the carillon the staff
editor-in-chief editor@carillonregina.com
taylor balfour
executive director business@carillonregina.com
jacob nelson
production manager production@carillonregina.com
morgan ortman
advertising manager advertising@carillonregina.com
ty cote
technical editor shae shackman carillontechnical@carillonregina.com multimedia/graphics editors multimedia@carillonregina.com graphics@carillonregina.com
kate thiessen sarah carrier
copy editor copyeditor@carillonregina.com
hannah senicar
news editor news@carillonregina.com
sara birrell
a&c editor aandc@carillonregina.com
julia peterson
sports editor sports@carillonregina.com
ethan butterfield
op-ed editor op-ed@carillonregina.com
holly worby
distribution manager distribution@carillonregina.com staff writer
kyle anderson
marty grande-sherbert
staff writer news writer
reese estwick
a&c writer
matt thomson florence hwang
sports writer
sarah nakonechny
web writer
gillian massie contributors hammad ali, rayanne gwilliam, rooky jegede and raquel vatamaniuk
vol. 63
board of directors taylor balfour, lindsay holitzki, maddie ouelette, dustin smith. marty grande-sherbert, and jacob nelson
the paper
227 Riddell Center University of Regina - 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2 www.carillonregina.com Ph: (306) 586 8867 Printed by Star Press Inc, Wainwright, AB The Carillon welcomes contributions. Opinions expressed in the pages of the Carillon are expressly those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. Opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in the Carillon are those of the advertisers, and not necessarily of The Carillon Newspaper Inc. or its staff. The Carillon is published no less than 11 times each semester during the fall and winter semesters and periodically throughout the summer. The Carillon is published by the Carillon Newspaper Inc., a non-profit organization. land acknowledgement The Carillon is written on treaty four territory. As such, the staff recognize that we are living, working, and telling stories on and of Indigenous lands. We recognize that we are on the traditional homelands of the Nakota, Lakota, and Dakota peoples, along with the homeland of the Métis nation. The carillon understands that it is pointless to acknowledge the land on which we work without speaking to our commitment to telling stories and prioritizing voices that further the return of the land to its place sacred place in the cultures of those that live here. the manifesto In keeping with our reckless, devil-may-care image, our office has absolutely no concrete information on the Carillon’s formative years readily available. What follows is the story that’s been passed down from editor to editor for over forty years. In the late 1950s, the University of Regina planned the construction of several new buildings on the campus grounds. One of these proposed buildlings was a beltower on the academic green. If you look out on the academic green today, the first thing you’ll notice is that it has absolutely nothing resembling a belltower. The University never got a belltower, but what it did get was the Carillon, a newspaper that serves as a symbolic bell tower on campus, a loud and clear voice belonging to each and every student.
the people’s friend; the tyrant’s foe
The University of Regina Students’ Newspaper Since 1962 March 15 - March 31, 2021 | Volume 63, Issue 23 | carillonregina.com
news
URSU GM Flis fired
news
p.4
Yes, it DID get worse. Welcome back! Thanks so much to all of our contributors for creating yet another amazing Carillon issue. We all love the great work submitted by our campus community. We hope you enjoy this issue full of laughs, news, and movie reviews (oh my!)
arts
arts
SGI p.5
Snyder cut review
p.7
U of R professor Marc Spooner is gathering donations sourced from SGI rebate cheques to fuel new Grassland preservation initiative.
The long awaited Snyder Cut of 2017’s Justice League is finally here but is it worth the hype?
op-ed
sports
Stay safe and wash your hands! Taylor Balfour Editor-in-Chief
photos
cover......................................sarah carrier news.................jeremy davis, kate thiessen news...........................................bill tanata a&c......................................ant man 3001 a&c............................globe theatre school sports...............................ethan butterfield op-ed........................regina victory church
Remote theatre classes
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The Globe Theatre has launched virtual one-on-one classes focusing on everything from acting to stand-up and even grant applications.
Breakfast for athletes
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The largest fundraiser for U of R athletes is taking place this week. Ethan Butterfield discusses the importance of the event and how it helps athletes finance their dreams.
Victory Church
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Marty Grand-Sherbert explores the connections between faith and queerness in relation to the Regina Victory Church.
news
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editor: sara birrell news@carillonregina.com the carillon | march 25 - march 31, 2021
Hannah Tait wins URSU presidency Voter turnout down again
ethan butterfield sports editor The University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) election results are in with Hannah Tait taking 46 per cent of the vote (552 votes) compared to her opponent, current Vice President of External Affairs Amir Said, who took 33 per cent of the vote (390 votes). There were 258 abstentions. The results were announced March 19 and are awaiting confirmation on March 23. According to the Simply Voting results provided on the URSU website, out of a possible near 18,000 voters, around 1200 found their way to the online polls, meaning voter turnout was about 6.7 per cent, a drop from previous years. Tait was available for comment regarding her standings in the URSU election and reactions to the results: “I’m very, very excited to start working for students,” said Tait. “The election definitely was challenging this year with the remote and virtual campaigning, but I’ve learned a lot. And I think a lot of these skills are also going to come into play when I’m engaging as president after May when I’m in office.” Said was also available to speak on the URSU Election results: “I gave the race my all,” said Said “but the student body want-
ed to go in a different direction, and I respect that.” Tait also spoke on other aspects relating to URSU, such as ideas that she’s excited to pursue. “I have a lot of really big exciting ideas,” said Tait. “And so I guess it’s hard to pick one. But first and foremost, I recognize that the student union has had some reputational damage, and I want to repair that because we need to have a good reputation.
it comes to politics […] it’s hard [because] maybe people don’t see themselves as traditional leaders. The way that we define leadership right now is very, like, Eurocentric, male-focused. And I think when we start recognizing that leadership comes in all different shapes and sizes, we’re going to be able to have a stronger student union, but also, like, a stronger overall society. “The lack of female repre-
expressing emotions, forgiveness, empathy, and communication.” Tait discussed the foundations of what she would like to see the student union work towards during her role as president. “I recognize the challenges facing student unions in terms of apathy,” began Tait. “Which I tried to address in my campaign and will be addressing in the upcoming year. My campaign had a focus on mitigating some of that
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We need the union more than ever when we consider the challenges of the pandemic. Large public debt, rising tuition, the mental health crises and many other things. There is a lot happening and we need representation. – Hannah Tait
And we need to have the faith of the student body.” Tait also spoke on female representation in the president’s position and the lack of female candidates that have become more and more apparent during the URSU general election. There hasn’t been a woman URSU president since Haanim Nur in 2012. Nur resigned less than four months into her term. “I think that it’s a really exciting opportunity for me to lead by example,” started Tait. “When
sentation on the executive team has a lot to do with how society views leadership,” continued Tait. “The trend is not that women are losing URSU elections, it is that they are not stepping up to run as often. The qualities society commonly views as leadership are outdated and stacked against women. This makes women feel inadequate or makes them question their own abilities because they do not conform to the status quo of male leadership. Leadership IS compassion, listening,
apathy by highlighting 16 reasons students should care about student unions. I used my exposure to try to demonstrate the immense value of a student union. I only had a few weeks to do this. People have come to me and said my campaign had inspired them to vote for the first time, or to consider running for election next year. I made it part of my platform to address the lack of people running for positions and lack of people voting through my ideas of leadership development and
increased awareness of democratic participation. “We need the union more than ever when we consider the challenges of the pandemic,” continued Tait. “Large public debt, rising tuition, the mental health crises and many other things. There is a lot happening and we need representation.” On top of the URSU president, the other results of the election are as follows: Ziyang Li will return as VP of Student Affairs, winning with 37 per cent of the vote. Li once again campaigned on a platform of increasing mental health supports for students. Prior to the election, he told the Carillon his “hopes for the next term are not only bringing out the sustainable programs to support students with their community initiatives and food security, but also increasing the transparency inside of URSU board meetings.” Harveer Singh was acclaimed as the VP of Operations and Finance. He has said “he will put forward his fund managing skills so that the university budget runs smoothly throughout the year” Pawanpreet Singh was also acclaimed as the VP of external affairs. The rest of the results can be found on the URSU website for those interested.
URSU logo manipulated by Jeremy Davis and Kate Thiessen
URSU logo over photo of campus.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon | 4
news
URSU GM Carl Flis fired in wake of general election
Past URSU execs issue open letter calling for change
sara birrel & taylor balfour news editor & editor-in-chief The Carillon is able to independently confirm that URSU General Manager Carl Flis was terminated on Friday, March 19. Flis, who has been with URSU since February 2016, was let go following the results of the URSU general election. He is the third staff member to be fired in under a year. While URSU will be welcoming a new board and executive on May 1, the decision to fire Flis was made by the current board. Flis told the Carillon that he cannot speak on the matter at this time. Ziyang Li, the vice president of student affairs and the only member of the current executive who will be returning for another semester, also declined to comment due to policy. Current URSU President Gurjinder Singh Lehal said he will be providing a statement “soon.” The Carillon attempted to get comments from current URSU staff, however staff were extremely reluctant to go on the record, with one staff member, who did not wish to be named, telling the Carillon “could you just say you reached out to staff for comments but they were to (sic) scared to reply other than that this decision has created major mental health stress for the staff that actually do the work the execs take credit for.” As noted in previous Carillon stories, some members of the board have resigned citing mental health concerns brought about by the conditions within the students’ union. Those who were willing to go on the record include some of the board members who have resigned over the past several months. Kiegan Lloyd, a former
URSU logo manipulated by Jeremy Davis and Kate Thiessen
The URSU logo in a flaming garbage can.
board member who resigned in late February, told the Carillon, “I was surprised and not surprised at the same time,” when he heard that Flis had been fired. Lloyd, who previously represented Luther students, said that he and others “had a feeling the executives would try and get rid of Carl back in January, but I was surprised that the executives would do this just before a turnover of board of directors.” Lloyd says that he believes that the current board, which only has nine remaining members, and the executive operate on a “herd mentality” and are “only interested in projects, ideas, and
The execs have always felt that the general manager holds too much power in the organization and they have always done everything they could to undermine Carl; this is evident in the number of conflicts they had.” Of course, the current executive isn’t the first one to butt heads with Flis. During Jermain McKenzie’s time as URSU president, there were also credible rumours that McKenzie wanted to see Flis fired. Last month McKenzie told the Carillon that within student unions “there is generally some level of tension that exists between student leadership and staff […] it can easily turn into a
be departing, and [two] crucial elements of the organization – the operations manager and the general manager – are no longer present. This will in no doubt negatively affect the transition process for the new board and executive team. They already have a lot to fix and it can only get worse without the [two] people who are an integral part of the fabric of the URSU.” Adenuga said that the recent spate of resignations adds to his trepidation about the firing. “I will not question the legitimacy of board decisions but it is important to note that there are only [nine] board members on the current
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It is no secret that the exec team and Carl Flis have not been on the same page, especially since the firing of a marketing manager in August. The execs have always felt that the general manager holds too much power in the organization. – Alfred Adenuga
programs when it benefits them.” He said that “Carl is the backbone of URSU along with his staff/team. It’s insulting that the current executives don’t see that Carl and his team are needed.” Alfred Adenuga, who resigned as arts director in February, said that the reason for firing Flis “could be valid, but because of how non-transparent the removal process has been, there is cause for serious concern.” Adenuga added that “It is no secret that the exec team and Carl Flis have not been on the same page, especially since the firing of a marketing manager in August.
situation where permanent staff come in and pretty much try to cement themselves within the student union.” Other past executives have also noted the existence of tensions, not only between Flis and the executive, but between General Managers in student unions and those unions in general. It’s certainly possible that Flis’ firing is warranted, although Adenuga said that he’s troubled by the timing. “It affects stability and continuity in the organization,” he said. “The current executive team (with the exception of Zeo) and most of the board will
board. This means that whatever decisions being made are barely representative of the student body.” One of the remaining board members, Emily Camposano, the representative for part-time students, resigned following Flis’ firing. Camposano, who was re-elected and will return with the new board in May, told the Carillon she resigned because “I felt that we were not given time to consider all matters and a vote was made too quickly on a matter so serious.” She did not wish to say anything further for confidentiality reasons.
