The Fulcrum - Vol 77 Issue 6

VOL. 77 ISSUE 6

sept. 29, 2016

access in excess possible privacy breach affects 900 students. PG. 5.

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In this week’s issue...

Privacy breach on campus P.5 Students’ medical records leaked after SASS loses external hard drive Everybody loves concerts P.11 First SFUO-run student rave showcases local artists Makerspace in your school P.12 University of Ottawa is at the forefront of the maker culture, but will this movement improve education?

Saturdays with Pedro P.15 Former Gee-Gees stars reflect on their finest Panda Game memories An open book P.17 U of O should do more to promote free, open textbooks SFUO voting reform P.23 When the right answer is “none of the above” The War Amps

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NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

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

U of O students notified of possible privacy breach

University investigates missing hard drive containing personal information of 900 students savannah awde

editor-in-chief

O

n the evening of Sept. 21 the University of Ottawa announced that it was investigating an external hard drive that went missing earlier this month, which contains information on approximately 900 students.

The information in the hard drive pertains to current and former students at the university who used the Student Academic Success Service’s (SASS) Access Service to obtain academic accommodations due to mental or physical disabilities. A press release from U of O media relations states that all students potentially affected by the breach are being notified via email.

In an email to the Fulcrum, U of O media relations acting manager Isabelle Mailloux-

Pulkinghorn said that students are only at risk of being affected if they accessed accommodation services “between 2013 and September 2016.”

A student at the U of O’s Faculty of Law, who requested to remain anonymous, told the Fulcrum that they received an email notifying them of the breach which stated that the university had been made aware of the missing hard drive on Sept. 1. The student said that if this sort of incident happens again in future, they would like to see it “immediately” reported to students.

A second-year student at the Telfer School of Management, who asked to be unnamed, received the same email indicating that his private information may have been affected, and said in an email to the Fulcrum that he is “appalled that an organization handling confidential medical documents would be so reckless.”

“If an organization is going to

The external hard drive contains information on approximately 900 students.

Photo: Matthew Zucca.

could potentially access it.”

The student also believes that to prevent this from happening again in future, the university should start by “never storing sensitive information on an external hard drive.”

According to Umar Ruhi, assistant professor of information systems and e-business at the Telfer School of Management, external hard drives are not the best option for the protection of data stored by organizations like

demand to have detailed medical information then they better be able to keep the information safe and secure,” he said.

“Once the information is out there it can’t be fixed. These aren’t passwords or credit card numbers, it’s sensitive medical information. The information that Access Service has is information that is kept confidential for a reason. I’d be scared at even the slightest chance that an individual with malicious intent

the U of O. “External hard drives may be OK for personal backups at your home when both convenience and contingencies are important considerations,” said Ruhi.

“However, it makes no sense why external drives would be used in a corporate environment.”

According to Ruhi, in the realm of information security, “confidentiality, integrity, and availability” are three main objectives that must be satisfied.

“Backups improve the availability of your systems and information. However, when someone physically runs away with your hard drive, you pretty much didn’t do a good job about ensuring availability.”

Ruhi says that for highly sensitive information, using multiple levels of encryption is always recommended. However, U of O media relations did not confirm whether the external hard drive at Access Service was protected through encryp-

tion by the date of this publication.

“Ultimately, security requires technical controls as well as formal controls at the organizational level to make sure that only authorized people are able to access the data and the devices on which the data resides.

This was clearly not the case here,” said Ruhi.

The university has reported the incident to the Ottawa Police Service and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, and stated that measures have been enacted at SASS to prevent future breaches, although they have not confirmed what these measures would be.

The university’s investigation is described as “ongoing,” and with a main objective of determining what personal information specifically has been accessed. The university is also offering an information line to affected students to support them through the investigation.

U of O falls in world university rankings for fifth consecutive year

Times ranking places U of O in lowest position to date, 12th overall in Canada Raghad Khalil staff contributor

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2017 were recently published, giving the University of Ottawa its lowest-ever rank, in a band of 251-300 out of 980 universities worldwide.

For the fifth year in a row, the U of O has seen a steady drop in its ranking, and this year it has also tied for the 12th place in Canada, down from its previous ranking of 8th in the country.

In 2013, the university achieved a best score of 171. Allan Rock, president of the U of O at the time, called the score “a long way from where we want to be.”

However, the U of O would only fall farther from that target.

Since 2013, the university has received scores of 185, 188, 201-250 and 251-300, respectively.

In the Sept. 26 U of O Board of Governors meeting, U of O presi-

thefulcrum.ca

The U of O now stands at 251-300 out of universities worldwide, and 12th in Canada.

dent Jacques Frémont said that two other prominent rankings of world universities, Quacquarelli Symonds and Shanghai, did not show a similar decline in the U of O’s ranking.

Frémont also reported in the meeting that he commissioned Mona Nemer, U of O vice-president of research, to examine the methodology of THE’s rankings and report back.

Photo: Tommy Nguyen.

For one soon-to-be graduate, the news was less than favourable.

Anna Halawa, a fourth-year international management student, said she was disappointed to hear the news. “I had expected (the rank) to either stay the same or improve as I had heard great things about my program.”

As a future alumna, university reputation and pride was also

an area of concern.

“Although it wasn’t the most important thing when I started university, it’s more important to me now that I’m graduating,” Halawa explained.

Phil Baty, editor of the Times ranking, told the Ottawa Citizen that with the competitive pressures of up-and-coming universities, especially those in Asia, “universities that merely stand

still in their own right will inevitably drop down the rankings.”

The finding raises questions about whether the U of O has stagnated or if it is simply not doing enough comparatively.

Baty explained that although the university has seen some improvements in its international outlook score, research and industry income have fallen behind.

This year the university rankings are determined through a set of 13 performance indicators, which are grouped into five weighted areas: teaching (the learning environment), worth 30 per cent; research (volume, income and reputation), worth 30 per cent; citations (research influence), worth 30 per cent; international outlook (staff, students, research), worth 7.5 per cent; and industry income (knowledge transfer), worth 2.5 per cent.

Despite these criteria, Halawa

believes that the grading system is skewed unfairly for the U of O. “The things that make the university merit a higher ranking are the reasons why I chose to attend the university four years ago. For example, the French Immersion and co-op programs are unique and cool things that should be of more weight.”

Noticeably missing from the criterion is the student experience, which first-year economics student, Priston Monteiro, says has been positive.

“I love the school so far. The school work is reasonable and there is a lot of opportunity for extra-curricular involvement and school spirit … I didn’t think the ranking was a big deal when I made my decision.”

There is some solace for U of O students given its ranking in comparison to that of Carleton University, which currently sits in the band of 501-600.

NEWS | 5

Sept. 26 BOG meeting talks SASS breach, university ranking

Board members cover a variety of topics before extended closed session BOG member Victoria Barham took issue with the decision to increase the debt capacity, citing concerns that the move was “putting buildings before students,” and asked for more details on the risk of the maneuver.

Joyal responded that the committee had weighed these options and for a number of reasons, including favorable interest rates, they had decided to move forward with the recommendation.

Graduate student representative Robert Head also voiced displeasure with the committee’s recommendation.

At the end of the finance presentation, the board passed a motion to adopt the recommendation. Most members voted in favour, though Barham and Head did not.

Eric Davidson opinions editor

The University of Ottawa’s Board of Governors (BOG) had its first meeting of the 201617 year on Sept. 26, featuring new university president Jacques Frémont. The meeting covered a wide range of topics, from finances to the recent Student Academic Success Service (SASS) security breach.

Finances The meeting opened up with a presentation on the university’s finances, led by the U of O’s vice-president of resources, Marc Joyal. The discussion began with an overview of the major projects on campus, including the new Learning Centre building and the university’s STEM project, which looks to replace old science buildings on campus with newer facilities.

Joyal said that the finance committee recommended taking on more debt to pay for the infrastructure, and increasing the university’s borrowing capacity by around $180 million, excluding ancillary fees.

University Rankings During his president’s report, Frémont addressed the U of O’s standing in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings, saying that two other prominent rankings of world universities, Quacquarelli Symonds and Shanghai, did not show a decline in the U of O’s

ranking.

Frémont then challenged the methodology of THE’s list, saying that the drop was largely due to a decline in the U of O’s score in research, and that no change at the university had taken place to warrant such a drop.

According to Frémont, this ranking is a problem for the U of O, especially as students and parents take it into consideration when choosing destinations for their postsecondary education.

Frémont also said that he has commissioned Mona Nemer, U of O vice-president of research, to look into the methodology of THE’s rankings and report back.

BOG member Michelle O’Bonsawin asked Frémont whether or not the university should seek damages for the ranking’s negative impact on its reputation. Frémont responded that for now the university would only investigate the ranking’s methodology.

Board member Michel Picard suggested a media offensive to counteract the negative ranking’s effect on the

The U of O’s Board of Governors met at Tabaret Hall on Sept. 26.

university’s overall image.

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

minutes after its commencement.

SASS Breach Very little was said in public to address the recent SASS data breach, which saw external hard drives containing information on 900 students go missing.

Frémont said the SASS breach was of great concern, and that the university was working to find answers.

The BOG meeting went in camera approximately 90

Other Business Joyal and vice-president academic and provost Michel Laurier gave a presentation on the replacement of the university’s Student Information Service (SIS), which is designed to “manage student records containing information on admissions, registration, transcripts, finances, graduation, timetables, and courses,”

according to the university’s website. Joyal said this would mean changes to Rabaska as well.

Joyal said the SIS replacement is “on track and on budget” for its Nov. 7 launch. Staff who are being trained to use the new system are adapting well, according to Joyal.

Joyal also noted that there could be interruptions to students’ Blackboard accounts during the time of the SIS launch.

U of O prof elected president of Royal Society of Canada

Chad Gaffield becomes the head of Canada’s oldest scholarly group fulcrum contributor This November, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the oldest scholarly group in the country, will be welcoming University of Ottawa history professor Dr. Chad Gaffield into their midst as their new president.

The Royal Society of Canada is the senior council of distinguished scholars in Canada, which promotes research and inquiry into the arts, sciences, and social sciences, as well as recognizing influential and well-respected Canadian scholars.

As part of his work in this new role, Gaffield will be working towards a commitment to Canada’s official languages, as well as planning the RSC’s next phase of development, including maintaining a strong presence on campuses and in the local and global community.

“On the one hand it’s humbling to be in this position,” said Gaffield.

“And on the other hand it’s really exciting and energizing to think about the kinds of contributions we can make going forward, along with leading figures across Canada

6 | NEWS

Chad Gaffield, professor in the U of O’s department of history.

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

tion that was created in the nineteenth century as a way of helping Canada move forward based on knowledge about all aspects of the past and present,” said Gaffield. “So, a group of people from universities focused on getting together and saying ‘Hey, maybe we could help

and internationally.”

Gaffield specializes in the history of Canadian society in the latenineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, and the change in social patterns that took place during the urban and industrial revolutions.

“The Royal Society is an institu-

“It’s just a wonderful opportunity because I think that the value of the Royal Society can be key in terms of helping Canada,” said Gaffield.

