The Fulcrum - Volume 78, Issue 7

VOL. 78 ISSUE 7

oct. 9, 2017

ARTS VS STEM: WHAT’S AT STAKE PG. 9

C.

Hommes

14 OCT. 19 h

Femmes

15 OCT. 14 h Complexe Sportif

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In this week’s issue...

Butt out P.5 U of O mulls campus smoking ban

Oh the humanities! P.9 What happens next as enrolment in the humanities drops What it’s like to live with body focused repetitive behaviours P.10 How the issue affects students Sweet Revenge P. 12 U of O women’s rugby tops former champs StFX Hold that elevator! P. 16 And while you’re at it, don’t block the way

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Rise of the (sex) machines P. 17 The pros and dcons of sex robots

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

Zainab Al-Mehdar news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0061 @ zainabalmehdar

U​ ​of​ ​O​ ​professor​ ​appointed​ Canada’s ​Chief​ ​Science​ ​Advisor

Dr. Nemer will advise Prime Minister, Cabinet on education, innovation eric davison

fulcrum freelancer

O

n Sept. 26, 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced Mona Nemer, a professor at the University of Ottawa’s department of biochemistry, microbiology and immunology as Chief Science Advisor to the Government of Canada.

In this role, Nemer will advise Trudeau and the Minister of Science by providing an objective and nonpartisan connection to the academic world.

The position was created by the Trudeau government as part of a campaign pledge to bring evidence-based policy into the political mainstream. Not to be confused with the Minister of Science, Nemer’s post is not an official government office. To better act as a voice of reason and a bridge to the greater scientific community, her position has been kept decidedly nonpartisan.

Nemer’s distinguished contributions to the field of medicine and her role as a university administrator were crucial factors in her appointment to her new position. After completing her doctorate at McGill University, Nemer’s research in cardiology and genetics has led to several groundbreaking diagnostic techniques to identify and manage hereditary heart defects.

Nemer was named to the Order of Canada in 2014 and con-

tinues to carry out her research at the U of O, and having worked in a university setting, Nemer hopes that the government will work to improve science education among Canada’s youth, noting that their creativity and ingenuity will be an integral part of Canada’s future.

But despite her academic background, Nemer believes that public engagement is vital to Canada’s viability as a global research centre. When asked how ordinary citizens could get involved in science education, Nemer cited several initiatives across the country.

“Citizens’ participation in science is gaining momentum. So one thing people can do is get informed and get involved,” Nemer wrote in an email to the Fulcrum. “There are many great science educational facilities across the country, from the Montréal Science Centre ... to our

many science museums here in Ottawa.”

She encourages parents and caretakers to find ways to integrate science into their children’s development through daily activities, hands-on learning, and promoting a group dialogue to discuss and encourage scientific thinking.“People should seek out science in their communities, and talk to the scientists that are reaching out to the public.”

Nemer also highlighted many of the initiatives at the U of O that aim to aid young entrepreneurs and researchers, such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and the Start-Up Garage.

Nemer commented that the university has taken great strides in recent years to make sure that students and faculty have the infrastructure and resources they need to be successful in industry and academia.

Nemer stresses science should not be confined to classrooms Photo: CC, Phillip Jeffrey.

Ultimately, Nemer stressed that science should not be confined to the classroom. It should be a hands on part of a modern lifestyle for everyone. She hopes

that her role as Chief Science Advisor will aid the government in enacting policies that will make Canada’s youth engaged and innovative for decades to come.

U of O looking to become smoke free campus

University considering challenges implementing new policy Ellie Sabourin

Associate NEWS EDITOR The University of Ottawa is working towards becoming a completely smoke-free campus to promote a healthier environment for students.

The discussion surrounding a potential smoke free campus started as a result of two main initiatives: a student survey conducted this past spring and rapidly approaching changes in Ontario legislation.

“We had over 65 per cent strongly in favour of going completely smoke free,” says Michael Histed, the director of risk management at the U of O, who conducted a survey this past spring to students about making campus smoke-free.

The Faculty of Health Sciences campus at Smyth Road must go smoke free on Jan. 1, 2018 to keep in line with the updated Ontario Smoke Free Act. This requires all hospital campuses to go smoke free, along with the support from the survey has pushed the uni-

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versity to look at making the change.

“We assessed that the campus is already close to 80 per cent smoke free already with the nine metres around entrances and air intakes to buildings, patios and terraces, and sports areas,” said Histed.

Simon Savard, a second-year student at the Telfer School of Management, who is a smoker, says that he can get on board with the shift, despite the fact that it would make smoke breaks in between classes more difficult.

“I smoke, but I know a lot of friends and family who definitely make a conscious effort to avoid it,” said Savard. “I know that it can have serious repercussions, even second-hand, and I understand the university trying to prevent that.”

On the other hand, third-year Faculty of Engineering student Alex Desjardins said that he doesn’t see the policy succeeding.

“I understand where they are going with this and I know why it is successful at hospi-

In the next year, U of O may become a completely smoke-free campus.

tals,” he said. “But I feel like students will just duck behind buildings or trees and smoke anyways.”

Histed also acknowledged many of the challenges that would come along with enforcing the initiative, such as the fact that the U of O campus is in the heart of downtown Ottawa, as well as that the general public will be using the light-rail transit lines close to

200 Lees Ave. and the main campus.

“Enforcement will likely remain a challenge,” said Histed.

“We will of course encourage programs to help staff or students quit smoking and we are looking at enhancements to the health insurance program for staff.”

One such program is the Leave the Pack Behind program through the Faculty of

Photo: CC, Elvert Barnes.

Health Sciences, which has been successfully run across Ontario. This program offers young adults resources and support for quitting smoking.

Histed also acknowledged the federal government’s rules surrounding marijuana come into effect July 1, 2018.

“There are many discussions that need to take place at the university to ensure that the university finds the proper

mechanisms to ensure compliance,” he said. “The smoke-free policy will likely be one of the vehicles used, however there are other issues that need to be addressed as well as the act of smoking marijuana.”

This is not the first time that a university campus has made the transition to being smoke free, Histed mentioned that McMaster University, the University of Prince Edward Island, and Dalhousie University are already smoke free, with more on the way.

“Benefits of having a smoke free campus include a healthier, environmentally cleaner campus,” said Histed. “Smoking is considered one of the highest risk factors for worker wellness, as well as easier to identify where smoking is permitted or not.”

Histed said that the university will be conducting further consultations with staff and students this fall on some of the challenges they might face if they do decide to go smoke free.

If this policy is approved, it will be implemented next year.

NEWS | 5

Overdose prevention pop up sites see community support

Pop up sites encourage safe administration of drugs without risk of overdose Ellie sabourin

associate news editor The drug overdose crisis in Ottawa has spiked over the last few months, particularly in the areas surrounding the University of Ottawa in Sandy Hill and the ByWard Market.

“We know four people who have overdosed and died in the last week in this neighbourhood alone,” says Lisa Wright, one of the organizers of Overdose Prevention Ottawa.

To combat these overdoses, Wright and her team at Overdose Prevention Ottawa have been operating a “pop-up overdose prevention site” everyday from 6-9 p.m. for over 40 days now. The site is located on the corner lot of Cumberland and St. Patrick St., which is currently the area with the highest rates of drug overdose in Ottawa.

The community centre which houses the pop up site is located on what used to be a playground for a pri-

mary school, and according to Wright, the city has taken numerous measures to try and make the area less accessible and appealing to drug users.

The site also has the safety of users in mind, and Wright says that one feature that does this is that it allows users to inject more than once per sitting. Wright refers to this as a “taste,” where users can safely assess what they are intaking, and decide how to proceed in order to prevent an accidental overdose.

The site also features an inhalation station, something that Wright says is rare because inhalation is an issue that is often overlooked.

When asked if the services help people transition away from taking drugs, Wright clarified that the main practice of harm reduction is to “meet people where they are at.”

