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IN THIS ISSUE Francophones protest Ford government cuts P.4
The latest in FrancoOntarian tensions
New artist in residence P.11
He’s been “printing like a bitch”
A Year in Review P.13
Looking back at the best and worst of 2018
Top 5 Gee-Gees moments this year P.15 Number 1 will shock you!
Dating your Prof.? p.26 What you need to know
V is for Vegetable Vendetta P.27 Toddlers take over Health Canada
Bring on the heat Ty takes readers through experimenting with temperatures.
FulcFit food series
Butternut squash soup It’s October, and that means we’re now well into autumn. Plants are dying, but our appetites are not.This means we’re going to need some recipes to warm us up throughout this cool transition to winter. One such dish I highly recommend is homemade butternut squash soup. I can’t take credit for the recipe, as it was something my mother always made for our family, and still makes sometimes when I visit. Here’s how you can make your own homemade, reasonably healthy butternut squash soup. Trust me, mom’s recipe is much better than that storebought stuff at your local Metro.
It’s tough, but well worth the effort to prepare!
Photo: Andrew Price.
Andrew Price, Sports Editor
During the school year, it’s all too easy to let your eating habits slip. To get you back on track, the Fulcrum has some essential recipes so you stay full and fit all year long.
Directions
1. You need one large butternut squash. You’ll want to get this peeled and chopped, and in some places you can get it pre-chopped and peeled. 2. Put this in a large baking dish, and pour a generous amount of olive oil in, about half a cup. 3. Add ¼ teaspoon of Coriander over the squash. 4. Add salt and pepper, again, being generous . 5. Place it all in the oven, setting it 400 C. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, making sure it’s mushy. 6. Now peel three apples and put this in a pot for the soup. 7. Add ⅓ of a chopped onion to the pot, and mix in a bit of olive oil. Sauté this for a few minutes. 8. Now add ⅓ a box of chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. 9. When the squash is ready, add it in when the mixture is soft. You can then add the rest of the chicken broth if you want, and let it simmer. 10. Add a touch of cinnamon for a little extra flavour (optional). 11. Wait 40 minutes until all ingredients are soft, then take off the heat and let it cool a little. 12. At this point you can add a bit of Purée to make it extra creamy, and stir. Now you’ve got yourself a bowl of irresistible butternut squash soup. Enjoy!
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November 16th SPORTS | 23
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NEWS EDITOR
Eric Davison & Sarah Crookall news@thefulcrum.ca associate.news@thefulcrum.ca
U OF O REFUGEE HUB HELPS SPONSOR SYRIAN FAMILY REFUGEE HUB SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM COVERS COSTS TO BRING A FAMILY OF EIGHT TO CANADA Sarah Crookall News Editor
A
Syrian family of eight is calling Canada home thanks to a sponsorship program facilitated by the Refugee Hub at the University of Ottawa.
On Nov. 20, Aveer and Khaled Sultan landed at the Ottawa International Airport with their six children, and the family is now living in a home in Brockville, Ont. “There are many Syrian families that are desperate to get out of there,” said sponsor Ahmad Khadra. Although the
sponsors hoped to resettle more refugees, they lacked the necessary funds to do so. The Refugee Hub’s Blended Visa Office Related (BVOR) program financed the sponsorship, and Khadra’s group will help get the family settled. Through the BVOR program, the Canadian government will contribute 50 per cent of resettlement costs for six months, matched by funds from the Giustra Foundation and the Shapiro Foundation, as well as six private donors. Khadra’s group helped to find and furnish the Sultan family’s home, and is in the process of organizing health checks, banking, and schooling. “They came here with zero schooling,” Khadra said of the
children. “Just last night I asked them what have they learned.” The six children, in both elementary and high school, are currently learning the basics of English and math. “They are very happy and are eager to learn, and the people around them are surrounding them with warmness and welcoming,” said Khadra. This year, the BVOR program hoped to secure 15,000 sponsorships. However, only 300 refugees arrived in Canada by August. Kailee Brennan, Refugee Hub outreach officer, said that’s because a large number of sponsorships occurred from 2015–16. In August, the U of O’s Refugee Hub launched a fund of $3.5 million for potential donors,
The Sultan family welcomed to Canada by their sponsors. Photo: Kailee Brennan
which secured 150 sponsor groups across 49 provinces. Since the fund’s launch, over 600 individuals have been sponsored—doubling the number of refugees brought through the program from January to August. “Because of that some of our sponsors and donors here decided that they would like to subsidize what the sponsors had to pay,” said, Brennan. Selecting refugees referred by the United Nations, the BVOR program lists individuals and families with vulnerabilities, such as severe medical cases and survivors of violence.
Although the Sultan family are not relatives of their sponsors, Khadra said he took a lesson from Brockville churches. He told his sponsorship group, “When the churches sponsored you, they didn’t know anything about you or who you are.” Interested in finding sponsors, Brennan held an information session in August— leading to the Sultan family’s sponsorship. In addition to resettlement costs, many refugee families face challenges like adapting to Canadian weather and accessing language classes, said Bren-
nan. To help refugees navigate Canada’s judicial system, the Refugee Hub connects refugees with pro-bono lawyers who assist in filing paperwork and securing employment. In addition to adjusting to a new country, Brennan added that it’s often challenging for families who have relatives left behind. “It’s hard for them to feel really settled knowing that they’ve left their family members in danger.” Students interested in learning more and getting involved in the Refugee Hub’s programs can contact: info@refugeehub.ca.
official Facebook page. “To my more than 600,000 fellow Franco-Ontarians, you may not know me yet, but know that I am with you … You have an ally in me, and I will never let you down.” In a time of packed Frenchimmersion schools, and a limited budget for expansion, the French university was seen by many Francophones as an opportunity to expand education to their underserviced south-western communities—a right guaranteed to them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Ontario’s edu-
cational mandate. “We are not asking for extra privileges, we are asking for what we are promised and what we are owed,” said Brigitte Plante in French. “Without a new French university there are just not enough spots for all of us, and that means we lose out on new French academics and teachers—it is a cycle of poor educational opportunity”. Ford’s government released a statement on Monday Nov. 26 reiterating their support for Ontario’s French culture but have made no plans to reverse the cuts.