Katlyn Richardson, who resigned as director for students with disabilities in February 2021 and was re-elected the following month, said that she believes that “the executive often acts without regard for policy or impact of decisions. If they like it they do it and no one is allowed to point out why their decisions are in bad faith or not fully examined.” Adenuga said he just wants the students’ union to be open about what’s going on. “If Carl Flis has truly done anything wrong, I think a reasonably transparent statement to that effect is in order.” A statement from the executive is apparently forthcoming, and it remains to be seen what reasoning is behind the termination. On March 22, an open letter from former student union executives was sent to URSU’s current board of directors detailing their concerns with Flis’ firing: “By firing your general manager with 40 days left until the next executive begin their terms, we believe you are going to cause irrevocable damage to URSU and the service it is able to effectively offer in the coming years.” The letter states: “The time frame immediately preceding [Flis’] hiring, the organization had no fewer than 3 GM’s who all lasted no more than a year and a half. The organization was, at different points in that time period near insolvency, and students suffered.” “Each of us believe we left URSU better than we found it, follow in our footsteps and do the right thing.” The open letter has been signed by 15 past executives. The Carillon will issue updates as they emerge.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon | 5
news
Field of Dreams project offers radical hope Residents pool rebate for grasslands
reese estwick staff writer SGI recently announced that there was a surplus in their profit for the year and, as a result of this, many SGI customers will be receiving a rebate cheque of approximately $285.00. For many, like University of Regina professor Marc Spooner, this money is unexpected and unbudgeted for, which created a great opportunity to unite many people across Saskatchewan and use this money to create a lasting legacy on the province. “I thought, ‘Wow! What possibilities this opens up if we act collectively; things that we can accomplish if we work together,’” said Spooner about hearing about the SGI rebate cheques. Spooner had the idea to start a fundraiser that has the goal to “collectively pool our SGI rebates and other donations together to help acquire, protect, and preserve endangered grasslands by working with Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC),” states the canadahelps.org webpage. There were many great ideas swirling around Spooner’s mind regarding how this money could be used, so he connected with others about what they would be passionate about working towards together. There are many amazing causes and ecosystems to support, but the grasslands really stood out to Spooner and others. “It really hit home to me that grasslands are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world […] we often think of other ecosystems, but actually there is one right in our own backyard here in Saskatchewan – and that’s the grasslands,” said Spooner. As Canada is a treaty nation,
Bill Tanata (Flickr)
Pond surrounded by prairie grasses.
it is very important that Indigenous people in Saskatchewan were consulted during the beginning of the project and continue to be consulted throughout the process. “Whatever we do, especially when we’re talking about land, it has to be informed by Indigenous communities; and so, I checked on that too. NCC has developed an Indigenous framework, so I thought that was important and that’s on the web as well,” Spooner mentioned. The NCC also has an In-
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30, 2021; a goal that Spooner thinks is ambitious but more than achievable. “In the Facebook group we are already at more than 400 members. We’re working on a goal right now to get a thousand members in the group in 20 days,” Spooner explained. Since this interview, the Facebook group has gained many members, and as of March 21, 2021 the group has 656 members. “Just as a rough estimate, a very rough estimate, not everyone in the group is going to do-
ly benefit from donations, and therefore people are encouraged to use their rebate cheque, if they are able, to donate to a variety of causes or one that they are truly passionate about supporting. Spooner also mentions how charitable donations are a benefit to everyone as a $500.00 donation will only cost $280.00 because of the tax break, which is less than the average SGI rebate cheque. The last year has been draining and isolating to say the least, and this initiative is uniting people across Saskatchewan and giv-
Have the audacity of hope, daring to dream…radical hope can be one of the most powerful sorts of feelings, expressions, emotions that someone can hold, and it is one of the most defiant things when faced with adversity. If you can maintain radical hope, that is one of the most defiant, positive actions that someone can hold.
– Marc Spooner digenous advocate who Spooner connected with regarding this project. The Indigenous advocate said that this was a good idea, which was the last sign Spooner needed to proceed with this great initiative. This initiative got off the ground just a few weeks ago and has already raised over $14,000.00 and the SGI rebate checks have not yet been sent out, giving this project a great jump start. The goal for this fundraiser is to raise $250,000 by June
nate same amount or donate at all - I understand that – so if we have a rough estimate of 1000 people gave their average rebate which is $285.00, that would be $285,000.00, so that would exceed the $250,000 goal,” Spooner explained. With that, Spooner said that he encourages people to acknowledge that donating is not binary, and that people should donate their money to a cause that speaks to them as well. There are many important causes around the province that would great-
ing people hope. “I think that we’re sort of filled with a general malaise, like from COVID and negative stories often, that it feels so good to be part of a feel-good story; and so I think that, one, we’re making a difference if we’re able – by saving a tract of grasslands, we’re making a difference for a lifetime and lifetimes to come. Generations later, people will appreciate that we did this,” said Spooner. This project has brought many into the fundraising scene that otherwise would not have
thought to do something like this. This project has inspired many to do good in their community. “I hope that people who maybe had not considered collective action will remember the feelings from this action and take that forward to new things,” Spooner added passionately. Spooner’s hopes are already coming true, as there are many comments on the canadahelps. org donation page; one being from Margot Gough, who said, “I won’t get a rebate, but this collective action is too exciting and important not to be part of.” This initiative is about more than saving an ecosystem. It is about unity, passion, and community. “Have the audacity of hope, daring to dream…radical hope can be one of the most powerful sorts of feelings, expressions, emotions that someone can hold, and it is one of the most defiant things when faced with adversity. If you can maintain radical hope, that is one of the most defiant, positive actions that someone can hold,” Spooner said. To get involved in this powerful, uniting initiative - whether you are able to donate or not – Spooner encourages you to join the “Field of Dreams” Facebook page. If you are able to donate, visit the donation page at https:// www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/ field-of-dreams-saving-our-endangered-grasslands-w/?fbclid=IwAR343WuhRN8RaMtXIGGXJI6IMWfOrWY4s88J13YemKl6T3I_SoBGAN9LU4o. Lastly, visit the website to learn more at saskfieldofdreams. ca.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon | 6
news
Potential Rogers-Shaw merger will further reduce competition among Canadian telecoms Four companies hold all the power
matt thomson news writer
It’s no secret that Canada’s $72.5-billion telecom industry is severely lacking when it comes to service and customer choice. In fact, according to the Financial Post, the Canadian telecom market is one of the most heavily protected in the world and is almost completely devoid of substantial economic competition. The Canadian telecom market has been dominated by a small number of major companies for much of its existence. So much so that a Bell system, named for Canada’s oldest telecom corporation, has come to serve as a stand-in for a so-called natural monopoly. Last week, media conglomerate Rogers Communications offered to buy out of one of its top four competitors, Shaw Communications Inc., in a deal estimated to be worth between $20.4 and $26 billion, a move which would limit the playing field even more and give the corporation a greater level of market control. The telecom industry has been very limited for Canadian customers for some time. For example: most Canadian telecom giants, including Shaw, Rogers, and Telus, operate almost exclusively within separate sectors of the market with little or no room for competition. Canada’s telecom market maximizes profits
Jacqui Brown (Flickr)
Nokia smart phone.
for a few industry giants at the expense of consumer choice and market accessibility. As a result, Canadians across the country are faced with two or, at most, three options in regards to telecom providers, and it is no accident that
telecom prices in Canada are amongst the highest in the world. One of the reasons for this is that Canada does not allow mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which are wireless providers that don’t own their own
cellphone networks and instead lease access from the big telecoms at wholesale rates and then sell plans to the public. There are numerous MVNOs in the US and Australia, where there is less strict regulation. Currently, Australians
pay about half as much for wireless access as Canadians do. The public reaction to the proposed buy-out has been resoundingly negative, with the Canadian Competition Bureau telling Bloomberg News Network that the response has been “unprecedented.” Several petitions from Change.org and publications including North99 and Passage have drawn thousands of digital signatures, all of which call on Minister of Finance Francois-Philippe Champagne and the Liberal government to uphold their promises regarding affordable wireless and internet pricing. The consumer advocacy group, OpenMedia, has also called for the proposed merger to be blocked. The deal is set to be reviewed by the federal government in May, and the possibility of a potential block by the Liberals is still in the air, although Rogers’ President and CEO Joe Natale has said he is confident the deal will go through. In the current situation, the telecoms hold tremendous power. In the past, one of the giants, Telus, has threatened to cut thousands of jobs and billions in spending if the government opens the door for more competition, demonstrating the stranglehold the corporations have on the Canadian economy, whether Canadians are buying their products or not.
