VOL. 78 ISSUE 23
Mar. 19, 2018
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In this week’s issue...
SFUO General Assembly makes quorum for second time P.5 Assembly fails to pass BDS motion, passes online voting Promoting zero-waste on campus P.8 Nu Grocery founder talks trash
You’re an all-star P.12 Many Gee-Gees athletes named to all-star teams Grandma v. University pot ghetto P.15 AirBnB should bear the cost of its mistake, not students The Red Menace P.17 How to bring up period sex
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NEWS
NEWS EDITOR Anchal Sharma
news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0061 @anchalsharma_
SFUO General Assembly meets quorum, motion to endorse BDS fails Students vote in favour of online voting, BDS motion leaves no time for budget presentation Anchal Sharma News Editor
O
n Tuesday, March 13, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) held their Winter General Assembly (GA) in the University Centre (UCU) Alumni Auditorium. The auditorium met full capacity, with over 400 students in attendance, but still saw a line to enter going past the UCU Agora. The remaining students were set up in the Agora with a live-stream, and were allowed to vote on motions. BDS MOTION
This is the second time in four years that the GA has met quorum, likely due to the controversial motion on the agenda calling for the SFUO to endorse the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement. The motion presented at the GA reads as follows: “Be it resolved that the SFUO support campaigns associated to the BDS movement, including the divestment of corporations complicit in occupation of Palestinian lands, until Israel respects international law, and the rights of the Palestinian people.” “That the Section 47 of the SFUO policy manual be named BDS Movement and read: ‘The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa will support this movement as well as take a Pro-Palestine stance.’” The motion also called for the SFUO to “put pressure on the Board of Gov-
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The March 13 GA is the second in four years to meet quorum.
ernors” of the U of O to support BDS campaigns by “reading a declaration in support of divestment of companies complicit in violation of Palestinian human rights at all meetings of the Board,” as well as calling for “the complete divestment and boycott of such companies and the implementation of investment guidelines that would prevent similar investments in the future.” It also sought to boycott “all forms of cooperation with Israeli academic institutions.” Students have previously voiced concerns with the federation taking political stances. When vice-president equity Leila Moumouni-Tchouassi first introduced the BDS movement motion at the Nov. 5 Board of Administration meeting, many students attended to share their frustration. The motion to endorse the BDS movement saw 241 votes in favour and 231 votes against, which
Photo: Eric Davison.
is enough to pass a motion that doesn’t bring constitutional change, however some students attending the GA attempted to contest the results by calling for a recount. Chairperson Bilan Arte explained that a vote cannot be recounted immediately after it takes place, and if students want to challenge the results then someone from the prevailing side of the vote would have to initiate that. Another student pointed out that since the motion included a constitutional amendment, it would have required a two-thirds majority vote in favour for it to have passed. Arte was uncertain if the motion was subject to this rule since it addressed the SFUO’s policy manual, and students questioned why the SFUO did not know this in advance. After some deliberation with vice-president finance and incoming president, Rizki Rachiq, Arte confirmed
that the BDS motion was subject to two-thirds support, which it did not receive, and thus it did in fact fail. ONLINE VOTING MOTION Another motion concerned a lack of transparency within the current voting system after students took to Facebook to question the legitimacy of the results of the 2018 general election. The motion sought to have the SFUO hire Simply Voting, a third party company, to run further elections online as of May 1, 2018. The assembly adopted the motion with 410 votes in favour and 13 against, however since it seeks to amend the SFUO constitution, which the GA does not have the power to do, the motion will still have to be accepted by the Board of Administration. Following the vote, there were reports of a member of the SFUO ex-
ecutive taking students’ voting cards for cheering in the Agora. A Facebook page called Beloved SFUO Overlords shared a video of the federation’s executive coordinator, Vanessa Dorimain, taking a student’s voting card after the student cheered during the GA. This was met with angry outbursts from other students, resulting in the SFUO calling in members of protection services. QUESTION PERIOD A 20 minute question period was held at the beginning of the meeting. Students questioned when the SFUO adopted a proBDS stance, why the federation was taking political stances, and when the most recent iteration of the SFUO constitution would be available on the website. Moumouni-Tchouassi answered the first two questions saying that the SFUO is not pro-BDS and that as a student union
they are political, and any political stances are taken in the interest of students. Vice-president services and communications Kathryn Leblanc answered the question pertaining to the constitution, explaining that it would be available online by the end of the summer. Nursing students voiced complaints about the lack of SFUO office hours in Roger Guindon Hall, to which president Hadi Wess answered that as both president and acting vice-president social he was not available to hold office hours but could be reached by email. Questions pertaining to the budget were asked to be held off until after the budget presentation, as Rachiq was not present during the question period, however following the vote on motions, quorum was no longer met and the GA was adjourned, leaving no time for the budget presentation or executive updates.
NEWS | 5
SFUO takes away students’ voter cards at GA Protection services called after student refuses to leave Ellie Sabourin
Associate news editor On Tuesday, March 13, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) Winter General Assembly (GA) took place, seeing a great deal of online controversy after the federation’s executive coordinator, Vanessa Dorimain, took voter cards away from students on the grounds that they were cheering. This was one of two GAs in SFUO history to reach quorum, with approximately 500 students turning out to vote, resulting in many attendees watching a live-stream in the University Centre Agora, though still eligible to vote. Chairperson Bilan Arte initially ruled that any clapping or cheering was out of order because it might create a hostile environment during the assembly. This rule was set in place for both the Alumni Auditorium, where the assembly was held, and the Agora. Several students in the Agora cheered following the passing of a motion on online
voting, leading the SFUO to call protection services. A video shortly began circulating on Facebook that showed Dorimain forcibly removing ballots from the students’ hands who were accused of cheering. By Thursday morning, the video had over 6,500 views and 40 shares. According to students who witnessed the interaction, Dorimain alleged that three students cheered as the group voted nearly unanimously for online voting. Several students have confirmed that they did hear cheering throughout the crowd. However, reports from students nearby the incident do not identify the three reprimanded students as those accused of cheering. Philippe Bangs, a second-year political science student, said that he was roughly three to four metres behind the students who were accused of cheering. He can be seen throwing his arms up in frustra-
tion at the end of the video. “I can say that I honestly did not hear any yelling or cheering anywhere close to me after the electoral reform vote,” said Bangs. “There was cheering but I honestly believe it wasn’t the three who were alleged to have cheered.” There have also been claims that the SFUO repeatedly warned three students students about cheering. “I can say with absolute certainty that the two of three people who had their voting cards removed were never once personally given a warning,” said Bangs. “I can say this because the only warning given to our area, which was issued by a completely separate SFUO employee than the one who removed the voting cards, was to me and a friend beside me for talking quietly during a quiet period when no one was speaking.” According to student reports, Dorimain came to the back of the Agora and asked three students to leave. Only
one student allegedly left. One student told Dorimain that she would not leave, as she did not cheer. “I was sitting right behind her and can confirm that she did not cheer,” says third-year political science and women’s studies student Jade Traversy-Maliette who recorded the video of the incident. Second-year software engineering student Reid Tait who was a few rows away also confirms that the student did not cheer. Dorimain left and returned with SFUO president Hadi Wess, which is where the video starts. Dorimain is shown physically ripping the voting placards out of the hands of both students who were accused of cheering. The students in question, Lhori Webster, a fourth-year student in communications and Taylor Sullivan, a third-year student in international studies and modern languages told the Fulcrum that they are working with the university administration to address the issue.