FORD’S CUTS TO FRANCOPHONE INSTITUTIONS SPARK PROTESTS
Francophones across the province have spoken out against the government’s latest cuts Eric Davison News editor
In reaction to a round of cuts to Francophone commitments by the provincial government, a protest was held in Ottawa on Dec. 1 at the Monument to Human Rights. The protest was one of many across the province, in the wake of a series of cuts by the Ford government to Franco-Ontarian institutions that the conservative party claims are necessary for austerity. Among them are the cancellation of a Torontoarea French university, the
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defunding of a grant for a Francophone theatre in Ottawa, and the removal of the position of French commissioner in Ford’s cabinet. Although the government has since reinstated the French language commissioner position, the Francophone community has continued to put pressure on the Conservatives. Claude Midet, a Francophone protestor at Ottawa’s demonstration stated in French “Ford says this is about austerity, but the English theatres are still running—this is an attack against us,” in reference to the de-
funding of Ottawa French theatre La Nouvelle Scène. “French education is not just in the classroom, it is about giving kids a life where they can use their native tongue every day.” Although complaints varied, the protest primarily focused on the cancellation of a planned French-language university and the chronic under-availability of French education. “When the government cuts services in the South just because we are not as common there, it sends a message that the province is not all for
us. Our kids want to work in Toronto because there is so much opportunity, but they can’t get an education there and they can’t live there” said protestor James Doucet. The protest has also come from inside the Legislative Assembly, with MPP Amanda Simard leaving the Conservative caucus over what she claims is a targeted attack on Francophones. “The decisions made last week concerning the office of the commissioner and the Franco-Ontarian University disappoint me greatly,” she stated in a French post on her
NEWS | 5
The Gateway is the University of Alberta’s student newspaper. Photo: IQRemix (flickr.com, CC)
MP SUES U OF A STUDENT PAPER FOR ACCUSATION OF WHITE SUPREMACY
The Gateway sees legal action after criticizing the MP’s contact with Faith Goldy Eric Davison News editor
Edmonton Conservative Member of Parliament Kerry Diotte is filing a lawsuit against the University of Alberta’s student newspaper over accusations of racism from the publication. The Gateway criticized Diotte for his contact with far-right commentator Faith Goldy, and accused him of supporting her recent Toronto mayoral campaign, in an article published on Nov. 3
and a second editorial piece on Nov. 5th. The Gateway’s comments centred around a photo Diotte posted on Twitter in February of 2017, posing with Goldy, in which he congratulated her on “making the media great again.” Goldy was a commentator for Rebel Media at the time and had recently come under fire for claiming a Muslim perpetrated the Quebec City Mosque shooting. Several months after the photo in question circulated,
Goldy would leave Rebel Media under public pressure from her appearance on Neo-Nazi podcast The Daily Stormer. Diotte denied the accusations in a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Nov. 19. “I find racism and racists abhorrent. My grandmother was an Indigenous woman and my family has been on the receiving end of deplorable racist comments. My constituency of Edmonton Griesbach is made up of very
ethnically diverse communities and I’m proud and happy to serve them.” The Gateway has since amended the articles in question, removing explicit accusations of racism and any reference to the MP’s ongoing political support for Goldy. The Fulcrum was unable to confirm any official or personal endorsement of Goldy’s mayoral campaign from Diotte. The MP has a history of controversy, with many opponents comparing his
often-inflammatory Twitter comments to U.S. president Donald Trump. During his tenure as an Edmonton Sun columnist, Diotte was known for his hardline conservative views—his column was critical of immigrants in particular and once referred to unemployed Czechs as ‘gypsies.’ Diotte also came under fire in 2016, after his printing of a “bingo card” containing what he claimed were Liberal Party buzzwords, including ‘First Nations’ and ‘Syrian.’
Although he later apologized for the tweet, his public criticism of the Trudeau government’s immigration policy has continued. Diotte has also threatened legal action against Edmonton Health Care activist Haiqa Cheema and racial issues blogger Bashir Mohammed over similar accusations of racism on Twitter. At the time of publication, The Gateway was unable to comment on the lawsuit. Diotte’s office could not be reached for comment.
The MP has a history of controversy, with many opponents comparing his often-inflammatory Twitter comments to U.S. president Donald Trump. 6 | NEWS
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INDIGENOUS RIGHTS IN THE OIL, GAS, AND MINING INDUSTRIES
U of O experts discuss challenges in extractive industries and Indigenous rights Sarah Crookall News editor
Over 20 Indigenous and environmental rights experts gathered at the University of Ottawa to explore the socioenvironmental concerns surrounding extractive industries in Canada. On Nov. 29 and 30, the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Territories of Extractivism (IRGTE) held a conference-workshop titled Extractive Industries Governance, and Indigenous Rights: Spaces of Struggle and Social Innovation. “We’re at this really interesting moment in history where the federal government is verbally committing to some interest in recognizing Indigenous rights,” said conference organizer and U of O sociological and anthropological studies professor, Willow Scobie. “They’re not following through on that when it comes to resource extraction, so it’s both an opening and some kind of false promises that we think should be challenged.” Sponsored by the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue, panelists discussed how to protect Indigenous lands. But, many Indigenous communities differ in modern and traditional ways of living, said coordinator for Anishnabe O’T”Akiwa, Maurice J. Kitabish. To bridge the difference, experts consulted communities by asking whether full or balanced protection was preferred. Over 80 per cent of community members voted for balanced protection. “We’re going to protect what we can and then we’re going to negotiate an agreement to decide what opportunities we’re going to be able to take advantage of,” said Kitabish. Drawing on the efforts of Guatemalan community members, Amnesty International reviewed community consultations around mine development on In-
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digenous lands. “In Guatemala, over one-million people have taken part in community consultations, and just over 99 per cent have said no (to mining),” said Tara Scurr, Amnesty International Canada business and human rights campaigner. “They’re defending their land from the basis of principles, from Indigenous law, natural law, and thinking about future generations.” In Canada, Scurr referred to the Mount Polley gold and copper mine, where 10 million cubic metres of water and 4.5 million cubic metres of slurry flooded into Polley Lake. A study looking at the health impacts on the Indigenous communities around the area found “psychological impacts, health impacts, and impacts on the ability to practise culture and spiritual practices,” she said. Prioritizing Indigenous title to land as the basis for decision-making, Amnesty International suggests communities seek solutions beyond voluntary initiatives from large companies. “We also think that Canada’s directive to economic diplomacy is at odds with Canada’s international hu-
man rights obligations, and so we would like to see that reconciled,” said Scurr. In assessing the impacts of extractive developments, Stella Masty-Bearskin, Aboriginal liaison officer for the Commission for Inquiry Listening Reconciliation and Progress, said the most significant impact she sees are spiritual and educational. “A lot of people are in an education system now where we still have our values, we still have a socio-economic system,” said Masty-Bearskin, adding that the loss of Indigenous values in the school system displaces Indigenous peoples. Speaking on additional challenges around extractive industries in Canada, Scobie said transportation by large companies in Canada’s arctic leaves environmental impacts. “The tundra is very sensitive to dust, and so building roads and driving on roads can kill the tundra which has a domino effect on wildlife,” she said. Following the conference, IRGTE hopes to bring forward up to 12 policy recommendations to the federal government on Indigenous rights and extractive industries.
“We’re going to protect what we can and then we’re going to negotiate an agreement to decide what opportunities we’re going to be able to take advantage of.” Maurice J. Kitabish, Coordinator for Anishnabe O’T”Akiwa
The two-day conference focused on Industries Governance and Indigenous rights. Photo: Sarah Crookall.
NEWS | 7
Wandure allows travellers to experience local culture. Photo: Courtesy of Wandure
WANDURE TEAM SHOWS OTTAWA’S ENTREPRENEURIAL CLOUT App developer adds in Ottawa’s diversifying tech, entrepreneurial sectors Eric Davison News editor
An app development company founded by University of Ottawa alumnus Ismail Benmbarak has launched their flagship project with plans for rapid expansion. The app, Wandure, aims to connect travellers to experiences run by local hosts while providing savvy hobbyists and tour guides with an opportunity to profit off their unique skills. The app allows users to pay for experiences run by locals in a destination city by using an Uber-like interface. Everything from canoe tutorials to Indigenous story walks is available to book. “We started working around the end of 2016, at first it was just myself and one of my high school friends. We were just looking at what we could do, and wanted to start a business with our skill sets,” Benmbarak told the Fulcrum. “He was a software engineer, and I was about to graduate, so the time seemed right.” The team initially launched through the U of
8 | NEWS
O’s Startup Garage. The program supports current students and recent graduates of the university in launching their business ideas with office space, advisors, and funding competitions—a program that is sorely needed in Ottawa’s growing entrepreneurial scene. “I think that the University of Ottawa is doing a great job, and Startup Up Ottawa is doing a great job targeting early phase startups, but there are not too many options right now,” he said. “There isn’t much around yet, but things are getting better. There is a lot of good ideas and good people in the city, but they need these programs to support them,” said Sai Vikranth Desu, a software developer with Wandure. However a resource crunch did not slow Wandure down, as the team quickly secured additional funding from Startup Ottawa through a pitch competition while taking on new members. “It has been easy finding people in Ottawa, the talent base is strong and people are hungry for work,” Benmbarak said.
