The Fulcrum - Volume 78, Issue 14

VOL. 78 ISSUE 14

dec. 4, 2017

BEATING THE

HOLIDAY BLUES PG. 13

In this week’s issue...

Eight Ottawa community newspapers close P.6 Metro Ottawa among those to shut its doors

Downtown shopping guide P.10 Where to get your lastminute holiday gifts The Blue Holiday Issue P.13 Beyond the holiday festivities The year in basketball P.21 How the teams plan to move forward Keep the freedom of speech debate consistent P.26 Commentators can’t selectively ignore issues ADULT & YOUTH SESSIONS

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Sexy gifts for your partner P.28 Whether they’ve been naughty or nice

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NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

Anchal Sharma news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0061 @anchalsharma_

App made by U of O students blocks hateful comments online Physics student uses machine learning to monitor social media sites eric davidson editor-in-chief

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nyone who has spent time online, from Twitter feeds to YouTube comments sections, knows that the internet is not to be confused with a realm of civil discourse.

Hateful content can be prevalent, but Nikola Draca, a third-year physics student with a minor in computer science at the University of Ottawa, and his partner Angus MacLean, a student at McGill University, teamed up to address this growing problem.

Their solution comes in the form of an app called Soothe, which aims to block hateful content online by using machine learning techniques.

Draca said the concept goes back to his days in high school with MacLean. “We had a friend there that suffered from pretty severe anxiety, and she asked if we knew of a tool that did something similar to (Soothe)… At the time, and even now there’s only tools that let you block out very specific words, and it’s a really tedious process.”

But it wasn’t until recently that the idea really got off the ground.

“Last spring we were together at Carleton, at CUHacking, and we decided to just try and give it a shot and make this finally,” said Draca, explaining that he and MacLean wanted their project to do good for the community.

“Mental health awareness

is a huge thing now, especially online harassment, so I think it’s an especially relevant tool right now,” he said. “And I think that the big platforms like Twitter and Facebook weren’t paying close enough attention to these issues until very recently.”

Draca says Soothe uses an algorithm to detect significant online harassment and block it from users’ browsers, using a process called sentiment analysis.

“This is an implementation of machine learning that just detects whether or not something has a positive or negative context,” he said. “We populated the original list of terms in each category ourselves, and then from that point on it searches for those terms in the context of the sentence it’s in, and if it’s overwhelmingly negative it gets rid of it.”

Draca said that Soothe now also contains a feature to flag

Nikola Draca created the Soothe app with Angus MacLean.

newer slang that wasn’t initially taken into account, to make sure the app stays current.

“Hopefully it’s going to remain relevant for a long time.”

The app is certainly relevant right now. Soothe has been featured on several news

sites, from The Next Web to Vice, and Draca said the feedback he’s received from users has been positive.

“The response has been almost entirely positive,” he said.

“Obviously I think it’s going to improve quite a bit as time goes

Photo: Courtesy of Niko Draca.

on, but so far I think people have enjoyed using it.”

Draca said that in the future he wants Soothe to be able to work on images and video in addition to text, and that he’s hoping to grow Soothe to reach a wider audience.

U of O professor featured in Canada 150 book

Dr. Barbara Orser recognized as one of 150 Canadian Women of influence Ellie Sabourin

associate news editor Dr. Barbara Orser is many things. She is a Deloitte professor in the management of growth enterprises at the Telfer School of Management,she teaches entrepreneurship and services marketing at the University of Ottawa, and most recently, she is featured in the book Canada 150 Women.

The aim of book, which was made in the wake of the150th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation, is to celebrate influential Canadian women and raise awareness about their diverse leadership capacities.

This isn’t the first time Dr. Orser has been recognized for her work. In the past, she has been recognized by the Women’s Executive Network as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and the International Alliance

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of Women World of Difference 100 Awards. At the U of O, she received the Telfer School of Management Award for Service, Teaching and Research in 2011.

Orser, who is featured in the book alongside women like Governor General Julie Payette, journalist Lisa LaFlamme, federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and Olympic hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser, was recognized for her work that promotes fostering feminist values in business practices.

Notably, she is an active advisor to the federal government and the former chair of the Taskforce for Women’s Enterprise Growth, which looks at how the government and young women can leverage feminist values to create new businesses, products, and services to effect change for women and girls around the world.

Dr. Orser is a professor at Telfer.

Photo: Courtesy of Telfer School of Management.

“It has been a great honour,” Orser said about being featured in the book. “(The profile) speaks to where I have found courage in my life and some of the challenges that I have faced in my life and how those challenges affect my feminist perspective with

respect to the work that I am doing at the university.”

Orser is a two-time cancer survivor, and although her health is not something that she usually talks about, she thinks that it is important because it motivated her to pursue

her current work.

It was during her recovery time that it dawned upon her that most of her caretakers were women.

“This really got me thinking,” she said. “So, I got into some classic reads to better understand feminist literature and values.”

Orser combined her previous background in business school and began to apply it with feminist values, explaining,“When I was in school, we never discussed women in management and the issues surrounding it.”

The profile in Canada 150 Women is unique because it takes a personal, rather than professional approach to highlight the qualities of successful Canadian women. “I commend them,” said Orser about the editors of the book. “I think that it is going to be a really important book for Canadians because it peels back the

façade of success. It speaks to the real deal.”

She adds that the message of her profile is about “how and where you find courage.”

She is also very proud to have a quote on the landing page, which reads, “Women are using feminist values to create wealth and social change, including in technology and capital markets.”

Further, Orser says that “if there’s one message out of this, it’s that academics can play an important role in effecting change.”

“Often it is by engaging with the community, it is not just about landing grants and writing academic papers. It’s the engaged scholar that is a really important role that sometimes we underestimate.”

The book can be purchased at Chapters, Amazon or at the Canada 150 Women website.

NEWS | 5

Federal government partners with Mitacs to provide paid internships

10,000 students across Canada expected to receive paid internships per year anchal sharma news editor

On Monday, Nov. 27, Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science, and economic development announced a new initiative to provide paid internships for post graduate students.

The initiative comes out of a partnership with Mitacs, a nonprofit organization that delivers research and training programs for students across Canada.

The event was hosted by Student Federation of the University of Ottawa president Hadi Wess, with Mona Fortier, a U of O alumna and member of parliament for Ottawa-Vanier introducing minister Bains.

“Our government’s plan is to create new jobs and business opportunities for Canadians by making this country a world leading centre for innovation,” Fortier said in her introduction.

Bains added that the rationale for the program comes from the fact that “new technologies have transformed our innovation economy into one that is increasingly digital.”

“The future is now. We have

to embrace it. Our government wants to make sure that every Canadian has the right skills for the middle class jobs of today and tomorrow.”

According to Bains, the government has invested $221 million in Mitacs, and hopes to see paid internships take place over the next five years. These internships are in addition to the 21,000 plus internships already facilitated by Mintacs over the last 18 years.

Alexia Polillo, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the experimental psychology program at the U of O has been a Mitacs intern through their Accelerate program for almost two years with the Ottawa branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and the Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services at the U of O. “Mitacs is a place where you see the hard work that leads to real life change,” Polillo said, explaining that her work with the CMHA helps provide support to people with mental health or substance abuse issues who rely on emergency rooms by directing

Minister Bains made the announcement at the U of O’s ARC building.

them to community resources.

“In my experience it really gives students an opportunity to gain practical experience and training in the public and private sectors as well as in various settings like

Photo: Parker Townes.

hospitals, community based programs, and businesses,” said Polillo, adding that “it’s important to keep funding these internships.”

Bains said that Mitacs was an ideal choice for the government’s

investment due to their expertise, resources, and connections with industry.

“We were very confident that they would have the ability to fill this mandate,” Bains said.

Metro Ottawa among other local papers to close in Postmedia deal Closure comes with sale from Torstar group of Metro Ottawa, seven community papers Eric Davidson editor-in-chief

Metro Ottawa and several other Ottawa community news outlets will close as part of an acquisition by Postmedia, who has said in a Nov. 27 press release that it will not continue to operate them.

In a deal between Postmedia and Torstar group, which owns Metro and several other community news outlets in Ottawa, Postmedia will acquire 24 community newspapers from Torstar in exchange for 17 of its own community newspapers.

The deal did not involve a cash transaction as the papers that were exchanged had similar values.

Of the 24 community papers it has acquired, the only two it will continue to operate are the Exeter Times-Advocate and the Exeter Weekender.

“What makes this particularly difficult is that it means we will say goodbye to many dedicated newspa-

per people,” said Paul Godfrey, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Postmedia in the press release. “However, the continuing costs of producing dozens of small community newspapers in these regions in the face of significantly declining advertising revenues means that most of these operations no longer have viable business models.”

A spokesperson for Metro Ottawa confirmed that the paper will be among those that will close, but said that she wasn’t at liberty to say more.

“By acquiring publications within or adjacent to our primary areas and selling publications outside our primary areas we will be able to put a greater focus on regions where we believe we can be more effective in serving both customers and clients,” Torstar president John Boynton said in a press release.

Other local papers that have been sold to Postme-

Several Ottawa newspapers have been forced to close in a deal between Postmedia nad Torstar.

Photo: Eric Davidson.

6 | NEWS

dia and are set to be closed include Ottawa East News, Ottawa South News, Ottawa West News, Kanata KourierStandard, Nepean/Barrhaven News, Orleans News, and West Carleton Review.

A spokesperson for Ottawa Community News, which oversees these publications, said she was not at liberty to comment on the issue.

A full list of the papers involved in the transaction can be found on Postmedia’s website.