“If where they are at today is using (drugs,) then we try to make that as safe as possible for them. And if where they are at is detoxification, then we can try to

make those referral calls for them. But it is not up to us to push them either way,” said Wright.

Yafa Jarrar, a third-year common law student at the U of O, is a volunteer at the site.

“There is a crisis in Canada,” said Jarrar. “More importantly, the City of Ottawa has seen a lot of deaths due to fentanyl. We are here as volunteers to prevent any deaths happening from overdose.”

Many of the volunteers are experienced in harm reduction, social work, or past experience with drugs themselves.

Both Wright and Jarrar have said that for the most part, the community has reacted to the site in a positive way. According to Wright, the organization delivered 600 signed letters of support from members of the community to city councillor Mathieu Fleury last week.

However, the site has seen some backlash. For example, a protestor dumped manure on the site on the morning of

The pop up sites have been up everyday from 6-9 p.m. for over 40 days.

Thursday Oct. 5 in effort to try and prevent the site from setting up on the lot.

“If you oppose this, you are basically saying ‘yes, I am okay with letting people die,’”

says Jarrar.

“What we’re doing here is not enough and part of why we can’t do more is because of the backlash in the community,” says Wright.

Photo: Parker Townes.

Wright and the other volunteers hope to get more support and help from other organizations in order to set up a more permanent site indoors before winter arrives.

Bell is using international negotiations to influence domestic policy Policies have been vague, fail to define “egregious piracy websites” Thomas Wagner

fulcrum contributor In a recent submission to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on International Trade for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Bell Canada has argued that new, stricter copyright rules should be put into place as part of the ongoing NAFTA renegotiation.

David Fewer, Director of the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic at the University of Ottawa, said the suggestions can be summarized in two parts: “Number one is developing an independent agency charged with blocking a list of what they call ‘egregious piracy websites’… and number two would be the criminalization of what it describes as ‘all commercial copyright infringement.’”

Fewer referred to the submission as a whole as a “bold call.”

He also mentioned that these proposals have drawn heavy criticism from a wide range of consumer advocacy groups, who have been especially troubled by the idea of government-level restrictions on which websites

Canadians can and cannot visit.

Fewer said Bell’s statements have been vague, failing to define “egregious piracy websites.”

He fears that this could violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as the only websites currently banned are those with “absolutely no constitutional protection whatsoever,” such as child pornography websites, with different approaches being taken to combat other egregious forms of online speech and other mechanisms already in place to combat piracy.

However, the proposed changes aren’t solely what Fewer takes issue with, as he sees Bell’s premise of Canada being a safe haven for pirates, since “there’s certainly no basis in any kind of statistical analysis,” said Fewer.

Additionally, as Fewer discussed, there is resentment towards Bell’s strategy of targeting NAFTA as a vehicle to put its wishes into law, which is negotiated behind closed doors and is primarily concerned with international policy, rather than through Canada’s own Copyright Act, which undergoes legislative review every five years.

Bell is trying to negotiate these laws without Canada’s own Copyright Act.

Fewer said of international treaties that “typically we view them as setting standard agreements for what copy-

right should do, without being substantive, however, that’s changed bit by bit (and is now) go-to mechanism number one

Photo: Henry du Basty.

for the copyright lobby, as it’s difficult to get unbalanced intellectual property rights through a legislature.”

6 | NEWS

Fewer also notes that in the last few years, Bell has become one of the “hawkiest hawks” in seeking to restrict Canadians’ Internet rights.

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NEWS | 7

A&C EDITOR Ryan Pepper arts@thefulcrum.ca

ARTS&CULTURE U of O alum launches EP, talks music business (613) 695-0062 @pep_ryan

Singer-songwriter Mark MacDonald returns to Ottawa for show Eric Davison

Fulcrum Freelancer

U

niversity of Ottawa alumnus Mark McDonald has some advice for anyone looking to make it big in the music business.

The post-graduation job hunt has rapidly become an infamous part of the Canadian university experience.

Some fight for internships in Silicon Valley, while others try to polish their language skills to qualify for a government placement. But MacDonald took a less-conventional path, launching a fledgeling music and recording career under the stage name Hollow River.

After graduating from the U of O’s creative writing program in 2016, MacDonald relocated to the Greater Toronto Area, and started to make a name for himself in the local recording and producing scene. After securing an internship at a studio, Macdonald was quick to launch his

production endeavours to fund and support his music career.

MacDonald stated that he “never planned on making an EP” when he started working his first position at a studio in Hamilton. He recalled the moment it all started to come together.

“So, I was hanging out with some of the guys and the other studio intern, and I showed off one of the tunes which actually became the first song (on the album). They hear it and immediately just go ‘you have to record this,’” Macdonald said.

Although his time working in a recording studio was pivotal, MacDonald was quick to point out that years of build-up went into launching this album and his career.

One particular skill he gained in the studio was his ability to network and appeal to people on a personal and professional level. Those skills were critical in securing the internship that made it all possible.

“You’ve got to network,” MacDonald said. “You’ve got to get in charge of your university career, and you’ve got to integrate into the culture.

They could have hired any graduate from any top university in Canada.

But they hired me because I knew the system and I know how to deal with people.”

MacDonald mentioned that many of his activities didn’t even seem related to music at the time, from being a 101 Week guide to running his fraternity. But he clarified that the soft skills he learned from his university days are universal and invaluable in any field.

“They sat me down and said ‘we can teach you everything you need to know in the studio, but we can’t teach you how to deal with people,’” MacDonald recalled.

The album itself is titled Spider Web Eyes and is a compilation of work done

by MacDonald over the last year and a half. The EP consists of only five songs, but MacDonald sees it as a launching point for a long and robust career.

“It has been a long time coming,” MacDonald said. “I am just really glad to have this out to everyone and to really get the ball rolling.”

Drawing on the likes of Father John

Mark MacDonald is playing Live! On Elgin Oct. 16.

Misty and Andrew Jackson Jihad, Hollow River presents a paradoxically disjointed but cohesive combination of lyrics and instrumental backing that makes for some compelling modern folk.

A follow-up EP is already in the

Photo: Sergio P.

works for the end of 2017.

Hollow River is performing in Ottawa on Oct. 16 at Live! On Elgin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Spider Web Eyes is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.

Video game review: Metroid: Samus Returns | Nintendo| 8/10| Great Thomas wagner fulcrum contributor

On Sept. 18, Nintendo released Metroid: Samus Returns, the first side-scrolling installment to the Metroid series in 15 years and the latest in the video game giant’s portable 3DS system. Samus Returns tells the tale of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s quest to exterminate every Metroid—the titular species of deadly aliens— to prevent their weaponization by rogue space pirates.

While Samus hunts Metroids in almost every installment of the game series, this new entry is notable due to the explicit goal of Metroid extermination. At all times, a counter on the screen tracks the number of Metroids still alive in the game. Samus Returns places the title character on the offensive, ruthlessly tearing through Metroid after Metroid, unrelenting in the search for—and subsequent elimination of—any sources of life.

Samus Returns makes a strong first impression. The soundtrack, consisting of re-

Metroid: Samus Returns is the latest game in the Metroid series.

mastered renditions of classic Metroid tracks, does justice to the source material and sets the mood for the game.

Even more impressive, however, are the graphics. Every room is a massive diorama, scrolling beautifully in the back-

8 | ARTS & CULTURE

ground as colourful, detailed aliens infest the foreground.

This layered design provides impressive visual appeal when using the 3DS’ stereoscopic 3D effect. Tiny details, such as corpses and discarded eggs from hatched Metroids serve well to flesh the

Photo: CC, Manuel Sagra.

world out through subtext.

This version of Samus is more satisfying and fluid to control than almost any protagonist in the earlier installments. She walks at a brisk pace and can execute techniques such as wall jumping and using the grapple

beam without ever feeling clunky or losing momentum.