“People love working for this early phase startups, everything you do is significant and we all kind of do everything because it is such a small team,” says Desu. Wandure was also chosen to be featured in Creatorland—a video series by Ottawa-based serial entrepreneur Zainab Muse that highlights Ottawa’s diverse business owners and startups. The app is currently available exclusively in Ottawa, but the team already has plans for expansion within Canada and internationally. “So we are looking at expanding into Singapore … it’s a big city, with a lot of demand for this sort of thing, and with 40 million tourists it’s a prime target for us” Benmbarak said. “2019 is going to be a big year for us … we feel like we are ready. The proof of concept has been accomplished, and now we are at a phase where we can really get it going.” Wandure is available now on iOS and Android and will be expanding to Toronto and Montreal soon.
A U OF O STUDY FINDS STEM CELLS BECOME NEURONS IN THE STROKEINJURED BRAIN
Researchers find stem cells play role in recovery for stroke patients Rhea Verma
Staff Contributor A study conducted at the University of Ottawa finds stem cells become neurons in the stroke-injured brain, possibly aiding in recovery. On Nov. 8, University of Ottawa researchers from the Faculty of Medicine’s department of cellular and molecular medicine published a paper titled Excitable AdultGenerated GABAergic Neurons Acquire Functional Innervation in the Cortex after Stroke. The study, led by medicine professor Timal Kannangara, found that stem cells are able to become new neurons at the site of stroke damage. However, the study states “it remains unclear whether stroke can generate new neurons capable of functional integration into the injured cortex.” The research team used surgical procedures on adultmice in order to explore their results, relating them back
to adult-human neurological processes. From there the team focused on GABAergic neurons that produce a neurotransmitter, GABA, that communicates with other neurons to control the function of cortical networks in the brain. The study observed the accumulation of ischemic stroke-induced neurons, which would have the ability to express GABAergic traits, and potentially help patients recover from post-stroke shock. The GABAergic neurons integrate new neural networks and functional action potential pathways, helping the brain’s cortical regions heal. The goal of the research is to treat patients suffering from a type of stroke involving the blockage of an artery to the brain, which shuts off electrical signals called ‘action potentials’ and nutrient and blood transportation, eventually halting brain function. Each side of the human
body is controlled by the opposite side of the brain. When damage to one side of the brain is severe enough, the other side of the body subsequently experiences difficulty, whether in movement, vision or speech, due to the death of brain tissue. Similarly, ischemic stroke can prove fatal if not detected and treated within minutes. Depending on what area of the brain is affected, it can cause an array of behavioural distresses. Despite this study, it remains unclear whether the experience of stroke can cause the production of new neurons in the brain’s cortical regions for humans. It was observed that immature neurons did accumulate in the mice. The scientists said, however, the presence of such neurons “are either absent or below detection levels.” To better understand how the neurons act in stroke recovery, more research is encouraged.
New neurons are created from stem cells in stroke patients, says U of O study. Photo: Max Pexel, CC
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ARTS & CULTURE
U OF O INTRODUCES NEW SIKH, PUNJABI LANGUAGE COURSES
A&C EDITOR Iain Sellers arts@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @iainsellers
COURSES OFFERED IN JANUARY, OPEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS Anchal Sharma Editor-in-Chief
W
hat do you do when you want to take a course that’s not offered at the university? For Prabhroop Chawla, the answer lies in creating it. Chawla, a fourth-year student in international development and globalisation at the U of O proposed the idea for a Punjabi language and Sikh diaspora course to the Faculty of Arts last December, and in the span of four months, the courses were announced by the university administration. The courses will be made available to students as of
January 2019. “I’m just really happy that when I took the initiative it was received very well, and everyone has just been wonderful throughout,” she told the Fulcrum in an interview, noting that it usually takes five to six years for something to like this to come into effect. A Vancouver native, Chawla is Sikh by faith and hails from a Punjabi family. “When I initially moved (to Ottawa), I noticed that the (Sikh) community was definitely smaller ... than it is in Vancouver or in places like Toronto, but I immediately got involved and got to know people in my first year,” she said. “I’ve always been really passionate about learning about my heritage and my religion, my language,
culture … and I thought well, why not share that with others?” AHL 2100, is an introduction to Punjabi, and like all language courses will focus on oral, written, and reading comprehension, with added lessons offering cultural context to the language through poetry, and literature. AHL 3100, the Sikh diaspora in Canada, will focus on the historical context of Sikhism and its contribution to Canadian society. As Chawla explains it, the course aims to be both academic and interactive. “We are expecting to have guest speakers from different fields; politicians, (educators), the technology sector, business, finance, from all realms, to highlight their achievements but also
Prabhroop Chawla proposed the courses to the university last December. Photo: Komal Joval
to serve as an inspiration and guide students, and to understand the contemporary and historical contributions of Sikhs within Canada and how each of these individuals in some way or another contributed to it,” she said. The courses require no previous knowledge of the culture, language, or religion, and Chawla encourages students without exposure to the culture to give them a try. “I feel like a lot of times people do have a lot
questions but there isn’t a platform or the resources ... to channel their curiosity and I really hope that this will serve to do that in an open, fun and engaging and interactive environment.” For her, having these courses is also an opportunity to stay connected to her roots. Chawla shared that her favourite aspects of Sikhism lie in its “emphasis on equality, love for all, and its openness,” which she believes resonate with Canadian values as well.
Chawla is currently registered for both courses, and looks forward to taking them in the Winter semester. “I want to thank the university from the bottom of my heart for being so open, encouraging and supportive, and for taking the initiative to welcome this idea with open arms and to work on implementing it.”. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for the courses, you can email Chawla at pchaw097@uottawa.ca.
