VOL. 77 ISSUE 22
mar. 16, 2017
Carrying the weight of the world Pg. 13.
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In this week’s issue... Mental health counselling in your PJs P.7 How one U of O alum is working to bring therapy to the comfort of your own home
Jordan Peele’s new horror film offers more to the genre than cheap thrills P.9 Get Out dispels myth of “postracism” in a captivating medium Mental Health Issue P.13 An extensive look at the past, present, and future of mental illness Gee-Gee claims national bronze in 60m hurdles P.21 U of O track team collects one national medal in final varsity event of the year Too Real: SFUO becomes a reality TV show P. 27 The Tomato has all the details on the SFUO’s move to primetime Sexual health can STIng P.28 How to talk testing with your long-term or casual partners
Université d’Ottawa
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University of Ottawa
Discover undergraduate research! 2017 Symposium – Thursday, March 23 More than 300 students will present their findings during the seventh Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) Symposium. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Poster presentations for faculties of Education, Engineering, Medicine and Social Sciences
Ground floor, Jock Turcot University Centre 85 University FREE ADMISSION
research.uOttawa.ca/urop
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Poster presentations for the Telfer School of Management and the faculties of Arts, Health Sciences, Law (Common and Civil Law) and Science
NEWS
NEWS EDITOR
Graham Robertson news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0061 @_grahamr
SFUO tension reaches fever pitch
Student execs raise own salaries by $6,200 each, fire comptroller general
The most recent Board of Administration (BOA) meeting saw a motion for Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) executive salary increases, leading to the resignation of four BOA members. The motion was presented by vicepresident finance Rizki Rachiq, and moved to increase executive salaries from the current $33,550 to $39,750 for the 2017–18 year—an increase of 18 per cent, or $6,200 each. In an accompanying PowerPoint presentation, Rachiq said that SFUO executives are paid less than student union executives in Canada per hour, and even less than some employees of the federation. He also said that the executive is not eligible for overtime, though they work in excess of their designated 40 hours per week. Rachiq explained that higher salaries would encourage more students to run for executive positions in future elections, and vice-president university affairs Vanessa Dorimain added that this wage increase would lead to a more inclusive student movement, especially for mature students and student parents. Some of the debate on the motion revolved around increasing the salaries of other SFUO employees, who are paid significantly less in net wages. Faculty of Arts representative and incoming vice-president of services and communications Kathryn LeBlanc said she was not comfortable accepting a pay raise while the staff who worked with her at the food bank would not receive one for themselves. LeBlanc said that many SFUO staff are living below the poverty line and that their salaries do not make their work inclusive. In a public statement on Facebook following the meeting, LeBlanc wrote, “As the incoming vice-presi-
dent of services and communications, I can attest that I do not feel comfortable accepting a $6,000 raise.” LeBlanc further wrote that she will be donating donate her raise to the SFUO food bank in $500 or $1,000 instalments, likely in the form of physical goods. This was also announced during the March 12 meeting. Rachiq responded saying that he did want to increase wages for other staff, but this would be handled separately from executive salaries. Due to changes in staffing this year, extra money in the line of the budget was allocated to administration, which is where executive salaries come from, according to Rachiq. Current SFUO president Roméo Ahimakin noted that money was originally moved from the services budget line to the administrative budget line. Faculty of Engineering representative Jeffry Colin then asked if the salary increases would interfere with club funding, to which Rachiq explained that club funding would return “eventually” next year and would have its own budget line. However, Rachiq noted that the future club subsidy will not be as high as in previous years. Colin, Ahimakin, and LeBlanc all raised concerns about the federation’s financial situation, saying they would support the motion if the SFUO were in better financial standing, but not in its current state of “crisis.” Ahimakin stressed that he wanted money to go towards full-time services positions next year. He also said that the executive would have to find the money each year for the new salary. Ahead of the vote, Faculty of Health Sciences representative Ellen Galupo requested that any board member who had a financial interest in the motion, specifically if they were elected to an executive position, abstain from voting. At this point, chairperson Shawn Hunsdale said that no member of the board could be compelled to vote a certain way, but urged members to consult the SFUO’s policy on conflicts of interest. Hunsdale then read the pertinent sections, which say that any board member who has a monetary interest in a motion should not vote. “I believe the sense captures the incoming executive,” Hunsdale said.
Faculty of Law representative Lee Chitty noted that he didn’t see any legal problems coming from this, but raised potential “moral” issues. Ultimately, the motion to raise executives’ salaries passed. The only current members of the executive not to vote in favour were Ahimakin, who voted against, and vice-president of services and communications Francesco Caruso, who was absent. As a result of this motion passing, multiple members of the board announced their resignation following the meeting. As of the date of this publication, the following members have resigned: Princejeet Singh Sandhu (Faculty of Engineering), Ellen Galupo (Faculty of Health Sciences), Caylie McKinlay (Faculty of Social Sciences), and Milly Pang (Telfer School of Management). “Today … I have been absolutely taken aback by the decision of our Board to increase Executive salaries, when a motion in support of a $15 living wage for all employees was quickly disregarded at a prior meeting,” McKinlay wrote in a public Facebook post. “There is a clear statement here about the value of economic justice for students at large. That being, not well regarded.” “I cannot and will not associate myself with an organization that
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Eric Davidson Opinions editor
T
he most recent Board of Administration (BOA) meeting saw a motion for Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) executive salary increases, leading to the resignation of four BOA members.
his power as comptroller general for personal matters. Wess highlighted Tallon’s complaints against his opponent Rachiq after the election. Wess also discussed screenshots of a conversation that allegedly showed Tallon enjoying how he was portrayed while giving his reports on the executive, because it showed him “roasting” them. Wess also alluded to comments made by Tallon regarding Rachiq, but did not give specific details. Dorimain accused Tallon of using his power as comptroller general and his public reports to “make the executive look a certain way.” Chitty said he had problems with Tallon’s behaviour, but after reviewing the evidence presented during the in-camera session, he was not convinced that Tallon had breached his contract. Ahimakin said he worried firing Tallon would expose the SFUO to legal liability. At this point the motion was read to remove Tallon as comptroller general. The motion carried, and the meeting was subsequently adjourned. The SFUO General Assembly takes place on March 14 at 6 p.m. in Marion Auditorium. The next BOA meeting will take place on April 2 at 1 p.m. in TBT 083.
claims to be for students and actively works against us, the students,” Galupo wrote in a similar post. Fate of comptroller general In addition to the motion to raise the executives’ salaries, the meeting saw a motion brought during an incamera session to remove Tanner Tallon from his role as comptroller general of the SFUO. Faculty of Social Sciences representative Iris Wong asked to have private notes taken during the session to help future boards know how the incident was handled. Standard SFUO practice is generally not to keep notes during incamera sessions. The board ultimately voted to go in-camera and abstain from keeping a record of the session. Following the 50-minute incamera session, Faculty of Sciences representative and incoming vicepresident of university affairs Axel Ngamije-Gaga asked Tallon if he believes he is able to successfully operate in both French and English. Tallon replied that he found himself suitably bilingual to work as comptroller general. Vice-president social Hadi Wess, who was in favour of the motion, voiced concerns that Tallon used
The salary for SFUO executives has been raised to $39,750 for the 2017-18 year.
Photo: Eric Davidson.
NEWS | 5
BOA ratifies 2017 SFUO general election results Concerns raised over U-Pass usage by part-time execs due to “grey period” eric davidson opinions editor
During the March 12 Board of Administration (BOA) meeting, a motion was read to ratify the results of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) February election and subsequent dismissals from the BOA. Chief electoral officer (CEO) Qussai Abu-Naqoos also gave an oral report on the problems he faced during the elections process. Abu-Naqoos started by praising the work of the poll clerks and SFUO vicepresident university affairs and chief returning officer Vanessa Dorimain. According to Abu-Naqoos, the elections office staff were the sole reason why voter turnout was the highest it has been in years, at 14.6 per cent. In his eyes, members of the elections office went “beyond expectations and beyond pay.” The report then highlighted some of the issues during the hiring and election period, as Abu-Naqoos alleged that he was hired only 15 days before the election and received minimal help from executive coordinator Jesse Root. Abu-Naqoos also noted that his CEO contract was not structured well, and he received inadequate training for the job. He then went on to say there were “constant attacks and mistrust” from board members, and an undermining of the elections office by the board. Even after the election was over, BOA representatives allegedly voiced their opinions both in meetings and in public, saying that some candidates had “competed against the elections office as a whole.” Abu-Naqoos further said that he received complaints from students about decisions made by the BOA—decisions that were made without his input. He also brought up threats made against him by candidates, which led to several faculty directors being disqualified and removed from the board following the election. Finally, the report raised issues with ballot counting, specifically in the race for vicepresident of university affairs,
6 | NEWS
The results were ratified following an oral report by CEO Qussai Abu-Naqoos.
where Faculty of Engineering representative Jeffry Colin’s win was overturned and Faculty of Sciences rep Axel Ngamije-Gaga was elected after a recount. Abu-Naqoos said the miscount was due to human error, as an elections office employee recorded the wrong numbers, giving Colin an original 103-point advantage. Following the report, Faculty of Law (common section) representative Lee Chitty asked about the financial costs of the election. Abu-Naqoos responded that the accounting department has yet to finish going through the numbers. However, the SFUO supposedly saved around $2,000 due to Abu-Naqoos and Dorimain’s increased workload. SFUO president Roméo Ahimakin then asked about problems with international student voting. Abu-Naqoos said the student voter list he initially received did not contain international students. Nevertheless, international students were still able to vote, as Abu-Naqoos checked the names himself. Ahimakin also raised concerns about the hiring of the election’s promotional team—some of whom were BOA members—which he said contravened the constitution. Dorimain responded that
Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
credits a semester. As most U of O courses are three credits each, this translates roughly two classes per semester. This would make them them parttime students, according to the university, as they are taking less than 12 credits (four classes), and only full-time students are eligible for a U-Pass. The section of the constitution continues that an executive could take more than seven credits, but any work for those credits would have to be deferred until after their executive mandate has ended. None of the executives have declared which classes they are taking. Separate complaints had been filed against vicepresident social Hadi Wess, Dorimain, vice-president of finance Rizki Rachiq, and vice-president equity Morissa Ellis. Chitty said that while there were issues with these executives using U-Passes, the committee was not recommending any penalties against anyone. According to Chitty, Wess did indeed have a U-Pass, but was “qualified” for it. Chitty did not explain what these qualifications were. The committee found that Dorimain had had a U-Pass and was not qualified, but that the U-Pass was allegedly obtained under special circum-
these members resigned once they were made aware of this unconstitutionality. Colin then asked the CEO how he could be confident with the other results after the major error for vice-president of university affairs. Abu-Naqoos acknowledged that the error was due to one mistake inputting a number, and that the elections office was “confident” it hadn’t happened elsewhere. The vote margins in the other races was much safer and less likely to have been affected by an error, according to AbuNaqoos. Abu-Naqoos suggested investing in more employees to count ballots for the future, due to errors in the ballotcounting machines. After some debate, the board adopted both the election results and the CEO’s oral report. Executive U-Pass Usage Later in the meeting, Chitty presented a report by the disciplinary committee after complaints were made alleging that some executives had obtained U-Passes while being part-time students. According to the SFUO constitution section 3.2.7.2.1, all executives are required to take no more than seven
stances. Chitty noted that the pass was obtained during a “grey period,” and was taken from a group of passes that were not distributed due to “errors.” The third complaint against Rachiq highlighted that he failed in his duties as head of SFUO human resources by allowing staff to carry improper U-Passes. Chitty said that the committee did not find a breach of the rules in this case. Finally, Chitty said that Ellis was eligible to receive a UPass by originally registering for five classes, making her a full time student. While this contravenes the SFUO constitution on executives, Ellis later dropped down to part-time status. According to Chitty, the committee had some problems during discussions with Dorimain as part of the investigation. Initially, the committee told Dorimain that she would be suspended from the U-Pass portfolio with pay, and that she was unhappy with this decision. After the interview with Dorimain, the committee determined that no theft had technically taken place, and decided not to suspend her from the portfolio. Chitty said that the disciplinary committee recommended fixing this “grey period” so it cannot be used
improperly in the future. After Chitty finished delivering the report, Wess made a joint statement on behalf of himself and Dorimain, speaking on how the investigation was initiated and how the pair were depicted in the media. Wess said that Ahimakin failed to support him and Dorimain in fixing the U-Pass issues in a private executive meeting, and that the president should not have sent the matter to the disciplinary committee. Ahimakin later rebutted that as president he has no powers to police such a situation, and that only the disciplinary committee was capable of finding a solution. Wess also accused vicepresident of services and communications Francesco Caruso of not communicating with himself and Dorimain properly in dealing with the situation. Wess then discussed an article by la Rotonde which discussed U-Pass usage by members of the executive and its accompanying artwork, which depicted himself and Dorimain holding U-Passes. Wess called the article “obscene” and “false,” and that it was an attempt to discredit them both. Following the publication of the article, Wess said he and Dorimain were subjected to bullying and insults over social media. In his statement, Wess demanded apologies from Ahimakin and Caruso, and that la Rotonde take down its U-Pass article and issue an apology. “La Rotonde: with this article, you did not give information, you gave contribution to a horrible gossip, racist and bullying culture,” Wess said in the statement. Wess continued, “(Dorimain and I) have been slandered, defamed, vilified, students have come into (Dorimain)’s office yelling at her and sending messages on social media challenging her intelligence and loyalty to the program, and there has been baseless allegations and false reports on situations in which we were involved.” The board then moved to adopt the report of the disciplinary committee.