Archer Library launches material pick-up lockers More contactless library services hammad ali contributor
Back in the fall, we covered the services that Archer Library was offering to students during the pandemic. A couple of weeks ago, there was an update from Archer about book pickup lockers being made available in the hall outside Archer Library as one more step in the direction of contact-free check out of physical resources from the library. We got in touch with Brett Waytuck, the university librarian, to find out more about this, and their plans over the Spring and Summer terms. “We continue to provide a comprehensive suite of services for students, whether on campus or studying remotely. We are committed to ensuring that students can access books, journals, and information services needed. Twice, we had some mechanical issues with ventilation on the Archer main floor and had to reduce the number of available computers and solo study spaces for booking. However, we did not have to cancel any existing bookings,” said Waytuck. A list of all services offered can be found at https://uregina.libguides.com/ covid-19/students. When asked about the book lockers, Waytuck explains, “The
book lockers are an evolution of our existing curbside pickup service. With the lockers, we can now provide a touch-free service that no longer requires students to enter the library to get their materials. Manufacturing delays meant that our opening of the lockers was delayed until the Winter term, but they have worked well. When a student re-
quests a book, it is retrieved and placed in a locker. Once they scan their library card number, the locker door pops open and the book is formally charged to their account. We hope to continue this service even after the remote learning period.” Since the beginning of January, 1154 items have been circulated using the curbside pickup
service. In addition, students unable to commute to campus have also been able to receive mail delivery of books, with return envelopes for easy mailed return to the library. At present, all students are allowed semester long loans on physical library materials, and are not pressured to return items unless someone else needs them. For the Spring and Sum-
Christchurch City Libraries
Row of wooden book lockers.
mer terms, no major changes are expected. The library, along with the rest of the campus, will continue with the mostly remote learning environment, and the mix of virtual and in-person services will continue to be available to the campus community. Waytuck wanted to reach out to the campus community with the following words, “the library staff have been incredibly busy over the past year, both in maintaining existing services and developing new ones. Just this past week, we launched the digital exhibit for our new Mary Filer archival collection, which is one of the largest single donations in the history of the University Archives.” He also added, “we are here to support every student. If you need something, please just ask. U of R students have access to some of the best library staff in the country, and we want to hear from you!” Those interested can check out the Mary Filer exhibit at https://ourspace.uregina.ca/ maryfiler/. Details on how to use the book pickup lockers can be used is also available at https://www.uregina.ca/library/ about_contact/library_information/announcements_content/2021/304.html.
arts & culture
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editor: julia peterson aandc@carillonregina.com the carillon | march 25 - march 31, 2021
Review: Zack Snyder’s Justice League Worth the wait?
ethan butterfield sports editor Like slipping back into an old comfortable sweater, I once again get the chance to review and critique what the latest and… well, the latest film has to offer, anyway. This time around, even though the title has already given it away, I’ll be looking at the fouryear-long hypebeast that is Zack Snyder’s Justice League. A movie that originally suffered from a clashing of tone and directorial style, Zack Snyder’s Justice League (referred to as “The Snyder Cut”) is the remake, or reboot, or retelling, or restructuring, or reimaging of the original 2017 film. Now, after having finally seen the fourhour-long film, it’s time to look at its improvements and its shortcomings. First off: It was worth the wait. I’ll admit, I was sceptical about whether this was going to be just another over-hyped piece of media that fell short of people’s expectations. But there are definitely improvements to the original film and it was a welcome finale to the DC Snyder trilogy (made up of Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice) So, that being said, let’s dive into the positives. On the sunny side of things, the characters Cyborg (played by Ray Fisher) and the Flash (played by Ezra Miller) get their due. Cyborg really comes into his own in this film, and kind of makes the movie his own as well. Throughout the Snyder Cut, Cyborg has to deal with the strenuous relationship between him and his father, coming to terms with who he is, and how with great power comes great responsibility (not even a joke). Everything that Cyborg goes through develops his personality to great effect and makes him just that much more
Ant Man 3001 (Flickr)
A poster for Justice League, featuring (from left to right) The Flash, Superman, Cyclops, Wonder Woman, Batman and Aquaman.
relatable as a character. Additionally, the Flash goes beyond the role of comedic relief that he had in the 2017 movie and actually has significant depth. On top of going through his own emotional struggle with his father (who is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit), the Flash also has to deal with a crisis of self-worth. The Flash, throughout most of the Snyder Cut, doesn’t really do things for himself, instead pursuing life in a way that he feels will either help his father or that his
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self to his master and wishes to be seen as worthy. It is this reasoning that makes Steppenwolf a good antagonist. It is also probably the reason why Darksied (who’s in a couple of scenes), whenever he comes around, will probably be massively disappointing. Moving away from the characters and into tech stuff, other positives fall under the coherent editing of the film and the Snyder-esqe visuals. Granted, it is 4 hours long. You give anybody that amount of time and their film
dic relief for the film and doesn’t really contribute anything of any significant value other than “hey, we need Aquaman on the Justice League or it isn’t a Justice League movie.” There is a subplot, but it hardly matters. Speaking of comic relief, the blending of comedy and drama in this film is really jarring. Like, you can tell Snyder is more about drama than humour. Whenever one of the characters cracked a joke, I more or less had the reaction of “wait, there’s comedy
A movie that originally suffered from a clashing of tone and directorial style, Zack Snyder’s Justice League (referred to as ‘The Snyder Cut’) is the remake, or reboot, or retelling, or restructuring, or reimaging of the original 2017 film.
– Ethan Butterfield father would approve of. It isn’t until things hit the fan that the Flash really starts to understand that his path is his to forge. Granted, he still helps his father, but it’s with a newfound sense of pride. I will also say that Steppenwolf (the antagonist, played by Ciarán Hinds) was more fleshed out as a villain this time around, and I really appreciated that. Too many times in comic book movies are we greeted to the tired old plot of “villain wants to destroy everything because destiny” or some crap. Instead, Steppenwolf is actually a villain who fears failure. Not because he feels he can’t lose or because he is the strongest or whatever the reasoning of the generic villain is – but because he, like members of the Justice League, also seeks to prove him-
better be coherent. But looking back at the 2017 film, everything just moved so fast and there were so many weird cuts that made the whole thing a jumbled mess. As well, as I mentioned earlier, the visuals just scream Zack Snyder and really help to set the darker tone that the film is going for. All in all: good work there, Mr. Snyder. However, while Cyborg, the Flash, and Steppenwolf are the bright spots within the Snyder Cut, there are noteworthy aspects of the film that bring it back down to Earth. First and foremost: Aquaman. Now don’t get me wrong, Jason Momoa plays Aquaman quite well. But at the end of the day (and the film), he’s just kinda there. Aquaman pretty much exists as the come-
in this movie?” It was just kind of surreal, especially after having gotten used to the overly serious and brooding tone of the first two movies in the DC Snyder trilogy. I suppose I was just expecting way more brood. The significant lack of brood was pretty disappointing, honestly. Of course, when Superman (Henry Cavill) came back, I was thrilled. Not because he was a good addition to the film – far from it; he’s way too overpowered and completely removes any sense of threat once he’s on screen (but I digress) – but his arrival meant getting to see the most brooding character in Snyder’s trilogy brood once more (okay, I’ll stop saying brood now). Superman is rarely ever happy in the previous two films of the trilogy,
and that continues to be the case in this film. And here’s the thing: he’s just more engaging when he’s sad. A happy-go-lucky Superman just isn’t interesting because “oh, he’s Superman, and he can do the thing because he’s Superman.” So, to sum up, props to the Snyder Cut for sad Superman, but the film still had the problem of him solving too many problems. As a side note, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and Batman (Ben Affleck) are good in the film. I mean, they’re pretty much like Aquaman in that they’re just kind of there, but different from Aquaman because they actually move the story forward. So… that’s pretty neat. Anyways, characters aside, we need to talk about how this film is way too bloated – waaaaaaay too bloated. There’s way too much going on, and while a lot of it is interesting, some of it just doesn’t matter, like, at all. Take, for example, the Joker scene: The Snyder Cut has one added scene that features the Joker and it’s… sure there. It sure does exist in this film that we are watching. Does it add anything? Does it mean anything? No, not really. The same goes for the added Darksied footage. It exists as if to say “boy howdy, I sure do love sequels, don’t you?”. Plus, much like the 2017 film, the Commissioner Gordon scene just doesn’t need to be there. There’s so much added material that takes away from the actual narrative that plays out. This film could’ve been 3 hours easy, but c’est la vie, I suppose. All in all, Zack Snyder’s Justice League has enough new elements to be considered slick and stylish, surpassing the 2017 film. Better? Certainly. Worth a fouryear wait? Definitely.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
arts & culture
8
Globe Theatre offers one-on-one sessions Improve your artistic skills from your bedroom
Globe Theatre School
Greg Ochitwa (right) celebrates his student Clara Biancelli’s (left) excellent monologue during a one-on-one Zoom session.
florence hwang arts writer While stages are dark, the pandemic has given Regina’s Globe Theatre a much broader reach – it is offering virtual one-on-one sessions with theatre artists, available to anyone in the world. One student is from London, England. Another student recently moved with his family from Regina to Cincinnati, Ohio. “The family assumed that was the end of the relationship with the Globe Theatre. I reached out to them at the end of the summer after the first pilot project. They were so excited about it. Their 15-year-old son signed up and wanted to build an online epi-
sode,” said Greg Ochitwa, Artistic Associate with the Globe Theatre. The 10 sessions have a broad focus and are based on what each person is willing to pay. People can work on singing, choreography, stand-up comedy, script writing, finding work in the industry, preparing grant applications and even get career advice. If those ideas don’t apply to them, people who sign up can also make their own suggestions about what they want to work on. The Zoom classes can be scheduled between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The Globe Theatre’s website describes these sessions as “sort of creative gymnasium where you
can bounce around all of your artistic thoughts and concepts.” There are currently two instructors available: Tahirih Vejdani is an actor, singer, music educator, songwriter and choral conductor who is based out of Toronto. Munish Sharma is an actor, writer and dancer who is based out of Vancouver. Both are originally from Saskatchewan. Both attended the University of Regina. In July 2020, the sessions started as a pilot project. The one-on-one sessions could be customized to each of the students’ needs, whether it be preparing for monologues or putting together an audition package while doing so in their own homes.
Not being able to teach Globe Theatre classes in person was a challenge for students and instructors. “It was really heartbreaking for me as a teacher and a leader. It was also hard for students. I firmly believe in the value of arts programming, but I didn’t want to be promising people things that would maybe be cancelled,” said Ochitwa. He has been teaching at the Globe Theatre for the past 10 years. One-on-one sessions can help high school or university students looking to brush up their resumes or work on their monologue pieces. But while students learn or
hone skills, the sessions are more about providing space for them to connect with others. “It’s been the most confusing year that we humans had to face in a long time. We’ve had so much taken away from us and our comforts and our routines and everything this year. So just to have that hour every week, that’s your time,” said Ochitwa More importantly, students looked forward to these sessions because it was a safe space to get in touch with other people. “It’s the connections and the friendships and the bonds that you make with the other humans. And that was my main goal with designing this program.”
life experiences through great tunes and amazing practical effects. Unity and connection are some things that we are all missing right now, and the continued deprivation of personal connections is making it very hard for me to imagine what it will be like when I can walk through the doors of a stadium, ticket in hand, once again. The frustration that I feel when I see people not following the COVID rules breaks my heart and boils my blood, because those individuals’ actions are depriv-
ing me of one of the things that brings me great joy – live music. Live music is an escape. It is a vortex that one can go into for a while and escape the world and forget about all of the problems outside of the stadium doors or festival gates. And let me be the [not] first to say we all need to enter the vortex and escape from reality right now. I don’t know what concerts and music festivals will look like after the COVID-19 pandemic, but I can tell you that, no matter what it looks like, I am excited for it.
