The Fulcrum- Volume 77, Issue 9

VOL. 77 ISSUE 9

oct. 20, 2016

the food issue

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In this week’s issue...

BOA penalizes student association P.6 Latest meeting sees audit, discipline of Faculty of Arts student association

Take a trip down the haunted streets of Ottawa P.12 The Haunted Walk of Ottawa introduces new online addition Staying In VS Eating Out P.13 Is it better to stay in or eat out? The competition begins.

Simply stampeded P.21 Western spoils Gee-Gees football’s final home game The issues lies beyond the books P.24 Cuts to library journals is a matter of lack of transparency Penis piercing? P.28 Will my sex life change with a pierced penis?

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

Graham Robertson news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0061 @_grahamr

Former U of O staff volunteer charged with human trafficking

Gee-Gees’ equipment manager allegedly posed as talent agent to lure underage girls graham robertson news editor

A

University of Ottawa staff volunteer in his 18th season with the Gee-Gees has been suspended from his position after his arrest due to charges of human trafficking and child luring.

Cameron Lyons, who volunteered with the Gee-Gees as their equipment manager, allegedly posed as a talent agent on Facebook, contacting two 14-year-old girls and one 16-year-old. He is charged on three counts of child luring and two counts of human trafficking of a minor.

The investigation began in 2015 when one of the victims came forward to the authorities. The Ottawa Police Service reported that the online con-

versations began with Lyons offering modelling services to the girls and then asking for sexual favours in exchange for money.

Acting manager of media relations at the U of O, Isabelle Mailloux-Pulkinghorn, told the Ottawa Citizen that “the university has suspended (Lyons) pending the outcome of criminal charges.” MaillouxPulkinghorn confirmed that he was not employed by the university.

According to Lyons’ biography on the Gee-Gees website, which has since been taken down, he was in his 18th season with U of O athletics, having first joined the Gee-Gees in 1998 as a wide receiver. Lyons also received the first Sports Services Volunteer Appreciation Award in 2014.

As mentioned in the Citizen, Lyons is accused of contacting underage girls under a variety of fake Facebook aliases, such

as Joe Howorth, Steve DeBone, and VIP Entertainment.

A Facebook post in January 2013 under the alias of Joe Howorth reads, “Looking for girls available on Feb. 3rd for a wide scale Super Bowl promotion.

Must be comfortable watching the game in a bikini and a football shirt. Pay is $125 for the event cash.”

Another post from August 2013 reads, “Two girls potentially needed tonight to dance at a bachelor party. 9:30 p.m. at a private residence in downtown Ottawa. Security is provided.” These posts are consistent with police reports.

On Oct. 13, CTV announced that the Ottawa Police Service had received more than 20 phone calls from other victims in Lyons’ case.

CTV spoke with Rena Curren, a 17-year-old girl from Ottawa who was contacted by Lyons under the alias of Joe Howorth.

Cameron “Tiger” Lyons is facing three counts of child luring and two counts of human trafficking of a minor.

Photo: via Cameron Lyons’ Facebook.

Lyons, who claimed to run the talent agency VIP Entertainment, sent a friend request

to Curren, along with a message saying, “We are looking for new, attractive and fun-

loving models to add to our roster … We offer top dollar in the industry,” according to CTV. Curren said that she did not respond to the message as she herself is a model and had never heard of VIP Entertainment prior to receiving the message.

“I’ve never heard of this guy and I’ve lived here all my life so I thought it was kind of suspicious … I didn’t feel the need to reply to it, I didn’t feel something was right.”

Lyons is currently in custody awaiting a bail hearing.

Authorities believe that other women might have been contacted by Lyons, and have asked anyone who has been in contact with any of the aliases to come forward.

Authorities have asked anyone with information to send an email to humantrafficking@ottawapolice.ca. Calls can be made to the Ottawa Police Service’s human trafficking unit at (613) 236-1222 ext. 5005.

U of O to cancel thousands of library subscriptions

Prof starts petition to keep online journals and databases available to students that “There are alternatives out there,” such as open access books or interlibrary loan requests.

In response to these cuts, U of O professor of biology and environmental toxicology Jules Blais started a change.org petition to prevent the university from cancelling its subscriptions to these databases and journals, which features a full list of the proposed publications to be cut.

In an interview with the Fulcrum, Blais said that he believes the U of O has a good financial standing and is doing the best among other universities in the province.

“Last year we posted a $62-million surplus, which means that over the academic year revenues exceeded the expenses by $62 million. If you look at our cumulative surpluses the University of Ottawa has the largest comparative surplus

Zainab Al-Mehdar associate news editor

Last month, the University of Ottawa released a strategy to cut costs by reducing spending on subscriptions to thousands of online and print journals and databases to meet the balance of $1.527 million by Dec. 2016.

Tony Horava, associate university librarian (collections), spoke with the Fulcrum about the main reasons why the university made this decision, saying, “We’re facing a bunch of shortfall, about $1.9 million … collections materials costs, like books, journals, and databases go up every year by about five or six per cent.”

Horava also said that due to the exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollar, the U of O loses money when purchasing journals and other material from U.S. providers or publishers.

Another reason for the cuts

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The U of O has proposed to cancel thousands of library subscriptions to reduce spending.

Photo: Amitesh Malhotra.

to these subscriptions was a two per cent cut to all services and departments at the university, which led to a loss of $520,000 to the library, according to Horava.

Horava said that in the spring of 2016, the university

cancelled subscriptions to journals and databases that were of “low value” or duplicated by other resources. This year, however, these cancellations “will definitely have an impact on students and researchers.”

However, Horava notes

among its comparative group of universities, that includes McMaster, Queen’s, Western, and York,” said Blais Blais believes that the U of O’s decision to cut spending on these library resources is “inexplicable,” considering that “the finances of the U of O are actually quite favorable.”

His decision to start the petition was because he “wanted to defend U of O researchers, who are doing important work and who need access to these journals.”

“By removing these journals, we are removing researchers’ access to the detailed studies, and that means students can no longer assess their value by reading their individual articles,” said Blais.

Blais also believes these cuts will hinder the quality of research done by students.

“If students can’t get access directly, they are simply go-

ing to stop reading the articles, they are going to cite articles they haven’t read. I think it diminishes the quality of student research.”

Diana Dominguez, a fourthyear linguistics student at the U of O shared this same concern, saying, “all my research is done through databases, it’s the easiest pathway. You just put in keywords that you need … if they don’t have that than it’s harder to do research, because ours is all dispersed.”

“I believe that a world class institute of learning would protect its academic resources as its first priority … this is the first thing they should be protecting, not the first thing they let go,” said Blais.

According to Horava, the petition will be presented to the U of O Senate at the end of the month, and it may be a decisive factor against the cancellations.

NEWS | 5

Oct. 16 BOA meeting discusses SAFA, auditor’s report Board goes in-camera over concerns with federated body eric davidson opinions editor

On Oct. 16, the Board of Administration (BOA) of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) met to discuss the student federation’s audit, executive spending, and issues with the Student Association of the Faculty of Arts (SAFA), among other topics.

President’s priority report SFUO president Roméo Ahimakin began with a priority report outlining his plans for the year. He said that he wanted to focus on social media presence, town hall discussions, and on-theground executive outreach.

Ahimakin also discussed wanting to make SFUO services more visible to students, and having more suggestion boxes around campus.

He went on to say that the SFUO will continue advocating for international students and for lower tuition fees, as well as fighting anti-black racism.

SFUO business troubles During the meeting, SFUO vice-president finance Rizki Rachiq said that the SFUO businesses have been having a number of human resources issues. For example, the SFUO is currently in the process of hiring a new manager for Café Alt, which currently has one manager that is splitting their time between working at the cafe and 1848.

According to Rachiq, many students employed by the SFUO have also quit their positions in favour of other jobs. This drop in employees could led to a possible closure of Café Alt next week.

Furthermore, many appliances at SFUO businesses, such as refrigerators and freezers, have been breaking down, with a great deal of food being lost in the process.

Rachiq noted that this would lead to further financial hurdles.

Question period During question period, Jordan Kent, a political science student at the U of O, asked what the SFUO is doing to combat sexual assault

on campus, in the wake of allegations against a former volunteer with the Gee-Gees football team.

Ahimakin said the SFUO is trying to make more inroads with the Gee-Gees teams, and that the U of O has handled sexual assault allegations poorly in the past.

Faculty of Engineering representative Princejeet Singh Sandhu also asked why students are paying the same fees for fewer services this year. In response to this, vice-president services and communications Francesco Caruso said that due to the federation’s current financial situation, it had no choice but to proceed in the way which it did. Vice-president equity Morissa Ellis also said that despite financial issues, she was still working hard to help clubs.

tive’s financial transactions.

Deloitte’s representative said that in some cases it was unclear whether or not the entries were checked after the fact. She said that after talking to members of the SFUO, Deloitte determined that they had been checked, but suggested a more stringent process going forward.

SAFA penalty A motion was then presented to the board in regards to a missing audit from SAFA for the 2015–16 academic year.

According to SFUO bylaws, in this situation federated bodies should not receive levy funding if audits are not submitted. This motion was presented to penalize 70 per cent of SAFA’s funds instead.

The board moved in-camera to discuss this motion.

When the meeting resumed publicly, a motion was presented to lower the penalty to 50 per cent. Ahimakin said that he did not want to lower the penalty any more, as it could set a lenient precedent for other federated bodies.

Audit report An audit of the federation

by Deloitte was also presented, and while there were no pressing concerns, it flagged some questionable areas of the SFUO’s work, namely journal entries of the execu-

Faculty of Arts representative Erin Chapman suggested a compromise at 60 per cent, saying that this was an extreme circumstance.

Eventually, the original motion to penalize SAFA 70 per cent of their funding for that period passed.

Motions Several motions passed during the meeting on the SFUO’s policy manual, including for the SFUO to demonstrate greater support for campus mental health initiatives and on the U of O’s policy on preventing sexual violence (subsection 67b).

Another motion called for SFUO executives to have all travel expenses exceeding $500 approved by the board. Executive coordinator Jesse Root noted that there is already an internal SFUO policy that governs this kind of spending, though it does not require numbers to be reported to the board. He added that the executive is not required to disclose this policy to others.

Ahimakin was against this motion, saying that it would

Members of the SFUO’s Board of Administration met to discuss policy on Oct. 16.

6 | NEWS

make it difficult for the executive to exercise their discretion. Kent said that as a student he was in favour of the motion, due to concerns about SFUO transparency and budgeting. The motion did not pass.

An emergency motion calling for the SFUO to oppose the U of O’s decision to cut journal subscriptions also passed.

A further motion called for the creation of a bilingualism committee, specifically the bilingualism test for SFUO executive candidates.

This motion was presented in response to concerns over the level of French skills for past executives and that the test was too simple. The motion ultimately failed.

Due to time constraints, motions on a transparency committee, changes in election polling hours, and simplifying the BOA motion process were pushed to the next meeting.

The next BOA meeting will take place on Nov. 6 in SITE C0136 at 1 p.m. Meetings are open to the public.

Photo: Eric Davidson.

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U of O condemns sexualized student bar crawl event

Lack of communication between SFUO and club executives raises concerns Eric davidson opinions editor

A report by La Rotonde was released on Oct. 17 detailing incidents of a highly sexual nature as part of a bar crawl event called Vet’s Tour, hosted by the Science Students’ Association at the University of Ottawa (SSA).

An editorial on the event in La Rotonde implies that the event saw a lack of respect for sexual consent, saying, “How could we dare to say loud and clear that the event is based on a solid foundation of respect and consent, for self and for others, while it promotes drinking and impulsive sex?”

The report also alleges one participant attempted to pressure a female attendee into having sex with an event judge, which would give their team more points.

According to La Rotonde, the female student said, “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s too slutty for me.”