The character animation and sound design are both phenomenal, causing the action to feel punchy and impactful as her shoulders recoil with each shot, and every footstep rings out with a metallic echo.

Samus also starts the game with a new melee attack, which is best used as a parry. Most enemies and bosses attack by charging head-first towards Samus, leaving them vulnerable to a well-timed melee attack. It’s incredibly easy to pull off and often results in an instant kill.

While it at first feels overpowered and gets quite repetitive, it allows Samus to dispatch enemies and keep moving forward without losing momentum.

That said, repetitiveness plagues Samus Returns. The game is lengthy and has only a handful of different enemies.

There are 39 Metroids to track down and yet roughly three quarters of them are the same two types. Other than minor

terrain differences, this means dozens of identical boss fights.

If the repetitiveness gets to be too much, the game is well suited to short play sessions, since Metroids and power-ups are so frequent that even 15 minutes of gameplay is likely to result in some substantial progress, and locations to save the game are abundant.

A major downside is that Samus Returns de-emphasises many of the franchise’s defining elements. The game is largely linear and seems to even discourage exploration at times, something encouraged in earlier games. Additionally, the powerups and upgrades aren’t used to fight Metroids, and so they don’t feel like exciting new tools to play with.

Regardless, Samus Returns is enjoyable to play, and it’s good that it isn’t a direct sequel to previous games, but offers something new for the franchise. Samus Returns has become a great addition to my commute, as well as a solid way to unwind when I need a quick break from life.

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Faculty of Arts enrolment continues to decline

Faculty forced to study new options to remain relevant, but no solution yet Ryan Pepper

Arts & Culture Editor The University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Arts has faced declining enrolment yet again last year, a trend that began over a decade ago. As the number of registered students continues to dwindle, the Faculty still has no clear solutions in sight.

“English enrolment has declined precipitously in the last five years. There’s been a steady decline over the last 10 years, I would say,” said Robert Stacey, professor of Canadian literature professor and director of undergraduate studies for the Department of English at the U of O. “There’s been a general trend in decline in humanities enrolment.”

Statistics from the U of O show a decline that may look subtle, but is still worrying. In 2007, the Faculty of Arts had 6,250 full-time and part-time undergraduate students. Enrolment for the Faculty of Arts peaked in 2010 at 6,637 students, something that Stacey attributes to the ‘double cohort’ when Grade 13 was phased out. Enrolment in the arts now sits at 4,699 students as of 2016, a drop of almost 1,000 students from 2014.

In contrast, the Faculty of Engineering has gone from 1,956 students in 2007 to 4,054 in 2016.

Though the number of students are comparable, engineering has been rising up, while the arts are sliding down.

In fact, student numbers have increased in the Faculties of Science, Social Sciences, and the Telfer School of Management, though not to the same extent as engineering. In short, only the Faculty of Arts is losing students.

The hardest hit departments have been English—with numbers nearly halving over 10 years—philosophy, French, and history. Translation and communications are the only departments that have shown growth over

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the years.

Though reasons are many, vocational training—or the veneer of vocational training—may be to blame. Arts degrees are notoriously slandered as being next-to-useless, while it is hard to argue the same for the sciences or engineering.

“Whereas there would have been a time where more practical, professional degrees would have to explain themselves because they weren’t humanities education, they weren’t ‘Letters’ … the humanities now have to constantly justify themselves,” Stacey said. “There has been a sea change in general attitudes across the West… education has now come to be understood as preparation for a career, and English doesn’t necessarily do that or seem to do that in a direct way.”

It’s notable that only communications and translation have escaped the slow decline over the years.

Translation offers the most vocational education in the faculty, specifically teaching students how to translate.

It’s a valuable program in a bilingual country, with government jobs almost assured for graduates.

The success of communications is more multi-faceted. Ostensibly, English (and French) and communications are both the study of language and methods of communicating, but the former is slinking into obscurity while the latter is the largest department in the faculty.

“No area of activity is unaffected by communication practices and technologies, and our teaching and research reflect this. I think students recognize this and they know that a degree in communication will prepare them for life and the workplace,” wrote Philippe Ross, a professor and undergraduate supervisor for the Department of Communications, in an email to the Fulcrum.

But communications has

Hamelin Hall is the centre of Arts education on campus.

also introduced a level of vocational training, teaming with La Cité and Algonquin colleges to offer specializations in digital journalism and public relations—two growing fields.

The graduate from these joint programs is awarded both a degree and a college diploma.

“It is important to note that those two programs are joint initiatives with La Cité Collégiale and Algonquin College, with the latter focussing on the more applied aspects,” wrote Ross. “We feel our core communication programs offer a good balance between theory (or) critical thinking skills, and more practical training.”

Many arts departments have been hesitant to follow suit. They are confident in their rigorous theoretical education, and are wary of becoming training grounds for specific careers. Nonetheless, the pressure is on.

“We don’t want to transform what happens in an English program into vocational training. We’re under a lot of pressure to quantify and instrumentalize the kinds of knowledge that we’re sharing,” said Stacey.

Photo: Parker Townes.

As Stacey discusses, arts degrees do teach marketable skills. Though it is difficult to quantify critical thinking and writing skills, they are essential to being a well-rounded citizen. An arts degree isn’t so much about one’s knowledge of Victorian poetry, as one’s critical thinking skills in a society that is, to say the least, always changing.

“It’s ways of thinking, and the more ways of thinking you have at your disposal, the better off you’ll be. But can I point to specific skills? Other than learning how to write well, and learning to articulate your thoughts, and learning to sustain arguments—which are all real skills—beyond that, it’s kind of ways of thinking, approaches, a kind of stance towards language and reality that we’re teaching here,” said Stacey.

“Useful? Absolutely. Can you make the argument?

It’s hard to do that.”

The Faculty is also an excellent training ground for many professional schools.

In the same way that many use an undergraduate degree in science to go to medical school, many

use a degree in the arts to go into librarianship, education, law, journalism, or government jobs.

However, that preparatory aspect of the degree is fading away as professional schools transition into a two-year degree program.

“It used to be the case that you could do a fouryear English degree and then a one-year teaching certificate, for a total of five years. They’ve now made that teaching certificate two years, so it’s now six years to do a degree and then get your education certificate,” said Stacey. “A lot of students are simply deciding not to do the first degree and going straight into education and getting their teaching license in four years.” said Stacey. The U of O has made the switch to a twoyear program for education, the same length as a library science or journalism master’s.

It’s impossible to know if vocational training is the way to go. Though the benefits seem obvious, it also runs the risk of diluting the program—of losing, as Stacey puts it, “the original motivating force for the creation of Eng-

lish programs in the first place.” It creates a situation where the B.A. becomes a stepping stone and not its own reward, something that many professors— who love their discipline— are troubled by.

But unless the trends can be reversed, the humanities will continue to be phased out.

“The truth is, we’re freaking out. Nobody is under the illusion that all is well in faculties of arts,” Stacey concluded. “Every department in the Faculty is doing some serious soul-searching right now. I’m not sure we would be doing the soulsearching if there wasn’t an enrolment crisis.”

That, then, is the silverlining to the enrolment crisis. As numbers continue to drop in the Faculty of Arts, the departments will be forced to find out, quickly, what they can offer students in a changing world.

And already there is a lot they can offer. The arts of the near-future might look far different from what it is now—but it will be a faculty full of leaders and innovators, equipped, just as well as anyone else, for the challenges that the future has in store.

ARTS & CULTURE | 9

WEARING YOUR ILLNESS ON YOUR SLEEVE Broadening mental illness initiatives means recognizing, accepting BFRBs Mental health is becoming an increasingly prevalent topic, particularly on Canadian post-secondary campuses. The University of Ottawa has recently developed a Standing Committee on Student Wellbeing, which seeks to increase the university’s understanding of complex mental health needs and bridge the gap between necessary services and the needs of the student population.

Large-scale anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let’s Talk, which takes place each year near the end of January, encourages people to “spread the word” about mental health. Many use this opportunity to share their lived experiences of mental illness on social media.