According to the CBC, the deal will result in the loss of almost 300 jobs in total.

The mass newspaper closing could also garner a response from Canada’s competition bureau. Since the deal did not involve cash, the parties did not have to tell the competition bureau beforehand, but a spokesperson for the organization told the CBC that the competition bureau “will be undertaking a review of the transaction.”

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A&C EDITOR Ryan Pepper arts@thefulcrum.ca

ARTS&CULTURE Paradigm[e] Gallery hosting for-sale art show (613) 695-0062 @pep_ryan

Opening night features music, food, opportunities to support U of O student-artists Alex Szigeti

Staff Contributor

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night of live music, hors d’oeuvres, and fine art for sale awaits in the Paradigm[e] Gallery’s latest exhibit, Revive, opening on Tuesday, Dec. 5, with the vernissage starting at 8 p.m.

Revive will be showcasing approximately forty creations of University of Ottawa visual arts students, with all pieces available for sale, and admission will be free of charge.

“This event is to just bring everyone together. We’re gonna have paintings in the foyer and in the hallway for that night, but the gallery is just in the dean’s hallway,” said Olivia Leon, a third-year environmental studies and visual arts student, and one of the proj-

ect managers. “It is interdisciplinary, so there are gonna be music students that are gonna come and perform some live music, we’re gonna have a silent auction.” Leon added that the artwork on display will be up for sale.

“We have a huge grouping of work, everyone wants to be a part of it,” said Billie Sue Johnston, a fourth-year visual arts student. “We’re getting major submissions, making it so that we actually have a reserve of art in the back, so that when things sell the night of, we’ll be able to replace it with more art.”

This type of event, especially on this scale is quite rare at the university.

“I don’t hear of (events such as Revive) too often, honestly,” Johnstone said. “Maybe when students run a project and it goes big, but you don’t see much from the university doing much themselves.”

What makes this event particularly interesting is that the artwork itself will be up for sale and the gal-

lery will remain open until the spring.

The artists will receive 85 per cent of the proceeds with 10 per cent going towards the student art bank, a university fund that allows them to purchase students’ artwork to be displayed on campus. The last five per cent covers operational costs.

Zeina Hamod, a third-year art history and psychology major, and another of the project managers, said that this event, more than anything, is a great opportunity to support local artists, something that is often harder to engage students to do.

“I would say that they should come out support their local artists,” she said. “There is an eclectic variety of works, and there’s free food, live music, it’s a free event, and it’s always great to support local artists.”

Revive opens Dec. 8, in the Arts Administration Foyer and the Dean’s Gallery in Simard Hall, from 5 p.m to 8 p. m. Admission and refreshments are free.

Revive is taking place in the Dean’s Gallery.

Photo: Parker Townes.

Transient exhibition examines art in the modern epoch U of O student exhibit puts art at the center of a scientific debate eric davison

Fulcrum Freelancer The University of Ottawa’s department of visual arts hosted an art exhibition on Dec. 1, capping off a semester of preparation by the project’s student curators. Titled Transient, the event showcased pieces by local artists that analyze humanity’s relationship with itself and the earth in the Anthropocene epoch.

The Anthropocene is a recent period in earth’s history where human development and technology is the primary driving force behind environmental and geological changes on a global scale.

The exhibit focused primarily on the impact that industry and human development have had on the environment, and by extension our perception of the world.

But it also had an element of optimism, championing the idea that the arts and sciences can work together to confront global issues.

“The Anthropocene doesn’t just affect artists; it doesn’t

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just affect certain people—it affects us all. We as artists hope to point to various problems and issues and articulate them somehow,” said Atticus Gordon, a third-year student in the U of O’s fine arts program and a research technician in the department.

“Whereas the sciences are a more hard and concrete way to deal with the issues we raise as artists, there is a nice back and forth between the two.”

This spirit of cooperation and compatibility is also demonstrated through the event’s unique venue—the department of chemical engineering pilot plant, a small-scale industrial lab.

“So you will see plastic is a recurring theme in a lot of the artwork as kind of the apex of manufactured living,” Gordon said. “But here, in this lab, you have experiments in the works to create new plastic polymers that don’t rely on oil.

So there really is some nice synergy between the two,

thematically and literally.”

The idea of arts and sciences having contrasting approaches to the same issue was prevalent in many of the pieces. In the sculpture “Time Capsule for Transporting a Fallen Ash Tree Into the Future,” a giant artificial seed examines the absurdity of innovation and the idea that all problems can be solved by technology and technology alone.

The piece was created by David Mcdougall, a professor in the visual arts department and sculpture technician at the university.

“The piece centres around the idea of environmental degradation and how we use technology as a way to counteract degradation ... so it’s a time capsule to bring this dead ash tree into the future,” Mcdougall said. “So often our solutions to environmental catastrophes are technological solutions. We have this focus on preserving instead of coming up with real, meaningful social

“Time Capsule for Transporting a Fallen Ash Tree Into the Future.”

change or policy to solve them. So this time capsule is a machine of absurdity, it’s the promise that technology will preserve what we still have but what we still have is this pile of dead wood.”

Mcdougall went on to stress the importance of humanities in addressing problems that affect all of us and reiterates that sciences cannot work in a vacuum.

Transient is just one of

Photo: Parker Townes.

many exhibitions that the department of fine arts produces every semester.

The department seeks to further this interconnectedness with the sciences in future shows.

ARTS & CULTURE | 9

The Fulcrum’s Ottawa holiday shopping guide Eric Davison & Ryan Pepper

Fulcrum Freelancer & Arts and Culture Editor For your hippie roommate: Ward 14 Consignment Bar (139 Preston St.) Ward 14 is a Hintonburg mainstay. Although technically a bar, it maintains a unique gimmick that makes it worthy of this list—everything in the building is for sale. Stock rotates over time as items are found and purchased, but they always maintain piles of world-class and eclectic vintage kitsch.

Old film equipment, cuckoo clocks, lawn gnomes, reclaimed art, and hunting trophies adorn every wall. Give yourself a few hours and enjoy some of their in-house beer to guarantee you find the perfectly quirky gift.

For the well-organized and the budding writer: The Papery (850 Bank St.) Located in the Glebe, The Papery maintains a wide range of high-quality stationery, pens, pencils, and organisational items. Every paper product imaginable, from greeting cards and origami paper to high-end printer paper fills the shop.

In addition to its namesake products, the store’s array of journals, notebooks, and pens is expansive enough to make the most obsessive of chronic organisers blush.

Looking more like a store out of Harry Potter than something from the 21st century, The Papery is a surefire shop to find something both quaint and practical.

For the history or geography buff: World of Maps (1191 Wellington St. W) World of Maps provides precisely what the sign says—a mind-boggling array of maps and globes crammed into a little shop on Wellington. Modern maps for air travel, aeronautics, geographic surveying, and backwoods camping make up only a small part of their stock. Historical charts from the Age of Exploration sit

next to political maps of the Cold War and a collection of artistic globes. The store also maintains a large stock of flags and patches for hundreds of countries and regions—the perfect gift for any world traveller or geography major.

For literally any human being: Suzy Q Doughnuts (969 Wellington St. W)

An Ottawa staple, Suzy Q undisputably provides the best doughnuts in the city.

If you need a last minute dessert for the family gettogether then it’s likely impossible you’ll find a better option. The diverse flavours include traditional chocolate, vanilla, and caramel, alongside matcha, lemon, maple bacon, and cinnamon. Besides tasting fantastic, Suzy Q remains affordable and is an excellent option for anyone with a big family and a student budget.

For the bookworm: Black Squirrel Books (1073 Bank St.) / All Books (327 Rideau St.) Both these stores are cornerstones of the used book market in Ottawa. Black Squirrel and All Books have a variety too wide to list here—in short, they stray away from the newest novels of somewhere like Chapter’s, in favour of classic literature, philosophy, social sciences, poetry, and rare books, often in first editions.

Black Squirrel is also a great place to take a break between your otherwise-hectic shopping—in addition to fine literature, the store has a wide offering of specialty coffees and other drinks.

If you can’t get down to Old Ottawa South, All Books is a lot closer to campus, and has just as large of a selection.

Photos: Parker Townes.

bar, complete your spice rack, unclutter your kitchen, or get you some new recipe books. As the name suggests, the entire store—and it isn’t small—is built around the kitchen. As students, we’re inclined to seeing ramen as haute cuisine, but a trip to Ma Cuisine will quickly turn anyone into a master chef (or bartender, for that matter).

For the person who loves to keep it local: Goods (201 Dalhousie St.) Goods has been at its location on Dalhousie for three years now, and it’s a master of keeping it local. The store

is eclectic, offering teas, facial scrubs, soaps, bitters, ceramics, pins, and prints, mostly sourced from Ontario and Quebec, and with a particular focus on the Ottawa region.

There aren’t many places that are as committed to keeping it local as Goods. For students, some of their products can run a little pricey or seem unnecessary (most of us probably wouldn’t know what to do with an $18 bottle of bitters), but they have a wide variety of prints, ranging from maps of Ottawa to modern art that will make any room look sophisticated. Decorate like a prof on a student’s budget—that what Goods is, well, good for.

For the proud GeeGee, or the proud parents of a GeeGee; or for the last-minute shopper: the University of Ottawa Bookstore When I asked my roommate in first year why he came to the University of Ottawa, he replied, “Cause I’m a Gee-Gee.” There are people like that, and those people would not be hurt if you bought them a gift from the campus bookstore.

But the real beauty of the bookstore lies in gifts for your parents. Your parents are proud of you for going to university (even if you’re studying English—

trust me, I know), but putting you through university is also a sign that they raised you well, and they want everyone to know that they are good parents.