The article goes on to allege that the student’s teammate told her to “do it, he’s (expletive) hot,” and the judge asked the student if she had a condom with her or if she was taking birth control. When the student replied no, her

BOA and SFUO members gathered at the Aug. 16 meeting prior to the presentation of the budget.

teammate suggested to the judge to have anal sex with the female student. The group was eventually interrupted when they were told they had to move to the next bar.

Vet’s Tour featured teams of eight to ten participants from federated bodies across campus, which competed for points from a list of challenges. Some of the challenges were lighter in nature, such as eating a shawarma in a minute and a half.

However, many other challenges were much more sexual, including, “have sex

trayal of rape culture.”

“I had the right to a private sexual experience with multiple people. The journalists and editorial staff at La Rotonde took away that right, and were the only people who violated me in any way during my Vet’s Tours experience.”

The letter also alleged that La Rotonde’s coverage “portrayed kinky sexual activities in an extremely negative light.”

“Framing these sexual acts as a perpetuation of rape culture when done with consent is a horrible disservice to both

in a given place, pierce the clitoris, eat a donut placed around a team member’s penis, exchange cum orally, or even put their penis on a McDonald’s counter and ask the cashier for a Super Size Me,” according to La Rotonde.

In a letter to the Fulcrum, a third-year U of O student who attended this year’s Vet’s Tour, and requested to remain anonymous, wrote that after reading the articles in La Rotonde they were angry and “horrified a night of consensual sexual activity with friends was being turned into a por-

Photo: Eric Davidson.

the people who consensually practice them on a daily basis, and actual victims of sexual assault,” they said.

The University of Ottawa also responded shortly after the publication by La Rotonde, condemning the behaviour.

“The University of Ottawa strongly condemns a recent event at which some students were encouraged to behave disgracefully, and denounces any behaviour that runs counter to the values and policies the university has implemented to prevent sexual violence on campus,”

reads the post.

The statement continues, “The university reiterates its zero tolerance approach to sexual violence.”

A statement on the SSA’s website was also released to condemn any actions “that contribute, promote or normalize sexual violence and rape culture on the University of Ottawa campus and the community at large.”

“We deeply apologize to anyone who felt unsafe or pressured to do anything at any of our events, as this has never been the intention of the SSA,” the statement reads.

The SSA announced in the statement that Vet’s Tour has been cancelled indefinitely, “as the SSA continues to learn and improve our functioning and our understanding of how sexual violence is perpetuated on our campus.”

“The event was ill-conceived, wrong and not an accurate reflection of the SSA beliefs as stated above. Again, the SSA apologizes to anyone who was negatively affected by the event.”

—With files from Graham Robertson and Savannah Awde.

Ottawa students gather to fight rising tuition

Town hall meeting explores feasibility of free post-secondary education Anchal Sharma

arts & culture editor On Thursday, Oct. 13, a town hall panel was held at Carleton University as part of the Canadian Federation of Students’ (CFS) Fight the Fees campaign. The event saw discussion on rising post-secondary tuition fees in Canada, and the role the federal government should play in lowering tuition.

The panel, hosted by CFS national chairperson Bilan Arte, discussed how government funding for postsecondary education has dramatically decreased over the last three decades, and that the CFS hopes to address this issue through their Nov. 2 Day of Action, where postsecondary students will rally on Parliament Hill to call for lower tuition.

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“Our generation, youth overall, are tired of hearing the same old rhetoric that we have to invest into our future,” said Arte. “That somehow us being able to pursue our dreams … to go to university … that this will somehow be denied to us on the basis, of not our merit, but on the basis of cost.”

“We know that young people have been pushing the agenda, for progressive social change,” she continued, referencing the Quebec student strike in 2012 that propelled their provincial government to reassess tuition hikes.

Arte also shared how being the eldest of three siblings, and the child of refugee parents affected her access to higher education.

“I helped sustain our family … part of my thinking was that as much as I might be

Joel Harden, Bilan Arte, and Avi Lewis discuss the possibility of free postsecondary education in Canada.

Photo: Anchal Sharma.

their experiences of balancing school and part-time jobs to pay for their education.

Some of these students were international students from places like South Africa and Ecuador, where the conversation around free tuition is

close to pursuing this dream of post-secondary education, if I can’t go, at least I’m working so that perhaps my siblings can go.”

Arte’s story resonated with many members in the audience, who also shared

much more open.

The cost of programs for international students are more than twice as high as the domestic fee. For example, an degree in common law at the University of Ottawa for 2016-17 costs $26,560 for Canadian students, whereas it costs international students $68,201.19.

Many students across the country share Arte’s views, such as Leila MoumouniTchouassi, a fourth-year international development and globalization student at the University of Ottawa.

According to MoumouniTchouassi, U of O tuition fees have increased every year over the last 11 years, and this is hindering students’ ability to enjoy the university experience as a whole.

“I think for the U of O, it would mean that the administration is addressing the

fact that we are not responsible for funding their institution and the way that they spend their money irresponsibly. I think that it would mean that for international students, coming here would be something that is not so tough,” she said.

Moumouni-Tchouassi also discussed the Day of Action and why she believes it is important for students to attend.

“This is a change that affects everybody, and it’s something that we want for all students. I will be there (on Nov. 2), and I’m hoping that a lot of students understanding the importance of this campaign will also be there because it is something we can achieve.”

“It’s been 11 years, and it’s not going to be 11 more,” Moumouni-Tchouassi said.

NEWS | 7

National News

Free speech rally devolves into conflict, outbursts of violence

Police intervene in event centred around U of T professor Jordan Peterson Jack Denton the varsity

Toronto (NUWire)—Tension on the University of Toronto campus continues after the Oct. 5 teach-in and rally hosted by trans and non-binary activists in response to Dr. Jordan Peterson’s statements on refusing to use gender neutral pronouns.

A rally for free speech was held on the afternoon of Oct. 11 outside of Sidney Smith Hall as a response to these events.

The rally began with noise disruptions from protesters and ended with the presence of multiple police cruisers.

The police arrived to monitor the possibility of conflict between the rally’s attendees, and those protesting the event.

Peterson was invited to speak at the rally, as well as Lauren Southern, a commentator for The Rebel Media, who attended last week’s teach-in and rally.

Speaking to the Varsity after his speech at the rally, Peterson said that he does not re-

gret making the remarks and videos that set off the chain of events leading to the Oct. 11 protest.

“I regret not formulating them more precisely, but the thing is, as I said before, when you first start to discuss something, you’re going to do it badly—it’s a sort of scattershot approach. I’m trying to be more precise, so no, I don’t regret it,” he said.

Members of the university’s trans and non-binary community blasted white noise through speakers as Peterson and Southern attempted to speak. Peterson eventually proceeded with his remarks without using a microphone.

Connor Johnston, a student who was present at the rally, described in detail how these protesters attempted to shut down the event.

“They were blocking out the mics with white noise and like, trying to disrupt the whole thing. Someone tried to pull the cord a few times … They’ve been trying to get people from the other side to just talk, and they were just complaining that, instead of

trying to sound out the noise, they should actually just come and give your own opinion.”

Qaiser Ali, one of the organizers of last week’s teach-in and rally, told the Varsity that “the goal with the noise disruption, which is a tactic that has been used before, is not to suppress anyone’s free speech, but rather not to take some speech lying down. These people were yelling homophobic slurs, transphobic slurs, referring to us as ‘things’ and ‘its’—we were hoping to make that a little harder to hear.”

There were a number of incidents of assault at the rally.

One man, who asked to only be identified as Bryan, told the Varsity, “A guy came up to me and tried to grab my binder, but I wouldn’t let it go, so he pushed me. He then put his hands around my neck until campus police came and separated us.”

Johnston also told the Varsity that there was “a small brawl” involving Southern and spectators, and Southern’s microphone was taken away.

Partway through the rally, the fire alarm was pulled in-

A rally for free speech was held on Oct. 11 outside of the University of Toronto’s Sidney Smith Hall.

side Sidney Smith Hall, causing students to evacuate the building and onto the street until the fire department came and gave the all clear.

U of T’s Black Liberation Collective was also present at the event, and engaged in a number of interactions with free speech activists.

Roxane, a student who was

protesting the rally as an independent dissenter, shared her feelings on the intentions of the rally.

“I think (it was about) holding up standards of white supremacy and I think that a lot of arguments were steeped in fear, which was really concerning for me,” she said.

“I think that this forum dis-

Photo: Steven Lee.

solved really quickly into speaking to people’s fear and vulgarities rather than articulating themselves and articulating their arguments.”

The rally came to a close when the audio equipment failed and police intervened in apparent escalating conflict.

—With files from Jaren Kerr

Temporary lift of pitbull ban in Montreal reignites debate

Ban was lifted after nine days, leaving questions about outlawing the breed Savanna Craig the Concordian

Montreal (CUP)—On Sept. 28, Montreal City council voted to ban new ownership of pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs in Montreal. However, it only lasted nine days before Quebec Superior Court Judge Louis Gouin ordered the ban to be temporarily lifted until further discussion.

In the press release, Sophie Gaillard, a lawyer for the Montreal branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said, “We are particularly delighted to be able to continue finding adoptive homes for all of our healthy and behaviourally sound dogs, regardless of their physical appearance.”

Pit bull owner Nathaniel

8 | NATIONAL NEWS

don’t disagree with the rule.”

Millington said the breedspecific legislation has proved ineffective time after time. Citing information she obtained from the Montreal Gazette, she said, “In the last 30 years in this province, five people have been fatally attacked by dogs, all of which would fall into the husky-breed category.”

Millington went onto say that the stereotype around pit bulls is just a function of society’s propensity for mass hysteria.

“Every few decades a new breed is deemed to be particularly aggressive and is alienated.” She cited that, in the past, dobermans, german shepherds, and boxer terriers were similarly prosecuted and deemed to be an inher-

sure that lost animals get returned to their owners,” said Millington.

However, she said sources such as the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association have reported that breed-specific legislation is not an effective plan of action for dealing with fatal dog attacks.

“The individuals responsible for this legislation refuse to listen to the experts in this field (which) makes me believe there is some ulterior motive for the ban,” said Millington.

South agrees with the idea that pit bulls should be neutered and spayed.

“When they’re not neutered, they can be a very dangerous dog,” said South. “That’s why I

South said he’s had his pit bullboxer and labrador mix, Chester, for approximately nine and a half years.

“I never had problems with him,” said South, addressing the generalizations about pit bulls that were made in Montreal after one incident this past summer when a woman was mauled and killed by a pit bull-type dog.

Vice president of the Concordia Animal Rights Association Katherine Millington said although an outright breed ban is “an inappropriate, emotional, unscientific response,” she does not completely disagree with the imposed laws.

“Spaying and neutering, as well as microchipping, will help to keep animal populations under control and en-

ently dangerous breed of dog.

South went so far as to compare the stereotyping of pit bulls to the racial stereotyping he faces with the Montreal police. In his comparison he referenced times when he was stopped by Montreal police while walking home from a bar because he seemed suspicious to the officers.

“It’s almost like the same thing because once a pit bull (has done) something, they generalize it to all pit bulls and then all the pitbulls have to suffer,” said South. “In this world it’s all about stereotypes, people do things and then it screws up everything for everybody else and then you have to live like a caged animal,” he said.

thefulcrum.ca

A&C EDITOR Anchal Sharma arts@thefulcrum.ca

ARTS&CULTURE

(613) 695-0062 @imtherocks

U of O’s Musical Theatre Society gives classic shows a role reversal Gender-bending fundraiser aims to create momentum for early 2017 production nity for actors to explore that.

But it’s also an opportunity for the audience to recognize how gendered characters arcs often are.”

Teed admits that a song about men gushing over an engagement dress might be more for enjoyment than anything else, but gender-bent takes on songs from the stage productions of Newsies or Into the Woods are more subtle, and raise questions about the gendering of roles in theatre.

The production showed that, yes, gender-bent performances can be hilarious, but also in many ways the message of the song can still be easily received. Women in place of men, and vice versa, gives new meanings to the songs, but doesn’t overshadow the old message either.