MAKING MUSIC MERITS MONEY, MOVEMBER
SSA STUDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR MOVEMBER THROUGH ART, BAKED GOODS, AND SONG Iain Sellers
Arts & Culture EditoR The end of November can be a great thing—December holidays get nearer, cities put up their lights, and people might seem a little cheerier—but, it also means the end of a month-long drive to raise funds to combat prostate cancer. So, on Nov. 26, in a last push to drum-up funds for Movember, artists, singers, and members of the Science Students Association (SSA) met for an annual coffeehouse in the basement of the Marion building. “The coffeehouse is a nice, cozy little gathering where people auditioned to perform in front of
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other students,” Andres Ackland-Snow, a first-year biomedical student, and a first-year representative for the SSA, explained. “All the proceeds we’re making are going to Movember.” Around fifty students attended the event, and were privy to free hot drinks, the opportunity to pay for various artworks, a raffle, and baked goods— with an evening of songs as their backdrop. “So, we actually have a VP-Philanthropy, and he’s running a Movember (campaign),” Ackland-Snow continued. “There’s usually one charity event and one non-charity event (run by the association each year) ... and it just so happens that it
Mustaches weren’t the only way to raise money this November. Photo: Iain Sellers
(fell) within November (this year) for Movember.” To encourage artists to contribute their works, the SSA hung posters around campus and noted that they
would split the donations— so that half of the proceeds would go to the Movember fund, and the other half would go to artists. “(Art) was just something
that we thought went with the theme and would be nice for students who might not want to sing or perform in front of people,” Ackland-Snow said. For other students though, performing was one of the bigger draws to coming out to Monday night’s coffeehouse. Faith Mumba, a first-year social science student, and performer at the event, told the Fulcrum that she had not known that it was a fundraiser for Movember prior to arriving, but asserted that she was happy to help raise money. “Any good cause I’m very (happy) to support,” Mumba said, before getting ready to take to the make-shift stage
and sing “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” by Meghan Trainor. “I’ve always liked singing, so this is my way of getting involved with school and trying to share what I like doing and meet other people,” she said. “It’s nice to take a break from school, and homework, and all that, and be around other people—and, like what you do.” Overall, organizers of the event dubbed the high-turnout a success, and raised $500 from the evening’s proceeds—with no mustache required. If you’d like to donate to Movember Canada, you can do so on their website. To find out more about upcoming SSA events, check out their Facebook page.
ARTS & CULTURE | 9
MOVIES YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN
THE
SHAPE OF
WATER (2018)
Del Toro’s 2017 award-winning film features themes that are increasingly important for us in 2018. Photo:TSG Entertainment
Sophie Miller Staff Contributor
Guillermo del Toro graces viewers once again with another cinematic masterpiece— though perhaps not a replacement of Pan’s Labyrinth as del Toro’s magnum opus. The Shape of Water, a romance sci-fi fantasy, tells the tale of Elisa, confined to her world of solitude as a mute janitor at a high security government laboratory. Within the facility is a humanoid amphibian harboured for speculation, examinations, and cruel tormenting—though soon Elisa and the aquatic creature create a unique bond. In hopes to save her beloved from an imminent
10 | ARTS & CULTURE
death, Elisa attempts a rescue mission. Depicting a nostalgic and visually pleasing dreamscape, The Shape of Water is famous for both mesmerising visuals and deeper underlying themes throughout.
that the plot revolves around a woman who fancies some kind of fish monster—admittedly, I did—which drove me away from seeing the film for several months, before finally caving to the chorus of praise and admiration.
WHY YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT
WHY IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO GET THROUGH
Released in late December 2017, it might be on your list, but you may have not have seen del Toro’s picturesque fairy-tale world portrayed within The Shape of Water, yet. When first hearing the synopsis, you may have thought
The Shape of Water may be tough to sit through for those who are not willing to step out of their comfort zone and take a chance on a film which features scenes of masturbation and bestiality—it’s not quite a family friendly movie.
The characters lack development, with no fully fleshed out and three-dimensional personas—which del Toro may have sacrificed in order to instead develop visuals and plot. So, the film may seem extremely plot-driven rather than character-driven, which may not be your cup of tea.
WHY YOU SHOULD SEE IT ANYWAY Beneath the fantastical layers of cinematography and otherworldly worldbuilding, lays a plethora of important themes. Indeed, The Shape of Water is more than a mere romance
and fantasy film—it highlights real life issues which are everpresent in 2018, as we look back on our past year. Despite being set in the Cold War era in America circa 1962, it touches on topics like racism, sexism, gay rights, gender stereotypes, white privilege, and authoritarianism—which remain politically charged topics today. Supporting these themes are a diverse cast of characters including a mute protagonist, major black and gay characters, and even a SouthAmerican immigrant (despite being half human, and half aquatic). The Shape of Water therefore amounts to more than a woman with taboo desires for
a fish monster—it is a film created by a screenwriter with a distinctive idiosyncratic imagination, that doubles as a modern-day allegory.
FAMOUS LINES “Unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me. Your presence fills my eyes with your love, it humbles my heart, for you are everywhere.”
FUN FACT Guillermo del Toro was under the influence of alcohol when he pitched the idea for The Shape of Water to Sally Hawkins (Elisa) at a 2014 Golden Globes party.
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NEW ARTIST IN RESIDENCE OUTLINES LONG CAREER
U OF O WELCOMES NEW 3D PRINTFOCUSED WORK BY BEN WOODESON Jane Furlong
FulcruM Contributor On Nov. 29, the University of Ottawa’s newest artist in residence, with the help of the Department of Visual Arts and the Ottawa Art Gallery, hosted a talk to outline his work as well as the ups and downs of being a creative professional. UK-based artist Ben Woodeson is the department’s newest artist in residence, with passions that lie within modernist structural ideas—bringing modernism’s ‘truth to materials’ motto to a new extreme. To the audience, he explained his projects focus on awareness of both the “materiality of the sculptural objects, but also of the viewer’s very own physical properties.” With his time at the U of O he has been exploring 3-dimensional and technological creative art-making resources that are available at the department to further his own knowledge, as well as the students’. Woodeson’s talk began at his time spent studying at the Glasgow School of Art, as he told the audience that they were some of the best years of his life. His graduation piece “Untitled 1997”, was made up of thirtythree electric fires hung by cables from the ceiling, the majority of which had cups of tea balancing on them. This was a foundational piece for Woodeson, and from there his interests in sculpture flourished, and he eventually developed his deep interest in provocative and interactive work. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art, Woodeson recounted his move to London being a tough time in his life. “I didn’t know any artists in London ... I struggled,” he explained. Although difficult, the move pushed him into further creative
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development. His struggle was met with his “intrasubjective” work, “making the viewer acutely aware of their own corporeality as the work forces them to rely on their own sense of proprioception.” Woodeson associates his time working on these “dangerous” projects with negative emotions. “My work is not autobiographical, but with any artist their emotions affect what they’re doing.” Woodeson’s risky and provocative work continued for many years, and he frequently required audiences to sign health and safety waivers before entering his shows. “I liked seeing how people reacted to my work,” he explained, “I want to challenge people.” Asked if something specific had happened in his past to draw him towards more dangerous work, he said no. Woodeson’s current work is an obvious
Run Don’t Walk #3 Ben Woodeson, 2017 Cast iron and glass
reflection of a change in his emotional state, going from absolutely no use of colour to an incorporation of colour in the majority of his works. Not only is he now using colour in his work but he has found a new love for glitter. His crude humour added its own colour to his talk. “I’ve gone from no colour, to glitter, it’s like the art world of herpes,” Woodeson laughed. “I’m happier than I have been in a while and maybe that is why there is colour and glitter rather than danger.” Finally, Woodeson spoke of his time as an artist in residence at the University of Ottawa, and told the audience he’s been “printing like a bitch.” He passed out some examples of the 3D work he has been doing with the department to the audience. Woodeson charmed the audience with his forwardness—he is unapologetically himself in both his work and in speech.
Almost Psychotically Nice to People... Ben Woodeson, 2014 Found clothes rack & ducting
Rat Trap Neon Ben Woodeson, 2013 Rat traps and neon lights
ARTS & CULTURE | 11
Yi Wen Neoh
Staff Contributor
(December 2018)
CAMPUS CREATIONS
For those who we talk to, both near and far,
For those who adore this voice, both near and far.
We bond over the interests we have in life,
It has been a trying year, with legends gone and the future unknown.