“We are currently working through the university of Ottawa’s official channels to seek disciplinary action against the SFUO for the actions of their employees at the General Assembly,” Webster stated. “The executive coordinator removed the voting card from two students because they did not respect rules on not cheering and clapping during the general assembly. These rules are in place in order to make the space safe and not intimidating for students,” according to a statement from the SFUO to the Fulcrum. However, students who witnessed the interaction see it differently. “I would like to stress that the voting rights of three students were taken away without proof,” TraversyMaliette wrote in a Facebook post after the event. “This is undemocratic, against SFUO policy, and the actions seen in video constituted unjustified physical aggression by an SFUO appointed employee.
These actions made this space unsafe for students.” “When (Dorimain) accused the three people of cheering she was anything but certain. She honestly looked like she was trying to decide who to kick out and not like she knew exactly who had actually cheered,” said Bangs. “Even if the three people cheered, which I really believe they didn’t, the way Vanessa snook up and forcefully grabbed the voting cards was honestly mind boggling. The SFUO doesn’t have the authority to use force to remove people they maybe think cheered.” Traversy-Maliette also encouraged students who are upset by this incident to “write to their (Board of Administration) representative, write to the Dean, write to the SFUO execs.” “What happened (at the General Assembly) was wrong, undemocratic, and disenfranchised three students with no cause,” she wrote.
Women’s Basketball player dismissed due to bipolar disorder
Former team captain banned from playing following hospitalization Alex Szigeti Fulcrum Contributor Kellie Forand, a masters student in communication at the University of Ottawa and a valedictorian from the Faculty of Arts, was dismissed from the Gee-Gees Basketball team after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in February. Forand, the former captain of the team, explained that the diagnosis came after she was hospitalized for three weeks following a psychotic episode. “It’s still hard for me to think about what I did, because it wasn’t me, and I remember everything,” she said. After being released three days before the team’s senior night and last home game of the season, Forand was hopeful to return to the team, and got the greenlight from her doctors, but not from the university. Forand’s coaches told her that she would be ready to
Kellie Forand is the former captain of the Women’s Basketball team.
play in a few weeks, not a few days, effectively ruling her out of the seniors game. In addition to this, she was not allowed to be near her team members, which meant she couldn’t enter the gym or the weight rooms. “When you’re told you’re detrimental to your team, you’re a threat to your team, you’re a distraction to your team, your teammates don’t
feel comfortable with you around, it’s very hard. Especially as a fifth year, as a captain, just as someone who really deeply cares,” she said. “You need to able to hear me say words like bipolar and suicide without thinking, ‘oh that’s a problem person.’” The team’s coach, Andy Sparks, explained the decision as something that was taken for Forand’s benefit.
Photo: Eric Davison.
“From what we had heard from numerous people, jumping out of the hospital and right back into play is something that certainly was not seen as being a logical step,” he said. This decision followed a meeting with Forand’s psychiatrist at the hospital, her sports psychiatrist, her sports doctor, and her family doctor, who all told her that she was
ready to rejoin the team. Forand also explained that the U of O failed to listen to recommendations made by Dr. Carla Edwards of McMaster University, who specializes in back-to-play protocols for Olympic and elite athletes. Sparks recognizes that the two sides saw the situation differently, and believes that it’s important to bridge that gap. “(The school needs to be) developing protocols that work for people with mental illness so that we have a much better insight, because as (Forand) said, when she may feel like she’s ready to return to play, she may not be ready yet. And the players who have gone through with her have to understand what the direction and protocol is for how’s she’s recovering and how it all fits in.” “We see the depression and the anxiety and all that stuff pretty frequently, but this is new. And with (Forand) being the super intelligent person that she is,
6 | NEWS
she’s going to be able to offer a lot for the direction that these things will go over the course of time,” he said. According to Sparks, the university is looking at ways to correct these issues, such as creating a protocol for mental health, as well as working with former U of O Women’s Basketball player Krista Van Slingerland to facilitate the communication between coaches and athletes that are depressed, or have a mental illness. Forand has some suggestions for what should be done, in terms of standardized guidelines, which she wants to see not only at the U of O, but at universities across the country. “(Are mental illness situations) case-by-case? Yes and no. It’s not like a physical injury, you tear your ACL, I tear my ACL, it’s the same thing. That’s not how it works, but still we can create some guidelines, and some general way of dealing with things.”
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What you need to know about social media and democracy
U of O law experts discuss how social media influences elections Marissa Phul
Staff Contributor On Wednesday, March 14, the University of Ottawa hosted a panel on a subject that dominates the news. It was titled, “Social Media and Democracy: Facebook and the 2019 election.” The panel, which focused on the impact of social media on election systems, consisted of Elizabeth Dubois, an assistant professor in the department of communication, Elizabeth Judge, an associate professor in the Faculty of Law and director of the doctoral program in Law, and Michael Pal, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Law, common law section. Dubois, who acknowledged that “social media can be a force for democratic good,” spoke primarily about political bots on social media platforms. She highlighted the four main types of general bots—amplifier bots, which follow a politician and give them a positive image, repeatedly sharing one message; dampener bots, which attempt to push users offline or shut down certain ideas;
The panel took place in Fauteux on Wednesday, March 14.
servant bots, which broadcast information across many platforms at the same time; and transparency bots, which sift through publicly available data to ensure it is readable. In the political sphere, amplifier and dampener bots are widely used. Pal then moved on to discuss the limits of platforms such as Facebook, saying, “Facebook is not a neutral social media platform as they brand themselves, they are a large-scale advertisement company.” He noted
that existing election laws and tools can be modified to encompass new issues emerging in the digital age. He then discussed the importance of transparency and spending limits, firstly by focusing on attribution rules that would “demand political parties disclose which ads they approve so the public knows who is advertising to them.” “Spending limits are already a key element in today’s offline elections however, because advertising with Facebook is
Photo: Courtesy of Facebook.com.
far cheaper, political parties do
extensive voter data, seeming-
not come close to meeting the
ly non-political, that is used to
spending cap.”
put people in categories which
Pal also advocated for a sepa-
are used to determine who is
rate social media advertising
worth targeting.” Voter data
limit and a rule that ensures
includes which sites users visit,
each party pays the same price
how long they stay on the site,
for the same advertising space.
what they do on online, their
Big data is a term constantly
online purchases, and the com-
thrown around by politicians
ments they make.
and tech tycoons alike. Judge
Judge describes this as micro
focused on the use of big data
targeting, primitively used by
around election season by the
President George H.W. Bush in
way of voter algorithmic pro-
the 1980s, but popularized under
filing, explaining that “there is
the Obama administration. Ac-
cording to Judge, micro targeting has “changed the relationship between party and voter.” She then discussed the challenges that lawmakers face surrounding these issues. When do we legislate? If we wait too long, “practices become normalized and legal bodies are less willing to act” however, if we legislate right away “technologies will rapidly evolve to circumvent specific restrictions.” A brief Q&A period followed the discussion, and in response to the discussion on regulation, Judge said that “too much regulation can infringe on long standing privacy laws and the right to trade secrets, we simply need transparency on how algorithms are applied in the election realm.” “There is a lot we don’t know and are still learning,” said Judge. As we head into the 2019 federal election, voters, governments, and academics must determine how much transparency and regulation is needed to ensure our democratic processes remain open to all.
