The Carillon - Volume 65, Issue 17 - February 2, 2023

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

web manager jaedyn whittal web@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 wren gessner arts@carillonregina.com

s&h editor vacant sports@carillonregina.com

op-ed editor hammad ali op-ed@carillonregina.com

distribution manager sunpreet sidhu distribution@carillonregina.com

staff writer amina salah

staff writer victoria baht

staff writer kate sveinbjornson

news writer josh king

a&c writer will bright s&h writer sophia stevens

contributors

katlyn richards

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

2, 2023

student fees sent p. 3

While students at a 2020 referendum did vote to say none of their funds should be sent, URSU has delivered $500K to CFS with another $500K planned in the next five years.

With art, creativity, and innovation comes joy, and there is thankfully no shortage of joy across this issue. We’re a few weeks past blue Monday now but spirits are still tumultuous, so be sure to keep updated on all the development happening in and around our campus.

We still have one staff position open, are always looking for contributors, and a few student-at-large seats on our board of directors remain open, so if you’re looking to get involved after paging through this issue please email me (editor@carillonregina.com) and I’ll direct you as best I can!

holly funk editor-in-chief

women’s basketball p. 10

The women’s Cougars basketball team has ranked first nearly the entire season, and are gearing up for the money matches while doing what they can to keep level heads.

news

the paper

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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 summer. The Carillon is published by the Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non-profit organization.

land acknowledgement

The Carillon is written on Treaty 4 territory. As such, 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 Cree, Saulteaux, 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 demonstrating our commitment to telling stories and prioritizing voices that further the return of this land to its sacred place.

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 proposed buildlings was a beltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower.

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

the people’s friend; the tyrant’s foe

student counselling p. 5

With midterms rapidly approaching and life in Regina reaching new financial and stressful highs, Kate Sveinbjornson covers recent feedback of counselling services.

s&h

intramural update p.11

Open to any students interested and able to get to campus, intramurals are gearing up for the season and tournament plans are in the works.

craft café p. 8

Returning from a mostly-Zoom delivery, Campion’s Craft Café is back up and running in person. Learn about location, time, and topics in this quick update.

flight troubles p. 14

More and more airline companies are canceling flight routes to Regina, and some students are left feeling that they can’t wait to leave post-graduation.

gillian massie news editor

Despite the 2020 referendum voting against it, the University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) will be paying a grand total of $1 million to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).

The 2020 referendum is when students voted to stop paying fees to the CFS. URSU label on their website the 2020 referendum as one that was “illegal, violated URSU’s contractual agreements, and placed a large liability on URSU and students.”

In the August 9, 2022 meeting minutes package, URSU brough forth “Motion A: Canadian Federation of Students – Withheld Dues,” where it was stated URSU withheld these dues from the CFS between 2015-2020. These dues amounted to $1 million within the five year period. URSU determined in August it would pay $500,000 in withheld fees over the next five years, with an immediate payment of $500,000.

The money being paid to the CFS is made up of student fees.

While the 2020 referendum opted out of paying CFS fees, motion A explained that URSU was “legally indefensible in terms of the dues between 2015-2020.”

in “withheld”

URSU will decide what to do with the remaining fees still withheld at their next Annual General Meeting, which according to the meeting minutes from December 13, 2022 is being planned for 5 p.m. on March 2, 2023.

The August 9, 2022 URSU meeting minutes package was a part of the six months of URSU meeting minutes that were not published within the 14-day timeframe following the resolution of the meeting. The Carillon has requested a statement from URSU about why it took so long to publish the minutes.

Students previously paid for CFS services costing them $157,000 a year for federal and provincial advocacy.

In 2016, Shawn Wiskar, URSU VP of external affairs, said that post-secondary students did not see the benefits of the membership in our location on the prairies. “It’s [the federation’s contributions] not really working effectively here in Saskatchewan,” said Wiskar to the Carillon on October 2, 2016. “We find that they don’t really do a lot for us. We pay fees and then we don’t really see what happens to those fees.”

In the 2020 URSU referendum, students made a clear decision they wanted to stop paying these fees. The plebiscite from

CFS funds by URSU

the 2020 referendum stated “since 2016, CFS has failed to provide any meaningful campaigns that would benefit students in Saskatchewan.”

If the students voted in favour of the 2020 referendum, they would be voting that “none of the URSU student fees I have paid or will pay in the future be submitted to CFS and/or CFS Saskatchewan.”

The vote went through with 861 in favour, 99 against, and 615 abstained.

URSU has stated in motion A that remaining dues will have to be paid to leave the CFS permanently. Questions began to arise about the student fees and the CFS last year. In March 2022, the Carillon reported on students organizing the “Speak Up and Vote No” campaign in protest towards the 2022 referendum. They mentioned concerns whether URSU had begun the process of opting out of CFS fees, despite the referendum being approved two years earlier.

The Carillon has made a request to speak to URSU about CFS funds.

New Science Centre exhibit dissects racism

A magnified look to at how we identify racial bias

The Saskatchewan Science Centre is putting racism under the microscope. Last week, the Saskatchewan Science Centre opened a new visiting exhibit called Behind Racism: Challenging the Way We Think, which will be here in town until April 2. The exhibit is brought to the museum by the Canadian Race Relations

Foundation (CCRF), a registered charity started by the federal government as a crown corporation.

The Behind Racism exhibit has previously been shown at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Ontario Science Centre. Before coming to Regina, it was an exhibit at the Discovery Centre in Halifax.

The Saskatchewan Science Centre website markets the exhibit as one that “explores the mental processes that contribute to racism and discrimination.”

The Science Centre asks viewers “could we unearth the roots of racism in ourselves, alter our own behaviours and effect greater change across our communities

and institutions?”

I visited the Science Centre myself and found the exhibit on the second floor, taking up about a quarter of the floor space. The exhibit consists of three modules which address demographic data about the disproportionate impacts that ethnic minorities face, understanding bias, and strategies for reducing bias.

Approaching the exhibit, one cannot see inside but can hear recorded voices through the thin walls. Upon entering, a large 3-D bar graph in the centre of the exhibit catches one’s attention with bright red rectangles as large as a person, detailing the statistics for hate crimes in Canada in recent years.

Near the graph, one is drawn to a TV where different Canadians are talking about their experiences of discrimination. I heard a man talking about his experience of being Jewish in Quebec, detailing how 1960s housing laws prevented the sale of certain lots to people of Jewish descent.

Leaving the first module, one encounters a wall of text and statistics about the impacts of racism in Canada.

The next area begins talking about seemingly unrelated topics of prediction bias and having viewers perform a visual challenge to read a list of colour names which are coloured in ways that don’t match the name.

One is then invited to try a mock implicit bias test. Rather than being about racial bias, the exhibit uses the visitor’s choice of cats versus dogs or healthy food versus junk food as an example of how implicit bias functions. I found out that I’m a little biased against junk food, and along the way learned how a complicated psychological test works.

Finally, the last section of the exhibit gives visitors strategies for reducing bias and leaves the viewer asking how optimistic they are that Canadians can overcome racism.

If you’re planning a visit yourself, it took me about half an hour to go through the exhibit fairly thoroughly. However, if one wanted to see every video and read the text more carefully, someone could spend much longer there.

Like many Science Centre exhibits, there was a mix of wall text, infographics, educational videos, and activities to try that are appropriate for all ages.

Overall, Behind Racism is packed full of enough information that there is something for everyone to take away and apply in their own lives.

A globe frames the beginning of the Behind Racism exhibit.

Photo: Josh King

$500,000 has already been paid $1 million to pay

Students express mixed feelings on AI writing generator

What do the students say? Is it a tool or a takeover?

josh king news writer

The world’s leading science journals are feuding over the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in academia this week.

Nature, the world’s most cited science journal, and Science, the world’s third most cited science journal, released conflicting statements this week about the use of an AI known as ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a publicly available chatbot which has co-authored scientific papers submitted to journals while also producing well-written essays. Nearly two full months after its release, ChatGPT is continuing to make headlines due to its ability to make human-sounding text responses. ChatGPT’s potential use for breaching academic integrity has been a serious concern at universities since it is freely accessible and bypasses most plagiarism checkers.

Dominick Smarda recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and is now pursuing an education degree.

“You’re supposed to use your own authentic work,” Smarda said on the flares of ChatGPT being used in other universities across Canada. He said students should not use ChatGPT for schoolwork.