This time next year...
What will shows and concerts look like after the pandemic?
reese estwick staff writer
It was June 2020. Harry Styles made an Instagram post announcing that his tour was being postponed due to the rise of the COVID-19 cases across Canada. Many ticket holders were disappointed since they were going to have to wait longer to be in the presence of the former One Direction singer – but in the face of that disappointment, I was jumping with joy and jumping on Ticketmaster. The tour was scheduled for
September 2021, and at the time, I assumed that COVID would be long over by then and I would be able to fly to Toronto and enjoy a night at the Scotiabank Arena with Harry Styles, my best friend, and my siblings – followed by a weekend of fun and reconnection after a year of isolation. But now, I sit in my parents’ house every day, curious if I will feel the same feeling all the original ticket holders felt that day in June 2020. I just keep asking myself: what will concerts and music festivals look like after the COVID-19
pandemic? Will we ever be able to be in an arena with thousands of other people, paying way too much money for drinks, singing with our friends, and making memories alongside our favorite artists? Each and every one of these questions – although they sound simple and are a clear reflection of my privilege – breaks my heart. All these things now feel like distant memories to me. Concerts and music festivals are spaces that connect people in a stunning way. They can unify people from all backgrounds and
Photo Steve 101 (Flickr)
A photo of a calendar page.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
arts & culture
9
#StillNotOverIt: Breaking Bad Revisiting the much-acclaimed drama
florence hwang arts writer I jumped on the Breaking Bad bandwagon later than most fans, but when I started watching, I couldn’t stop. A good show leaves you wanting more. I’d almost say it’s addictive, like drugs, but not as deadly. I binge-watched the first four seasons within two months. Then I was in withdrawal, waiting to watch the last season, broken up into two parts. Series creator Vince Gilligan is a master storyteller, leaving the audience on a cliffhanger with each episode. The series starts off rather hum-drum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2008. Walter White, a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher, learns he has stage four lung cancer. As a responsible father and husband, he starts looking for ways to provide for his wife, son, and unborn child after he dies. A former student of his, Jesse Pinkman, suggests White help him make a batch of meth to make some extra money. Both quickly realize this joint venture could be quite lucrative, so they start to create unique blue meth that is exceptionally pure. More people start demanding their specialty drug. White becomes totally consumed with making as much money as possible to provide for
his family. His drive to become wealthy becomes insatiable – even making millions of dollars isn’t enough. He starts to look for places to stash excess money, including digging a hole in the middle of nowhere for safe keeping. White’s wife, Skyler, starts to notice her husband’s odd behaviour. She is suspicious about how he got the money to buy ex-
travagant gifts for their family. Meanwhile, White’s brotherin-law, Hank Schrader, works with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The series follows this ongoing cat-and-mouse relationship between White and Schrader. Breaking Bad’s most brilliant thing was that it took this premise of a chemistry teacher turned
meth cook and pushed it to extreme and sometimes absurd scenarios. I often wondered – how on earth will White get out of this sticky and potentially lethal situation? Bryan Cranston (Walter White), Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman), Anna Gunn (Skylar) and Dean Norris (Hank) are convincing in their respective roles. Their
Bago Games
Actor Bryan Cranston in character as Walter White: a bald, middle-aged white man with glasses, a moustache, and a beard. He is standing in the desert.
performances help the viewer suspend reality and believe this story could be plausible. Gilligan is clever in slowly increasing the stakes, season by season. As the stakes get higher, the scenarios become more graphic and grislier. It’s like a frog in a pot of water with the temperature being gradually turned up. The audience is slowly acclimatized to the increasing onslaught of brutal acts of violence. Likewise, White’s morals, which were black-and-white at the beginning of the series, slowly start to turn much greyer. With every step he takes further into the criminal world, he continually justifies his actions as “for the good of his family”. Skyler’s character also goes through a similar metamorphosis, from trying to get her husband to stop making meth to helping him figure out a way to launder the drug money. The award-winning cinematography paints a stunningly hyper-realistic world. Each shot of the series was carefully planned for and exquisitely captured on 35 mm movie film, and one of these days, I’d love to visit New Mexico to see the scenery. Breaking Bad is a well-told, beautifully-shot, and highly addictive show that takes you on a thrilling journey into a dark criminal underworld from the safety of your home.
#StillNotOverIt: Money Heist A genre-savvy Spanish heist crime drama
raquel vatamaniuk contributor
Everyone has a show, movie, or book they keep coming back to again and again, just like the popsicles in the freezer that you said you’d leave alone. For me, that show is La Casa de Papel (Money Heist). I’m #StillNotOverIt. How can I summarize my passion for this show in one article? I could talk for days or weeks about it. I have to squeeze, downsize, and cut my six story, two swimming pools mansion of enthusiasm into a New York shoebox apartment-sized format, utilities not included. Have you ever been amazed by your favourite thing and outraged that others don’t share your love for it when you share it with them? Their indifference feels like betrayal, and you think to yourself “why am I even friends with you?” They may be great friends in other respects, but in this instance, they have failed you. But I keep sharing my love for Money Heist because, when I do find someone who loves it, the feedback and the shared experience is worth all those other rejections. The one aspect of the show I keep coming back to is that it’s never boring. Show creator Álex Pina and star Úrsula Corberó Delgado have made a master-
Pixabay
A drawing of three black-and-white faces wearing red hoods.
piece of dialogue, actions, visuals, and unexpected events. Before I found Money Heist, I would drag my feet as I looked for new shows, begrudgingly accepting the boring fare I thought I was going to find. Now, I turn on my TV hoping for good times, always on the hunt for something new to
digest. This is a show that speaks to me even when I’m not sitting glued to the screen. I often listen to the audio as I do tasks that I’ve been putting off forever, and when I’m knee-deep in mud, pulling weeds, listening to the sounds of the action sequences as they pull
off the biggest heist ever makes me emotional every single time. You’d think after the seventh – or certainly the 20th – playthrough that it wouldn’t hit so damn hard, and the success wouldn’t feel so sweet. But what can I say? This show gets me. And yet, so many people
don’t know what this show is – and I can’t accept that. “Watch this awesome show! I swear you’ll love it!” has become my battle cry. The published reviews of Money Heist disappoint me because their enthusiasm to me is nowhere near enough. I want more. I want it overflowing with details. I want sentences in ALL CAPS, and the more exclamation marks used, the better!!!!! To do this show justice, it should be in-your-face-extreme. When you read about it, you should get the impression that the author believes drinking espresso shots is just as good as sleeping and writes with their fingers flying over the keyboards. As you read this, you might have noticed that I have been telling you about this show, but not actually telling you much. The juicy details, jaw dropping shockers, and twists make you scramble for the remote, pausing to process what exactly just happened. Do I continue onwards, or do I replay that awesome part? For me, any type of spoilers is unacceptable – especially while so many of us are stuck at home during COVID. Movies matter too much to cheapen the experience like that. But I’ll give you this one hint: if you watch Money Heist, I think you’ll have a great time.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
arts & culture
10
Arts and (Mine)crafts
UofR grad student Cat Haines’ work is featured in the Mackenzie Art Gallery’s Minecraft exhibition
marty grande-sherbert staff writer Artist and graduate student from the University of Regina’s Women’s and Gender Studies department, Cat Haines, has been selected as an artist-in-residence of the Mackenzie Art Gallery’s online Minecraft-based “Ender Gallery.” Haines’ exhibit, consisting of a Minecraft server where she has built a digital “replica” of her surgically constructed vulva and vagina, will also serve as an interrogative satire of the way trans women’s lives and stories are often overly focused on their bodies. This work is connected to Haines’ thesis work about transmisogyny and the “abject,” where “trans women’s subjectivity and bodies are abject in society and in feminist/lesbian art and literature – a big way we see that is through… ’pussy art.’” As well as the giant vulva looming impressively over the pixelated landscape, Haines’ server includes a wood-cabin-like community centre that she built for the guests who will visit when the exhibit opens in April, running until May. Inside, there are tables with Minecraft cake, and an upstairs with coolers containing beverages and seating areas for conversation. There is also, of course, a window on the upper floor with a grand view of the vulva outside. Visitors can also actually go inside the constructed genitalia, where there is a series of photographs from Haines’ personal archive, accompanied by Minecraft “notes” with poetry and theoretical musings. These notes feature a story from Cat’s wedding, plus other surprises on the topics of feminist theory, transition, and living as a trans woman. Another large theme of the exhibit is lesbian history, as
Pixy
A screenshot of a sweeping canyon landscape constructed in Minecraft.