Sexual assault prevention training now mandatory for U of O law students
New initiative seeks to provide education on the ramifications of sexual violence Ellie Sabourin
Associate news editor This January, the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, common law section has implemented mandatory mandatory sexual assault prevention training for all first-year students. “Statistics of sexual violence are alarming, and as a educators and administrators in a law school, we believe it to be an essential part of a law student’s training,” said assistant dean Amanda Turnbull. “We took on a commitment to prevention education beyond the university-level since as students of law, we believe they ought to be held more accountable.” Turnbull said that it is not sufficient to have students sit through a quick presentation during orientation. The faculty also strongly believes that
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law students need to be equipped to deal with sexual violence and its ramifications in their careers. Consequently, any students who are unable to attend the training would have to justify their absence. Although other faculties at the university do not require similar mandatory training, the Human Rights Office offers bystander training. Recently, an article in the National Post claimed that the department threatened to withhold final grades from students who did not undergo the mandatory training, although Turnbull said that no such communication was sent to students that states that grades, of any kind, will be withheld. “To be clear, we asked that students find and undergo similar training if they were unable to attend their session,” she
said. “Students who were unable to attend their session, and had grounds for accommodation, were switched into other workshops that we were offering.” In total, the faculty held 10 training sessions to accommodate as many students’ scheduling conflicts as possible. Those who were unable to attend any of the workshops were directed to the Human Rights Office on campus, which has agreed to provide them with bystander training. “We want to be able to report publicly by the end of April that all of our first-year class received this training prior to finishing their first year of study. We are leaders in being able to claim that we have taken the training seriously—both at the University level and at the law school level,” said Turnbull.
First year law students must take sexual violence prevention training as part of courses.
Photo: Parker Townes.
NEWS | 7
A&C EDITOR Ryan Pepper arts@thefulcrum.ca
ARTS&CULTURE Nu Grocery founder gives zero-waste talk on campus (613) 695-0062 @pep_ryan
Leloup provides zero-waste advice, talks waste-reduction campaigns Ryan Pepper
Arts & Culture Editor
N
u Grocery founder and zero-waster Valerie Leloup gave a talk on Wednesday, March 14 on how students can reduce their waste. The takeaway: it’s not that hard.
Leloup, a University of Ottawa alum, opened Nu Grocery, a zero-waste grocery store, in August 2017, though she only started her zero-waste journey three years ago. As she put it, one can never be fully zero-waste, especially in the beginning. Her own adventure started in the bathroom, when she went from 27 different products to five. “I thought, how much of this do I really need? That’s the fundamental question, do I re-
ally need this,” Leloup said. “And I took a hard look at myself and realized that I don’t need any of this except three or four products.” Those products are also refillable, so Leloup has a “bathroom that is now completely zero-waste.” We’re all familiar with “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” but zero-wasters add another R, Refuse, which, along with Reduce, is key to the whole movement. “They are the ones where you can make the quickest impact. Simply not buying something is the easiest way to reduce waste,” said Leloup. “They’re also the most challenging, because it’s really making a decision that goes up against the values of our modern society.” Millennials, she noted, might have it easier than Gen Xers in this respect, since we have a different view towards consumerism than older generations. In terms of reduction, Leloup
never uses plastic—recycling plastic is more of a myth than anything, she maintains, because plastic can only be downcycled. Instead, she brings her own glass or metal containers to take-out places, an easy change that anyone can make, and uses a reusable bag while shopping. “Although it seems overwhelming, you don’t have to do everything at once. Just start with the easy things, and over time just increase the intensity,” said Leloup, “And you don’t even feel like it’s more difficult, because you did it progressively.” Nu Grocery is more than just a grocery store—they are also engaged in political campaigns. This April they are launching a “Ban the Bag” campaign which they hope will be taken seriously by candidates in this year’s municipal election. Montreal has already banned plastic bags. “We are going to show up
Valerie Leloup of Nu Grocery lectures in Alumni Hall.
at every candidate meeting and ask the question: Will you support a ban on plastic bags,” Leloup said. Although most students shop at big-box grocery stores, there’s still a lot that we can
do to reduce our waste. Leloup pointed out that produce and other foods are sold in bulk, and it’s easy to eliminate plastic produce bags by using reusable bags. She also encouraged buying brands that
Photo: Parker Townes.
use glass or metal over plastic packaging. Students can also shop at the bakery or meat counter instead of buying prewrapped bread and meat. According to Leloup, “the first step is to be waste-aware.”
Anti-harassment policy seeks to make arts more inclusive
Peter Zanette is pushing for cultural organizations to adopt progressive policy Rowan Markovich Fulcrum Contributor
While the arts generally have a long history of spearheading movements towards tolerance and goodwill, their individual programs don’t always demonstrate this. Peter Zanette, a producer and stage manager for classical music ensembles in Ottawa, is working to remedy this. Zanette has recently launched an initiative towards setting up an anti-harassment inclusion policy to be implemented universally in arts programs across Canada with the goal of better protecting LGBTQ+ members and those of other vulnerable groups. Zanette is a former student of the University of Ottawa, having quit his engineering program almost 30 years ago. Though that particular interest has fallen by the wayside, his experience in Gay Campus
in the early 80s sparked a lifelong passion for activism. He has advanced the policy primarily on the grounds of the enumerated rights in the Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977, and believes that they should be both strongly upheld by arts organisations, but also proudly displayed on every art organisation’s website. He believes this will convey greater accountability and transparency. “Doing so makes the statement, this is what we are doing, this is what we’re trying to achieve and we are doing our best to make this a safe place,” Zanette said. Zanette highlighted that the policy would support and encourage closeted or otherwise shy or afraid artists. “You should not have to call an arts organisation and ask if they have an anti -harassment policy or see if it has this or that specific policy. What
8 | ARTS & CULTURE
that does is implicitly outs them,” Zanette said. While the policy is primarily geared towards arts programs, they are not the only organisations that this policy targets—it was adopted by the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) at their 2018 convention in Ottawa. The NDP has agreed to post the policy on its website and mission statement, and instructed all Electoral District Associations to include the same policy in their by-laws and respective websites. As a member of the arts and LGBTQ+ communities, Zanette felt it was important to “clean house,” as he put it, before taking his policy to the political stage. He worked off the idea that “charity, justice and inclusivity begin at home.” Despite these advancements, one organization he has yet to bring his policy to
Peter Zanette is working to make arts organizations more inclusive.
is the U of O, because of how many different programs there are, and that each has an existing anti-harassment policy. While the initiative has met with a large amount
of early success, Zanette continues to expand the policy wherever he can. “It’s a philosophy I have, as a gay dude if I want to be included, I have to be inclusive,
Photo: Ryan Pepper.
I have to think not just about my rights and struggles but all rights and struggles, that’s the approach I’m taking,” Zanette said on his reasoning for fighting so hard for this policy.