In accepting this new role, Gaffield believes that his time at the U of O will have a strong impact on his work at the RSC. “I think the University of Ottawa has been great for me because it’s a sort of microcosm of Canada: the official languages, the diversity, and the kind of research intensiveness has been a really good home that I’ve enjoyed, and certainly our history department has been a leading pillar of those kinds of contributions.”

Gaffield also believes that the RSC’s work can serve as an example to students who are preoccupied with trying to “make a better world.”

“I think the Royal Society is an example of how we can bridge the value of what we do here on campus to the challenge of confronting a lot of the complex problems, and also coming up with new ways of thinking about how we can all live together and share this planet.”

inform public discussion about the major problems of the day.’”

The RSC is made up of more than 2,000 fellows—women and men who have contributed to different fields of study, as well as to Canadian life, with roughly 80 fellows elected annually.

Fellowship in the society is considered to be the highest privilege for Canadian academics, artists, and scientists.

These days, the RSC concentrates its efforts on using knowledge of the past to tackle various issues faced by society—such as those pertaining to diversity and equity, scientific and technological advancement, and changing demographics and political systems—and advise the government and other organizations on these issues.

Some of the work done by fellows of the RSC have focused on cognitive decline and dementia, along with food marketing and consumerism.

Among other efforts, the RSC has also published a report on early childhood development in an effort to make information available to the general public.

isabel graham

thefulcrum.ca

U of O refugee project receives provincial funding Faculty of Law profs to receive financial boost for work on refugee support programs

The UORAP is one of the many initiatives found in the Refugee Hub, an organization that is also run by Bond.

The Refugee Hub’s largest flagship initiative is the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (SSP), which has trained over 1,300 lawyers on refugee sponsorship and supported them in doing pro-bono work with groups sponsoring refugees to Canada.

“The SSP supports refugees who are not yet in Canada, and the UORAP supports those who are here and trying to make a claim for protection. The UORAP’s work impacts all refugee claimants regardless of country of origin.”

The funding from the Ontario provincial government will also give U of O students a chance to participate in the UORAP in the upcoming years.

“This benefits the research team, because we have more people contributing to our work. It benefits the students, because they get to be involved in a great project, and learn about the importance of engaging in social justice initiatives generally. And it ultimately benefits refugees.”

Zainab Al-Mehdar

associate News Editor On Sept. 7 the provincial government announced that it will be providing funding to a number of projects in Ottawa, 28 of which are based at the University of Ottawa.

Among the newly funded projects is the University of Ottawa Refugee Assistance Project (UORAP), led by Jennifer Bond, associate professor from the U of O’s Faculty of Law. The UORAP was founded in 2011 through a grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario. Its research is also funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the U of O, and now the provincial government.

Bond found out about the Early Researcher Award through the university, and this was followed up by a formal announcement involving the university and the provincial government.

The funding itself is $100,000 from the province and $50,000 in matching funds from the U of O. “I was delighted—both because it is an honour to receive the recognition and because I am excited that the funding will allow us to con-

Dr. Jennifer Bond has been working on the UORAP project since 2011.

tinue and deepen our work,” said Bond.

The UORAP’s work focuses on training refugee support staff—social workers, housing specialists, women’s counsellors, and faithbased groups—on how best to prepare their clients for legal proceedings.

“The UORAP’s mandate is to

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

study and mitigate access to justice issues in Canada’s refugee system,” Bond said.

Bond believes that the project will help refugees by training the workers who interact with refugees on a daily basis, and by using their own research to make policy recommendations that will benefit people claiming refugee status in

the future.

Aside from the UORAP, Bond’s group also runs a large-scale research project that uses actual case files—including audio recordings of hearings—to look for barriers faced by refugees who interact with the justice system, such as those who may be unfamiliar with how it works.

U of O law students work to promote environmental sustainability

Club pursues reusable diningware project, Gatineau biodiversity charter Zainab Al-Mehdar

Associate News Editor The University of Ottawa’s Club du droit de la Terre (Environmental Law Club) has been making active changes on campus as of late. They recently started a faculty campaign to ban the use of throwaway cutlery and plates, and instead opt for reusable, biodegradable replacements.

Marie-Pierre Boudreau, a third-year civil law student at the U of O and current president of Le Club du droit de la Terre, was inspired to join the club after meeting its founder, Frederique Grenier, in 2014.

“I always wanted to do something about the environmental crisis, so when I understood with law you could do that and force governments to act on those issues, I chose that,” Boudreau said.

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The campaign started with the initiative to do away with plastic cutlery and plates for faculty events.

To encourage this transition, they placed recycling and compost bins in the Fauteux building during these events.

In 2015, the club members worked with the Faculty of Law to instate a policy which would only allow reusable cutlery and plates at all events.

Boudreau and her colleagues also introduced the policy at the March 2016 General Assembly, but it failed to pass.

Despite this setback, the club pursued the issue and spoke about the policy during the Faculty of Law student club meeting this month.

All the clubs in attendance agreed to add the policy of reusable cutlery and plates in their constitution.

While the club’s efforts initially focused on the U of

O campus, they have already achieved international recognition, having been contacted by the Swedish television network SVT to do a segment on Canada and the environment in the winter of 2016.

“It was a good experience just to be able to talk on TV and it’s on an issue we all care about,” Boudreau said.

Boudreau and the rest of the club are now expanding beyond their reusable diningware campaign. Currently, they are involved with the drafting of a biodiversity charter for the City of Gatineau.

The project’s supervisor is David Robitaille, a civil law professor at the U of O, who is working with the Centre Québécois du Droit de l’Environnement.

“It’s a great opportunity for us … it gives all the students really good practical experience. They are actually

Le Club du droit de la Terre was interviewed by the Swedish TV network SVT.

building the chart for biodiversity and they all have to do all the work that comes with it,” said Boudreau.

Le Club du droit de la Terre is also planning an upcoming conference on the role of

Photo: Courtesy of Marie-Pierre Boudreau.

Canada’s Indigenous people in environmental issues, which will feature Jennifer O’Bomsawin from the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador youth network.

As of the date of this pub-

lication, the date for the conference has not yet been finalized.

For more information about Le Club du droit de la Terre, visit their Facebook page.

NEWS | 7

National News

UNB student union campaign aims to highlight surge in textbook prices Survey reveals that some students have spent $2,000 on textbooks this semester Katie Morehouse

The brunswickan

Fredericton (CUP)—A new campaign launched by the University of New Brunswick Student Union (UNBSN) aims to show faculty members just how expensive textbooks are getting.

This new campaign, titled Textbroke, began in early September to measure how students get their textbooks and how much they pay for them. This includes an online survey for students to fill out about their textbook-buying experiences. There were even banners set up on campus, encouraging passing students to write how much they pay for textbooks.

Katie Beers, the external vice president of the UNBSU who came up with the idea of Textbroke, said that over 328 students have already filled out the online survey.

“That’s probably the most engagement we’ve gotten on a student survey in a long time,” said Beers.

She said just by looking at

According to the UNBSU’s Textbroke campaign, some students are choosing to opt out of buying textbooks altogether.

the hundreds of survey responses, she knows some students have already paid up to $2,000 for textbooks for just one term.

“We’ve averaged it out and the average price for a textbook currently is $110,” said Beers, estimating that in the

past four years she has spent over $1,200 on textbooks.

This isn’t surprising to fourth-year UNB student Brianna Robinson, who has already paid $414.16 for two textbooks this term.

“They’re obviously ridiculously overpriced, especial-

Photo: Bradley Parker.

ly when new editions are brought out and there’s barely any difference from the last one,” said Robinson.

One response that frequently appeared on the survey was for students who did not buy their textbook. Instead, they simply “hoped for the

best” without them.

“It’s shocking to see how many students say that. I think it’s shocking to me, but I think it would be more impactful for profs to see that,” said Beers.

Students sometimes turn to Facebook to purchase their textbooks on groups like “UNB used textbooks” which has garnered almost 5,000 members. Both Robinson and Beers love the group, and have benefited from it many times.

“I think it’s a great way to really tackle this issue of used textbooks as a campus community,” said Beers. “And it both allows students to spend less on books and sell the books that they’ve had for a year.”

Beers plans to close down the online survey shortly so she can put her data together and submit her findings to the UNB faculty.

“I hope that our profs will see this data and take it to heart and do something about the way that they use their course materials.”

U of T student union signs open letter to CFS

Letter criticizes federation’s structure, calls for reform tom yuan

The varsity Toronto (NUWire)—The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) is one of the 10 signatories of an open letter to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) criticizing the federation’s structure and what they call a lack of transparency.

In addition to the UTSU, the signatories include: • The Carleton University Students’ Association • The Cape Breton University Students’ Association • The Ryerson Students’ Union • The Laurentian University Students’ General

8 | NATIONAL NEWS

Association • The University of Regina Students’ Union • The Kwantlen Student Association • The Lakehead University Students Union • The University of British Columbia Students’ Union Okanagan • The OCAD Students’ Union.

The letter highlights the signatories’ concerns that include the availability of the meeting minutes, bylaws, policies, and financial information. It also covers the “overly burdensome” defederation process, the power of the CFS staff, the “closed, exclusive nature of general meetings,” and the

“lack of space for dissent and for constructive criticism.”

The 10 student associations plan to pass reform motions at the CFS Annual General Meeting in November.

“Our motivation for these reforms comes from a desire to strengthen student organizations in Canada to be truly representative and to further reflect the will of our members,” reads a portion of the letter.

Despite the criticisms, the 10 signatories say that they remain committed to the CFS’s principles and support “the existence of a progressive student movement that advances the interests of all students.”

Entrance to the office of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU).

The UTSU had been a member of the CFS since 2003 and is listed under Local 98.

Photo: Carolyn Levett.

Student activists unaffiliated with the UTSU executive have launched a petition campaign called You

Decide U of T in an attempt to stage a referendum on continued membership with the CFS.

thefulcrum.ca

A&C EDITOR Anchal Sharma arts@thefulcrum.ca

ARTS&CULTURE

(613) 695-0062 @imtherocks

Ready, set, whoa:

A Gee-Gee’s guide to the U.K. Ch. 1: Drinking culture shock first years and holding their liquor at the same time. But maybe that’s just my “uptight” Canadian side talking.

I’m living in residence while on this exchange, so I’ve had the chance to see how residence works when there’s no restrictions on alcohol.

The first time the security guards came walking by my room I, along with other American students on the floor, tried to hide our drinks. Of course the guard said nothing, and it was a bit surreal to be in residence and have people care so little about your drinking habits.

Besides Frosh Week and residence, there’s also the striking manner of how alcohol is sold here. It’s available much the same way as it is in Quebec, in grocery and corner stores.

Often times hard liquors will be kept beyond the counter, but otherwise there doesn’t appear to be many restrictions on purchase.

I haven’t been living in the U.K. for

David Campion-Smith Fulcrum Contributor

I

magine if you could drink beer anywhere you wanted during Frosh Week. Inside, outside, it doesn’t matter. Now that I’m doing a semester abroad at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, I’ve been exposed to these kinds of unique cultural differences for the first time.