This move towards a more open discussion of mental illness at both the university and on social media is inarguably positive, but not all mental illnesses are treated equally in anti-stigma activism.

Mental illnesses are often referred to as “invisible illnesses” and anti-stigma discourse often revolves around the idea of making the invisible visible. By talking about mental health, we hope to bring people’s feelings to the surface.

Yet for myself, and approximately 1 million other Canadians, our mental illness manifests itself on the surface already. We quite literally wear our illness on our sleeve—or rather, our skin.

AN ILLNESS OVERLOOKED IN MENTAL HEALTH DISCOURSE As I write this article, I am making my skin bleed in the space where my right eyebrow should be, trying to pull at hair that isn’t there. I am fully aware that this is happening. I don’t want it to be happening, and I beg myself to stop but my hand moves of its own volition.

I feel like a puppet—my disorder is the puppet master.

between BFRBs and obsessive compulsive disorders to grant their separation. BFRBs are characterized by an overwhelming urge to self-groom, or fix bodily imperfections.

Sarah Smith Fulcrum contributor

My own experience with medical professionals has varied. For the past three years, I have been seen by countless doctors and two different psychiatrists. I am on my fourth therapist.

Some people believe these illnesses are simply bad habits that can be controlled, if only the person could exhibit just a little more “willpower” or “self-control.”

Anyone with a BFRB will tell you that their illness is anything but a choice and that recovery has nothing to do with willpower.

Learning to live with an illness that is highly underresearched and greatly misunderstood is a full-time job. Add a full-time graduate level course load, two part-time jobs, and a thesis, and you have but a small glimpse into the chaos that is my life.

I frequently have to navigate unwanted conversations about my “strange” appearance with internet trolls, hair dressers, new friends, professors, doctors, and family members. It’s time that we changed the conversations about mental illness to include BFRBs. Thankfully, there is an incredible network of activists doing just that.

CHANGING THE CONVERSATION Oct. 7 marked the end of BFRB Awareness Week which, donning the theme #SeeMeStand, is dedicated to educating the public about these disorders and helping contribute to the elimination of stigma. Members of the BFRB community have come together in a social media campaign to prove that BFRBs are common disorders affecting millions of people, and that those who suffer are not alone.

Years of living with my condition have resulted in severe hair loss and dark purple scarring all over my body. I haven’t had eyebrows since 2015.

This broad outreach is largely in response to myths that BFRBs affect a small percentage of our population, justifying the limited amount of research on the causes and treatments for these disorders. Current numbers place the amount of people with one or more BFRBs at approximately 2-4 per cent of the population.

In 2014, I was diagnosed with trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) and dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking). These illnesses are Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs), which are classified as Obsessive Compulsive Related Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-5), the most recent publication of the text.

Comparatively, approximately 1.5 per cent of Canadians are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, 4.7 per cent have been diagnosed with depression, and 12 per cent with anxiety. Despite the comparative prevalence of BFRBs to depression, one of the most commonly known mental illnesses in the world, little is known about what causes them or how to treat them.

There is some controversy among researchers as to the actual nature of these conditions, and many argue that there are enough distinctive differences

According to the Canadian BFRB Support Network, there are only eight doctors in Canada that specialize in treating BFRBs. Most doctors aren’t even aware that they exist.

Illustration: Alina Wang.

I have been prescribed various antidepressants in increasingly higher doses.

For a while, I was prescribed the maximum dose of highly addictive anti-anxiety medications, and at one point, I was even tried on antipsychotics. I have been a guinea pig in my own treatment because there are no available treatment plans that actually work.

Different doctors have different approaches, and because I am desperate, I try them. I have tried mindfulness meditation, running,

kickboxing, weightlifting, and yes, yoga. I have worn hats, headbands, gloves, oven mitts, anything to cover my hair, skin, or my worst enemy, my own hands.

Band-Aids are one of my biggest expenses along with antibiotic ointment to control infections.

I am not the only person who has struggled with doctors, or navigating my BFRBs in general.

BFRB activist Laura Barton, who lives with dermatillomania and dermatophagia, says that her “BFRB brain” kicks in when she feels “a rough patch of skin or a bump or something that doesn’t seem to ‘belong’.”

Barton says that the hardest part about having BFRBs is dealing with the misinformation and misconceptions that dominate the discussion.

“People outside the BFRB community, and unfortunately even many inside the community, continue

NAVIGATING POST-SECONDARY LIFE WITH BFRBS With little research and recognition around BFRBs, it might not be surprising that the U of O has limited resources when it comes to helping students cope.

Barton recalls that her time at university, while dealing with her BFRBs, was so difficult it led her to want to end her life.

“I was still desperately looking for a cure or a way to stop,” she says, “and since that wasn’t available, I felt helpless and weak. I felt like a failure because I couldn’t just stop this behaviour like everyone wanted me to.”

Hartlin recalls essay writing as being particularly tough to balance with the anxiety caused by her BFRBs. “My anxiety was so high that I would take breaks in between writing to go pick. An essay that would take someone else eight hours to complete would take me at least 14 (approximately) when you count the breaks to pick.”

Barton later attended college, and while she had a more positive experience with her mental health, she still found that there were no resources for those living with BFRBs. At the U of O it isn’t much different—the go-to mental health resource for students is the Student Academic Success Service’s (SASS) Counselling and Coaching Service.

When asked if they offer services for BFRBs over email, a representative said that no counsellors are specialized in that area but that they could help with anxiety.

to think BFRBs are just habits or attention-seeking, for instance.”

Angela Hartlin is the author of FOREVER MARKED: A Dermatillomania Diary and the star of the documentary Scars of Shame. Hartlin lives with dermatillomania and trichotemnomania, and says that for her the behaviours involved in her disorders are cathartic, but being unable to stop the behaviour on command is the most frustrating element of living with BFRBs. “It’s knowing that what you’re doing is not ‘fixing’ the issue, like the mind tries to justify, but being unable to adhere to that logic.”

The representative also suggested checking for a psychologist at the U of O’s Centre for Psychological Services and Research (CPSR). When asked by the Fulcrum if they are able to treat BFRBs, a representative from CPSR said that although they have treated patients for these disorders in past they do not specialize in this treatment.

As far as academic accommodations go, Access Service was unable to comment on BFRBs specifically, but told the Fulcrum over email that they “can assess and as well, provide accommodations/recommendations for any student with a diagnosed and duly documented medical condition.”

COPING OUTSIDE OF THE MARGINS In our interview, Hartlin told me that despite being an open mental health advocate, she was once kicked out

of therapy because she had questioned the therapist.

There is a clear lack of understanding when it comes to BFRBs that leak into the formal channels that people with mental illnesses are told to turn to.

With these avenues failing people, at post-secondary school and beyond, many living with these disorders learn to seek help elsewhere.

Online support groups can serve as a community, providing a place of understanding, acceptance, and refuge for people who live with BFRBs. One of many groups available to people looking to find such a community is the Canadian BFRB Support Network.

Acceptance is a key coping method for Barton, but for her going hand in hand with that is information.

“It’s probably not an answer that anyone expects, but honestly, understanding that these are disorders helps me deal with them better because I know what I’m up against, which is where information plays in.

The more I learn about BFRBs, the better I understand them.”

RECOGNIZING OUR BIASES, ACTING TO CHANGE THEM Although BFRB Awareness Week may be over, if we want to make post-secondary life more accessible to people with these disorders, we cannot wait until next year to continue the discussion.

“BFRB Week, to me, means a chance for the community to come together to learn, support each other, and educate others on a large scale,” says Barton.

“Life with BFRBs isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be the end of us, either,” she emphasized. “It takes time and a lot of changing to our mindsets in many cases, but it is 100 per cent possible to live a happy and full life with whether the BFRB ever goes away or not.”