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National Arts Centre opens youth programing, new spaces
Reduced prices, open-concept space, variety of artists attract new audience touches of the new space will come with the opening of their Elgin Street cafe later this year. Glass and wood have replaced stone and concrete in an openconcept environment that will serve as an accessible public space. “We wanted to be more open, more welcoming, more transparent in a literal sense—after 50 years we have daylight in the NAC,” said Amy Carlin, a spokesperson for the NAC. “We wanted to face the city with a brand new, big entrance on Elgin so that we are welcoming foot traffic and not just cars ... you don’t need a ticket to come (in)to the NAC anymore, you can come in and make yourself at home.” The NAC’s commitment to openness also covers its ticket policy, with a significantly reduced fare for students and young adults. The popular Live Rush program also provides people
Eric Davison Videographer
The National Arts Centre (NAC) has long had a reputation as an elitist institution. Prohibitive ticket prices for high culture acts created a space where many felt they didn’t belong. This reputation was reflected in the NAC’s old building—a windowless, mid-century fortress that looked more suitable for surviving the imminent nuclear apocalypse than appreciate Canada’s artistic talent. But the institution has seen dramatic changes in recent years. New facilities, show schedules, policies, and advertising are all working together in a topto-bottom revamp that aims to capture the diversity of Canada’s artistic scene. The most apparent difference to casual observers is the building’s new renovation. Originally opened as part of the Canada 150 celebrations last year, the final
under 29 with an opportunity to get $15 tickets for performances the day of the show, filling up empty seats while improving accessibility. Programming has expanded to cover many more facets of Canadian culture than the ballets and theatre that used to dominate the NAC schedule. Orchestra and Opera are joined by Indigenous artists, interactive electronic music shows, and modern musicals. The NAC Presents segment of the centre is responsible for bringing in indie, rock, electronic, and youth-oriented acts. Carlin recalled a rendition of A Christmas Carol with a focus on people with visual impairments. Pieces of the set would be brought out into the audience to physically feel, rules about noise from the crowd were relaxed, and a pure-white set was used to create a performance for those that had often been left out of tradi-
The National Arts Centre saw renovations for last year’s Canada 150 celebrations.
tional productions. “What the design did was make everyone imagine the colours—it made everyone the same. Its different ways of testing your
imagination, so you are not just watching something, you need to do some of the work,” she said. Public arts funding is essential to creating and
Photo: Jean-Luc Ducamp.
reinforcing cultural and national identity. A diverse nation deserves a diverse arts scene, and the NAC is quickly becoming a cornerstone of that movement.
ALBUMS YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO : DAVID BOWIE
● Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) | RCA Records Ryan Pepper
Arts & Culture Editor WHY YOU HAVEN’T HEARD IT We likely all know David Bowie, but tend to know him through his hit songs more than his full albums. Most casual Bowie fans might know “Ashes to Ashes,” but since Scary Monsters didn’t produce another hit single at that level, the full work isn’t as well-known today as it should be. As time passed, his singles rose to prominence, but the albums not so much. It’s also nestled between two more monumental projects—Berlin Trilogy, which spawned “Heroes,” and the commercially successful Let’s Dance. Scary Monsters is also thematically in between—people looking for experimental Bowie look before this album, while people looking for dance hits look after. WHY IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO GET THROUGH What’s great about Bowie’s singles is their mix of strangeness and experimentalism, but also their commercial viability. We know a Bowie single because it’s quirky. But that
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can get tiring over a full album, especially when one considers that his singles—a benchmark for quirky pop music—tend to be a bit less out-there than his deep cuts. The opening is jarring: Bowie yowling, Japanese vocals, jagged music. After that, the album settles into tame 70s-rock, so if you get past the initial shock, the rest is normal Bowie—so, still far from normal, but good. WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT ANYWAYS Critics sometimes call Scary Monsters Bowie’s last great album. It flawlessly straddles the border between 70s glam and 80s new wave—in fact, the album is often viewed as Bowie proclaiming his dominance as the original freak over a new generation of artists. It has grandiose anthems like “Teenage Wildlife” that’s the stadium-rock end-goal of earlier tunes like “Changes” or “Heroes,” but also features the coming synth-onslaught of the 80s in “Ashes to Ashes.” This is Bowie at his peak, but also accessible. His Berlin Trilogy is too avant-garde for some; his later 80s
albums are polished pop. This is rough and tumble, irregular and all over the place. He takes everything he had been doing through the 70s and improves on it, taking it one step further. FUN FACTS -“Ashes to Ashes” revives the character of Major Tom, who appeared in Bowie’s first hit single, 1969s “Space Oddity.” Major Tom also appears in “Blackstar”, from the 2016 album of the same name—his final work. -After working with minimalist composer Brian Eno for the Berlin Trilogy, Bowie reunited with longtime collaborator Tony Visconti, who worked with Bowie on and off from 1969 to 2016. Also, Pete Townshend of The Who plays guitar on “Because You’re Young.” -Bowie is dressed as Pierrot on the front cover, the sad clown figure from pantomime theatre and commedia dell’arte. Bowie had a long interest in theatre—he was an experienced mime and dancer, and starred in a Broadway play. BEST LINES -“Well how come you only want to-
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
morrow/ With its promise of something hard to do” from the song “Teenage Wildlife.” -“Ashes to ashes, funk to funky/ We
Photo: RCA Records.
know Major Tom’s a junkie/ Strung out in heaven’s high/ Hitting an alltime low” from the song “Ashes to Ashes.”
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SPORTS
Daniel Birru SPORTS EDITOR sports@thefulcrum.ca @FulcrumSports
Former Gee-Gees Football players looking to get drafted
Jackson Bennett and Khadim Mbaye look to start pro careers Eric Davidson Editor-in-Chief
W
hile the GeeGees football season may have ended a while ago, things are just heating up for two of its players. Jackson Bennett and Khadim Mbaye talked to the Fulcrum about their push to go pro, as they attend combines and interview with teams ahead of the CFL and NFL drafts.
First off, the players reflected on their final season wearing the Garnet and Grey. “I think it was a good year, you know we made the playoffs so that’s a plus,” said Bennett. “We obviously want more, but I think it was a good building opportunity for the younger guys to come in and experience football at this level.”
Mbaye said his highlight of the season was the team’s first game against Guelph, and how the team worked together. “It was pretty nice to see how the defence played that game, we were all together, all showing up, and we won the game,” he said. Bennet said that despite a good year, he’s still looking to improve. “For me I feel like there’s always something to improve; I have that mentality of “good’s never good enough,” So in terms of this season I felt like I did okay, I made plays when we needed it the most, but again, there are things that I still need to work on.” After the Gee-Gees’ season ended, the players got a break for the holidays, but Bennett and Mbaye wouldn’t be able to take it easy for too long. “After the season was the holidays, I went to D.C with my girlfriend’s family,” said Mbaye. “Then when I went to come back, I received an email from the CFL saying that I was invit-
ed for the CFL regional combine in Montreal.” After that, he said it was back to the gym. “As soon as I came back in January, it was straight training. Four gym (sessions) a week, three around track, I did a lot of combine prep, eating well,” said Mbaye. Things got busy for Bennett as well. He was invited to a showcase in Texas, where he got to play in front of people from both NFL and CFL teams. Bennett said he got to “compete against some American players, and to get some looks from NFL teams.” “I got to talk to Philadelphia, Green Bay, and Oakland. And Philadelphia is my favorite team, so it was pretty cool to talk to them… just kind of starstruck, but I felt like I handled the interviews pretty well.” After a regional CFL combine on March 7, both Mbaye and Bennett are gearing up for the national combine at the end of the month. “I only have two weeks, I
Former Gees are looking to the pros.
have to be able to rest, be able to still train, but I do have the goal of trying to beat all the results I had,” said Mbaye. “I’m trying to prove that in two weeks I can make a good improvement.” “I’m feeling pretty good, I’m excited, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to per-
Photo: Greg Mason.
form in front of so many people and so many big faces and big organizations,” said Bennett. “I think I’ll do very well so, looking forward to hopefully being drafted. It’ll be fun.” So what happens after the national combine? “We have to keep training ba-
sically because the CFL draft is May 3, so we have to keep training and wait for a phone call, and hope that we get drafted,” said Mbaye. “Obviously I just want to play football, so whether it be the CFL or the NFL, I’ll be grateful,” said Bennett.