For one thing, the people running events during their version of 101 Week are allowed to drink. On top of that, the drinking age here is 18, which means that their Frosh Week can include more alcohol-infused events and the majority of first years are allowed to indulge.

In my mind this is a recipe for disaster, since the people who are running events have to juggle managing

very long, but I do get the sense that drinking, particularly going out to a bar, is much more socially acceptable here. While in Canada, it seems that going out to bars often during the week is viewed as a student or young professional thing, and not necessarily something for middle-aged folks.

The atmosphere also feels different here—bars are just busier, with a diverse clientele who seem totally at ease grabbing a few beers after work on any day of the week. I’m sure this doesn’t apply to the whole country, and probably doesn’t even apply to all of Canada, but it has been an interesting change of environment.

At the end of the day, alcohol consumption and distribution is not the only way to judge a country, but it definitely has served as an introduction to the kinds of cultural norms and values that really do vary from place to place.

Illustration: Yomi Orims.

Four folk albums of 2016 to get you in the autumn spirit

Now that fall is finally upon us, get cozy with these kickass indie albums!

Alex Grichmanoff Fulcrum Contributor

The Head and the Heart – Signs of Light The title of The Head and the

Whitney – Light Upon Heart’s third record is unapologetithe Lake cally literal. While the band’s popuWhitney’s inaugural album is not only one of the strongest alternative folk and country albums released this year, it’s arguably one of the best debut releases from any band in recent memory.

Channeling 1970s-era folk and blues rock influences, Whitney creates some of the most imaginative and compelling folk music in years.

Thanks to a collection of band members from the now defunct indie rock outfit Smith Westerns and the synth rock group Unknown Mortal Orchestra, this debut effort will undoubtedly serve as a soundtrack to many autumn campfires and late night drives for years to come.

Standout Tracks: “No Woman,” “Polly,” and “Golden Days”

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larity largely stems from dreary, wintery ballads like “Rivers and Roads” or “Lost in My Mind,” The Head and the Heart appears to pursue a more upbeat musical direction this time around.

The first half of Signs Of Light sees the band channeling their inner indie rock: “All We Ever Knew” features electric guitar on the hooks, “City of Angels” has a heavy base guitar line chugging along in the foreground of the track, and “False Alarm” is a pop ballad of sorts.

Thankfully, The Head and the Heart doesn’t leave their existing fans in the dark on Signs Of Light. The latter half of the record slows down and sees the band return to the tried and tested downbeat song writing formula they’ve become famous for.

Standout Tracks: “All We Ever Knew,” “False Alarm,” and “I Don’t Mind”

Wilco – Schmilco

Mutual Benefit – Skip a Sinking Stone

Whether they’re experimenting with genres or releasing albums with titles that parody their own name, Wilco’s long and successful career is justified time and time again through their relatable songwriting prowess.

Schmilco is best described as a return to form for the dad-rock group. The album is chalked full of strong folk and country ballads, each track equally as moving and interesting as the next. Schmilco doesn’t entirely leave the band’s modern sound behind, occasionally dabbling with light experimentation and distortion effects on tracks like “Common Sense” and “Locator.”

However, Wilco largely scales back any desire for the overtly loud, and the final product is a cohesive record created by a confident band in their absolute prime.

Standout Tracks: “If I Was Ever A Child,” “Cry All Day,” and “Happiness”

Combining a wide variety of instrumentation and musical influences (even noise rock), Mutual Benefit effortlessly creates some of the best atmospheric folk music of the last decade with their latest entry.

The songs on Skip a Sinking Stone are warm, cozy, and inviting, as well as lyrically poignant. It’s almost like Mutual Benefit is begging you to listen to their album while driving down a long country road, or sitting on a front porch late at night in the crisp autumn air.

Standout Tracks: “Not For Nothing,” “Lost Dreamers,” and “Getting Gone”

Photo: Mutual Benefit via YouTube.

ARTS & Culture | 9

U of O alumnus returns to headline Café Nostalgica

Mark MacDonald reflects on old haunts, newfound success in the music industry matt zucca

fulcrum contributor Mark MacDonald is like a character in a dream. He shows up just how you imagine him, and surprises you all the same.

MacDonald met up with me in front of Tabaret Hall on a breezy Saturday afternoon.

This is a familiar spot for him since, even after graduating from the University of Ottawa in June 2016, he still comes by the campus to spread his music and good cheer.

In fact, on Oct. 7 MacDonald is set to headline one of his favourite old hangouts on campus: Café Nostalgica.

MacDonald brought along one of his old friends to our interview—his Ovation acoustic guitar, which he kept throughout his university career—and primed some passersby with some of his new pop/punk material.

“Songwriting is something I did on the backburner, and it was just something I did at home, and didn’t tell anyone really,” he shared, explaining

Mark MacDonald showing off his skills with his Ovation acoustic guitar.

how he got involved in the music scene. “I started playing some open mics and ... people had a lot of positive feedback.”

In many ways, MacDonald is a product of the university’s creative writing program, a semi-competitive program offered in third year for english literature students. MacDon-

Photo: Matt Zucca.

ald also remarked that the tutelage of acclaimed Canadian poet and U of O professor Seymour Mayne has a significant influence on his lyrics.

“The stuff that I’ve learned there, I’ve applied to my songwriting ... especially my lyrics.

I put a lot of thought into every single lyric, every single

word and that’s something I’ve learned in the poetry classes at the U of O.” Like many creative individuals, he finds inspiration while confronting the darker side of life.

“For me, songwriting is a therapy. Personally I deal with a lot of mental health

issues, one of the major ones being depression, another one being insomnia, so I have a lot of songs that actually get inspiration from those dark feelings.”

Thankfully, MacDonald is looking at much happier times. He said that receiving a job offer from Grant Avenue, a popular recording studio based in Hamilton, as a recording engineer in early 2016 caused him to weep. Now, as an up-and-coming musician, MacDonald believes that he is very privileged to be surrounded by working musicians who have been playing professionally for upwards of 30 and 40 years.

“I’ve been there and I’ve been learning and working with a lot of great artists. Just seeing people come through … following their dreams, it was really inspiring and I kind of caught the bug a little bit.”

Now that he has all these new resources at his fingertips, MacDonald is ready to make the shift from music lover to recording artist, and

is set to release his first EP in 2017. He claims it was his people skills and his involvement in various university opportunities that landed him his job at Grant Avenue.

“It was a dream come true for me to get a job at Grant Avenue at all,” MacDonald shared. “They could have chosen anyone from any program to come work there, but they ended up choosing me because they were like ‘you have people skills that we can’t teach, but we can teach you everything else and you’re passionate.’”

Fortunately, MacDonald had some tips for musicians who are looking to break into the industry like he did.

“Play as often as you can and play with people. The best thing you can do to improve your playing as a musician is to play with people.”

You can come check out Mark MacDonald on Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. at Café Nostalgica, where he’ll be promoting the launch for his first EP.

Models hit the catwalk for a cause

Runway For Hope holds its sixth charity fashion show madison mcsweeney staff contributor

The Runway For Hope fashion show, dedicated to promoting local designers and raising funds for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), held its sixth annual show at Lansdowne Park on Sept. 25. This year’s event showcased 19 local designers, 27 local vendors, and performances

by Ottawa-centric singers and dancers.

“Our goal is just to promote local fashion—designers and models and the whole fashion industry in Ottawa,” explains Valerie Doyon, a secondyear biomedical science student at University of Ottawa, who volunteered backstage at this year’s show.

The bi-annual event has grown “bigger and bigger every year,” Doyon says. This year, Ottawa Redblacks cheerleaders

10 | ARTS & CULTURE

Runway for Hope raised funds to help support a local Children’s hospital.

even made an appearance.

Doyon adds that, for most of the designers, it is their first time participat-

Photo: Remi Yuan.

Sunday’s show featured a variety of designs ranging from the practical to the quirky. Highlights included glittery ensem-

ing in Runway For Hope.

“They’re not returning designers … It’s really cool because you get to see new stuff every year.”

bles by Amira & Nasreen, and Sabrina Oxford’s fairytale-esque capes.

“You wouldn’t think of (Ottawa) as a fashion capital,” Doyon acknowledges, although she still believes the capital region is home to many talented designers and stylists. “We like to throw something to help them out, especially all the ones coming right out of college.”

Doyon is currently planning the next edition of Runway For Hope, which will be held at Tabaret Hall and feature more U of O student talent.

All profits from the show are donated to the CHEO, with this year’s donations focusing on cancer research.

“We wanted to help raise money for a good cause, and raising money for kids is always a good cause,” says event coordinator and backstage manager Josie Vilna, who is in

her fourth year of civil engineering at the U of O. Each show generally raises between $2,000 and $3,000, but the organizers plan to move to a larger location for future shows so they can sell more tickets and bring in more money for the hospital.

Having suffered from asthma as a child, Vilna “spent a lot of time in the hospital” and witnessed firsthand the impact that medical research had on her treatment. These personal experiences, as well as her interest in the fashion industry—she modelled in an earlier incarnation of the show before moving into management—are why she is so passionate about Runway For Hope.

“It’s a great thing when you raise money for good causes,” Vilna says.

“That’s all we are about— and great designs too.”

thefulcrum.ca

First SFUO-run ELE Fest comes through on $0 budget

U of O event raises funds for local charity, promotes Ottawa artists Navjot Waraich & Anchal Sharma

Fulcrum Contributor & arts & culture editor On Sept. 24 the Everybody Love Everybody (ELE) Festival returned to campus for its third year with a wide array of musical talent, securing its spot as one of the University of Ottawa’s most popular fall events.

Hosted by the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) for the first time, the concert was held on campus and was open to the public (aged 16 and up).

On that night University Square was used as more than just a concrete jungle, providing a large enough space to accommodate the over 1,900 people that purchased tickets.

Essentially advertised as a student-friendly rave, ELE Fest featured tons of Ottawa artists, staying true to its theme of supporting the community and showcasing local talent. Funds raised through

Maurice Moore performing on stage at University Square.

ticket sales are being donated to a local charity.

This year, the SFUO chose Candlelighters, a childhood cancer support program based in Ottawa.

Dotted by musical groups and artists like

Photo: Remi Yuan.

student at the U of O remarked that although this was her first year attending the event, it certainly left an impression.

“I found the event to be a lot of fun and high energy. It was also really

KHAOS, Maurice Moore, DJ Katrella, Lily Fidelia, and C-Fresh Beatbox, and headlined by the international Bass Jackers, ELE fest was as lively as ever.

Marley Langman, a fourth-year linguistics

cool to see so many students out at an on-campus event,” Langman wrote in an email to the Fulcrum.

Langman also noted that despite having no budget, “the SFUO did a good job with the event.

Entry was smooth and the event seemed very well planned.”

Hadi Wess, vice-president social of the SFUO, explained that the success of the festival was due, in part, to ticket sales.