The bookstore is a one-stop shop—there are enough hoodies, sweatpants, pajama bottoms, t-shirts, polos, jackets, and hats to please any proud parent.

The bookstore is also a great place for lastminute shopping, replete with everything from the latest novels to office supplies. Does your pal need office supplies?

Yeah, probably. The bookstore has you covered.

For the foodie: Ma Cuisine (269 Dalhousie St.) A gift from Ma Cuisine is a blessing for any foodie. The store has everything you need for a kitchen short of the oven and sink. A stop at Ma Cuisine could outfit your

10 | ARTS & CULTURE

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MOVIES ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY & TV

GUIDE 2017

As December rolls around, there’s no shortage of holiday movies to get you in the festive spirit. But let’s be honest—the classics are a little overdone.

Somewhere in between the 10th viewing of Elf and reruns of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you crave some variety. We’re here to offer that with a couple of alternative holiday movies that are sure to become classics—or will at least break up the yearly flood of sentimentality and good cheer.

Eric Davison

Fulcrum FREELANCER

BEST F(R)IENDS (2017) Best F(r)iends is a bit of an odd duck. Being produced by The Room’s Greg Sestero and starring the ever enigmatic Tommy Wiseau, it’s reasonable to expect a cynical retread of the “worst film ever made” cult classic that made Wiseau an icon. But against all odds, it has managed to build on the legacy of Wiseau’s unintentionally hilarious magnum opus to become a far different work of art.

Part noir crime flick, part platonic romcom, and part Greek tragedy, Best F(r)iends is one of the most compelling holiday movies to come out this century.

Set in the Christmas season, the dime store production value of The Room has been replaced with something resembling a real budget. The scenes are eclectic, yet the plot

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serves as an oddly thoughtful mirror on Wiseau’s role, both in the film and in pop culture.

Cast as a contemplative, empathetic, and entirely unhinged mortician, the movie captures all the elements that makes Wiseau such a compelling figure to his fans. The beautiful thing is that the piece doesn’t try to turn Wiseau into anything he is not. The campy overacting, the questionably improvised lines, and the baffling hodgepodge of character traits that made The Room a midnight-movie feature are still there. But Best F(r)iends channels that energy into a brilliant commentary on the complexity of human relationships and the paradoxical joy of finding a place to belong as a social outsider.

Contrary to public expectations, Best F(r)iends never set out to mock Wiseau. Instead, it serves as an endearing homage to one of the world’s most misunderstood artistic minds.

ANCHAL SHARMA NEWS EDITOR

BOJACK HORSEMAN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: SABRINA’S CHRISTMAS WISH (2014) If you’re like me and love Christmas but relate heavily to the Grinch who stole it, then this is the Christmas special for you. BoJack Horseman doesn’t shy away from hard truths and heavy topics, marking its place as a beloved black dramedy. This show, about a washed-up anthropomorphic horse, knows that not everything is sunshine and rainbows, and its Christmas special reflects this perfectly.

While the narcissistic horse would usually love to watch himself in his old 90s television series, he refuses to watch its Christmas episode, saying that he hates Christmas specials, to which his friend Todd brilliantly replies, “because the themes of family and togetherness are a chilling reminder of your own isolation?”

This is but one of many excellent lines in tone with the show’s nature of accurately depicting everything we feel, but often can’t express openly.

BoJack eventually gives in, (“hooray begrudging acquiescence!”) and watches his old Christmas special. The premise of Horsin’ Around’s episode is a faithful parody of classic 90s shows (think Full House). It sees Sabrina, a young human orphan that BoJack’s character adopted, celebrating Christmas for the first time. Contrasting the darkness of Bojack Horseman with puns, cheesy catchphrases, and a family friendly lesson, this holiday special will give you those tingly nostalgic feels without making you want to puke.

I mean, I’ve heard of good holiday specials, but this is ridiculous!

Take it from a Zoe, if this thing warmed my cold, dead heart, it will definitely melt yours.

BoJack Horseman is currently streaming its fourth season on Netflix.

DAVID CAMPION-SMITH OPINIONS editor

FOR WHOM THE SLEIGH BELL TOLLS (2010) The holiday episode of American Dad’s seventh season, For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls, has the traditionally jolly figure of Santa Claus getting revenge on the Smith family for murdering him in a mall parking lot and burying him in the woods.

After being hunted down to an old moonshiner’s farm in the pursuit of both a safe hiding place and the strongest alcohol on the planet, the family must band together to survive to see the sunrise on Christmas Day. As weird as it sounds, a story that sees Santa use a sniper rifle, reindeer attack sleds, and monstrous snowmen really is a tale of a family coming together, putting aside their grievances, and stabbing elves with sharpened candy canes. Isn’t that what the holidays are really about?

ARTS & CULTURE | 11

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Illustration: Alina Wang.

Dear Fulcrum readers, Ah, the holidays. The smell of gingerbread and peppermint in the air, the fluffy snowflakes, cozy blankets, and hot cocoa. For many, however, this picture perfect holiday scene is tainted by struggles with mental health, school, finances, family, and more. While everyone is playing holiday songs on repeat and throwing tinsel everywhere, you’re feeling the opposite of jolly.

In any case, is it even all that realistic to be a smiling, peppermint latte-holding, caroling bundle of joy every minute of the month leading up to the holiday break?

Don’t get me wrong—I’m definitely not saying it’s a bad thing to love the holidays. But when this season comes around, all of that excess joy can obscure the many challenges that come alongside the good tidings and cheer. This can, in turn, leave some people feeling out of place and left behind.

For those who can relate, this issue is for you.

The Blue Holiday Issue was designed with the intention to bring forward shared experiences with the challenges of the season, and offer a bit of advice and hope for those who need it. After all, given the fact that the holidays are lumped into the break in our studies, it’s crucial to make the most of this time and rejuvenate before the new term begins.

And yeah, maybe it’s depressing to talk about sadness, or loneliness, or fear, especially at a time when everything is supposed to be about cheer, joy, and lots of silver and gold glitter. But the more we talk about the holiday blues, the easier it is to remember that we have so much support in others—sometimes even in strangers, like the ones who have graciously offered their own advice in the pages of this issue.

From the bottom of my heart, I hope that hearing the stories in this issue will make you feel like you’re never alone in your struggles. I hope these stories inspire you to look at your challenges in a new light, find joy in every little victory, and be at peace this winter.

—Savannah Awde, Features Editor.

Illustration: Christine Wang, CC, Werachai Sookruay.

The storm before the storm

To get to the holidays, you have to pass your exams first During the holiday season you might be stressed out about what to buy your friends, how to fit in all of your family visits, or dealing with that one annoyingly sexist uncle at a dinner, but before you even get there you have to pass your finals! When you’re under a lot of pressure to succeed, this can be easier said than done. So in the season’s spirit of giving, Fulcrum contributors weigh in on how to come out of your exams alive and on top.

ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT Even if you don’t already struggle with mental illness, adding a massive workload to your everyday routine can feel like a huge weight. But the great thing is, with the support of those around you, that weight can feel a whole lot lighter.

If you need some space, quiet time for a nap, or even food cooked or take out picked up for you, ask your friends, significant other, co-workers, or anyone else willing to extend a helping hand. It’s so common for us to retreat into our own shell when we experience personal hardship, but the ironic thing is that as soon as you let someone know you’re having a hard day they will more than likely offer to help—or at least lend a sympathetic ear.

The same thing goes with academic struggles. Don’t be afraid to go see your prof and tell them that you aren’t understanding the assigned material. They know their students are juggling a million things, so they won’t judge you or think you aren’t intelligent—they’ll be happy to help you.

So while this might not be a study strategy, this will help immensely with preparing a healthy mental state to finish those final exams and assignments. After all, we’re all going through the same struggles, just in different ways. If you reach out for help during the exam season, you’ll probably be met with warmth, understanding, and the support you need to succeed.

—Savannah Awde, Features Editor.

FOCUS ON TODAY As a current grad student who survived through four tough undergrad years, finishing off with a 3.78 GPA, I know a thing or two about preparing for finals. First of all, mark your exam dates on your calendar and plan in advance what you’re going to study each day. After planning it out, focus on today and don’t worry about what you need to do tomorrow.

Ask yourself how you can have a successful day and focus on what needs to be done at present. When you look back, you’ll find that you had a successful week.

Next, be sure to start studying two weeks before the exam.

This really helped me during my undergrad and although I didn’t do it for all of my exams, I did so much better on exams where I followed this rule. It will significantly decrease your anxiety levels as the final date approaches.

Finally, please avoid all-nighters at all costs, as sleep plays a major role in memory retention. Research has shown that memory consolidation, the process of converting short-term memory into long-term memory so we can recall it later, happens mostly when we are sleeping. When you miss out on sleep, you’re less likely to remember what you studied.

—Reem El Attar, Fulcrum Contributor.

PUT YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING FIRST When the semester starts to narrow down, we tend to get stressed and think that things are not going to go well. But it’s actually scientifically proven that the state of our mentality determines the result of our situation. So, for instance, if we think we’re going to do well on an exam, then chances are, we will. If you need a little extra help getting to that positive physical and mental state, these tips are for you.

First of all, it is important that we get our blood and oxygen flowing after long periods of studying. Trying a few yoga poses such as Downward Dog, Child’s Pose, and Savasana can help with feelings of stress and anxiety, as long as you remember to breathe.

When working through this stressful period, it should go without saying that it’s also important for us to check in with our mental wellbeing. Soaking in a warm bath, or walking outside (even just for 10 minutes), can help your brain relax and recharge after long study sessions.