“You’re not understanding the things university is meant to teach you,” he said about students who use the AI program for their schoolwork. “That’s where academic integrity is being tarnished with these chatbots, you’re lacking in your authentic work.”

Liz Ordiz, an education student who recently completed a Bachelor of Public Health degree, couldn’t see herself making use of ChatGPT.

“My work should reflect my creativity,” said Ordiz.

On January 24, Nature released an editorial outlining the appropriate use of chatbots in writing scientific papers. Nature warned “Researchers should ask themselves how the transparency and trust-worthiness that the process of generating knowledge relies on can be maintained if they or their colleagues use software that works in a fundamentally opaque manner.”

Referring to some research papers recently published with ChatGPT listed as an author, the editor said “no LLM [large-language model] tool will be accepted as a credited author on a research paper.” The editor reasoned “that is because any attribution of authorship carries with it accountability for the work, and AI tools cannot take such responsibility.”

However, Nature did not ban the use of chatbots in academic writing, but instead laid out ground rules for its use. The appropriate protocol for using chatbots is to be transparent about the chatbots use in the acknowledgement or methods section and not to credit it as an author.

Another leading journal, Sci-

struggling with important questions.”

Here at the university, students are also thinking about what ChatGPT might mean for life outside academia. Megan Fries, an Education student, has concerns that teachers may use the chatbot to help plan lessons.

“The magic happens in the

looking into the potential uses of chatbots in education. A 2021 systematic review of the applications of chatbots in education published in Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence found that chatbots were being used by some teachers to offer more individualized and interactive help to students, since students could en-

er students may find it useful, Fries said “Maybe not in a university.”

While Science may not approve of ChatGPT’s use in published work, the editor of Science said “The implications for education may push academics to rethink their courses in innovative ways and give assignments that aren’t easily solved by AI.” Science concluded “That could be for the best.”

Meanwhile, public schools in New York state, Seattle, and some Australian states have banned the use of ChatGPT.

The University of Regina’s academic integrity is handled on a department-by-department basis, and the university has not yet released a position on the use of ChatGPT.

Plagiarism is defined as “a form of academic dishonesty where the work of another person is submitted without acknowledgement,” according to the U of R’s student code of conduct.

Smarda expressed some confusion over how chatbots fit into the definition of plagiarism.

“It’s technically no other person’s work, but it’s just not your own,” he said. Dominick found it to be a bit of a grey zone. “It kind of drives that fine line.”

Many students I spoke to declined to be interviewed because they did not feel familiar enough with the use of chatbots to comment. This would seem to contradict one survey by study.com which found that 89 per cent of students reported using ChatGPT to help with homework. The survey asked 1000 students, though it does not have a transparent methodology posted.

Fries reported learning about the chatbot when an online friend posted a misleading video on social media that claimed ChatGPT could write a novel in three seconds, and, upon trying it herself, “found that it was a lot slower.”

Similarly, this week, stories were widely circulating about ChatGPT being able to pass the medical licensing exam in the US. However, this is based on a misreading of a pre-print paper which showed that ChatGPT could barely average passing range on two of the three sections under some circumstances and not under others. All three sections would need to be passed to be licensed, and licensing also requires other training and skills.

ence, released an editorial two days later stating that any use of chatbots will be considered academic misconduct. While Nature focused on authenticity, Science focused on humanity, saying “The scientific record is ultimately one of the human endeavor of

classroom,” said Fries. “You can get a lesson plan from a different teacher or from a textbook or from a chatbot and with how you implement it, it’s completely your own.”

While ChatGPT is new, researchers have already been

gage the chatbot in dialogue and questioning.

Fries saw some potential use, saying “I’m a creative person, so I would think that a chatbot would be good if you’re stuck, […] you can start with at least some sort of prompt.” Speaking about wheth-

Some students expressed concern, such as Liz who was concerned that her work is “competing” against bots.

“What are we losing because of it?” Fries asked, appearing not yet certain of the answer.

It’s happening, the machines are taking over. Image: Created with the assistance of DALL-E

“My work should reflect my creativity.”

– Liz Ordiz

Weak solutions blanket homelessness

Critical aid needed in housing crisis

kate sveinbjornson staff writer

Homelessness is a growing issue in Regina, and after a tent fire in December, more people are asking how the City of Regina will address the issue of homelessness in 2023.

On the 1800 block of Halifax Street on December 13, a fire broke out in a local tent community. The residents were forced to flee, leaving the little possessions they had to burn. The Regina Fire Department was called, and they were able to control the fire, leaving the makeshift tent site in ashes. It started from a nearby garage explosion and quickly spread to the small community. Many organizations around Regina opened their doors to any of the victims affected by the fire, but none were reported to have shown up.

This fire was devastating to the local community and brought up questions relating to homelessness in Regina. Many people pointed to the fact the ‘5-YearEnd Episodic and Chronic Homelessness’ plan did not have the effect that they hoped.

“The three measures identified by stakeholders are giving everyone access to service when they need it,” stated the document. “Homelessness being rare, brief, or non-occurring, and having services increasingly coordi-

nated.” Regina community members have cited these promises as not being effective, and the issue of homelessness not being anywhere near gone.

One of the newer developments the city has invested in is warming buses, with the purpose of warm the homeless population. While obviously warming buses are not a long-term fix, the City of Regina is using it as a first step.

In November 2018, the City of Regina launched the warming bus stations. The bus operates every night on the 1600 block of 11th Avenue, running from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. This venture at first was greeted with support, with people and organizations often bringing warm food and drinks for people on board.

But in January, these warming stations took a turn that is worrying community members. Signs were displayed that disallowed outsiders from bringing food or drinks in for the people inside.

“We could not safely and fairly distribute food donations or provide a healthy space for food consumption,” responded the City of Regina when this issue was brought up. They stated that the bus was meant to be a warm overnight space, which is not meant to provide the same services as a homeless shelter.

The City of Regina also cited the fact that, to deal effectively with the homelessness situation in Regina that’s estimated to take approximately $63 million to be funded, they would need to charge each homeowner $40 ev-

ery month in 2023, and $11 every month in 2024.

Large and small organizations have been continuing to work hard to provide food and shelter for people experiencing homelessness, but many say it’s

not enough. There are 488 homeless people in Regina according to the 2021 census, and many are looking at the City of Regina to deploy a sustainable and effective plan soon.

Counselling appointments more ‘accessible’ say students

Mental health is an important part of overall wellness, and something many students struggle with. Most students deal with tough times once in a while, which may moderately or severely affect a student’s well-being or ability to complete schoolwork or attend class. Seeing this issue arise many years ago, the University of Regina established professional counselling. Counselling at the U of R gives students access to a mental health professional who can help them deal with issues in their day-to-day lives.

To better understand how these accommodations help, I interviewed Abby Atkins, a social justice student, and Hope Rittwage, a non-major student. Abby has used the service once, and Hope has and is continuing to use the university’s counselling service. Both interviews can help to get a real look into how the U of R handles mental health.

Atkins said it was easy to access the counselling services. “I had looked options up online because I was in a time of need,” they said. “The process was quite simple and easy, although I had to go in person when I requested Zoom. That was a bit scary at first.”

Rittwage agreed the services were easily accessible, and the front desk was helpful. “I found it easiest to go to Student Affairs in Riddell,” said Rittwage. “They’ll

give you a link to an online source where you answer questions to help pair you with a counsellor.

Atkins explained they got what they needed from the session. “I think it was helpful,” said

my setbacks with my issue, so I would say it did what it needed to. The waiting room was a lit-

positive direction.

For a free appointment, Atkins recommends using the counselling service. “I would only recommend it to people who have specific problems or one issue at a time,” they said. “For people with more ongoing issues, something more intense or continuous would be better.”

Rittwage agrees “It is helpful because you are getting help for mental issues that can really affect your school, I use it often to help me with my PTSD.”

Mental health has been a taboo subject in the past, but now it’s becoming more common for people to seek out counselling or therapy services. Many people assume counselling is only for people with diagnosed mental illnesses, but that’s not at all the case. It can be helpful for general mental health or to help navigate tough situations or choices. Everyone has tough times in their lives, and as a U of R student, it can be helpful to give counselling services a try when times get tough. To access U of R counselling, go to uregina.ca/student/counselling/ for more info on what is offered, or visit the Student Wellness Centre at 119 Paskwāw Tower 8:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Then they will email you a schedule, then you must pick a date to either meet up in person or on Zoom.”