“We took another approach to promote the event,” he said, and noted that instead of relying solely on email communication, the SFUO reached out to the campus community, including the Residence Association of the University of Ottawa.

“We reached out to the residences (and) the CAs promoted the event on their floors, and all the student associations on campus promoted the event within their own faculties.”

“We followed the strat-

egy that would guarantee that we would make the event work financial wise.”

The SFUO also had the festival promoted on other school campuses like Carleton University, Saint Paul University, and Algonquin College, a move that, according to Wess, helped skyrocket ticket sales, which made the event possible. But Wess made it clear that most of the attendees were from the U of O. “The fact that it was held on campus made it more accessible for students,” he said, further mentioning that it really fit with this year’s SFUO theme of “Together, Ensemble.”

“The main goal is to bring all the students together (while) promoting charity and music via festival,” Wess shared.

“We’re proving to the (public) that we’re able to make things happen even with no money. We’re able to make something out of nothing.”

A celebration of art and diversity

Chinatown Remixed street art festival begins month-long exhibition liya huang

Fulcrum Contributor Nothing represents Canada better than its diversity and multiculturalism. So it’s fitting that Chinatown, one of the most diverse and colourful areas of Ottawa, will be transformed into an indoor and outdoor art show over the next two months.

This event is better known as Chinatown Remixed, a gallery where artists get the opportunity to place their work all over the neighbourhood.

From coffee shops to pho restaurants, and even grocery stores and travel centres, residents and pedestrians can catch a glimpse of local works of art spread out on massive murals or shop fronts.

“You’re seeing art where you wouldn’t 100 per cent expect to see it,” said Jess Alysworth, a University

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of Ottawa alumna whose sculpturesque art piece is on display in the window of the Shanghai Restaurant. “Chinatown Remixed is as eclectic as it is beautiful. We’re all here to celebrate our differences and our creativity.”

Alysworth collaborated with two other artists to create a three-dimensional work of art resembling tree roots to help express the theme of interconnectivity, which is central to the whole art show.

“The cool part of collaborating with people is you all end up doing something slightly out of your everyday practice. You try new things and you’re open to new perspectives,” she said.

During the vernissage day on Sept. 24, Chinatown was thriving with activity. All the artists were present and people attending were able to

The Chinatown Remixed art festival is an outdoor, month-long event featuring local artists.

her art really resonated with me,” said Amy Yee, an attendee of the exhibition. “And having the opportunity to be able to talk to her and connect with

chat with them about their art and purchase their pieces.

“I loved being able to meet the artists, in particular Florence Yee because

Photo: Liya Huang.

her … it was really meaningful. Chinese-Canadian culture is so unique.”

Chinatown Remixed had a little bit of everything and for all ages.

From live art painters and dance performances to DJs and dishes of ChineseCanadian cuisine, it was nothing short of a memorable experience.

If you’re an artist who is interested in having your works displayed here for the next celebration, Chinatown Remixed accepts applications every year.

“Get the courage to start.

Once you start getting involved you’ll find more and more opportunities, it will just come to you. Be determined and have confidence in your own art,” Alysworth shared.

Chinatown Remixed is set to run until Oct. 29, so if you didn’t come on the opening day, you now have the perfect excuse to stroll around Chinatown and enjoy some Vietnamese pho, Indian samosas, and bask in multiculturalism.

ARTS & Culture | 11

Alexa-Eliza Carter Features Editor

in your school University of Ottawa is at the forefront of the maker culture, but will this movement improve education?

As I enter the University of Ottawa’s makerspace lab via a bright red door in Colonel By, I can tell that I’m in the right place.

Upon entry I see a room filled with 3D printers, and another with printed objects that look like a Yoshi egg, Pokémon characters, and colourful robot arms. In front of me there is a gigantic laser cutter and to my left there are sewing machines.

To my right there’s a couple large, cafeteria-style tables and then behind them are larger printers and virtual reality tech toys. In other words, it was like I had just stepped foot inside of a giant Toys “R” Us, but one meant for young adults instead of kids.

Dr. Hanan Anis, associate professor in the U of O’s Faculty of Engineering, began her journey to create this student-run tech playground two and a half years ago.

After studying up on other makerspaces across North America, she sought to create an environment similar to the one found at the Georgia Institute of Technology, something that leans heavily on student-run collaboration and new technology being at the forefront.

“It was fully run by students and it was very clear that this is what gave it its culture. I always say that and some people don’t understand. The beauty of this makerspace is not the 3D printers, the beauty of the makerspace is the culture.”

“It’s the fact that we have a makers club that has seventy people in there. You walk in there everybody is doing something and they’re excited about it. That culture that we have fostered, what makes it unique is not the bunch of printers—the technology will change, it’s the culture you want to foster.”

Anis began the makerspace with Frank Bouchard, who is now the U of O manager of outreach programs.

The Richard L’Abbé Makerspace eventually opened its doors in the fall of 2014, and is now available to students and members of the Ottawa community alike.

But what kinds of advantages does this kind of environment provide students, particularly in terms of educational value?

Technology and beyond While cutting-edge technology is not necessarily needed in a makerspace, the U of O’s maker-

space environment is in no short supply.

Not only does the Richard L’Abbé Makerspace come equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, and virtual reality peripherals, but it also flaunts more modest devices like sewing machines that are used in conjunction with the software to integrate circuits into fabric.

Thanks to the availability of this technology, what was once mostly math and theory in engineering courses is now subject to tangible representation.

According to Olivia Eddy, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, her first two years in her university program suffered from a severe lack of practical application, since there were no projects being developed that could help put theory into practice.

Mohamed Galaleldin, mechanical engineer and U of O doctoral student who concurs said, “Before, engineering in school was all about theory and mathematics and sciences, and then you study about designing, but you are not actually designing, maybe in the last year.”

Now that this makerspace has been open to the public for the last two years, Eddy notes that students from various departments are able to share their ideas, collaborate, and most importantly see their designs come to life.

“It will definitely change our university atmosphere when it comes to projects. We’ve had teachers come to the door and they love the whole makerspace atmosphere, and how kids can learn from building a project,” said Eddy.

“You can talk about a project, but when you actually go and build it you run into all these other brick walls where you have to find solutions, and it’s actual real problem-solving skills.”

In terms of the current projects that they are working on, Eddy says that the U of O makerspace has been working with the Ottawa Civic Hospital to use 3D printers to produce ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs.The U of O makerspace also hosted the Prosthetic Design Challenge, which was launched in 2014 to design a prosthetic hand for a six-yearold boy.

Photos: Kyle Darbyson.

Interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial The emerging maker culture isn’t limited to a single educational discipline either.

Unlike the majority of the students at the U of O makerspace, Brandon Renelli is not an engineering student. In fact, he’s a second-year education student in the Faculty of Education.

However, that didn’t stop him from leading a makerspace brainstorming session on Sept. 22, a workshop that gave students from different disciplines the floor to pitch whatever inventive ideas or projects popped into their heads.

Renelli, for example, has been using the makerspace’s 3D printers in order to create masks and other props.

“I immediately think the drama faculty, how much we could help with people who want to get into prop making.”

In his experience as a pre-service teacher, Renelli observed that a makerspace also gives smaller kids a chance to create while building up their own self-confidence.

“It’s certainly giving them confidence in the tech.

I worked with a bunch of kids from the time they can barely use a mouse on a computer to now (where) they are using that mouse on a computer to do stuff that their parents didn’t even think was possible.”

Abdullah Mostafa, a second-year engineering and computing technology student “wants to inspire more people to enter engineering” through his entrepreneurial venture.

As the owner of xTETRA, a company that promotes engineering to younger kids, Mostafa said his vision is to start working on mechanical engineering kits at first which contain a group of 3D printed parts that can be assembled.

Galaleldin said that this kind of learning is “a tool to achieve disruptive innovation.”

By this he means that in order to create something new and innovative, you have to make one product obsolete to create a new need for a more advanced product. He sees the U of O makerspace as a great environment for this process to take its course.

Community and global outreach Taking this tech outside of the U of O campus was also an important objective for Anis, which is why the Maker Mobile workshops were put into motion.

Described simply as a “makerspace on wheels,” the U of O started the Maker Mobile in order to connect to communities and schools, and teach people about the makerspace movement.

“We have had a huge success with our workshops,” said Justine Boudreau, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student.

“For parents and kids we do birthday parties and special demos outside. We’ve done Kidsfest, we’ve done Maker Faire, we’ve done Festival de Montgolfières, we were there a few weeks ago in Gatineau.”

The Maker Mobile was also asked to travel to four Aboriginal reserves in Manitoba in a response to the high suicide rates of these communities. Boudreau commented on how affected by this experience she was.

The Maker Mobile’s outreach programs even extend beyond national borders.

Since May 2016, the Maker Mobile has made the trip down to Donald Street apartment buildings every Monday to meet with Syrian refugees and organize workshops for parents and kids. Galaleldin said that some of these kids have never seen a computer.

Eddy talks about a group of students called Dextra that uses the U of O makerspace to design and print hand prosthetics.

Dextra’s end goal is to travel to Lebanon through the Red Cross to give these 3Dprinted prosthetics to amputees. They have gone over to meet with them this past August and will go over again this December.

“They will show people how to print these hands, how to assemble them, and to leave a printer there.”

Inspiring STEM programs U of O runs a summer camp called Adventures in Engineering and Science for grade school-aged students. They promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs through their maker mobile outreach.

Boudreau organizes the after-school, eight-week program to promote engineering for girls. There are two programs, namely, Engineering for Social Change and Wearables.

Dr. Michelle Hagerman, associate professor in the Faculty of Education at U of O, has created Wearables with teachers combining circuits with clothing by using conductive thread with a LilyPad Arduino, a small circuit board designed for e-textiles and Wearables.

“We are using scientific principles to sew lights into a dress,” said Hagerman.

As Boudreau describes it, the objective here is to encourage girls to get involved in STEM programs.

“Hopefully by doing all of these workshops in classrooms we are able to motivate them to look into those avenues, especially the girls too and show them, ‘look I’m a girl I’m doing this, there’s nothing to be scared of.’”

“I know it’s a very stereotypical male environment and everything, but there are a lot of resources here to help you.”

Hagerman believes that because of the interdisciplinary nature of a makerspace, it can draw in a wide range of student interests, which may as a result encourage interest in STEM programs.

She provides an example of Rota Tibshira-

ni and Patricia Fiorino who gave a workshop on Discovery Day at U of O last weekend, where they spoke about their successful experience in their kindergarten and grade 6 classes using simple coding technology in their maker culture teaching practice.

Hagerman is working with Megan Cotnam‑Kappel, a professor in the Faculty of Education at the U of O, to develop a grant proposal for the Canada Fund for Innovation in order to make a Faculty of Education makerspace called the Techno Studio.

She explains that this would be an “innovative space for teaching, and tinkering, and playing, and researching most importantly the impact of making as a mindset on teacher education and learning.”

Makerspace changing education At first glance, the Richard L’Abbé makerspace could be described as being a few rooms with some impressive technology but more significant than the gadgets, the maker culture allows for creating and designing in a collaborative environment.