If your brain is on information overload, retreat to a colouring book. Yes, a colouring book. Invest in a colouring book and lose yourself in the therapeutic world of colour and endless patterns. You’ll be amazed by the colouring skills that you didn’t think you had, and build up confidence to tackle the next task.

—Perushka Gopalkista, Staff Contributor.

Illustrations: Christine Wang.

Money, Money, Money!

Brittany Kowalski Fulcrum Contributor The holiday season brings a lot of different emotions to the surface.

Some may have feelings of cheer and warmth, while for others, this may be a time of sorrow or envy. But the last thing that should be on your mind during this beautiful—yet painfully frigid—time of the year is the burden of financial obligations and how you’re going to afford to get through it.

However, a 2013 study revealed that the average Canadian spent roughly $1,810 during the holiday season. Pairing that with exams, part-time or seasonal jobs, balancing course loads, travel time, and temporary unemployment can make this jolly time of year more of a worrisome occasion.

When the most ‘wonderful time of year’ isn’t so wonderful on your wallet

DON’T BREAK THE BANK While there are some things you can’t change over the holidays, it’s important to focus on the things that we can!

Let’s start with gifting.

As a full-time university student for the past five years, one of my biggest stressors was balancing what I could afford with what I believed my family and friends deserved.

Cost versus quality is key.

It’s easy to spend a lot of money while you’re out shopping as items catch your eye and remind you of family and friends, but where do we draw the line?

Sitting down and setting a reasonable budget can support more minimal and realistic spending

over the course of your shopping this Christmas.

Students often find themselves dipping into their OSAP, Visas, and other lines of credit to purchase the items they can’t realistically afford in the moment, racking up interest and unwanted pressure to pay more later. Rather than piling money onto your credit cards or using your money for school this year, consider setting realistic goals or even making gifts. And with that in mind...

AVOID THE MALL WITH A DIY HAUL The possibilities for DIY gifts are endless, but here are some ideas to get you started. You could learn a new trick and knit a scarf, create a terrarium, make your own soap or candles, craft and sand a cutting

board, make a sugar scrub or bath bombs, jar some ready-to-go hot cocoa and marshmallows, or even paint a picture!

These thoughtful ideas can be done with the price point well under $20 if you choose your materials wisely.

PRESENTS OR PRESENCE? The holidays are a time to take into consideration what is important, and what is not. While giving and receiving gifts is fun, it is the quality of time spent with loved ones that means the most. There seems to be a general consensus among students that it’s upsetting to have no time or money to give family and friends the presents that they deserve.

Looking back on holidays of the past, the things I remember are not the gifts or the material things, but the laughter, the embraces, and the meaningful conversation with the people who meant the most. Which brings us to a very important point: not everyone is able to spend their holidays with the people who mean the most to them.

The death and mourning of loved ones, inability to afford travel costs, having family in the military, or working away from home has an immense impact on the sort of holiday one may experience. Don’t let the stress of money and presents make you forget what is important: how lucky you are to experience your holiday season with the people who you love.

Illustration: Christine Wang.

Could the holiday blues be something more serious?

Savannah Awde Features Editor

It’s easy to dismiss unusual mood changes we experience as just part of the stress that comes with writing exams and submitting final papers. But you shouldn’t diminish your own judgement. If you feel your mood is off, it might be more than just a bad week.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) accounts for roughly 10 per cent of total cases of depression in Canada, and two to three per cent of Canadians overall will experience it. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) notes that you may be struggling with SAD “if you find that you feel like a completely different person depending on the season.”

In a nutshell, this disorder involves increased depression due to changes in the time of year. Often, according to the CMHA, people are most impacted by it when the days get shorter in the fall and winter.

It’s not entirely clear why SAD happens, but there

The basics of seasonal affective disorder, and when you should seek help

are a number of factors that can increase the likelihood of its development in different people. Perhaps the most evident factor is your circadian rhythm, or “biological clock,” which can be thrown off by the earlier loss of sunlight.

Another aspect to consider is serotonin, a neurotransmitter with strong ties to mood maintenance, which can decrease as our body experiences less sunlight. Finally, the changing seasons can disrupt melatonin, a very important hormone for regulating sleep.

Together, these elements could set the stage for SAD onset in the fall and winter months. When these changes happen in your body, according to the CMHA, SAD manifests itself in a number of ways— including oversleeping, insomnia, changes in appetite, sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy.

Although these symp-

toms may not indicate anything serious if they occur for a short period of time, the CMHA recommends seeing a doctor if “some of these feelings seem to happen each year, have a real impact on your life, and improve during certain seasons.”

The CMHA further notes that it’s important not to diagnose yourself, since SAD has many symptoms in common with depression and other disorders.

However, what’s interesting about SAD is that traditional therapy and medication aren’t the only courses of treatment. According to the CHMA, 60 to 80 per cent of those who suffer with SAD find “substantial relief” from light therapy. This treatment involves sitting near a special kind of light for about 30 minutes per day, to trigger a chemical change in the brain. This in turn improves mood and helps relieve SAD symptoms for many. Again, a doctor

must diagnose the patient with SAD and approve such a treatment, as there can be side effects to light therapy.

For students at the University of Ottawa, a SAD lamp is available right on campus at the University of Ottawa Health Services (UOHS) office in the University Centre. In an email to the Fulcrum, a UOHS promotion representative noted that the SAD lamp is available to all students and staff on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The UOHS promotions team declined the Fulcrum’s request for any further information.

Even if you don’t plan on using the SAD lamp anytime soon, there are a few simple ways to get some sunlight back into your life. Spending time outdoors, sitting near windows when indoors, keeping your blinds open to let light into your home, and exercising are all ways to fight SAD, or the regular old winter blues, without

much change to your busy schedule.

Although it can feel impossible when faced with the stress of finals, holiday planning, and whatever else is on your plate, it’s imperative that we take the time to check in with ourselves and monitor our moods. If you feel that mood changes are affecting your success in academics, relationships, or elsewhere, don’t be afraid to seek support. Seasons may change, but your mental wellbeing doesn’t have to.

This article is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment guidance. For immediate support call Good2Talk at 1-866-9255454, or the Mental Health Helpline at 1-866-531-2600.

For non-urgent support, you can access the Student Academic Success Service’s Counselling and Coaching service by filling out the online form. The UOHS mental health department also offers services to those seeking on-campus support.

Illustration: Christine Wang.

With or without you How to cope with and overcome family struggles this holiday season

Note: Some contributors have chosen to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of this article.

TRY TO SHARE HAPPY MOMENTS, EVEN WITHOUT FAMILY The holiday season can be difficult for international students. My experience on this subject is quite varied. Thus, during the holiday season, depending on the circumstances I had the chance to return to my country or to receive the visit of my parents in Ottawa.

Despite the joy of seeing my family again and having these moments of sharing with them, I always thought about the moment when we would have to leave each other. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula—the most important thing to remember is to make the most of each moment.

On other occasions, I had to spend the holidays far from my family. The hardest part for me then was to accept that I was far from everything I knew and that I had to celebrate the holidays otherwise. You only realize in those moments how important it is to have a good circle of friends, especially as an international student. My friends have become my second family. We try to find interesting activities to do together like sharing a meal, admiring the fireworks after the New Year’s countdown, or learn Canadian customs during the holiday season. The main goal is to share happy moments even if we missed our families.

—Kignonh Madina Noemi Soro, Fulcrum Contributor.

Illustration: CC, Samnuel1983. Edits: Christine Wang.

WHEN LIFE GETS IN THE WAY Whenever I ask people what their plans are for the holidays, most of them respond by saying they are going home to their families after being away from them for a long time. I, on the other hand, live with my family so I spend almost everyday with them. However, we’re not all together at the same time.

Last Christmas, we were able to spend time together as things started to slow down towards the end of the year. We took a drive down to Parliament Hill to experience the spectacular Sound & Lights Show and captured a family photo in the peak of winter. That was last year.

This year, however, our lives have become a bit more hectic. My sister and I are in school and working part-time on weekends. My mom also took on a full-time job while raising my three year-old brother. My dad works out of town and spends about three to four days at home, during which he spends time with my brother.

Since things have picked up from last year, we barely get time to all get together and catch up on our busy lives.

Even though my dad is taking about two weeks off for this holiday season, it is probable that we are all going to be working leading up to Christmas. My hope for this holiday season is that if we can find a way (even it’s for one day) that we gather around the table admiring my mom’s impeccable cooking skills, of course, as well as bidding adieu to 2017 and commemorating the New Year.

—Erika Farr, Fulcrum Contributor.

FAMILY FRACTURES— SCRAMBLING TO PICK UP THE PIECES For the most part, I absolutely love the opportunity I have to visit my entire family over the holidays.

However, as much as I cherish these annual gatherings, they also tend to leave me anxious and frustrated.

My dad is stubborn, and this isn’t a problem in itself. However, he carries a lot of resentment towards his parents for what he sees as a lack of presence in his life growing up. Rather than forgive their mistakes, he chooses to harbour bad blood and isolate himself—and my immediate family by extension— from this side of our family.

On the other end of things, my grandparents on his side often don’t understand what they’ve done to deserve this. And I, holding a strong bond with them, am often questioned about it and thrown in the middle of this decades-long debacle. I want more than anything for them to reconcile, but when I get into a cycle of anxiety about my inability to fix the situation, it’s extremely helpful for me to remind myself that their turbulent relationship is not my fault nor responsibility, and focus on the elements of the situations I can change.