Haines explains: “we frequently re-write trans history, [so] can we re-write it to be a lesbian history too? If cisgender women can do it, why can’t I?” The Carillon had the opportunity to interview Haines about the vision behind this exhibit, her imagined audience, and what she hopes patrons will consider after visiting the Minecraft server. Haines joined the project excited to provide some local representation, as the Ender Gallery takes residencies from places outside Regina as well. Additionally, she is a longtime player of Minecraft, using it to socialize with friends from a young age, and wanted to
tivities, Haines explained it as the study of “[trans women’s] own personal, subjective experiences.” Many feminist methodologies are based in this focus on experience instead of a “strict patriarchal western canon”; in particular, Haines draws from the phenomenology of sociologist Henry Rubin. In short, Haines is concerned with understanding transmisogyny and the lives of trans women by examining true stories from their lives – including, in the case of this exhibit, her own. The “pussy art” that Haines means to interrogate with her trans feminist ironic reading, she explains, is “art that centers the
about the body and not the subjective experience of transness, Haines said, is “not a narrative we need to hear more of...that’s not the story I want to tell. What can we tell about transness that’s more liberatory?” We spoke about the multiple audiences of Haines’ exhibit – a cisgender audience, who may be exposed to a trans narrative for the first time, and a trans audience who may see themselves represented in the work. Haines said these audiences may take away different things from the exhibit while consuming the same piece. “I envision trans people as being a really important part of my audi-
“
I want people to come and maybe be surprised that it’s not about the body, because that is so often the narrative that we’re given for trans people. – Cat Haines
tackle the concept of a feminist art installation within the game. She introduced herself to me as “a master’s student...trans women and dyke. What I’m working on is the histories and subjectivities at the intersections of those identities.” She was inspired to build her piece by a physical feminist art installation called “Killjoy’s Castle,” a castle that contained several scenes focusing on women’s rights and struggles. Killjoy’s Castle, however, was criticized for being bioessentialist and trans-exclusionary. Haines wants to use its framing to build a narrative about trans women, and particularly their place in lesbian history. In the case of trans subjec-
vulva or vagina in some way.” Haines clarifies that she doesn’t mean to entirely “devalue” pussy art. “A lot [of it] is made as a revolt against the perception that vaginas are dirty, nasty, [or] should be hidden away,” she says. “Artwork that works to reclaim the body is one thing. But when what it sets out to do is construct femininity around the vulva/vagina, that becomes boring and problematic.” Haines wants to challenge the way trans women are talked about by revealing within the constructed vulva a trans narrative that is not necessarily a bodily one. Although the narrative is set within the context of bottom surgery, she says it’s not one that culminates in that procedure. The story being
ence,” she says, wanting to “challenge [the] body-centre city of transness. I want people to come and maybe be surprised that it’s not about the body, because that is so often the narrative that we’re given for trans people...I want it to be primarily joyful and expansive, rather than dysphoric and contracting.” She wants to move away from the original focus on trauma and mentions the way “the cis gaze [looks to] consume trans pain to understand it.” She replaced that pain with the true and often joyful stories inside the exhibit, like the story of her and her wife crying “tears of joy when we discover that we’re wives one night.” In this story, she writes in the medium of the Minecraft
notes system “the first lesbian wedding I attended was my own. I just didn’t know it yet.” Haines says that because trans people are such an important part of her audience, she hopes to host some events around the exhibit that will be centered around or held just for trans people. To subsidize trans people who may not have a copy of Minecraft or be able to afford it, she says she wants to be able to offer some a free copy with a micro-grant from the Gallery. Patrons can also look forward to recorded tours of the exhibits, a performance, and an artist talk. She is even thinking about having a virtual Minecraft dance party inside the exhibit, as an event that can be held during Regina’s Pride festival this summer. While Haines describes herself in her bio as an “academic/ artist/weirdo,” and much of her art in the past has been tangible, activist art such as zines, show posters and colleges, she says it “is really exciting to have a paid residency where [she] can intentionally devote some time to [her] art practice.” Whether or not you are familiar with trans studies, theories of gender, or lesbian history, it is a rare and exciting opportunity to have an exhibit on these themes in Regina. Haines also suggests that those who are excited by the Ender Gallery project take a look at Manito Ahbee Aki, an Anishinaabe community built in Minecraft meant to explore Anishinaabe history and culture in cooperation with Knowledge Keepers. In addition, of course, keep an eye out for the future residencies at Ender Gallery now that Haines is starting the program off with a bang.
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editor: ethan butterfield sports@carillonregina.com the carillon | march 25 - march 31, 2021
Looking into the U of R President’s Breakfast for Athletics Helping U of R athletics programs during the pandemic
ethan butterfield sports editor
Ethan Butterfield
A pole with the U of R Cougars logo.
This year marks the 11th anniversary of The University of Regina President’s Breakfast for Athletics, which (at the time of this article’s release) will have taken place on March 23rd of 2021. However, despite the event having come and gone, it’s still worth noting the significant impact that it will have for U of R athletics. The President’s Breakfast comes to the U of R in a timely manner as the funds raised from it will help to keep the U of R sports programs afloat amidst the ongoing pandemic. According to the media re-
“
lars in funds for both the U of R Cougars and the U of R Rams programs. Lisa Robertson, U of R Director of Sport, Community Engagement & Athlete Development, noted in the release just how grateful she is for the event with regards to helping U of R Athletics during the COVID pandemic (especially during a time when the virus is now more prominent than ever). “The President’s Breakfast is the premiere fundraising event for our Cougars and Rams teams. The support of the President’s Of-
as follows: Regina-born snowboarder, Mark McMorris, will be a guest speaker at the President’s Breakfast. McMorris is one of the most honoured athletes in the world of action sports. His accomplishments include, but are not limited to; 2 Olympic medals, 21 Winter X Games medals (9 golds, 9 silvers and 3 bronze), and 3 World Championships Medals (1 gold, 2 silver). In total, McMorris has accumulated 26 medals in all; President of Hockey Operations for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Brian Burke, is another
rently made an impact during his time with the Vancouver Canucks as he won two team awards with the organization, the first of which being the Babe Pratt Trophy which is awarded to top defenceman, and the second being the Fred J. Hume Award which is awarded to the unsung hero. Both were awarded to him in 2007. As well, Bieska was also a part of the Canucks team that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011. On top of the guest speakers, Claire Hanna of CTV Regina will be the event’s master of ceremonies.
Breakfast should be seen as a wonderful opportunity to help bring in those much needed funds. As an event that helps to serve the University of Regina in what it needs as far as funding. This especially being the case now as a new variant of the virus runs rampant in the city of Regina. Considering that the variant has increased the number of cases to shockingly high amounts, with over 31,000 individuals being infected in the province (over 6,000 positive cases in Regina alone), the idea that these programs will be thriving sooner rather than
So any money that can find its way into said programs is a win for the student athletes that wish to continue pursuing their passions. – Ethan Butterfield
lease based around the President’s Breakfast, this event is “the largest fundraiser for U of R athletics programs, providing financial support for student athletes through scholarships, recruitment efforts, and program enhancement.” All money raised as a result of the event, up to $100,000, will be matched by the Office of the President. Since it began in 2010, the President’s Breakfast has garnered more than $1 million dol-
fice, with matching funds, is what makes the event so impactful and so important to our programs,” says Robertson. “I am immensely grateful for the more than 900 attendees who have showed their support for our student athletes, and I know our coaches and players feel the same.” With regards to what the event will hold for those attending, according to the release, there will be some rather notable guest speakers taking part. The list and descriptions of the said guests are
guest speaker. On top of winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, Burke also served as an analyst for the NHL. Alongside that of the Penguins and Ducks, Burke has also been President of Operations for the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs, and the General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks; And hockey analyst and former NHL defenceman (the Vancouver Canucks and the Anaheim Ducks) Kevin Bieksa will also be a part of the event. Bieska cur-
All of these individuals being a part of the President’s Breakfast helps to solidify the kind of impact that this event truly has on the U of R. However, it is also important to remember how nice to is to have these speakers be a part of this event, it should not deter from the fact that this event is for the students at the end of the day Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has (as was mentioned at the beginning of this article) dealt a critical blow to U of R athletic programs, the President’s
later is just completely false at its core. So any money that can find its way into said programs is a win for the student athletes that wish to continue pursuing their passions. So, as always, the more than can be done to social distance, wear masks, and sanitize, the better. All of it helps in making sure that these programs can take place in a safe environment for students that just want to do what they love. So please, do your part.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon | 12
sports
Curling results round-up Taking a look at the Scotties and the Brier
sarah nakonechny sports writer Another year has come and gone for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the Tim Hortons Brier. For those of who missed all the excitement from these two iconic tournaments, never fear here is everything you need to know about the results! The Scotties Tournament took place at the end of February. From the 19th to the 28th of 2021, we had the pleasure of watching the best female curlers compete for the title in Calgary, Alberta. In this year’s tournament, 18 teams took
to the sheets to compete, whereas in previous years there were only 16. The reason for this sudden increase was due to the strict protocols put in place to secure the bubble that they were placed in. To ensure that this was worth the players’ time they allowed the increase. This is the first time in the 60 year history of the Scotties that the field has ever been expanded. In the final gold medal game, the results were a repeat of last year. Team Ontario was faced to go head to head with Team Canada once again. Again Team Canada was represented by the Mantibo team Einarson. Throughout
a nail biting match Team Canada came out on top once again with the final score being Canada 9, Ontario 7. This win is the first time a team has won back to back titles since 2013-14. It has already been said that the team will look very similar when they come back for the 2022 tournament. However, the real question that is on everyone’s mind is whether or not they will get an opportunity to represent Canada at the Women’s World Championship. This team has already lost the opportunity to play in this championship in 2020 which was scheduled to take place
in Switzerland, let us hope that this is not the case again. Now switching gears to the men, the Tim Hortons Brier which also took place inside the Calgary bubble occurred from March 6th to 14th 2021. Just like the Scotties, the Briers expanded to allow for 18 teams to compete instead of the usual 16. Again this is an unusual turn of events but it is fitting for such an unusual circumstance. Reaching the gold medal match, it was the best of Alberta left to fight it out between themselves. They were represented by Bottcher’s Team Alberta and Koe’s Wild Card teams. Both
teams played exceptionally well with the final score coming out to be Team Alberta 4, Wild Card team 2. The winning team has not only won the prize money, but will also be representing Canada at the BKT Tires & OK Tire World Men’s Curling Championships which are happening from April 2nd to 11th 2021. It has been a busy curling season over the last month and it will only continue from here. The rocks never stop rolling as teams prepare for their next tournament appearances and try again for the shot at the next title.
Pixnio
Curling rocks grouped together on the ice.
Sports in history: the helmet
Giving new meaning to ‘having a good head on your shoulders’
sarah nakonechny sports writer
Who actually likes wearing a helmet? From the gross feeling of sweaty and sticky hair when you take it off to the added weight and potentially uncomfortable straps that just makes everything worse off. Everyone has their reasons for not wanting to wear them. Whatever your reason, I can promise you it is not a good enough excuse for not putting one on. Many sports now have the added requirement that players must adorn a helmet with the rest of their uniform to be allowed to take part in their desired activity. Although it now seems like a regular addition to the games we enjoy it was not always. Here is what has changed. Originally designed to be utilized by soldiers, helmets have wider purpose than protecting one in battle. In case of an accident in athletics, it has been found that wearing a helmet helps to spread the impact over a larger area, thus preventing direct impact with the skull. This helps to lessen the potential damage that can happen to an individual’s brain if struck. To ensure that you are using the correct helmet to prevent this harm, one must know the different types of protective wear available for them to utilize. The first type of helmet
Pixnio
A cyclist wearing a helmet.
