head out to the Regina North East Commu nity Centre between 11:00 a.m. and midnight on October 29 or November 26 to play some board games. Go by yourself or with friends. Bring a board game or come empty handed; there’ll be board games there for you to play. Enjoy a day of tabletop gaming!

Celebrity Halloween at Q

Are you someone who likes to go out to clubs or bars? Well, if you are, and especially at Hal loween, head down to Q on Octo ber 29 to participate in Celebrity Halloween at Q. If you have a costume of your favorite celebrity, or any celebrity in general, head over to Q and participate in their celebrity costume contest and enjoy a fun Halloween-themed night!

Wascana Spooktacular

Do you like nature? Do you also like Halloween? Do you like Halloween and nature mixed to gether? I certainly hope so, be cause if so, I have an event for you. On Sunday, October 30, head down to the Wascana Centre between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. for the Wascana Spooktacular, a free Halloween nature program. Explore the woods, dissect body parts (not real ones, don’t worry), and lots of other fun Halloween activities! This is an event perfect for the whole family, or just you and your friends looking for a fun activity. Don’t forget to dress up in your Halloween costume so you’ll

have a chance to win the best cos tume prize.

Spookfest

If you’ve got kids, younger siblings, or young niblings, I’ve got a Halloween event perfect for you. On October 30, kids ages 5-8 can participate in the Jr Spookfest at Spirit of the Dragon here in Regina. They have lunch, snacks, and games like Nerf wars, archery tag, an obstacle course, and so much more! For the older kids ages 9-13, Spirit of the Drag on is hosting a similar event right after called Sr Spookfest, with many of the same perks like food and games. Help those little ones get out some of their Halloween excitement energy with games and food at Spirit of the Dragon on October 30.

Bryan Adams: So Happy It Hurts Tour

Hey stadium country music fans! I’m not one of you, but I have something for you. On No vember 4, Bryan Adams will be at the Brandt Centre on his tour for his new album So Happy It Hurts. According to my research, when you buy tickets to this show, you get a free digital download of the So Happy It Hurts album. Get your cowboy boots and your cowboy hat and get some tickets to this concert if this kind of mu sic frequents your playlists!

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? November 20 Matinee Performance

Hey theatre fans, I’ve got an other event for you. On Novem ber 20 at the Artesian, check out

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, written by Edward Albee. The play follows two couples in a story that exposes the ideology of the perfect family. This won’t be one to miss if you love live theatre.

The Sheepdogs

We’ve already mentioned country music, so let’s throw some rock music into the mix. On November 23, catch the Sheep dogs at Casino Regina. This per formance is part of their Live & Outta Sight Tour. Their rock mu sic ranges from incredible instru mentals to songs that will make you stomp your feet, to songs that are just meant to make you feel the power of music.

Now, go out and have fun!

– Jorah Bright

Gordon Lightfoot

From country music to spooktacular evenings and even board game nights, Jorah’s found things to please the whole crew

Their names are Bashful and Bashy. Illustration: The one, the only, Lee Lim

in general, head over to Q

a fun Halloween-themed night!”

New yarn and crafting store hits Regina Ave

Whether you’re seasoned and searching for supplies or starting and scrambling for instruction, look no further

victoria baht staff writer

Are you aware that a new yarn and craft store has opened in Re gina? Well, one has! It is called Yarn Over Fibre and Crafting Co and it is located at 3434B Regina Av enue in Regina, Saskatchewan. This store is owned by Brianna Redlich. I paid a short visit to the store and did an interview with Redlich to give you an insight into the store and her passion for yarn hobbies.

Now, let’s get to know Redlich a bit personally. Based on the shop website, Redlich used to be a veterinary technologist, and after 10 years, Redlich is “ready to hang up the stethoscope and be surrounded by yarn full time.”

Redlich started partaking in yarn hobbies about seven years ago with crocheting. Since then, she’s been learning how to partake in knitting, Tunisian crochet, and spinning as well. With all these different options for different yarn hobbies and all the different types of yarn, Redlich decided to open a store of her own and follow this beloved hobby, making it into a career.

Now that we know a bit about Redlich, here’s a deeper dive into the store and its conception.

Why did you decide to open your store?

Ever since I was little I had always wanted to open my own business, and it has certainly changed over my lifetime. About 16 years ago I went to StevenBe store, […] and it was a beautiful two-storey yarn shop. You felt so welcomed there based on all the different colours and textures. So, when I first started to crochet each fall, I would go to a craft sale

sides the basics at Michaels and Walmart. […] I wanted to start to bring in a little bit of stock to help people get yarn and do local pick up. […] This was a nice way to start building up a customer base while we waited for a retail location.