An Exploration of Sportation: Parkour Clearly, my nine years of gymnastics did not come in handy christine wang visual Editor
In this week’s edition of An Exploration of Sportation, I was joined at Laws of Motion by Savannah, our amazing features editor at the Fulcrum, as well as our friends, Alex and Alexei. Apparently Gaelic football had not taught me to fear death enough, so this time I thought I would try out parkour. Well, technically we didn’t do parkour. Parkour, originating from Paris, was a race to get from one point to another at the fastest time possible. Nick Grimard, the co-owner of Laws of Motion, explained that their background is more in artistic gymnastics. “The program we run is called urban gymnastics. We don’t call it parkour because we’re teaching the more acrobatic side of the sport. The type that you see in action movies.” It’s an emerging sport that has come to Canada starting in Toronto and British Columbia in the last 10 years. Laws of Motion was the first urban gymnastics gym to open in Ottawa. Did my background in gymnastics help in this sport at all? As it turns out,
This week Christine explores Parkour.
no. I might as well have thrown the nine years of gymnastics lessons in a dumpster fire. Then, at least it could have served the purpose of keeping me warm at night. To be fair, I had quit gymnastics eight years ago but there is something inherently sad about being better at something at the age of 14 than the age of 22. We started off by learning a couple different vaults and somersaults on the floor. About half an hour in, we moved onto the trampoline to learn how to do a backflip. To begin, we practiced a couple safe ways to fall. The gymnastics trampoline has a lot more spring than a normal trampoline, so falling on your face does have larger repercussions. Eventually, we progressed to doing assisted backflips.
Illustration: Christine Wang.
Honestly, trying it for the first time wasn’t even a part of what scared me. I was mostly nervous since the last time I had tried an acrobatic skill eight years ago, I had sprained the wrist of the coach who was assisting me. And I was about half the size I am now. I did feel more reassured that I wouldn’t be the one doing the damage as I watched Alex jump up, twist, and plant his butt directly on Nick’s face during his first attempt. Thankfully the coaches at Laws of Motion are much more experienced and no one ended up getting hurt, which is why now I feel comfortable publicly laughing at them. What did I take away from this experience? The sport is great in that it is three times the cardio from your typical exercise routine:
1.
The physical activity (apparently jumping on a material designed to help you jump still makes you sweat if you are me: extremely unfit). 2. The pure, unadulterated fear of death. 3. Most importantly, the adrenaline that courses through your veins when you do something new with your body that you’ve never done before. When I quit gymnastics eight years ago, I thought it would be the last time I would get the chance to do gymnastics ever again. It’s a performance sport; everything from the training to the mentality centers around preparing and performing at competitions. Athletes in the sport peak at around
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adolescence, which is why it’s extremely hard to find good recreational coaches for post-adolescents who just want to try doing cool things for fun–like learn to do a backflip. Laws of Motion does a great job in providing competitive quality training to recreational athletes. All you need to do is show up in shorts and a t-shirt. And that, in my opinion, is worth so much more than the price you pay for a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Laws of Motion offers open drop-in gym time from 9pm to 11pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for $10 per session. Adult trampoline and tumbling classes are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at $312 for 16 classes. More details can be found on their website.
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Sweeney, Mercier selected among OUA’s best
Defensemen rewarded for strong season last week Daniel Birru sports editor
Gee-Gees defencemen Jacob Sweeney and Médric Mercier were both honoured by the East division of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men’s Hockey last week, with Sweeney named to the second All-Star team, while Mercier to the AllRookie team at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season. The two players just racked up excellent seasons at the blue line for Ottawa. In 26 games, Sweeney earned four goals and 14 points, while Mercier scored seven goals and 12 points. Sweeney led all the defencemen on the team in points, and Mercier in goals. “I felt really good about it,” said Sweeney on his nomination. “It’s a good compensation and it shows my worth to the
team. The fact that it was voted by coaches made me feel even better about it, it shows the impact I have on the league, so it was definitely an honour.” “Personally, I see myself as a leader, and when the team is successful I feel like one too. I pride myself as a big shot-blocker, that’s a big way of contributing to the team off the scoresheet. To me, it’s never been about my game, but more of the team’s successes,” said Sweeney. The team, which saw ups and downs all season long, compiled a record of 16-8-4 after 28 games, good for a fifth-place finish in their division. After winning their first round playoff matchup in three games over the Carleton Ravens, they faced defeat by the McGill Redmen in the next round. “We had a decently young team, but together I think we showed a lot of
Jacob Sweeney and Médric Mercier were named to the OUA All-Star and All-rookie team.
resilience and we kept a good work ethic through the whole year,” said Sweeney. “We won games based on everyone’s hard
work and sticking to our game plan.” Sweeney thinks that the Gee-Gees need to regroup and get better as a unit
Photo: Greg Mason.
next season. “We’ll need to learn and build on for the future, if we want to have a deeper playoff run.” After a summer of
training, the Gees’ next season will kick off again in October, with the schedule yet to be announced.
Lefebvre-Okankwu named among best OUA rookies
Forward’s outstanding first year rewarded in season’s conclusion Daniel Birru Sports Editor
At the conclusion of an outstanding season with the Gee-Gees, forward Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu has been named to the U Sports Women’s Basketball All-rookie team. She has just finished off an excellent season at the heart of her team, notably leading in points with 259, in rebounds with 142, and in field goals with 108, all that through 21 games. Her 50.2 field goal percentage was also the eighth best among all players in the U Sports. Her best game, moreover, was undoubtedly at home against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on January 5, where she scored 29 times and added up nine rebounds, leading her team to a 66-44 victory. The Gatineau native earned great performances
in all games she played during the season. She piled up double-doubles in a total of six games, including three in the playoffs. Lefebvre-Okankwu shared that what worked the best for her this season was the help of her teammates. “There was a great chemistry that went on between all of us all year long, and I think that was an asset to our successful season,” she said. “For me, it was my pairing with Angela Ribarich that helped me out this season, I think we played so well together.” “Our coaching was also really good, the staff helped us stay together and perform as a team.” The Gee-Gees ended the 2017-18 season third in their division, with a record of 15-8, and they finished it with a one-point loss in the third round of the OUA playoffs. They will be back in action this November.
Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu was named to OUA All-rookie team for her season.
12 | SPORTS
Photo: Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu.
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Roy, Lemay selected among volleyball RSEQ’s best players
Despite losing season, Gee-Gees players saw personal bests daniel birru sports editor
Last week, Sabrina Roy and Caroline Lemay were named to the All-Star team of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), following their season with the Gee-Gees volleyball team. For both players, it was the second season in a row in which they were named AllStars, after earning similar honours last season. The two players were dominant with the University of Ottawa this year. Roy, whose play is focused on the defensive aspect, finished with a total of 369 digs and 4.56 digs per set, leading both the team and the RSEQ, and among the best in the U Sports. Lemay, who mostly plays on the left side of the court, finished second in the total points category with a total of 255, just 13 short of the team lead, held by Kaly Soro. Overall, however, it was a weak season for the team, as the Gees finished with only
For the second time in a row, Caroline Lemay and Sabrina Roy were named to the RSEQ All-Star team. Photo: Courtesy of Sabrina Roy.