For example, bringing up projects that my dad is working on while in the room with him and his parents is a good way to spark conversation, and give him an opportunity to share more of his life with them.

It may not be moving mountains, but simply taking an interest in the lives of your family members while at gatherings can by extension spark interest from others in attendance, no matter what their history.

NAVIGATING DIVORCE My parents divorced when I was 11, and I honestly believe my family should be an advertising campaign for why more people should get divorced. Suffice it to say, there has been an incredibly, positive shift from the first 11 years of my life to the last 11 years.

However, there are some areas that can still be difficult to navigate, namely vacations, birthdays, special occasions, and oh yes, the holidays. I find around this time of year, past grievances seem to come up more often, and it’s hard to plan the few weeks I have at home without hurting anyone else’s feelings.

The worst part is, that now that my siblings and I are adults, my parents know that where we choose to spend our time is completely our decision, not based on their divorce agreement. That also means where we don’t want to be is our decision too. While this can be a great time of year, I always feel a lurking anxiety that I won’t be able to to navigate the holidays without hurting someone’s feelings.

—Emerson King, Fulcrum Contributor.

(RE)ROOTEDNESS My name is Keri Cheechoo and I am a Cree woman from Long Lake #58 First Nation. I am a daughter, mother, granddaughter, and a Gookum (grandmother in Cree). I practice relationality within all of these roles, but treasure the roles of mother and Gookum best.

My husband and I relocated to Ottawa in 2015 because I became a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. Typically, we travel to Thunder Bay to enjoy our holidays with our children and grandchildren.

This holiday season is providing a particular tension for me, because two of my children have also relocated to Ottawa to pursue their post-secondary education.

I am experiencing what I have come to term (re)rootedness, because they will be staying in Ottawa for the holiday season. As their mom, I am rooted and a bifurcation has recently been enacted— I am torn. Do I travel to see three children, and grandchildren in Thunder Bay? Do I stay with two children here in Ottawa?

Because of my historical legacy of having family members who have attended Indian Residential Schools, this sense of “leaving my children behind” impacts me tremendously. I have been putting in the hard work of deconstructing intergenerational trauma and its subsequent aftermath of parental disconnection. I have also been examining these effects and their relationality to my parenting and me.

Even if this technique doesn’t work, above all, please remember that it is not your job to fix your family, and that you’re an incredible person for even trying.

I refuse to infantilize my children, or reduce their agency because I feel dislocated—nor will I perpetuate disconnectedness simply because I know no other way to parent, because I do. Conversation, reflection, and writing poetry continue to help me navigate this space of (re)rootedness, and I am confident that I will move forward in a good way. Meegwetch.

—Kara West, Fulcrum Contributor.

—Keri Cheechoo, Fulcrum Contributor.

No jingle bells, just rock

A not-so-horrible holiday playlist

Alex Grinchmanoff Staff Contributor

1. LCD Soundsystem - Christmas Will Break Your Heart 2. Saintseneca - All The Best 3. Los Campesinos! - A Doe to a Deer 4. Mojave 3 - Breaking The Ice 5. Slow Club - It’s Christmas And You’re Boring Me 6. John Ralston - A Marigny Christmas 7. Tom Chaplin - We Remember You This Christmas 8. Glas Vegas - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) 9. You Can’t Win, Charlie Brown - Until December 10. Beach House - I Do Not Care For The Winter Sun 11. Marika Hackman - In The Bleak Midwinter 12. Frightened Rabbit - It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop 13. Sufjan Stevens - Justice Delivers Its Death 14. Amusement Parks on Fire, Leila Moss - The Day It Snowed 15. Real Estate - Snow Days

Illustration: Perushka Gopalkista.

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR sports@thefulcrum.ca @FulcrumSports

First semester update on Gee-Gees Women’s basketball

Gees will rely on young talent throughout the year to improve record zack goobie

associate sports editor

T

he University of Ottawa Women’s basketball team is heading into their final weekend of play before the winter 2018 semester.

Despite having a modest 3-5 record in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference play, the team has been in many close games and their points for and against are identical at 59 each. Watch for this team to improve their record going into the second half.

Coach Andy Sparks talked about how he has addressed his team on the importance of winning close games. “We are

3-5 right now and about four of the games were winnable games for us. When it came down to crunch time we didn’t execute, probably in particular on the offensive end,” said Sparks. “That’s related to having a first-year starting four and five, those people are trying to learn our systems.”

The Gee-Gees have had to rely on young talent this year to pace their offence. Their top three in scoring is composed of Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu and Maia Timmons, both first-year players, and secondyear guard Amélie Hachey.

Lefebvre-Okankwu also leads her team in rebounding and Hachey is slotted at third for the same category.

Sparks explained that the team has had to rely on young talent, especially after losing their best offensive threat, Sarah Besselink, to injury before the season started.

“We knew (Timmons) was a good recruit coming in, but she has really played solid for us all the way along, so we feel fortunate. She doesn’t play with much fear, and she’s a competitor,” said Sparks.

“Brigitte’s background isn’t as extensive as Maia’s, so she has struggled a little more, but what she lacks in knowledge she has made up for with her work ethic.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the Gees have struggled in terms of field-goal percentage and three-point percentage. With such a young team, Sparks thinks that it largely comes down to the players’ mental game. “It’s not always the quality, I think a lot of it is between the ears, when it comes to shooting,” said Sparks. “When we look at stats from a statistical perspective, we are taking a lot of uncontested shots, which are shots

The Gee-Gees will look to improve their record in the coming year.

that should be high percentage shots, but for some reason we have been struggling.”

Defensively, the Gees have been good and that has saved them in many games. They are fourth in the league in points

given up. They have held two teams to under 40 both twice and coincidentally won both of those games. Sparks will have to look to his defence to spark his offence. With a team so dependent on young talent,

Photo: Parker Townes.

the Gees are bound to have growing pains, but the ceiling is high for years to come.

The Gee-Gees will hope to come out of their final weekend before the break at .500 basketball.

Nationally ninth-ranked Gee-Gees look to build on solid first semester

Fifth-year senior Jean Emmanuel Pierre-Charles has been Gees’ backbone Zack Goobie

associate sports editor The University of Ottawa Men’s basketball team sports a 6-2 record and sit at ninth in the latest U Sports top 10 poll. They rank fifth best in both offensive points for and against in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference.

The Gees have shot the ball at a relatively high rate from both the field at 47 per cent and from behind the arc at 35 per cent.

Ultimately, coach James Derouin believes his team needs to be more consistent scoring the ball. “I think the best word for our offensive would be inconsistent. Against Carleton we had a game in the 50s and then we followed that up with a game against Western in the 60s and followed by back to back

THEFULCRUM.CA

games in the 90s,” said Derouin. “In order to be in the elite group, you have to have an elite level offence.”

Defence has been strong all year and has kept the Garnet and Grey in some games when their offence has been inconsistent.

Despite being last in the league in their opponent’s three-point percentage, the Gees are tied for the third when it comes to made threes against.

The Gees have held teams to under 60 points in wins against Algoma and Lakehead. “Our defence has kept us in a lot of games when our offence seems to disappear at times,” said Derouin. “Jean is the backbone for our defence, he is probably the best all-around defensive player in the country.”

Pierre-Charles has been leaned on not just defen-

The Gee-Gees are looking to rack up points in the winter semester.

sively, but also offensively.

Without the services of Brody Maracle, the Gees

have given the ball to their fifth-year who ranks fourth in the conference

Photo: Parker Townes.

in field goal percentage and rebounds. Along with Pierre-Charles, fourth-

year players Brandon Robinson and transfer Sean Stoqua have been contributing with 10 points apiece.

With the Gee-Gees having a good record at 6-2 and national ranking, the Gees looked poised to continue to improve with young players coming off the bench. Coach Derouin spoke to his record and ranking saying, “We knew that a hiccup could happen along the way like at Laurier or just being overwhelmed at Carleton for the first time, this is exactly where I thought this group would be especially with the injury to Brody.”

Derouin is pleased with where his team is, but also sees a high ceiling for them. He hopes that his young team will be able to hit its stride in March when the games really start to count.

SPORTS | 21

THE BOXSCORE: HO HO HOCKEY HOLIDAY BASKETBALL(W) BASKETBALL(M) HOCKEY(M) FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 2017

FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 2017

FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 2017

Gee-Gees

Gee-Gees

Gee-Gees

68

AT

55

BROCK

AT

BROCK

78 69

VS

2 7

CARLETON

HOCKEY(W) FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 2017

Gee-Gees AT

2

CARLETON

FRIDAY, JAN. 5, 2018

FRIDAY, JAN. 5, 2018

FRIDAY, JAN. 5, 2018

Friday, JAN. 5, 2018

Gee-Gees

Gee-Gees

Gee-Gees

Gee-Gees

VS

U OF T

TBD TBD

VS

U OF T

TBD TBD

AT

MCGILL

TBD TBD

VS

CARLETON

3

TBD TBD

For detailed game coverage check out the Fulcrum’s website at www.thefulcrum.ca.

Men’s hockey lose 7-2 against Carleton Tough loss comes after a six goal deficit in the first period Eric Davidson editor-in-chief

Before the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Men’s hockey game against the Carleton Ravens started on Friday, Dec. 1, the Ontario University Athletics website erroneously listed the match as a baseball game.

Although unintentional, the mistake ended up being somewhat appropriate, as Friday’s game was a swing and a miss for the Gees.

Within the first minute of play the Gees didn’t look that bad—their top line blocked shots and tested the Carleton netminder, with defenceman Médric Mercier ringing one off the post. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.