Who is involved in the store team? Does everyone have a good sense of knowl edge of yarn hobbies to be able to help customers?

So, the store team is me, es sentially! […] I am mostly a cro cheter and I am learning more and more about knitting and spinning, and a lot of that is due to people coming and us having conversations or them teaching me something new I can pass along to my customers. […] We are offering classes to give the op tion for others to learn. Although I am not an expert in knitting or spinning, I will go out to the com munity and say, “Hey, I need an instructor for this.” I will bring in this person and they can answer your questions, and this is an op portunity for everyone to learn.

[…] This is very much a commu nity-based business.

Based on your available stock, you have a variety of different types of yarns based on colour, thickness, brand, and feel. What is your go-to yarn depending on the hobby you are doing?

I mostly do crochet. When I do crochet, I tend to lean more towards my acrylic yarns. I like to make stuffies, and hard material and crochet uses up more yarn and is something more econom ical, […] where knitters tend to be geared towards natural fibres.

not want to buy the entire book, you are more than welcome to borrow that book, take it home,

on Thursday, it states 6-8 p.m. for gatherings and latenight shoppers. What gather

slack. Especially, the biggest thing is to just get the hand movement down. It doesn’t matter what the

– Brianna Redlich

and sell whatever items I made over the year. But every year there were more people doing crotchet and knitting, and the art certainly became more mainstream. The market almost seemed flooded for makers but I thought people still need the supplies, and I would still love to be surrounded by yarn all day. I wanted to be the person that states “Oh, you want to make this? […] Here are the colours you need, here are the tools, and you can make something beauti ful with this.”

How did the first couple of months after opening go for you?

So, I started online as a place holder, just as there was no place in Regina to get natural fibres be

[…] It does certainly range, some people are looking for basic wool, or some people are looking for something on the higher end. But I find it also depends on your skill level.

Are there any unique items your store has that people should come and check out?

We have a local handmade area. We have fibres that are made in Saskatchewan and sur rounding areas. […] We have also ceramic mugs that are handmade by someone here in Regina, we have crochet stuffies from another local artist. Plus, we also have our pattern library. We take magazine and book donations, and if there is a pattern in a book and you do

photocopy it, use it, and bring it back just like a library.

Based on the website, you plan to have classes at the store. What classes will you be hosting, and can you expand on the information available on your website?

We will have crochet 101 and knitting 101. These are the basic beginner classes, […] this is where we get people started with some of the basic skills, then we are going to have 201 where we will have more complicated stitches. Beginner yarn spinning, sock knitting class, crochet thumb class or thumb mitten class.

On the schedule online

ings are taking place at the store currently?

So, this is a time for the com munity to come together with friends and with a project. This is a time when we set up a bunch of extra chairs, set up a project, have a cup of tea, we share sto ries. This is a nice place for the crochet and knitting community to come together.

What is some advice you would give someone who is learning?

Be patient with yourself, this is the biggest thing. I have seen it in classes when people start to get a little frustrated or overthinking, and you must give yourself some

stitches are like or [if they] look wonky, just get the hand move ment. Also, there is a big com munity if you are starting to get frustrated. Pop in on a Thursday night, or there is a Regina group. Post it on there you will have a bunch of people commenting “This [here] is what you do.”

Visiting the store and having a conversation with Redlich was a great experience. Redlich her self and the store are both very welcoming and really make you feel comfortable. You’re instantly a part of the community, even if you are not a knitter or crocheter. I hope this encourages you to go and check out this store and learn some skills to continue a yarn hobby or start one up!

Walkin’ in a crafter’s wonderland.

Photo: Victoria Baht

“Be patient with yourself, this is the biggest thing. I have seen it in classes when people start to get a little frustrated or overthinking, and you must give yourself some slack. Especially, the biggest thing is to just get the hand movement down.”

You should worry, darling

jorah bright a&c writer

I don’t know about you, but I love celebrity drama. The drama be hind the movie Don’t Worry Darling was so engaging that I had to see the movie.

For a quick recap on the dra ma, our main actors and their characters are Florence Pugh who plays Alice, Harry Styles who plays Jack, Olivia Wilde who is the director and plays Bunny, and Shia LaBeouf who was cast as Jack but didn’t end up in the movie. Jason Sudeikis is not in the movie but was in a relationship with Wilde, who was romantically involved with Styles during much of the promotion of the movie. The movie marketed itself using its sex scenes very heavily, which Florence Pugh was not happy about, especially when Wilde kept talking about them.