four wins in the 20 games they played, good for last out of the six teams in the RSEQ, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. It was their second season in that division, after previously playing in the Ontario
University Athletics league. “The hardest part of the season for us was to be able to compete against outstanding players of the division and teams among the country’s best,” said Lemay. “I think we had some very
bad games, but I think we also had some much better games where we were able to keep the opponents tight, where we gave our team a chance and stayed in the game, notably against the Montreal Carabins, the best team in the
RSEQ,” Roy noted. According to Lemay, “We never really stopped practicing since the end of the season … We are already looking forward for next season. We don’t want to lose our pace, our work ethic. We are looking mostly at the system we will be using for next year, the role of each of us will have, and what we can do specifically to improve.” The team was able to develop their game together this season, learning their strengths and weaknesses, as Roy points out. “Older players from last year will also be with us this summer to help us coordinate our practices, and that will help us for sure.”. In the coming year, the Gee-Gees will have to watch out for the Carabins. “Playing against Quebec-based teams gave us a chance to be better and elevate our level of game. Playing against each of them on a regular basis helps us knowing their style of game, and we can work from there,”
said Lemay. Roy believes the Gees played better games against better, high-ranked teams, while their less successful games came against weaker teams. “It will be an interesting fact to keep in mind for next season.” Roy and Lemay are both in their fourth year and are eligible to come back next season. “I might be back, depending on my application status for next year,” Roy said. Lemay confirmed she will be back next year. “We didn’t have a big team,” Lemay admitted, looking back at the roster. “Much of the players were quite young; we had four players in fourth or fifth year, and the rest were in second or third year. I hope we can work hard in finding some more experience players to join the team for next year.” Knowing what they need to work on, every player will have a strong season of training to get ready for the court in September.
Track and Field Championships sees Evans qualify for 600m final
Gee-Gees see plenty of action in days two and three of championships Zack Goobie
Associate Sports Editor The University of Ottawa track and field team participated in the U Sports National Championship from March 8-10, with 12 competing athletes. The Men finished seventh at the OUA championships and the Women finished sixth, and are now ranked 10th nationally. The Gee-Gees sported two athletes for the first time in the shot put and weight throw individual events at the national level. Ty Coulter, the program record holder and the first Gee-Gee to compete, placed seventh in a competitive weight throw event. Coulter’s best throw of the day came in at 15.09 metres long, slightly off a silver medal performance at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Championships, and her best throw of the year came in
at 15.87 metres. Tolu Makinde started day one coming off a silver medal performance at the OUA Championships and got off on the right foot with a seasonal best 7.09 in the 60m dash. However, he suffered a huge blow by not landing a jump without a fault to gather zero points in that event, now sittings in 11th place. The bright light of day one was provided by Stephen Evans who qualified for the 600m final, looking to build on his 11th place finish last year. He finished fifth in qualifying on Saturday with a time of 120.12.. Maeliss Trapeau fell just short of qualifying for the Women’s 600m final in her first time at nationals with a time of 131.27 which was good enough for seventh. Madison Clarke returned the National Championships, but did not qualify
with a time of 131.94, good enough for ninth place. Day two of the U Sports 2018 Track and Field Championships featured more great Gee-Gees action. Kiera Christie-Galloway, a first-year hurdler and the Gee-Gees 4x800 Women’s relay team both were close to finishing on the podium. Despite great performances, they left the championship empty handed. ChristieGalloway was in the most dramatic of fashions, losing by two-thousandths of a second. But with four years of eligibility left, the young hurdler has a lot to look forward to. The relay team was pushed off the podium by l’Université de Laval on the final lap. Second-year shot putter Christine Hertner finished in 10th place in shot put in her first U Sports championship. The third day only showcased two events
The U of O’s Track and Field team represented well at Nationals.
that the Garnet and Grey would participate in, gathering their first and only medal in the 600m with a great performance by Stephen Evans, who took
silver in the event. The Women’s 4x400m relay team finished two spots off the podium with a fifth place finish for a time of 3:49.16.
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Photo: Courtesy of Jennifer Elliott.
The Varsity sports season comes to a close with five individual sports medals and one team medal at the U Sports championships.
SPORTS | 13
OPINIONS
OPINIONS EDITOR David Campion-Smith
opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @davidcs96
Don’t remove players for mental illness Removing Forand perpetuates stigma and myths Allegra Morgado Fulcrum Alumna
T
he association between mental illness and putting others in danger is highly prevalent in our society. The most common time we see this is following mass shootings; reports of the shooter having a history of mental health issues often dominate the news cycle, allowing people to blame mental illness rather than inadequate gun laws for the shooting.
This same stigma persists at the University of Ottawa. Kellie Forand, a masters of communications student and captain of
the Gee-Gees Women’s Basketball team was recently told by coaches that she could no longer play for the team after being diagnosed with type one bipolar disorder. Despite her psychiatrist and doctor communicating that Forand was ready to join the team, her coaches decided to disregard this and ban her from playing. By doing this, they perpetuated the stigma that people with mental health issues are violent, when this is far from the truth. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), people with mental illness are “more likely to be victims of violence than to be violent.” This common myth that associates mental illness and violence is misguided and simply untrue. It hurts those experiencing mental health issues and prevents people from openly discussing what they are going through. This is not the first time a
school has failed a student with a mental illness, and it certainly won’t be the last. Both Carleton University and the University of Toronto have previously dismissed students for suicide attempts, preventing them from continuing their education and perpetuating stigma rather than offering support. Forand’s and other students’ cases of exclusion due to mental illness demonstrates the inadequacy of mental health resources at universities in Canada. Rather than working with students to support them through a difficult experience, theses schools are creating barriers and contributing to the existing stigma surrounding mental health. Mental illness is already a barrier in and of itself. As someone who has personally experienced depression and anxiety, I know how difficult it is to make it to class, let alone participate in a demanding team sport as
Women’s basketball captain Kellie Forand was forced by coaches to leave the team.
captain. Rather than creating more hurdles for students experiencing mental illness, the U of O should support these students to ensure they are able to participate in school and campus life as fully as possible. Forand deserves the ability to choose whether or not she can play and participate in the Women’s Basketball team. We need to break down the stigma
that people with mental illnesses are violent, and listen to students and their doctors when they say they are ready to return to school and extracurricular activities. The Gee-Gees are failing Forand and all other students with mental illnesses by preventing her from playing. With millenials experiencing higher levels of mental illness than past generations, it
Photo: CC, Christian Sullivan.
is time for schools to step up and revamp their perspective on mental health by supplying proper mental health resources and fighting stigma rather than contributing to it. Although we see this same rhetoric following mass shootings and other acts of violence in the media, universities need to support their students rather than adding to this harmful stigma.
Mandatory sexual assault prevention workshops make sense Workshops, training, should be spread across U of O faculties David Campion-Smith Opinions Editor
Last week, the National Post published an article discussing a sexual assault prevention workshop run by the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, common law section that students must attend in order to graduate. The article quotes one recent alumnus of the law school, and several conversations this student allegedly had with current students. While these students claim that a mandatory sexual assault prevention workshop is inconvenient, the reality is that these workshops are a crucial new part of our education system. The article says that students were mandated to attend one of the 10 sessions the faculty offered, which wrapped up at the beginning of this month. According to the Post, it seems that students were told to complete a workshop in order to graduate, even if they would have to skip a class to do so. It appears unclear whether that
14 | OPINIONS
was a message from teachers or the faculty as a whole. The U of O already has similar policies in place that require students to attend certain exams or have a specific attendance record to pass a course. It’s unclear what the author of the Post article is against. The number of workshops seems adequate, as there would be over one per month with the academic year beginning in September, which offers plenty of time for students to attend one of the sessions. While students are busy, there is plenty of time to find a workshop that you can attend, especially given the importance of the subject matter. This may shock you, but law students are training to go into the legal profession. This is a profession that handles cases of sexual assault all the time, and to be frank, those working in the field need to do a better job of handling such cases. As a result of their direct involvement with this sensitive topic, it’s a logical that law students
should attend a sexual assault prevention workshop in order to graduate. In fact, rather than asking why law students have to attend this workshop, we should be asking why we only require this of law students. Shouldn’t such training be compulsory for all students? As conversations around sexual assault become more common, having these workshops can serve as a way to further educate and hopefully reduce cases of sexual assault. The point of the National Post story seems to be that students should not have to attend these workshops as they are not graded or part of a formal curriculum. However for all students, looking to enter a professional field or even just to live as a decent human being, we need to understand the nuances and impact of sexual assault. Just as we encourage students to attend professional development workshops and networking events, we should educate students on the importance of sexual assault prevention as well.