The Ravens actually ran into penalty trouble early in the first period, but quickly shook it off and started lighting the lamp.

After three Carleton goals in two minutes midway through the opening frame, U of O netminder

22 | SPORTS

Graham Hunt was chased from the net in favour of Anthony Brodeur.

Yes, Brodeur is the son of NHL legend Martin Brodeur, but unfortunately for the Gees, there was no magic forthcoming, as Brodeur was scored on just one minute after entering the game to make it a 4-0 deficit.

To add insult to injury, Carleton racked up two more goals in the period to take a whopping 6-0 lead into the first intermission.

The Gees didn’t have a problem putting pucks on net, outshooting the Ravens 14-11 in the first, but their five on five and power plays failed to find twine.

Going into the second period, it was clear the U of O players were frustrated, as they racked up five penalties. However, they did manage to stem the bleeding, keeping Carleton to one goal in the period.

The Gee-Gees again failed to convert, ending the period with no goals once again,

The U of O men’s hockey team lost 7-2 to the Carleton Ravens.

and a 7-0 deficit.

The third period looked better for the Gees, but it was too late. Mathieu Newcomb scored for the U of O to end Carleton’s shutout bid and put the GeeGees on the board with six min-

utes to go in the final frame.

Adam Beveridge lit the lamp for the Gees with two minutes left with a good shot—or as the Gee-Gees Twitter account called it, a “#BevyBomb”—on the power play to close out the

Photo: Parker Townes.

period. It was Beveridge’s first goal of the season.

All in all it was not a strong showing for the Gee-Gees, but they’re looking to rebound going into the second half of the regular season.

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U of O students launch modest activewear company Thawrih provides work for Syrian newcomers, looks to expand in next year Graham Robertson managing editor

This October, a group of students and recent graduates from the University of Ottawa launched Thawrih, an activewear company tailored towards Muslim women and Sikhs.

The co-founders of the company, Sarah Abood and Sami Dabliz, are both personal trainers, and according to Abood, they “received requests separately from clients who (wanted) home workouts as they’re uncomfortable going to the gym.”

Abood, who graduates in April with a bachelor of social sciences with a minor in economics, said that following these requests, they “decided to help on a bigger scale,” and address “the actual problem.”

This led to Abood and Dabliz developing workout hijabs and turbans, as well as modest activewear.

The company is unique in that it provides employment to Syrian newcomers. Abood had launched Capital Welcomes two years ago, a not-for-profit that assisted in settlement for refugees. One issue that Abood noticed was difficulty in accessing employment due to language or transportation

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barriers, and with their benefits running low, they had no means of income.

“So we took the two problems and we made one solution, and all our headgears are made in Ottawa by Syrian newcomers, providing income and employment,” said Abood.

Thawrih receives their materials from Montreal and brings them back to Ottawa, where the employees largely work from home to design the headgear.

Abood also notes that their products are made to order, to avoid any front costs with extra inventory on hand.

“Our market is pretty big,” said Abood. “Ninety per cent of our sales are outside of Canada.” Thawrih mostly sells to the United Kingdom, as well as to the United States, Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, and Middle Eastern countries.

Due to cultural differences within their diverse market, Abood said that they had to test their products multiple times to “go the extra mile” and remain culturally sensitive in what they are selling.

Despite only having been

Thawrih launched on October 11, 2017.

around for a month and a half, Abood says Thawrih’s reception has been positive because they’ve “only seen an increase in demand,” with over 70 sales in the first month, which Abood believes is “incredible for a start-up.”

“We find that if we make one sale from one postal code, the next week we’ll get one or two sales from that same postal code, meaning that the word of mouth

Photo: Diana Kolesarova.

is getting around of our product.”

Based on the feedback that the company receives—so far just on the hijabs—they work to develop new styles that better meet the demand of their consumers. This growing demand means that Thawrih does have bulk orders coming in, but they are unable to meet these yet due to their small size and production line.

“We know that we can grow

and we know that we will grow.

So we’re looking at expanding a lot in the near future, we’re just looking to get investments or loans or credit to invest in machinery.” But as for the next year, Abood is certain that the company will expand and meet the growing demand of their global market.

For more information, please visit Thawrih’s website.

SPORTS | 23

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR David Campion-Smith

opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @davidcs96

Nazis don’t need anymore attention

Diversity in newsrooms can prevent disasters like the New York Times nazi profile Anchal Sharma news editor

O

n Nov. 25, the New York Times published an article about the life of Tony Hovater, an Ohio native, white supremacist, and Nazi.

Originally titled ‘In America’s Heartland, The Nazi Sympathizer Next Door,’ and later changed to ‘A Voice of Hate in America’s Heartland’ after backlash on Twitter, the article profiled Hovater in a seemingly innocuous light. One excerpt reads as follows: “Mr. Hovater, 29, is a welder by trade. He is not a star among the resurgent radical American right so much as a committed foot soldier — an organizer, an occasional podcast guest on a website called Radio Aryan, and a self-described “social media villain,” although, in person, his Midwestern manners would please anyone’s mother.”

This is the same “he’s harmless, he wouldn’t hurt a fly” rhetoric that news outlets often

lend to white terrorists, mass shooting after mass shooting, and it needs to stop. While perhaps well intentioned, the profile is without a doubt problematic and dangerous.

Rather than giving already privileged white nationalists another platform to voice their beliefs, the Times and other media outlets should focus their attention on the people they are targeting.

Does Hovater have a neighbour who’s a minority? Talk to them. Get their take. I understand why the Times did it.

Some guy in a newsroom probably thought something like, “this Nazi thing is really out of control. Let’s talk to one about his motivations,” but this kind of reporting is exactly what put Trump in power.

The profile is harmful because it normalizes Nazi attitudes, ideologies, and behaviours. We all know it’s happening, we all know these people exist. We don’t need to lend them a sympathetic ear, and we definitely don’t need to be promoting the idea that they’re just like us when nothing could be further from the

truth. They don’t even want people to think they’re just like us. Their ideology is quite literally that they’re above everyone else.

There were so many better ways to go about this article. Not once is the opinion of an expert on Nazism, history, or the social sciences called for. The entirety of the article is focussed on Hovater and his daily routines.

Follow up questions to his statements are not properly executed. If the purpose of this profile was to understand how someone so seemingly normal could have such strong convictions in Nazi ideology and far-right radicalism that is so detrimental to society, it doesn’t translate.

This is a contrast to news pieces about former members of the Taliban, in which experts, family members and friends jump in and offer their insights. The subjects of those articles are portrayed as the other, their beliefs are not normalized, and research is used to identify how recruitment for terrorist groups target individuals. That’s how the Times could have gone about this piece, but instead they followed

The New York Times interviewed white supremacist Tony Hovater.

a guy who was present at the Charlottesville rally around a grocery store and documented his purchases, all the while letting him talk about his beliefs unchecked and unchallenged.

In a way, the Times acted as a mouthpiece for Nazi sympathizers, giving them a voice through Hovater.

Since the wave of criticism flooded social media following the publication, the New York Times issued a statement explaining that they understand that that criticism is well deserved, and suggesting that they will take readers’ input into account for future pieces.

But that’s not good enough.

Media outlets have a responsibility to the public, and part of that is letting them have a say in what is published.

As many Twitter users pointed out, diversity in newsrooms is one way to solve this issue.

Symone Sanders, a reputable reporter and a woman of colour tweeted a critical thread in response to the article, writing “the NYTs needs more people of color in decision making positions so when the idea of bs like this creeps up in a meeting there are folks to offer a measured perspective on why this is 1) a bad idea 2) dangerous and

Photo: CC, Haxorjoe.

3) tone deaf,” and she’s right.

The reporter who profiled Hovater is also a white male, and of a similar social background. Someone with different experiences may have been able to better iterate the questions that lead to this article, and it’s not like qualified individuals of colours are lacking.

Regardless of how they go about finding a solution, publications big and small need to keep in mind that they have a responsibility to report on these issues in a way that doesn’t normalize racist and dangerous ideologies.

We need to lower the cost of animal adoption

Lower prices would increase the rates of adoption of animals in need david campion-smith opinions editor

While many people want to own a pet—and who wouldn’t—there can sometimes be significant financial hurdles in the way. Lowering the cost of pet adoption would make it easier for everyone to get the animal cuddles they want, thereby improving the quality of their lives.

In 2015, over 80,000 cats and 35,000 dogs were accepted into shelters across Canada. According to the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the majority of these animals are strays.

Out of all of those strays, only 29 per cent of stray dogs and five per cent of stray cats were returned to their owners. The primary means that animals

get out of a shelter is through adoption. Forty-eight per cent of dogs and 57 per cent of cats that arrive in a shelter will be adopted out.

While adoption is the best, and most common, way for animals to leave a shelter, it isn’t cheap. For dogs, the fee can be up to $200, while adopting a cat can be up to $100, depending on the age.

Certainly not affordable rates for everyone looking to get a pet, especially those of us on a budget.

This is tricky, because shelters need to have some form of stable income to ensure high quality service and adequately provide for animals until they’re adopted. However it would make adoption more

If adoption was cheaper, you too could have a puppy.

common and a lot easier if it were more affordable. Making adoption more affordable doesn’t have to be a long-term project. It really could be as simple as offering deals at certain points in the year to

lower the cost.

I’m not sure where the new income would come from, and I certainly don’t want to impoverish animal shelters to make adoption more affordable. But adoption does need

Photo: CC, JacLou.

to be more accessible—owning a pet can do wonders for a person’s physical and mental health.