Wilde claimed that she fired Shia LaBeouf, but LaBeouf claimed that he quit, and a video leaked of Wilde telling LaBeouf that she wanted to figure things out and the situation was “a wake-up call for Miss Flo [Flor ence Pugh].” After this, Pugh stopped doing press events for Don’t Worry Darling. Very recently, Wilde flipped the switch, saying that people have been talking too much about the sex scenes, when the person talking about it all along was Wilde.

This discussion is not spoiler free, so if you want to watch the

movie unspoiled, stop reading here.

What the fuck is this movie? The whole movie leaves you won dering what is happening and why it is happening. I never once had a solid grasp on what was going on, even with the “happy relationship” between Alice and Jack. We get a happy relation ship for maybe 20 minutes before things start going down. The only real proof feels like what the other characters say about the couple.

Harry Styles is fine as an ac tor, but I spent so long wondering if he was supposed to be British or not. In the beginning, I could not tell if he was British or trying and failing to do an American accent. He was British in Victory, but I wasn’t entirely convinced despite it being Harry’s actual accent.

Why are all the main char acters White except Gemma Chan? The only main character of colour is Margaret, who is immediately seen and treated as crazy, and then kills herself. Even though Gemma Chan is the only POC main character, she’s bare ly there. She teaches the dance class, she yells at Alice, and she stabs Frank (played by Chris Pine) – which was a great move, and I was very proud of her, but I spent the end of that movie so confused about her character. How much did Shelley know about Victory and about Frank? I don’t know and I don’t know if Wilde knew either.

Why is Olivia Wilde’s fore head so big with her hairstyle?

Her forehead is normally not that big. She made the movie; she could have given herself a differ ent hairstyle.

Why does Harry Styles spend several minutes doing a weird tap dance with his hand in the air, making 360-degree turns? Why does Harry Styles dance like that? It was not good.

The movie’s moral resolu tion is: don’t listen to podcasts. That’s it. You spend the entire movie questioning what’s hap pening to Alice and what’s hap pening in Victory, and the answer is that podcasts are bad. Real-life

Jack listens to a podcast, made by Chris Pine’s character Frank, decides to apply for Victory, gets in, and is essentially holding Alice hostage.

He’s keeping her trapped in their room, giving her water through a cloth he wrings out, has her hooked up to IVs, and it’s all very strange and weird. And we never get a conclusion to what happens to Alice when she wakes up and is out of the weird simula tion thing. And, what happens to the other women who are stuck in Victory who have not even been in relationships with the men

they’re married to in the simula tion? They make you believe that there’s at least five or six women who have been kidnapped and are now being forced to live in this simulation where they’re married to these men, who honestly seem like incels.

It certainly was a movie, and it certainly was an experience to watch it in theaters. It’s not good, but it’s not bad either; it’s so bad it’s enjoyable, but only with a friend. Don’t watch this alone, and don’t be afraid to make fun of it the whole time because it’s absurd.

Murphy fan left watching for more

amina salah staff writer

The Watcher is a series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. It premiered on October 13, 2022, to the streaming platform, Netflix. It is based on a 2018 article for New York’s the Cut by Reeves Wiederman whereby the experiences of Derek and Maria Broaddus were told after they re ceived threatening letters to their home in New Jersey in 2014.

The show has received an approval rating of 48 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes with a rating of 5.3/10 from 21 critic reviews. The website’s critic consensus states: “This suburban nightmare sometimes achieves the campy fright of creator Ryan Murphy’s best horror fare, but it sprawls in too many ludicrous directions to satisfy.” I agree with the con sensus; the show was all over the place.

Seeing that it was created by Ryan Murphy, I had high hopes as I am a big fan of all of his works. Following the Brannock family as they move to 657 Bou levard, the show starts off by in troducing viewers to the famous house that attracted letters from the public. Nora and Dean even tually purchase the house as they

move there with their two chil dren, Ellie and Carter. The night that they move in, Carter’s pet is found dead. Shortly after, they be gin receiving letters from a figure that calls themself ‘The Watcher.’ The couple then hire a private in vestigator after the police refuse to follow through on their case.

The Watcher is a show that simply fell short. I felt that the show had no direction. I can un derstand that the creators wanted to remain true to the true story behind the show, however I be lieve it could have been done in a more tasteful manner. The show ended with many things unre solved. The open ending is unsur prising, as the true case remains unsolved to this day.

My issue remains with the many plot holes and overall direc tion of the show. Why is the father an absolute creep? Why does he sexualize his 16-year-old daugh ter? Why does he control her?

Why was this just something that they quickly moved past? It was only addressed for one second.