Atkins. “It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was what I needed at the time. It helped with visualizing my emotions and seeing

tle anxiety-creating though, as it was very empty, quiet, similar to a doctor’s office.” Rittwage agreed the appointment steered her in a

& culture

The history of YouTube boxing

What are you here for? The drama or charity?

Logan and KSI, would fight each other.

Influencer boxing first came into the mainstream in 2018 with KSI vs Joe Weller. Since then, influencer boxing matches have become more and more popular online. It has become normal for influencers to challenge other influencers they don’t like to boxing matches, even if the other influencer doesn’t accept.

Creator Clash 2, one of the biggest influencer boxing matches, recently started announcing their new fighters for the event. With Creator Clash 2 making its way around the influencer circles, I figured it was time to look back

Despite the fight being advertised equally as KSI vs Logan Paul and Deji vs Jake Paul, the event is still generally known as KSI vs Logan Paul. There were many occasions where opponents instigated reactions from each other outside the ring. During a press conference in July about the fight, both Logan and Jake Paul walked out early because of comments KSI and Deji were making about them and their personal relationships with other people.

Outside of that press conference, even more attacks were laid out. Fans of Deji and KSI allegedly attacked the Pauls’ vehicles. Greg Paul, Logan and Jake’s

between the pair, but many criticized it for being a professional fight. They saw it as insulting because they were not professional boxers. KSI won this fight. We have a much better estimate of the earnings in this fight, knowing that each fighter earned at least $900,000 USD, but likely quite a bit more.

One of the next big fights was the ‘Battle of the Platforms’ event in June 2021. It was advertised as a YouTubers vs TikTokers event. The headliners were Austin McBroom of the Ace Family and TikToker Bryce Hall.

The drama between McBroom and Hall started in December 2020. McBroom posted a video to his Instagram saying

repeatedly traded blows, insulting each other. In the end, McBroom beat Hall, though this wasn’t the end of McBroom vs Hall.

By October 2021, Hall still had not been paid for participating in the fight. He said that McBroom owed him $5 million for the fight. By August 2022, Hall confirmed he had been paid, but money was still lost. According to Billboard, the event only brought in a maximum of $10 million, even though it cost $20 million to create.

Similar to the KSI vs Logan Paul fight, Battle of the Platforms had a pay-per-view package, and it was expected to sell at least 1.7 million packages, yet only sold 135,000.

Creator Clash started as a callout from iDubbbz to RiceGum in a 2018 video. In response, RiceGum asked for a boxing match, yet backed out later. iDubbbz decided to continue with the event and it would become known as Creator Clash. In the end, the event donated almost $1 million to three separate charities.

In December 2022, we saw another influencer boxing event with a twist. Ludwig’s Mogul Chessboxing Championship combined boxing and chess. Each fight alternated between boxing and chess, and the winner was decided by boxing means or chess means, whatever won first.

The event director behind Mogul Moves, Ludwig’s company,

at some of the previous influencer boxing events and some of the controversy surrounding them.

Starting with KSI vs Logan Paul, this event was majorly promoted online. Many people called it ‘the biggest internet event in history.’ The fight was an amateur match that took place at AO Arena in Manchester, England on August 25, 2018.

This match started with KSI asking Logan’s younger brother, Jake Paul, to box against him in the ring. The younger Paul brother agreed to this fight initially, but they decided to switch things up a bit. Jake stepped down so he could fight KSI’s youngest brother, Deji, while the older brothers,

father, was hit in the head by one fan.

To attend the fight in person it would cost anywhere between €30 and €495 depending on what kind of ticket you got. If you weren’t going in person, you could pay €10 to view it on payper-view. Exactly how much each fighter was paid is unknown, but it’s less than €20 million, while still being a high amount. The fight ended in a draw between Logan and KSI, while Jake beat Deji.

KSI and Logan Paul fought again in Los Angeles in November 2019. Unlike the first match, this was a professional fight. This fight came with a lot less drama

“I’ve got enough kids, but I’ll make you my son,” while being seen boxing in a training ring. Hall entered the picture in March 2021 when he posted screenshots to Twitter showing messages between the two. Hall said “All this because I won’t accept his little fight and now he’s crying because he can’t pay his cleaning lady,” alluding to McBroom’s alleged financial troubles at the time and whose home would be foreclosed on later that year.

In March 2021, Hall finally agreed to fight McBroom and the YouTubers vs TikTokers event came to life. Behind the event was McBroom’s own company, Social Gloves. On social media, the pair

The other company involved, Live X Live, sued McBroom for the loss of money around the fight. They claimed that, because of comments McBroom made after the fight, they lost almost $100 million.

One of the next big fights was Creator Clash. Unlike the other fights mentioned here, this was for charity. It took place on May 14, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. Many popular YouTubers participated in this event, including Arin from Game Grumps, animator TheOdd1sOut, SuperMega, and JustaMinx. The event was headlined by iDubbbz, the organizer of the event, and influencer doctor Doctor Mike.

announced on their podcast, The Yard, that the event cost $1.6 million. The event did not make any money despite the hype around it, but it was close to breaking even. It was streamed on YouTube and the concurrent viewers peaked at 316,000.

Creator Clash 2 is set to occur on April 15, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. The headliners are iDubbbz and Alex Wassabi. In-person tickets range from $30 to $500 and pay-per-view pricing ranges from $20 to $35. At this event, you can see creators like Marisha Ray, Myth, Arin Hanson, Jarvis Johnson, Alanah Pearce, CrankGameplays, and Jack Manifold.

“Unlike the other fights mentioned here, [Creator Clash] was for charity”

– Will Bright

The Everyday Kitchen – a coffee shop series

Could these be the best doughnuts in the city?

victoria baht staff writer

Are you looking for a cute coffee shop? Well, have I found one for you! The great thing about this cafe compared to other coffee shops is that the kitchen specializes in unique kinds of doughnuts. Let’s talk about all of the goods you can find in The Everyday Kitchen, a small shop located at 1378 Hamilton Street.

First, let’s talk about doughnuts. This kitchen specializes in a variety of different doughnuts that you likely won’t find anywhere else. They have such a wide variety of original flavours. Based on their website, some options are chocolate coffee, pistachio cream, raspberry lemonade, brown butter, and cinnamon bun.

The cinnamon bun donut is the one you can see in my photo; in other words, the one I tasted for this review! In my mind, when I was going up to order, I couldn’t help but think “Wow, two-in-one! A cinnamon bun is already a treat, but now it’s in the form of a doughnut. I have got to try this out!” That is exactly what I did.

Let’s just say it was delicious. When looking at this doughnut, you can see the sugar sprinkled on the outside, topped with cream cheese, and dusted with cinnamon. When I took a bite of the doughnut, it was the perfect com-

bination between cinnamon bun flavour and the doughy texture of doughnut. If you don’t know what I mean, I guess you will just have to go and check it out yourself.

While I was enjoying this doughnut, I paired it with a classic vanilla latte, which was more on the comfortable side for me. They have some other great drink options, including cappuccinos, americanos, teas, and more.

Now that you know the details about the doughnuts, let’s talk about the coffee shop itself. Based on my time here, this is a great place to study and get work done, as well as a great place to meet up with friends and catch up. You have plenty of options when it comes to seating. You can sit right in the sun and get a source of vitamin D and feel the warmth, or you can go and sit in a booth and sprawl out to really get into the zone. For a casual coffee and chat, they also have a couch where you can sit, chat with a friend, and hold your drink while it warms your hands!

Not only is their seating great, they also have a very welcoming environment. As you come in, you are welcomed by staff. You can view some very nice plants around the shop, bask in lots of sunlight, and enjoy nice mood lighting as well.

So, they have great doughnuts, bagels, coffee, tea, seating,

lighting, and so much more. What else can I tell you? Well, while I was looking on their website for some extra details for you readers, I found something rather interesting: they offer a few barista classes. Based on their website, they do sell out pretty often and are quite popular, but I thought I would share this so you do not miss out when another one opens up.

On the website, I saw that they offer a ‘Guide to Espresso’ class where you learn how to make an espresso at home. This isn’t their only class available either. You know what goes well with espresso? Milk! They have a class for that too; they offer a ‘Guide to Milk Steaming and Latte Art’ class as well. I feel like this class would be cool to take just to spice up your drinks at home. These classes may also be a cute date idea for yourself and a coffee lover that you have in your life!

So, take this as your hint. If you have a major sweet tooth and love coffee, this place may be the one for you to check out!