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Prioritizing mental health can be done in your pajamas U of O alumna joins tech-based mental health counselling startup, seeks to improve accessibility Savannah Awde editor-in-chief
Walking into an office for your first, long-awaited mental health counselling appointment can be scary. After University of Ottawa alumna Madeline Smolarz experienced this firsthand while accessing on-campus counselling, she joined Inkblot Therapy in order to improve accessibility of mental health services. Inkblot Therapy is a new Internet-based counselling service which, according to Smolarz, provides all the same benefits of a counselling office in addition to features like 24-hour appointment scheduling and low commitment required from the patient. “(It’s) the comfort of being able to jump on, book an appointment, (and) have that appointment a day later without having to leave home if that’s not accessible to you.” Although Smolarz, who is now the operations manager and digital cura-
tor at Inkblot, said that the counselling she received from the University of Ottawa Health Services (UOHS) had a “really positive impact” on her life, she noticed some gaps in the service that needed to be addressed. “I was able to meet with someone within a couple of weeks, however … the semester ends at the end of April, so that’s essentially when I was told the counselling would be finished, regardless of whether I might need more or not,” she said. “At that time I was living quite far from my family, didn’t feel comfortable seeking out a professional counsellor and going to their office. I felt much more comfortable on campus.” However, one notable drawback to Inkblot’s service comes from its $75 price tag, which will book students in for a 50-minute session. While Smolarz said that this charge is necessary to cover the costs of hiring the counsellors and
hosting the website, she acknowledges that this may be a barrier to some students who are low on funds. “(The cost is) just something we’re starting with, and rather than raising the price we’re looking to lower it,” she said. “If you have insurance through yourself or through your parent’s plan, certain insurance providers will help cover this type of counselling.” Although the startup may not be able to provide access to a psychologist for free, Inkblot does provide quicker access to a counsellor than most free services on the U of O campus. According to Donald Martin, manager at the Student Academic Success Service’s (SASS) counselling and coaching service, counselling is available only while students are enrolled in courses. What this means is that summer students may be able to access counselling during the warmer months, however, those not enrolled in sum-
Inkblot Therapy provides at-home, 24-hour appointment scheduling.
mer classes would have to seek help elsewhere. Even if you are planning to take summer courses, the current wait time for an appointment with a counsellor at SASS is four to six weeks, although Martin notes that this wait time usually decreases in the fall term. Meanwhile, to obtain counselling from the UOHS mental health de-
Photo: Rowan Markovich.
partment, the current wait time is four to six weeks for a 30-minute telephone consultation, and four months for an in-office counselling appointment. This information is not listed on the UOHS website, and was obtained by a phone call to the UOHS mental health department. By leveraging technology to make mental health counselling more accessi-
ble, Smolarz and the team at Inkblot hope to create solutions to these problems for students at the U of O and across Canada. “It can come in and help fill those gaps, and meet students’ needs that aren’t necessarily being met. People are falling through the cracks, and unfortunately it happens more often than we perhaps think.”
Food Services unveil new Gee-Gee waffle
Faculty of Engineering helps design signature waffle plate for the U of O Kassandra Engmann fulcrum contributor
The University of Ottawa recently became the first Canadian university to design and build its own waffle plate, which was unveiled to students for the first time on Friday, March 10 in the University Centre (UCU). This new initiative was made possible thanks in part to Patrick Genest, director of the U of O’s Food Services, who came up with the idea after spotting a Mickey Mousethemed waffle at a conference in Anaheim, California this past summer. Shortly after this discovery Genest enlisted the help of Chris Falconi, a U of O graduate student in engineering, to bring this kind of unique branding opportunity to campus. “I thought to myself, ‘This
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would be great for students and to promote the Gee-Gees brand at the same time. How can we collaborate with the faculty and some students to make this happen?’” Genest told the Fulcrum at the March 10 event. Following an initial meeting in September, Falconi and Hanan Anis, a U of O professor in electrical and computer engineering, went through the necessary parameters and specs of the project before building the first iteration of the waffle plate using a 3D printer at the Richard L’Abbé Makerspace. According to Genest, while they were in the middle of designing the waffle plate, the team constantly asked themselves: “How are we going to know what this waffle is going to look like if we can’t really shape it?” To solve this issue, they
Gee-Gees Waffle Fridays will take place every week in the UCU dining hall. Photo: Parker Townes.
tested the prototype plate with Play-Doh to ensure that the Gee-Gees logo would be well defined. Three versions later the final prototype was replicated in mid-November, and five
waffle presses were shipped out to get food-safe coating, returning to the U of O in January 2017. This tasty treat has paved the way for more collaborations between Food Ser-
vices and the student body. Food Services is now working with several classes on a hydroponics project—which involves growing plants in water without soil—and sponsoring the project as a client. “We’ve developed that relationship with the students now and they’ve got the reallife kind of feel for the client experience, and they’re working with us to fulfill our requirements,” said Genest. “All around I think it’s a win-win for everyone in this process.” The Gee-Gee waffle made its official debut in the UCU dining hall on Monday, March 13, and Food Services plans to host Gee-Gees Waffle Fridays every week starting March 17. There will also be spin-off specials in the near future to find the best toppings and pairings for the waffle.
As for seeing the GeeGees logo in other foods, Genest believes that the possibilities in the future are endless. However, as of now, Food Services is “taking (things) one at a time.” “All these ideas bubble up to the surface, but now it’s all about what makes sense. I think the experience has been a positive one for the whole campus and for Food Services as well,” said Genest, noting that the makerspace is also available to any student wishing to leave their mark—quite literally. While Food Services could have outsourced the project, Genest said that it was a great opportunity to work with the faculties, students, and professors. “We’re all Gee-Gees as students on campus, whether you’re an athlete or not.”
NEWS | 7
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Participez à l’Assemblée générale anuelle!/Attend the Annual General Meeting!
GRIP Ottawa
Participez à l’Assemblée générale anuelle!/Attend the Annual General Meeting! Centre th Universitaire 215, 5 avril à 16:00/215 University Centre, April 5 at 4:00pm! Le Groupe de recherche d’intérêt public de l’Ontario (GRIPO) à l’université d’Ottawa a pour mission de rassembler et de construire une communauté dévouée à la justice sociale, économique et environnementale, GRIPO Ottawa s’intéresse aux contributions des étudiantEs et de la communauté universitaire qui visent le changement social.Nous sommes financés par les étudiantEs ce qui signifie que le GRIPO vous appartient. A vous de de vous engager, de proposer un groupe d’action, d’emprunter des ressources, de lancer un projet de recherche, de fabriquer des macarons, de faire des copies, des affiches... et on passe. Le GRIPO se veut un espace et un regroupement accueillant tant pour les nouveaux membres que pour les anciens. Un lieu pour travailler sur des campagnes, d’œuvrer en tant que membre du Conseil d’administration, en tant que bénévole ou en tant qu’individu.Depuis notre fondation, nous avons traité d’enjeux d’intérêt public (droits de scolarité, environnement, justice sociale, guerre et occupation, sexisme, racisme, souveraineté autochtone, etc.) par l’entremise d’événements tels les soirées cinéma, les conférences, les forums et les débats publics, les journées d’échange communautaire, les cafés équitables et les kiosques d’information. Nous avons aussi appuyé le travail de dizaines de groupes d’action sur ces problématiques et bien d’autres à travers les années.
PIRG
The mandate of OPIRG (Ontario Public Interest Research Group at the University of Ottawa) is to bring together and build upon a broad-based community dedicated to social, economic, and environmental justice. OPIRG- is concerned with the contribution that students, the university and the community can make towards social change. We are students funded which means that OPIRG is yours. Yours to engage with, to start a group through, to borrow resources from, to pitch a research project to, to make buttons, copies, banners with...and the list goes on. OPIRG as a space and as a group is meant to welcome friends new and old, to work on campaigns, to work as a board member, as a volunteer, or as an individual. Since our foundation, we have addressed issues of public concern such as tuition fees, environmental justice, social justice, war and occupation, sexism, racism, Indigenous sovereignty, and more through events like movie nights, guest speakers, forums, debates, clothing swaps, fair trade cafés, and information tables. We have supported the work of dozens of action groups on these and other issues throughout the years. As an organization, we exist to support student initiatives and projects by contributing financial and non-financial resources to their development. Any student or student group is welcome to submit proposals to OPIRG.
A&C EDITOR Anchal Sharma arts@thefulcrum.ca
ARTS&CULTURE
(613) 695-0062 @imtherocks
Your Art is on Fire showcases student talent at Café Alt
Event serves as a multifaceted fundraiser for graduating student art show iain sellers
fulcrum freelancer
A
rt doesn’t discriminate. Common wisdom dictates that if you’re passionate and willing to learn, then the community will welcome you.
On Friday, March 10, students embodied this mentality to a tee and transformed Café Alt into the epicentre of Ottawa’s art scene. The event, Your Art is on Fire, featured poets, standup comedians, and musicians who were united by a common passion for the craft. The underground café had one wall that displayed a psychedelic assortment of videos, a pillar transformed into an audio eulogy, and the rest of its space was monopolized by various art vendors,
performers, and guests. Throughout the many performances at Friday’s festivities, artists mingled and peddled unique creations to their like-minded peers. Emilie Azevedo, co-host of the event and a first-year communications student, was also selling handcrafted candles and jewelry made from owl pellets. “I think there’s a nice community and arts scene but it’s not as big as I wanted it to be,” explained Azevedo. “That’s where people like me come in—we’re working on building it.” Alongside Azevedo’s artistic creations, there were also canvas paintings, drawings on slabs of cardboard, Apple-inspired woodwork, and framed artwork for sale. “It’s an amalgamation of my favourite artists in Ottawa, and I really wanted
The event featured local artists, many of whom were students. Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
them to come together and have one final show,” explained Ashelita Shellard, one of the event organizers and a U of O fine arts student in her final year. “I wanted to show that there’s a lot of artists out
there making dope art. I don’t see enough of it at school.” While the showcased artworks were a big hit, they weren’t the only things for sale. Guests also had the op-
portunity to interact with artists and purchase live creations, which included portraits created on the spot and body painting. As the evening progressed, the combination of new and old art, live performances, and the welcoming atmosphere made Your Art is on Fire feel like the central hub for emerging and creative minds. “Everyone here is just trying to get their art out, just like me,” explained Shellard. This event also served as a fundraiser for the annual graduating visual art students show, known as ARC. Similar to Your Art is on Fire, ARC will promote students’ avant-garde creations which provide a means for artists to express themselves. Shellard, for example, intends on presenting a piece of art at ARC that incorpo-
rates “traditional femininity, modern femininity, and video components, editing, music, (and) dance.” Shellard’s work will be one of many on display at ARC, which will take place on April 21 in the Visual Arts building at 100 Laurier Avenue East. To finance the graduates’ upcoming show, all donations and proceeds from the food that was sold at Your Art is on Fire will be used for ARC’s production. For Azevedo, art is a simple means of expression, and events like ARC and Your Art is on Fire definitely bring that dynamic to the forefront. “People go through hard times and they have to deal with it in a way, and art is a way of doing that. Art is expression. Without art, there’s nothing.”
Get Out shows anti-black racism is the real monster of our time Jordan Peele’s directorial debut drives much-needed conversation about white privilege Charlotte McMurtry fulcrum contributor
Jordan Peele’s horror film Get Out—which earned $30 million on its opening weekend and has garnered widespread critical acclaim—has been making waves since it was released on Feb. 24. This surprise hit has been grabbing headlines not only for its subversion of the “black man dies first” trope that commonly befalls horror films, but also for the social commentary that is etched into its bone marrow. The villains of the film aren’t supernatural monsters or easily identifiable psychopaths. Instead, they’re middle-class white liberals: a group that, through denial, ignorance, and arrogance, undermine black people’s legitimate criticisms of everyday antiblack racism. From racial profiling, to
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sinister eugenic ambitions, Peele is cleverly articulating something that is becoming increasingly obvious in today’s society: white liberals’ casual racism is incredibly damaging. Many Americans argue that, ever since the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008, the United States has officially become “post-racial.” This is a damaging and privileged view, one that Get Out competently refutes by illustrating the very real difficulties and dangers of being a black individual navigating white spaces. At the beginning of the film, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is worried about meeting his white girlfriend’s parents for the first time. In reply, Rose (the girlfriend) says, “They’re not racists. I would have told you.” While a seemingly innocuous statement, in reality Rose’s defense of her
Get Out unabashedly provides a social commentary about the inherent racism in our society.
bring attention to police brutality against African Americans. Chris triggers a terrifying reaction from the only other black person at his girlfriend’s parents’ party when he attempts to covertly take a photograph
parents mirrors the kinds of pronouncements white people make all the time—right before they’re about to say something prejudiced. Peele also refers to the recent trend of using cellphone camera footage to
Photo: Vimeo, Klopretnjlaprett.
of him. As a result, the man’s nose begins to bleed and he screams “Get out!” Chris realizes later that the man was hypnotized and Chris’ camera flash briefly brought him out of his stupor. But when you
think about the exchange outside the context of a horror film, it adopts a different, but equally chilling, meaning. The commercial and critical success of Get Out is testament to the fact that not only is there a market for black culture in mainstream media, but there is a persistent desire for more black films and narratives. More than that, it shows that a film that examines racism, even in an unlikely genre, can gain traction in Hollywood, an industry built on inequality, and that has been dragged for its lack of diversity and whitewashing in lead roles. Even though we should be past the point of trying to raise awareness about antiblack racism, we’re clearly not, and films like Get Out might be the very thing that can galvanize a very important conversation on race.