The trailer of the show was breathtaking. However, the ac tual show is not worth the seven hours of watch time. Aside from my love for Murphy I picked up the show because the Watcher is voiced by none other than Daniel Franzese, who is famously known

for playing Damian in my favou rite movie, Mean Girls. I really enjoyed watching the scenes of the Watcher reading his letters out loud. The addition of Jenni fer Coolidge was also fantastic. It was great to see her play a serious character.

All in all, The Watcher is a great show to watch if you are looking to pass some time. It is something I would leave on as background noise if I am folding clothes, doing laundry, or doing my homework. It was an inter esting show, but it was nothing special. Coming from Murphy, I had extremely high expectations that eventually were shattered. Delving into the story behind the show is something I recommend as this is about real people who experienced real things. However, if you are looking for something actually scary, I recommend you skip The Watcher and instead tune into the new season of American Horror Story which focuses on New York City.

They didn’t just lose the plot, they gave it concrete shoes and tossed it in the harbour

Not feeling quite so peachy are we now, Pugh?

Photo: Raph_PH via Flickr

New Netflix series The Watcher may leave viewers with more questions than the case it’s based on did

sports & health

2022 FIFA World C(orr)up(tion)

sophia stevens s&h writer

The men’s FIFA World Cup is taking place next month in Qa tar. However, this has sparked controversy about how Qatar was selected to be the host country for the 2022 World Cup. For almost a decade, many have suspected Russia and Qatar of buying votes in hopes of winning hosting rights

In 2020, the United States Department of Justice investigat ed allegations surrounding FIFA and the buying of votes. They re ported that representatives work ing for Russia and Qatar had indeed bribed FIFA officials in or der to secure hosting rights for the men’s World Cups. It is alleged that Qatar paid between $1-15 million to three soccer officials from South America for votes.

Qatar to be host countries.

Prosecutors have been able to charge officials and individuals in this case on a variety of different charges, including money laun dering and fraud. This includ ed the United States extraditing multiple people to stand trial in the USA. According to the New York Times, “more than half the people involved in the votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups,

ly provides billions in profits for hosting nations. The 2018 World Cup saw Russia rake in roughly $5.36 billion in overall revenues, which wound up being more than $3.5 billion in total profits. This provides a big incentive for na tions wanting to host the World Cup in their country, therefore leading to multiple forms of cor ruption due to both financial need and the incentive to host these big

concerned over their treatment of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals that they will be safe. However, most don’t believe that the Qatar government will live up to that promise. The Independent Sup porters Council of North Ameri ca put out a statement saying that “we cannot, in good faith, tell our members, LGBTQ+ people or allies, that this is a World Cup for all.”

for both the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, although Russia and Qatar have denied any involve ment.

Prosecutors were able to high light how the corruption scheme took place which included paying five members of FIFA’s top board ahead of voting for Russia and

including the former FIFA presi dent Sepp Blatter, have been ac cused of wrongdoing, though not necessarily criminally charged.”

The World Cup also normal

events where billions of people will be watching.

The allegations against Qa tar have sparked controversy over corruption in addition to issues surrounding human rights. The limitation of freedom of expres sion and assembly in Qatar has sparked outrage, especially in democratic countries competing in Qatar. In a 2021 investigation, the Guardian discovered signifi cant prohibitions imposed by the government of Qatar in the la bour force that led to more than 6,500 deaths of migrant workers since 2010. It was revealed that approximately three dozen of those who died were working on construction relating to the World Cup.

Human Rights Watch re ports that thousands of migrant workers have experienced labour abuses while preparing for the World Cup, and that no financial compensation has been given. In June of 2021, the Norwegian men’s national team wore protest t-shirts stating “Human Rights On and Off the Pitch.” This display was made before their match, demanding justice for mi grant workers in Qatar.

There are also concerns over the rights in Qatar for those in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as Qatar has a horrific human rights record regarding 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. Countries such as Wales have spoken publicly, saying that some of their support staff will not be attending the games in Qatar due to fears over their safety and security within Qatar. In Qatar, same-sex relations are punishable by a three-year prison sentence.

A senior Qatari security official for the World Cup stated recently that 2SLGBTQIA+ fans would be allowed to attend games, how ever, rainbow flags were to be confiscated if flown during the events. They later stated that this is to protect those flying the flag from being physically attacked. Qatar officials have repeat edly tried to convince people

In an interview, England manager Gareth Southgate said this in response to fans feeling unsafe due to discriminatory practices by Qatar towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ community: “We stand for inclusivity as a team –that’s been the big driver of a lot of the stance we’ve taken in the last couple of years – and it would be horrible to think some of our fans feel they can’t go because they feel threatened or worried about their safety.” England in ternational player Jordan Hen derson responded to a briefing given to him and his teammates regarding the human rights issues in Qatar by saying that “When we were given the briefing the other day, it was quite shocking and dis appointing. Horrendous, really, when you hear some of the issues that have been happening there. It is a really important topic, and we really need to get it right as a team.”