Mental health campaigns can be a good way to spread awareness, but when they are silent on certain disorders this speaks volumes, and trickles into the way institutions handle mental illness—as seen from the near complete lack of services for U of O students living with BFRBs. Going forward in our discussion of BFRBs, Hartlin wants people to know that “BFRBs are not fun, trendy, or a new-age type of disorder.”

“While skin picking didn’t become official until May of 2013 when it was entered into the DSM-5 as ‘Excoriation Disorder,’ there is documentation of patients as early as the 1800s having this issue. It is very real.”

And although we might like to think we’re beyond the point of people with mental illnesses having to say that what they experience is “real,” this clearly isn’t the case.

If you or someone you know needs help coping with their BFRB, there are several ways to reach out and ask for help. If you are a post-secondary student in crisis, you can speak to a crisis counsellor for free in Ontario through Good2Talk at 1-866-925-5454. Join the “Jack.org – University of Ottawa” Facebook page to receive updates for peer-to-peer mental health support and anti-stigma campaigns.

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR Nico Laliberté sports@thefulcrum.ca @nico_laliberte @FulcrumSports

Gees avenge National Championship loss vs. St. Francis Xavier

Gees set pace from the start, turn in dominant performance in 33–19 win zack goobie

associate sports editor

T

he University of Ottawa Women’s rugby team took the field against St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) on Oct. 6 in the Rowan Stringer memorial game.

The game took place in commemoration of Rowan Stringer, who passed away in 2013 playing rugby as a teenager in the Ottawa area.

While the game was just an exhibition with no bearing on the standings, it was a chance for the Gees to see how they stack up against the team that defeated them in the U Sports final last year.

The Gee-Gees opened the scoring, with a try 15 min-

utes in after first-year center Lauren Minns and fifth-year second row Breanna Phillipps trucked their way in and the convert by fifth-year center Emma Sandstrom flew through the uprights.

The Gees got another try with 17 minutes remaining, doing well to push the pile over the line and fifth-year front row Alex Ellis touched the ball on the ground. Sandstrom split the uprights again for the convert.

The Gee-Gees couldn’t hold off the X-Women after they controlled the ball inside the Gees’ 20-yard line for over eight minutes. The convert was also good and StFx got seven points back, 14–7 with a minute left to play.

StFx came on strong in the second half, getting a try less than five minutes in. The convert sailed through and the two top 10 ranked teams were tied at 14.

Just five minutes later, the Gee-Gees came back with a try of their own. Bennett received a great pass and dropped her shoulder to push her way into the try-zone.

The Gee-Gees’ second try of the half came at the 24-minute mark after a great reception, and a few quick passes gave the Gees a 26–14 lead.

Another try for the Garnet and Grey with 18 minutes to play gave the Gees a 33–14 lead after a perfect convert from Sandstrom.

StFx did not let up, scoring a try with just over two minutes to play in the game. The convert from a tough angle missed, and the game ended 33–19 for the Gee-Gees.

Without wanting to attach any extra significance to it, GeeGees head coach Jen Boyd and her team were happy to avenge their U Sports loss last year.

“You try not to think about

The Gee-Gees defeated StFx, who won the National Championship last year.

last year, but it is tough,” said Boyd. “It was nice to get a win today, the girls played a really complete game.”

Boyd liked the compete level her team showed right from the get-go.

“We have been talking a lot about focus and lowering our distractions,” said Boyd. “I think the girls did a really good job of that.

The leaders are doing a really good job (helping the other players) with all the on-field stuff that

Photo: Tristain Pollard.

the coaches can’t help with.”

The Gee-Gees next home game will take place on Oct. 9 against l’Université de Sherbrooke at 2 p.m. at Matt Anthony field. Tickets can be purchased from the Gee-Gees website.

Gees football could finish anywhere between second and sixth

A look at the football team’s final two games and possible playoff matchups Nico Laliberté sports editor

The Gee-Gees men’s football team has two regular season games remaining. They currently hold a 4–2 record, and sit in fourth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) division.

Although it’s still possible that they miss the playoffs, the team is all but guaranteed a spot at this point. A win in either of their final two games would clinch their spot in the postseason.

However right now in a very tight OUA they could finish anywhere from second to seventh. The top six teams make the playoffs, with the first two seeds getting a bye in the first round. Assuming the Gees do make the playoffs, their first-round opponent is still very much up in the air.

The Gees final two regular season games are against playoff teams. They will play host to the University of Waterloo on Oct. 14 before heading to the University of Western On-

tario to take on the first-place Mustangs the following week.

Waterloo is currently in fifth, and a win over them would guarantee the Gees finish no worse than fourth.

In defeating Carleton University on Friday, Oct. 6, the Western Mustangs are now out of range of the Gees. They could catch both Wilfred Laurier University and McMaster University, but with only two games left, chances are both teams are able to hold on to their spot in the standings and the Gees finish fourth.

If that happens, the Gees would have a first-round matchup against the fifth-place team. Right now that’s Waterloo, but the University of Guelph could also finish fifth.

The Gees defeated Guelph 24–21 in their first game of the season, so they would enter the matchup knowing they can win. They play Waterloo next week, which will be a good test to see how they stack up against their most likely opponent.

Despite a winning record, Waterloo has been one of the

Standings shown are from Oct. 5.

least successful teams in the OUA defensively, allowing 299 points in seven games. This plays into Ottawa’s hands, as the Gee-Gees have struggled offensively behind their rookie quarterback, Alex Lavric.

Waterloo has been a top offensive team, scoring 269 points in seven games. However, the Gees have played very well on defence. They’ve shown an ability to contain a top offensive

Graphic: Nico Laliberté.

team in Guelph, so they should be well-suited for a matchup against Waterloo.

If the Gees drop to fifth, they would still most likely end up playing Waterloo. If they fail to win both of their final two games, there is a chance the Gees drop to sixth.

If that happens, then the Gees would have a first-round matchup against either Laurier or McMaster. The Gees

did not play Laurier during the regular season, but lost their game against McMaster 24–7.

This season McMaster has been the best defensive team in the league, only allowing 62 total points against in six games. While Laurier has been the better of the two teams offensively, they’ve also allowed 136 points against in six games.

The Gees’ most likely playoff matchup is still Waterloo. This

12 | SPORTS

plays into the Gees’ hands, as Waterloo is a team they should stack up well against. Playing them next week will be a good indicator of where they stand, and will have important playoff ramifications for where they finish.

The Gees next home game is Oct. 14 against Waterloo at 1 p.m. at the Gee-Gees Field. Tickets can be purchased from the Gee-Gees website.

THEFULCRUM.CA

THE BOXSCORE: KICKING UP A STORM SOCCER 8-1-3

FOOTBALL 4-2

Saturday, oct. 7, 2017 Gee-Gees 5

Satruday, oct. 14, 2017 Gee-Gees tbd

friday, oct. 6, 2017 Gee-Gees

vs

vs

vs

rmc

0

waterloo

tbd

RUGBY 4-1 33

st. francis xavier

19

sunday, oct. 8, 2017 Gee-Gees TBD

Saturday, oct. 21, 2017 Gee-Gees TBD

monday, oct. 9, 2017 Gee-Gees tbd

vs

at

vs

queens

tbd

western

tbd

sherbrooke

tbd

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

Climbing club lets students chance get fit, improve climbing Beginners and experienced climbers alike are welcome to join club

zack goobie

associate sports editor The University of Ottawa’s climbing club has a distinct focus on climbing some of the hardest rocks that Ottawa has to offer. With a variety of skill sets, the group is always open to both beginners and seasoned climbers who want to improve their bouldering abilities.

Liam Maw, a second-year geology student at the U of O, doesn’t just enjoy studying different minerals—he also likes climbing them.

Maw said people without climbing experience shouldn’t feel discouraged from joining the club.

“Anyone can join. The club usually has a lot of beginners at the start of the year. As you progress—and over the years if you stick to climbing—you’ll see that some of the upper years who have been part of the club for numerous years are now in fact very good climbers.”