“I think the audience responds really well to that kind of contradiction that’s not actually contradictory,” Teed

Ryan Pepper

staff Contributor

O

n Friday, Oct. 14 members of the University of Ottawa Musical Theatre Society (UOMTS) got the chance to indulge in some good old-fashioned gender bending on stage.

In this cabaret-style production, called Miscast, male performers were called on to belt out their favourite female-centric broadway tunes, while the females sang their favourite male songs.

“Miscast is pretty much an idea that we had to have a bit of fun, get to gender-bend some of our favourite musical theatre songs, and present it to friends and family as a fun, laidback, casual fundraiser,” said Storm Davis, a fourth-year criminology student who serves as the

Actors question normative gender roles through song. Photo: Courtesy of Tama Knight.

president of the UOMTS. Every song elicited roars of laughter and delight from the audience, who filled Academic Hall to the point where only standing room remained.

Songs such as “Candy Store” from Heathers, or “Omigod You Guys” from Legally Blonde, as presented by men, drove the audience wild in particular.

But outside of putting on

an entertaining show, Patrick Teed, a fourth-year political science and philosophy major and member of UOMTS, hopes that the audience can get more out of the production than simple, escapist entertainment.

“It is interesting for people to imagine more fluidity in different character arcs,” said Teed.

“We gender character arcs all the time, so it’s an opportu-

said, giving the example of feminized masculinity in the group’s take on “Agony” from Into the Woods.

Even though Miscast was meant to be a quirky, laidback escape, the UOMTS has been spending months gearing up for their next major show, American Idiot.

“Our vision for the show is it’s for students about students, what we face now, what young people face today,” said Davis.

The musical, based on Green Day’s 2004 album and subsequent broadway production, deals with heavy topics like substance abuse, sexual abuse, and mental health issues. To appeal to students, the group is updating the visuals and themes from the mid-2000s to better reflect 2016 sensibilities.

“Our goal is that every single audience member will leave with a different interpretation of the show based on their own life and what they have dealt

with,” said Davis, reflecting on the darker themes of the production.

After American Idiot, Davis plans on using the UOMTS as a vehicle to teach dancing and other musical theatre based skills to students at discount prices. These lessons are why the society puts on smaller shows like Miscast in the first place, to help fund educational programs like this.

“We know that a lot of people who have interest in musical theatre sing at home, but they have no real instruction when it comes to dances, so I’m really looking as a dancer myself to really open up the availability of students to come in and learn some rudimentary dance ability,” said Davis.

American Idiot will be playing from Jan. 20 to 22 in Academic Hall. For more information on UOMTS’ upcoming productions, auditions, and other news, you can find them on Facebook.

Ottawa’s horror film festival returns for second year at Mayfair Theatre U of O student stars in anthology horror film Monster Pool: Chapter Two Madison McSweeney staff contributor

A cast of local zombies, serial killers, and demons will be hitting the screen in Monster Pool: Chapter Two, premiering at Ottawa’s Mayfair Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 23.

This anthology film, produced by Vincent Valentino and Randy Smith, features nine different stories from nine different Ottawa-based filmmakers. Each filmmaker was invited to choose from a list of monsters to focus on— hence the title, Monster Pool— and given three months to produce an original short.

Valentino, who has experienced censorship in the past with his movie making efforts, aims to create an opportunity for local filmmakers to express themselves freely.

“I wanted to do something where the filmmakers could have a safe place to be as creative as they want, without fear of shame and ridicule.”

10 | ARTS & CULTURE

Smith and Valentino also lent technical support to many of the directors, helping them out with filming and sound editing.

“We guide them through the whole thing,” says Valentino.

“We want them to push themselves in every facet, whether it’s storytelling or content or techniques,” Smith adds.

While the first edition of Monster Pool accepted any filmmaker who applied, this year the producers opted to include fewer films to ensure a more consistent level of quality. They’re also enforcing an overarching “wraparound” story structure (“Cryptkeeper segments,” jokes Smith) this time around, making Chapter Two a more unified feature overall.

“I want to see if we can make a proper go with this—if we can get somebody to distribute it and do something (with it) as a proper film,” says Smith.

The project’s overall goal is

to provide Ottawa’s filmmakers and actors with another opportunity to display their talents on the big screen.

“It encourages the acting community to blossom, as well as the filmmaking community,” says Valentino. His segment, “Prisoner”, stars Curtis Gough, who graduated from the University of Ottawa last year with a bilingual honours bachelor of arts in theatre and a minor in psychology, and who is currently completing an honours bachelor of arts in psychology. The short, filmed in a 150-year-old haunted house in Pembroke, Ont., was Gough’s first time working in the horror genre.

“It was a lot of fun, especially for an emerging actor (such as) myself,” says Gough. “I think people are going to be terrified of it, but also enjoy it.”

Gough appreciates the difficult themes addressed in many of the shorts. “They’re commenting on important issues and making actual messages

out of their movies.”

Valentino feels that too many horror filmmakers fail to take advantage of the genre’s ability to address complex issues, partly due to lack of resources.

“Filmmakers are only producing what they have access to (in terms of) location and content and type of special effects,” he explains. “Because we’re stuck in this really nobudget thing, we always explore the same themes … We always play it safe and do the same tacky type of horror.”

Smith disputes the idea that horror films are inherently tacky.

“There is a perception, I think, where people are like, ‘Ugh, it’s horror, it’s gonna be dumb,’” he says, saying that Chapter Two challenges these perceptions. “I think we actually have (a) surprising amount of smarter, slower-burn psychological ones this time.”

He adds, “Now, there are (also) some straight-up, in-

Monster Pool: Chapter Two challenges censorship in the horror film genre.

Photo: Courtesy of Curtis Gough.

your-face blood and gore ones, which have their place.”

Monster Pool: Chapter Twoplays at the Mayfair Theatre at 6

p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at the door. All revenue will be split between the featured filmmakers.

thefulcrum.ca

movies have seen

you should

with the characters.

Jasmine Van Schouwen Staff Contributor

Why mous

it’s

fa-

One of the many influential films in Stanley Kubrick’s body of work, The Shining is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time. It features unhinged performances from Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and child actor Danny Lloyd, and is punctuated by a stunning score that makes you feel like you are going crazy along

Why you haven’t seen it You’re a millennial movie enthusiast.

Thanks to today’s movie magic, you’ve seen it all: CGI aliens, digital camera tricks, and found footage poltergeists.

There’s no way this 80s flick could possibly scare you.

Why it might be tough to get through Simply put, this film

The Shining (1980) commentary on violence and abuse. Outside of terrifying the viewer through its use of shocking gore or references to the supernatural, The Shining is also unnerving because it taps into our most basic human fears: the fear of never truly knowing those we love, and the fear of change.

is two and a half hours of uncomfortable, nailbiting cinematic horror, which at times borders on the agonizingly scary. The film’s climax also basically boils down to that recurring nightmare you get where you are being chased by a crazed killer.

Why you should watch it anyway

Famous lines Jack Torrance: Here’s Johnny!

Jack Torrance: (After smashing a door to bits

Not only is The Shining a classic, it’s also a brilliant and complex

with an axe) Wendy, I’m home.

Danny Torrance: Dad? Jack Torrance: Yes? Danny Torrance: Do you like this hotel?

Jack Torrance: Yes, I do. I love it. Don’t you?

Danny Torrance: I guess so.

Jack Torrance: Good. I want you to like it here.

I wish we could stay here forever... and ever... and ever.

Fun facts • The infamous “Here’s

Johnny!” scene took three days to film and involved the destruction of 60 different doors.

• Danny’s practice of moving his finger when he is speaking to his imaginary friend Tony was actor Danny Lloyd’s idea.

He did it spontaneously during his first audition.

• The snowy maze near the conclusion of the movie was made of of 900 tons of salt and crushed Styrofoam.

U of O students nominated for 2015–16 Capital Critics Circle award André Perrier, Pamela Feghali open up about nominations for “Best student production” Navjot Waraich staff contributor

The Capital Critics Circle (CCC), made up of theatre critics from various news publications in the Ottawa region, are known for their scrutinizing of plays in the nation’s capital.

What started as an informal website critiquing local plays, grew into a formal, sponsored awards ceremony over time, offering cash prizes and commemorative certificates to award winners.

For this year’s ceremony, two University of Ottawa students from the Department of Theatre made the shortlist for the “Best student production.”

Pamela Feghali got nominated for Mark Ravenhill’s Pool (No Water), while André Perrier was recognized for directing Les Reines, originally written by Norman Chaurette.

The play Pool (No Water) revolves around the life of an artist, who explores the extent of her sacrifices and her willingness to exploit

thefulcrum.ca

The CCC awards will be presented on Nov. 14 at Live! on Elgin.

other people’s pain in order to become a real master of her craft. It is a reflection about the sacrifices made by one for the sake of art.

For Feghali, this nomination means a lot. She

Photo courtesy of André Perrier.

claims that she worked on this play nearly 24 hours a day, reading and re-writing the play to ensure that her interpretation of the story was logical and made sense from every possible angle.

What made the show Pool (No Water) more impressive was that the actors performed the whole show on a slanted structure, which was the pool.

To Feghali, the risks she

and her production team undertook during the whole process ultimately paid off in the end, especially now that the uniqueness of this show is being recognized.

“For all the creative energy that was poured into this production, and all the new gray hairs on our heads, having this validation from our peers would be rewarding,” she shared.

Perrier stated that accolades for his work on Les Reines were also welcome.

Perrier believes that Chaurette’s decision to reinterpret Shakespeare’s Richard III from a female perspective really resonates in today’s society and raises the question about the absurdity and futility of living.

Through his show, Perrier attempted to put the actors back at the center of the creative process. His intent was to give weight to the characters, and to lend originality to the production.

“We got this nomination because of the highly collaborative effort we all put into this production. We

worked hard but always with a tremendous amount of pleasure.”

In the wake of this nomination, Feghali gives the Department of Theatre at the U of O credit for providing her access to resources that connected her with various theatre creators.

“It was a safe space for me to learn about myself as a director, to take risks, and to figure out the kind of work that I’m interested in creating.”

Perrier shares a similar sentiment, outlining the ways in which the U of O helped contribute to his success.

“It enabled me to explore creative desires that had stemmed from long ago, to work in a more chorographical manner,” Perrier wrote in an email to the Fulcrum.

“I was given the tools and the venues to attempt concepts I could less likely be able to do in the productions of professional theatres.”

The CCC’s 2016 theatre awards will be presented at LIVE! on Elgin on Nov. 14, from 7 p.m to 9:30 p.m.

ARTS & CULTURE | 11

CAMPUS STYLE: Cat costume makeup tutorial Sine Robinson

Fulcrum Contributor October is a stressful time in every student’s life, as many of us are forced to study for midterms, balance relationships, and—most importantly—keep up with the latest fashion trends.

So, if you still don’t know what you’re going to dress up as for Halloween, don’t stress about it. After all, simplicity is a virtue to the struggling student.

This year, keep it classic with a costume we all know and love: the famous feline.

Just because this costume has been done a thousand times in the past, doesn’t mean it’s time to hang up your ears and tail.

In fact, this means there’s all the more reason for cat costumes to come back, since there are so many opportunities to put a new spin on this Halloween classic.

So if you’re wondering how to accomplish this look without turning to that dreaded dollar store face paint, then look no further.

Cat eyes It’s not hard to see that the cat eye has taken over the fashion industry by storm, so why not incorporate it into your Halloween costume?

For this look to work, dark eyes are essential. Go for the big, obnoxious wings and the smoky eyes that you might not incorporate into your everyday style. I recommend using a palette with a white to black spectrum, with a shimmer aspect to the colours. The darkness of the eyeshadow should dominate your upper eye, but also be visible just below your bottom eyelashes.

You’re also going to want to dig out your darkest pencil eyeliner and use it to really highlight your eyes, top and bottom.

Cheshire cheeks The cheeks are really the memorable part of this look.

Without them, you wouldn’t be much of a mischievous feline.