ARTS & CULTURE | 9
Fulcrum Confessionals: Avoiding the sophomore slump
Perushka Gopalkista Staff Contributor
campus, or maybe at a small theatre company. Recently, I overheard some of my friends say they were planning to see To Kill A Mockingbird at Ottawa Little Theatre during the weekend, and I became even more delighted when they asked whether I’d like to come. Hell, yeah! I thought. Even though I live an hour away from campus, I still managed to go. This experience allowed me to just do things, go out, and have fun without using that as an excuse, even if I sometimes have to take two buses home. It honestly took me a while to step outside my comfort zone and stop using my bussing situation as an excuse to avoid social events. Instead, I choose to embrace it. I’m not the only one commuting for an hour each day and, to be quite honest, I actually enjoy those bus rides. It gives me time to reflect on my day, as well as catch up on my nap time. In my first year, I hated being on the bus because I didn’t like how long the rides were. But now I figure that within that time I can get a lot done—if I choose to, that is. Apart from the long bus rides and tedious exam planning, being in second year has helped me grow as a student and discover new things about myself as a person. I’ve learned to look at things with an optimistic eye, and to be grateful for everything that comes my way.
Coming to a huge university for the first time can be exciting. But, at the same time, it can be intimidating and lonely. In my first year, I felt like I didn’t have any friends or that I wasn’t going to make any friends at all. But now that I’m in my second year at the University of Ottawa, I’ve looked at things from a more positive and hopeful point of view—or at least I try to. I’ve learned that it’s not easy to stay positive, especially when you get your first exam of the semester back and it’s not what you expect at all. Well, sometimes it can be a good thing, or maybe it’s something that needs evaluation. This means asking hard questions: what did I do wrong? And how can I improve? With that in mind I sought to visit my student mentor once a week, and intrinsically planned out my study schedule for the month. I know it sounds intense, but I found it to be really helpful because I took the time to plan when I was going to study, what sections of a certain course I was going to focus on each day and so on. Though, I must admit, there were days where I didn’t feel like studying at all and I just started to guilt-watch The Office for the 10th time. Aside from exams and school, socializing for me has become more of personal goal. Since I’m involved in the theatre program, there’s always so much to look out for, such as upcoming shows at the National Arts Centre, on
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10 | ARTS & CULTURE
Photo: CC, Francisco Osorio.
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movies have seen
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
you should
Emily Cecchetti
fulcrum freelancer Why it’s famous Serving as the film adaptation of Peter Hedges’ 1991 novel, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape manages to bring a wide range of emotions to the surface. This is thanks, in part, to then-up-and-comer Johnny Depp, who plays a young man dealing with the loss of his father, all while having to take care of his entire family. Depp’s striking screen presence combined with costar Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as his autistic teenage brother, Arnie Grape, have become legendary in their own right and helped
launch both actors’ careers into the stratosphere. Themes like mental health, obesity, identity issues, relationship troubles, friendship, and death are also brought to the forefront thanks to Hedges’ expert screenplay. All in all, the strong and unpredictable performances from the cast and the heartwarming character development has led this film to stand among the classics of the early 90s. Why you haven’t seen it The film boasts an impressive cast which, outside of DiCaprio and Depp, includes the likes of Juliette Lewis,
John C. Reilly, and Mary Steenburgen. Unfortunately, since What’s Eating Gilbert Grape came out in the early 1993, it usually gets buried at the bottom of their respective resumes. As a result, this film often gets unfairly maligned as that “little indie drama” that actors like DiCaprio and Depp starred in before they moved on to “bigger and better things.”
cially if you prefer movies with an uplifting, happy storyline. Why you should see it anyway Gilbert Grape and the characters in his life take on an array of challenges and heavy decision making, elements that are sure to resonate with a large chunk of viewers even today. The movie does a great job of addressing heavy topics that society tends to shy away from, and it challenges popular discourse surrounding mental health and family dysfunction. With each character bringing their own unique
Why it may be tough to get through The film’s runtime is filled with emotionally charged scenes, and too few comedic reliefs, which might make it difficult to sit through, espe-
baggage to the table, you’re sure to find someone to relate to or, at the very least, sympathize with. This movie is no edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it’ll send you on an emotional rollercoaster ride without sugar coating some of the more sensitive issues on display. Famous lines Arnie: “Match in the gas tank, boom boom!” – Becky: “Tell me what you want as fast as it comes to you.” Gilbert: “I wanna be a good person.” – Gilbert: “We don’t really
move. I mean, we’d like to, but… my mom is sort of attached to the house. Attached is, I guess, not the right word. She’s pretty much wedged in.” Fun facts • This was the first and only feature film role for Darlene Cates, who played Gilbert’s morbidly obese mother. • DiCaprio spent time with mentally disabled teens in order to figure out how to play a character with a developmental disability. • At age 19, DiCaprio received his first Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Arnie Grape.
Campus creations: From poetry to prose
Email arts@thefulcrum.ca to submit your work to the Fulcrum. About the author Dimitri Seemungal is currently studying psychology in his second year at the University of Ottawa. He is also a singer-songwriterrapper and actor. Dimitri has released numerous projects on YouTube, most recently releasing his seventh album “Mental Dimension” in February 2017.
Subconsciously Shattered By Dimitri Seemungal I close my eyes and I appear in a dream. “Where am I?” I ask. Someone stands in front of me. He tells me, “you’re asleep. I heard that you’re broken. Shattered to be precise. Tell me, what do you want?” I tell him: “To be loved, consoled and have a sense of security. To not be afraid that I’ll be abandoned. That I could trust, and not keep my loved ones at arms length. To just not feel this pain anymore.” He comes up to me Leans in with a hug And tells me the one thing I didn’t say. “You’re worth it. You are always worth it. Remember that.” A tear sheds from my eye I hear a bell ring. “You will awaken now. Know I am always with you. I shall love you always.” And with that I awake.
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I’ve got some of my mother’s music, rolled up like Moroccan rugs at a medina and tucked beneath my tongue. Some days the music oozes out of me from the pores in my skin, and the cracks on my feet.
About the author Ahmed Suleimi was born and raised in Northern Nigeria. He is currently completing a BASc in Electrical Engineering at the University of Ottawa. His work draws from both Senegalese and Nigerian culture. He writes about immigration, infatuation, death, birth, war and adolescence from alternative points of view. He has loved poetry since he was introduced to the work of Khalil Gibran at a young age. You can reach him at aahme144@uottawa.ca.
Tell me of your Aaah, merika. So rife with choice That, men choose to be women. Tell me about your uncle, Sam. How he has duped the people Under the sweet pretext of freedom and bravery.
I’ve got all my brother’s shoes. Shoes that talk about immigration, loudly on the 95-sardine.
We were water in buckets Drowning in ourselves Stagnant, And dreaming of the ocean.
AAAH, MERIKA BY AHMED SULEIMI
The people I sit next to on my way to work are troubled by the way I have been playing “Color of love” by Billy Ocean.
IMMIGRATION BY AHMED SULEIMI
But aren’t all men nothing but a collection of the shoes they have grown out of, And all the shoes they will eventually grow into?
Salt Men By Ahmed Suleimi
Tell me of your wall That you will not pay for.
The passengers on the sardine are puzzled, and almost disappointed when my English contradicts my shoes. To them I am Man with shoes No 1. Another spectacle catalogued for Saturday lunches.
Email arts@thefulcrum.ca to submit your work to the Fulcrum.
ARTS & CULTURE | 11
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Mental Health Issue
Illustrations: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
The long history of mental illness in the Western world A look at the development of psychology as scientific field Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi Features Editor
While the field of psychology is relatively young, concepts relating to mental health and mental illness stretch back thousands of years. In the Fulcrum’s inaugural Mental Health Issue, we decided to take a historical perspective of mental health to show what things have evolved and what has stayed the same. While our methods of treatment have become much more sophisticated, according to Dr. Susan Lamb, the University of Ottawa’s Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine, mental illness behaviours have stayed relatively the same. “I think one thing I’ve always found interesting is that … we can look at behaviours versus symptoms and behaviours seem to have a lot of resilience and consistency over the last 2,000 years,” she said. Mental illness dates back to prehistoric times, where humans attempted to drive out evil spirits from the skull by trephining—a procedure where a hole was chipped into the skull using stone instruments. In the Classical era in Greece and Rome, many physicians believed in a “humoural approach.” They believed that four main fluids in the body—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—needed to stay in balance for a person to remain healthy. With the advent of Christianity in the Western world, preoccupations with the devil, sin, and possession were rampant. Another important belief at this time was the belief in witchcraft. Lamb points to the Dutch physician Johann Weyer who took a different approach in the 16th century. “He was able to publish a book and he argues in this book that most women accused of witchcraft do not have supernatural powers, they’re not actually witches.” Before congratulating Weyer for his medieval
feminism, his explanation for witchcraft was that women have “a predisposition to gullibility and melancholy and this is what makes them especially susceptible to Satan’s influence,” said Lamb. In other words, he believed that the devil interfered with the humoural balance of women. “It’s almost a natural explanation of supernatural activity but it’s a shift in thinking, and Weyer says any woman accused of being a witch needs to be examined by a group of physicians who can make this call. So this is new too,” said Lamb. Scientific explanations of mental illness began to gain more ground, especially after the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in 1859. One Darwinian in particular, Adolf Meyer, created and ran the first academic department of psychiatry in North America at John Hopkins University. Lamb, who wrote a book on Meyer, said “(he) wanted to bring in a notion that mental illness was biological dysfunction.” “There was this profound belief in medical science that a physical cause would be found at autopsy in the body to explain mental disease,” said Lamb, but Meyer fought against this. “He wanted to say that our social interactions, our experiences of life and humans, the way we feel, the way we think, those are all biological functions. You can’t cut them up, and look at them through a microscope. But that doesn’t mean they’re not biological.” Therefore, Meyer was big player in the establishing of psychology and psychiatry as scientific fields. However, another product of Darwinism was the rise of the eugenics movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “Its grounded in this idea that we might be able to engineer ourselves as a species if we consciously, or deliberately engineer the environment to which we adapt,” explains Lamb. “Now conflated and all mixed up in that is the notion that the human species can be divided up into different races.” The eugenics movement quickly became a justification for the poorer treatment of ethnic minorities,
women, and the poor. In Canada the eugenics movement is also intertwined with forced sterilization programs. In 1928 the Alberta government enacted the Sexual Sterilization Act, which lead to approximately 2,800 forced sterilizations. One 17-year-old girl was diagnosed as a “moron,” which lead to her forced sterilization. In addition, Aboriginal and Metis peoples made up disproportionately larger numbers of the population who were sterilized, as well as women who were young, poor, and unmarried. The 19th century also saw the rise of institutionalization, where thousands of mentally ill people were housed in crowded asylums that quickly became known for their abuse and neglect, despite previously good intentions. Attitudes became more sympathetic towards the mentally ill, after the two destructive World Wars where millions of previously young, healthy people came home with post-traumatic stress disorder. “When you have so many young, healthy, wonderful soldiers going off to WWI and so many of them having what’s called shell shock in that period,” said Lamb, “then you have a public that has to come to terms with the fact that anybody can get mental illness, that it doesn’t run in families alone.” In the 1950s we saw the accidental discovery of the first antipsychotic medication, chlorpromazine. This medication, and the many that followed over the next five decades, allowed for more treatment of the mentally ill in their own communities and homes. This helped drive the deinstitutionalization process. Current psychiatric help is focused on communities where people live, as opposed to isolating people in asylums. According to Lamb, the current landscape for mental health care looks more positive as “there’s a lot of attention when it comes to mental illness and mental health.” While there is still so much we don’t understand about the many factors that influence our mental health in 2017, we’re way better off than we were even a hundred years ago.
PREHISTORIC ERA → Trephination (cutting hole in the skull while still alive), was commonly used to treat mental illness, believed that it would let evil spirits out of the skull.
THE CLASSICAL ERA Hippocrates (460–377 B.C.E.) → Developed naturalistic cures for mental illness, which included quiet living, vegetarian diet, exercise, no alcohol, bleeding, and vomiting. → Believed that mental illness was a result of disturbances in the four humours (blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm).