The Faculty of Law is requiring students to attend sexual assault prevention workshops.
Photo: Parker Townes.
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Sustainable business should be the norm
We need to make environmental sustainability more common Connor Chase
staff contributor There’s a lot of junk in space. So much so that it’s becoming a problem for space expeditions. This should reveal something about us. You probably haven’t heard of the Pacific Trash Vortex, but you’ve definitely heard of Texas. Imagine a mass of garbage the size of Texas floating in the Pacific Ocean. It’s growing everyday. We’re pretty messy, and that’s why we should move towards becoming more waste free. As you can imagine, many people consider this a problem, and I think you should be concerned too. If you plan on having kids one day, think about them for a moment, and then think about the World Economic Forum study which estimates that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. If you’re at all concerned for the future of life on this planet, then that should alarm you. So the question, is how on
Earth can we fix this mess? Thankfully, some businesses are already trying to answer that question. Nu Grocery, a zero waste store, just opened up in Westboro. I haven’t been to the store, but its gimmick is certainly the way forward. All businesses should make minimizing waste production a priority. I find that my friends taking economics courses tend to point out that this will certainly hurt their bottom line. Sustainable, waste-efficient production is generally more expensive than callous, destructive, short-term exploitation of the environment. Economists tend to be forward-looking people who place considerable faith in the innovative capacity of the market. Maybe a wastereducing technology will be developed in the future that will make all of these problems obsolete and all of my worrying misplaced. (How I wish that will be the case.) But then again, maybe it
won’t be developed, or it will be developed too late. For the time being we need to consider the reality that unless we change our ways, there simply will be no economy not that far into the future. The problem is that large corporations produce the majority of our waste and can mostly get around pressure from the public. They can, technically, produce zero waste and simultaneously be filling lakes with trash. Take Chrysler. If we managed to apply enough pressure to Chrysler and started to damage their bottom line, we might be able to force them to adopt a zero waste policy. But then there’s the problem of inputs. Chrysler is sustained by a large amount of independent ‘inputs’: it is both a producer and purchaser. One company makes the ashtray, the other makes the seat belt, another makes the tires, etc. These companies can go on producing incredible amounts of
Ottawa business Nu Grocery is a zero waste grocery store.
waste. Then what happens is Chrysler can say its assembly plant produces zero waste, even though the process of producing a single car still contributes fashionably to that Pacific Zortex.
Thus, we can’t take aim at specific companies. The modern economy is far too complicated. Even if we got the largest companies in North America to adopt zero waste policies the impact on
Photo: Parker Townes.
trash production might be marginal. The only way forward is to make zero waste be the universal standard. Make every business be like Nu Grocery. Make every business sustainable.
Blame AirBnb, not students for bad vacation experience
Hotels can better control their environment, so try that option first david campion-smith opinions editor
If you were in Ottawa last summer you probably heard about the high prices for hotels and accomodations in the city during the Canada 150 celebrations. One tourist is now suing Airbnb after her accomodation was moved, forcing the woman and her family to spend their Canada Day in Sandy Hill instead of on Albert St. as they had been promised. I would love to give a definitive opinion on this case, but the honest answer is that there are so many moving parts and so many issues, so I’m going break it down for you as best as I can. First of all, if AirBnb actually did mess up, as the woman alleges in her lawsuit, and moved the booking from Albert to Stewart St., that’s awful. I can
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A grandmother is suing Airbnb over Sandy Hill accommodations.
only imagine that the Albert location was calmer and more family-friendly. If that’s the the case then
it’s certainly on AirBnb to offer some form of monetary compensation. This issue also lays some blame
Photo: Parker Townes.
on the host of the home, as well as Airbnb. On the other hand, the woman’s attitude can only
be described as annoying. Albert and Stewart are drastically different environments, but the woman’s description of her accommodations are far from pleasant. According to the CBC, the final straw for this trip after being relocated was when the family returned to their AirBnb on Canada Day and found students playing beer pong on the front lawn of the rental. This combined, with the smell of marijuana over the course of their stay forced the family to move to a hotel for “their peace of mind.” This woman told CBC that her friends told her that Sandy Hill was a “university pot ghetto,” (come on, there’s no way I’m not going to use that quote) and that the area was “not suitable for anyone wanting to sleep.” But such comments are too gener-
alizing and give students a bad rap. It is more than a little funny to imagine a grandmother shaking her fists at a bunch of kids, but this is more than just that. That’s clearly not the trip this grandmother intended on sharing with her family, but can she really blame students who want to celebrate on Canada Day? She has every right to be frustrated with AirBnb, and the host of the home, but if she could afford a hotel the whole time, why didn’t she book a room there to begin with? Part of the AirBnb experience is not just cheaper accommodations, but also a chance to experience life with locals. Sometimes that can mean classy relaxing neighbourhoods, and sometimes that means dodging Gee-Gees with the summer off playing pong.
OPINIONS | 15
Ford campaign announces return to traditional marketing Campaign will use latest in biplane, carrier pigeon technology
David Campion-Smith Tomato editor
After a largely confusing election process last week, the Ontario Conservative Party announced Doug Ford as their new leader. Ford ran on a ‘populist’ platform that had more than its fair share of antiquated ideas such as getting rid of Ontario’s sex ed curriculum. Ford also recently announced that he’ll be using old-fashioned marketing techniques to spread his campaign message in addition to the old school values of his platform. “A large part of our campaign is going to be focussed on the province’s sex-ed curriculum, taking things back to a time when there was an acceptable limit to how much ankle a woman could show,” said Ford’s chief-of-staff Elliot Ferguson. “We already have a
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tour scheduled to visit every town on market day, complete with the latest moving picture booth showing the evils of sex education and that other great evil, running water.” Rumours have also been swirling that Ford’s campaign has started recruiting biplane pilots from aerodromes across the continent to fly banners over every community in the province, no matter how many horses the town may have. The biplane program will be joined by a comprehensive carrier pigeon program that will carry campaign messages directly into the homes of Canadians. “We’re expecting a bit of a challenge keeping the planes away from the carrier pigeons, but at least we scrapped the triplane design,” said Michelle Gentry, the head of the airborne advertising campaign. The carrier
pigeons will reportedly be painted blue and red, and will carry the finest possible wood carvings of Ford as they fly to residences from Orillia to Vaughan. When asked to justify his use of these old forms of technology to communicate with voters, Ford said, “This is the demographic we’re trying to appeal to, those that are living in a world untouched by progress, whether it be progressive social values or talking movies.” From carrier pigeons to silent movies, Ford’s campaign has surely made use of the technology representative of the times he’s living in. It’s a question now of whether Ford’s telegramme values will appeal to Ontarians, or if he should have updated his social platform to at least the days of the rotary phone or Model T.