A common worry about lowering the cost of adoption is that it would lead to more people

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adopting pets, as it becomes an easier process, then regretting it and abandoning the animal.

There is nothing that really can be done to ensure that won’t happen, but there also isn’t a strong system of checks in place in our current system. If the only thing keeping people from abandoning an animal they’ve adopted is the amount they’ve invested, then those aren’t really the people who embody the positive traits of pet ownership.

Making it more affordable for people to adopt animals would increase adoption rates, and benefit society overall.

Even if you don’t adopt, imagine how much better your day would be if you were able to see a few more dogs on your walk to class.

OPINIONS | 25

Stop using freedom of speech as part of a political agenda St. Paul documentary cancellation shows illegitimacy of campus free speech critics savannah awde features editor

There’s no doubt you’ve heard of the Lindsay Shepherd story, with the massive outcry across the media landscape on how restricting her from showing a Jordan Peterson video violates freedom of speech.

The story was everywhere, with writers like Margaret Wente and Barbara Kay using it as proof that “far-left groupthink” has created a toxic climate on university campuses, and that “the left is no longer able to recognize opposing political thought as thought.”

And yet I don’t see these same writers, normally fixated beyond belief on campus free speech, condemning the cancellation of a documentary about reproductive freedom at Saint Paul University in Ottawa.

As a little refresher for Wente, Kay, and other “free speech advocates,” a woman’s right to choose is legally protected in Canada, and restricting that right goes against section seven of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Why is it that the outcry is significantly louder when

it comes to protecting the voice of a transphobic University of Toronto professor, than when it’s about a film that simply shows content about a constitutionally protected right?

Freedom of speech is an incredible privilege we enjoy here in Canada, considering that we are on the higher end of free speech rankings globally. It is an unjustifiable shame that we are diluting this freedom we take for granted down to a talking point used to further political agendas.

It’s even more problematic that these prominent voices I’ve referenced are not politicians, but journalists—those that are supposed to be reporting the truth, no matter what their personal political leaning.

Members of the press who are championing the issue of free speech cannot pick and choose which instances of censorship are indicative of a larger problem on Canada’s post-secondary campuses.

This is exactly what Wente, Kay, and others have done, and in doing so they have watered down the issue of free speech to a talking point

St. Paul’s cancelled a screening of a documentary on abortion access.

that is only used when it’s favourable for them to do so.

Is this really what freedom of speech has become? A defense we can throw errantly at well-intentioned people who request that we respect pronouns and avoid racist terminology? An excuse for denouncing political parties, and those who subscribe to certain ideologies?

If this is our modern rendition of

freedom of speech, we should be ashamed of ourselves.

I don’t think that Wilfrid Laurier University was even close to justified in how they handled the Shepherd case. And I don’t think that Saint Paul University is justified in censoring a constitutionally protected right. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what I think, it matters that these stories are both

Photo: CC, JKelly.

communicated to the public and injustices around freedom of speech are discussed.

Picking and choosing which freedom of speech violations to report on is a disservice to the Canadian public, and ultimately will lead us to lose sight of what this incredible freedom we enjoy is truly about.

And I’ll give you a hint—it isn’t politics.

26 | OPINIONS THEFULCRUM.CA

Hate speech Chrome extension blocks Twitter Users react to missing 280 character hate speech, lack of real-time news David Campion-Smith Opinions editor A University of Ottawa student has created a Google Chrome extension to block hate speech online. The tool is largely successful but has exhibited some unforeseen side effects. In practical tests by students it has been revealed that the extension makes it impossible to access Twitter.

“I couldn’t access Twitter at all when I had the extension installed,” said third-year political science student Sharon Mockett. “My first thought was that something was wrong with Twitter, or my laptop had died in some weird way. I was actually oddly relieved to find out everything was working fine and that Twitter’s just the garbage hole I always knew it was”

On most sites the extension simply blocks the instances of hate speech that are displayed.

It appears that Twitter is so full of hate speech and verbal abuse that the extension has decided it would be more efficient to simply block users from accessing Twitter at all.

“It took me a long time to realize that this was the extension working properly, instead of a glitch or problem,” said Graham Erikson a third-year computer science student.

“Maybe one day Twitter will enforce some of their own policies and the extension won’t recognize the entire site as hate speech.”

After being asked for insight on when that day would come, Erikson replied, “I guess it could happen in the same way we’ll go to Mars. Lots of people are talking about it but

I’m not expecting to see anything in my lifetime.”

Some users focussed on the possible technical failings of the extension, while others reflected on what they were missing without Twitter. “I kind of miss seeing what terrible things people are saying about whatever the news of the day is,” lamented Natalie Johnston. “I’m really gonna miss Trump’s tweets, I always thought I’d find out from Twitter when the nuclear apocalypse started.”

There have been critiques of this extension, with some wondering if those losing Twitter will be less informed about what’s happening in the world. “Sure they’re blocking the hate speech, but then they won’t be able to see what truly awful things are being said by various elected officials

Photo:CC, Fibonacci. Edits: Christine Wang.

around the world. How are you going to function if you’re not constantly up to date on who’s saying garbage they

won’t be held accountable for?” said Emily Vincent, a secondyear communications student.

It’s now up to readers to de-

cide if this valuable extension is worth possibly being out of the loop on the latest shitty news of the day.

SFUO celebrates holidays in a Very Merry Boardashians Special features fireworks show, board members dressed as elves

graham robertson managing editor

On Sunday, Dec. 3, MTV aired the holiday special of their hit reality show Keeping Up with the Boardashians, following the antics of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO).

Kathryn LeSwank, vicepresident services and communications for the SFUO hosted the special, dressed as Mrs. Claus.

“Happy holidays, folks, and welcome to a Very Merry Boardashians! I’ll be your host for this week’s episode, as we look back on some of our favourite memories from this past year, and share our favourite holiday memories with you,” said LeSwank. “To kick things off, let’s check in on our vice-president finance, Richie Lachic, and see how he’s spending the holidays!”

The cameras panned to show Lachic in a hot tub at Nordik Spa-Nature sipping on a glass of eggnog.

“Oh, I didn’t see you there,” said Lachic, lowering his sunglasses to look into the cameras. “You know, during the holidays, I love to take some much needed me-time. A weekend getaway to Nordik Spa always does the trick.”

“I know exactly what you mean, Richie” said LeSwank.

“Now, let’s check in on our executive coordinator, Vanessa Dorislayin’, and see what she’s up to this holiday season.”

The scene cut to a cozy office with a crackling fire in the fireplace, and six stockings hung along the mantle—one for each member of the executive.

“As executive coordinator, part of my job involves keeping the execs in check,” said Dorislayin’. “Right now I’m making a list of which execs have been naughty, and which have been nice.”

Dorislayin’ scanned a sheet of paper in front of her, pausing.

“Well, it looks like everyone has been nice this year, except…

Kathryn! Well, I know what she’s getting in her stocking.”

The SFUO shares their holiday traditions.

As she opened a desk drawer and picked out a lump of coal, the episode cut to commercial.

A few minutes later the episode returned, with LeSwank now standing in the concrete space by the Faculty of Social Sciences building. “Sorry about

Photo: Parker Townes, CC, prapanj, wild0ne, rachel bostwick. Edits: Christine Wang.

that, folks, some minor… technical difficulties. Bad comms, bad comms… anyhow, let’s check in on our president, Wadi Hess! Wadi, what are you doing during this festive time of year?”

Hess cleared his throat. “My

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dedicated team of board members is helping set up the big holiday party tonight! We’ll have lights, music, food, and a special surprise to end off the night!”

The cameras turned to show an assembly line of faculty

directors dressed as elves preparing decorations and other necessities for the festivities.

Following another commercial break, the cameras now showed executive members, faculty directors, and students mingling in the concrete space, surrounding a brightly lit tree.

“That’s the most green I’ve ever seen in this green space,” said David Ericson, editor-inchief of the Tomato, who was covering the event.

“Folks, folks, may I have your attention!” said Wess, walking up to the stage. “I have a big surprise for all of you.

This is something many of you have been waiting years for: a fireworks show!”

The students applauded as the fireworks began, but thirty seconds into the show, one of the fireworks hit the sidewall of FSS. The screen cut to black, with the sounds of sirens shortly afterwards.

In a tweet to MTV, LeSwank wrote that the Boardashians has been canceled until further notice.

THE TOMATO | 27

FEATURES EDITOR Savannah Awde

DISTRACTIONS Di’s naughty or nice gift guide DEAR DI

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @s_awde7

Find the perfect present for your favourite ho ho ho

Naughty: Homework

Has your partner been very, very bad this year? Instead of a lump of coal, look into getting them some books this holiday season. You can find a wide array of hot literature in stores like Venus Envy or anywhere online. You can get them something educational, for example to learn some new moves or the best anal sex techniques.

Nice: Scent

If your little elf has been good this year, treat them to something like a great, sexy cologne or perfume. While they usually run around $100, most scents last a long time and can be a quick and easy way to get in the mood. Try Hugo Boss’ Boss Nuit, said to be inspired by the Little Black Dress, or Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. Warning: you may want to have crazy, tantric sex whenever you get a whiff of this stuff, even in the most inopportune times.

Naughty: Cheques

If the reading material wasn’t enough, try writing sex cheques between you and your partner. Instead of the old-school method where one person writes their partner cheques, you both can get in on the action. What’s fun with this is you can challenge each other, by doing things like switching up the time and location (as long as it’s in your comfort zone). So hand your partner a coupon while at a boring holiday party for example, and let them show you what they’ve learned.