You’ll want to start out with strong, rosy cheeks using the boldest blush you have. Next, add all of your little cat spots just below the nose and above your lips. I recommend using a liquid eyeliner for this step.

After that, grab your pencil liner and draw out some long, thin whiskers.

Recommended Products: • Powder Blush, Revlon

Nose and mouth About halfway down your nose, you’ll want to grab your liquid liner and start to draw in the bottom half of your nose completely. Following that, trace down a line to the center of your lips. At this point, pull out your darkest lip liner and fill in your upper lip completely.

For your bottom lip I recommend a gold or metallic colour,

Recommended Products: • Lineur Intense Brush Tip, L’Oréal Paris • The Smokey Shadow Palette, NYX Cosmetics • Kohl Eyeliner-Black, e.l.f. Cosmetics

Sine Robinson rocking the cat look.

Photo: Elizabeth Whicher.

Recommended Products: • Mischievous Wicked Lippie, NYX Cosmetics • Color Sensation Lip Liner, Maybelline

which just adds a bit of definition to what is, overall, a dark look. You can complete this look here, or you have the option to use your liquid liner to emphasize your mouth, and add some other cat-like qualities.

“Stranger Tales” have arrived in Ottawa

The Haunted Walk of Ottawa introduces new, adventure-based attraction Iain Sellers

Fulcrum Contributor Take a break from studying this reading week, and embrace the Halloween spirit with the Haunted Walk of Ottawa’s newest spinetingling tour.

This year’s new attraction, titled “Stranger Tales: A Haunted Walk City Adventure” will run until Oct. 31, and takes an approach that’s very different from the normal guided tours.

Participants are invited on a chilling adventure where they must solve clues, interview witnesses, and access the web to continue on their quest. Throughout this tour, participants can expect to hear eerie noises and meet unique characters as they wander through the moonlit streets of Ottawa.

12 | ARTS & CULTURE

“Stranger Tales” opens on Oct. 21 and will be running until Halloween.

Paola St-Georges, communication and events organizer for the Haunted Walk of Ottawa and University of Ottawa alumna, describes the “Stranger Tales” tour as “an urban adventure that’s inspired by (the

Photo: Remi Yuan.

before them.

According to Glen Shackleton, CEO and founder of Haunted Walks Inc., people who are not interested in a fast-paced event “can kind of do it their own way. Some people (may)

Netflix original series) Stranger Things.”

Similar to Stranger Things, participants can expect to be bewildered and, at times, lost as they try to piece together the creepy series of events that will unfold

want to make it as hard and challenging for themselves as possible and some people want to take it at an easy pace.”

Shackleton believes that this new adventure-based tour could help attract a wide variety of people to his company, since it’s “a mix between an escape room, a traditional haunted walk, maybe an urban scavenger hunt, and Pokémon GO.” Before embarking on this journey, the tour guides suggest that all participants dress for the weather, and ensure that one person in every group has a cell phone with access to data.

The “Stranger Tales” adventure is the newest addition to a collection of tours offered by The Haunted Walk of Ot-

tawa.

The Haunted Walk tours were started in Kingston in 1995, and expanded to Ottawa a year later.

“I started it as a summer job for myself, thinking that I’d do this for two solid summers before getting a real job,” explains Shackleton. “It has just grown from there. So now we’re in all three cities: Kingston, Ottawa, and Toronto.”

So if you’re interested in solving puzzles and hearing stories that will give you goosebumps, or if you’re a fan of Stranger Things, then this Halloween adventure is for you.

To purchase tickets and to find out more, you can visit the Haunted Walk of Ottawa’s website.

thefulcrum.ca

Staying in VS Eating out

A quick guide to delivery apps Just Eat

Take out is one of the best options available for busy people like students. Most restaurants offer this option, but if you’re like me and venturing out of your apartment for food is still too much to ask, Just Eat might be your new favourite website.

As a self-proclaimed foodie, I love trying new foods but I suck at deciding what to eat. This is where Just Eat comes in. This online service is like a Netflix for restaurants, but instead of browsing movies and television shows you get to browse menus.

This international food ordering service boasts free delivery, with a minimum $15 order, and it’s easy to use while offering a variety of restaurant choices. It caters to your city and to your preferences including cuisine, location, ratings, and special promotions. It also lets you place an order at a restaurant before it’s even open so that they can get started on your meal first.

Just Eat also gives users the option to pay online with tip included so you don’t have to make awkward conversation with the delivery person.

Of course, you do have to make an account in order to make that happen, but they have a pick-up option too, or a cash option if you prefer paying at the door.

If you prefer to eat your meals in peace, with few interactions and even less physical exertion, then Just Eat may soon be your best friend.

—Anchal Sharma

For example, this summer I had a free box of ice cream bars delivered to me! While it took them a while to arrive, the whole thing definitely got Uber Eats some brownie points.

—Carolyn Mutis

Skip the Dishes

I find that sometimes Skip the Dishes features more options and availability to order from more restaurants than Uber Eats does.

If you’re really really lazy (no judgement here), Skip the Dishes will deliver food right to your door, while you need to head out to the street to grab your delivery from Uber Eats.

I order from Skip the Dishes when I don’t see something I want on Uber Eats.

Additionally, long before Uber Eats existed, I used Skip the Dishes’ website when I wanted to order anything other than pizza or Chinese food, and I’ve never had a bad experience.

I tend to only use it once in a while, given the delivery cost and tip on top of the cost of eating out, but it is really convenient in a pinch.

—Carolyn Mutis

STAYING IN

Uber Eats

I am a huge fan of the food delivery service Uber Eats! While I definitely view it as a luxury—delivery costs can look pretty steep on a student budget—having a burger in the comfort of my living room after a particularly long day can be pretty awesome. I usually go for Burgers and Fries Forever.

I haven’t noticed any huge differences between the food delivery apps. I usually choose which one to use based on what kind of food I’m looking for and where it’s available at the moment. That being said, Uber Eats is a little more fun, as obviously there’s nothing better than being able to track the car that’s carrying your pad thai via GPS. Another thing that makes Uber Eats stand out from other food delivery apps is that they sometimes offer cool promotions.

Illustration: Erin Husband.

EATING OUT

Restaurant pet peeves: Customers vs. Servers Half-set tables

Control your children

One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to restaurants is when the server shows you to a table that is half-empty. I’m not talking about a simple lack of ketchup, salt, or any other condiments that might be useful, I mean a table that looks as if it has only been partially prepared.

Recently, there have been times where I was shown to a table that had one or two sets of cutlery, a severe shortage of napkins, or a complete lack of a drink menu.

I can even recall an instance when I went with a large group and there were only two menus provided across the tables.

While most servers are good at responding to requests for more items, I feel that a complete place setting on arrival should be more of an industry standard going forward.

—Natasha Lomonossoff

Long wait times Alright, I know that there are many factors to consider when one’s order comes late. I’m aware of how difficult it must be for cooks to deliver many different orders in a timely fashion. However, there are times when slow delivery cannot be credibly justified.

I was eating at a small sushi restaurant a couple of years ago, where another couple and I were the only customers. I had made my order, figuring that the sushi wouldn’t take too long (based on my past experience).

Boy, was I wrong. It took well about half an hour to receive my food, and I ended up rushing by the time I got it to avoid being late for a show.

Clearly this was a case of plain tardiness, which detracted from my overall experience.

—Natasha Lomonossoff

Overstuffed menus Restaurants need to stop trying to be all things to all people. Stick with a theme (French, Italian, vegan, etc.) and serve a simple selection of perfected dishes.

If you can get chicken cacciatore and fish and chips at the same place, the manager is having an identity crisis. Stop pandering to the masses—declare your specialty and stick with it.

—Holton Shulman

Pretentious staff It’s like having a restaurant populated with that one friend who has it all, knows it, and talks about it. Tasteless.

The staff at a place like this seem to have a superiority complex, which quickly comes off as pure snobbery. A little bit of modesty goes a long way, especially since most first-time customers are afraid to try new places for this very reason.

—Holton Shulman

Illustrations: Jaclyn McRae-Sadick.

There are few things worse than sitting down in a nice restaurant with your companion, only to have a child start screaming bloody murder—serving said child and their impatient parents is one of them.

If you take your child to a restaurant, don’t expect the food to be ready by a certain time. The kitchen will not prioritize you because of your choice of dinner partner.

I served a couple and their toddler, and not only did they insist that I bring their child every crayon in the box as he proceeded to break each one of them, but they also complained loudly when their food wasn’t served in under 10 minutes.They also left me a generous tip of $0. Do not be these people.

—Savannah Awde

Don’t tell us about your diet restrictions at the last minute If you have a food allergy, intolerance, or need some other dietary accommodation, do not wait until your food is being served to tell your server. This one sounds like common sense, but you would be surprised.

One time, within 15 minutes of placing a couple’s order, I had a lady point out to me that her dining partner was diabetic and needed his food sooner than I anticipated it would be ready. Needless to say, if you’re diabetic and need food urgently, please don’t head to a packed restaurant.

—Savannah Awde

Don’t hit on us This one makes my blood boil.

Feel free to chat with your server, but consider the topic of our bodies entirely off limits. Not only is it degrading to have to work tirelessly for a customer that’s objectifying your every move, but you force us to walk an uncomfortable line between putting on a smile to earn your tip and sticking up for our right to feel respected and safe at work. Twisted, right?

If you’re the type of person who hits on servers, and you haven’t been convinced by this article to change your ways, just remember that we’re super close with the ones who make your food, so tread lightly.

—Savannah Awde

staying in

Anastasiia Cherygova Fulcrum Contributor

The physical and mental struggles

of going vegetarian Have you ever considered totally changing your lifestyle?

Learning a new language? Moving to another city? Or maybe shifting to a completely new type of diet? Probably at a certain point in your life you have done at least one of these things. Today we will talk about one of these big transitional moments: students who make the decision to become a vegetarian.

One of the biggest concerns that people have about this transition has to do with nutritional value. After all, meat is a great source of protein, which means that a sudden drop in protein consumption may make you weaker than usual, feel tired faster, moody, or disinterested in food.

To avoid that, don’t be too drastic in your transition from omnivore to full blown vegetarian. Start out slow by excluding meat products like pork and beef, before narrowing your choices only to chicken.

You can even substitute these meat items with meal replacements like mushrooms or asparagus.

Before making a serious decision, be sure to consult with a doctor to ensure that you don’t have any conditions that make meat and dairy consumption a necessity, for example a vitamin B12 deficiency.

And remember—there is no universal system, everything is up to you.

With that being said, the biggest challenge that I personally faced in my transition was a psychological one. In other words, your parents or relatives who are used to eating meat might be very critical of your decision.

My own grandma once told me a horrendous story about a man who died from not eating meat in response to hearing my decision to become a vegetarian.

But don’t take these family encounters to heart. Most of the time, they only do this to ensure that you are keeping yourself healthy, even if it might sound slightly condescending.

If you are concerned about their opinion, the best strategy is to show them that you are a responsible individual who can take good care of yourself (even if you doubt it sometimes).

And remember, sometimes you might experience a moment of weakness and decide that you want a burger or a sirloin steak. What is important to consider is that there is nothing wrong with that. You are not abandoning any of your principles, or betraying yourself or anyone. What really matters is that you listen to your body—sometimes it might give you a serious indicator that something isn’t quite right.

All this talking about food has made me hungry. What about you? Shouldn’t you eat a bit after all of this reading?

Go grab something, a salad or a steak—you decide.

Illustrations: Erin Husband.

Being vegetarian in a pub-centric city like Ottawa can often mean reverting to a diet of nachos, fries, and craft beer. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are lots of well-hidden, vegetarian-friendly spots around town that will accommodate even the pickiest of eaters.

Best healthy meal: Perfection-Satisfaction-Promise, 67 Laurier Ave. E Perfection, Satisfaction, Promise is a littleknown gem that’s only a hop, skip, and a jump away from campus. With an extensive healthy vegan menu, and an impressive array of glutenfree, dairy-free, and raw dessert options, it makes an ideal on-campus meeting spot for any group of diverse eaters.