Whether it be a show or a joke we share,
We keep our head high and smile at the pain,
Sometimes a picture is enough to keep our smile high.
Not always for the right reasons.
A clip or a quote can linger in our minds,
Our voice, our jokes, our tributes
To make us laugh in our most stressful times.
Are being threatened by the number 13.
For some it’s a voice that can transcend over land and sea,
Our labors of love may be censored for profit,
To show a sense of humor they would not otherwise see.
Our source of laughter may be taken to the courtroom When all they did is allow a clip with a sound bite or two.
For those who share the same love, both near and far.
Is it wrong to show love through a poster,
We reminisce about our experiences and thoughts of our first loves.
Which the TV station can take down because she used their characters?
The artists, the writers, the heroes of our childhoods,
It’s one thing to claim to protect ourselves,
And how it has shaped the life we lived through.
But for corporations, must you keep your creations to yourselves?
We show affection with the tools they have given us, To use them in our stories, or poke fun at their realities. We won’t let those who have left be forgotten, Legends that have changed the world with their minds and creations. A yellow sponge, A lens for universe, or the universes they created themselves. They live on in the legacies they leave behind, to which it will be up to us To remember them and honor them within creations of our own.
12 | ARTS & CULTURE
Yi Wen Neoh is a writer for the Fulcrum, and a fourth-year communications and English student at the University of Ottawa. This is her first poem, so there isn’t much rhyme or structure, as it is more for the message. This poem is about Article 13 and the effects it can have on popular and meme, culture. If your creation is illegal, not because of stealing credit but for the very use of that character, why would you want to create anything in homage? Would some of the classics be so wellknown today if it wasn’t for people’s imaginations?
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Year in Review
A powerful new alliance of student journalists is reviewing the best and worst of 2018. This year has been a nightmare.
Year in Review THE BEST MUSIC OF 2018 1) Swimming, Mac Miller (August 2018) Losing Pittsburgh-born rapper Mac Miller was tough, and his final album, Swimming, doesn’t make it any easier. On Swimming, intertwined with lyrical depth and ambient and jazzy instrumentals, many fans agreed that Miller was finally reaching all that he had aspired to be. Written in the aftermath of his break up with pop star Ariana Grande, the album emerges as a beautifully detailed self-reflection, a tour of Mac’s head or a look inside his diary, if you will. While Mac may be gone, he left us with an album that will help him live on for years to come. —Matt Gergyek, Features Editor 2) Daytona, Pusha T (May 2018) The American rap and hip-hop scene was set for a hallmark year in 2018. Migos were poised to open the year strong with Culture II while hall-of-famers Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Pusha T promised albums. Unfortunately nearly all these rap releases fell short. That is, except for Pusha T’s Daytona.
liberation, and overcoming anxiety, using her experiences to craft an album that reflects her coming more fully into herself. Grande even pays tribute to her then-fiancé, Pete Davidson, on a one-minute thirteensecond track. Short and sweet, the song lasts about as long as their relationship did. —Graham Robertson, Fulcrum Alumnus. 4) Astroworld, Travis Scott (August 2018) One of Astroworld’s greatest strengths is Scott’s ear for curation: he knows exactly where to fit in each of the close to 20 guests in his fun house to take advantage of the best of their abilities. On “Sicko Mode,” featuring three switch-ups mid song and Drake and Swae Lee, Scott shows off as the circus ringmaster. Scott, The Weeknd and Pharrell Williams team up with Tame Impala to create “Skeletons,” one of the album’s strongest tracks. Astroworld makes it perfectly clear that no other rapper has the capacity to put together a thrilling, roller coaster-ride of an album quite like Travis Scott.
THE FULCRUM PICKS OUR TOP 10 ALBUMS AND SONGS OF THE YEAR be best known for his 2013 hit, “Budapest,” this year marked another milestone for the 25-yearold singer: the release of his secondever album: Staying at Tamara’s. The album isn’t really a unified set of songs that are based around a theme, but more of a selection for listeners to choose from based off of their mood. So, this album has been the perfect accompaniment for all of this year’s ups-and-downs. If you’re sad, then you’re more than welcome to cry along to “Hold my Girl,” or if you’re happy, then “Don’t Matter Now” is right there with you. —Iain Sellers, Arts & Culture Editor. 7) Testing, A$AP Rocky (May 2018) After five very long years, A$AP Rocky fans were finally gifted with a new album, and it did not disappoint. Testing is the result of A$AP experimenting with writing and rapping at the intersection of different genres, samples and collaborators, and the result is spectacular. The list of collaborators ranges from acclaimed electronic artist Moby to the great Frank Ocean.
Champ,” a song about the Charlatan in the White House, and “Eyes On the Prize,” a song from the perspective of an evangelist. However, I think the best description of this album can be summarized by the chorus of the song “Relentless.” Relentless like a dog on a bone/we’ve got gas in the tank to go all night long. —Charley Dutil, Associate Sports Editor. 9) Boarding House Reach, Jack White (March 2018) With Boarding House Reach, Jack White breaks from his typical minimalist style to collaborate with at least 15 musicians on his most recent and most glitchy album. White experiments with synthesizers and triggers for the first time in his career, and abruptly cycles back and forth between ideas, settled by his recognizable blues-guitar-rock base. “Corporation” is one of the album’s most notable tracks. The introduction starts with steady drums and guitar, builds with organ sounds, then erratically shifts between glitchy sound effects. Finally, it settles back into its firm drums and guitar. Boarding House Reach is admittedly not easy listening, but it showcases a mid-career musician willing to take stylistic risks that result in a captivating and experimental album.
FEATURE
Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, the album is certainly short, but that’s one of its major strengths, showcasing the precise and meticulous skill set of Pusha T— he manages to pack in an almost obscene amount of cunning raps and rhymes, rhyming back-andforth with Rick Ross on the standout, “Hard Piano.” Kanye West’s innovative production, mingling and mixing samples with ease, doesn’t hurt either. —Matt Gergyek, Features Editor. 3) Sweetener, Ariana Grande (August 2018) Ariana Grande has undoubtedly had a difficult year but she hasn’t let that take away her sweetness, and she showcases this fact in her fourth studio album, appropriately titled Sweetener. The album has a more mature vibe than its predecessor, Dangerous Woman, while maintaining Grande’s signature pop sound. She sings about everything from the Manchester terror attack, to women’s sexual
—Matt Gergyek, Features Editor
5) Isolation, Kali Uchis (April 2018)
Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis’ debut studio album, Isolation, blew the music world away, and for good reason. At only 23-years-old, Uchis sings as strongly (if not more strongly) as the most seasoned pop stars, commanding an orchestra of different sounds and ushering in a broad spectrum of collaborators effortlessly.
On “Just A Stranger” with up-andcomer Steve Lacy the two click perfectly. Meanwhile, “Tomorrow” catches Uchis navigating a crisp Tame Impala instrumental. “After the Storm” with Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins emerges as the best of the album, with an equally as great music video worth checking out. —Matt Gergyek, Features Editor. 6) Staying at Tamara’s, George Ezra (March 2018) Even though George Ezra might
Some critics chastised the album for its lack of the bangers that dominated A$AP’s previous releases, but the change of pace is refreshing and a signal of necessary growth. If you need just one song to get you into the album, check out “Purity” with Frank Ocean, which samples Ms. Lauryn Hill. —Matt Gergyek, Features Editor.