Xbox – taking action against climate change

The radical right loves to create controversy. They love to create ideas that kids’ brains are being ruined by modernist ideas. In this case: climate change. Well, climate change and video games.

In early January, Microsoft announced that they were working on making the Xbox the “first carbon aware console.” At a time when technology is only hurting climate change with the rising popularity of cryptocurrency, Microsoft wants to fight back against that. Their goal is to lower carbon emissions, make your power bills lower, and not use as many fossil fuels with the Xbox.

Here’s how they plan to do it: a new shutdown mode. With this update, players can choose to use an energy-saving shutdown mode. Your Xbox will be able to see when carbon intensity is at its lowest and update during that time. Microsoft stated that this is when the power grid is using the most low-carbon sources. The goal with this system is to produce fewer CO2 emissions, and it’ll happen when the console is shut off so it won’t interrupt your gaming.

There’s also an addition to sleep mode. You can set your Xbox to “Active Hours” a.k.a. when you’re using the console. Outside those active hours, the console will use a lot less power.

These updates hope to make Microsoft more carbon aware and help the company become carbon negative. Microsoft claims that “Every small step we take has larger collective impact – and choosing shutdown (energy saving) can have real, meaningful impact. For example, for every 2 consoles that switch to Shutdown (energy saving) for one year, we will save the equivalent amount of carbon removed by 1 tree planted and grown for a decade.”

These updates will already come built into newer consoles, and older consoles will be able to update to gain these features in the near future.

Yet for some reason, Microsoft wanting to lessen their carbon emissions is a bad thing for some people. The website Blaze, which is known for being very conservative, published an article on January 23 stating that Microsoft is “[forcing] gamers to power down to fight climate change.” This is untrue. Microsoft has stated that the new settings are completely optional.

A statement was also made by Ted Cruz, a known Republican. He linked the Blaze article in a tweet, saying “First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they’re gunning for your Xbox.” The gas stove comment is part of another issue that Republicans are run-

ning wild with after an article was published linking gas stoves to childhood asthma. They’re very upset over people potentially taking their gas stoves, but not their Xbox. They’re just upset that the Xbox won’t use as much carbon.

Cruz’s tweet set off a chain of events from other right-wing public figures. Troy Nehls, another Texan Republican, made a statement that made it seem like Xboxes were going to be taken away, which is also not true. No one wants to take anyone’s Xbox.

Even Fox News ran a segment on the Xbox’s new updates. They made it seem like Microsoft is trying to trick your kids into climate politics, which is also not true. They stated “It’s not that it’s actually going to offset emissions. But they’re trying to recruit your kids into climate politics at an earlier age; make them climate conscious now.” Microsoft said nothing of the sort about trying to recruit children into climate politics.

If you have an Xbox and you care about the environment, make sure to check for this update coming soon and minimize your carbon footprint.

Photo: Victoria Baht

100 million Xbox live users, 2 consoles per tree, how many trees can be saved in a year?

Image: Lee Lim

The Craft Café: open in person

Campion College is happy to announce this semester that the Craft Café will be held once again in person. This group is catered towards any kind of craft, whether it be crochet, knitting, weaving, or anything creative you can think of. Anna Mudde, the main creator of the Craft Café, shared some more information on what students should expect, and a little about her opinion and experience with crafts.

What helpful information should students know?

Campion 409, Wednesday at 2:30-3:30 [p.m.]. Any kind of craft is welcome, there is not a specific kind of craft, we encourage people to think widely about

pottery work to name a few. My favorite craft during the pandemic is knitting, which I’ve been putting much of my focus on. Going beyond just physical craft making, I also work philosophically with craft, and in forms of technology.

Was there a calling that made you interested in starting up the Craft Café?

We started in 2019, in the fall semester just before COVID-19. During the pandemic, we moved online on Zoom so we could still stitch and chat but not risk anyone’s health. My retired former colleague, Kathrine Arbuthnott, was curious about doing wellness activities for students. She had the first idea of the Craft Café, where you work on your own craft and chat about things.

She thought it was an important thing to establish, but she

supplies for a low budget?

For anyone who needs it, I bring supplies for knitting to the group, such as knitting needles and yarn. If I were to recommend a place, Walmart is great and has most craft related things for a good price, as well as Staples. Although craft is really about making things, you can often go anywhere to find resources to create things. If you want, even dollar store has some craft things, or even out in nature.

How is doing crafts healthy for students?

Craft is normally associated with wellness because it calls on a lot of our capacities, including creative capacity and problem solving. Doing a craft builds competence with material things, it’s good for wellness, and it helps to make a place in our world. Crafts are so

ate, and the financial aspects of beginning this craft. If this craft takes up lots of space, where is an area to keep supplies in your home? These are all questions that you should consider and answer firmly before beginning.

Borrow supplies.

Before buying everything you need, the fun thing about craft is that you can experiment, and try out many things before finding the perfect craft for you. If you go to groups such as the Craft Café, you can borrow supplies to try a craft out before committing your money to buy more supplies.

Find inspiration to create your craft.

Do you want to create something that is practical or more of an aesthetic piece? Where will this craft go once it’s finished? Beyond this, you can look for inspiration

ning, so don’t try to go advanced until you have the basics down.

Practice, practice, practice!

You cannot become perfect at a craft overnight, all master crafters dedicated time to get where they are today. Dedicate time to practice or continue on a piece, even if it’s only for 15 minutes a day. Consistency is important; if you take long breaks of not practicing, it will be harder to function at the skill level you’ve achieved before.

Similar to what Anna Mudde said, learning a craft calls on a lot of our capacities. It’s a fun way to challenge yourself and create something amazing while doing so. You put yourself into a physical object that someone can admire or wear. Many people put off crafting because the things people craft can be bought at many stores, so they don’t think

what a craft can be. We have sewing, knitting, crocheting, macrame, painting, sketching, coding, and more! Also to mention, you can even join without a craft if you want to just chat and watch.

What’s your own experience with craft-making?

I have a lot of history with craft making, in multiple different areas. I’ve done woodworking, metalwork, jewelry making, and

wanted someone who did more crafts to start it, so she handed it over to me. Kelly Bourke helped so much with the organizational aspects of beginning the Craft Café, the same with Samantha Lawler. I’d also like to thank Angela Carnall and Sarah Greenwood, who are frequently there and give us a hand when the semester gets busy.

Do you have any recommendations on where to get craft

important; now more than ever.

The Craft Café is the perfect opportunity to progress or begin to learn a craft. There are many different skill levels, and beginners are always welcome. If you’re feeling nervous about starting a new craft, here are some tips to help you get started: Do lots of research.

Look up the difficulty level of this craft, what you can cre-

about exactly what to make by talking to other crafters or looking online. Beware if you’re surfing the web for inspiration, sometimes beginners will feel down if their piece doesn’t look as perfect as the example picture online.

Look for patterns.

Patterns can be stuffed animal patterns, bracelet patterns, knotting patterns, and even more for any kind of craft. Starting with basics is important when begin-

it’s worth their time. Although, when you buy an item from the store, it’s not the same as making it yourself and putting the effort in. It’s a truly rewarding experience that any crafter would recommend you try.

If you’re interested in joining the Craft Cafe, make sure to mark your calendars for every Wednesday from 2:30-3:30 p.m. If you have any questions, email Anna Mudde at anna.mudde@uregina. ca.

kate sveinbjornson staff writer

Photo: Kate Sveinbjornson

There’s finally time to dive into all those crafts you said you’d do later

“

Craft is normally associated with wellness because it calls on a lot of our capacities, including creative capacity and problem solving. Doing a craft builds competence with material things, it’s good for wellness, and it helps to make a place in our world.”

– Anne Mudde

Digital art tips and tricks 2.0

Are you ready to step up your art game?

Welcome back to digital art tips & tricks! I wrote the first of this series almost a full year ago in February of 2022, so it’s time for a sequel. Since then, I’ve learned a lot more about art and drawing. Last time I discussed general topics, but this time I’m going to get more specific.

As a reminder, I make semi-realistic portraits. This advice is going to be more about making portraits, creating faces and people.

Eyes

This is going to sound a little bit weird, but eyes are wet. It’s true, they are. Reflect that in your

black line. I try to draw it as a thin black line, closer in size to the lower eyelid, and use a soft black brush to create an eyeliner effect on a layer lower than the outline of the eye itself.

Nose

I hate rendering noses. There’s something about it that’s so difficult. I have learned a few things about drawing them.