Illustrations: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
The changing face of mental illness EATING OUT Culture plays a big part in determining “abnormal” behaviour
Janoah Willsie Staff Contributor
As technology continues to make the world a smaller place, psychologists have noticed that some mental illnesses are diagnosed differently from culture to culture. This means that depression in Canada may look fundamentally different in places like China or Nigeria. This makes sense because the symptoms of various mental illnesses are based on irregular or abnormal behaviours—which can be very subjective, depending on the country you’re living in. An example of this social phenomenon in action is “kayak angst,” a condition experienced by seal hunters in Greenland. While these individuals are out hunting on the open sea they sometimes experience severe panic, a loss of direction, and a desire to be back on land. In other countries like Canada, this condition is a lot closer to what we would define as a panic disorder. However, researchers have also observed conditions that seem to be categorized as different mental illnesses outside of the Western world. In fact, the American Psychiatric Society first published a list of these culture-bound conditions in 1994 that comprises of 25 such illnesses. This list includes “ghost sickness,” which is observed amongst the Navajo people in the United States. This illness is experienced by people preoccupied with the deceased, and it involves symptoms such as a loss of appetite, feelings of suffocation, and nightmares. If you live in South Korea you might have been impacted by “Hwabyeong,” an illness resulting from experiencing unfair treatment. This condition causes symptoms including angry outbursts, depression, insomnia, heart palpitations, and fatigue. Over in “the land of the rising sun” an estimated 541,000 Japanese citizens have been identified as
“hikikomori,” individuals who isolate themselves and refuse to leave home for a period of over six months. There are even some reported cases where people have not left their home for twenty years. Of course, the jury’s still out on whether these conditions are distinct mental illnesses or a culturally influenced variant of pre-existing symptoms. However, some research suggests that certain mental illnesses are pretty universal. In 1976, Harvard anthropologist Jane Murphy observed two societies that had had little contact with the West: a group of Inuits living near the Bering Strait, and the Yorubas living in Nigeria. She found that these two populations experienced mental illnesses with symptoms consistent with what the West would call schizophrenia and psychopathy. These types of coincidences could point to genetic and biological causes of mental illness. But this doesn’t mean that the culturally specific conditions listed above are lacking in unique fac-
tors. For example, Dr. Henry Grubb, a psychologist from the University of Maryland, is convinced that people like the hikikomori exhibit signs that are a Japanese version of anxiety disorders. This has lead researchers to question whether the physiological processes in the human brain are the same or different than illnesses found in the West. Although it seems like an exercise in frustration, determining whether or not culture-bound conditions are distinct mental illnesses can have a serious impact on international medical treatment. After all, misdiagnosis and prescribing the wrong medication or counselling can make a person’s situation a lot worse. More research into these culture-bound mental illnesses needs to happen, since it will allow us to gain more knowledge of how to treat our own conditions and how to transfer these techniques to the world at large.
Illustration: Marta Kierkus.
The Arab World → Avicenna published the Canon of Medicine, one of the most widely read medical books in history, which emphasized natural causes of illnesses. → Units for the mentally ill created within hospital where treatment followed the tradition of care, support, and compassion.
Europe in the Middle Ages → Supernatural causes of mental illness → Demonic possession had to be exorcised, often with humiliating or painful results. Illustrations: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
EATING Sex can be aOUT serious head game Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz talks about how mental illness could be killing your sex drive
Miguel Marchildon Fulcrum Freelancer
In the meantime, Kleinplatz is adamant that sex can be a positive force in people’s lives. “Being part of a fulfilling sexual relationship can improve feelings of connection and self-esteem,” she said. “As ways of coping go, in the face of the stressors of life, being in loving, mutual, consensual, fulfilling relationships is a much better choice than drugs or alcohol.”
Ill u str ati on : Je nn if e o. rV
Mental illness can affect many different areas of one’s everyday life. But one aspect that is often ignored in this struggle for emotional stability is what happens between the sheets. With one in five Canadians personally experiencing mental illness at some point in their lives, these kinds of health problems can quickly lead to a lot of expired condoms. Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz, a University of Ottawa professor in the Faculty of Medicine and director of the school’s Sex and Couples Therapy Training, explains that sexual dysfunction related to mental illness can be attributed to more than just mood. While it might seem obvious that a condition like depression—which causes individuals to lose interest in things they used to enjoy—can negatively affect their sex life, the reason behind this phenomenon is a lot less obvious. Sometimes, the treatment is the biggest culprit. In fact, the use of pharmaceuticals to remedy these issues can cause the most dramatic effect on one’s sex drive, especially when compared to the direct symptoms of psychological problems. “By the time individuals with a history of anxiety and depression come to my office, they are generally on pharmacologic treatments, typically, without having been warned of the sexual side effects of their drugs,” explains Kleinplatz. Antidepressants in general—including Celexa, Cymbalta, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft— are correlated with a number of sexual side-effects like erectile dysfunction in men and a decreased desire for sex in women. For individuals struggling with these kinds of issues, learning that their medication could bring on even more serious side-effects can be quite
upsetting. Kleinplatz says that, in her experience, when patients become aware that their medication could be negatively affecting their sex life, “they now feel even more depressed because their sex life has taken a disastrous turn.” This can lead individuals to abruptly stop taking their medication. Of course, this kind of action is not recommended and Kleinplatz warns that “the withdrawal effects can be severe and cause agitated depression, thereby increasing the risk of suicide.” Luckily, sex by itself can serve as an effective medication for some individuals. Naturally, “sexual fulfilment tends to make people feel good about themselves and about each other,” said Kleinplatz. She adds that, when it comes to people who have trouble sleeping, “sex to the point of orgasm before bed often helps with sleep.” However, not all orgasms are created equal. According to Kleinplatz, quality, not just quantity, is important when it comes to therapeutic love making. “When sex goes down the tubes, people experience anxiety, that is, they become self-conscious when they are having sex,” she said. This means that it may become harder and harder for your body to respond during sex. She elaborates that “the founders of sex therapy, Masters and Johnson described this as ‘spectatoring.’ Instead of being embodied during sex and feeling alive, it feels as though you are watching yourself from the bleachers.” In turn this can trigger more anxiety and depression, and you might find yourself in a vicious cycle. This can even contribute to the development of a sexual dysfunction such as erectile dysfunction or female orgasmic disorder, which are also influenced by psychological factors. As always, it never hurts talk to your doctor if you feel like your mood-managing meds are negatively impacting your sex life.
The Scientific Approach Bethlem Royal Hospital (1547 AD) → Monastery in England converted into a hospital where mentally disordered individuals could be housed. → To raise funds the public was invited to visit the asylum and pay an entrance fee, where they got to tease and poke patients inside. Philippe Pinel (1745–1826 AD) → Made asylums that were more humane, chains removed from patients and windows replaced to let in sunlight. → Developed systematic approach to classification of mental disorders. Illustrations: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
EATING OUT Mental health is intersectional Social environment is a key influence in chance of developing a mental illness
Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi Features Editor
While Canada has a generally positive reputation for gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and its treatment of ethnic minorities, recent mental health research has found consistent disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses for these people compared to the general population. It’s important to note that additional factors such as disability, socioeconomic status, and individual factors also intersect with gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity when it comes to predisposing someone’s emotional well-being.
Women There’s an important distinction between men and women when it comes to diagnosis of certain mental illnesses. Research suggests that women are 75 per cent more likely than men to report recently suffering from depression, and 60 per cent more likely to report an anxiety disorder. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to report a substance abuse disorder. “There is a pattern within—women tend to suffer more from what we call ‘internal’ problems like depression or sleep problems,” according to professor Daniel Freeman in an interview with the Guardian. “They take out problems on themselves, as it were, where men have externalising problems, where they take things out on their environment, such as alcohol and anger problems.” While the difference between men and women is clear when it comes to mental illness, the reason why isn’t so apparent. After all, research has shown that women are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness. According to 2015 article from Psychology Today, this is exacerbated by the fact that doctors have an implicit bias in favor of labeling women’s symptoms as emotional, while taking men’s symptoms more seriously. Plus, men and women’s environments also plays an important role in the development of mental illness. Trauma, such as sexual assault, which is more likely to happen to a woman, is often a predictor of mental illness later on in life.
“The health care system has often neglected the concerns of women, and traditionally women have had very little control over their own medical treatment, both for emotional and physical problems,” according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. “Diagnostic categories, like many mental health classifications and theories created by men, have tended to locate the difficulties of women within the individual and to label women’s behaviour in devaluing ways.” Suicide rates in Canada adds further complexity to the issue of mental illness and gender. In 2009, there was 3,890 suicides in Canada, and men were three times more likely to take their own lives than women. However, women are three to four times more likely to attempt suicide than men. This is often attributed to the fact that women chose less fatal methods of suicide, while men opt for more violent exit strategies. LGBTQ+ community In Canada, homosexuality was considered a mental illness from 1952 until 1974. However, variations of the listing of homosexuality remained in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) until 1986. Since 1980, Gender Identity Disorder has been listed in the DSM. This history has definitely had a ripple effect on society at large, as members of the LGBTQ+ community are still very likely to experience discrimination and mental health problems as a result. In addition, bisexual and trans people are more likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, additional factors that may impact mental health and well-being for LGBTQ+ people include the process of “coming out,” gender transition, internalized oppression, isolation and alienation, loss of family or social support, and the impact of HIV and AIDS. All in all, 33 per cent of LGBTQ+ youth have attempted to take their own
lives at some point, compared to seven per cent of nonLGBTQ+ youth. In addition, LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide, and a study conducted in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario found in 2006 that 28 per cent of trans and two spirit people had attempted suicide at least once during their lifetime. Ethnic and racial minorities Racial and ethnic backgrounds can also predispose individuals to unique challenges when it comes to mental illness. “Minority groups were much more likely to report mental health problems and stressful life events,” said professor Sherry Grace, publisher of a York University study on mental health in common ethnic minorities in Ontario. “And with the exception of Aboriginal Ontarians, we also found that they were less likely to use the mental health services that we have here.” The researchers looked at self-reported data that encompassed south Asian, east Asian, southeast Asian, and black Ontarians, and compared their responses to white Ontarians. They found that black participants face significantly more stressful life events, while south Asian respondents reported significantly greater anxiety. On the other hand, east Asian individuals reported significantly lower social support, and Aboriginal participants reported significantly greater depressive symptoms and lower social support. All in all, while the data shows that there are differences in mental illness prevalence among different groups in Canada, the biggest thing to take away from this research is that marginalized groups in Canada experience mental illness and treatment in completely different ways.
Illustration: Marta Kierkus.
BEGINNINGS OF MODERN PSYCHOLOGY Benedict Augustin Morel (1809–1873 AD) → Developed degeneration theory, the idea that deviations from normal functioning are transmitted by hereditary processes and these deviations degenerate over generations. Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926 AD) → Published Clinical Psychiatry in 1883, a tome that attempted to classify mental illnesses as syndromes.
When making endsOUT meet leads to mental defeat EATING The intersection of poverty and mental illness on campus Savannah Awde Editor-in-Chief
Poor university students. They’re so hard done by, getting handouts from their parents, spending their OSAP money on beer, and —gasp!— having responsibilities in a sheltered version of the “real” working world. Poor, poor students! Sound familiar? I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard some variation of those statements at nearly every family gathering I’ve attended. However, it appears that the plight of the university student isn’t as one-dimensional as your racist uncle made it out to be. It’s been known for some time now that mental illness is rampant on Canada’s university campuses, with rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. What doesn’t seem to get as much coverage is that, according to a November 2016 report from the Meal Exchange, 39 per cent of Canadian students reported living with food insecurity. Notably, African-Canadian students reported food insecurity at a rate of 75 per cent, while 56 per cent of Aboriginal students said they had experienced food insecurity while in school. To Kathryn LeBlanc, an event supervisor at the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s Food Bank, low wages are a major root cause of poverty among students. “Even if you are working, chances are you aren’t making very much money, and on top of that job security is huge,” said LeBlanc. “Lots and lots of folks aren’t even able to know when their next pay cheque is going to come. Think of all the unpaid internships. Think about the amount of labour students are expected to put in, extra-curriculars on top of that.” LeBlanc’s statement is echoed by Katherine Marshall’s 2010 report for Statistics Canada on Employment Patterns of Post-secondary Students, which shows that over half of students are employed while completing their post-secondary education— up from only one-quarter between 1970 and 1990.