Top pick: Vegetable korma curry with coconut cream, served with toasted cashew and pickled onion.

Photo: CC, Jessica and Lon Bonder.

Best pub fare: The Aulde Dubliner, 62 William St. You might be surprised by the number of pubs around town that offer surprisingly delicious vegetarian options beyond a garden salad. The Aulde Dubliner’s vegetarian menu may be small, but it makes a perfect start to a night of hearty drinking.

Top pick: Vegetarian burger with an all-vegetable patty, crafted house dressing, and toasted brioche bun.

Best gourmet meal: Backdrop, 160 Metcalfe St. While most of Backdrop’s options are meatbased, if you’re looking for a more trendy dining experience its vegetarian options will never disappoint.

Top pick: Ratatouille crostata with a crispy cornmeal crust and titillating cider glaze.

Photo: CC, Heather Joan.

Photo: CC, Ben Millett.

Jasmine van Schouwen Fulcrum Contributor

Best Vegetarian Restaurant for NonVegetarians: Pure Kitchen, 357 Richmond Rd. and 340 Elgin St. No list of vegetarian hot spots would be complete without this trendy Ottawa-based veganfriendly restaurant. With unique cocktails, inventive starters, including cauliflower “wings” and satisfying mains, it is sure to please even your most carnivorous friends.

Top pick: “Awesome” veggie burger with sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions.

eating out

The vegetarian’s guide to eating in Ottawa

STAYING IN

Miguel Marchildon Fulcrum Contributor

Cook like it’s 1989, and you don’t have a dime!

I have an adorable short story to tell you about my parents, who met in high school and then went to university together. They were in the same program, and for a time they lived in a house that my grandfather had purchased. They were both completely penniless, and spent a decent amount of time cooking at home on a student budget rather than spending a bunch of money eating out every week. Needless to say, they made sure I knew at least two recipes when I was about to strike out on my own as a University of Ottawa student. So here’s my take on some of my parents’ budget-friendly recipes that should make cooking from home a joy.

Creole franks on rice Basically a poor man’s jambalaya, this is an easy rice dish that you can make in under 40 minutes. For a serving of four you will need the following ingredients: • 1 cup (250 ml) of basmati rice • 1 and ½ cups (375 ml) of water • ¼ tsp. (1 ml) of salt • 1 can (796 ml) of diced tomatoes • 1 yellow onion • 1 package (400 grams) of hot dogs • 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of vegetable oil (canola oil) • 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of hot sauce of choice (I recommend Frank’s RedHot) Combine salt and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add rice, stir once, reduce the heat to low and cover.

Let simmer for 15 minutes. If you’re using a different kind of rice, follow the cooking instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, slice the hot dogs and yellow onion. Heat oil in a large frying pan, then add sliced hot dogs and yellow onion. Toss until onions are soft and hot dogs are lightly browned.

Mix in the cooked rice, the diced tomatoes, and the hot sauce in the large frying pan. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Photo: CC, Nina Helmer.

Crêpes Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, these thin French pancakes are cheap and easy to make. For four servings of my father’s crêpe recipe you will need the following: • 1 cup (250 ml) of white flour • 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of sugar • ¼ tsp. (1 ml) of table salt • 1 ½ cup (375 ml) of milk • 2 large eggs • 2 tsp. (8 ml) of vanilla extract • Vegetable oil Combine flour, sugar, and salt in medium mixing bowl. Stir in milk, eggs, and vanilla with a whisk. Be careful not to leave any lumps in the batter.

Warm up a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Grease skillet with vegetable oil.

Spread a thin layer of batter onto the skillet, about one ladle’s worth.

When batter is bubbling through and edges are browning, delicately turn over with a spatula. Cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Repeat until batter is exhausted.

While the remaining crêpes are cooking, you can place the ready crêpes in the oven at 200 °F (90 °C) to keep warm.

Photo: CC, negativespacedesign.

Serve with your favorite topping. My parents usually go for whipped cream, frozen strawberries, and maple syrup.

Alexa -Eliza Carter Features Editor

Frustration with familiar food When it comes to food intolerances and allergies, most people are familiar with the life-threatening kind that requires an EpiPen. But while some intolerances are not deadly, they can still require drastic changes to your eating habits.

referred to a naturopath, who then gave me a referral for the food intolerance test. At the time I had great health insurance, but even that did not cover the cost of the blood test.

It cost me roughly $400, and tested over 200 foods.

dryl, made life more difficult, since it would put me to sleep within the half hour after I was finished eating.

It also tastes like Goldschläger or an extreme version of those Cinnamon Hearts candies, and is a little hard on my stomach.

For years I had all these strange, mild reactions that, while not life threatening, were really uncomfortable and for a long time I had no idea what the cause was.

I remember tearing up the day I got the results. It was sad to see so many things listed that were causing me health problems. Amongst these food items were wheat, oats, cow dairy, barley, shellfish, mustard, garlic, hazelnuts, berries… the list went on.

It finally made sense why I would fall asleep within 20 minutes of eating a bowl of Mini-Wheats.

Because of these complications, I tend not to drink alcohol much anymore.

In the beginning it just felt like I was wearing a really tight turtleneck around me at all times, so much so that I was concerned about my throat closing up. I ended up in the emergency room because it was so uncomfortable, but there was still no sign of anything wrong. It was only months and months later when it occurred to me that maybe I was having a reaction to the foods I was eating.

EATING OUT

After visiting my family doctor I was

Suddenly, going out to eat became a struggle since I knew that each meal would be accompanied by a rash, scratchy throat, headache, or stomach ache.

Even the remedy I took to calm my nervous system before a meal, Bena-

Sometimes I still bite into one of these “forbidden” foods, but it’s inevitably followed up by a bad reaction the next day.

This is just another reason why I decide to eat in more, because I can control the simplicity of a piece of chicken cooked in olive oil, rather than be exposed to all the fancy restaurant spreads that contain ingredients like mustard or garlic.

These days, I’m really stuck between a rock and hard place when it comes to nutrition. Eating most foods makes me tired, but not eating food is failing to fuel my body and mind, so it’s very difficult to find a happy medium.

When I do go out to a restaurant once in awhile, it would be extremely helpful to have ingredients listed in food dishes, or at least a few dishes that you could pick and choose from simple ingredients.

Needless to say, I tend to carefully grocery shop and stay in rather than eat out.

Illustration: Anastasiia Cherygova.

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR Spencer Murdock sports@thefulcrum.ca

@SpencerMurdock @FulcrumSports

Western thrashes Gee-Gees in final home game Mustangs make light work of ninth-ranked Gees ahead of playoff push spencer murdock Sports editor

F

ollowing a redemptive win over York, the Gee-Gees football team was taken to the woodshed by a powerful Western Mustangs squad on Saturday, Oct. 15.

The final score aptly represented the Gees’ struggles throughout the game, as the nationally third-ranked Mustangs rolled to a 68–17 win at Gee-Gees Field.

From the opening kickoff, Western stole the momentum immediately and scored touchdowns on their first two drives.

The Gee-Gees defence was pounded on the ground early and often, taking far too long to place any pressure on the Mustangs.

Western utilized their potent rushing attack to bait the GeeGees into biting on play-action plays time and time again.

The offence didn’t sustain

their first scoring drive until early in the second quarter.

Unfortunately for the Gees, they were only able to muster another two scoring drives in the game.

Ottawa’s lack of size and execution were the key factors that lead to the embarrassing loss.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Derek Wendel had a somewhat pedestrian day considering his stellar season, passing for 228 yards and one touchdown, picking up another on the ground.

Fellow fifth-year receiver Mitch Baines had the best day on the Gee-Gees offence, reeling in six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Baines leads the nation in receptions and yards and ranks second in touchdowns and yards per game, categories he could lead by season’s end.

Western racked up 733 yards of total offence, essentially giving the Gee-Gees no chance at catching up or establishing a lead.

Mustangs swarm the Gee-Gees in blowout win.

“I expected us to be better than this,” said head coach Jamie Barresi. “We were playing for everything here today and I didn’t expect this to be the outcome.”

“You’ve gotta be able to stay on the field and sustain a

Photo: Remi Yuan.

drive and against these guys, it’s hard,” Barresi added.

Provided a win, the GeeGees would have secured a home playoff game and a firstround bye. But in the wake of this blowout, the waters are much muddier for the team.

They will play another big game on Oct. 22 against a Queen’s team that has improved as the year progressed. Sitting at 3–4, the Gaels are on the brink of sneaking into the playoffs and a win over the Gee-

Gees would go a long way in their pursuit.

“We’re going to have to be ready for a real tough game,” said Barresi. “We’ve beat Queen’s the last two years, but there’s no guarantee. They’re ready to play us.”

Even though the GeeGees have already secured a playoff spot, their post-regular season position is still unknown. The likelihood of a quarterfinal matchup with archrival Carleton is looming much heavier than previously anticipated.

Regardless of what happens in the rankings, a solid performance against Queen’s is essential to establishing momentum for the playoffs.

After a blowout it’s all about how you respond, and the Gee-Gees need a big response against Kingston.

Kickoff at Richardson Stadium is set for 1 p.m. The game will be broadcasted live on OUA.tv.

Gee-Gees women’s rugby enters playoffs undefeated Massive win over Bishop’s has team picking up steam for run at national gold spencer murdock Sports editor

In their last home game of the season, the nationally third-ranked GeeGees women’s rugby team absolutely obliterated last place Bishop’s University on-route to a 75–0 victory, closing the regular season with a 7–0 record.

The team has come a long way since their somewhat quiet 28–17 season opening win over Université de Montréal.

In September, Gee-Gees head coach Jen Boyd said that her team would be playing their best rugby come this time of year, and it seems she was right.

In a complete tour de force performance, the Gees ran all over Bishop’s, practically sealing their victory in a matter of minutes.

Throughout this season, the team has been able to settle in and establish their lineup. They have also had

Women’s rugby powers into playoffs.

a chance to extend their bench and work in pieces of the team that would otherwise not be able to get as much playing time.

Photo: Remi Yuan.

Second-year front line Alex Ellis scored two tries in the win, bringing her total to a team-leading 11 this year.

Samantha Alli, Alexandra Liepmann, and Afton Maisonneuve also tallied two tries in the win.

Two Gee-Gees shared place kicking duties, with Emma Sandstrom converting on three converts, and Emily Gray on two, going along with a try of her own.

“We have new systems put in place this year,” said Boyd. “We lost our entire back line, so we’ve really been rebuilding and we’re going in the right direction at the right time.”

Boyd lauds the play of her younger athletes, since they have an element of fearlessness that they need going into the playoffs. Some of the older players know how close they’ve been and the pain of loss, whereas natural confidence comes in youth.

Having had so much success in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), going undefeated for three straight seasons, the Gee-

thefulcrum.ca

Gees coach still believes it’s the best conference in the nation.

“We play every week, more than any other league, the travel is minimal, and we get at least three really hard games,” says Boyd.

“You don’t get to see McMaster and Guelph, who I know are the two best teams in the country, but we worry about that when we play them. If we go, you gotta get through the two best teams to win the national championship.”

Entering the playoffs, the GeeGees will take on a Montreal Carabins team that they have not faced since week one.

The 3–3–1 Carabins will have to do everything in their power to slow the Gees down, who are entering the playoffs at freight train pace.

The RSEQ semifinals get underway at 4 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Matt Anthony Field. Tickets are available at tickets. geegees.ca.

Sports | 21

Gee-Gees men’s hockey tallies first win against RMC Team showcases potent offence ahead of Colonel By Classic zack goobie

staff contributor Following a midweek loss to the nationally fifth-ranked Université du Québec à TroisRivières Patriotes, the Garnet and Grey were looking to record their first win of the regular season.

Luckily, the Gee-Gees put on a offensive clinic, and bested Royal Military College by a 7–2 margin.