is what is known as a single use helmet. These are ones that are meant for a specific type of activity. This is one of the reasons why there are so many different variations of the same piece of equipment. Testing has been done to ensure that they are the most protective for the potential causes of impact in each activity. An example of such a helmet would be one used by batters in baseball games. These are not ones that can or
should be used for different activities and it is important to ensure that you have on the correct helmet for the activity you intend to participate in. There are helmets that are known as multiple use ones that also fit into this type category. These can be utilized for a variety of different activities. An example of this would be the helmet that is worn when one is snowboarding and skiing. Due to the sim-
ilarities that these sports share it allows for the individual to adorn the same protective equipment without fear. If you are ever unsure about if your helmet is one that can have multiple uses it will come with a certification sticker informing you of which activities it has been certified and designated for. Another category of helmets are the impact types. The first is what is known as a single im-
pact helmet. As the name implies they are designed to be the most effective for the first time of impact and only the first time. After that it is strongly encouraged that you replace them as the protective aspect of the helmet would have been weakened with the impact and therefore will not be as effective if one were to be struck again. One that everyone is familiar with for this type is a bicycle helmet. Oftentimes these are not made for activities where one is likely to be struck repeatedly but rather for lower contact activities. In order to care for those who take part in contact sports such as hockey or football and stand a higher chance of receiving multiple blows to the head, the multiple impact helmet was made. This way one can protect their head while not having to break the bank purchasing a large supply of extra helmets. As a result these helmets can withstand multiple impacts before losing their ability to protect. Even though this is the case it is still recommended to replace your old ones for newer ones after receiving a few strikes to ensure the highest protective ability. Although it may seem silly and you may feel you don’t need to wear one for some of the activities that you take part in, it is definitely worthwhile to do so. It is better to have helmet hair than a head injury.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
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carillonregina.com | the carillon |
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March Madness & the harsh reality for student athletes A look behind the scenes
matt thomson news writer (Authors note: the names of both athletes have been changed for the sake of anonymity) After a long and hard winter, Spring has finally come, and we all know what that means, the biggest tournament in Collegiate Basketball. March Madness has become a favourite past time of countless basketball fans, including many, like myself, that otherwise know little to nothing about American College sports. Besides the Superbowl and NBA finals, March Madness has become the biggest and most profitable annual sporting event, and it’s easy to see why. From the number of teams, the diversity of play, and the trademarked upsets, March Madness is a hell of a sporting spectacle few can escape during the tournament’s three-week duration. However, as with every piece of theatrics, behind the scenes the NCAA and Collegiate sports is often characterized by its relentless exploitation of its athletes who are often faced with long hours, financial and medical issues, and toxic or otherwise harsh social environments. Millions of bracket predictions are submitted every year, now a staple in many offices and social circles across the continent, and even more millions of dollars are lost or won in each of the tournament’s 63 games. As well, the tournament annually draws in approximately 1.1 billion dollars in advertising revenue, and practically every aspect of the tournament has been branded, including the iconic Net Cutting ceremony which is sponsored by a ladder company (no joke). However, between the commentators mentioning Cherry Coke, the cheering of the socially-distanced fans, the fast-paced play, and your own incoherent screaming at the TV after your bracket gets broken, it’s easy to forget that the athletes
at the centre of the entire fiasco aren’t seeing a single cent of any revenue generated by the tournament or NCAA. Now, if you’re a total nerd like me, you might roll your eyes and say, ‘Boo-hoo, how hard it must be to have thousands of fans, a free ride through Uni, and then make millions playing sports’, but that’s hardly the case for most University athletes. “The fantasy of going pro or winning the Dance, the NCAA championship, is always there,” says Pat Bates, a team athlete at the University of Montana, “...but then you blink, and reality comes back.” Bates, a third year Arts student originally from the Thunder Bay area in Ontario, went on, “I
mum, we would have made way more than any scholarship, which weren’t necessarily guaranteed either.” However, he also added, “[Getting paid] was never in the discussion, though. It just wasn’t talked about. For us, if we had got paid, our program probably wouldn’t have existed because our sport didn’t draw a lot of revenue, and it’s probably the same across for a lot of CIS teams.” Generally, collegiate sports in Canada don’t garner the same fan fare or popular buzz as other high-level sports. Most concentrate their entire Athletic budget or focus on a few select sports, usually Football or another team sport, and often these athletes’ financial needs are far from covered by scholarships. The
enue per year, and outside a very small handful of a tiny portion of high-level individuals, athletes see absolutely none of it. “It’s exploitation, straight up,” said Bates, “The thing with scholarships, it’s enough to pay for classes, but unless you’re in [a school like] Duke or Florida, you still gotta cover insurance, food, auto maintenance, and everything else. I know some guys who work night jobs or have to support their families back home. Not to mention most scholarships require you to maintain a 75% GPA or somewhere in that ballpark. It definitely takes a toll on your brain, you now, the constant level of stress.” When asked about academics, Burnham said, “It absolute-
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He pretty much shrugged it off, like almost dying wasn’t an adequate excuse for a lacking performance, and what he said amounted to, ‘Okay. But still, go fuck yourself.’ – Les Burnham
remember my girlfriend telling me when I started that only something like one and a half college players go pro and I should focus on my studies, but for most of us it’s literally impossible.” Bates’ experience was echoed by former University of Saskatchewan Husky, Les Burnham, “In a given week, say mid-season, you’d have thirty hours minimum a week dedicated to it, including practice, drills, etcetera. Plus, if you were playing an away game, that’s basically your whole weekend gone. The hours were hard, too, they’d leave you drained physically and mentally and most of the time, say if you had an evening practice, it was difficult to focus on anything but the number of hours until you went back to it.” Burnham, also a team athlete, went on, “If we were paid mini-
situation in the States, however, is a completely different story. American Collegiate sports, especially legacy teams or programs such as the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide or UCLA’s Bruins, often have fanbases or viewership far surpassing most professional league teams, including those in the big four (MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL). According to Business Insider, the average NCAA Football team alone generate approximately $31 million in revenue each year, with the average for Basketball sitting around $8.3 million. The salary of football coaches averages around $1.3 million, and for basketball coaches approximately $106,000 (although many in legacy programs are paid in the 7-figure range). As a whole, the NCAA generates about $1 billion in rev-
ly had a negative impact [on my grades]. If you’re in a very intensive program, like Engineering for instance, solid grades are pretty much out of reach. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to have good grades as an athlete, but only a certain kind of person, like an anomaly, could do it.” On the same topic, Bates noted, “Here [in the states], most guys are told or pressured to take fluff classes or easy programs, stuff that has pretty much no practicality outside higher academia which is completely out of scope for most guys. When your time is up and you don’t make it pro, you’re left scratching your head like, ‘Shit, what the hell do I do now?” As Burnham put it, “For some guys, the one’s who focused entirely on [sports], it likes you’re lost for a second, you ask yourself,
‘Where did the last five years go?’, and your main driver in life is gone.” Both athletes also detailed the atmospheres of constant verbal abuse perpetuated by head coaches, including tactics like gaslighting and a severe lack of concern for the overall health of their athletes. “I remember one practice where I was just off the whole time,” said Burnham, “No matter what I couldn’t do anything right. I took a break in the hallway to gather my thoughts but when I came back it was the same. I was a key player at the time, so coach was extra hard on me the whole time. It got so bad that I even snapped back and left early, which I never ever did, that kind of thing can get you booted off the team. What I learned later what has happening was that my blood sugar was dangerously low, and I was on the verge of entering a hypoglycemic coma and dying. I didn’t know I had a condition at that point. When I came back the next day, I explained the situation to coach, and his reaction shocked me. He pretty much shrugged it off, like almost dying wasn’t an adequate excuse for a lacking performance, and what he said amounted to, ‘Okay. But still, go fuck yourself.’” Lastly, both were asked if they had to do it all over again, would they have still chosen to be student athletes. “I would’ve gone to a different school or program,” said Burnham, “Whether it has any effect on your resume really depends on who’s looking at it.” Bates gave a similar answer, “It’s hard to say since I’m still in the middle of it. I wish I would’ve known more about everything that came with it and the constant state of stress, but there’s still something, I dunno, magical about the atmosphere, y’know, being a team and all that, winning against adversity.”
Arby Reed (Flickr)
Basketballs on basketballs.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
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sports
The Butterfield Breakdown: NFL free agency round-up Big moves and bigger signings ethan butterfield sports editor Just when you thought it was done, the NFL free agency starts to pick up again with new signings and rumours that’ll make for quite an interesting 2021 season. Not to give too much away right off the top but there the names that are being signed this time around should definitely turn some heads. As well, as opposed to the last breakdown I did, I try to offer a bit of analysis for the signing and why the team might make that sort of move. Anywho, enjoy the updates all! So, let’s get right into the individual signings. We’ll start off with my favourite part of the free agency, the quarterback (QB) carousel! This is the time of year where a lot of QB’s find new teams, which leads to all types of questions for the upcoming season. As opposed to last week, this week found a lot of QB’s making their way to different organizations. Andy Dalton, who led the Dallas Cowboys through most of their disappointing, 6-10, playoff-less 2020 season, ended up being signed by the Chicago Bears under a 1 year contract. It was reported that the Bears had assured Dalton the starting position on the team, but it’s also rumoured that the Bears are still looking to pursue all-star QB Russell Wilson.
In other news, former Chicago Bears starting QB Mitchell Tribusky is now a member of the Buffalo Bills. Signing a 1 year deal with the team, Tribusky will certainly be the backup to Bills QB Josh Allen, who had an amazing 2020 campaign with the team. It is a bit odd to put someone with Tribusky’s former 1st string status into the backup position, but considering his results as of late it’s more than likely the best fit for him. Moving away from Chicago,
contract. Glennon will also provide some decent experience to the team, as opposed to first-string QB Daniel Jones and his fairly recent run in the league. Finally (as far as QB’s go for now), former Indianapolis Colt Jacoby Brissett is now a part of the Miami Dolphins. After the release of Ryan Fitzpatrick, it was certainly necessary to get a more stable option at the QB position that could back-up the Dolphins first string, Tua Tagovailoa. Now having looked at the nu-
As well, veteran tight-end (TE) Kyle Rudolph was also signed by the Giants in an effort to acquire more options for Jones. Rudolph’s signing ends his almost 10 year run with the Minnesota Vikings. On the subject of tight ends and the Giants aside, TE Dan Arnold, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals will find his way to the Carolina Panthers via a two year deal with the team. WR DeSean Jackson was signed to the Los Angeles Rams
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As opposed to the last breakdown I did, I try to offer a bit of analysis for the signing and why the team might make that sort of move. – Ethan Butterfield
QB Tyrod Taylor will be coming back for another season. This time he’ll be playing with the Houston Texans. Taylor, being a former Super Bowl Champion (Super Bowl 47 with the Baltimore Ravens), as well as league veteran, will be a nice addition to the Texans organization. Speaking of veteran QB’s, veteran back-up Mike Glennon signed an agreement with the New York Giants for a year long
merous QB’s that will be adjusting to their new teams throughout the offseason, we now move to other big signings that occurred from outside the under center position. First, the New York Giants landed a big deal with wide-receiver (WR) Kenny Golladay, solidifying a 4-year deal for over $70 million dollars. Golladay’s presence is a welcome one for the Giants as it gives Daniel Jones more secure options to throw too.
for a year where he’ll be another option for new QB Matthew Stafford, alongside that of Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Moving away from the air to the ground, the Houston Texans made another move in the signing of Phillip Lindsay for a year. Lindsay was cut by the Denver Broncos organization earlier in the offseason, but quickly found a home with the Texans where his speed will be of great effect to the team.