“I myself started last year, and there is a huge difference from my climbing ability from then to now,” said Maw. “We have a lot of very skilled capable people around …

They can offer a lot of pointers.”

This year the club has introduced club ambassadors to help the new climbers. “We have people with bandanas who are there not only to make sure that everyone is climbing in a safe way, but they are also there to offer pointers,” said Maw. On Thursday nights, the club goes to Virtual Reality, a local climbing gym, where they receive a discount with their climbing club membership.

Beside the weekly Thursday night trips, the club features a number of events including the Reel Rock Film Festival, “that travels around, with climbing and adventure-oriented films,” said Maw. According to Maw, “the easiest way to join the club is at the club tabling event… Essentially, if you want to join any time after the (Student Federation of the University of Ottawa) designated club tabling time, the easiest way to join is to get in contact with our Facebook page.”

The Climbing Club goes climbing at Virtual Reality every Thursdays.

They’re next outing is on Oct. 12, with two groups leaving at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Event information can be found on the event page of their Facebook page.

The club goes climbing at Virtual Reality every Thursday.

THEFULCRUM.CA

Photo: CC, Jon.

SPORTS | 13

Statistical deep-dive: Women’s soccer goal-scoring sustainability A detailed look at the stats behind the women’s soccer team’s offence nico laliberté sports ediotr

The latter half of last season was disappointing for the Gee-Gees women’s soccer team. After going 9–0 to start the season, the team stumbled down the stretch. Their offence dried up, and they bowed out in the first round of the playoffs.

This season, however, the team is performing well, sitting second in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division with a 7–1–3 record.

But will the team be able to stay strong down the stretch?

The first thing we need to do is figure out what happened last year. Last year the team won their first nine games averaging 2.89 goals per game. But during the second half of the season they averaged only 0.86 goals per game.

What was the cause for this sudden drop-off?

Did the team suddenly stop shooting? When we look at the team’s shots per game over the first nine games, we find that they averaged 19.78 shots per game. Over their final seven games they averaged 14.57 shots per game.

So there is a drop-off, but not enough to explain the complete disappearance of goals.

Next, let’s look at shooting percentage. It’s important to first get a sense of what a typical shooting percentage in the OUA East looks like. Then we’ll know if the team was getting lucky with an abnormally high shooting percentage in the first half of the season, or if they were unlucky with an abnormally low shooting percentage in the second half.

I compiled shooting data of every team in the OUA East from the last four years and found that the average shooting percentage is 16.04 per cent. However this includes some historically bad teams like the Royal Military

The Gees strong start to the season reflects strong play from Bearne and Lefebvre.

College, Trent University, and Ryerson University.

When those teams are removed from the equation, the league-average shooting percentage rests at 17.07 per cent.

Where does the University of Ottawa sit in all this? From 2014 to now they have maintained an average shooting percentage of 17.94. This checks out, as they have been an above-average team over that time, with some above-average goal scorers to push that number above the league average.

However, last year, through the first nine games they shot at just 14.61 per cent, and during their final seven games that number fell to 5.88 per cent. Clearly there was a level of bad shooting luck going on during the second half of the year.

However, we should see if

there could be a personnel factor too.

In 2014 and 2015 the Gees were led by the same two players offensively.

For those who don’t remember, that was Julia Francki and Pilar Khoury.

The two of them were responsible for 33.71 per cent of the Gees total shots and 41.07 per cent of the team’s total goals over 2014 and 2015.

Both Francki and Khoury left in 2015, leaving the Gees with a major hole to fill offensively. It was not surprising then to see a regression in both goals and shooting percentage. But through the first nine game the team seemed to be coping without them. Were there any personnel changes midway through the season that could explain the goal-scoring collapse?

Enter—or exit—midfield-

Photo: Eric Davidson.

er Faythe Lou. Lou played the first seven games of 2016, but missed the entire second half of the season with an injury. Through the first seven games Lou led the team in scoring with four goals, and the team performed noticeably better with Lou in the lineup, averaging 20 shots and 3.14 goals per game.

Lou herself averaged two shots per game and had a 28.6 shooting percentage. For comparison, Francki and Khoury averaged a combined 26.0 shooting percentage over 2014 and 2015. Meanwhile, the two Gees who led the team in shots in 2016, Victoria Marchand and Katherine Bearne, shot at 8.33 per cent last year. They were also only responsible for 25.71 per cent of the team’s total shots, reflecting the team’s score-bycommittee approach.

In conclusion, a combination of low shooting percentages from team leaders Marchand and Bearne, the departure of Khoury and Francki, and the injury of Lou, plus some bad luck all contributed to the Gees’ late-season collapse last year.

So, what does that mean for this year? Well, right now the team is only averaging about 13.55 shots per game, down from the previous three years. However, their shooting percentage rests at 18.12, which is only slightly above the team average since 2014.

More importantly, the Gees once again seem to have a top two capable of carrying the team, with Bearne and second-year forward Emma Lefebvre contributing 32.21 per cent of the team’s total shots and 40.74 per cent

14 | SPORTS

of the team’s goals. The two of them have combined for a 22.92 per cent shooting percentage over the first 11 games of 2017, which—as we saw with Francki and Khoury—is a totally sustainable number for the team’s top two goal scorers.

Due to the team’s shooting percentage, some slight regression wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect, but other teams in the OUA East have shown an ability to sustain similar percentages over a full season. It would seem that the team has once again found a top-two duo capable of carrying them through the season and deep into the playoffs.

And with Bearne in her third year and Lefebvre only in her second, the offence is in a good spot for the next few years.

THEFULCRUM.CA

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR David Campion-Smith

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

Government tax dollars shouldn’t be spent denying healthcare Healthcare funding is available, so let’s put it to good use Janoah Willsie

fulcrum contributor

T

he Government of Canada has spent $110,000 so far fighting a legal battle against Josey Willier, a 17 year old from Sacker Creek First Nation, to avoid paying the $6,000 to cover the cost of her braces.

Willier had to take medicine daily to manage chronic pain from her impacted teeth. Orthodontists recommended she get braces immediately to avoid the need for corrective surgery.

It’s absurd that our tax dollars went to pay for a court case that cost over 18 times the cost of her braces. This money came from us and Canadians should

be outraged. Government dollars should not be spent denying children health care.

Generally, dental care is not covered by provincial health benefits but since Willier is First Nations, she has access to a Health Canada fund called the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB). The program covers certain health care costs for First Nations people that aren’t covered by the province.

It’s through this program that Willier’s mother, Stacey Shiner, applied for funding for her daughter and was refused.

The government subsequently spent the $110,000 fighting Shiner in the Supreme Court where, in May of this year, she lost the case.

But the major issue is that this case is not unique. First Nations Canadians are regularly denied services simply because of who they are. First Nations child services are underfunded by an estimated 22 per cent relative to non-First Nations services, and First Nations schools

receive 30 per cent less funding than provincial schools. When it comes to the NIHB program, 80 per cent of claims submitted in 2015-16 were denied immediately. Canadians should not accept a healthcare program with such a low acceptance rate. This isn’t an elite social club. People’s well-beings are at stake.

In Willier’s case, the government denied her application because they did not consider her situation to be severe enough.

Immediate treatment was viewed as not essential and therefore deemed her braces a preventative, but unnecessary measure. This is what First Nations seeking health care often hear from the government, that the funding is available, but that they are not suffering enough to deserve it.

It’s worth noting that in many other situations, the government has made exceptions in order to save taxpayer money, such as in the case of Omar Khadr, or to save face as in the case of Karen Talosig. For some

The Canadian government has spent $110,000 denying Josey Willier dental care.

reason, when it’s a First Nations child in pain, exceptions can’t be made so readily.

This does not reflect well on a government that can’t stop

talking about how committed they are to reconciliation. If Prime Minister Trudeau wants to continue to frivolously spend our tax dollars fighting chil-

Photo: CC, Andrew Horne.

dren’s access to medical care, he could at least have the decency to stop pretending that he cares about the original caretakers of this country.