The makerspace promotes learning that is a “dynamic, kind of flexible process … through practice and iteration and revision,” says Hagerman.

In elementary schools or secondary schools, “having just the environment of being supportive and having an open mind for new projects is definitely an awesome start for makerspace,” says Boudreau.

Anis, Hagerman, and Boudreau all note that any formal educational setting is in need of someone who will encourage teachers and students alike to foster an environment for imagination, creativity, and innovation. This is how the maker movement will empower youth, challenge complacency, and improve education.

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR Spencer Murdock sports@thefulcrum.ca

@SpencerMurdock @FulcrumSports

Gee-Gees women’s soccer sweeps home series

Wins over Nipissing and Laurentian keep the team’s streak alive Spencer Murdock Sports Editor

E

ntering the 2016 season, the GeeGees women’s soccer team had to grapple with significant personnel losses, injuries, and lineup tinkering. But now, they are past the halfway point in their regular season, undefeated with a perfect 9-0-0 record.

On Sept. 24 and 25, the team collected two more home wins over Nipissing and Laurentian.

The two wins were essential given that the team has to take to the road for six of their final seven games.

Against Nipissing, the GeeGees scored early on a strike from fourth-year midfielder Vanessa El-Asmar, giving the Gees a quick lead to work with.

The Gees defence continued its dominance this season, only allowing six total shots on net

Bearne battles on the field after a long off the field battle.

throughout the game. Timely scoring has been key for the team, but it’s their defence and goalkeeping that has enabled the team to succeed as much as they have.

Third-year striker Delaney Rickert-Hall added another goal to lock up the win for the Gees.

Photo: Kim Wiens.

The following day’s game against Laurentian was more of a test, as the two teams battled to a stalemate throughout the first half.

The Gee-Gees had a tougher time establishing pressure than usual. The Voyageurs always seemed to have an answer when the Gees were look-

ing to take the lead.

In the second half, thirdyear striker Sophie Curtis was able to convert on a short shot in-front of the net.

Later in the half, midfielder Katherine Bearne lobbed a strike from the left side of the field, which landed directly in the side of the net, giving the

Gees a security goal and a 2-0 lead.

But Laurentian didn’t ever accept defeat, handing the GeeGees a tough 90-minute effort.

“The other team was really well organized and they fought until the end,” said head coach Steve Johnson. “It was a good team win today. I think it was a balanced good performance from everyone on the field. We used a good amount of subs and I’m happy with the way everyone was able to contribute.”

The star of the weekend for the team was Bearne, who scored once and tallied two assists. Her third year in garnet and grey has been an impressive return after a knee injury left her out of action for an entire season.

“It’s great to be back,” said Bearne. “Last year, I was looking up to a lot of these girls as leaders and my teammates are the reason I’m back out on the field today. So getting that goal with them was a great feeling.”

Bearne and the Gee-Gees are

the second-ranked team in the nation, and their road ahead in the upcoming weeks will be the biggest test of the team’s strength.

“We would’ve liked to get some of those big road trips out of the way early,” said Johnson.

“This is the time where people start to get sick and the pressure of school becomes a bit more evident.”

Johnson knows the struggle, but believes the team is up to the test. The resilience the team has shown so far will likely ease the blow of a bumpier road to the playoffs.

As of right now, the GeeGees are playing their best soccer in years, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to be slowing down anytime soon.

The team will travel to Kingston to take on Queen’s on Sept.

30, before returning home for their final regular season game at Matt Anthony Field. The game against Royal Military College will get underway on Oct. 2 at 1 p.m.

Over 200 Gee-Gees named Academic All-Canadians U of O students rewarded for balancing academics and athletics Nico Laliberté

Fulcrum Contributor Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) recently named its Academic All-Canadians for the 2015–16 year, and over 200 University of Ottawa students were named to the list. This is the second year in a row that over 200 U of O students were awarded this honour.

To be eligible for the award, an athlete must be enrolled as a student-athlete, and must have a grade point average of 80 per cent or better, according to the CIS website.

Obviously, it can be difficult for students to balance academics and athletics, and it is a testament to these students’ hard work and dedication that they were able to

14 | SPORTS

achieve this honour.

On Sept. 20, all 217 studentathletes were recognized for their accomplishments in an evening ceremony hosted by Sports Services.

Three U of O studentathletes were given special recognition for achieving a perfect grade point average of 10.0.

Clara Phillips, a member of the cross-country team, achieved this feat in biomedical engineering. Both Sawyer Bonin, a member of the rowing team, and Anna Blinder of the women’s ultimate team excelled to this gold standard in biomedical sciences.

Overall, track and crosscountry had 24 members named to the list, the most of any competitive club. The rowing team was next with

18 members, followed by men and women’s ultimate with 12 members each, and football with 11.

Danika Smith, the university’s student-athlete services and compliance officer, oversees the services offered to student-athletes, and is proud of the work being done by student-athletes at the U of O. “Our coaches have really made academic success a priority,” said Smith. “We’re seeing that with turnover in athletes, more are staying four or five years and graduating because academics has been an important role with their coaches.”

To help its athletes achieve academic success, the U of O provides a Sports Mentoring Centre for varsity athletes.

The university also assigns mentors and coordinators

Academics and athletics cam be a difficult balancing act.

to specific teams in order to help ensure academics has a place in the club’s everyday operations.

Mentors are typically senior or recently graduated athletes that know the

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

struggles of balancing school and sport. These mentors work closely with first-year athletes to ease the stress of adapting to university life.

“It’s really a truly amazing accomplishment,” said

Smith. “It’s a nice way to celebrate their success, because getting over an 8.0 is a huge achievement and their load is so heavy.”

—With files from Spencer Murdock.

thefulcrum.ca

Panda Game memories

Former Gee-Gees players and coaches look back on the special event “As the head coach of the Gee-Gees in the 1970 Panda Game (which we happened to win), the thing I remember the most was the fact that the game was the largest attendance for a Canadian university football game, including the College Bowl (Vanier Cup). There was over 20,000 fans in attendance for that game at Lansdowne Park!”

—Robert O’Billiovich, head coach (1970) “The 1966 game was my first and it was played at the Carleton field. The fans were everywhere, trying to get a glimpse of the game. The number of fans far exceeded the capacity of the stadium. One of our first plays was a pitch out and I had to lead the blocking for Al Scanlan our outstanding running back. As I turned the corner to head down field I could not make out where the out of bounds line was as the crowd was actually on part of the playing field. As we progressed, I could see the spectators scramble to the sidelines revealing more and more of the field. Luckily no one got hurt. I knew at that point how special the Panda Game was and I was happy to be part of it.

1967 was played at Lansdowne Park (now TD Place) which was far better for crowd control. The game was exciting as usual and we prevailed. What was most remarkable for me was what took place after the game. As I was leaving the field I could hear my name being called from far away and it wasn’t a voice that was familiar to me on the field. A gentleman caught up to me and gave me a big bear hug to congratulate me telling how great the game was and how much he enjoyed it. To my great surprise it was my American history professor from Maryland. Again I realized how special the Panda Game was as I never expected that a professor would be at the game, let alone running after me to congratulate me. It was, for me, a memorable event and on that day my academic and athletic experience at Ottawa U were forever joined together.”

—Pierre Guindon, offensive tackle, punter & kicker (196667) “I played QB in the first three Panda Games coached by Matt Anthony. The game and the original Panda was the brainchild of Brian McNulty who was sports editor (for the Fulcrum) and Tom White ... I graduated in 1957 and went on to teach and coach at U of Ottawa’s High School and in 1962, became the director of athletics and helped Matt with some coaching duties for a few years. I then became a professor at the School of Human Kinetics until my retirement in 1996.”

—Robert Pelletier, quarterback (1954-1956) “All of us who played in 1964-65 probably remember the tragic car accident following the game where a good friend got killed.

Like Jim (Silye), I recall numerous incidents involving Matt Anthony. However, to this day I have not met any individual as devoted and giving as he was. In the 1969 Panda I was clipped and injured. Actually I was given a standing ovation which I never saw. When I got to the sideline Matt asked what was wrong with me. When told, he simply said ‘freeze him up’ and I played the rest of the game.

There is always a soft side to every tough individual. I believe we all remember seeing Matt cry when he told us about (former Gee-Gees quarterback) Don Lewicki.”

“I played in four Pandas. The Gee-Gees were 2-2 in the games, and I can only remember the last one, a loss in 1971.

In 1970-71 the Gee Gees lost only three games: a Vanier Cup loss to Manitoba in 1970, a Yates Cup loss to Western in 1971, and you guessed it, our only regular season loss in two years, to the lowly ranked Ravens in the Panda Game.

We were ranked #1 at the time. Ouch. I don’t have to tell you which loss hurt the most.”

—Martin Sevigny, defensive back (1968-1971) “I still have a blown up picture of the first touchdown in the ‘72 game. It is on the wall in my gym at home. It is from the 5-yard-line and it’s a power sweep left with Jim Colton (playing in perhaps his first game after replacing Dan Smith at QB) keeping the ball and following myself and Whitey Sherwood around the end.

The shot shows Dave Parks getting ready to take on my block, which put him in the end zone. He was only about 160 lbs, so it wasn’t that big a deal! I’ll let Ron Armstrong tell the story of the scalp that hung in the locker room for a couple of years.

Tim Leach, Bill McNeely, Clarence Coleman, Jean Gouin, and Pete Demontigny, maybe some of Connie Kozak’s butt, are all visible in the shot, taken by Mark Vitaris. I think that was Jimmy Colton’s’ first TD as a Gee-Gee.” —Steve Carlo, right guard (1971-1975) “We were undefeated in 1965, but the Panda Game was a near loss. With less than two minutes left, I was beat for a TD, giving Carleton a three point lead on their home field.

My dad happened to be passing behind our bench and he heard a pissed off coach (Matt) Anthony scream, “that goddammit f***ing Silye.” I stayed on the field for the ensuing kickoff which I initially proceeded to fumble, but managed to pick up and with one deke and a great block by Ricky Myles, I was off to the races down the left sidelines for a 70-yard TD return which sealed the game for us.

Now my dad, walks back behind the bench again and yells at coach Anthony “How you like Silye now?” Coach Matt Anthony told me this story. During my years with the Gee-Gees, I believe we won the Panda each year! Go Gee-Gees Go!” —Jim Silye, halfback (1965-1968) “The biggest ‘Wow!’ at any Panda Game was the size of the crowd. The only national TV in the old days for university ball was the Vanier Cup … then known as the Canadian Save the Children Bowl. Great to see that Pedro the Panda has been revived.”

—Peter Demontigny, centre (1970-73) “I’m pretty sure that this happened in 1965, the year before I became a Gee-Gee. I went to the Panda Game with some of my high school teammates. I think it was pretty close to the end of the game that a touchdown pass was thrown to the always sure-handed Al Scanlon. It was complete, but he didn’t receive it with his hands, but facedown in the end zone, the ball resting on the back of his legs!