To start, nostrils aren’t perfect circles, they’re teardrop shaped. I use a blur brush to soften out the lower edge of the nostril. Don’t make the entirety of the lower nose the same colour. I have been guilty of doing this until very recently. Look up some pictures of noses. Part of the lower nose and the nostril sides have more of

Hair

Drawing hair is scary; it’s very intimidating. Here’s how I make it less intimidating. Start with sections. Hair falls down in sections, not one big piece. You can try drawing strand by strand, but I would not recommend that. It’ll take a long, long time, and you’ll get easily frustrated if it doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped. Instead, group chunks of hair together. Look at some pictures of hair and see how it falls down in sections.

Once you’re done drawing the hair, add some extra strands and some flyaways. It adds more realism and makes the piece feel softer. You can add as many as you want, but the more you add, the

Your hand is about the same size as your face when you put your hand up to it, and your foot is roughly the same size as your forearm when you put your foot up to it. If you T-pose with your arms, the length from fingertip to fingertip will be about the same as your height.

Colour scheme

Let your characters have a colour scheme, and keep it consistent. It’ll bring more life to your character and it’ll make sure that they’ll be recognizable every time you draw them. Make the colour scheme suit the character. If your character is bright and bubbly, don’t put them in dark neutrals unless you have a good reason. Make sure the colours work well

Poses can be tricky, but they can also help a lot. The pose needs to suit the character. It would be strange to see a very happy, bubbly character sitting stoically in a portrait. Bring that character to life, give them something fun to do with their hands or give them a fun expression. Follow a curve of action to bring it to life even more! With that being said, if you think a character would suit a stoic sitting-down style, draw them like that. Remember, it’s your drawing and you know what’s best. Try to avoid same pose syndrome. It’s like same face syndrome where every face looks the same but with poses. If every single drawing has the same pose, maybe it’s time to change things up a bit. My favourite stock image source is Ador-

drawing to make your eyes more realistic. When I draw eyes, I use a pixel art pen and a white tone on the lower lash line to create little dots to show that the eyes are wet.

Eyes are also round. There needs to be a shadow all the way around to show their roundness. I use a blue multiply layer to create a thicker shadow on the top half of the eye, and a much smaller one on the other half. It adds dimension to the eye to create a shadow.

Sometimes I forget this, but the upper eyelid is not one giant thick

a shadow, and part of it has more of a highlight. Don’t forget about the shadows and highlights. It’s another small thing that’ll add dimension to the face and make the nose look less flat.

Mouth

Do you remember watching Kim Possible as a kid and seeing how only the top lip is filled in? That’s how I start when rendering lips. Add a base colour to the top lip and then shade in a shadow on the bottom lip, blend it out, and then start rendering the rest of the lips.

messier the hair will look.

Proportions

A simple proportion check can make sure everything is lining up. Remember, not every person will be within these proportions; it’s a basic guideline. Change it up a little to your liking, but this is a good starting point. The bottom of your nose lines up with the bottom of your ear, and the top of your ear lines up with the middle of your eye. Speaking of the middle of the eye, the corners of the lips match up to the middle of each eye on either side.

together. Find a colour palette that looks good as a whole and works well for your character.

Line weight

If you’re an artist who creates lined work, add in some line weight! This will add tons of dimension to your piece. It’s an alternative way to show lighting too! Just follow the curves and lines of your sketch and make the lines thicker where there would be shadows, and thinner where there would be highlights.

Poses

kaStock and they have lots of great pose references to try!

That’s all for this time. Remember that all art is good art, and don’t let anyone stop you from creating something. The best art is art that exists in this world. And trust the process! The halfway point looking one way doesn’t mean the endpoint will look the same. Happy drawing!

Now this is what you call a detailed character design. Illustration: Will Bright

“ This is going to sound a little bit weird, but eyes are wet. It’s true, they are. Reflect that in your drawing to make your eyes more realistic.”

– Will Bright

sports & health

Cougars still top ranking this season

on taking their position for granted

The Cougars women’s basketball team is currently ranked first in Canada West and second in U Sports, with a record of 12-2 so far this season. This past weekend, the University of Regina women’s basketball team swept the University of British Columbia’s team, beating them 60-53 in the first game and 73-64 in the second game in Vancouver.

In the first game of the week-

in that situation that I have pressure. And I think there’s nothing really given if you’re number one in the country, it doesn’t matter. People are still going to beat you if you’re not playing well.”

The Cougars’ recent win over UBC clinched the Cougars a playoff berth for the 27th straight season. When thinking about 27 consecutive playoff berths, it’s hard not to think about past alumni. Reflecting on what it means to be a Cougar and alumni of the Cougars women’s basketball team, current wing Mar-

were a part of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The Cougars women’s basketball team is trying to improve from last year’s result when they came in third in Canada West, just falling short of making it to the U Sport National Championships.

When asked about what motivates the team from last year’s results, Tunison said “missing out on Nationals last year was devastating. We had put in all the work, and just barely missed out on the wildcard spot. Knowing how close we were, we flipped our

and are feeling prepared going into playoffs.

Tunison explained “all of our coaches have set us up to succeed this season. They have developed us as individuals and as a team, and have prepared us to take on every opponent each weekend.”

The Cougars currently do not know who they will be facing come the Canada West playoffs. It is likely that the Cougars will be playing in the second week of playoffs, on either February 24 or 25. It has yet to be determined if the Cougars will be hosting their

and reach their goal of making nationals. The Cougars’ strong team culture and the preparedness they feel will help give them the edge going into playoffs. When speaking about team culture, Tunison said “I credit our success to how tight knit we are as a team. We truly care about each other both on and off the court. I feel comfortable around every one of my teammates and know they are there to support me in any way I need. We have a team where each person feels at ease to be themselves, but are

end, Cara Misskey led the Cougars with 19 points and ended the game with six assists and four rebounds. Zoe Hartmann also had double digits in scoring with 12 points. The second game of the weekend saw Jade Belmore and Hartmann put up 14 points each. Belmore also had 11 rebounds, five assists, and four steals across this team win.

When asked whether they feel pressure being a top team in the country, Julia Vydrova said they’re take things “game by game. We focus on every game that’s coming up. We can’t underestimate our opponents. They can all beat us.” Hartmann added, “I do feel the pressure, but I mean there’s always pressure, right? But I’m very grateful for being able to be

en Tunison said “It is definitely an honour to be a member of the Cougars women’s basketball team. It is amazing to continue the legacy of success and clinch a playoff spot again this year. It is wonderful to have many alumni that are still involved with the team and with the basketball community in and around Regina. In fact, two former players are now assistant coaches for our team, Michaela [Kleisinger] and Carly [Graham]. They just couldn’t go away!” Tunison finished with a laugh. The women’s basketball team has made all 21 postseasons possible since being part of Canada West. The last time the team didn’t make the post-season was in 1995, when the Cougars

focus into making sure we didn’t feel that way again this year. We had an off-season full of small group training and putting in work in the weight room. Everyone bought in from day one, and our commitment to each other and to the team has only grown as the year has gone on.”

Canada West playoffs are three weekends away, and the Cougars are hoping to clinch home-court advantage. The team is focused on the upcoming game. However, Hartmann explained that “Dave [Taylor, head coach] is usually really good at just thinking ahead all the time, so I try and just step back and just think about the game and not anything in the future.” The Cougars felt prepared going into the season

playoff game or if they will have to travel for an away game.

Coverage of the Canada West women’s basketball playoffs will be broadcast on Canada West TV, which does require payment in order to watch. This year, Cape Breton will be hosting the U Sports Women’s Basketball Final 8 from March 9 to 12. The games will be digitally broadcast in English as part of a new four-year deal with CBC Sports. Fans will be able to watch via cbcsports.ca with the free CBC Gem streaming service and the CBC Sports app.

If the Cougars continue to play with determination and grit out on the court and continue to find ways to win, they will be successful in the post-season

also pushed to reach limits they thought were out of reach. This culture is imperative to our success and growth both as people and players.”

This weekend, the Cougars play the University of Lethbridge at home. Lethbridge is currently ranked 13th in Canada West. The following weekend, the Cougars will host the University of Calgary who are currently ranked eighth in Canada West. In the last weekend of the regular season, the Cougars will be on the road in Edmonton playing against MacEwan University who are currently ranked 14th out of 17 in Canada West.

They’ve worked hard to get where they are and don’t plan

sophia stevens s&h writer

When you rank this highly, it’s celebrations all season long.