On the defensive side of the ball, former Atlanta Falcon safety Keanu Neal was signed by the Dallas Cowboys organization for a year long deal. Considering how the Cowboys struggled mightily on defensive during their 2020 season. A move for more defensive depth is hardly surprising. Having looked into those, we arrived at the resignings portion of the free agency breakdown where there were certainly a couple of notable ones worth addressing. JuJu Smith-Schuster, the quality wide receiver option for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is coming back on a one year contract. As well, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is also resigning with the team. Another is Xavier Rhodes, the cornerback (CB) of the Indianapolis Colts who has made quite the career being a reliable defenseman. Finally, kicker (K) Cody Parky is returning to the Clevelan Browns on a one year deal. So there you have it, a quick round-up of some noteworthy signings that lay out the groundwork for what teams folks should keep an eye on in 2021. Of course, there’s still more signings to occur this offseason. So at the end of the day, who knows what the future holds.
Ethan Butterfield
An open laptop with a hand on the keyboard.
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editor: holly worby op-ed@carillonregina.com the carillon | march 25 - march 31, 2021
Religion and queerness are not mutually exclusive Combatting the normalization of homophobia through community, solidarity, and true faith
The response to Regina Victory Church’s (RVC) queerphobic sermon honestly made me feel grateful in a lot of ways. With a rally around the church, a human rights complaint made, and a great public statement from UR Pride, it was clear that not only do these messages not fly under our community’s radar, but that there is no room to be apologetic towards them. I wondered if the same thing might have happened years ago, when I was a child most vulnerable to this rhetoric from a faith leader. Would the response have been as overwhelming? I think that, even in my lifetime, there are a great many people and organizations we have to thank (both locally and otherwise) for making the hurtfulness of these remarks so widely understood. A short while ago, this may have been considered a “fringe” issue, but queerphobic outbursts in places of faith are finally being acknowledged as public issues. For the sake of everyone inside and around the community of RVC who may have internalized these messages which harm others and themselves, I really celebrate the way we refused to normalize this any longer. UR Pride made a good point in their public statement,
Regina Victory Church
Pastor Terry Murphy on stage delivering a sermon.
which was that the hateful messages themselves do not deserve attention – they amount to little more than “clickbait” from the perspective of everyone sharing them. While it must have taken some sincerely-held transphobic and queerphobic views for Pastor Murphy to say what he did, I also wonder to what extent he even thinks about 2SLGBTQ+ people in his day-to-day life. For a lot of people propping up queerness and transness as “sinful lifestyles,” we are just rhetorical devices. It would be generous, probably, to assume that Murphy has any re-
al-life experience knowing one of us, let alone hating us personally. This absolutely does not diminish the harm that faith leaders do when they use their platforms for hate speech – these messages get received regardless – but it does allow me, and others, I hope, to realize that nothing they are or have done causes these remarks. If it weren’t us, it would be some other marginalized group. In fact, it’s very rare for people like this to have only one “lifestyle” they won’t tolerate. On the relationship between faith and queerness: I’m fortunate
enough to say that my relationship to my faith has vastly improved since I came out, as I realized this rhetoric could simply exist as one opinion among many. While not all of them were religious, some of the first people who I felt connected to by tradition were Jewish lesbians. While there is ignorance among people of all faiths and of no faith – social bias will follow you anywhere society exists – I realize that this can be different from the Christian cultural associations with queerness, many of which I have been exposed to myself. I want Christian readers
to know, however, as UR Pride mentioned in their statement, that there are Christians who are trans, who have same-gender relationships, and who maintain a full and rewarding relationship with their faith. There are also faith leaders who are fully affirming in Regina (the Wesley United and Knox-Metropolitan United churches are good places to start if you’re curious). Regina Victory Church shields its remarks by saying they are “Bible-believing,” and I also want people to challenge the idea that any religious text has any message of discrimination at its core. I will share a story from the Talmud that I often think of: a non-Jew once said to the scholar Shammai, “make me a convert, and recite the entire Torah on one foot.” Since Shammai had told him before that there were two Torahs, the written (the Old Testament in the Christian canon) and the oral, he thought it would be impossible. But instead of reciting it all, he stood on one foot and said, “what is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour: that is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Now go and learn it.”
marty grande-sherbert staff writer
Exploring claims in Atlanta shooter story Call it a strainer story because it is so full of holes
On Wednesday morning, I woke up and began my morning routine of getting ready for another day of being at home all day. That was when I heard news snippets about a shooting in Atlanta and went online to find out more. I wish I could say what I found surprised me; sadly, it did not. Nothing about gun violence, racism, and sexism surprises me anymore. People have been talking about these problems for years, and the establishment has been ignoring them for years. I guess the only element of surprise was that this time, all three of these riders of the apocalypse teamed up into one horrible crime. I will be honest. I have since
tried to not follow the news of this too much. As a person of colour stuck home all by himself in the middle of a pandemic, I felt justified in not wanting more sensory inputs that add to my stress. However, it is hard to avoid at least some snippets in this hyper-connected world. That was how I heard that, apparently, the shooter was not racially motivated. Congratulations, I guess? He killed eight people, all from the same ethnic group, but does not feel he is racist. Why would we not trust someone who just murdered eight helpless people? Then I heard he felt that the spas where he went on his shoot-
ing spree had been tempting him to sin. I am not sure where he is getting his moral code from, but most texts of moral code I know of also list murder as a sin. I am not sure he thought that one through, being a trigger-happy sinner either way. The most frustrating part of all of this is how even the law enforcement officers keep saying they are not sure if this is a hate crime. Excuse me? Less than a year ago, you had a man in the White House insisting on using the phrases “China Virus” and “Kung Flu”. This man, former (oh how I waited to write that word before his title) President of the United States, responded to ques-
tions from a journalist of Asian descent by petulantly saying “ask China”. Now some random white creep who wanted to sin no more (other than the one about “thou shalt not kill...”) drove past several spas, strip clubs, and adult entertainment stores to shoot up only the spas with Asian employees, and this is not a hate crime? Allow me to define something for you: a hate crime is a crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) to a certain social group or race. Read that again, and tell me exactly how these acts were not considered to be a hate crime? I am not even sure what else
to say, except maybe this: if you are going to insist on being a nation with poor mental health services, politicians who allow prejudice and mistrust to fester, and law enforcement that treats white murderers with more deference than people of colour standing outside their own home, please do not also be a nation with no gun control. Please. Lives depend on it. Maybe not the lives of those sitting in the capitol making these inane laws, but our lives.
hammad ali contributor
Mike Boening (flickr)
A photo of the skyline and streets in Atlanta, Georgia.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
op-ed
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The argument for free period products
The outcome of a basic healthcare need being marketed as an individual issue Period poverty is more than a “women’s issue” and deserves to be treated as a human rights issue by all levels of Canadian government, businesses, and each and every person. If I had a quarter for every single time I was stuck in a bathroom and needed a tampon, I could have gotten a tampon instead of having to hope I can make it home before the flow gets too heavy, because who carries coins anymore? People with periods should not have to be stuck in uncomfortable situations, have to leave school or work to go home and get period products, or be made to feel ashamed for having a period. Periods are natural, normal, and are experienced by billions of people across the globe. This means that there needs to be government provision to support the wellbeing, safety, and health of people in Canada, because the lack of effort and continued stigma is creating a toxic environment for everyone who menstruates. This issue can be compared to toilet paper or hand soap in a public washroom. Each person is not made to pay for those things as they enter a public washroom because they are deemed necessary. There is an understanding that public washrooms are a necessity because sometimes you just need to go – it’s impossible to “hold” your period, so why are period products not provided in the same capacity? Why is a tampon or pad not deemed necessary? It is equally as necessary as toilet paper or hand soap, equally as difficult to have with you at all times, yet the argument can be made that governments and companies do not care about the well-being of those with periods because periods have been made out to be a personal issue. Period products should be free in all
washrooms to ensure that anyone with a period is able to have their needs met. I have experienced and heard horror stories of people who unexpectedly got their period in a public place and had no quarter for the dispenser, or the dispenser was empty, and they had to resort to uncomfortable, unhealthy practices to keep themselves protected for the day – this is unacceptable. Although providing pads, tampons, wipes, etc. will not end stigma surrounding periods, it will begin to normalize seeing
to leave their home during their period. This continues the cycle of poverty by directly limiting their already inadequate income, and continues to put those who are facing systemic barriers at a greater disadvantage. If period products were provided in workplaces and schools, everyone would be able to enter their workplace or place of learning and feel safe, protected, and comfortable. Additionally, period poverty should be a political issue – a federal political issue
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Although providing pads, tampons, wipes, etc. will not end stigma surrounding periods, it will begin to normalize seeing the products in public spaces and will also make the lives of those in need of products much easier. – Resse Estwick
the products in public spaces and will also make the lives of those in need of products much easier, as they will have this basic need provided for. The stigma that surrounds periods is dangerous as there are not sufficient supports in place for those with periods, but on a larger scale this is an intersectional issue as there is an added level of challenges for those who cannot afford (the insanely overpriced) period products. There are many people who are forced to stay home from work or school because they cannot afford the necessary products
because it impacts the lives of people across Canada. The government needs to step in and provide strategic supports to ensure that employment, education, healthcare, and many more systems can continue to support Canadians rather than put people at a disadvantage compared to their peers who don’t experience menstruation. Each and every institution in Canada is built to support a certain group of people – cisgender, straight, upper-middle class white males. I would argue that if this demographic were experiencing the monthly occurrence of pain, headaches,
mood swings, fatigue, bleeding, and so on for three-to-five decades of their lives, they would be provided paid sick leave, free products, and whatever else they require (Editor’s note: just look at how easy it is to access pills for erectile dysfunction versus birth control). Now, if I reflect on Canada’s federal commitments to equity and equality, it makes sense to me that period products would be available in all washrooms to acknowledge that it is not just cisgender women that can have a menstrual cycle. I will emphasize the idea of ending stigma and educating people – it is so important that “different” is normalized and we all get very comfortable with being uncomfortable, because without exploring new ideas and topics, we are just hiding under blinders of ignorance. With that in mind, I encourage you to think about how period products make you feel. I encourage you to think about the TikToks that show a boyfriend/partner going into a store to get fake period products for his girlfriend/partner, or the movies that show men uncomfortably searching through the tampons and pads to find what their wife or daughter need. All of these media influences have continued to unnecessarily perpetuate the stigma and ignorance that surrounds periods and period products. Period products should be free, accessible, and safe for all people to access, and all levels of government need to ensure that they are doing their part to provide for this basic healthcare aspect of human rights.
reese estwick staff writer
Wikipedia Commons
A hand with pink nails holding a partially opened tampon.