Protests and counter protests can’t replace rational debate Rational discussions will go farther than vilification, straw men connor chase

fulcrum contributor Is Sharia Law is on its way to Canada? That’s what the Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens (CCCC) thinks of newly implemented federal immigration policies. On Sept.

30, the group organized a protest on Parliament Hill, and was met by counter protesters.

After a single physical altercation, the police were called in to maintain the situation.

With the polarized political environment right now, this seems like a successful example of free speech. No one was killed, injured, or arrested.

But this certainly isn’t a standard we should be proud of.

When I envision an example of “free speech,” I imagine two people who disagree about something getting together and reviewing each other’s arguments in a

manner that would impress Socrates.

Now, obviously, this is merely a fantasy. However, it is crucial that we remember that the concept of actually listening to people you disagree with is what enables a healthy society. On this basis, I would argue that the Parliament Hill protests actually failed.

Firstly, this sort of protest is doomed to fail from the start.

Can protests effect positive change? Sometimes. Do they villainize that which you are protesting? Invariably.

And in our incredibly polarized system, this is the crucial point. The Parliament Hill protest deteriorated into groups of people screaming obscenities at each other. No change will come from this.

Furthermore, protests of this sort are absolutely antithetical to the concept of calm, rational discussion. In

fact, they encourage you to reduce the opposing views to straw men. The Parliament Hill protest attests to this.

Instead of presenting a nuanced position against Canada’s immigration policy, the CCCC based their protest upon the idea that this change would culminate in Canadian Sharia Law. And instead of presenting a reasonable counter argument, the counter protesters called them fascists and showed up with signs bearing the message “Make the Right Afraid Again.”

Reasonable people should be able to recognize that such hostility is not good for the free flow of ideas.

It really does feel like someone just has to sit down two petulant children and give them a time-out.

Immigration is certainly a complicated issue. Moreover, if refugees enter the equa-

A protest around immigration took place on Parliament Hill on Sept. 30.

tion, as they do in this case, then lives are on the line.

Thus, some amount of partisanship is certainly okay. It’s not really an issue that lends

itself to flip-flopping.

But that still does not excuse using ideological rhetoric to reduce those you disagree with to positions they

THEFULCRUM.CA

Photo: Mackenzie McGhie.

clearly do not hold. If you are going to talk politics, at least extend everyone else the courtesy of grounding your position in reality.

OPINIONS | 15

HECKLE: Wait for me to exit before you enter anastasiia cherygova fulcrum contributor

The problem of waiting in crowded places is unavoidable in areas like public transit, classes, elevators, and many more. And what’s common across these situations? People who somehow can’t wait until you leave before they decide to walk in.

All of us had been in these sorts of situations at least once, most notably when riding an elevator. Imagine trying to get out of an enclosed space to continue on your day, but wait, not so fast! On your way out the elevator you have to weave your way through a crowd that ignores your need to exit the elevator, and decides to push their way in at the same time.

And it’s not like there is an “elevator pilot,” someone pushing buttons and pulling levers behind the scenes who can manually control the speed of an elevator based on how fast you can squeeze through those doors.

This person won’t get you to the seventh floor faster just because

you’re in a hurry and you managed to get to the elevator first since you “really need it.” This person does not exist, the elevator won’t go faster because you were first to the scene.

But wait, what about those buttons that can close the doors before the designated time?

Surely they can speed up an elevator! Well no, they can’t.

They don’t accelerate anything.

Often times, they aren’t even connected to a system.

Pushing your way in makes it difficult for both parties—those who are trying to exit the elevator can’t do so on time, whilst those who rush into the elevator can end up waiting longer.

Even though the premise is not that difficult, this still happens far too often. It all comes down to being a decent human being, a norm just as reasonable as holding a door or saying “bless you” when someone sneezes. If only those who are rushing into the elevators could understand it, but maybe they’re in too much of a hurry to listen.

Illustration: Brennan Bova. Edits: Christine Wang.

O Canada: the true North strong enough

The nation must pull its weight to beef up defence spending Anastasiia Cherygova fulcrum contributor

Last month, LieutenantGeneral Pierre St-Amand, the deputy commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), stated that the current American defence policy wouldn’t protect Canada from a missile attack. This should be a catalyst for Canada to increase funding to our own defence systems rather than solely relying on the military power of the United States. If the United States decides that defending Canada isn’t a priority, we’re lacking in our national defence.

The credibility of this statement is now being refuted—geographically this response would be irresponsible considering that many major Canadian cities are located within close proximity of the U.S. border. This means that

nuclear fallout would likely hurt major American cities like Seattle, Chicago, Detroit. Still the question of whether Canada should step up to the plate remains.

Canada will not be able to rapidly catch up to the level of military investment of our neighbours to the south. However, we can start with making an adequate contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), something that Canada has been failing to do for many years. Canada spent less than one per cent of its GDP on defence last year, one of the lowest rates of spending in NATO, and the United States currently compensates for member nations that fail to contribute, including Canada.

Last week the U.S. Senate approved a $700 billion investment in the country’s military. This

Canada’s nuclear response may be lacking.

investment will increase America’s debt, but while countries like Canada fail to foot their bill of NATO spending, it is a needed investment.

Developing the Cana-

Photo: CC, R. Clucas.

dian military and increasing NATO contributions will not mean following American strategies, in fact, quite the opposite—it means that Canada would no longer be wholly de-

pendent on American military power. It is also a guarantee for a future Canada in a world where the U.S. may not be as powerful as it was before.

Being fiscally respon-

sible is important, but the Canadian military is an investment sector that we have been purposefully ignoring for far too long, a state of affairs that needs to change.

16 | OPINIONS THEFULCRUM.CA

DISTRACTIONS DEAR DI

FEATURES EDITOR Savannah Awde

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

Dirty Talk: Sex Robots Automation is likely going to threaten thousands of jobs, and shake up society as we know it. Turns out, the bedroom is no exception. With T.V. shows like Westworld and the advent of sex robots, we’re already seeing the impact of artificial sex partners on humanity.

The issue hit headlines last week when a sex robot, named Samantha, was molested at an Electronics Festival in Austria. According to the creator of the robot, Sergi Santos, Samantha was damaged by attendees. “The people mounted Samantha’s breasts, her legs and arms. Two fingers were broken. She was heavily soiled,” he told Britain’s Metro news.

With a widespread problem of sexual assault on campus and deeply ingrained rape culture, one has to wonder what could be the consequences of further dehumanizing women by replacing them with artificial models entirely. The porn industry already pushes unrealistic body standards, and sex robots could make it that much worse.

Dishing with Di: You thought your teenage years were hard A small community in the Dominican Republic has a significant proportion of individuals suffering from 5-alphareductase deficiency.

These individuals are raised as girls but at puberty grow a penis and testes because of the deficiency. Guevedoces actually translates to “penis at 12.”

Interestingly enough, interviews with these boys have found they identified as male even before they hit puberty.

THEFULCRUM.CA

As Jenny Kleeman writes for The Guardian, “sex robots are different from sex dolls and sex toys because they have AI (artificial intelligence). More than just a mechanism for giving you an orgasm, a sex robot is designed to be a substitute partner: a vibrator doesn’t laugh at your jokes and remember your birthday.”

In other words, your toy drawer can provide you with a lot of pleasure, but can’t completely take the place of a sexual or emotional partner.

Introducing a technology that has the potential of giving one partner the utmost pleasure, without any concern for the consent or comfort of their partner, could have serious impacts for real world couples.

“Perhaps the most important question to ask is why there is a market for sex robots in the first place,” continues Kleeman. “Why do some people find the idea of a partner without autonomy so attractive?”

The obsession with powerless partners is a natural progression of rape culture.