I’d love to know what expletive-riddled wisecrack Matt Anthony uttered after that one. Someone from that team might be able to clarify time of game and impact on the outcome, but that’s how a grade 13 fan remembers it.

Amazing!

—Pierre Pinard, defensive lineman (1964-69) —Terry McGovern, centre (1966-69) Photos: Fulcrum Archives, Vol. 36, 40, 43, & 52.

thefulcrum.ca

Sports | 15

Competitive club closeup: Gee-Gees cheerleading

Despite sport’s recognition issues, cheer team is just like any other spencer murdock sports editor

For the Gee-Gees cheerleading team, many of their fellow athletes have been struggling to get recognition for their entire lives.

Cheerleading has long been a contentious issue in the eyes of athletics purists.

In recent years, there has been a significant enough dialogue about it, so much so that the American Medical Association had to declare it an official sport to protect athletes.

Conversely federal judges have also ruled multiple times that the National Collegiate Athletics Association couldn’t consider it a sport, rendering it unable to be used by colleges to meet gender-equity guidelines.

At the University of Ottawa however, the cheer team is recognized as a sport under competitive club status.

Unlike many other competitive clubs, the cheer team doesn’t necessarily need to strive for varsity status. The standard is that cheerleading teams in

Gee-Gees cheer ignites the crowd at a football game.

Canada are clubs, and often they don’t get funding from athletic departments.

Nicola Brogan, a fourthyear back spot on the GeeGees cheer team is fully aware of the pros and cons

Photo: Kim Wiens.

seen as a team, just like any other.

“We work hard week by week to improve our skills, push our limits, and bond as a team. We support each other with school work,

of being a competitive club at the U of O. “The best part of having competitive club status is the recognition as studentathletes,” said Brogan, noting the importance of being

injuries, and emotionally when we get down on ourselves.”

Like other competitive clubs, the cheer team struggles to compensate for the cost associated with partici-

pating in their sport.

“I think the most difficult part is the cost of operating the team,” said Brogan. “We all are responsible for paying for our team fees and clothing … many of us work to afford school and cheerleading, so I have utmost respect for the girls that can balance school, work, and cheer practice.”

Despite this, the team is proud of the work they put in representing the school at various cheer competitions and varsity games throughout the year.

“It is so exciting and humbling to stand in front of thousands of fans wearing the Gee-Gees logo,” said Brogan. “We are very proud of what we do and it means a lot to the team to see fellow Gee-Gees cheer us on while we stunt and dance!”

The key upcoming events that will feature the cheerleading team includes the Panda Game, the PCA National Collegiate Championships in November, Capital Hoops and Big East Blast in February, as well as Kicks Celebration in March.

Men’s hockey eats a tough preseason loss

Goaltending put at the forefront of exhibition matchup against Windsor Zack Goobie

Fulcrum Contributor The Gee-Gees men’s hockey team took to home ice for the second time this preseason on Sept. 23, as they faced off against the University of Windsor Lancers.

Coming fresh from two victorious outings, the home team would still have to contend with a tough test against an opposite-division Ontario University Athletics opponent.

As soon as the puck dropped at the Minto Sports Complex, the intensity was evident, and continued for most of the game.

Forward Kevin Domingue had the first significant scoring chance of the game, as he was alone against the Windsor goaltender, who was up to the task and made a great save five minutes into the game.

Gees goaltender Graham

16 | SPORTS

Regardless of struggles, men’s hockey still impresses.

Hunt rose to the competition, stopping ex-Moncton Wildcat teammate Kyle Haas on the doorstep of the net.

Photo: Remi Yuan.

Following some great goaltending on both sides, Dylan Denomme of the Lancers lit up the scoreboard with a

shot from the slot that beat Hunt’s glove side.

The Gees got the second period off on the right foot,

pouncing on the forecheck.

Centre Jacob Hanlon used to the momentum to finish a two-on-one, beating the visiting team’s goalie for the Gee-Gees’ first goal.

Later in the second, Haas was awarded a penalty shot.

However, Hunt didn’t bite on any of Haas’ maneuvers and turned the Lancer away. But the momentum was short lived, as the Lancers later found the back of the net to take a 2-1 lead.

Shortly afterward, the Lancers once again beat Hunt with wrist shot to extend the Lancer lead.

Entering the third period, the Gee-Gees turned up the heat, drawing a power-play with 18:30 left to play. Although the Gees couldn’t capitalize on the power-play, Matthew Dunlop cut the Windsor lead to just a goal, shortly after, converting on a great passing play.

The save of the game came with 4:58 to go as the Windsor goaltender made an incredible, game-saving stop, keeping the equalizer off of the board.

Even though the Gee-Gees pulled their goalie with less than a minute to go, they couldn’t make up the difference, and the game ended as the Gees were awarded their first preseason loss at home.

Strong goaltending was at the forefront of this matchup, as Hunt and his Windsor advisory battled for the entirety of the game. The Lancers capitalized on some shaky defence to generate multiple chances with their speed and effective shooting.

The Gees’ next home exhibition game will be against the Binghamton Senators. The game will take place on Sept.

30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Minto Sports Complex.

thefulcrum.ca

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR Eric Davidson

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

Ontario domestic violence project overlooks key demographic

Province needs to recognize severity of Aboriginal domestic abuse in funding scheme savannah awde editor-in-chief

T

his month, the Ontario government announced that 22 regions across the province would receive a total of $20 million as part of the Survivors of Domestic Violence Pilot Project, which is an investment that falls under Ontario’s LongTerm Affordable Housing Strategy.

The affordable housing strategy is meant to ensure that “Every person has an affordable, suitable and adequate home to provide the foundation to secure employment, raise a family and build strong communities.”

Unfortunately, for this pilot project, it seems that not all people have been considered equally.

The list of communities that will receive funding has

a definite focus on southern Ontario, while falling short in recognizing the northern regions of Ontario. This becomes especially problematic when you consider that northern Ontario is populated by close to a third of the province’s Indigenous communities.

Ontario’s Indigenous women report incidences of spousal violence at a rate that is 2.5 times greater than that of non-Aboriginal women. Not only does spousal violence occur at a higher frequency, but a report from Statistics Canada, Violent victimization of Aboriginal women in the Canadian provinces, shows that Aboriginal women experience spousal violence to a much more severe degree.

The report indicates that female Aboriginal victims of spousal violence were more likely than non-Aboriginal female victims to report that they had been injured

Ontario’s preventative funding is not reaching all Canadians equally.

Photo: CC, Grant Neufeld.

as a result of the actions of their abuser. In addition, 48 per cent of the Aboriginal women victimized by spousal violence reported they experienced the most severe forms of violence, a designation which includes being

sexually assaulted, beaten, choked, or threatened with a gun or a knife.

With this information in mind, it becomes evident that excluding Ontario communities north of Sault Ste. Marie from this huge chunk

of funding is short-sighted and ignores a demographic of people that have been proven to need this aid the most.

With this project, the Ontario government has treated domestic violence like a onedimensional issue, when in reality—like most social issues—there is a great deal of intersectionality to consider.

Women are affected by domestic violence, but it isn’t enough to support women in general. Targeted funding must be given to the groups of women in Ontario that face the highest barriers to overcoming abuse.

In fact, this program would be ideal for Indigenous communities in particular, as the project’s web page states that “Participating communities will have the flexibility to design and implement their own local portable housing benefit programs for survivors of domestic violence.”

With so much debate

about preserving Aboriginal culture amidst Canada’s history of forced integration, allowing northern Ontario’s Aboriginal communities to lead the implementation of a solution to domestic violence would likely make them more open to taking advantage of these resources.

The purpose of instituting a domestic violence prevention project isn’t so political leaders can give themselves a slap on the back and appeal to the masses—it’s to target and help people affected by a pervasive and life-changing issue.

Luckily, this is a pilot project, and there’s still time to extend the reach of this funding to Ontario’s northern Indigenous communities. The Ontario government must ensure it recognizes the women they have left behind, and adjust their domestic violence project accordingly.

The U of O should normalize open textbooks

Open course materials maintain quality while lowering student costs Eric Davidson Opinions Editor

Recently, the University of Saskatchewan reported an increase in the use of free, “open” textbooks by its students.

This change cut across faculties, affecting 2,700 students in 20 classes, and saving an estimated total of $275,000.

That’s a nice aggregate number, but the individual benefits it can offer students is even more promising—and it’s something the University of Ottawa must consider more seriously.

But what exactly is an open textbook? Open textbooks are open sourced, meaning nobody makes royalties off them. And they’re often online, meaning there’s no cost associated with printing. In essence, they’re free textbooks.

Shouldn’t we be suspicious of free, online course materials?

Apparently not. Heather Ross, an education developer at the Gwenna

The U of S has seen an increase in the use of open textbooks.

Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness, told the University of Saskatchewan that the quality of these open textbooks is often comparable to regular textbooks.

Besides, students won’t be finding just any textbook online. The professors will vet these resources and assign a certain one to the students.

Why does this fall on the university? Well, because they hire the teachers, run the bookstore, and set aca-

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

demic guidelines. In this light, a policy on behalf of the university to widen the scope of open textbooks could go a long way to correcting this dynamic.

This is not to say that the university should mandate that all classes must use open textbooks, as that would be untenable at this point.

However, there are concrete steps that can be taken.

First, the university can record how many classes use open textbooks each

semester, and how many students are reached, like the U of S has done. With solid numbers in hand, the university could make more specific policies. As the saying goes, “what gets measured, gets managed.”

The university should also examine which courses contain the most students, especially if there are acceptable open textbooks for those courses, or if such textbooks could be created. In faculties like science and engineering, first-year students are hit with textbooks that cost hundreds of dollars each—which can quickly add up to huge sums.

Even a simple acknowledgement from the university of the usefulness of open textbooks would give professors more credibility when assigning such resources.

What about more specific classes that are less likely to have open access books made about them? The university is actually already taking steps that can help with this. The University of Ottawa Press has been

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expanding its Open Access program, where books published by the press are made available for free online to students. By expanding this program, the university could make more academic subjects, even the more obscure ones, available to students for free.

The U of O can also use its position as a large Ontario university to lobby the provincial government to help provide open textbooks. In British Columbia, the Ministry of Advanced Education created the Open Textbook Project in 2012 to make more open textbooks available to students, so why not advocate for a similar project in Ontario?

The university is on the right track to providing more open access textbooks to students, but more needs to be done. By making policies to measure and improve open textbook use on campus, and encouraging the government to do the same, the university can make a big difference in the lives—and wallets—of students.

OPINIONS | 17

Be selfish: Vote in the SFUO by-election

With chronically low voter turnout, the odds are in your favour eric davidson opinions editor

The by-elections of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) are taking place Oct. 18–20, and students should take note.

“That’s interesting,” you say. “What’s the byelection about?”

Oh, we’re electing the remainder of the SFUO’s Board of Administration (BOA)!

“Uh, ya—I’ll totally maybe try to swing by,” you say as you back out of the room.

But you should swing by, because as much it sounds like the lame party that nobody wants to attend, this election will be directly determining how good this school year is for students.