8) Rally Cry, Arkells (October 2018) The fifth studio album from the Hamilton band Arkells, this album marked a continuation of the poppy motown rock sound the Arkells experienced with on their previous album Morning Report. A sound born from what seems to be the Hamilton/ Niagara region of southern Ontario, many bands such as the Glorious Sons with similar sounds blew up this year from this region but nobody has quite perfected the sound like the Arkells. Songs on this album that stand out include “Relentless,” an ode to late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie’s last tour, “People’s
—Sarah Crookall, News Editor. 10) Kids See Ghost, Kanye West & Kid Cudi (June 2018) When Kanye West announced he’d be putting out not one, but two albums this year fans were ecstatic. His solo album, Ye, didn’t come close to living up to his previous few releases, but his project with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghost, redeemed him. The two have collaborated in the past, but seeing them work together for a whole seven songs just underlines why this couldn’t have happened sooner. Cudi emerges as the top dog, humming and rapping his way across Kanye’s always clean and creative production with ease. They even managed to snag a Kurt Cobain sample on “Cudi Montage,” undoubtedly the strongest track of the album. —Matt Gergyek, Features Editor.
1) SHARP OBJECTS (SEASON 1, HBO) When I read Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects a few years ago, it didn’t seem like the ideal candidate for a TV show. The book follows journalist Camille Preaker, an alcoholic with severe depression who is tasked with returning to her twisted hometown to follow the murder of two young girls where she must confront her childhood traumas. In a refreshing surprise, it’s one of those true rarities where a TV show actually excels beyond the book it’s based on.
Year in Review THE BEST TELEVISION AND FILM OF 2018
Season four of Black Mirror, a science-fiction anthology featuring a new cast and storyline each episode in a future but not-too-distant reality, perfectly reflected the society-wide anxieties of 2018. Although it was technically released two days before the start of 2018, we’re including it here since most people didn’t get the chance to watch it until this year (unless you binged it on release night like me).
—Matt Gergyek, Features Editor.
2) THE GOOD PLACE (SEASON 3, NBC)
One standout episode for me, actually ranked the lowest of the season by viewers, is episode five, “Metalhead.” Filmed completely in black and white and filled with mesmerizing cinematography, the episode follows a clan of survivors in an apocalyptic world dominated by robotic dogs. “Black Museum” and “USS Callister” are also both must-sees.
I can’t remember there ever being a sitcom about the philosophy of ethics and morality before. Let alone one that’s so universally accessible, hilarious, and unpredictably heartwarming. The Good Place is that show and it continues to delight in its third season. Akin to Fight Club, you can’t really talk plot in The Good Place until you finish season one (I urge you to try with all your might to avoid spoilers). In short, the show centres around the afterlives of four flawed, but endearing mortals battling for their eternal souls—well, at least until they hit the end of the loop in Jeremy Bearimy. (This will be extremely witty once you’re caught up with season three).
—Matt Gergyek, Features Editor.
8) GRACE AND FRANKIE (SEASON 4, NETFLIX)
Like the previous three seasons, season four of Grace and Frankie brims with plenty of quippy dialogue and situational humour. As usual, the series exposes the humour in aging, same-sex partnerships, and unlikely friendships.
—Robert Ballantyne, Fulcrum Contributor.
3) ATYPICAL
(SEASON 2, NETFLIX)
—Anchal Sharma, Editor-In-Chief.
4) HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (SEASON 1, NETFLIX)
It’s no secret that many horror movies follow a pretty basic pattern that goes something like this—an unsuspecting group of people move into a haunted house, there are signs that something is wrong, but it is too late to stop it. Rinse and repeat. However, The Haunting of Hill House off ers something diff erent. While the series does contain some of the same plot points as its horror movie predecessors, this 2018 series also encapsulates some of humanity’s most realistic characteristics—and moves away from the overdone scenes of gore that have been mimicked by other movies over the years.
THE FULCRUM ’S TOP 10 TV SHOWS AND MOVIES OF THE YEAR Illustration: Kelsea Shore
THESE REVIEWS DO NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS, WE PROMISE.
NEVER GOOGLE WHAT TO WATCH EVER AGAIN. money, weird sex, and fame.
(SEASON 5, NETFLIX)
The show encourages watchers to take happiness as it comes, rather than equate it with major life gains like winning an Oscar or writing a book. Powerful messages are drawn out through the endlessly flawed ensemble of characters, from the career-anxious outcast Diane, to Mr. Peanutbutter, who happily resigns to absurd social ideals and chases down that nasty mail truck, and hard, heartless career gal Princess Carolyn.
Distract yourself from upcoming academic hurdles with a weekend-long existential crisis— no, it’s not a chat with your parents, it’s a binge watch of Bojack Horseman’s fifth season. This series follows a washed-up celebrity horse that struggles to find his own way amid all the
The latest season off ers a pointed take on the meaning of good and evil, and how people fall between the categories based on their actions and our perceptions of them. The Diane-Bojack arc also explores the lines between suff ering, self-destruction, and reparations for harm done.
Plus, its avant-garde style also makes for some really good scares. —Iain Sellers, Arts & Culture Editor.
5) BOJACK HORSEMAN
—Matt Gergyek, Features Editor.
7) BLACK MIRROR (SEASON 4, NETFLIX)
The cinematography is stunning, with hundreds of shots worthy of praise. Music also plays an intricate role, mirroring character’s emotions with ease. Amy Adams shines on screen, crafting a character you’ll feel you’ve known for years.
Season two of Atypical is just that. Picking up from the cliffhanger at the end of season one, season two of the Netflix original explores its characters’ relationships in depth, without adding unnecessary drama or filler episodes. One of the best parts of season two is how well the show depicts a dysfunctional family dynamic. While the show revolves around Sam, a teenager who falls on the autism spectrum, it doesn’t use his disorder as award bait, or as a punchline. The end of the season leaves viewers both satisfied with the way events unfold and excited for what’s to come.
teenagers going through the wraiths of puberty, accompanied by the Hormone Monster and Monstress. In season two the show explores contraceptives, safe sex, STIs, gender roles and even edibles, with a handful of laugh-out-loud moments in every episode. “Dark Side of the Boob” is a must see episode, tackling a school sleepover.
If you feel like challenging your preconceptions on morality, identity, and growth, this season is for you. But definitely have a big glass of Guten Bourbon and Kleenex in hand—you’ll need it. —Savannah Awde, Managing Editor.
6) BIG MOUTH
(SEASON 2, NETFLIX) In 2018, after the Ford government announced dramatic changes to the sex ed curriculum, a cartoon comedy became the benchmark educational source for youngsters getting the hang of the birds and the bees. True to its title, Big Mouth doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness of growing up. Big Mouth follows the lives of a group of
But in this season, Lisa Kudrow joins the cast and her character, Sheree, threatens to wedge Grace and Frankie apart. The prospect of living in an assisted-living facility threatens to steal the pair’s independence. Challenges, like Frankie’s fake death, are hurled across the screen. But Grace and Frankie prevail in what is a hilarious season four of the series. —Sarah Crookall, News Editor.
9) MAKING A MURDERER (SEASON 2, NETFLIX)
On season two of 2015’s hottest documentary, Making A Murderer, we’re thrown back into the legal drama of Wisconsin man Steven Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, convicted of murder and accessory in murder respectively in the killing of photographer Teresa Halbach. While season one explored the murder itself, hinting at the wrongful convictions of Avery and Dassey, season two explores the aftermath, honing in on the global reaction to the first season and following the crusade of Kathleen Zellner, who now represents Avery in his fight for freedom. Whether you believe Avery and Dassey are guilty or innocent, the show’s almost surreal storyline alone makes it worth the watch. —Matt Gergyek, Features Editor.