Photo: Tejas Vejay

I do feel the pressure, but I mean there’s always pressure, right? But I’m very grateful for being able to be in that situation that I have pressure. And I think there’s nothing really given if you’re number one in the country, it doesn’t matter. People are still going to beat you if you’re not playing well.”

– Zoe Hartmann, guard for the Cougars women’s basketball team

Intramurals update for the winter semester

Leagues competitions are officially underway, and potential tournaments are in the works

holly funk editor-in-chief

Intramurals are officially in season this semester at the U of R. Their website details (uregina.ca/ recservices/intramurals/) are a bit out of date and still hold information for the winter and fall 2022 semesters. Skyler Barnesky, who’s worked with intramurals for two years, spoke with us to share some current information.

“I first got this job when I did my SRS 130 junior practicum, which was nine hours of volunteer work.” He explained when we first sat down. “When I first started I ran the basketball league, and now I run the basketball league and help out where I can.”

One of the most important tasks those at the intramurals office are responsible for is co-ordinating and scheduling

game times and locations. Team practices aren’t included in the schedule as they aren’t required, though Barnesky noted that some of the more gung-ho teams opt to coordinate their own. “We don’t offer time for that. You just have to show up, play; it’s rec, it’s for fun.”

In an effort to include as many students as possible, they have ensured that a student will have the opportunity to partic-

ipate as long as they can get to the Regina campus. “Everything is done out of gym one, two, or three,” Barnesky explained, “and if we run something outside it’ll be outside on one of the pitches here or on the main field.”

While most intramural leagues are joined by students who’ve formed their own teams, Barnesky added that “We offer a free agent portal. If you want to play and don’t know anybody, we’ll find you a team if we can, and if not we refund you your money.” This means that any student can register, whether they know other students who’d like to play on a league team or not, and those at the office will do what’s in their power to connect them with existing teams or other individuals who register.

In addition, all the equipment required is either provided or can be obtained in the Kinesiology Building. “We offer the main equipment that’s needed, and if you deem anything necessary you can just head to the equipment room in between gym one and two, and you can sign anything out there. It’s free as long as you scan your [student] ID card and you return it after.” In the event the equipment room doesn’t quite have all that’s needed, Barnesky assured “we’ll make sure we can get it to you somehow.”

Intramurals run through the fall and winter semesters each year when most students are on

COVID column: the nation’s state

January of 2022, Canada surpassed 33,000 deaths related to COVID-19. At that same time, inflation hit a 30-year high.

On March 11, 2020, the Canadian government declared COVID-19 a pandemic, as did much of the world. By March 25, the government introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit in the hopes of providing financial aid to those employed and self-employed. Canada saw 3 million people lose their jobs in March and April of 2020.

In September of 2020, the second wave of COVID, known as the Beta variant, began. December saw the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines while surpassing 15,000 deaths related to the COVID-19 virus nationally. The Canadian government began to implement new measures to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These included proof of vaccinations, COVID-19 testing requirements for exit and entry into Canada, and the implementation of an app called ArriveCAN.

By March of 2021, the third wave of COVID-19 hit with the rise of a new subvariant called Gamma. Canada was then hit with a fourth wave in September with the rise of the Delta variant. A fifth wave of COVID was then reported in December of 2021, with subvariant Omicron. By

The implementation of new measures in response to COVID-19 has led to backlash from some of the Canadian public, as they compared our situation to the easing of restrictions seen in other countries at the time. The Canadian government does not require the use of ArriveCAN or vaccine passports as a part of daily life. The recent increase in cases and the zero-COVID policy in China has led the Canadian government to implement some previously helpful COVID-19 measures, such as testing those arriving to Canada from China.

New Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 – called ‘the Kraken’ –is on the rise in Canada. It is believed that the new surge of this variant in Canada comes after a huge surge in cases in the United States from a few months ago.

The World Health Organization has deemed the Kraken to be the most transmissible variant so far.

As COVID-19 technical lead for the World Health Organization response to the pandemic, Maria Van Kerkhove said in a recent press conference that “The reasons for this are the mutations that are within this subvariant of Omicron allowing this virus to

adhere to the cell and replicate easily.” Dr. Lisa Barrett, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology at Dalhousie University, told CTV News that current vaccines will continue to help fight against this new variant.

It is unclear how the Canadian government will respond to the new variant, especially after the backlash they received from the implementation of new-old measures. The Public Health Agency of Canada believes that it’s too early to tell how fast this new variant has spread across Canada, but experts are saying that people should be prepared to engage in health measures. This new variant has proven to experts and society that COVID-19 is here to stay, and that preventative health measures may have to become a part of everyone’s daily lives. COVID-19 is a virus that is likely to continue to mutate, creating subvariants that will continue to spread, therefore making precautionary measures more vital in minimizing the spread and severity of the virus.

campus. There are four potential make-ups of teams which include all-men teams, all-women teams, co-ed teams (which must have at least two-three women), and open teams (which can be made up of whoever’s interested in playing).

Barnesky mentioned that, though some teams may be labeled ‘men’s,’ that may not mean they’re exclusively for men to play in. Here’s the example he used: “I say ‘men’s volleyball.’ It’s not really men’s. Women can sign up, it’s just that we play on a men’s height. So, I mean anybody can play, we call it men’s just because it’s on a men’s height.”

At present, there are several leagues running, including basketball, futsol (indoor soccer), cricket, badminton, dodgeball, and volleyball. Barnesky noted that their most-engaged-with leagues are basketball and volleyball, while futsol and cricket seem yet to catch on.

Interest in newly-established leagues such as cricket have been low, so Barnesky mentioned it’s hard for coordinators to justify investing time and effort into establishing new leagues. Instead, the intramurals team is focusing on intramural tournaments, similar to those put on at other universities. This semester, they are looking forward to a spikeball tournament, with hopes to include things like pickleball and eight-ball pool in the future.

It’s been a bumpy ride so far, and the Kraken’s here to remind us this ride may not end

writer

Photo: Kevin N. Murphy via Flickr

Never

thought I’d be jealous of a maple leaf, yet here we are.

Illustration: Proctor via Pixabay, manipulated by Lee Lim

Pro athlete push for WCB in BC

Contracted athletes push for compensation when injured, CFL appears to be loudest in opposition

sophia stevens staff writer

Professional athletes from British Columbia are seeking compensation under WorkSafeBC. Professional athletes are not currently covered under WorkSafeBC and lack access to programs for which other professions get support. Workers who get hurt on the job have the ability to apply for extra expenses, compensation for loss of pay, and special medical care that is covered by WorkSafeBC.

Canadian athletes are not eligible for workers’ compensation if they get injured in a game or practice. However, much of the United States does compensate its athletes in this regard. This means that if Canadian players were to get hurt, there are few resources they can access compared to those who are compensated. There is a current push for the worker compensation board in British Columbia to consider whether professional athletes should be covered.

If the board were to approve professional athletes under their provision, then British Columbia would be the first province to cover professional athletes. WorkSafeBC is in the early stages of determining if they should cover professional athletes, part of a four-year assessment of their policy. The public and private support from lawmakers, including John Horgan, is beneficial for athletes going into this policy process, with many lawmakers hoping that new legislation won’t have to be implemented.

According to WorkSafeBC spokesperson Yesenia Dhott, “Covering pro athletes in the province would require policy changes, and potentially modi-

fication of the province’s occupational health and safety regulations.” This isn’t the first time that leagues and athletes have proposed changes in policies. However, this time they seem to have the backing of lawmakers, which is a positive step for their campaigns. But not every sports league in British Columbia is on board with the new proposal.

The Canadian Football League (CFL) is in opposition of the proposal that injuries be covered under WorkSafeBC because they believe that athletes understand and are responsible for the risk that they are exposed to when they compete, and that if policies were to change, they would have to change how their sport is played.

In a 2019 submission to WorkSafeBC, CFL lawyers said that “the CFL and its constituent owners ought not to bear the entire burden for players who have voluntarily decided to participate in an activity that carries with it inherent risk, that cannot be eliminated through regulation or best practices and who have spent decades putting inordinate strain on their bodies in order to achieve professional player status.”

Some argue that the reason why some leagues are reluctant to get on board is that they would have to pay required fees to workers compensation across Canada. Leagues would also be responsible for funding the system since they are considering the employers in this case, with premiums established by the injury rate.