More importantly, the election is set up to have disproportionate benefits to those who take a minute to vote.

The BOA has more power than you might think in determining SFUO policy. Each member you elect to the BOA

will get a vote on and bring forward important matters concerning your school experience—that means they hold the same weight in voting as any member of the SFUO executive.

It’s actually the job of BOA members to bring your concerns forward. At previous meetings, members have referenced concerns from students in their faculties, at some points citing their emails verbatim. For example, the representatives for the Faculty of Medicine once fought for more inclusive SFUO election hours for students with clinical placements.

If you want your voice to be represented at the highest levels of student governance, voting for an effective faculty director is the quickest and easiest way to do it.

Also, BOA seats are distributed based on the percentage of students in each faculty.

If some seats in your faculty are left empty, it means your interests aren’t being properly

represented in student government.

Carleton’s Constitution and Policy Review Committee recently examined whether or not their student government is properly representative of the student population by representing all faculties fairly.

For us, the system is already in place—we just need to act on it.

“Ok, fine,” I hear you say.

“It’s important that the seats get filled. But whoever people pick will be fine. I have other things to do besides voting.”

Is it fine? If a subpar candidate gets elected to represent your faculty while others have better candidates, you’re still being underrepresented compared to the other faculties.

And this isn’t some far-off, intangible effect. The people you elect will be going to work this year, not long after the elections are done. So you’re not voting for next year’s students, you’re voting for yourself.

Not to mention that if you’re reading an article on student politics, chances are you know more than most students about the subject, so you’ll likely make a more informed choice than “whoever’s voting.”

Rates of students voting in the SFUO election are bad enough as it is, falling below eight per cent last year. Throw in the fact that this election has no executive nominations or referendum questions, and an increase in turnout doesn’t seem likely.

And if not a lot of people are voting, their interests won’t be represented.

But on the flip side, this dynamic can work to your advantage. If not many people are set to vote, then your vote carries even more influence.

If you want a better experience for your faculties, or you just don’t want other faculties to have it better than you do, take a minute to vote on campus—it could have a disproportionately positive effect

for you.

Voting is an important way to show involvement and make your student community better. But more impor-

The SFUO by-election is from Oct. 18-20.

tantly, it’s the selfish thing to do if you want to make sure that you have a better time during the academic year.

Illustration: Stefania Kolesarova.

Is online voting the way of the future for the SFUO? Online voting reform could lead to increase in student participation Alicja Dabrowska fulcrum contributor

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) plays a large role in an average U of O student’s life—whether they know it or not.

As the University of Ottawa’s student union, they’re meant to be our voices when dealing with the school officials. They are the ones who make deals and decisions that are meant to have the best outcome for all the students in school.

However, to say that they truly represent the student population is questionable.

Based on voter turnout data, for years the vast majority of said population isn’t voting to elect them—which essentially defeats the purpose of the institution.

Student participation in general elections has been steadily decreasing for the last few years. In 2014, 11.6 per cent of the students

18 | OPINIONS

Online voting has the potential to increase student engagement.

came out to vote, and for 2015 this number had fallen slightly to 11.47 per cent. For the SFUO’s general elections in 2016, this number had dropped even more dramatically, with only 7.82 per cent of students coming out to

vote. The results for the byelections and referendum votes are not much better.

At this point, only one question remains: how can this be fixed? Well, there is one solution that should be considered—online voting.

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

In this modern age, where one can broadcast their ideas in 140 characters (or less) and share cat videos in the blink of an eye, online voting for the SFUO seems to be the next logical step.

The world has become in-

creasingly intertwined with the Internet, where everything from banking, shopping, and communications can be done online.

So why can’t voting be online as well?

Generally speaking, online voting would be more convenient for the average student. Instead of forcing them to go out of their way to vote, students would be able to participate from the comfort of their classroom or dorm. This option would be especially beneficial during midterm and exam season, where no sane student would want to give up their precious study space in Morisset to go out and vote.

Online voting would also be a faster and more efficient option. Students would no longer have to wait in lines, or even search for polling stations. The SFUO could even send out emails reminding the students to vote, and have links that would direct students to-

wards the voting site as well as the nominees’ respective platforms. This setup would also allow the students to become more informed voters.

As for security concerns, the SFUO wouldn’t be the first student union to adopt online voting. Last year the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) unveiled a plan for online voting and is going forward with it. If other canadian student unions can make a legitimate plan for online voting, the SFUO can too.

Online voting is an option that could work. It would certainly make things easier, especially for students who are swamped with schoolwork. Also, by giving the SFUO more of an online presence, it could also increase the student executive’s profile at the same time.

It’s a real win-win.

thefulcrum.ca

BOG builds wall to block student protests from view

New structure garners strong reaction from students eric davidson

tomato editor The University of Ottawa’s Board of Governors (BOG) held its first meeting of the school year on Sept. 26, but with a slight twist.

For this meeting, the BOG erected a wall around Tabaret Hall to block students from view, including the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) executive, who were protesting increased tuition costs.

“Last year those pesky SFUO kids came to a bunch of our meetings trying to get us to make the school more environmentally friendly,” said Gobert Riroux, head of the BOG. “Like, don’t they have some fireworks to let off or something?”

Riroux said that this new structure was inspired by the wall that was erected in Ottawa to block protesters from the view of visiting Chinese officials.

“I know students are unhappy with tuition increases, I see it all the time,” said Riroux. “But I just want to enjoy the BOG meetings in peace—they have really good catering.”

When asked if the BOG would be

adopting any other policies inspired by the Chinese government, Riroux looked pensive.

“Well, blocking the Internet on campus might not be a bad idea,” he said. “I know students just use it for watching Netflix and playing Flappy Crush on their phones.”

While the BOG used a temporary wall this time, Riroux said the plan is to construct a permanent structure in the not too distant future.

“I think people are missing out on the real positive here,” said Riroux. “It’ll mean more construction on campus.”

However, some students are not very thrilled with this new proposed construction project.

“I’m appalled,” said Sandra Roberts, president of the U of O environmental club. “If the university is going to make a wall to shut students out of decisions, that wall must be made of recyclable materials.”

“The wall is just awful,” said Thomas Adams, a third-year engineering student. “They need to make it taller so my frisbee stops flying over it.”

When asked about what he thought about the wall’s erection, Richard Head, a first-year sociology student, re-

The U of O’s Board of Governors has erected a giant wall in front of Tabaret Hall.

plied: “Haha, erection.”

But as it turns out, not all students are displeased with the new structure.

In fact, members of the school’s rock climbing club have taken a particular liking to the wall.

“Now we can stay on campus to climb,” said Brock Stone, president of the rock climbing club. “We won’t be

able to climb as high as our tuition has climbed, but still.”

The SFUO has said they are taking this news in stride and planning a new protest.

“One thing’s for sure, protests are going to cost more.” said Crancesco Faruso, the SFUO’s vice president of services and communications. “Who

Photo and Edits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

knew buying a catapult would be so expensive?”

When asked where they would find the funding to pay for the new project, Riroux was eager to explain.

“We’ll make Carleton pay for the wall!” he said. “We actually took that idea from Donald Trump, so what could go wrong?”

Brangelina breakup causes widespread apathy on campus

U of O administration cancels classes, calls for campus-wide “week of mourning” Julia Miraflores Tomato Contributor Ever since Hollywood’s honorary Mom and Dad, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, split last week, the University of Ottawa campus has been taken over by an inescapable sense of lethargy.

The couple, who met on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2003 ,and eventually, officially called it quits on Sept. 19, a move that nobody—especially the U of O student body—could have seen coming.

As a result of the break up, U of O president Jacques Frémont officially cancelled classes, calling for a campus-wide week of mourning instead.

To really drive this point home, Frémont also ordered that any school banners must be taken down and that all Ca-

A wave of apathy has hit campus after high-profile breakup.

nadian flags on campus must be flown at half-mast.

But despair was not the only emotion on display during the

thefulcrum.ca

Photo: Amitesh Malhotra, CC Marvin Lynchard, Josh Jacks, Edits: Jaclyn_McRae-Sadik.

tumultuous week, as a group of students decided to show their anger by protesting the rejection of a student-run Brange-

lina-themed club. Third-year student Ashley Anderson came forward in the winter of 2016 to propose an “Anti-Jennifer Anis-

ton Association,” (AJAA).

When Anderson reached out to members of the student executive to ask why the proposal was being rejected, they simply replied “Budget constraints.”

Inside of the classroom, professors are trying to take this high-profile story and use it to revamp the curriculum. A new class in the Department of Women’s Studies has been introduced by Professor Monica Dinsky, titled FEM101: Flight Club – Leave Him before He Leaves You. “Prof Dinsky tries her best to be unbiased, but I think we all know who she blames for this break up,” said first-year history student Namita Kapoor. “I’m just happy the class is on Blackboard.”

While most of the campus is slowly adjusting to this apocalyptic breakup, there are still quite a number who are skep-

tical to the validity of the announcement.

“It’s obvi(ously) publicity for Mr. and Mrs. Smith 2,” said second-year biology student Dylan Matthews.

After realizing the gravity of the situation, the university has decided to change their next Board of Governors (BOG) meeting into a Brangelina Info Session. The session claims to be “an informative meeting that discusses and evaluates the recent Jolie-Pitt breakup.”

The BOG meeting will be postponed from the original Sept. 26 date to Oct. 2, or whenever Jacques Frémont is finished that giant tub of chunky monkey ice cream.

When asked what students can expect from this meeting, a representative from the BOG stated, “We’re basically just going to show them a bunch of BuzzFeed articles.”

THE TOMATo | 19

DISTRACTIONS Dear Di,

Dear Di

FEATURES EDITOR Alexa-Eliza Carter

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @aecart043

Dear Di,

I work with the hottest person ever. I can’t stop thinking about my co-worker, to the point where he’s even entering my dreams. Is it a bad idea to date someone I work with?

-Workplace Romance

The only tolerable part of going home to see my family for Thanksgiving this year is the fact that my partner lives a short drive away. So how do we have sex at either of our homes with the parental units being in such close proximity?

-Holiday Sex

Dear WR, It’s understandable to want to date someone you’re attracted to, however, you should make sure you’re not just interested because they are the best looking person within close proximity.

The upside to a workplace romance is that it can be exciting and really convenient, especially since you get to see this special someone fairly often.

The downside, besides some companies upholding policies that forbid dating between co-workers, is that the relationship drama you experience could be off the charts.

For example, what if one or both of you is into public displays of affection, which is a no-no in any legitimate workplace? After all, nobody wants to feel like a creepy third wheel in an office space.

If you and your workplace lover get into an argument, which is inevitable, everyone will hear about it, which can be similarly disruptive for your co-workers’ productivity.

And if you’re hooking up with someone casually and you get preferential treatment while this is going on, your co-workers might become resentful of you and your contributions to the company.

Plus, there’s also the worst-case scenario to consider: what if you guys break up? This can muddy the waters in terms of your standing with the company, especially if you’ve been seeing your boss or a higher up.

Businesses tend to frown upon any kind of sexual conduct in the workplace, and any miscommunication between the two parties could lead to an accusation of sexual harassment down the road.