In addition, the report shows that students earned, on average, between $6,000 and $7,000 during the school year—well below the poverty line. Coupled with tuition outpacing the rate of average incomes and inflation, Canadian students are commonly finding themselves in a financial bind. There are always student loans, but often for graduate students these loans cap out beneath the cost of their tuition, not to mention the hoops some students have to jump through to get any substantial funding due to the parental income requirement. Plus, research by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance shows that only half of undergraduates report receiving financial assistance from their parents. This means that those who aren’t supported by their higher income families are left without financial help. But the issues of student poverty and mental illness don’t exist in a vacuum—20 per cent of the students surveyed in the 2016 Meal Exchange report indicated that food insecurity had an impact on their mental health. According to Tim Aubry, a professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology, people living in poverty are definitively at a higher risk for mental illness, and many factors are at play when we analyze the relationship between these circumstances. In his mind, “The adequacy of their housing, the safety in the kind of neighbourhood they live in, the resources they have to engage in leisure activities, access to extended health care, or the basic health care that most Canadians have,” are just some of the reasons that those living in poverty are predisposed to mental illness. He also emphasized that certain populations in Canada are more affected than others, in particular Indigenous communities, the homeless population, and rural residents. LeBlanc noted that the stress of living in poverty isn’t the only factor that can contribute to mental illness, but the stigma associated with reaching out to support facilities such as a food bank. “There are so many people that could benefit from a student food bank but they don’t, because they
Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840–1902) → Determined that the General Paresis of the Insane (GPI) was not a separate disease but a later stage of syphilis. → He determined this by injecting patients with GPI with syphilis and realizing that they didn’t develop early symptoms of syphilis.
Hypnotism → Anton Mesmer developed early forms of hypnotism.
feel shame, or they feel stress, or they feel stigma about the idea of visiting a food bank,” she said. “Student loans, and income insecurity, and all of these things are put into the back rooms and you don’t talk about them, and we just internalize the shame.” Perhaps one of the biggest intersections of mental illness and poverty happens when someone struggling with a disorder seeks help. According to the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, one 50-minute session with a counsellor or psychotherapist can cost anywhere between $60 and $150. The U of O does offer counselling and therapy services at reduced rate, however these services have their drawbacks with wait times and lack of free counselling for longer-term problems. This relationship between poverty and mental illness is what Aubry calls a “vicious cycle,” and he thinks one way out could be the creation of rent subsidies to supplement low-income earners—a mechanism which he says has recorded a near 80 per cent success rate in moving people out of homelessness. Aubry also notes that basic income will soon be entering a pilot phase in Ontario, the results of which could have a positive impact on low-income earners on campus and beyond. LeBlanc thinks an effective solution would be more lobbying to reform the basic labour laws that have the strongest impact on millennials in “precarious” work positions. But until these long-term changes can come into effect, it seems that we should push just as hard for discussion around student poverty as we do with mental illness—because the stigma and secrecy surrounding both topics are inextricably linked. “You might think that you know someone really well, but you actually have no idea if their employer is cutting their hours. You don’t know if their provincial government is screwing with their loans, you don’t know who is affected, and you don’t know how much someone is affected,” said LeBlanc. “People don’t know how big of a problem it is, because everyone is suffering in silence.”
Psychoanalysis → Developed by Breuer and Freud → Reliving past experiences to deplete associated emotions, experience catharsis.
Illustrations: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
CAN-BIND study searches for more effective depression treatment
EATING OUT
Leading researchers come together to tackle mental illness head on
Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi Features Editor
It can take a lot of effort for people living with depression to seek help for their debilitating mental illness. However, for many Canadians, that first prescription or stint on a therapist’s couch is only the beginning of a long, arduous journey to emotional well-being. In fact, two-thirds of patients will not respond to to their first medication and will have to seek different types of treatment, according to the University of Ottawa’s Dr. Pierre Blier. Sometimes that can take weeks, months, or even years. “What we know, and it is clearly established in the literature in the scientific field, is the longer depression is allowed to continue, the lower are the chances of getting people back into remission,” said Blier. “We know that there are some degenerative phenomenon ongoing with depression.” Blier is a professor in the U of O’s Department of Psychiatry and Cellular/Molecular Medicines, a recipient of the Endowed Chair in Mood Disorders Research at the university’s Institute of Mental Health Research, as well as the recipient of the Canada Research Chair in Psychopharmacology. He’s also a part of the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CAN-BIND), a research project that seeks to more easily match patients to successful treatments. “CAN-BIND initially started with a clinical study in depression, major depression, to try to identify biomarkers for prediction of response in depression,” said Blier. Biomarkers are “biological and clinical characteristics that will help guide treatment selection” according to the CAN-BIND website. According to Blier, the study integrates data from a battery of tests using brain-imaging techniques, genotyping measurements, tests of protein in the blood, as well as questionnaires on personal environmental factors. “What’s important about CAN-BIND is that there’s going to be really a wealth of data, whether its imaging, proteomics, or genetics, which could eventually lead to predictors of response so that we could actually get people better faster from their depression,” said Blier. The study has brought together some of the top brains in depression research from across North America, head-
ed by Dr. Sidney H. Kennedy, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. “I’ve always been interested in the relationship between our environment and our genetic makeup, and depression is a prime example of genetic risk interacting with multiple adverse life events,” writes Kennedy about the project. CAN-BIND has already yielded some interesting findings on how depression works in the human brain. Through the use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, they’ve pinpointed two areas of the brain, the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, which are “showing potentially promising signs of being able to predict treatment response.” The next step is to use these findings with other clinical and genetic findings to develop “a ‘formula’ to predict response,” according to their website. The CAN-BIND researchers have also found the drug ketamine could be a highly effective treatment for depression. Ketamine, listed on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, is mainly used as an
anesthesia, and is thought to be a potential alternative for other painkillers. “We know, for example, with ketamine that there is a direct effect on suicidal ideation, so we hope not to just decrease morbidity but to decrease mortality as a result of major depressive disorder,” said Blier. He said one upcoming study will look at comparing the effects of ECT and ketamine. However, their research on ketamine so far has “strong limitations” regarding the long-term effectiveness or safety of this treatment, optimal dose, and interactions with other drugs. The researchers are currently in the process of analyzing the data collected from their first study. “Because we have a lot of markers and we’re going to be resorting as well to intelligent, big data analysis because there are so many variables,” said Blier. Despite the labyrinth of factors involved, Blier and his colleagues at CAN-BIND will hopefully help clear the path for people around the world trying to navigate depression.
Photo: Jennifer Vo.
MODERN CANADIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL HISTORY 19th Century → Mentally ill were kept with criminals, abuse and neglect was common. → Alberta 1928 passed a sterilization law, sterilized 2,832 people who were thought to be feebleminded and mentally ill. → A 17-year-old girl was sterilized for being a ‘moron’.
Mental health services EATING OUT for U of O students
Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi, Features Editor
Illustration: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
Service
Cost
Wait time
Pros
Cons
Ottawa Mental Health Crisis Line (613-722-6914) Good 2 Talk (1-866925-5454) U of O Mental Health Counselling
Free.
None. Available 24 hours a day.
Immediate access to counselling services.
Not available for longterm mental illness.
Free.
None. Available 24 hours a day.
Immediate access to counselling services.
Not available for longterm mental illness.
Free. Available to paVaries. tients enrolled with family physician with UOHS Family Health Team.
Offers individual, family, or couples therapy.
Short-term assistance only (six to eight sessions).
Free. Available to paVaries. tients enrolled with family physician with UOHS Family Health Team. Free. Available to all Approximately one students. week for a triage appointment. Free. Available Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wait times vary. By Student price as low as $10 per hour-long appointment, open Monday to Friday. session.
Offers comprehensive, interprofessional psychiatric assessment and diagnosis information. Easily accessible and relatively short wait time.
Short-term assistance only.
U of O Psychiatry
Student Academic Success Service (SASS) Residence counsellors Centre for Psychological Services and Research (Vanier room 4031) SFUO Peer Help Centre Support Chat
Free.
SFUO Peer Help Cen- Free. tre Active Listening SASS Pet Therapy (90U 152)
Free.
Illustration: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
Drop-in or appointment basis during hours of operation. Drop-in or appointment basis during hours of operation. Fridays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Specifically for issues related to students living in rez. Long-term treatment, addresses wide range of mental illness, low-priced professional care, on campus. In-person confidential chat.
Offers only five to 10 sessions. Not available for long-term mental illness. Only address mental health problems relating to living in rez. Not free, wait time could be longer. Doesn’t take the place of professional counselling.
Late-night, U of O-based support.
Not a permanent solution for long-term mental illness.
Deal with stressful situations with Sassy, Coco, Miso, Maze, Luther, or Bella, all trained therapy dogs.
Great for animal lovers, but not a viable option to those who aren’t partial to furry friends.
1940s-1960s → Lobotomies performed on thousands. → MKUltra: Testing LSD and brainwashing without informed consent. → Deinstitutionalization → Aim to shift care from psychiatric hospitals to the community by the government.
SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR Nico Laliberté sports@thefulcrum.ca
(613) 695-0062 @FulcrumSports
Tania Bambi takes home national bronze in women’s 60m hurdles Gees have solid, if unspectacular, showing at U Sports track championship Nico Laliberté Sports editor
L
ast year’s national track and field championship was highlighted by then-fourth-year Devyani Biswal’s gold medal performance in the 60m hurdles. While no one managed to reach those lofty standards this year, multiple athletes qualified for the finals in their respective events, and the Gees finished the weekend with six top-ten finishes.
The Gees’ best result of this event, which took place at the University of Alberta from March 9 to 11, came courtesy of second-year sprinter and hurdler Tania Bambi, who
Second-year Bambi narrowly beat out fellow Gee Biswal for third.
won a bronze in the women’s 60m hurdles with a final time of 8.44 seconds. Biswal, last year’s gold-medal winner, finished fourth overall, just a hair behind Bambi with a 8.45-second race.
Photo: Courtesy of the University of Alberta.
Heading into the meet, Biswal was ranked fourth in the nation, and Bambi was ranked fifth, with Biswal winning bronze in the 60m hurdles at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champi-
onships in late February. Fourth-year hurdler and long-jumper Scott Hancock had the best result for the men, coming off a bronze-medal performance in long jump at the OUA championships.
After jumping 7.13 metres in the OUA finals, Hancock jumped 7.15 metres in the U Sports Championship final to place him fifth overall. Hancock also finished fifth overall in the men’s 60m hurdles, finishing with a time of 8.26 seconds. Fifth-year runner Charlotte Gardner came sixth overall in the women’s 600m run. Charlotte Gardner collected a bronze at the OUA championship, and entered the national competition ranked seventh. First-year Madison Clarke was ranked eighth going into the U Sports Championship, but failed to get past the preliminary round. Clarke and Gardner were joined by second-year long sprinters Sophia Skorenky and Jecica Joseph to compete in the women’s 4x400m relay. The team finished ninth overall, running
a total time of 3:50.36. While it is disappointing that fifth-years Biswal and Gardner did not medal this time around, there are a number of positive performances to take away from the meet. Bambi is only in her second year, and looks to have a bright future ahead of her. Clarke impressed just by making the U Sports Championship in her first year, and by helping the women’s 4x400m relay to a top-ten finish. Along with Skorenky and Joseph, she will be looking to improve on that finish next year. Hancock achieved personal bests in both long jump and 60m hurdles, and will get one more year to go for a national medal. Although they did not take home a gold medal, most of the Gees’ athletes are still young and will return next year hoping to improve on their showing.
Nike announces “Pro Hijab” to go on sale in 2018
While the sports hijab is nothing new, this latest announcement is still a big deal Zainab Al-Mehdar Associate News Editor
On March 7, Nike announced that it is developing the “Nike Pro Hijab,” a piece of sportswear made specifically for Muslim women. According to multiple news outlets, the product is made of light stretchy fabric that includes tiny holes for breathability and an elongated back so it will not come untucked. The product, which has been in development for a year, was tested by athletes including figure skater Zahra Lari. Nike also consulted with Muslim female athletes from around the world, including Middle Eastern runners and cyclists, in the designing of the hijab. When it was first announced, the Internet predictably lit up with people sharing the news on Twitter and Facebook. However, this idea is not original and other companies have created sportswear geared towards Muslim female customers in
the past. For instance, a company called Capsters was launched in 2001 by Cindy van den Bremen, inspired by a Dutch girl who got expelled from gym class due to her “unsafe hijab.” Another company called Mu’mine Activewear, launched in 2015 and are still innovating in the comfort and breathability department to create better fabrics for their female Muslim competitors. But even though Nike’s launch of their own sport hijab is not an innovative idea, it is still ground breaking due to the fact that it is being distributed by a multinational corporation. After all, Nike has such a giant reach globally, which will hopefully bring to light the importance of sustainable sportswear for the female Muslim community, especially considering all the struggles female Hijabie athletes have faced in the past. As for myself, growing up I found it extremely hard to shop for sports-
The Nike “Pro Hijab” will be available for purchase in 2018.
wear and swimwear that was comfortable and lightweight. I personally never heard about a lot of the companies that do produce sportswear for Hijabie females, partially due to the fact that most of them were online based and not in North America, which made getting my hands on one an extremely expen-
Photo: YouTube, CNNMoney.
sive prospect. Nonetheless, it’s great to know that there are companies out there that are making it significantly easier to support Muslim-friendly sportswear that empower women to lead an active lifestyle. Being recognized as athletes has been very difficult for female Mus-
thefulcrum.ca
lims in the first place, but with all the barriers they have broken it’s not that surprising that a renowned company like Nike would want to explore such an untapped market. After all, athletes like American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and Egyptian weightlifter Sara Ahmed are just the tip of the iceberg. Recent sporting events like the 2016 Rio Olympics were exciting to watch because I saw females that resembled me, who were breaking stereotypes and just being boss-ladies. Although the hijab has been heavily politicized in recent times, it’s refreshing to see that these female athletes are continuing to break boundaries and being unapologetically bold and fearless. Nike’s marketing campaign for this new product will only add fuel to this fire, and serve to show the world that the hijab has never stopped—and will never stop—females from playing sports and achieving their dreams.