Another coach who spoke out was the manager for the Neth erlands, Louis van Gaal, who didn’t mince words in saying that “It’s ridiculous that we are going to play in a country – how does FIFA say it – ‘to develop the foot ball there.’ That is bullshit. But it doesn’t matter – it’s about mon ey, commercial interests. That’s the main motive of FIFA.” These concerns over corruption and hu man rights abuses were also seen at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as many Russian policies echo those of Qatar.

This is not the first time that there has been controversy over certain nations hosting interna tional events. During the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, many democratic countries including the United States came out saying that they would not be sending government officials or represen tatives from their countries to the Olympics due to concerns stem ming from human rights abuses in China. The 2022 World Cup is set to begin on November 20.

Bribes, human rights abuse, and concerns for the safety of attendees abound

“[…] we cannot, in good faith, tell our members, LGBTQ+ people or allies, that this is a World Cup for all.”

– Independent Supporters Council of North America

Regina Thunder remains undefeated this season

victoria baht staff writer

Football season is slowly coming to an end this year in Regina. The Regina Thunder team has been powerful throughout this year and have performed incredibly. In fact, the Regina Thunder team has gone undefeated, and now are heading into playoffs in the upcoming weeks. With such great statistics and their record this sea son so far, the Carillon decided to contact the head coach to see if any of the players would be inter ested in doing an interview with us. We were connected with Ry lan Sokul. Let’s get to know Sokul briefly before we get to the ques tions.

Sokul plays wide receiver, and his player history involves starting out in a junior football program in Wynyard that appears to in clude grades 7-9. He continued to play in high school football at Wynyard Composite Highschool as a quarterback. When Sokul played high school football, he had a successful season in grade 11, which appeared to help him get noticed and opened the door to Regina Thunder the following year. Then, when he came to the team five years ago, he switched to the wide receiver position and he has been playing this position ever since.

Now that we know some player history for Sokul, let’s see how he is feeling about the play offs coming so quickly around the corner.

What are you hoping to see for yourself as a football player?

Currently just taking it one day at a time, just trying to enjoy every moment with the Thunder. Right now, our focus is on win ning the national championship.

Can you reflect on the season thus far, and can you state which game or team was your favourite to play this year?

We have had a successful sea son this year, going 8-0 for the sec ond straight time. I think we have a great group of guys in the lock er room who have really treated and helped us with our success in our games this season. My favou rite game is always when playing Saskatoon, especially when we head up there and play Saskatoon under the lights, it is always a great atmosphere. […] They are also our provincial rivalry, which heightens the excitement and in tensity.

What is your favourite moment of the season per sonally?

One of my favourite mo ments is when we had a player switch to a full-back position this year. In one of our earlier games this year he scored his first touch down of his career, ever. This was an exciting moment that I will re member forever, […] seeing your brother score a touchdown like that and seeing that excitement is

always a great feeling, and brings our team closer.

So far this season your team has done an outstand ing job. What emotions or feelings do you have as a team heading into the play offs?

We are excited, we know we have all the tools and players to win. Now, it is all about going out there, executing our job, and let ting the rest take care of itself.

What is your team doing to fully prepare for the play offs? Is anything different, or is there something you are looking forward to?

We stuck to a similar routine all year with our practices, fo

cusing on the finer details to en sure we’re running as smooth as possible and putting ourselves in the best position to win. No big changes for the playoffs. We just got to keep doing what we are do ing!

Now that the season is coming to an end, it means that some players are leav ing. What are some tips you would give some younger players to hopefully get rec ognized by Thunder to play in upcoming years?

Just show up every day and put in that effort. Some days can be hard and can be a grind, and hard on your body; your mind may be somewhere else. It is all about putting in that grind ev ery day, and working towards

The decades-long debate on MLB doping

How do records obtained while on steroids compare to those obtained without?

sophia stevens s&h writer

On October 4, the New York Yan kees lost against the Texas Rang ers. Outfielder for the Yankees, Aaron Judge, broke the American League record for home runs in a single season. He beat Roger Maris’s home run record from 1961 with a record of 62 home runs – a record that has stood for 61 years. Although, the Nation al League record still stands at 73 home runs in 2001 by Barry Bonds.

There is much controversy over Bonds’ records, as he was found to be using steroids back in 2003. Therefore, it begs the question of whether these types of records obtained while using performance-enhancing drugs should continue to be valid with in baseball. Baseball supporters and commentators believe that, due to Bonds’ steroid use, his re cords are now tainted. Therefore, his records should be terminated, because baseball needs to move on from its steroid era which took place from the mid-1990s to the early-2000s.