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon |
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Survey says: Heavier workloads in remote learning Students are paying full price to be overworked and deprived of resources
Being that we’re a newspaper made up of students from the University of Regina, we thought it’d be interesting to run some polls and see what the general student consensus has been on their experience over the past year. We used our Instagram account of roughly 300 followers as the sample, and here’s what they had to say: Over the past year, have you found remote learning to be easier or harder than you expected? I’ve felt okay about it: 23 per cent (~1/4) It’s been more difficult: 77 per cent (~3/4) Do you find remote classes have a heavier workload than previously taken in-person classes? It’s been easier: 10.26 per cent (~1/10) It’s been the same: 23.08 per cent (~2/10) It’s been heavier: 66.67 per cent (~7/10) How do you feel about the university charging full tuition during a pandemic? It’s fine with me: 10 per cent (1/10) Don’t get me started: 90 per cent (9/10) Any general comments? -The gym fee! So stupid!! -Online learning seems more about handing in assignments than actually learning.
Shae Sackman (manipulated by Kate Thiessen)
A search bar with the phrase “one year” over a pattern of red lines and dots.
-The university is using us with the tuition pricing because we won’t make a fuss. I want to make a fuss because I was unemployed for a good chunk of last year…The university is being exploitive, and they know it. What’s one thing you wish you could anonymously say to your professors about learning this past year? -For god sake, be compassionate. -It’s hard to look at a screen for 12 hours a day, I’d appreciate an opportunity to use paper.
-Please stop relying so heavily on readings – you give us 50 pages a week, but so does every other class. -If you wouldn’t make us do in-class reflections, why are you making us do forums? -Online classes are hard to keep track of because they don’t feel real. -Some of y’all gotta stop blaming students for your lazy teaching techniques. -Stooooop with the weekly forum posts!! It’s not a replacement for in class discussion.
-Expecting us to remain at the same productivity level (or more) during a time like this, surrounded by all of life’s distractions (both personally, at home, and in the world) is unrealistic and ignorant -To be gentle and kind. We are all doing our best. Did you have a professor this year that went above and beyond? Give them a shoutout! -Dr. Khairalla and Dr. Maria Davis!! -Rob Piercey and Kyley Ewing from the Philosophy depart-
ment! -Caroline Graves -Bill Bonner -My History prof Hoffman really saved my ass -Medrie Purdham! She goes above and beyond. Love love love her. So, what did we learn from this? Slightly more than three out of every four respondents reported that their courses have been more difficult, and slightly less than seven out of every ten respondents (or two thirds) said they also have a heavier workload in remote learning than they did during prior in-person courses. I’m speaking specifically to the profs now: please take this into consideration when putting together your courses for the spring/summer and fall 2021 semesters. The majority of your students are grossly over-worked and lack adequate resources. Nine out of every ten have a problem with the fact that they’ve been charged full tuition for the experience they’ve had. Getting paid to be overworked is one level of stress, but students have had to pay to be treated this way and to undergo this experience. Buyer’s remorse doesn’t begin to cover the emotions we’re experiencing.
holly worby op-ed editor
What the Bible really says on homosexuality Studying scripture accurately means acknowledging you’re reading a translation
I’m going to start this piece off with a few facts about me to give a fair picture of my background and stance (transparency is key, right?). My parents put me in Christian education in grades 1-12 at both Harvest City Christian Academy and Regina Christian School. I was a Jesus Freak™-level Christian up until about age 18, and spent 15-20 hours a week in church-related activities, chapel sessions, devotional periods, or studying and memorizing the Bible in what my school called Christian Ethics class. I am currently pursuing a minor in religious studies, so I am learning to study religion from a more objective stance, which has opened the approaches I take when studying scripture. Presently, I am not a Christian, and as my friend Chris likes to joke, I’ve forgotten more about the Bible than most people ever learn. I did a good brush up this week though to unite those sides for this article, so strap in. A grossly underrated yet essential aspect when reading the Bible is to remember that, if you are reading it in English, you are reading a translation. To be more precise, you’re likely reading the aftermath of several translation periods, each increasing the potential for a mistranslation, accidental or otherwise. To be true to scripture – to what Christians view as the living and breathing
word of God – you need to take into consideration what the original text was saying when interpreting the translation. A second grossly underrated yet essential aspect when it comes to receiving religious teaching is not automatically believing everything you hear from preachers – a concept that is scripturally based. Acts 17:11 in the New International Version (NIV) says: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” These people questioned the teachings of Paul, The Apostle Paul™, and were praised for doing so because that fine line of curiosity without naivety is the perfect approach. If honouring the word of God in the way it was written is of value to you, then approaching messages with critical thought enables you to better identify when the person preaching them is twisting that word for their own benefit or comfort. With that foundation established, we’re going to take a look at Leviticus 18:22 which, in the NIV, says: “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” Now I know what you’re thinking – that verse seems pretty
straightforward in its message. I will remind you however, that it is a translation of what the original message was, and not an accurate one. In his article How can you be gay and Jewish?, Jay Michaelson takes a linguistic approach to analyze this scripture in the original Hebrew and reveals a verb difference. In the original Hebrew, “et adam” which contextually translates as “to/at a man” is used; in most Biblical accounts of consensual sexual activity, the verb “im adam” or “with a man” is used. Now, what’s the difference between doing something sexual with someone versus to someone? Consent. This scripture is not prohibiting homosexual sex or relation-
ships in any way – this scripture was telling people to not rape men in the way they were already raping women. Through mistranslation, it has led to a widely (and harmfully) held belief that anyone identifying as queer is choosing to live outside of the will of God, but that claim is not based on the message in the original scripture that Christians view as the word of God. I interviewed Dr. Bill Arnal from the Religious Studies department at the University of Regina who brought up another great point: “why the hell would anybody want to live their lives in 2021 according to the dictates of a law code that was written in the Iron Age?” Some other things described as detestable or abom-
inations in that passage include eating shellfish or pork, women cutting their hair, men cutting their beards, and wearing clothing made from combined materials. Yet, for some reason, you don’t see preachers at pulpits screaming about polyester, or conversion therapy for people who can’t quit bacon. I will be including more information from my interview with Dr. Arnal in future articles as there is much more worth covering on this subject, but I’ll leave you with this: if the God you worship despises all the same people you do, it’s safe to say you’ve created God in your own image.
holly worby op-ed editor
march 25 - march 31, 2021
carillonregina.com | the carillon |18
op-ed
Individual impact of Sask minimum wage
Shockingly, having the lowest minimum wage in the country does not set residents up for success There are some rather ugly and unpleasant statistics on Saskatchewan that have been coming out recently, such as having a high rate of child poverty and, having the lowest minimum wage in the country. This would not be troublesome if minimum wage were still a viable source of income to live off, but in this case, it isn’t. If the cost of living on average were lower than it currently is, and/or there were multiple people working for a living to provide income, there is a possibility that our numbers would be lower. However, that is not the case, and there are a variety of family dynamics that further complicate things. There are many single-income households with multiple kids, someone who is sick with a preexisting condition and in need of intense care, and single-parent homes with children and little-to-no support. Not only are wages low as is, but there can also be scenarios which reduce an employee’s hours and, therefore, their income. It is essential that supports for such irregularities are also taken into consideration as the increase in the number of people who are financially unstable damages the economy due to lack of consumer purchasing. I bring this up because having a low source of income, especially the lowest possible income, presents numerous challenges. For example, food insecurity. There is generally reliance on getting food stamps or products from food banks, mixed with one’s own resourcefulness to put food on the table. Much of the food options available for this group are unhealthy and have health related consequences like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Other challenges caused by a low income can be the inability to purchase house insurance, not having
the funds or abilities to repair or replace household items, or an inability to pay all the bills which can lead to some services being cut off. Being that Saskatchewan in and of itself is a sparsely populated province, there is also job insecurity, especially in fields with high levels of competition and expenses or rural communities without the funds or the population for major businesses. Making minimum wage means it takes individuals more time to earn the income needed to afford basic necessities. This brings me to my next point on how the stress of these insecurities (and others faced) can be very damaging to one’s health. This includes the harm of
of optometrist services and glasses, dentists and dental work, medications, and emergency services like ambulance rides. These medical needs increase as we age, which leads into another point of the inability or reduced rate to put money away for retirement, so people have to work much later in life than they should. Similarly, building up debt is quite common and difficult to deal with, and can be both a biproduct and a maintenance factor of poverty. Young adults pursuing secondary education very often take out student loans, which, depending on the interest rate and the total amount accumulated over the years, can take them decades to
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Clearly, there are many variables in this situation which is part of what makes it so complicated to solve. For this reason, a multidirectional approach feels appropriate. – Rayanne Gwilliam
sleep deprivation and exhaustion in cases where someone is working multiple jobs or abnormally high hours in order to make ends meet. Not getting a proper amount of sleep is known to impact performance and mood in a negative way, as does stress itself. Apart from that, working at such a constant overbearing pace will take a toll on the human body, especially in cases where the job is physical labor. Our general healthcare is free; however, that does not mean everyone is in a position where they have good coverage, if any. This impacts the accessibility
pay off while still trying to stabilize their lives. There is also no guarantee that the educational path pursued grants them a successful and well-paying job to get out of said debt or prevent more. Clearly, there are many variables in this situation which is part of what makes it so complicated to solve. For this reason, a multidirectional approach feels appropriate. Should minimum wage increase, the cost of businesses to pay their minimum wage employees rises, which is theorized to lead to layoffs. Furthermore, should the
minimum wage increase for a brief period, people can start to develop confidence in their spending options, which, while good in theory, can cause an increase in the demand of products. Once this happens and demand becomes high while the supply is still low, the cost of production inreases, which runs the risk of inflation. Inflation devalues money, which is why it’s so difficult to keep wages consistent for a long period of time without individuals falling into poverty, or whole countries falling into a recession or depression. Although the economy can be steady and predictable, it never reaches a state of complete equilibrium, and certain things have a very high level of elasticity, meaning they are easily impacted by changes. Due to this instability, wage increases often do need to be slower and price limits need to be set. Considering the deficit we have as a country currently, the option of fiscal policy is less likely to be successful. This is because it uses both government money and taxes to fund things, which can lead to profits, but would take more time to recuperate from. If monetary policy were implemented as well as a price ceiling in collaboration with a minimum wage increase, there is a probability of success. A price ceiling would curb substantial inflation, aided by monetary policy controlling interest levels and money availability. Keep in mind that changes would need to be slow and would not last, meaning further increases or adaptations would be needed in the future.
rayanne gwilliam contributor
graphics
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editors: sarah carrier, kate thiessen graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | march 25 - march 31, 2021