10) SUITS
(SEASON 8, USA NETWORK) When it was announced that Mike Ross and Rachel Zane were leaving Suits at the end of season seven, no one knew what was going to happen. The question on everyone’s mind was, ‘is it even worth the watch?’ Two words: It is. The show very gracefully recognizes its past but also fully embraces a new direction for the future. With the introduction to some new characters and the exploration of the arcs that the older ones take, the show is hell bent on making you fall in love with these characters all over again. —Oasika Sharma, Staff Contributor.
FEB. 9-25: 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS The 2018 Winter Olympics touched down in Pyeongchang, South Korea, spanning much of the month of February. Despite a strained environment due to historical political tensions between South Korea and North Korea, alongside the Russian doping scandal which forced Russian athletes to compete without representing Russia, the games were largely a success. Close to 3,000 athletes competed and Canada ended up placing third overall, with 11 gold, eight silver and 10 bronze medals—the team’s most successful Winter Olympics yet. Beloved ice skating duo Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir took home two gold medals, making them the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history. Host nation South Korea took home 17 medals, their best ever.
FEB. 14: MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING A shooter opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 students and staff and injuring 17 more, making it the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history after the Columbine High School shooting in April of 1999. Survivors and allies formed Never Again MSD, a student-led political movement to fight for stricter gun control laws in the country. Their activism largely led to an increase in the legal ownership for firearms in Florida from 18 to 21 and one of the largest global youth protests ever, March for Our Lives, in March.
MAR. 17: CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA FACEBOOK SCANDAL Word of a possible scandal surrounding Facebook’s use of user data had been bubbling since 2015, but the news finally broke this year when a whistleblower from Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm tied to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, revealed the firm harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook profiles for political use. The scandal prompted calls for better practice around data use by corporations and reshaped the understanding of the ethics of social media companies for many. It also led to a major blow to public opinion of Facebook, cutting more than $100 billion of Facebook’s share price in the days and weeks following the news. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was called to testify in front of the United States Congress on the scandal.
APR. 6: FAMILY SEPARATION AT U.S.MEXICO BORDER U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions implemented a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy for people entering the U.S. from Mexico outside of legal channels. This meant every crosser, even asylum seekers, were subject to federal prosecution. Because children crossing the border could not be held in federal jails they were separated from their parents and placed under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. From April 18 to May 31, almost 2,000 children were reportedly separated from their families. Trump later overturned the criticized policy with
an executive order in late June and a federal court ordered the government to reunite separated children with their families within 30 days.
nuclear war in 2017.
APR. 6: HUMBOLDT BRONCOS TRAGEDY
British Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle married in England, with around 1.9 billion tuning in for the ceremony.
In rural Saskatchewan, 16 people aboard the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team’s bus were killed and another 13 were injured after the bus collided with a transport truck. The majority of those killed were players on the team, along with the team’s coach, assistant coach, athletic therapist, bus driver and team announcer. Later in July, the RCMP charged the driver of the transport truck with 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. In a nation known for its love of hockey, the tragedy struck a particular chord. People across the country placed hockey sticks outside their doors in remembrance. A GoFundMe campaign raised over $15 million for the families of those killed and the team in just 12 days, setting a national record.
APR. 8: SYRIAN CHEMICAL ATTACK At least 70 people were killed in a chemical attack in the Syrian city of Douma, allegedly carried out by the Syrian army in the midst of the civil war in the country which has been going on since 2011. The conflict has killed more than 465,000 Syrians.
APR. 18: DEADLY PROTESTS IN NICARAGUA Protests erupted in Nicaragua, the largest country in Central America, after President Ortega announced increases in social security taxes and cuts to services. At least 63 protestors, mainly students, were killed.
APR. 23: TORONTO VAN ATTACK Ten people were killed, mainly women, and another 16 were injured after a man intentionally drove a van into pedestrians in downtown Toronto, largely on Yonge Street, making it the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history. The van came to a stop after roughly 2.2 kilometres, where Ken Lam, Toronto police constable, was hailed as a hero for arresting the suspect without using lethal force. In later investigations into the suspect’s motives, it was discovered that he was linked to the ‘incel’ community, which is short for involuntary celibacy, a term adopted by misogynists who blame women for their inability to find sexual partners.
APR. 27: KIM JONGUN CROSSES DIVIDE TO SOUTH KOREA Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea, made history by crossing the military line into South Korea that divides the two countries, for the first time since it was first drawn at the end of the Korean War in 1953. Jong-un’s crossing was seen as a major step towards peace between the two countries and South Korea’s ally, the U.S., who some believed were on the brink of
MAY 19: ROYAL WEDDING
JUNE 3: GUATEMALAN VOLCANIC ERUPTION An estimated 109 people died after the Fuego volcano erupted in Guatemala.
JUNE 18: REPORT REVEALS EXTENT OF OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN CANADA A report released by the federal government revealed that in 2017 nearly 4,000 Canadians died from opioid overdoses, most of them traced back to the deadly drug fentanyl, up from 3,000 deaths in 2016.
JULY 8-10: THAILAND CAVE RESCUE After descending into a cave as part of an adventure in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province and becoming trapped inside for over two weeks due to monsoon flooding, all 12 members of a Thai junior soccer team and their assistant coach were successfully rescued. One member of the rescue team died, a former Thai navy diver who brought oxygen supplies to the boys and their coach trapped about four kilometres from the cave’s entrance.
Year in
2018 IN HE
THE BIGGE STORIES OF
2018 WAS ONE OF HEAVY YEARS IN
MATT GERGYEK |
JULY 18: DEADLY HEAT IN QUEBEC At least 93 people died in Quebec after a July heat wave hit the province, 53 in the city of Montreal alone. Temperatures reached as high as 35 degrees Celsius in the first week of July.
JULY 22: DANFORTH SHOOTING A shooter opened fire late one night in downtown Toronto’s Danforth neighbourhood, a largely Greek community, killing two people and wounding 13 more. The shooting became emblematic of an especially deadly year in Toronto, specifically surrounding gun violence. As of Nov. 26 there were 91 homicides recorded in Toronto since January, marking the deadliest year in the city on record.
JULY 23: GREECE WILDFIRES A wildfire broke out in coastal Greece in the midst of a heat wave, killing 99 people and making it the second-deadliest wildfire in the 21st century after fires in Australia in 2009.
JULY 25: WATER ON MARS? Scientists found evidence of water on Mars for the first time below the planet’s south polar ice cap, about 20 kilometres across. While the finding is exciting, it does not confirm life on Mars.
Illustration: Kelsea Shore
AUG. 10: FREDERICTON MASS SHOOTING
Review
EADLINES
EST NEWS F THE YEAR
F THE MOST NEWSRECENT MEMORY
| FEATURES EDITOR
A mass shooting took place in Fredericton, New Brunswick, were four people were killed, including two police officers. The suspect has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
AUG. 19: ITALIAN BRIDGE COLLAPSE A 200-metre section of the Morandi bridge in Italy full of vehicles collapsed, killing 43 people. Allegations that experts had warned that the bridge might be unstable are still being investigated.
SEPT. 6: GAY SEX LEGALIZED IN INDIA The Supreme Court of India overturned a colonial law which made gay sex a criminal off ence, ruling discrimination based on sexual orientation is a violation of fundamental rights.