Since Major League Baseball (MLB) still recognises Bonds’ re cord as being valid, that means

that the record still stands as the record to beat. Bonds’ record also surpasses Babe Ruth, whose re cord was 60 home runs in a single season in the American League.

Bonds is not the first MLB play er to be caught doping. Many big names in baseball who have doped have admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.

The players who have admit ted to doping have received for giveness from fans over the course of a few years. This includes former New York Yankee player Alex Rodriguez and former Colo rado Rockies player Jason Giam bi. However, players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have not admitted to using perfor mance-enhancing drugs and have received more negative push back from fans and commentators as many believe that they are lying to the public.

The MLB does not want to spark controversy and has let the debate of “tainted” records due to doping be decided during the Hall of Fame voting. The organi zation thinks that alleged steroid users not being accepted into the Hall of Fame by the voters speaks volumes compared to not ad dressing the MLB records by al leged steroid users. In his 10 years on the ballot for the Hall of Fame,

Barry Bonds received 66 per cent of the votes which is well short of the 75 per cent which is required to get into the Hall of Fame.

In his tell-all book Juiced, Jose Canseco states that during his playing career from the mid1980s to the early-2000s, as much as 80 per cent of MLB players took steroids, and acknowledges that he used steroids for his en tire career. Therefore, how many more records are tainted from ste roid use by players that the public or MLB does not know about? Unfortunately for Aaron Judge, his moment of record-breaking glory was clouded by the inevita ble questions of doping and taint ed records due to the MLB’s past.

Judge’s record-breaking mo ment should be celebrated as it showcases that it is still possible to break records that may seem improbable to break. The New York Yankees are currently 0-2 against the Houston Astros, going into game three of the League Championship Series. This will give Judge the opportunity to beat the most post-season home runs of eight in a single season, held by Carlos Beltran and Barry Bonds.

Fried, poached, or scrambled?

that goal of making the team or earning that starting position and becoming an all-star. Just keep putting in that work every day. […] Know that we also have win ter camps that take place indoors in Moose Jaw, and there are also four-five rookie camps through the winter months. This is when all high school guys can come out and showcase their talent for the team.

Well, it sounds like Sokul is just pumped for the playoffs and to find out what the end results are for the national champion ship game. Let’s wish the Regina Thunder team luck, and hopeful ly we will see a big win at the na tional championships.

Wide receiver Rylan Sokul speaks on gameplay, how to get noticed as a player, and preparations for the national championship

A tackle attempt, or herding?

Photo: Wanda Harron

Pierre Poilievre and his strange political affiliations Poilievre seems to believe his own politics wholeheartedly; that may be a problem

bodie robinson staff writer

Pierre Poilievre is the new leader of the official Opposition. Poil ievre won the Conservative Party leadership election on September 10, 2022. In fact, he didn’t just win – he annihilated everyone else on the ballot. It wasn’t even close. Normally these leadership elections require several rounds of voting, but not for Poilievre. He won a first-ballot victory; something that hasn’t happened since 2004.

Not only is Poilievre the new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, he could likely be the next prime minister as well. A poll released last week by Nanos Re search showed that Poilievre and Trudeau are virtually tied as the preferred prime minister of Ca nadians; Poilievre at 30 per cent, Trudeau at 29.8 per cent. So, who is this guy, and why is he doing so well?

Poilievre has always been in politics. As a teen, he spent time volunteering in Alberta’s conser vative circles. He attended the University of Calgary as an In ternational Relations student. At age 25, Poilievre was elected as a member of Parliament. He hasn’t left federal politics since then. Un der Harper, he served as Minister for Democratic Reform, and later as Minister of Employment and Social Development. In recent years, Poilievre served as the offi cial Opposition’s finance critic.

It’s obvious that politics is a personal passion of Poilievre’s. In interviews, he frequently cites Edmund Burke, an Irish-British politician and philosopher, con sidered to be a founding figure in modern conservative politics.

Another favourite of Poilievre’s is Milton Friedman, the libertarian free-market ideologue par excel lence. Apparently, Poilievre has spent considerable time in the realm of theory, forming his po litical thought.

up the people’s taxes and hinder ing progress with bloated regula tions – that must be reined in by no-nonsense politicians like him self. “I don’t want the state to run people’s lives anymore,” he says. Cute.

For Poilievre, the problems of government are readily apparent; the solutions are even more ap parent and elegantly simple. His logic is well-greased and persua sive. It seems that, in Poilievre’s world, politics is about applying rationality to the problems of the world and implementing reason able solutions. This is his incur able flaw.