The game got off to a rough start for the RMC Paladins, as they drew their first penalty nine minutes into the first frame.

The Gees instantly responded, with Matthew Dunlop netting his first goal of the season on a shot from point.

Mathieu Dubois followed up a rebound to double the Gee-Gees’ lead with eight and a half minutes left in the first frame. Jacob Sweeney converted on a great feed to one-time a slap shot over the opposing goalie’s shoulder.

Nearing the end of the first period, RMC made another trip to the penalty box, giving the Gees the power-play.

Jacob Hanlon scored on a rebound opportunity early in the man advantage to stretch the Gees’ lead to 4–0. Mitchell Gibson would continue the onslaught, making the game a five goal advantage at the eight-minute mark of the second frame.

RMC got on the board with less than four minutes to go in the second period with a wellplaced snapshot.

The Paladins were handed another man disadvantage with six minutes left to play.

While shorthanded, RMC scored to cut the lead to three.

Shortly after, the Gees extended their lead again with their sixth goal, on a tip by John Deacon. With just over a minute remaining, Ottawa solidified their lead on a goal

by Antoine Pouliot, taking the 7–2 win.

Gee-Gees men’s hockey will be ready to go toe-to-toe with Carleton.

The Gee-Gees are looking forward to the big Colonel By Classic against cross-town rival Carleton Ravens.

Coming fresh from their first regular season win, the team hopes to keep the mo-

Photo: Remi Yuan.

mentum going in their biggest matchup of the year so far.

The game is being marketed as a new chapter in the rivalry series between schools that has produced massive

events like the Panda Game and the Capital Hoops Classic.

“Winning our first game helps us a lot going into this game,” said head coach Patrick Grandmaître. “It was good to get that first win out

of the way, it kind of takes some pressure off our shoulders.”

Carleton was a strong playoff team last season and will want to put on a show unlike just any regular season game.

“They are a very balanced team, we’ll have to be good in all facets of the game to compete against them,” said Grandmaître.

The meeting between the teams is taking place at TD Place Arena, the home of the Ottawa 67’s. The 10,000 seat arena will be an exhilarating environment for the team as they attempt to establish a winning streak for the first time this year.

“Hopefully we react well to that excitement, and go out like we can with a good effort.”

Following the next home game for the Gee-Gees at Minto Sports Complex will take place on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. against Nipissing University.

Women’s soccer falls deeper into slump with first two losses Previously undefeated Gee-Gees need to rally after five-game slide spencer murdock Sports editor

Losing doesn’t come easy for the Gee-Gees women’s soccer team. In fact, the last time the Gee-Gees had two losses in a regular season was in 2011.

In the first month of the 2016 season, the team seemed to be rolling to another one of their classic stellar seasons, anticipating a comfortable playoff run on their home field.

But after ripping off nine consecutive wins to start the season, the GeeGees have not picked up a victory in their last five games.

A string of three consecutive ties, followed by two 2–1 losses on the road on Oct. 15 and 16, against Nipissing and Laurentian respectively, raises some doubt about the team’s ability to score and execute in close games.

Last season, the team finished the regular season

22 | SPORTS

with a 13–0–3 record, averaging 2.81 goals per game, along with a 0.53 goals against average.

This year, the numbers have only seen slight variations, with the team averaging 2.14 goals per game and allowing 0.57, all while posting a worse record so far.

All of these losses and ties have come courtesy of teams that the Gee-Gees had previously beaten this season, all in shutouts.

This midseason slide is obviously frustrating to all team members, but weighs particularly heavy on veteran leadership.

Fifth-year striker Victoria Marchand is one of the team’s leaders vying for a national title in her final chance to bring home the first Gee-Gees gold medal since 1996.

“Against Laurentian, we’ve worked our hardest in the second half than we have all season,” said

Marchand. “We hate losing, but we still have two regular season games left and things can only go up from here.”

Earlier in the season, head coach Steve Johnson said that some adversity can be a good thing for the team. However, in the wake of these less than stellar results, the lack of wins before the post-season can be concerning.

But Marchand remains optimistic, pointing to playoff struggles of previous years where the team could fall apart when they needed to be the strongest.

In this case, there’s time to fix the issues and get back on track to close the year.

“I truly believe that these losses were a blessing in disguise,” said Marchand.

“I’m looking forward to our last two games and to be the resilient group of girls I know we are.”

The Gees might get back to their winning ways on

Marchand and the Gees are looking to right the ship again.

the road against Ryerson and Toronto, two teams that have had their share of struggles this season.

The Gees defeated both teams in September and, with extra motivation to

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

close the regular season on a high note, the team can make a statement before the playoffs.

Ryerson will be the team’s first game of the weekend, at 1 p.m. on Oct. 22, followed

by Toronto at 1 p.m. on Oct. 23. The Toronto game will be live streamed on OUA.tv.

Playoff schedule announcement will follow the weekend.

thefulcrum.ca

Gees women’s fastball downed at Ontario championships Trophy not in the cards for the competitive club after a solid season nico Laliberté

staff contributor

The University of Ottawa’s women’s fastball team recently competed in the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association championship in Innerkip, Ont. from Oct. 14 to 16.

The U of O team finished fifth in the province and qualified for the final tournament held just outside of Woodstock. Ottawa had to face the undefeated Western Mustangs in their first playoff game on Friday, dropping that contest by a 8–1 margin.

Unfortunately for the team, a tie with the eighth-ranked Waterloo, as well as a 7–0 loss to the fourth-ranked

Laurier, would end the weekend for the competitive club from the U of O. Although the team didn’t fare as well as they hoped, they can find solace in the success they had throughout the year.

This season represented one of transition for the team. The biggest change on an operational basis was that long-time head coach Scott Searle stepped down after serving as the head coach since the team’s inception in 2001.

Searle had great success with the team, bringing them to 13 consecutive playoff appearances.

Photo: CC, kelseyannvere. Edits: Kim Wiens.

Coming in to replace Searle as head coach this year was Grace Lonergan. Lonergan is an

alumna of the women’s team, having suited up for the Gee-Gees for four years during her

FulcFit food series

Simple baked salmon When you think of fish, it’s easy to envision a fancy candle lit dinner at a posh restaurant. Instead, try looking to the frozen food aisle at your local Loblaws or Costco. As students we sometimes opt for the easiest choice, and sometimes those selections are not very nutritious. But salmon is another story, since it contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids—nature’s heart medicine—and contains a day’s worth of vitamin D. So, if you’re thinking of staying in all reading week, be sure to grab yourself a pack of salmon on your way out of the grocery store. It will save you an expensive dinner and grace you with a gourmet, yet effortless, meal.

Photo: CC, Lucas Richarz.

Zainab Al-Mehdar Associate News Editor

university career.

While every firsttime head coach experiences growing pains,

Lonergan was successful in leading her team to their 14th consecutive playoff appearance.

This achievement is undoubtedly significant for younger players on the team, since it provides them with a frame of reference and goal to chase going forward.

With a full season of leading the Gee-Gees under her belt, Lonergan and the team will continue to grow and learn in their roles.

Despite not being able to bring a championship back to Ottawa, the Gees will set their focus on next season, in hopes of transitioning from just making the playoffs into becoming a title contender.

During the school year, it’s all too easy to let your eating habits slip. To help fight this, the Fulcrum has some essential recipes to keep you full and fit all year long.

Ingredients: • 1 skinless salmon fillet • A handful of asparagus (or your choice of veggie) • 2 tbsp. olive oil • 1 clove of garlic, minced • Salt and pepper (optional: paprika) • 1 lemon slice • Fresh parsley, or chopped thyme, or rosemary Directions: Step 1: Preheat oven to 400° F. Step 2: Cut a sheet of aluminum foil about 14 inches long.

Step 3: Layer asparagus (or veggie of your choice) in the centre of the foil. Season with salt and pepper and a drizzle with olive oil.

Step 4: In a small bowl, stir together oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika.

Step 5: Rinse salmon, then place on top of the asparagus, brush on the oil mix.

Step 6: Top with lemon and thyme. Wrap sides of foil inward over salmon then fold to enclose the salmon.

Step 7: Place foil pouches on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

thefulcrum.ca

Sports | 23

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR Eric Davidson

opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @eric_davidson93

We don’t need more journals, we need more transparency

U of O’s decision to cancel academic journal subscriptions raises more questions than answers matt zucca

staff contributor

B

efore everybody gets their bookmarks out of order over University of Ottawa’s decision to cut academic journal subscriptions, let’s take a look at the library services more closely.

Of course, they’re not cancelling these subscriptions for any flippant reason.

Running fully operational facilities like Morisset, Brian Dickson, and the Health Sciences libraries is expensive work and the university would definitely welcome the $1.5 million they will be saving by cutting out these subscriptions.

Plus, even if you are put out by the university’s lack of scholarly sources, re-

member, in the age of the Internet, where there’s a will, there’s a way to find information.

What I mean is that there are other options available to students to get the information they need. The University of Ottawa is already part of a network of university libraries throughout Canada. By requesting what’s called an interlibrary loan through a scholarly portal called RACER, students can access this super-library. So, if there are some library users who are upset about the cancellation of these subscriptions, they should be comforted by the fact that if we don’t have a publication another university might.

But debating whether or not the U of O’s decision to cancel these subscriptions is a good or bad idea is really beside the point. The

The University of Ottawa’s decision to cut journals lacks a real explanation.

main issue here is the process by which the decision is made in the first place.

In other words, what is the condition of our holdings, their current value, and how much room do we

feasibly have to store them?

Of the materials that we decide not to use, how are we checking whether or not they’re worthwhile?

Furthermore, what are other similar libraries do-

Photo: Tristain Pollard.

ing and why? What is the national demand for these publications?

Researchers should also know who selects these publications in the first place, and of these publica-

tions, how many will be accessible through an interlibrary loan anyway?

Maybe it would be wise to cut some, and not others, but it’s important to make sure the information is examined properly and transparently.

As it stands, the only readily available information on these issues has been sparse at best.

A new organizational system regarding the selection of publications would need to be done by available experts in their field with long-term vision.

So, no matter what happens to the thousands of print and online journals in the not too distant future, one thing remains certain: library services needs to be more transparent about how it stores, catalogues, and selects its scholarly sources.

The U of O is not “putting buildings before students”

The university has work to do, and construction is a step in the right direction nicholas robinson

staff contributor

If you haven’t heard, the University of Ottawa will be taking on $200 million in debt to pay for upcoming construction projects on campus, like the new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) building and the Learning Centre. That might be a lot of money, but there isn’t a lot of space left on campus—with that in mind, updating our buildings is a sensible use of funds.

For one thing, there are way too many buildings on campus that are simply too small or too old, and this has a very real negative impact on the student experience on our campus. Yet, some members of the Board of Governors claim that the university is “putting buildings before students,” and that simply isn’t the case.

MacDonald Hall, former home of the Department of Physics, is being torn down at the end of the month to make way for a new STEM building.

MacDonald was built in the early 60s, back when the student population was a quarter of the size it is now. It’s about time that it went, and hopefully in its place there will be more places for students to study, learn, and even hang out.

The same goes for the Learning Centre, which should be a much-needed boost to the student experience. And even though it didn’t live up to the hype, the University Square is still a massive improvement over the ugly parking lot that it once was.

This is also true for all the other buildings on campus that just don’t meet the needs of a 21st century university of over 40,000 students, like the

University Centre, Brooks Residence, and the entire stretch of buildings along King Edward Avenue.

New buildings are indeed necessary on campus, and they should be a priority.

With that being said, new buildings aren’t enough by themselves. There needs to be more thorough consultations with students on what they need and want from these new facilities. The new buildings also have to be designed with students in mind and need to include modern classrooms, plenty of student space, space for services, and maybe even businesses.