One of the tens of pigeons enlisted by the Ford campaign.
Photo: CC, Julius Neubronner
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DISTRACTIONS
DEAR D I
Horny Homework: Period plunge
Once you get more comfortable having sex on your period, this position is great to try. Get down on your hands and knees like you’re doing doggy, then lie down on your stomach and slide a pillow under your hips, because hey, you’re still a little crampy. Your partner perches behind you, separates your legs, and slowly enters you. Have your partner cuddle up to you from on top, while you both soak in the perks of period sex.
FEATURES EDITOR Savannah Awde
features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @s_awde7
Dear Di, I honestly can’t stand not having sex for a week when I’m on my period. How can I bring up having period sex with my partner, and what should I do if they say yes?
—Red Menace
Dear RM, For those who have vaginas, period shaming is a tale as old as time. It’s bad enough with the stained underwear, and extreme bloating, and bullshit you have to deal with when it comes to having your period, and then you’re expected to be celibate!?!? Fear not, Red Menace, period sex is a lot less scary than most people think. First thing’s first, talk to your partner about your desire to have sex with them when you’re on your period. Make sure to respect their decision if they say no, even if you think it’s based on some pretty unfair period-discrimination. Some cultural traditions forbidding period sex, in addition to modern media, have been extremely effective in making some people (mostly guys) not even want to touch a box of tampons, let alone explore a nice bloody vagina in all its crimson glory. Now if they say yes, you are in for a whole new sexual landscape. But before you get into all the great sexy times, make sure to be protected. During menstruation, the cervix is slightly more open, making it a little easier to transmit infections. Contrary to popular belief, you can still get pregnant when having intercourse on your period, so make sure you’re covered on that front, whether you rely on birth control, diaphragms, condoms, or any other contraceptive. If you do end up trying period sex, you’re sure to find out that the female reproductive system is a great wingwoman. As you get aroused, the blood flow will slow, or even stop completely. Don’t believe me? Try masturbating on your period and see what happens. You should first try having sex on one of your light days, as there will be less blood and other uncomfortable side effects (breast tenderness, bloating etc). Lay down a few towels or old t-shirts to clean up any mess. In terms of positions, anything where you are on the bottom is the best place to start. I would also recommend taking a shower together afterwards to clean each other up, and for a great round two. What’s great about having period sex is that orgasming can actually help relieve pain caused by period cramps. During menstruation a woman’s reproductive system is already engorged with blood, making it more sensitive and having mindnumbing, amazing sex on your period that much more likely.
Love, Di
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DISTRACTIONS | 17
MARCH 19-25, 2018
THRYLLABUS
MUSIC EATS SPORTS & WELLNESS FUN THINKING ARTS
18 | DISTRACTIONS |
Monday March 19
Muggy Mondays, free coffee for whoever brings a reusable mug, Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) building 2nd floor landing—8:30 a.m. Free yoga, 90 University, room 140—5:30 p.m.
Tuesday March 20
The Origins of Gender Identity and Gender Expression in Anglo-American Legal Discourse, Fauteux Hall, room 302—11:30 a.m. Innovation & AI in China: implications for the Canadian economy, FSS building, room 5028—6 p.m.
Wednesday March 21 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. Losing Pravda: Ethics and the Press in Post-Truth Russia, FSS building, room 4006—2:30 p.m. Thursday March 22 Sea of Life Documentary Screening, free vegan pizza and $10 for anyone in attendance, FSS building, room 7035—12 p.m. Indigenous Speaker Series: Modern Haudenosaunee Political Practices, Tabaret Hall, room 0019—1 p.m.
Friday March 23 Pet therapy, 90 University residence, room 152—11 a.m. Comedy Night: Rosalie Vaillancourt, Café Nostalgica—8 p.m. Saturday March 24 Gala de la Francophonie, the Westin Ottawa—6 p.m. Eamon McGrath, Mushy Gushy, Shadow High, Dominion—9 p.m. Sunday March 25 Open Table March Meal, The Open Table—9 a.m. Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show, Carleton University—10 a.m.
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EDITORIAL Volume 78, Issue 20, feb. 26, 2018 Parkouring since 1942. Phone: (613) 695-0061 | Fax: (613) 695-9006 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this paper or we’ll parkour in your office.
Eric “Wallrun” Davidson Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Jaclyn “Tic Tac” McRae-Sadik Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Graham “Lazy Vault” Robertson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Anchal “Cat to Cat” Sharma News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Ryan “Kong Vault” Pepper Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Savannah “Dash Vault” Awde Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Daniel “Safety Tap” Birru Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca David “Muscle Up” Campion-Smith Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Christine “Quadrupedal Landing” Wang Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Ellie “Climb Up” Sabourin Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca
WE CAN’T FOCUS ON CHAOS IN POLITICS
After a Doug Ford won the recent PC leadership race, many people were surprised. Especially since many didn’t consider him the most qualified of the four candidates. Unfortunately, for anyone who’s heard of America, this isn’t a new story. But why does this keep happening? And what can we do to stop it from happening more? Well, there are many parts to the problem, for how chaos around elections can distract and affect voters, how candidates are perceived, and what this whole process does to people who are deciding whether to become politicians themselves.
Nobody denies that the recent PC leadership race was chaotic. Former leader Patrick Brown stepped down after allegations of sexual assault, before deciding to run in the race to replace himself and then ultimately dropping out from contention altogether. From the start, the race was shrouded in controversy, but it still continued. Other alleged issues over how the nomination process worked and discrepancies in the number of party members. On top of that, many people flagged issues with how the online voting system was run and the complex rules involved and lack
of proper information. All in all, there was a lot of chaos, which is an issue. If the chaos itself is the focus, voters may be less likely to care about specific platforms, and rely on lazier thinking like biases, name recognition, etc. While some praised the shortened nature of the race, it doesn’t give the time for candidates to talk about their actual policy. The chaos has created another side effect. With all candidates naturally expounding upon how they are going to focus on stopping the chaos, all of them end up saying the same thing, and voters get less time to see the
differences in their actual platforms. So how do you stop this in the first place? Also having stricter rules around how things like this are organized, will reduce “chaos” and allow the actual skills of the candidates to become the focus of the race. This includes stricter rules within political parties, as well as regulations imposed upon them. Also, having all this chaos make strong potential candidates not want to run in the first place, which means such problems are more likely to continue into the future. This phenomenon especially affects women.
Nadia “Double Kong” Drissi ElBouzaidi Associate Features Editor Zack “Pop Vault” Goobie Associate Sports Editor associate.sports@thefulcrum.ca Parker “Bar Kip” Townes Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Eric “Underbar” Davison Videographer videographer@thefulcrum.ca Chafik “Lache” Kassis Head Web Architect webmaster@thefulcrum.ca Dorian “Thief Vault” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca Kaylum “Kash Vault” Bobal Advertising Representative ads@thefulcrum.ca
Contributors
Connor “Turn Vault” Chase Jean-Luc “Side Vault” Duchamp Allegra “Safety Vault” Morgado Alex “Speed Vault” Szigeti Marissa “Precision” Phul Rowan “Crane” Markovich
Board of Directors
Raghad “Cat” Sheikh-Khalil Katelyn “Roll” Murray Jonathan “Swing Through” Rausseo Fadi “Cat Leap” Azzi Spencer “Vaulting” Murdock Marguerite “Jump Over” Gollish Cover Credits: Christine Wang.
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Photo: CC, Bruce Reeve.
EDITORIAL | 19