Adding professional athletes to the workers’ compensation fund could hold leagues to higher levels of accountability when it comes to player safety. The journey toward providing athletes with worker compensation benefits has

been a long-winded process, but continued progress to improve player safety is being made. Professional athletes from British Columbia are seeking compensation under WorkSafeBC. Professional athletes are not currently covered under WorkSafeBC and lack access to programs for which other professions get support. Workers who get hurt on the job have the ability to apply for extra expenses, compensation for loss of pay, and special medical care that is covered by WorkSafeBC.

Canadian athletes are not eligible for workers’ compensation if they get injured in a game or practice. However, much of the United States does compensate its athletes in this regard. This means that if Canadian players were to get hurt, there are few resources they can access compared to those who are compensated. There is a current push for the worker compensation board in British Columbia to consider whether professional athletes should be covered.

If the board were to approve professional athletes under their provision, then British Columbia would be the first province to cover professional athletes. WorkSafeBC is in the early stages of determining if they should cover professional athletes, part of a four-year assessment of their policy. The public and private support from lawmakers, including John Horgan, is beneficial for athletes going into this policy process, with many lawmakers hoping that new legislation won’t have to be implemented.

According to WorkSafeBC spokesperson Yesenia Dhott, “Covering pro athletes in the province would require policy changes, and potentially modification of the province’s occu-

pational health and safety regulations.” This isn’t the first time that leagues and athletes have proposed changes in policies. However, this time they seem to have the backing of lawmakers, which is a positive step for their campaigns. But not every sports league in British Columbia is on board with the new proposal.

inherent risk, that cannot be eliminated through regulation or best practices and who have spent decades putting inordinate strain on their bodies in order to achieve professional player status.”

Some argue that the reason why some leagues are reluctant to get on board is that they would have to pay required fees to work-

The Canadian Football League (CFL) is in opposition of the proposal that injuries be covered under WorkSafeBC because they believe that athletes understand and are responsible for the risk that they are exposed to when they compete, and that if policies were to change, they would have to change how their sport is played.

In a 2019 submission to WorkSafeBC, CFL lawyers said that “the CFL and its constituent owners ought not to bear the entire burden for players who have voluntarily decided to participate in an activity that carries with it

Family-friendly outdoor winter activities

ers compensation across Canada. Leagues would also be responsible for funding the system since they are considering the employers in this case, with premiums established by the injury rate.

Adding professional athletes to the workers’ compensation fund could hold leagues to higher levels of accountability when it comes to player safety. The journey toward providing athletes with worker compensation benefits has been a long-winded process, but continued progress to improve player safety is being made.

When those warm days finally hit, here’s how you and all your loved ones can enjoy them together

The winter months are here, and it means that you and your family get the chance to do a few different recreational activities outside. Today, we are going to talk about some different recreational activities you and your family can partake in both in and out of Regina. Whether you want an afternoon

activity or a full-day activity, there are options.

Are you just looking for a classic, easy way to spend your afternoon with some family and friends? Why not hit up an outdoor rink – or, as some people call it, an ‘ODR.’ Regina has plenty of outdoor rinks throughout the

city, and they can often be found near schools or bigger parks. The outdoor rinks work on a firstcome-first-served-basis, and the city asks that you use your own judgement to gauge when to hop on the ice if the rink is looking busy and full. You can check out a full list of outdoor and ice-skating rinks on the City of Regina website.

Is skating not so much your thing? Don’t worry, I am sure you are not the only one. Plus, skating can take some serious practice and skill. Do you know what does not take near as much skill? Tobogganing!

This is a classic activity that everyone can enjoy because it is as simple as walking up a hill and sliding down it. There are plenty of toboggan hills in and around Regina. Some are big, and some are tiny. A few that might jog a memory of yours and encourage you to head out this weekend are Ruth Buck Park hill, Mount Pleasant Sports Park, and Goosehill Park.

Now that we’ve covered some of the classic outdoor recreation activities that you typically may look into, let’s look into an activity that helps you step out of your comfort zone and into a new pair of shoes. Why not snowshoes or cross-country skis? Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are two wonderful activities that you can do for a long time or a short time, it is really up to you and the route you take.

When I was looking for trails, plenty came up, but one in particular caught my eye. It is called the Devonian Pathway and it looks like a great stretch. This specific trail starts all the way up in the northwest end and reaches all the way to Wascana park. It can take four and a half hours to finish, and it extends for 19.4 kilometres.

Sound too long for you? That is okay, there are plenty of parking lots around the city that can let you practice in smaller amounts and, who knows, maybe you’ll do a couple of kilometres each weekend and wind up reaching the

full Devonian Pathway amount. Want more details or more trails to try out? Check out alltrails.com to look for trails at all different levels and of all different lengths.

Echo Valley is another great option, and has changed its look this winter season from your typical campground into a winter wonderland. They have places for you to go ice-skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and geo-cashing for lots of family fun.

Saskatchewan winter is here for a long time, and it’s not always a great time. Take this article as your sign to go out and try some new activities on the warmer days and make some great memories. All these activities can be done by yourself, with a partner, a dog, friends, family, or really anyone you can convince to come along!

victoria baht staff writer

This happy shot was captured mere moments before the kids told mom they have to pee (again) and it’s snowsuit fighting time.

Photo: Couleur via Pixabay

If you’re building and injured, you’re covered; if you’re playing and injured…

Image: Quique via Pixabay, Clker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay, sRosalia via Pixabay manipulated by Lee Lim

The pursuit of my passions

In a world that glamourizes labour and slaving your life away for capitalism, it is difficult to find time for your hobbies and passions. We live in a world that looks down on creativity, turns everything into profit, and discourages the mere concept of self-fulfillment. When we are younger, it seems like there is all the time in the world to indulge in and embark on our passions. Unfortunately, as you grow older, you are faced with the growing pains of adulthood.

Life humbles you. Your priorities shift. It becomes increasingly difficult to focus on anything else. All that matters is that you are paying your monthly bills. At times, you are barely hanging on. When you are young, the world seems so big. It is your oyster. The sky is the limit. All of a sudden, you’re older and the world is no longer your oyster. Rather, it seems as though it is your prison. In such a world, I will always encourage people to find anything possible that will keep them hanging on. I encourage you to find anything in this world that will awaken your inner child. We cannot let the harshness and coldness of the world turn us bitter and hopeless. We must not let despair and hopelessness consume us.

When I was younger, my mother asked me what I wanted to become when I got older. The first answer I gave was to be a tailor. Everyone laughed, not out of malice, but simply because it was a silly and unusual response. As I grew up, I was convinced that my passions were in psychology. However, that changed once I got into university. I fell in love with the field of international relations and I ended up switching my major.

As I get closer to graduating, I am realizing that I still would love to be a tailor. The truth is that I have always loved fashion. I have always loved sewing. I have always loved the art of fabrics and cloth making. Over the years, I have educated myself on sourcing material, learning about the craftsmanship of different fabrics, where certain fabrics come from, how they are made, and what clothing pieces they are perfect for. My passion for fashion start-

ed when, as a little girl, I would watch my father going out in tailored suits and beautiful shirts. Seeing how much he loved to dress up ultimately inspired me. And today, I realize that this passion for fashion is something that I have inherited from him. As a result, this is something I hope to pursue in the future.

The second most important hobby and passion of mine is collecting perfumes and fragrances. I think the most beautiful compliment that you can receive is “You smell so good!”

When I was younger, I would dip into my mom’s perfume collections and spray myself from top to bottom. Picture a five-year-old dousing herself in Chanel No. 5. That was me. To this day, I love testing out different scents and perfume brands. Perfumery is one of the oldest art forms there is. The truth is that perfume is something that takes us to a certain place. It brings us to a specific time of our lives. It fills our hearts with nostalgia. It reminds you of someone, a country you once visited, a person you love or loved, your youth, and more. There are times when I will smell a very specific scent and it will remind me of my mother or my grandma. I think these are the moments that make life worth living: remembering someone who means the world to you.

Although I have always loved collecting perfumes, it wasn’t until I got into university that I became serious about it. There is so much more to perfume than just the scent. You have to think about the DNA of the perfume, the notes of the scent, the aesthetic of the bottle, the way it makes you feel, the projection, the silage, and the lasting power. Some scents are quiet and intimate, whilst others are loud and offensive. There are aquatic scents, fresh scents, spicy scents, and gourmands which are pretty much dessert-based. If you are someone who is looking to grow a collection or find a signature scent, my only advice is to think about what makes you happy. What is a childhood scent that brings you happy memories? It could be a bakery you used to go to, in which case you can focus on gourmand scents that are sweet and yummy.