Sports | 21
Freshmen athletes reflect on their first year of varsity Da Luz, Poirier share some of the joys and challenges of being a Gee-Gee zack goobie
Associate Sports Editor The first year of university can be daunting enough without the added stress of playing varsity sports for the first time in your life. The Fulcrum sat down with a couple of freshmen to ask them about their first year representing the University of Ottawa in athletic competition. For these Gee-Gees, the transition from high school to university sports was not an easy one, but they were eager to prove themselves and make their mark. Lauren Da Luz: women’s soccer The Gee-Gees women’s soccer team had, to put it lightly, a very up and down year. After going 9–0 to start the season off, the team struggled down the stretch, going winless in their last seven regular season games. They were eventually ousted in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarter-finals by Queen’s University. Lauren Da Luz, hailing from Coquitlam, B.C., saw action in 11 of the U of O’s 16 regular season games, and even managed to start in six of them. In an interview with the Fulcrum, the engineering major talked about her transition from high school to university sports.
“The biggest difference is the tempo,” said Da Luz. “In terms of the tactical side, everyone has good feet, they’re able to beat players, passes are amazing, shots are amazing.” With her first year under her belt, Da Luz also addressed her personal goals moving forward. “My expectations for me (is) to become stronger physically, and mentally,” she said “My biggest thing for me is that I want to beat players one on one.” While the team saw an outstanding first half of the season crumble before them once playoffs rolled around, Da Luz is confident in her team’s abilities going forward. “Going into second year, I think we have a really good
chance again to have a really good team,” said Da Luz. “The future looks bright. I can’t imagine us not doing well.”
ey program, netting five goals and seven assists to become the team’s second highest scoring defenseman. The former Dieppe Commando talked about the transition from Junior A hockey to the quality of play found in a league like the OUA. “The change in speed is definitely big. Players are stronger and faster,” said Poirier. “Teams can change their tactics from game to game.”
Michael Poirier: men’s hockey The U of O men’s hockey team had an incredible first season coming back from a two-year absence, finishing the year with a record of 15–8– 5 before losing in the deciding playoff game to Queen’s. Because of the two-year hiatus, head coach Patrick Grandmaître had to lean on a lot of first-year players to get some momentum going for his team. Michael Poirier, a first-year economics student, played a pivotal role on the blue line for the revamped Gee-Gees hock-
Going forward, the team comprised of almost exclusively freshmen has a bright future. Poirier talked specifically about how his coach’s systems could put them on the path to victory. “Patrick would change our system game in and game out to address the other team’s play,” said Poirier. “We didn’t have a fixed system every game, it would depend on our opponent.”
The Moncton native saw time both on the penalty kill and the power-play, and emerged as an offensive weapon on the defensive end. Next year, Poirier is looking forward to seeing his team continue to develop under Grandmaître’s guidance. Men’s hockey will definitely be a team to watch going forward, and Poirier is very likely to play an integral part of that future success story.
Defenseman Michael Poirier finished second on the Gees in defensive scoring. Photo: Marta Kierkus.
FIFTH-YEAR FILE: Caleb Agada Zack Goobie
associate Sports editor Fifth-year File will outline the career of a graduating athlete who will soon retire the Garnet and Grey. These seniors have all had an impact on advancing varsity athletics in their time at the University of Ottawa. As the last buzzer sounded to end the University of Ottawa men’s basketball season, so ended the career of fifth-year standout guard Caleb Agada as a Gee-Gee. Agada broke into Ontario University Athletics (OUA) in the 2012–13 season as a rookie, averaging 3.5 points per game. That would be the only season he would average less than double digits. “In my first year at nationals, when I kind of had my coming out party, that was the
22 | SPORTS
best basketball I played in that whole season.” The Burlington, Ontario native was recruited after graduating high school, and came off the bench for most of his first year in university, averaging just over ten minutes per contest. “I basically went from the bench guy to the leader. When I first got here there was a little role for me,” said Agada. “In my second year I proved to my teammates and coaches that I could play, and that I’m going to develop.” In Agada’s second year, he started to have a more prominent role with the team, averaging 26.3 minutes a game and starting in 19 games. He filled the stats sheet, averaging 7.1 rebounds to go along with 2.5 steals and 13.5 points per game. The following year, Agada
Two U Sports defensive player of the year awards highlight Agada’s long list of personal achievements. Photo: Kim Wiens.
received recognition from the OUA for the first time, being named to the first all-star team, something he would re-
ceive for the next three years in a row. His third year was also his best year shooting the ball, as he shot an amazing 54.1
per cent from the field and 41.1 per cent from beyond the arc to finish with a career-high 15.8 points a game. Agada reached the national Final 8 Championships every year from 2013 to 2016, winning two silvers and one bronze. In 2015–16, Agada’s hard work and lockdown defence was awarded as he was named the OUA defensive player of the year and the defensive player of the year for Canadian Interuniversity Sport (since rebranded as U Sports). “I just really love the game of basketball. I love to do all the aspects of being a great player,” said Agada. “Defence is something that a lot of guys don’t really focus on or care about, but I’m the type of player who wants to be the best at everything.”
This last season, the lockdown defender was called on to be the heart and soul of the Gees’ system. He started all 17 games that he participated in and averaged 14.9 points a game to go along with an incredible, career-high 2.9 steals per contest. For his strong play at both ends of the court, he was once again named OUA and U Sports defensive player of the year. Agada came up big for his team when they needed him most, which he proved in both OUA final four games as he stepped up to score 24 and 22 points. The Gee-Gees will surely miss Caleb Agada’s great hustle, defensive prowess, and his great scoring touch. Head coach James Derouin will be hard pressed to find a player to replace him.
thefulcrum.ca
Competitive club closeup: Ultimate frisbee Whether indoor or outdoor, this team keeps spinning all year long nico Laliberté
sports editor Unlike varsity team sports, the University of Ottawa competitive ultimate frisbee club’s season never really ends. The team begins playing right away in the fall in local tournaments, then regionals, and then, potentially, nationals in October. After Christmas, the cycle starts right back up again—this time, with the team playing indoors. “The cool thing about it is … you play in the fall, you take a two-month break,” said fourth-year Gee-Gee Habib Atallah. “The winter season starts right away in January. You go all the way to April, and then while we’re not in school, there’s the summer season.” “It’s not like when I used to play football, where you
had three months of playing and then you had the rest of the time to just train and lift and it’s not as fun.” With a number of key players recently graduated, the Gees were prepared to take a step back this year. However, they surpassed their expectations, improving on their overall finish from the previous season. According to Atallah, the club finished 11th out of 25 teams, which is a marginal step up from where they finished at nationals last year. “We thought this year, we have a bunch of rookies, it’s going to be difficult to push forward. But man, those rookies showed up and we showed up and just did whatever we could to get in the game and to get to where we want to be.” Atallah explained that the team manages to keep
Ultimate players are drawn to the close community of the sport. Photo: CC , Keflavich.
up this same level of competitiveness when the game moves indoors during the winter. However, playing ultimate inside of a dome presents a unique set of challenges that never come into play in an outdoor environment. “Indoor turns into a different sport, in a sense. It goes from seven-on-seven, outdoor, to four-on-four, indoor,” said Atallah. “Way quicker, up-tempo,
shorter fields. The cardio is through the roof at this point. And that’s done for four months.” While they can get space on campus to practice, it’s not always the most ideal situation for the team. “We use the outdoor turf during the fall. Rain or shine we go out there, no matter what,” said Atallah. “In terms of indoor, we book domes, Ben Franklin,
FulcFit food series
Quick crustless quiche Whether you treat it as a nutritious breakfast or a yummy snack, this crustless quiche is both easy to prepare and easy on your waistline.
Nico Laliberté, Sports Editor
Superdome, pretty much around the city for a price and see what we can get. Anything that’s affordable, it’s probably going to be those Sunday nights at 10 p.m. type of thing, but we try to do what we can.” Atallah said that because ultimate is a relatively small sport, it makes for a very tightly knit community feel, especially in cities like Ottawa and Montreal. “I’m always smiling on the field because you
always love the people you play with. You go out there. You’re competing against people, they give you a helping hand. You laugh, you’re joking around, you’re smiling, you’re enjoying your time every time.” The Gees’ indoor season ends in April, at which point most of the players spend their summer playing ultimate on various city teams until they return to wearing the Garnet and Grey in the fall.
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 • 7 large eggs • 3 oz of sharp cheddar cheese (about 100 g), cut into about 6 cubes • 1 cup of salsa (I use medium salsa from a jar and not “fresh” salsa) • 1/2 cup of pre-cooked cubed ham, chicken, or bacon pieces (optional) Directions Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 °F/ 190 °C. Step 2: Prepare an 8x8 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper or greasing it lightly with cooking spray, butter, or oil. Step 3: Crack eggs into your blender, cover, and blend it together on the “medium” setting for about 20 seconds until it is fairly even in colour. Step 4: Add the cubes of cheese to the eggs in the blender and blend on medium again for about 10 to 20 seconds until the cheese is chopped up into smaller pieces. Step 5: Add the salsa (and cooked meat if you’re using it) to the blender and mix it on medium for about 5 to 10 seconds to distribute the salsa into the quiche mixture. Step 6: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Distribute cheese and other pieces evenly. Step 7: Put the pan in the hot oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 °F/ 176 °C. Step 8: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the quiche is firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Variations: Instead of using salsa, you can dice and sauté a small onion in a pan and add both the onion and about 1 cup
Photo: CC, Stacy Spensley.
of blanched, chopped spinach to the quiche mixture (I use frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained). Enjoy!
thefulcrum.ca
Sports | 23
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OPINIONS
OPINIONS EDITOR Eric Davidson
opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @eric_davidson93
Better regulation and alternatives needed before ending payday loans Regulations in Hamilton a step in the right direction, but more must be done Eric Davison
staff contributor
I
t’s difficult to live in any Canadian city without stumbling across a payday loan provider.
To most Canadians, their flashy signs, obnoxious ads, and grandiose claims are more reminiscent of a sleazy car salesman than a financial institution. However, for our country’s impoverished, they are an essential lifeline in an increasingly unstable economic landscape. In a bid to protect consumers, the City of Hamilton recently announced a regulatory crackdown on the payday loan industry. The city implemented additional licensing fees and mandatory credit counselling for would-be clients. By using a regulatory strategy similar to one that controls the tobacco industry, Hamilton hopes to discourage the use of these aggressive and predatory financial services through education.
Hamilton has taken new steps to regulate payday loans.
And it’s about time. After all, payday loans portray themselves as a quick and easy way to smooth out the peaks and troughs of living paycheque to paycheque. By providing short-term loans and requiring few, if any, prerequisites, they can be used by lowincome individuals to temporarily put food on the table or cope with
Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
unexpected expenses. However, this relief is often short lived as the vast majority of loans come with ludicrously high interest rates—upwards of 21 per cent biweekly. To those with limited financial knowledge, this rate can seem manageable. But it often results in the customer paying back the principal several times
over by relying on the very financial situation that drove them to take out the loan in the first place. Because of this, double digit monthly interest rates can quickly cascade into annual rates exceeding 500 per cent. If the loan is not paid back immediately, the customer can quickly find themselves in a vicious cycle of futile repayment and compounding debt. Despite the obvious damage the industry causes, government efforts to curb the payday loan industry have been met with significant indifference and resistance. Although part of this can be attributed to lobbying and misleading “awareness campaigns” by lenders, many of the industry’s supporters claim people have genuine need for short-term loans. Banning outlets altogether removes an unsavoury yet essential tool for those trying to claw their way out of poverty, despite the fact that the government could be doing a lot more to minimize the ignorance that the market feeds off of.
Even with education and awareness, people still take out payday loans because they often lack the resources to use other options. For example, the need for the loan might be more immediate than the time it takes to approve a more formal arrangement. In other cases, some might lack the ID, documentation, or credit score to open a line of credit. By cooperating with more established and appropriately regulated financial institutions, the government could create a program that provides the shortterm, immediate relief people are looking for while keeping the reins tight on predatory lenders. Abolishing systemic poverty is a sisyphean task, and the need for fast cash will always exist. But Hamilton is at least moving in the right direction with their new education-based approach to regulating predatory payday loans—and the rest of the province should follow suit as soon as possible.