Think, for instance, of the university bookstore’s monopoly on campus. Allowing for the building of additional bookstores on campus would create competition and lead to lower-priced textbooks, which would save students quite a lot

The university has taken on $200 million in debt to pay for buildings, and that’s a good thing.

of money. It also wouldn’t hurt for the university to focus on the never-ending tuition hikes, and hiring more parttime profs. That being said, new buildings are a concrete

step in the right direction.

The construction, however inconvenient, is necessary, and the university should be applauded for trying to improve our campus’ infra-

thefulcrum.ca

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

structure. However, that construction needs to be done with more student input, since there are just so many other areas in which the university isn’t putting students first.

OPINIONS | 24

Submit your motion to the GA—before Oct. 21

General Assemblies are improved by a healthy amount of participation Eric Davidson opinions editor

By now, you’ve probably heard about the University of Ottawa’s record with General Assemblies (GA)—it’s pretty bad.

Despite four previous attempts, the GAs have yet to make quorum, which means no action can be taken by the SFUO based on the students’ suggestions at the meetings.

But before we deal with that issue, there’s something even more important—submitting motions.

Before every GA, all U of O students are allowed to bring forward motions.

For example: motions for an emergency student hardship fund, promoting bilingualism among SFUO executives, and new dining hall regulations.

All you have to do is get 100 signatures and submit the motion to the SFUO by

The last GA saw six motions presented.

5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21.

The step of submitting motions is often overlooked, since the deadline always expires before promotion of the GA re-

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

ally gets underway. At the last GA, no motions were submitted on time—this is a big problem.

According to the SFUO constitution, the GA is the

highest-ranking body in the SFUO, even above the Board of Administration (BOA).

GA motions are the ideal way for students to

make their voices heard in student politics. If the event meets quorum, then the motions can be adopted in the room.

If it doesn’t meet quorum, the motion will still be accepted, and will carry over to the next GA. Last year, the SFUO brought all the motions from the most recent GA, which didn’t meet quorum, to a BOA meeting and voted on them there.

So the fear that the GA won’t meet quorum shouldn’t discourage you from bringing motions forward—they can pass either way. They definitely have a better chance of passing if you present them than if you don’t.

Conversely, your decision to bring motions can actually make the GA more appealing to others.

If there are a lot of items on the agenda, whether it inspires agreement or dis-

sent, that will provide further impetus for more students to attend the event.

It’s a win-win.

In the first semester of last year, the GA saw no motions presented at all—and turnout was terrible. Only 40 students of a necessary group of 326 showed up.

If you’re still not sold on this whole concept, don’t forget that the motions you present will always get time for discussion if it is approved by the submission deadline. This means that the issues you care about will be talked about by other students who want to make the school better, among several members of the SFUO. In the end, your motion will be talked about and then voted on—rest assured, your voice will ultimately be heard.

Canadians should embrace the six-hour workday

Shorter work days can increase productivity, decrease depression eric davidson opinions Editor

In today’s fast-paced world, companies are trying to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of their workforce. At the same time, employees are trying to maintain the closest semblance of a healthy worklife balance. The solution to this problem has been right under our noses the whole time—people should work less.

Let me explain.

Scandinavian countries have been experimenting with this concept for a few years. A recent study of Swedish firms found that when workdays were only six hours long, productivity and worker satisfaction improved, while turnover dropped.

But wait, where did our eight-hour work day come from in the first place? Isn’t it a tried and tested formula that’s a guarantee for success? Well, this practice

25 | OPINIONS

started during the industrial revolution as an attempt to bargain with companies who often wanted 10 to 16 hour days. Hardly a scientific decision based on productivity.

One might argue that a six-hour workday would take away time from necessary functions, like meetings. However, you can also argue that it would take time away from less important functions—like meetings—and force workers to get the most important stuff done more effectively.

Not only that, it would also give employees more time between shifts to fully recover, and be ready and productive the following day.

And it goes deeper than that. Although it seems like a no brainer, studies have shown that longer work hours have been linked to depression.

This is only more reason to continue to research the

The concept of a six hour workday has been gaining traction, and could work in Canada too.

benefits of a six-hour workday, and implement it if the experiment produces positive results.

If we’re going to accept the idea that shorter work days can be more effective, then there are some mindsets we need to dispose of

first. If we brand people as “slackers” for working fewer hours without measuring whether or not the practice is effective, we’re not helping anyone.

The biggest driver of such a change would be people newly joining the work-

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

force—graduates from the U of O, perhaps—without the prior conviction that a workday must be eight hours. As people gradually move up the ladder, such ideas can move with them.

Some companies are already showing such at-

titudes in other ways, and are reaping the benefits because of it.

Many modern companies, most famously tech companies, are making efforts to increase their workers’ productivity. Free meals, go karts in the office, and napping areas are among the many ways modern, successful companies are trying to make their employees more effective in unconventional ways. This is true for Google in the states, and for Shopify here in Ottawa.

But why should it be six hours? Because a study is showing it works well? The important thing to do is study the effectiveness of the number of hours, not to take “eight hours” or “six hours” as gospel.

At a time when Canada is trying to poise itself as a leader in the world’s economy, we can’t allow old assumptions and outdated attitudes to hold us back.

thefulcrum.ca

SFUO announces by-election on day of by-election

Student executive sees low turnout rate despite hours of promotion Eric Davidson Tomato Editor The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) will be hosting its semi-annual byelections today, the Tomato learned this morning.

Candidates will be expected to submit their nominations and platforms no later than five days in the past.

“Surprisingly, we haven’t gotten too many applicants this year,” said vice-president of services and communications Crancesco Faruso. “Why does this keep happening to us?”

“I considered running, but I just couldn’t deal with the unpopularity of being associated with the SFUO,”

said Doug Armstrong, a third-year business student. “I’d prefer to keep working towards a job as a Wall Street banker who pops children’s balloons for fun.”

However, some people have been very excited to run.

“I only heard about the election this morning, but I got signatures pretty quickly” said Joseph Peterson, a fourth-year engineering student. “I lied and told people it was a petition to disband the SFUO. They were just begging to sign.”

When asked how he prepared a platform so quickly, Peterson responded. “Platform?” As Peterson is running unopposed, he didn’t seem too concerned.

Today, the SFUO announced an election, which will also take place today.

Photo: CC, Kelvin Hu. Edits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

“I’m very excited to run,” said Sarah Enton, a fourthyear economics student. “I didn’t actually plan to, but I accidentally walked into the SFUO office this morning and they told me I was in the race.”

However, voter turnout rates in today’s election have been poor so far, to say the least.

“What are you talking about? Of course I’ve heard about the election,” said Dale Andrews, a fourthyear history major. “Hillary is gonna mop the floor with Donald Trump!”

“Oh, that’s what those people are doing lining up in the University Centre.

I thought they were still giving out U-Passes,” said

Macy Wright, a first-year communications student.

“I’m surprised I didn’t hear about it. I get push notifications for all SFUO social media posts delivered to my phone,” said Scott Smith, a third-year political science student, pulling the device out of his fanny pack. “They do have a cool new app though, so that’s nice.”

But Smith said he’s excited to vote, if somewhat confounded.

“I don’t actually know who the candidates are, but it should be interesting anyway,” he said. “I like the thrilling element of chance, it’s like Russian roulette.”

Polling stations have seen little traction so far.

“We thought we were getting a rush at our UCU station, but it was just a dance team cha-cha sliding by,” said Faruso.

Faruso says he’s not sure what voter turnout is exactly so far, as nobody turned up to collect the tally sheets.

“For the purposes of your article, let’s just assume it’s 100 per cent,” he told the Tomato.

For future by-elections, Faruso said that students would be given more time to apply for SFUO by-elections.

“We’re prepared to radically extend the time limit, and tell students about the election a whole day in advance,” he said. “That should fix everything.”

Beverage brawl breaks out on on campus

Facebook controversy leads to real life, caffeine-fueled encounters eric davidson Tomato Editor In early October, the University of Ottawa’s Facebook page found itself at the centre of a controversy over the support of non-fair trade Nescafé coffee. But that was only the beginning.

While students’ ire was stoked on Facebook, it quickly transitioned to the real world.

“I don’t know why that’s surprising,” said Sam Adams, a third-year political science student. “Any time students complain online we address it in the real world too, every time!”

After decrying the university’s lack of support for fair trade coffee, students took their disagreements outside.

Across campus, spontaneous melees erupted as students hurled beverage cups at one another. There were two sides—those in favour of fair

trade only, and those against.

“Let’s be honest, there’s no other way to solve this problem,” said Tony Critch, a thirdyear arts student who politely disagrees with enforcing only fair trade coffee on campus.

“I just need to throw caffeinated drinks at anyone who disagrees with me.”

The fight started near the small UCU Tim Hortons and quickly spread across campus.

A cadre of fighters broke off to battle with alcoholic drinks at 1848. However, after seeing the Jays game was on, they ultimately decided to drink the beverages instead.

Near Tabaret lawn, students whipped fair trade coffee cups at their opponents, before running over to collect the debris and deposit it in the nearest recycling bin.

“I know it’s a heated battle, but we can’t descend into barbarism and forget to recycle,” said Arthur Meyers, a first-

thefulcrum.ca

year common law student.

“We’re not animals.”

Amos Matthews, one of the fair trade supporters, managed to get the drop on his opponents. However, as he looked around for a cup to throw he came to a sad realization that none of them contained ethically righteous coffee.

As he struggled with this philosophical crisis, a cup of cold Folgers coffee splattered across his face.

“That was rough, but my integrity was hurt more than anything,” he said. “I just need to shower right now.”

The beverage fights are also taking a toll on campus businesses like the Tim Hortons.

“It’s turning into a crisis,” said Tom Hirton, a store manager. “If coffee supplies drop any lower I don’t know what we’ll do.”

University president Jacques Frémont said he’s ut-

A coffee controversy has erupted into a full-scale conflict on campus.

terly bewildered by the conflict.

“Why do they care so much about coffee? Don’t they have student elections and exams to worry about?” He asked.

“Not important? This is lit-

erally the most important issue that drifted onto my Twitter feed in the past five hours!” said Adams in response to Frémont’s comments.

After composing himself, Frémont eventually conceded

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

that he would be prepared to listen to any demands made by students.

“I mean, at least they’re not protesting tuition hikes or something crazy like that.”

THE TOMATo | 26

DISTRACTIONS Dear Di

Dear Di,

FEATURES EDITOR Alexa-Eliza Carter

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @acart043

Dear Di,

I have a number of body piercings, but I was thinking of getting one on my penis.

Will this affect my sex life?

I’m a little lost when it comes to my girlfriend’s nipples. Do I suck them, lick them, flick them, or do I just stare at her breasts?

-Prince Albert

-Breast Ideas

Dear PA,

Dear BI,

Piercings are a very personal preference. I could no more tell you if you prefer chocolate cake over french vanilla.

However, I can tell you that many people find that genital piercings actually enhance their sexual experiences, rather than detract from them. Of course, the amount of pleasure you experience depends on your partner and the kind of piercing you decide on, but the reality is that the penis is home to thousands of nerve endings, and a surefire way to stimulate them is through this kind of body modification.

But there are definitely some safety precautions to consider before getting your precious stick pierced.

Logistically speaking, this kind of piercing may be detrimental to how you urinate, ejaculate, or it may get in the way of putting on a condom. Another more gruesome worry would be the piercing not healing properly. For popular genital piercings like the Prince Albert, be sure to give your member four to six weeks to heal before you jump back into the sack. To ensure a smooth healing process, clean your piercing three to six times a day, preferably with a sea salt solution like H2Ocean.

Also, make sure that anyone giving you a blowjob knows full well what they’re getting into beforehand, just so they don’t swallow or choke on your new hardware.

Bottom line, always do your homework before getting a penis piercing, especially when your sex life could be on the line.

Love, Di

It’s understandable to have questions about nipple play, since it is not a typical conversation topic.

Each person will have different preferences, but let me give you some basic pointers.

The sensitivity of a lady’s mammary glands can vary. Some women can have very sensitive nipples, just like some people have ticklish feet.