In a society that normalizes sexual assault, is it really that much of a jump to transition to completely robotic sex partners? Now we don’t have to worry about consent, and get rid of that pesky extra step.

With any new technologies there can be a wide variety of uses for sex robots, including some positive ones. Sexual AI can be useful in helping those suffering from sexual dysfunction overcome their problems. In addition, sex robots could become an asset to couples wanting to add a little spice to their relationship.

The thing is, with new technologies we don’t know their full impact until they’ve fully revolutionized society. The crux of the issue is making sure sexual AI isn’t abused to the detriment of humans everywhere.

DISTRACTIONS | 17

OCT. 9-OCT. 15, 2017

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC EATS SPORTS FUN THINKING ARTS

18 | DISTRACTIONS |

Monday Oct. 9 The Colours of Fall: Leaf Colouring Competition, Bytown Museum—10 a.m.

Pumpkin sale and fall festival, Brantwood Park—10 a.m.

Tuesday Oct. 10 Matthew Whittall: “Landscape Architecture”, as part of Composer Talks, Perez Hall—1 p.m.

Disney Trivia, Nostalgica’s Ultimate Trivia Night, Cafe Nostalgica—7 p.m.

Roger Waters, Canadian Tire Centre—8 p.m.

Wednesday Oct. 11 Women in Business Networking Night, GenerationeXt

Incubation Space at Lincoln Fields Mall— 5:30 p.m.

Free home-cooked, healthy, and vegan meal, hosted by the People’s Republic of Delicious, Deja Vu kitchen (between Thompson and Morisset)—9 a.m.

Thursday Oct. 12 October Campus Night, take a break from studying and dress-up for an evening filled with food and fashion, Rideau Centre’s Nordstrom Court—5 p.m.

Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion, National Arts Centre—8 p.m.

Friday Oct. 13 Friday the 13th

screening at Saunders Farm—6 p.m.

The Riot Police, Pick Brothers Band, and Birds of Bellwoods, Bar Robo—8 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 14 Gee-Gees swim team competes in GO Kingfish Pentathlon, Montpetit Hall—8 a.m.

Hike in Gatineau Park, hosted by uOttawa Greens, meet at Tabaret Lawn—10 a.m.

Sunday Oct. 15 Gee-Gees women’s hockey vs.

Concordia, Minto Sports Complex—2 p.m.

Gee-Gees rugby vs. Carleton, Raven Road Field—1 p.m.

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EDITORIAL Volume 78, Issue 7, oct. 9, 2017 Cleaning your teeth since 1942.

Phone: (613) 695-0061 | Fax: (613) 695-9006 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this paper or we’ll steal your dentures.

Eric “Beavertail burnisher” Davidson Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Jaclyn “Periodontal probe” McRaeSadik Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Graham “Gates glidden” Robertson Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Zainab “Dental mirror” Al-Mehdar News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Ryan “Curette” Pepper Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Savannah “Dental laser” Awde Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Nico “Lip retractor” Laliberté Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca David “Cheek retractor” CampionSmith Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Christine “Tongue depressor” Wang Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Dmitri “Mouth prop” Bakker Social Media Manager social@thefulcrum.ca Ellie “Spoon excavator” Sabourin Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “Fluoride” Drissi El-Bouzaidi Associate Features Editor Zack “Half hollenbach” Goobie Associate Sports Editor associate.sports@thefulcrum.ca Parker “Dental hatchers” Townes Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Chad “Ball burnisher” Ouellette Videographer videographer@thefulcrum.ca Chafik “Cone burnisher” Kassis Head Web Architect webmaster@thefulcrum.ca Lucas “Amalgam plugger” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca Kaylum “Willis gauge” Bobal Advertising Representative ads@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors

Alina “Cogswell-A elevator” Wang Henry “Osteotome” du Basty Mackenzie “Fox plane” McGhie Tristain “Spatula” Pollard Sarah “Dental hatchers” Smith Connor “Wedelstaedt chisel” Chase Anastasiia “Bin angle chisel” Cherygova Janoah “Tongue retractor” Willsie Alex “Dental drill” Szigeti Eric “Straight probe” Davison Thomas “Pear shaped burnisher” Wagner

Board of Directors

Raghad “Face bow“ Sheikh-Khalil Katelyn “Articulator” Murray Jonathan “Calipers” Rausseo Mackenzie “Methiose” Gray Fadi “Apex locator” Azzi Spencer “Lentulo spiral” Murdock Kim “Brakete holder” Wiens Maggie “Endodontic explorer” Gollish Cover Credits: Christine Wang.

WHAT POLICIES SHOULD NDP LEADER JAGMEET SINGH PURSUE

Jagmeet Singh made waves earlier this month, when he accomplished the rare feat of winning the New Democratic Party leadership on the first ballot.

Singh is known for his style and charisma, but students also want to know his policy plans.

One issue that Singh should focus on is the environment, a cause close to many students that will affect them more and more as they grow older.

His website currently lists some environmental policy plans, but here’s where we think he should focus.

Why is this important?

First of all, Canada has made several efforts to show a commitment to improving the international environmental regulations and emissions, from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Climate agreement.

However, it’s progress living up to those agreements has been tepid at best.

Canada has entered into climate change agreements before, and not followed up on hitting the targets, so a good mechanism to ensure that it will going forward is a must.

Singh includes in his platform “Establish a Climate Change Action Officer,” and “Create a Climate Change Action Advisory Group,” which are good ideas, but there’s always the worry that a new group won’t have the sway to convince anyone to alter policy.

He’s also suggested gathering more environmental data to present to the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development, which is good, but it will be even more important to make sure a richer stock of data is available to the public and easily accessible. As the saying goes, “what gets measured gets managed.”

Especially since Canada has had trouble meeting environmental targets in the past, making sure people know where the government stands on a detailed, up-to-date basis will make it easier to hold the

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government accountable on the issue.

In addition to the health of the planet, the environment will have an effect on Canada’s economy as a whole, especially as students step into the job market, which will continue to shift as they continue their careers.

Canada’s energy sector has been a topic of controversy for years, and this is only going to continue. Arguments over the validity of pipelines, a general drop in exports in oil and natural gas and the uncertainty over oil price and supply in the coming years are all issues that will have economic as well as political effects in the coming years.

There are also the environmental issues specifically dealing with oil sands extraction in the first place.

Canada also has a large, if not

heavily publicized, automotive and autoparts industry, which is tied to the energy market.

The headlines of some of his current policy ideas include “Build a Renewable Energy Supergrid,” “Green Infrastructure Investments,” “Implement a Zero Emission Vehicle agenda.”

All of which are important to focus on, and can be refined further.

For example in the automotive industry, the trend is moving into electric vehicles. This point has become much harder to debate ever since General Motors, one of the world’s largest auto manufacturers, announced its plans for an allelectric, zero-emissions future.

Planning the infrastructure, charging stations for example, for all-electric cars and public transportation will make a big difference going forward, and

New NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh has lots of policy options to weigh.

the time horizon isn’t as long as you might think, so it’s important to start working on now.

As for the insecurity of oil and gas exports, a large part of Canada’s export market, it’s even more important to start finding alternatives now. If things take a really bad turn in that arena, it’s bad news for the Canadian economy, and anyone starting out a career in the country.

This could tie in even more with students, with the federal government helping the provinces get more funding and improve curriculums in programs that would be of help in this world of electric vehicles and alternative energy sources.

The environment is just one aspect of policy that Singh should be focusing on, but it certainly is an important one, and one which students should be watching intently.

Photo: CC, ideas dept.

EDITORIAL | 19

Jobs you didn’t even know existed Are you a student looking for work or simply in-between jobs?

Today’s New Car Dealerships in Ontario need drivers for shuttle

buses, lot attendants that can help to move inventory around and

more. Find a career in the automotive sector on CarsAndJobs.com.

It’s not what you think.

CarsAndJobs 2016 Q4 - JOBS EXISTED The Fulcrum FP Ad.indd 1

11/8/16 9:36 AM