He’s intelligent. He’s articu late. He’s confident. He’s charis matic. But he lacks the essential ingredient that separates all good politicians from the great ones: cynicism. His biggest problem is that he is idealistic, and he seems to actually believe what he says. Even worse, he seems to lack even the capacity for cynicism – at least for now.

Poilievre has been under fire in recent weeks for allegedly try ing to appeal to misogynists on his official YouTube channel. Going back to 2018, Poilievre’s YouTube videos included a hidden tag: #MGTOW. The acronym stands for Men Going Their Own Way.

MGTOW is a loosely orga nized online community of an ti-feminists and male supremacists who believe all women are pro miscuous, manipulative gold-dig gers. Something like that. And adherents of MGTOW, privy to this harsh reality, as they see it, separate themselves from women in order to protect their fragile hearts and property. Hence, ‘go ing their own way.’

It’s not a great look for Poil ievre. When this hidden tag was revealed, Poilievre’s social media team immediately removed it from his YouTube videos. Poil ievre swiftly denounced MG TOW and all extremist ideolo gies, adding, of course, that he is very much not a misogynist.

shady social media lackey who added the tag as a joke, or as some clever ploy to game YouTube’s algorithm. We’ll probably never know. And it’s not like MGTOW is anywhere near the mainstream discourse these days anyway.

Does anyone care anymore?

For a slightly more recent is sue, Poilievre has voiced his sup port for the trucker convoy. In an interview with Jordan Peterson on May 9, 2022, Poilievre stated

ten thousand people, you will find bad actors. But that doesn’t mean all nine or ten thousand are bad actors.”

Does Poilievre really believe that mass movements can be distinguished this way? Naïve. When you join forces with pop ulist right-wing movements like the trucker convoy, expect to have strange bedfellows. The pres ence of conspiracy theorists and other far-right elements in pop

of the people who attend to find one person they can disparage the whole group with. [… People] should be individually responsible for the things they say and do. But that doesn’t mean we disparage the thousands of hardworking, law-abiding, and peaceful truck ers who quite frankly have kept all of you alive these past two years.”

Poilievre has that ailment that most conservative politicians –and especially libertarian-leaning

He speaks effortlessly and confidently about his favourite political topics: free markets, in dividual responsibility, managing debt, small government, personal liberty, and so on. In this regard, he is irresistibly persuasive. For Poilievre, politics is a very simple continuum with big government and oppression on one end, and small government and freedom on the other. In his view, the state is an insatiable behemoth – eating

Speaking in the House of Commons, Poileivre said, “Of course we on this side reject all misogyny and all acts of extrem ism, and that is how we will always conduct ourselves over here.”

Considering Poilievre’s pub lic persona and his mostly un blemished past, there is no reason to believe that he has any sympa thies with MGTOW. Besides, the tag was probably added back in 2018. It may have been some

the following: “I support those peaceful, law-abiding truckers who came to Ottawa to peace fully protest for their livelihoods and liberties. And I simultaneous ly condemn any individuals who broke laws, behaved badly, or blockaded critical infrastructure.

I think it’s possible to hold indi vidually accountable bad actors without painting every single per son with the same brush. If you go to any protest that had nine or

ulist movements has become a common fixture. Try going to a Trump rally that doesn’t have at least a handful of QAnon believ ers. That’s just the condition of right-wing politics at the moment.

In January 2022, Poilievre addressed the problem of farright extremists within the trucker convoy movement: “When there’s a left-wing protest on Parliament Hill, we don’t see the liberal media look through every single name

ones – suffer from: they are delud ed into thinking that politics can become an individual affair as op posed to a collectivist one. It’s this delusion that has prevented liber tarianism from gaining meaning ful control anywhere. If Poilievre ever reaches the real corridors of power, he’ll quickly realize that these individualist and libertarian views are infantile fantasies.

Illustration: Lee Lim

If only having great hair made one a brilliant politician, the country would not be in this mess today.

“It seems that, in Poilievre’s world, politics is about applying rationality to the problems of the world and implementing reasonable solutions. This is his incurable flaw.”

– Bodie Robinson

Shein: success with a side of scrutiny

Building a fast fashion fortune on the backs of workers

amina salah staff writer

Fast fashion is one of the leading causes of environmental deg radation and climate change. When we think of fast fashion, it is usually brands such as Zara and H&M that cross our minds. Today, Shein is one of the biggest fast fashion clothing manufactur ers. It has surpassed the likes of Zara and H&M, bringing in more money each year than both of the aforementioned companies com bined, coming in at a value of $100 billion according to the Wall Street Journal.