Some people like gentle nibbling, but you should remember that breast size is not an indicator of sensitivity.

Whatever you do, do not twist the nipples.

They are not radio dials, and you are not trying to contact the last remaining survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Try starting with gentle nibbles, and gauge your partner’s reaction. Even better, ask her if she likes what you’re doing—talking to her might just make the experience even hotter. Communication is a vital part of a healthy sex life, and there’s no better place to start than right here.

Also, don’t be discouraged if your partner says she doesn’t like your unique brand of nipple play.

It doesn’t mean you have been benched permanently. It just means she doesn’t like that specific technique, so ask her to guide you and learn what she likes. Luckily, in the bedroom, there’s always a “take two.”

Love, Di

To get all your sexy and saucy questions answered, email Di at deardi@thefulcrum.ca ;) 28 | DISTRACTIONS

thefulcrum.ca

Oct. 20-Nov. 3, 2016

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC arts Sports FUN Thinking

Thursday, Oct. 20

Monday, Oct. 24

Sunday, Oct. 30

Dial M for Murder (local production of Hitchcock classic), Ottawa Little Theatre—7:30 p.m.

The Dressmaker (Kate Winslet and Liam Hemsworth film), ByTowne Cinema—9:15 p.m.

Ottawa Fury FC vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers, last game of the regular season, TD Place—2 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 21

Tuesday, Oct. 25

Live2Lead, leadership workshop, Centerpointe Studio Theatre—8:30 a.m.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, opening night, National Arts Centre—7 p.m.

Gee-Gees women’s basketball vs. McGill, Montpetit—4:30 p.m.

Gee-Gees women’s volleyball vs. McGill, Montpetit—7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 26

Ottawa Redblacks vs.

Hamilton Tigercats, TD Place—7 p.m.

Metamorphosis Eco Fashion Show, Lansdowne Park—6 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 31 The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mayfair Theatre—7 p.m Ghostbusters (2016), ByTowne Cinema—9:05 p.m.

Gee-Gees men’s hockey vs. Nipissing, Minto Sports Complex—7:30 p.m.

Stock Market Basics: Taking Stock in the Market, Centennial Library—6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 22

Thursday, Oct. 27

Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Canadian Tire Centre—7:30 p.m.

Gee-Gees women’s hockey vs. Carleton, home opener, Minto Sports Complex—2 p.m.

Hieronymus Bosch: Touched

By The Devil (documentary), ByTowne Cinema—9:05 p.m.

Culture Club with special guest Platinum Blonde, TD Place—8 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 28

Wednesday, Nov. 2

Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth, TD Place—7 p.m.

Steve Vai, Algonquin Commons Theatre—7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Thursday, Nov. 3

Lansdowne Park Pumpkin Derby (2nd annual), Aberdeen Pavilion—1 p.m.

Embassy Chef Challenge, representatives from France, Belgium, Jamaica, Malaysia, Pakistan, and more, TD Place Horticulture Building—6 p.m.

Light the Night Walk, march to end cancer, Lansdowne Park—5 p.m.

Gee-Gees women’s volleyball vs. Sherbrooke, Montpetit—6 p.m.

Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Canadian Tire Centre—7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 23 Ottawa Ski, Snowboard & Travel Show, last day, EY Centre—10 a.m.

Gee-Gees women’s hockey vs. McGill, Minto Sports Complex—2 p.m.

Gee-Gees men’s hockey vs. McGill, Minto Sports Complex—7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 1

Ottawa Senators vs.

Vancouver Canucks, Canadian Tire Centre—7:30 p.m.

thefulcrum.ca

DISTRACTIONS | 29

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Re: Vet’s Tour editorial in La Rotonde Dear Editor,

This morning, my world was turned upside down in a way that I never would have predicted. In this already stressful enough time in the semester, I decided to read La Rotonde and I was floored by a defamatory article about an event I had enjoyed a few weeks ago called Vet’s Tours.

I had heard about Vet’s Tours from friends, and knew the details of the event. I am newly single, and was excited to explore my sexuality after years of being in a relationship. So when some friends asked if I could join their team, I was thrilled.

I thought this was a perfect opportunity for me to revel in my new sexual freedom, and become a more empowered woman. I identify as a feminist, and a proud part of that identity includes being proud of my sexual exploits. I have never felt shame or guilt about any consensual activities that I have participated in.

Until this Monday morning.

To my horror, I read about an event that I participated in like it was disgusting and vile. My sense of liberation evaporated. As a survivor of instances of sexual assault, I was horrified a night of consensual sexual activity with friends was being turned into a portrayal of rape culture. I am angry. I have had my consent violated many a time, and I consider it an attack upon my character that this event has been portrayed as an instance of rape culture by La Rotonde.

I guess the editorial and the article taught me that my sexuality is for the judgement and consumption of the general public. I thought I was agreeing to participate in a night of sexual activity, and that I had the right to a private sexual experience

with multiple people. The journalists and editorial staff at La Rotonde took away that right, and were the only people who violated me in any way during my Vet’s Tours experience.

When I was asked to do acts with people I was not comfortable with, I said no, and my decision was respected. I did not feel any pressure, or guilt from my team as a result.

I asked a member of my team if he wanted to try some things with me and he said no. That was his choice and I respected his decision.

However, because of my associated participation in this event, I am being placed on the same playing field as my attackers from high school who violated me. Some consensual fun I had with friends is being compared to the sexual violence committed by Donald Trump, all because La Rotonde believes it has a right to report on the sexual activities of its students, and not real issues that they face.

The articles also portrayed kinky sexual activities in an extremely negative light. Perhaps the editorial staff at La Rotonde should read more Dan Savage—sex does not have to be heterosexual, missionary, and boring. Swallowing ejaculate, food play, genital piercings, and sex with multiple partners can all be part of a healthy adult’s sexual repertoire.

Framing these sexual acts as a perpetuation of rape culture when done with consent is a horrible disservice to both the people who consensually practice them on a daily basis, and actual victims of sexual assault.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have sex this week like I was planning to. Or, at the very least, I will confine my sexual activities to the vanilla, heteronormative, and oppressive standards La Rotonde wants all student leaders on campus to follow. I would hate to end up in the school paper for the second time this week.

—Third-year student at the U of O (Anonymous submission to the Fulcrum)

30 | LETTERS

thefulcrum.ca

EDITORIAL Volume 77, Issue 9, oct. 20, 2016 Creeping the campus since 1942.

Phone: (613) 695-0061 | Fax: (613) 695-9006 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this, or we’ll throw hot coffee at you.

Savannah “Sinister” Awde Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Kim “Don’t Look Now” Wiens Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Kyle “Day of the Dead” Darbyson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Graham “Psycho” Robertson News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Anchal “Night of the Living Dead” Sharma Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Alexa-Eliza “Hocus Pocus” Carter Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “The Silence of the Lambs” Murdock Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca

The Fulcrum’s most memorable food experiences Eating fine on the roadside

Building up an Alp-etite

One of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had was a meal that I ate on the side of the road. My best friend and I were in Morocco, travelling from Ourika to Marrakech, when we spotted a family-run restaurant on the side of the mountainous road. When I say restaurant, I really mean tables and chairs precariously perched on a rocky landing beside a stream of rapids, surrounded by mountains and lush greenery. The scenery was breathtaking and unforgettable, but the food was just as good if not better. This encounter proves, if anything, that you don’t need to eat at an expensive, candlelit restaurant with fancy tablecloths to have a memorable culinary experience.

This past summer a group of friends and I were in Switzerland for a school trip. One morning we woke up at 5 a.m. to take a train into the Alps to do some sightseeing, but by lunchtime we were starving and had limited options available for food. We were exhausted, it was pouring rain, and we had no idea where we were. It was then that we came upon a tiny restaurant in the local village, and I ordered a pesto pasta dish, which to this day is definitely the best pasta I have ever eaten. It was simple yet full of flavour, and I still dream about it sometimes. I would definitely make a trip back just to eat it one more time.

—Savannah Awde, Editor-in-Chief.

—Graham Robertson, News Editor.

Eric “Scary Movie 3” Davidson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Jaclyn “Jeepers Creepers” McRaeSadik Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Allegra “The Craft” Morgado Social Media Coordinator social@thefulcrum.ca Reine “The Babadook” Tejares Webmaster webmaster@thefulcrum.ca Zainab “The Conjuring” Al-Mehdar Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Remi “The Innocents” Landry Yuan Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Syed “A Nightmare on Elm Street” Zeehad Multimedia Coordinator multimedia@thefulcrum.ca Lucas “The Thing” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca

Suicide sauce taste test If you ever find yourself participating in a spicy chicken wing eating contest in the future, heed these words: wash your damn hands when you’re done. After cheering on my co-worker through a basket of wings drenched in suicide sauce, I decided to dip my fingers in and taste it for myself out of morbid curiosity. Not only did it feel like my tongue was going to burn off, but I also made the near fatal mistake of rubbing my eye with the same fingers.

Needless to say, it felt like someone flicked battery acid in my eyeball and I’ve stayed far away from super spicy food ever since.

Best Italian in Boston’s oldest neighborhood Boston’s North End has been around since the mid1600s, since then, it has transformed into one of the most beautiful and bustling historically Italian neighbourhoods in North America. Being of both Italian and Bostonian decent, my mom and I sniffed out a cozy restaurant named Panza on Hanover Street. The food was authentic, fresh, and absolutely delicious, I will argue that it’s the best Italian food anywhere west of the motherland.

Having visited the restaurant twice, four years apart, the friendly little bistro is an absolute must if you find yourself in one of America’s best cities.

—Kyle Darbyson, Managing Editor.

—Spencer Murdock, Sports Editor.

Shanèl “Little Shop of Horrors” Dear Advertising Representative ads@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors

Ryan “Rosemary’s Baby” Pepper Madison “Frankenstein” McSweeney Jasmine “Aliens” van Schouwen Navjot “The Cabin in the Woods” Waraich Sine “The Evil Dead” Robinson Iain “Cat People” Sellers Zack “When a Stranger Calls” Goobie Nico “Halloween” Laliberte Natasha “Let Me In” Lomonossoff Holton “The Shining” Shulman Anastasiia “The Exorcist” Cherygova Miguel “Poltergeist” Marchildon Nick “The Blair Witch Project” Robinson Amitesh “Donnie Darko” Malhotra Tristain “Paranormal Activity” Pollard Erin “The Others” Husband Elizabeth “The Orphanage” Whicher

Board of Directors

Mackenzie “Zombieland” Gray Kate “Phantom of the Opera” Murray Carolyn “The Grudge” Mutis Jonathan “Dracula” Rausseo Raghad “Carrie” Sheikh-Khalil Will “Pan’s Labyrinth” Hume Niharika “Shaun of the Dead” Namulla Thivya “The Host” Naganathan Julia “Disturbia” Miraflores Maggie “The Gift” Gollish

Love at first lobster

Thanksgiving feasts

For every anniversary, birthday, get together, or random seafood craving, Red Lobster has been a great place to visit since I was a child. Back then, my go-to meal was spaghetti—to my parents’ chagrin. My favourite meal now is lobster on mashed potatoes with a creamy white wine sauce and freshly baked biscuits. This ultimate feast is a classic choice for a bit of everything, but scallops and mussels are delicious too! Even their caesar salad is delicious with shaved parmesan cheese, as well as a scrumptious lobster bisque. No matter what event I am going to Red Lobster for the food is definitely memorable.

Maybe I’m biased due to the timing here, but there’s no better food-related memory in my mind than Thanksgiving dinner—and all the leftovers of course. For some reason, pre-made stuffing that you can buy all year at the grocery store becomes the best food on earth for a day.

Large helpings of turkey, potatoes, and everything else to the point where food can barely stay on my plate is an ideal scenario for me. As much as I love exotic food in new places, heaps of stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce at home with friends and family is the real winner in my books.

—Alexa-Eliza Carter, Features Editor.

—Eric Davidson, Opinions Editor.

Cover: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

thefulcrum.ca

EDITORIAL | 31