Nice: Toys

The holidays is a great time to cross something off of your partner’s wishlist. So whether they wanted to upgrade any previous models of vibrators or try something new all together, a shiny new toy could be exactly what they need. With the cold, dreary weather, now is the perfect time to stay indoors and experiment.

Naughty: Handcuffs

They’re just not getting it are they? Well in that case, you might have to get your partner rope or pleasure tape to take a more interactive approach to their learning.

You can also try some cuffs, collars, clamps, whips, you name it, to help the learning process. If you and your partner already have some BDSM experience, look to upgrade your collection, or try getting them a sexy outfit to make the learning process more immersive.

Nice: Relax

While it’s great to spend time with friends and family, the holidays can also get a little hectic. With that in mind, get your partner something to help them unwind and take a break from their daily stresses. You can try some great bath products to be used alone (or with you) when everyone has had it up to here with problematic family members. If you’re an amateur masseuse, pick up some sensual massage oil, and some candles with scents like lavender or chamomile, so you can rub away all of their problems.

28 | DISTRACTIONS

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DEC. 4 - DEC. 10, 2017

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC EATS SPORTS FUN THINKING ARTS

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Monday Dec. 4 Muggy Mondays, free coffee for whoever brings a reusable mug, Faculty of Social Sciences building 2nd floor landing—8:30 a.m.

Free Yoga, University Centre Terminus—12:10 p.m.

Tuesday Dec. 5 Perspectives on Carceral Expansion and Alternatives to Imprisonment, Faculty of Social Sciences building, room 4004 and 4006—2:30 p.m.

Stories of Student Mobilization at uOttawa, 161 Laurier Ave—7 p.m.

Wednesday Dec. 6 Free home-cooked, healthy, and vegan meal, hosted by the People’s Republic of Delicious, Deja Vu kitchen (between

Thompson and Morisset)—9 a.m.

Walking in Her Moccasins launch, violence prevention resource for Indigenous men and boys, Desmarais building, room 12102— 2 p.m.

Thursday Dec. 7 The Ghomeshi Effect: Meet the Artists, verbatim dance-theatre piece that tackles sexual violence in Canada, must register online to attend free performance, Academic Hall—7:30 p.m.

Christmas tree lighting, National Gallery of Canada, free admission until 8 p.m., free hot chocolate provided—5 p.m.

Friday Dec. 8 Born This Way - Gaga Night, The Lookout Bar

& Nightclub—8 p.m.

A Christmas Carol, holiday show at the National Arts Centre—7:30 p.m.

Saturday Dec. 9 Christmas with the alpacas, meet the alpacas and sip a cup of warm apple cider, Wilhaven Ridge Alpacas—10 a.m.

That’s Hot, a 2000s dance party, The 27 Club—11 p.m.

Sunday Dec. 10 Ottawa Farmers’ Market’s free Christmas Market, first day repeating for the first three weekends in December, Aberdeen Pavilion—10 a.m.

Trans Self-Defense Class, McNabb Recreation Centre, Fitness Studio, free of charge—1:30 p.m.

DISTRACTIONS | 29

30 | LETTERS THEFULCRUM.CA

EDITORIAL Volume 78, Issue 14, dec. 4, 2017 Watching Christmas specials since 1942.

Phone: (613) 695-0061 | Fax: (613) 695-9006 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this paper or ruin your holiday.

Eric “Charlie Brown Christmas” Davidson Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Jaclyn “Home Alone” McRae-Sadik Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Graham “Elf” Robertson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Anchal “It’s a Wonderful Life” Sharma News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Ryan “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” Pepper Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Savannah “Edward Scissorhands” Awde Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca David “Christmas Carol” Campion-Smith Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Christine “Nightmare before Christmas” Wang Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Dmitri “The Santa Clause” Bakker Social Media Manager social@thefulcrum.ca Ellie “Love Actually” Sabourin Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “Little Women” Drissi ElBouzaidi Associate Features Editor Zack “Jingle All the Way” Goobie Associate Sports Editor associate.sports@thefulcrum.ca Parker “The Polar Express” Townes Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Videographer videographer@thefulcrum.ca Chafik “Die Hard” Kassis Head Web Architect webmaster@thefulcrum.ca Lucas “The Holiday” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca Kaylum “Bad Santa” Bobal Advertising Representative ads@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors

Alina “Four Christmases” Wang Alex “White Chritmas” Grichmanoff Eric “Gremlins” Davison Alex “Arthur ChristmasSzigeti Reem “Meet Me in St. Louis” El Attar Perushka “Gopalkista Brittany “Christmas with the Kranks” Kowalski Keri “Frosty the Snowman” Cheechoo Kignonh “Holiday Inn” Madina Noemi Soro Emerson “Happy Christmas”King Kara “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” West Erika “Christmas at Holly Lodge” Farr

Board of Directors

Raghad “Black Christmas“ Sheikh-Khalil Katelyn “Trading Places” Murray Jonathan “Batman Returns” Rausseo Fadi “Miracle on 34th Street” Azzi Spencer “Scrooge” Murdock Kim “The Bishop’s Wife” Wiens Maggie “Scrooged” Gollish Cover Credits: Christine Wang.

IN THE LOCAL NEWS BLOODBATH, DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE PROBLEMS FACING STUDENT NEWSPAPERS

Anyone who keeps up with the media in Ottawa woke up to a most unwelcome surprise on last Monday, Nov. 27.

Nearly 40 community publications across Canada were closed and nearly 300 jobs lost in the blink of an eye. In Ottawa alone, that meant the closing of eight community newspapers.

The move came with little warning, leaving many people were shocked, and it wasn’t long before the URL for Metro Ottawa’s website was forwarding readers to the Ottawa Citizen homepage.

Outside of media executives boasting a higher market share in core demographic areas, not a lot of people are offering takes on why this is a good thing. That’s because when local media gets cut down, a lot of small, but important issues don’t get the same level of coverage.

People living in a given area don’t have access to that window into how their community is working. Local people lose an avenue to pursue journalism at a lower level to gain experience.

A survey by Pew Research found that the average American, both Republican and Democrat, trusts local news outlets more than national news outlets, social media, and even their family and friends.

In the age where many people cry, “fake news!” all indications are that local news might be our strongest solution.

Student newspapers are absolutely a part of that. They cover news at the community level, and get people interested to join other community news organizations, as well as national ones. They’re a big piece of the puzzle.

Student newspapers often receive funding and don’t exist in the same corporate structure as most other outlets, meaning they’re not subject to the whims of big news organizations who are focused on the bottom line. So student journalism should be totally fine, right?

Well, not quite.

Don’t worry, if you’re a student reading this, your student newspaper isn’t owned by Postmedia or Torstar, and it won’t be shut down because it doesn’t fit into the business plan of a large corporation.

Even so, student journalism has been facing some serious problems of its own recently.

During the Ontario college strike, the student paper at Algonquin College, the Algonquin Times,

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was forced by their student union to stop publishing under its own name, forcing student journalists to retreat to a hastily-created WordPress site called the Algonquin Timeless.

And that wasn’t the full effect of the strike. According to reporting done by Canadaland, student papers at six other colleges stopped publishing during the strike as well.

Last month, the McGill Student Union took a public negative stance on a referendum question to continue funding the two campus publications, le Délit and the McGill Daily.

At Wilfred Laurier University, several issues of the student paper, the Cord, were found ripped up, and some of the shredded copies were placed at the steps of the Cord’s office.

All that was just within the last month, but these problems have been here much longer.

For example, last year the current president of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa called the campus’ Frenchlanguage newspaper, la Rotonde, “fake news,” and members of the SFUO executive went to a meeting to elect members to the paper’s board of directors, allegedly to gain seats for themselves on the board.

There’s something wrong here.

There are a number of things that can be done to help student journalism, especially after this

latest rash of incidents. Decoupling papers from bad relationships with their student unions for one, as well as fostering more debate among students and discouraging behaviour that leads to students destroying their newspapers.

One thing that the mass closing of newspapers in Ottawa demonstrates is that something about the model for Canadian journalism isn’t working right. But if we’re going to fix this model, if we’re going to make sure that cities across Canada once again have access to a variety of good, consistent news coverage, we need to start small.

There’s a reason big tech companies like Google fund programs to teach people to code at a young age, and why they make software available for the public to play with. They want the demographic who will be entering the workforce to be comfortable in a coding environment, and be stimulated by it enough to apply for a job in Silicon Valley.

If we as Canadians can’t make student journalism just as attractive, it won’t matter if we fix Canadian media as a whole, as far fewer people will be engaged or passionate enough to run it as new cohorts of workers are needed.

Many of the journalists in Canada’s mainstream media were involved, at least in part, in their student newspapers. Student newspapers also offer a bridge for people who—understandably—

don’t want to put all their eggs in that basket right now to get involved.

Student newspapers actually compliment a strong local news presence, as they introduce students to covering small but important stories close to the heart of communities.

In fact, a strong cohort of journalists from student papers will do more than maintain Canadian media, it will bolster it in much needed ways. A J Source survey found that the editorial boards of student newspapers show “a higher representation of marginalized groups in campus newspapers than the national average.”

It’s hard to argue that Canadian media today is truly representative of our country’s population.

For example, a 2015 report found that around 90 per cent of CBC employees at the time were white.

It looks like student journalism could be a positive force here, yet another reason to protect it.

If more people who care about good, informative journalism are ready to enter the profession, fixing the problems in Canadian media will be a lot easier.

Amid the chaos facing local newspapers, let’s not gloss over the serious things that happened to student newspapers recently. We can find solutions and talk about those issues, and build a better Canadian media from the ground up.

Photo: Eric Davidson.

EDITORIAL | 31