Even if you’re not searching for a soulmate and you’re just looking for a fun, satisfying hook-up, you should be fully aware that you’re still walking into a tricky situation.

Whether you date a co-worker or not, it’s important to have a frank discussion with your partner or casual hook-up about personal boundaries in the workplace, so every work day is not a looming uncomfortable one for you or your co-workers.

Love, Di 20 | DISTRACTIONS

Dear HS, Your first step when you get back home is to act like a grownup, so your parents will treat you accordingly. This means be helpful around the house, participate in family stuff, and respectfully put the cellphone away when family members are talking to you.

Step two: You should already feel comfortable inviting your partner over to your parents’ home in order to consider getting wild in their domicile. Otherwise, you may want to re-think how serious you are about this person, since the risk of getting caught and/or introducing them to your family can be complicated.

Step three: Remember you are back home, so sexting should be nixed entirely. All it takes is a snoopy sibling or a nosy aunt to make things very awkward around the dinner table.

Step four: Strategize your sexy time to a space that is located far away from your parents’ room. Sound travels fast, so headboard banging, springs squeaking, or other loud sex noises may be a dead give-away. Try to pick a time when your parents are watching a movie, or alternatively, if they are running errands.

Step five: Always use protection. Put the condom in a tissue, in the trash and, most importantly, don’t let your partner quickly run to the bathroom while they’re half-naked.

Love, Di

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

thefulcrum.ca

sept. 29- OCT. 6, 2016

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC arts Sports FUN Thinking

Thursday, Sept. 29

Saturday, Oct. 1

Study and Go Abroad Fair, Ottawa Conference and Event Centre—1 p.m.

Panda Game, GeeGees men’s football vs. Carleton, TD Place—1 p.m.

Campaign launch for United Way, Lansdowne Park—11 a.m.

Boeing Boeing, Ottawa Little Theatre—7:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 30

Gee-Gees women’s volleyball vs. Guelph, pre-season classic, Montpetit—1 p.m.

Gee-Gees women’s volleyball vs.

Sherbrooke, preseason classic, Montpetit—7 p.m.

Gee-Gees men’s hockey vs.

Binghamton, exhibition, Minto Sports Complex—7:30 p.m.

The Nylons Farewell show, Shenkman Arts Centre—8 p.m.

The Price is Right Live!, TD Place—8 p.m.

Gee-Gees women’s volleyball vs. Acadia, pre-season classic, Montpetit—1 p.m.

Ottawa Senators vs.

Montreal Canadiens, NHL pre-season, Canadian Tire Centre—3 p.m.

Gee-Gees women’s volleyball vs. UBC, pre-season classic, Montpetit—5 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 2

Official opening of the new Southam Hall, free admission, National Arts Centre—11:15 a.m.

Gee-Gees women’s soccer vs. RMC, preseason classic, Matt Anthony Field—1 p.m.

Ottawa Fury FC vs.

Puerto Rico FC, TD

Place—2 p.m.

Go Fish, heartwarming story about love, loss, and reflection, Mayfair Theatre—3:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 3

The Lovers and the Despot, Kim Jongil documentary, ByTowne Cinema—9 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 4

The Big Sleep, ByTowne Cinema—9 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 5 Gorguts, Intronaut, Brain Tentacles, Antlion, Mavericks Bar—7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 6

Ottawa 67’s vs.

Kingston Frontenacs, OHL hockey, TD Place—7 p.m.

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DISTRACTIONS | 21

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Redbaiting is colonialism Dear Editor,

“If you look around the world you will see that the Aryan races will not wholesomely amalgamate with the Africans and the Asiatics. It is not to be desired that they should come; that we should have a mongrel race…”

Hitler? Goebbels? No. This quote belongs to John A. Macdonald, a virulent and genocidal white supremacist. As James Daschuk reminds us in his book Clearing the Plains, Macdonald played no small part in the ethnic cleansing of the West in advance of white settlement, and even went so far as to boast about the fact the Indigenous population was being illegally starved to death. This is the “father” of Canada, a country which, according to a recent Fulcrum letter, “stands tall in the free world as a country of hope and opportunity.”

It is often claimed that universities are spaces for informed debate. It is therefore surprising when so many students jump into public discourse so obviously and profoundly uninformed.

An example of this can be seen in the redbaiting of Marcus Mattinson’s letter “OPIRG supporting radical communists.”

The problem with redbaiting is this: it demands accountability for the historical crimes of some (the scary communists) and not others (the colonists and the capitalists). Thus it constructs certain lives as disposable. These lives belong to labourers exploited in dangerous working conditions, to Black and Brown people facing mass incarceration and an epidemic of racist po-

lice violence, and to Indigenous peoples who had the bad manners to live since time immemorial where we now need a pipeline, a dam, or a condo development.

There is no mention from Mattinson of the millions upon millions of deaths resulting from American Cold War imperialism or the illegal invasion of Iraq. That is to say, there is no mention whatsoever of distinctly capitalist crimes against humanity. These crimes are simplistically explained away as either tragically necessary or accidental.

There is no consideration of the fact that for many around the world it is the Stars and Stripes together with the Maple Leaf which are symbols synonymous with death and destruction. Indeed, Mattinson should ask an Indigenous person exactly which “evil” states have for centuries “suppressed individualism, human rights, and democracy.”

We cannot be satisfied with the intellectually dishonest attribution of guilt to a singular and undifferentiated “communism,” one abstracted away from the historical conditions (like fascism) which shaped the development of communism in different ways in different contexts.

To move in anti-capitalist circles is to know that there is no end of sectarian critique leveled at “villains” like Stalin, not least because they often purged other anti-capitalists. But Mattinson wouldn’t understand these nuances, as he has unfortunately never allowed himself to move beyond the caricature of communists offered to him by his high school history class.

—Gareth Mandin, graduate student in feminist and gender studies at the University of Ottawa.

22 | LETTERS

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EDITORIAL Volume 77, Issue 6, sept. 29, 2016 Breaking down walls since 1942.

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

Savannah “Zegatha” Awde Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Kim “Kimye” Wiens Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Kyle “Hiddleswift” Darbyson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Graham “Zanessa” Robertson News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Anchal “TomKat” Sharma Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Alexa-Eliza “Shamy” Carter Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “Bey-Z” Murdock Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca Eric “Trudeaubama” Davidson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Jaclyn “Bennifer” McRae-Sadik Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Allegra “Ezria” Morgado Social Media Coordinator social@thefulcrum.ca Reine “Speidi” Tejares Webmaster webmaster@thefulcrum.ca Zainab “Brady Bundch” Al-Mehdar Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Remi “GI Joe” Landry Yuan Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Syed “Cruise Control” Zeehad Multimedia Coordinator multimedia@thefulcrum.ca Lucas “Billary” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca

How do you improve the SFUO’s elections?

The answer is: “None of the above” Not many students have been voting in elections for the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO). At last year’s general elections, turnout fell to just under eight per cent.

At the last Board of Administration (BOA) meeting on Sept. 18, members discussed a potential solution to the problem—adding a “none of the above” option to contested ballots.

After arguments on both sides, the board voted against this motion.

However, this is an important piece of electoral reform for the SFUO, and it needs to be enacted, whether in the BOA or through a motion brought at the next General Assembly.

The benefits of “none of the above” The simple fact is, a “none of the above” option gives a voice to everyone, even if they don’t like any of the candidates. And let’s be honest, such a scenario is not out of the question.

Not only will it give students more of a voice, but the change will send the message that the SFUO wants to give more power to the student voter—a message that might make students feel more included in the political process.

And let’s not forget about the data.

The SFUO keeps track of election data, who wins, and how many votes they get. This means the number of people who vote “none of the above” will be recorded as well.

The SFUO can use this data to know what it needs to do to increase student participation. They can find out whether students care and just don’t feel like the candidates represent them, or if they are disengaged from the system completely.

What if no one’s elected? Just hold a special election!

One of the major arguments against the “none of the above option” at the BOA meeting was this: what if no one is elected? Especially if it’s a member of the executive?

It’s a scary thought at first. What happens if so many people don’t like our candidates that no one is left at the wheel?

It would never happen.

Even if some positions are left unfilled, the SFUO Constitution already has the answer—it’s called a special election.

According to the constitution, “special elections are elections other than general elections and byelections that must be called in order to fill any vacancies that may not be filled through byelections.”

But we’ll need to call another election for that, it’ll take more time!

It will, but it won’t leave the SFUO shorthanded. General elections are held before the year ends, usually in February, with the terms of the new

Shanèl “Taylor Squared” Dear Advertising Representative ads@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors

Isabel “Robsten” Graham David “Haylor” Champion-Smith Alex “Franclaire” Grichmanoff Matt “Vaugniston” Zucca Madison “Posh and Becks” McSweeney Navjot “Ashmi” Waraich Liya “Cash and Cary” Huang Nico “Desilu” Laliberte Zack ‘Spederline” Goobie Alicja “Shefani” Dabrowska Amitesh “Khlomar” Malhotra Tommy “Jethroux” Nguyen Stefania “Brangelina” Kolesarova Yomi ‘Keigl” Orims

Board of Directors

Mackenzie “Michaele” Gray Kate “Amila” Murray Carolyn “Christana” Mutis Jonathan “Williate” Rausseo Raghad “Matherine” Sheikh-Khalil Will “Blucille” Hume Maggie “Jordela” Gollish Niharika “Brustin” Namulla Julia “Zerrie” Miraflores Thivya “Jelena” Naganathan Cover Credits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

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Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.

executive due to start at the end of the winter semester. So there’s still time before the terms of the new executive arrive to hold another election. Meanwhile, the full executive will continue to steer the ship.

What about the cost? Elections, as many have already pointed out, don’t grow on trees. That’s true, but students also have to consider the cost of bad management. We’ve seen this year what the cost of past management errors can add up to—and it’s a lot.

You can think of it like an insurance policy. The SFUO pays a little more for elections each year, and in return it gets better management that minimizes the chance of major problems in the future.

Not sure if it’ll work? Don’t worry, we had a special election last year.

The SFUO held by-elections to fill the posts of president and vice-president finance after the positions were vacated early in the school year. The vice-president finance was elected, but proper procedure wasn’t followed for the president position, so the sole candidate was not elected.

So was a president just never elected? Nope, the SFUO called a special election soon after, and Anne-Émilie Hébert was elected and started doing her job.

Oh, and by the way, there was a “no” option on her ballot.

Wait a second, we kinda already have “none of the above” Students need to remember that the “none of the above” option already exists in SFUO elections.

If there’s only one candidate on the ballot, they’re not automatically given the position. There are two boxes on the ballot—“yes” and “no.”

If the candidate gets more “no” votes, they’re not elected and the position is not filled.

This is how the system works currently, and there are no complaints about that. On the contrary, if the SFUO were to take away the “no” option, students would feel like they have no say in student politics.

This raises the question: If you don’t like a candidate and the only other option is a candidate you find just as objectionable, is that really any better than being given no option at all?

EDITORIAL | 23