Opt-out plan for organ donation would help fix Ontario’s system
Potential donors shouldn’t get hung up on what happens to their body after they die nicholas robinson
staff contributOr
Organ donations in Ontario have increased by 30 per cent in the last year, setting a record year for transplants with over three million Ontarians registered as organ donors. Still, it’s not enough. Over 1,000 Ontarians continue to wait for a transplant, and Canada has much lower rates of organ donations than other countries. As such, it’s time for the provincial government to do more to encourage organ donations, and they should start by introducing an official opt-out policy. In an opt-out policy, something that’s been recently adopted in France, you are automatically placed on the organ donor list. You can be removed from the list only if you explicitly say so. This is
the opposite of what happens in Ontario, where you have to explicitly say that you want your organs to be donated when you die. The most obvious argument against an opt-out policy is that the government shouldn’t presume consent. The issue with that argument, though, is it would be quite hard for a dead person to consent to anything. When you are alive, your body is yours. But what happens when you die? You’re gone. Your body can’t be yours because you don’t exist. There is a way to effectively extend your life beyond your death with a last will and a testament, where you effectively get to make choices after your death. But if you don’t make that clear statement of choice, well, then you really are dead, and your
Ontario saw an increase in organ donations this year, but hurdles still remain.
body is just a body like any other. Consider this: if you buy a book, the book is yours until you give it to somebody. If
you leave it lying about without giving it to anyone then it’s a gift to nobody, and basically public property. This means that the state can step
Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
in, regulate it, and put it towards the public good. So why shouldn’t the government use an inanimate object that belongs to nobody
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to offer someone a concrete chance at extending their life? How would using organs from a human body be any different than using organs from the body of any other animal? Answer: it isn’t. All that is to say that once you’re dead, you’re dead. A corpse can’t exactly make choices or have freedom, and so the argument against presumed consent fails. On top of that, there is evidence to show that an opt-out policy works. In Wales, where that policy was adopted in 2015, there has been a marked rise in organ donors, and lives have been saved. The lives of living, breathing people—and that’s worth a lot. No longer should we talk of ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Instead, let’s talk of blood to blood, life to life. Optout is the way for Ontario.
OPINIONS | 25
Canada should take a lesson in pay parity from Iceland Government should adopt stricter measures to keep companies in line Peter Baccin-Smith fulcrum contributor
During a time when insanity continues to occur south of our border, good news is getting hard to find. But there are some positive developments to be found in Iceland, which announced on International Women’s Day that it would introduce new legislation this month to eradicate the pay gap between all forms of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and nationality. Iceland is the first to do this on a national scale, and the first that will legislate this on both private and public firms. The Icelandic government has heard both sides of the issue, with women protesting in October of last year for the government to do more about the pay gap, while the opposition feels this would generate more bureaucracy as the pay gap gets resolved. When looking at this is-
The Icelandic government is taking concrete measures to ensure pay parity.
sue, it is hard not to see a need for Canada to adopt similar legislation. Canada’s wage gap between men and women is approximately 72 cents on the dollar, according to a study done by Oxfam Canada and the Canadian Centre for Policy Al-
ternatives. The study found Canada had remained at the same level since approximately 2011, and that women worked more hours on average than men, which is a commonly cited argument used against the existence
Photo: Amitesh Malhotra.
of the wage gap. The study also found women spend three times as many hours providing unpaid care and doing household work than men. With this kind of evidence being presented, it is worth asking why Canada
has not seized upon and attempted to implement a better system to improve the lives of all Canadians. Studies like those conducted by Oxfam and the Centre for Policy Alternatives have shown that closing the wage gap benefits the economy and improves the gross domestic product. While this move would generate more bureaucracy, implementing legislation to hold private firms accountable would help inform future employees (especially students) in selecting top places to work, since it would let them know that all employees will be paid equally ahead of time. Besides, Canada already has elements of bureaucratic oversight in place, with Labour Canada monitoring businesses to make sure they comply with Occupational Health and Safety regulations. Having firms provide audits to
prove that fair pay is being administered would encourage those organizations to close the pay gap. While bureaucracy would be an issue initially, over time the need for oversight would diminish, as equal pay would eventually become more and more common. Opposition to these types of motions also usually includes the argument that the pay gap is only involved in unique issues, and is not an overall systemic problem that Canada faces. However, until studies can show that there is no pay gap between all employees no matter their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or nationality, there is a need for government involvement and legislation to benefit all Canadians. Iceland is leading the way in pay parity—let’s have Canada join this race to achieve equity.
The SFUO should keep attendance at committee, exec meetings
Holding committees and executive accountable will help make SFUO more efficient eric davidson opinions Editor
Board meetings at the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) have really been heating up lately. At a March 5 Board of Administration (BOA) meeting the executive took turns lobbing complaints at current president Roméo Ahimakin. One of the many accusations thrown around in both directions during that event was the idea that members of the executive were missing at key meetings, which meant that stuff wasn’t getting done as a result. Granted, there are a lot of things coming out of SFUO board meetings that need to be addressed, so it may seem counterproductive to zero in on a seemingly “petty” concern when there are far more dramatic things going on. But while everyone is proposing grandiose ideas to fix the student federation, we might as well talk about
26 | OPINIONS
some simple structural changes that will make further reform easier. The SFUO constitution explicitly places importance on attendance. If a board member fails to show up too many times they’re automatically removed from the board, and can only be reinstated after an appeal. This makes sense, because BOA meetings are where SFUO policy gets voted on. And since these meetings are public and minutes are kept, these members are also accountable to the students who elected them, who want to make sure they’re actually doing their jobs. But after recent reports of people missing committee meetings, this principle needs to be extended to other executive gatherings as well. BOA meetings should (in theory) accomplish a lot of important things, but they’re far from the only
SFUO executives have accused each other of missing key meetings or failing to contribute to them.
meaningful encounters between members, especially executives. Not only are there executive meetings, but there are also policy and constitution committees, and the board has the ability to create more committees if need be.
Often during BOA meetings the board votes to send a motion to a given committee for review, but there is no specified date for the motion to return or to ensure the committee is working on it. If these committees can’t be held accountable to function efficiently,
Photo: Tristain Pollard.
then the BOA will be even more dysfunctional than it already is. And we don’t need that, especially given the already high volume of lengthy meetings that have taken place in the past couple of months. This reform would be relatively painless, as it
wouldn’t cost the federation much time or money to record and post some rates of attendance. There is some effort there, but it’s far less than the constant disorganization that comes from having members, especially executive members, missing key meetings. And this isn’t just a tool to punish or shame someone for not showing up. If a certain committee, meeting time, or meeting place sees consistently weak attendance, then the board has the data to see there’s a problem and can change these variables to make future gatherings easier on everyone. Clearly, a lack of communication and cohesion is contributing to problems within the SFUO. Having more checks to make sure people are meeting on time would help with communication, and show the student body in general that progress is being made.
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SFUO signs contract for new reality television show
First episode teases slap fight between president and VP social Graham Robertson Tomato Reporter On Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m., students at the University of Ottawa tuned in to watch the first episode of Keeping Up with the Boardashians, a new reality television show starring members of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO). The SFUO executive collectively signed a deal to develop the show with MTV during an in-camera session at the Feb. 26 Board of Administration (BOA) meeting, a move that will secure each member a sweet network bonus should the show prove successful. Following the opening credits, which featured pre-recorded clips of the main characters smiling at
the camera, including vicepresident of finance Richie Lachic at Le Nordik spa, the show cuts to the Senate room in Tabaret, where a motion is brought forward to raise the salaries of nearly all executive members to $69,420 a year—with an added bonus for taxi usage, of course. The motion also calls for president Roméo Hahamakin to no longer receive any salary, following complaints by the rest of the executive at the March 5 meeting that he was unable to get along with his co-workers. During a video confessional midway through the first episode, Hahamakin admits to the camera that, “They’re getting back at me for only walking half a lap during Relay for Life. I didn’t skip Relay on pur-
pose. I was preparing for my birthday party that weekend. Unfortunately, no one showed up to it.” Hahamakin then wiped away a single tear from the corner of his eye. The pay raise motion passed nearly unanimously by the board, with the exception of Hahamakin who flipped over his desk and cried, “This is an insult to my fucking character!” Hahamakin ran out of the room just minutes later. That scene alone gave the episode a viewer rating spike and plenty of shares on social media, according to E! News. After a commercial break for new SFUO-brand fireworks, Faculty of Arts representative Tristan Harmonica proposed a motion for all board members to receive free U-Passes, after an
article by the French student newspaper, le Carotte, revealed that vice-president social Wadi Hess had been using a free U-Pass during the year. “It’s only fair that all board members receive a free U-Pass in this case, now that the secret is out,” Hess said during his own video confessional. “Plus, we are using Roméo’s salary to pay for these passes, so we’re really allocating our money wisely.” Harmonica’s motion passed unanimously due to Hahamakin’s absence. After a round of applause by the board, the camera zooms in on Harmonica. Viewers at home were on the edge of their seats awaiting an announcement. “I would like to thank everyone who worked along-
side me and supported me to pass this motion, making free U-Passes for all board members a reality!” said Harmonica. “Together and united, we can make the SFUO great again!” The Tomato reached out to Harmonica following the airing of the episode for a comment on when the new U-Passes would be distributed to board members. His response to this interview request was far from cordial. “This fact was announced during the meeting, which was filmed! The failing Tomato (FAKE NEWS!) is lazy and unprofessional in their coverage of our new show. Sad!” Harmonica responded in a tweet. In the last five minutes of the episode, cameras turned to the doors of the U of O’s Senate room.
The doors burst open to reveal Hahamakin, who was panting heavily. “Wadi, I just did 100 laps around the UCU to make up for only doing half a lap at Relay for Life. I want my salary back! Now!” Footage cut to slow-motion as Hess stood up and strode over to Hahamakin, one fist clenched, the other hand wielding his free UPass. Moments later the screen cut to black, with the sounds of board members yelling, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” A preview for the next episode featured the SFUO executive arguing over the logo for their new SFUO-branded waffle. The follow-up episode of Keeping up with the Boardashians will air on Monday, March 13, as BOA meetings now take place everyday.
U of O puts a fun new twist on mould infestation
Costumed RAs disguise fungus with Garnet and Grey spray-paint Jean-Luc Ducamp tomato Contributor Over the last few weeks the Tomato has been receiving several emails about the black mould epidemic facing Brooks residents. Disgruntled University of Ottawa tenant Dev Thain has been the leading figure in the fight against black mould, exposing the terrible power dynamics at play when landlords have total power over their tenants. But other students began to notice something strange and oddly enticing. Another voice in this developing story is second-year theatre major Ashley Banes, who wrote to us several times noticing that the black mould in her unit seemed to have taken on another, slightly
less depressing colour: Garnet and Grey. In order to get to the bottom of this, the Tomato contacted the director of the U of O Housing Service, Rachelle Clark, who went on to explain that this paint job is a calculated tactic to promote the university. “While most institutions see the negative side of everything, we as a university embrace our flaws. When life gives you lemons, why not paint ‘em Garnet and Grey?” she giggled. “Besides, everyone knows that mould is fun… gus.” When the Tomato asked why she decided to keep the tenants out of the loop when it came to this new marketing strategy, she said that it was a move to keep the trend of “defying the
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The university is trying to defy the conventional with black mould.
convention” alive by misinforming the tenants. Clark wanted it to be a small mystery for students to discover, so the residence
advisors of each Brooks residence—dressed like ninjas— decided to randomly create water leaks in two apartment walls throughout the
Photo and edits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
month of February. The landlords would wait for the tenants to get lured away by the sound of leaky faucets and then slowly
start spray painting the affected, mouldy areas with the school’s official colours. While this tactic seemed strange, it was effective in attracting the right kind of attention. Eventually, Clark wants tenants to start designing their own black mould patterns to show the creative side of living in rez. “At the end of the day, we want students to be comfortable,” said Clark. “The U of O can be stressful, so why not embrace the flaws and make something beautiful out of it?” Housing Service is also planning to incorporate the black mould into new holiday-themed events, like an Easter “asbestos hunt.” “Easter eggs are just so passé,” said Clark.
THE TOMATo | 27
DISTRACTIONS Dear Di,
FEATURES EDITOR Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi
Dear Di
features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @nadsdeb
Dear Di,
I’ve been into casual sex for a while now. Although I feel completely healthy and I always use a condom, my friends keep nagging me to go get tested for STIs. Isn’t going to the doctor a waste of time?
I recently found out I have an STI, and don’t know how to go about telling my boyfriend. Although the doctor told me that the infection can be treated, I’m scared my partner might break up with me. What should I do?