Another valuable thing to remember is that it is important not

to be a victim of consumerism. Brands want you to buy things you do not need. You are welcome to splurge and spend, however you have to be mindful of what you spend your money on and how much you spend. It is terrible to spend above your means for the sake of a name brand. These things will not be buried with us when we die. Thus, I encourage everyone to think about their purchases or wish lists before buying

something on an impulse. Moreover, remember that a good perfume does not have to be ridiculously expensive. If you happen to fall in love with a scent that is above your budget, my advice is to purchase a sample first. Try the sample out. See how you like it. Focus on the different notes. There is always the chance that you can find a dupe of this scent from a cheaper brand. Google will be your friend there.

In the end, our passions are the things that make us experience joy. They allow us to focus on ourselves. They force us to spend time with ourselves, to gain perspective, and see the world in a different light. They bring us back to life.

In our rush to be productive, we must remember to find sparks of joy

Illustration: Lee Lim

amina salah staff writer

I sometimes wonder how people did things like pottery or sewing without headphones and music streaming.

“I encourage you to find anything in this world that will awaken your inner child. We cannot let the harshness and coldness of the world turn us bitter and hopeless.”

– Amina Salah

Flying to Regina? No, you are not...

Travel to and from Regina ever more frustrating

amina salah staff writer

Air Canada recently announced that they would be discontinuing flights to Regina and to Western Canada in general, as well as flights from Regina to elsewhere in Western Canada. This means that WestJet is the only option if you want to get to Alberta or British Columbia from Regina. As expected, this puts a damper on anyone’s plans to get to the US, as it is no longer efficient and requires more work. Sunwing also announced that they will stop offering direct flights out of Regina. Unfortunately, it seems as though Saskatchewan is less and less accessible through air travel. Travellers are forced to go to multiple regions prior to travelling to another Canadian city. Sunwing had previously cancelled all service in Saskatchewan dating from Dec. 29, 2022 all the way to Feb. 3, 2023.

The airline’s decision was clearly hastened as president and CEO of Regina Airport Authority James Bogusz stated they had only just recently learned of Sunwing’s decisions to halt all flights. This is a huge issue, as it impacts

many travellers’ vacation plans. Many had already scheduled their trips and are now forced to cancel their plans or find other ways for their plans to work out. This is one of those moments where if you do not have travel insurance it is pretty much over for you, and that is thousands of dollars down the drain.

As someone who has lived in Regina for ten years, I find the city to be regressing. It seems as though nothing is happening. The transit system is awful, the snow makes this a difficult city to live in, the job market is futile, and now, travelling is even more difficult. As a result, I do not see myself living in Regina after university. I believe the cons outweigh the pros of this city.

According to CBC News, Sunwing had received 7,000 complaints from customers who are unhappy with the airline’s performance during the difficult holiday travel season. Sunwing has not told the public why it came to this decision. I believe that the pandemic has greatly affected organizations who focus on holiday and vacation trips. From my circle, I don’t know a single person who has been able to travel within the last three years. The

Convenience at a cost

reality is that, although some people are moving on with their lives as if the pandemic has ended, it is unfortunately still ongoing. Travelling in this economy poses a threat to your health and your wallet. People are dealing with inflation, a housing crisis, ridiculous prices on groceries, and wages that are remaining stagnant. Not a lot of people have the luxury of traveling. Most people are just trying to survive as best they can. Inflation has made it difficult for us to thrive.

I believe that the only remedy is providing to customers who had scheduled vacation plans with airlines that have cancelled their flights to and from Regina is to give everyone a refund, even those who do not have travel insurance. Although I doubt this would happen, I think it is the most logical solution for this issue. Sunwing did not even warn its customers of their plans. Is that not corporate greed? It just announced this life altering news on a random weekday, expecting customers to go on with their lives as if nothing happened.

When I started university in 2015, my parents put me in residence, as they lived five hours away and I didn’t own a car. I had lived in Regina from 2012 to 2013 before moving to Prince Albert so Regina wasn’t a new city to me, but I wasn’t fully aware of everything here back then. I had asked to live on my own off-campus, but my dad thought living on-campus was best. While I enjoyed only needing to wake up about 30 minutes before a morning class, the extra travel time of living off-campus is worth the freedom.

I currently live about 15 minutes from downtown and 10 minutes from a bus stop to get me to the university. The worst travel time to the university is 20 minutes taking bus number 3. If I take bus number 30 I’m there in 10-15 minutes, which is comparable to driving myself. With living off-campus, I feel like I can be more independent and can act like an adult. When living on campus, you can only have visitors during certain times of day, with more restrictions during the exam period. The restrictions based on the time of day makes sense, as I too would rather not be awoken by someone having their friends over at 1 a.m. on a Tuesday. That being said, when living off-campus, I am not as limited by this and don’t have to keep track

of how long someone can sleep over.

I left housing in 2019 as I wanted more freedom. My now-fiancé was also looking for a place as his lease was about to be up, so we moved to the building we are in now. My costs of living significantly dropped with the move, even without splitting costs of living 50/50 with my fiancé. Our current rent is $3400 for 4 months plus another about $300 for power and $200 for internet. On campus I’d be paying more for a smaller space. Rent there is almost $100 more per month based on the current prices on the university website. Considering the current cost-of-living crisis we are in, this just isn’t feasible for a majority of people.

Hearing that university housing has a high vacancy rate doesn’t surprise me. During the pandemic, there was almost no good reason to live on campus when you could just opt out of rent and live at home while attending classes. Now, with some classes still being mostly remote, there isn’t a huge push towards living within Regina. I know someone only still in Regina because of an internship for their program. I am also starting to see a bit of a shift in the plans for international students when they come here for their programs. These days, I see more people posting on Facebook looking for off-campus housing and only using on-campus housing as an absolute last resort.

I do have to say that housing services might literally be the

katlyn richardson contributor

reason I am still alive right now. I was fleeing an abusive relationship and was days away from homelessness with most shelters being full or only having openings for mothers and children. When I told housing about my situation, my application was expedited and I had keys an hour later plus was put on a payment plan for everything, as the only availability was a dorm room. I was moved in by the end of the day and was able to finally relax.

Housing has its flaws and certainly can afford to cut some fees, but they do seem to try to support students. If the university would lower residence costs to be closer to what students would split off campus with utilities and internet, I honestly think housing could fix its vacancy problem. If not, they could easily plan to have some floors for students, some for hotel-style use, and some for housing those in pressing need of shelter. I am sure the university can arrange some kind of financial agreement with the government towards this end.

Living on campus is a mixed bag

In my own experience, the closer I live to campus, the more late I am to all my classes...

Photo: Lee Lim

Of course, this is a joke. Planes never even try to land here in the first place.

Image: GDJ via Pixabay and maz-Alph via Pixabay, manipulated by Lee Lim

graphics: staff-selected Carillon values

grab a copy next week to check your answers!

Down Across

1 - An image sketched by an artist

2 - Result of the work done by the people who came before you and establish something able to be passed down.

3 - Use of humour or exaggeration to expose and ridicule a stance

4 - Motivation and ability to form new and better things out of the tools you have.

5 - Information that is shared between everyone in a community.

6 - Ability to take ownership when you’ve done something wrong and to work to repair the situation

7 - Taking information from one smaller source, assessing it, and then sharing that information with a wider public audience.

8 - A drive to see fairness carried out in the world.

9 - When paramedics meet someone at the place they were injured rather than taking them elsewhere for care, the paramedics are - -

10 - Being open about the reasoning behind decisions made and values held

11 - Objection to pressure, manipulation, or force of people groups to action against their will.

12 - An accounting of past events.

1 - Sticking to your values and convictions despite outside intimidation or threats.

2 - Preparing people by making and sharing tools.

3 - Improved change from how things used to be

4 - Accurate accounts of topics, reputations, and conduct.

5 - A series of bells ringing out in harmony to announce.

6 - Chances provided to enable growth.

7 - The group of people at the university who make up all of our staff and a large amount of our readership

8 - Critical in a sarcastic or mocking way.

9 - Sense of relief and calm, lack of threat, the knowledge that you will not come to harm.

10 - Change that occurs individually or as a group

11 - Errors that can be learned from, making them able to be avoided in the future.

12 - A variety of people from many walks of life brings to a group.

13 - Lack of external pressure, manipulation, or force to behave or act in any way you don’t elect to

14 - Self-determination and choice in what we engage with, who we engage with, and how we set out to achieve what we define as our goals.

crossword: holly funk

photos: holly funk