Shein was founded in 2008. It is known for inexpensive clothes, beauty, and lifestyle items. It was founded by Chris Xu, whose background is in marketing and search engine optimization. Xu was initially selling wedding dresses online. However, by 2012, the company diversified by sell ing womenswear and changing its name to Shein. According to Coresight, the company adds 2,000 new styles to its website and app daily. Last year, Shein sur passed Amazon and became the most downloaded shopping app in the US. A report by Earnest Research states that it has also be come the largest fashion retailer in the US in terms of sales.

The world of fast fashion, es pecially Shein, operates on a busi ness model that is on demand. The traditional high fashion world has two seasons – spring/ summer and fall/winter. The spring/summer season runs from January to June while fall/winter runs from July to December.

The fast fashion world oper ates on its own timeline. There are 52 micro-seasons each year. This means that each week there is a brand-new collection. Fashion is constantly evolving; it’s constantly progressing. In order to keep up, fast fashion brands watch the run ways and copy all trendy clothing items. The following week, a new collection comes out with clothes copied from high fashion design ers such as the likes of Chanel, Gucci, and even smaller designers and brands.

Shein’s success does not ex ist without scrutiny. It is not only associated with environmental degradation, it has also been ac cused of stealing designs from small scale brands and designers. Furthermore, artists have had their designs stolen by the brand as well. Vanessa Bowman, an oil painter, recently told the Guard ian that one of her pieces has ap

peared on a Shein clothing item without her permission.

The biggest issue facing Shein is the lack of regard for its workers. A recent undercover in vestigation from Channel 4 and the i, a British national morning paper, has highlighted the harsh reality that lies behind Shein fac tories. Employees at factories in China are the ones who supply clothes to Shein. These people often work up to 18 hours daily, with no weekends. They are only given one day off per month. In the undercover investigation, a woman used a fake name to get a job in two factories. She secretly filmed what she saw. This footage is showcased in Untold: Inside the Shein Machine, which is being streamed on Channel 4.

The working conditions are absolutely horrible. The report states that workers receive a base salary of 4,000 yuan per month. At the time of writing, this is the equivalent of $556 monthly to make around 500 pieces of cloth ing daily. The investigation also

revealed that they do not get the first month’s pay.

The work is based on com mission, with the workers often earning a commission of just two cents per item of clothing made. The workers in the second facto ry do not receive a base salary. In stead, they are paid a little under 4 cents for each item of clothing they make, according to the un dercover investigation. Employ ees are also fined up to two thirds of their daily pay if a mistake is made. Working conditions are so revolting that women working at the factories wash their hair during their lunch breaks because they have little to no time to do anything after work.

Shein told Business Insider that it is “extremely concerned” by the results of the undercover investigation. It said it “would violate the Code of Conduct agreed to by every Shein suppli er.” Shein stated that its code of conduct for its supplier is “based on International Labor Orga nization conventions and local

laws and regulations, including labor practices and working con ditions.”

“Any non-compliance with this code is dealt with swiftly, and we will terminate partnerships that do not meet our standards,” the brand highlighted. The com pany stated that it had requested specific information from Chan nel 4 so that it can begin its own investigation process.

I personally believe that Shein has always been aware of the working condition of its employees; it just never cared enough to take action. I do not believe that anything substantial will be done to tackle the matter either. What they are doing at this moment is just a lazy, recycled PR move.

This is a company that does not deserve the success it has got ten. It is only able to succeed at this rate due to the exploitation that comes with capitalism. Shein is ultimately the poster child for exploitation and negative envi ronmental impact. According to

experts who have spoken to CBC, Shein’s clothing contain 20 times the amount of lead that Health Canada says is safe for children. Its clothing has also been found to contain perfluoroalkyl (PFA) as well as phthalates. These are all extremely hazardous to human health and cause damage when they are released into the environ ment. Pollution is an ongoing ep idemic as a result of the retailer’s use of cheap synthetic materials which contain micro-plastics. The success of fast fashion has been interesting to witness. TikTok alone shows how large the reach, influence, and pow er that retailers such as Shein hold. Its influence can be seen all throughout the app as there are hundreds of thousands of haul videos for public consumption. Above all, there is one thing for certain: Shein deserves the scruti ny it has received from the public. It deserves to be exposed for what it really is – a corrupt, unethical, exploitative company.

– Amina Salah

Shein is a leader in the world today, in both clothing styles and mistreating workers.

Illustration: Lee Lim

“I personally believe that Shein has always been aware of the working condition of its employees; it just never cared enough to take action. I do not believe that anything substantial will be done to tackle the matter either.”