-Healthy Hook-Up
-Infected and Dejected
Dear HHU,
Dear ID,
Although condoms can reduce the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there is still a risk that you might contract certain diseases while being protected. A condom’s protective potential lies in its ability to prevent contact between bodily fluids or skin infected by STIs and your genital organs, your mouth, and your rectum. Should the condom be used incorrectly (i.e. it slips off, breaks, is removed before the end of intercourse, etc.), the risk of STI transmittal is heightened. Another factor to consider is the fact that some STIs, such as HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia can go rogue for significant amounts of time by not showing any immediate symptoms. This means that although you may not physically feel ill, there is still a chance that you might have contracted an infection, which may need to be treated immediately to avoid any future health complications, such as infertility in the case of chlamydia or chronic infection cycles as with genital herpes. A lot of people tend to forget that STIs can also be contracted via oral and anal sex. This is why it’s recommended that you always ask your partner if they are “clean,” and also that you check for any signs of irregularities around their mouth or their genital organs, such as warts or discharge. With all of this in mind, you might want to consider following your friends’ advice and get tested for STIs. You may have nothing to worry about, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Love, Di
28 | DISTRACTIONS
This is a tough situation for you, both physically and emotionally. Before involving anyone else in this situation, please make sure that you are taking care of your mental and physical health. One sure thing is that you have to be honest with your boyfriend. Whether you’re in a committed relationship or it’s just a casual hookup, it’s only right and respectful to let your partner know that you have an STI, even if this means that, ultimately, they decide not to have sex with you. Although it’s a difficult conversation to have, not having it can entail a variety of negative consequences both for them and for yourself. Before you talk to your boyfriend about this, you might want to think about what you’re going to say. You’ll want to talk about the STI itself, and discuss its symptoms and treatments. You could also bring up your doctor’s diagnostic and treatment plan. This might help soften the blow because it suggests that this isn’t a permanent situation, and that your sexual relationship won’t suffer from it forever. Don’t be too alarmed by his reaction. Most people will react strongly to something like this, either because they’re shocked, scared, or just generally confused. To prepare for your boyfriend’s reaction, try imagining a few possible scenarios, and come up with questions that you think you might be asked. For example, your partner will most likely want to know how you got the STI, when you found out, and whether he’s at risk of already being infected. All in all, it’s a tricky situation. However, by being honest and straightforward with your boyfriend you’ll be sure to do the right thing.
Love, Di
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March 16–23, 2017
THRYLLABUS
Thursday, March 16 Altered Realities art show, High Jinx—11 a.m. Child Custody in Cases of Domestic Violence, free admission, Social Sciences Building (FSS 4006)—11:30 a.m. Ottawa Senators vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Canadian Tire Centre—7:30 p.m. Matthew Good (I Miss the New Wave Tour), National Arts Centre—8 p.m. Friday, March 17
MUSIC arts Sports FUN Thinking
Shaping How IOs ‘See’ Gender Equality, free admission, Social Sciences Building (FSS 4006)—12 p.m. La La Land (Academy Award winner, Emma Stone, Best Actress) ByTowne Cinema—4:15 p.m. Metric, The Sheepdogs, Bobby Bazini & Kevin Bazinet, Stanley Cup 125th Anniversary
Tribute Concert, Canadian Tire Centre—7 p.m.
140)—5:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 18
Reptiles exhibit, Canadian Museum of Nature—9 a.m.
Songs of Muslim Women, Centrepointe Theatre—8 p.m. Arrival (Academy Award winner, Best Sound Editing) ByTowne Cinema—9:15 p.m. Sunday, March 19 Catch Me If You Can The Musical (final night), Centrepointe Theatre—2 p.m. Chris Stapleton with Lindi Ortega, Canadian Tire Centre—7:30 p.m. Monday, March 20 Hidden Figures (Academy Award nominee, Best Picture), Mayfair Theatre—3:45 p.m. Yoga, presented by Art of Living, free admission, 90 University (room
Tuesday, March 21
Gee Skate with Health Services, Minto Sports Complex —1:30 p.m. The Lumineers (The Cleopatra World Tour), Canadian Tire Centre—7 p.m. Toni Erdmann (Academy Award nominee, Best Foreign Language Film) ByTowne Cinema—9 p.m. Wednesday, March 22 Navigate the Troubled Waters of Conflict, free admission, Vanier Hall (VNR 1042)—9 a.m. Thursday, March 23 Media and antisocial behaviour, free admission, Social Sciences Building (FSS 4004)—12:30 p.m.
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DISTRACTIONS | 29
Why come out to the Fulcrum’s Annual General Meeting? When I joined the Fulcrum’s Board of Directors 2 years ago, I thought it would just be an extracurricular I did to add some marketable skills to my resume. I had always read the Fulcrum and seen it around campus, and becoming a director seemed like an ideal balance between being involved in the paper, and not having to write anything. Little did I know, I would gain so much more than experience in corporate governance. To be on the Board of Directors is to oversee, shape, and guide the organization. As a director, I’ve helped resolve human resources issues, and I’ve helped create a comprehensive budget for the newspaper. I’ve discussed marketing ideas to improve readership, and discussed how ads are sold online and on paper. My colleagues have become my friends. I’ve also gone from someone who wasn’t quite sure what to do, to being chair of the board. I’ve grown this much because the people who surrounded me at the Fulcrum helped me grow and gain confidence. The Fulcrum is an organization filled with dedicated, passionate, and wonder-
ful people who care deeply about the newspaper. Both editorial staff and directors share a love of the organization and a commitment to providing the University of Ottawa with quality student news. In today’s world, it is more important than ever to have journalists reporting the facts, and continuing to inform us of events and actions affecting students. The Fulcrum accomplishes this and more. On Thursday March 30, the Fulcrum will be holding its Annual General Meeting at 6:30 p.m. This is a chance for every student on campus to see what we have accomplished over the past year, what we’re planning for the future, and most importantly what you can do to get involved with a fantastic organization right here on campus. (If that hasn’t convinced you, there will also be food and beverages provided.) I hope you will come see some of the very best this university has to offer, and that like me, you can find a place to grow and develop at the Fulcrum. —Marguerite Gollish, director at the Fulcrum Publishing Society.
30 | LETTERS
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Savannah “Mamie Phipps Clark” Awde Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Kim “Karen Horney” Wiens Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Kyle “Sigmund Freud” Darbyson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Graham “Stanley Milgram” Robertson News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Anchal “Mary Whiton Calkins” Sharma Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “Virginia Johnson” Drissi ElBouzaidi Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Nico “Wilhelm Wundt” Laliberte Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca Eric “Eric Erickson” Davidson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Jaclyn “Ivan Pavlov” McRae-Sadik Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca David “Abraham Maslow” CampionSmith Social Media Coordinator social@thefulcrum.ca Zainab “Michel Foucault” Al-Mehdar Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Zack “Anna Freud” Goobie Associate Sports Editor associatesports@thefulcrum.ca Jodie “Mary Ainsworth” Coté-Marshall Associate Features Editor associate.features@thefulcrum.ca Marta “Margaret Washburn” Kierkus Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Lucas “Carl Rogers” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca Shanèl “Kenneth Bancroft Clark” Dear Advertising Representative ads@thefulcrum.ca Reine “Eleanor Maccoby” Tejares Webmaster webmaster@thefulcrum.ca
Contributors
Eric “Brenda Milner” Davison Kassandra “Eleanor J. Gibson” Engmann Iain “Helene Deutsch” Sellers Charlotte “Alice Miller” McMurtry Jean-Luc “Else Frenkel-Brunswik” Ducamp Perushka “Marsha M. Linehan” Gopalkista Emily “Marian Breland Bailey” Cecchetti Dimitri “Magda B. Arnold” Seemungal Suleimi “Carol Gilligan” Ahmed Janoah “Bobby E. Wright” Willsie Miguel “Amos Tversky” Marchildon Nicholas “Melanie Klein” Robinson Peter “Leta Hollingworth” Baccin-Smith Amitesh “Christine Ladd-Franklin” Malhotra Jennifer “Sandra Bem” Vo Rowan “Marie-Louise von Franz” Markovich Parker “Florence Goodenough” Townes Tristain “Elizabeth Spelke” Pollard
Board of Directors
Raghad “Ellen Langer” Sheikh-Khalil Will “Virginia Satir” Hume Kate “Francine Shapiro” Murray Jonathan “Milicent Shinn” Rausseo Mackenzie “Anne Treisman” Gray Niharika “Elaine Hatfield” Namulla Thivya “Ellen S. Berscheid” Naganathan Julia “Bluma Zeigarnik” Miraflores Fadi “Leona E. Tyler” Azzi Spencer “Marie Jahoda” Murdock Marguerite “Alice Miller” Gollish
looking to other student federations for pointers can’t hurt
Despite all the craziness that’s happened lately, the Fulcrum still believes that a General Assembly (GA) motion to abolish the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s (SFUO) Board of Administration (BOA) is not a sustainable solution to the SFUO’s longterm problems. However, through our work with the student body we have observed a clear desire for change in the mechanisms by which we hold our federation accountable. While it’s understandable to want to get rid of a body that’s been at the centre of so many controversies as of late, abolishing the BOA won’t get us anywhere. Now that GAs don’t have any binding powers on our student executive, destroying the board would leave the SFUO unable to function. But that doesn’t mean that radical change to how our student government works can’t happen, we just need to propose solutions. With that in mind, we took the opportunity to speak with editors of student newspapers across the country, to get their take on their student federation’s structure, and perhaps bring some new ideas to the table in an effort to sustainably re-structure the SFUO.
University of Western Ontario’s University Student Council (USC) At the UWO, the USC executives are not just overseen by a board simi-
lar to our BOA, but a second governing body called the Council. The roles are distinct in that the Board of Directors handles the financial elements of the student federation, whereas the Council, a student-elected body, represents all faculties and affiliated campuses and deals with the political aspects of the organization. The executive itself is composed of the president, vice-president, student programs officer, communications officer, and secretary-treasurer. Members of the Board of Directors are hired by the existing board, and ratified by the council, effectively maintaining student control over all governing bodies of the federation. The board is not affiliated in any way with the university. Hamza Tariq, editor-in-chief at the Western Gazette, says that having the two governing bodies in place keeps the federation’s executives more accountable to the student body. “If the executive decided to go off the deep end with a political stance, council could vote against it. On the other hand, the board will step in (if) they are about to do something very financially irresponsible,” said Tariq. The USC also passed an executive accountability policy that details the performance expectations of the executive, and sets out the specific disciplinary actions required for a breach
in the executive obligations. After talking with Tariq and reviewing the USC structure and policies, there are numerous take aways for the SFUO if they want to meet students’ demands for change. First of all, the SFUO could institute a body specifically designed to deal with the financial well-being of the federation. Since they have been engaging in austerity measures this year by cutting student services, defunding clubs, and slashing the social events budget, it’s clear that finances are a weak point for the SFUO. A Board of Directors, whose sole purpose is to steer the federation to financial security, seems like a practical way for the SFUO to get back on track. Failing that (establishing a second body is, admittedly, a lot of work) creating a policy to outline acceptable and unacceptable executive actions, with corresponding disciplinary actions included, would be a major step in winning back the trust of students. After former comptroller general Tanner Tallon revealed scandal after scandal, involving increased taxi usage, excessive Pivik discounts, and hotel room expenses, many students lost trust in the SFUO executives to conduct themselves in a financially responsible way. An executive accountability policy will not force executives to act responsibly, but it will at the very least set
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Volume 77, Issue 22, March 16, 2016
EDITORIAL Abolishing BOA isn’t an answer—but
by March 30th with a team of 4 or more players
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out the necessary guidelines for the BOA to apply a consistent and fair disciplinary action. Arguably, executive behaviour constitutes the reputation of the SFUO. If the BOA were to hold executives accountable with a policy like this, students might start to believe in the effectiveness of this board once more.
University of Manitoba’s University of Manitoba Student Union (UMSU) According to Craig Adolphe, editorin-chief at the Manitoban, in many ways, the UMSU functions in a similar way to the SFUO. There is a central governing board similar to the SFUO’s BOA, with executives that handle much of the federation’s day-to-day functions. The makeup of the board is slightly different, and includes more “community representatives” in addition to board members who represent specific faculties. These community representatives include an international student rep, a women’s student rep, an LGBTQ+ rep, a students with disabilities rep, and an Aboriginal student rep. The BOA has shown an inclination to move in that direction, with motions to include a seat for international students. However, this motion fails to acknowledge that there are many other groups of students on campus that might require extra representation—Indigenous students, or students with disabilities, for example. While far wider reforms may be needed, adding more community representatives is one easy step the SFUO can take to introduce new voices and head future problems off at the pass. Not to mention that with a federation of over 40,000 students, and the current 25 faculty seats on the BOA, adding 10 extra faculty seats to the BOA would bring down the studentto-representative ratio to about 1,000 students per faculty representative. This, in turn, would allow students more opportunities to engage with their student reps. After all, students are not a homogenous group, and the structure of the faculty representation should acknowledge that. Having community reps similar to those at the University of Manitoba would add to the board member count, increasing opportunity for student engagement, as well as engaging a more diverse profile of students on campus.
EDITORIAL | 31
Anything can be cut with Fentanyl.
Even the smallest amount can cause an OVERDOSE. DON’T USE ALONE. CARRY NALOXONE.
Counterfeit or ‘bootleg’ drugs found in Ottawa have been involved in recent life-threatening overdoses and deaths. An overdose is a medical emergency. Don’t be afraid to call 9-1-1
For more information about signs and symptoms of an overdose, and where to access Naloxone, visit:
www.stopoverdoseottawa.ca
Know the Signs and Symptoms of an Opioid Overdose Lips and nails are blue
Person is not moving
Person may be choking
You can hear gurgling sounds or snoring
Can’t be woken up
Skin feels cold and clammy
Pupils are tiny
T
A
WA
–CARL
E
T O
T
Breathing will be slow or gone
ON
O
N
M
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IA
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TI
PHA A
IS
TS’ ASS
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