SEPT. 22: IRANIAN PARADE ATTACK A total of 29 people were killed and 70 more wounded in an attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz. Both the Ahvaz National Resistance and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility.
SEPT 28: INDONESIAN EARTHQUAKE A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia, triggering a tsunami. Together, the natural disasters killed over 2,000 and injured more than 10,000.
OCT. 2: WATERLOO SCIENTIST WINS NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS Donna Strickland, a professor at the University of Waterloo, shared the annual Nobel Prize in Physics for her work developing chirped pulse amplification, a technique used to deliver extremely powerful and finite amounts of energy through laser light.
OCT. 2: MURDER OF JOURNALIST AND CRITIC JAMAL KHASHOGGI BY SAUDI GOVERNMENT Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a vocal critic of the Saudi Arabian government, was killed in the country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. The Saudis originally denied that Khashoggi had been killed all before changing their tone and saying he was killed inside the building on orders from an intelligence officer. In mid-November several prominent news outlets reported that the CIA had concluded that Khashoggi’s murder had been ordered by the Saudi crown prince. U.S. President Trump was widely criticized for disputing their findings, writing in a statement on Nov. 20 that “we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi.”
OCT. 6: KAVANAUGH SWORN INTO SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
rainforest), abortion and immigration.
After a tumultuous few weeks leading up the swearing-in of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court after allegations of sexual misconduct emerged against him, Kavanaugh was voted into the court by the U.S. Senate, 50-48.
A monstrous forest fire spanning over 150,000 acres (about the size of Chicago) burned in Northern California for much of November, killing 85 and injuring close to 250. The fire also destroyed close to 14,000 homes, making it the deadliest and most destructive fire in the state on record. The province of British Columbia also experienced its worst ever year for wildfires. As of Nov. 26, almost 300 people were still unaccounted for in California.
Kavanaugh, nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump, faced allegations of sexual misconduct from three diff erent women, all of which he denied. The most prominent of these allegations dated back to his time in high school in the 1980s, where Christine Blasey Ford, now a psychology professor, alleged to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he sexually assaulted her at a party when she was 15 and he was 17.
OCT. 8: CRITICAL GLOBAL WARMING REPORT RELEASED The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a heavily cited and scientificallybacked report that made widespread calls for climate change action. The report states that there is only 12 years left for humankind to mediate climate change to prevent global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
OCT. 19: INDIA TRAIN ACCIDENT A train struck a massive crowd in India during the annual Hindu festival, Dussehra, killing at least 59.
OCT. 20: BREXIT PROTESTS An estimated 700,000 people marched through central London in protest of Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. They demanded a second referendum for Brexit after the first narrowly passed in 2016, the second largest protest in the U.K. in the 21st century after an anti-Iraq war march in 2003.
OCT. 27: PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING A shooter with anti-semitic motives opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing 11 and injuring seven. The shooting became emblematic of a sharp increase in hate crimes in the United States: a report from the FBI found there was a 23 per cent increase in religion-based hate crimes in general in 2017 and a 37 per cent increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes specifically.
OCT. 28: BRAZIL ELECTS FAR-RIGHT PRESIDENT After being stabbed on the campaign trail Jair Bolsonaro, known for his nationalist and populist approach to politics, was selected to be the next president of Brazil, winning 55 per cent of the vote. Bolsonaro’s win raised concerns due to his advocacy of far-right policies. Bolsonaro has been described as a vocal opponent to same-sex marriage, environmental regulations (Brazil contains about 60 per cent of the Amazon
NOV. 8: CALIFORNIA FIRES
NOV. 9: 2018 U.S. MIDTERMS Just under half of all eligible voters in the United States hit the polls in the 2018 midterm elections, the highest turnout in over a century. The Republicans increased their control of the Senate while Democrats regained control of the House, giving the party the ability to subpoena the Trump administration. A record number of women were elected to the House and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will become the youngest woman to ever be elected to Congress. Two Indigenous women were elected to Congress for the first time.
NOV. 16: LARGEST OIL SPILL IN NEWFOUNDLAND HISTORY The largest ever oil spill took place off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. An estimated 250,000 litres spilled into the ocean southeast of the provincial capital, St. John’s, from the SeaRose oil platform.
NOV. 21: SEVERE FAMINE IN YEMEN CIVIL WAR International charity Save the Children revealed that close to 85,000 children under the age of five may have died of hunger in the midst of a civil war that started in 2014, between the state government and the Houthi militia. The conflict increased in 2015 when Saudi Arabia began bombing the Houthi militia, backed by the U.S., U.K. and France. The conflict itself has killed at least 10,000 and has put a staggering 14 million people at a risk of starvation.
NOV. 25: UKRAINERUSSIA CONFLICT INTENSIFIES Russian warships fired upon and then seized control of three Ukrainian vessels in the Russiacontrolled Kerch Strait amidst Russian military intervention in Ukraine, which have been going on since 2014. The next day the Ukraine government invoked martial law along its coastline. Russia is also imprisoning close to 100 Ukrainians illegally and a statement from the G7 condemned Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
NOV. 26: TOUCHDOWN ON MARS NASA’s InSight spacecraft lands on Mars, only the eighth to ever do so. It will explore the planet for the next two years to try to help scientists uncover its past.
ASMR is a euphoric tingling sensation some people can experience, triggered by certain sounds. Illustration: Christine Wang
INSIDE THE FASCINATING WORLD OF ASMR
A GROWING TREND IN SENSATIONAL SOUNDS RHEA VERMA FULCRUM CONTRIBUTOR
CALMING OR CREEPY? Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), a tingling sensation of euphoria commonly triggered by listening to and watching videos of ‘ASMRists’ making daily sounds or completing repetitive tasks, is a growing trend in the online world. Whether it be for the purpose of therapy or just pure entertainment, ASMR is also an emerging field of research that has much to offer. According to the little scientific research completed thus far, ASMR cannot be experienced by all and its causes are still a bit of mystery. The most promising current theories on the causes of ASMR come from Craig Richard, a professor at Shenandoah University in Virginia, and Stephen Smith, a professor at the University of Winnipeg, two of the world’s leading researchers into the phenomenon. “(ASMR) could be due to the expression of specific genes,” Richard explained in an email to the Fulcrum. “The neural networks of people (able to experience) ASMR are less distinct (or more blended together) than people who can’t experience ASMR,” Smith added in an email exchange. The sensations some experience through ASMR can be difficult to explain to others who can’t, researchers say. The lucky people who can experience ASMR tend to describe the sensation as both “wave-like” and “dynamic” because they can feel the tingling sensation slowly move around diff erent sections of their body near their periphery. The feeling often comes with a deep sense of calm and peacefulness, according to an article published in PeerJ in 2015. One of the first major studies into ASMR was published last year in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The study suggested “there may be multiple ASMR subtypes, each involving a greater sensitivity to one or more types of triggering stimuli.” ASMR-triggering sounds come in many different shapes and sizes, from whispering,
scratching and tapping, blowing, brushing a mic, painting, page turning, role playing, and much, much more. This supports the theory that not all triggers seem to work on everyone, but Richard noted that “several studies have reported that the most (common) ASMR triggers are whispering, soft speaking, personal attention, and crisp sounds like tapping and crinkling.” “ASMR seems to involve an atypical link between diff erent sensory systems,” Smith said.
A COMMUNITY ON THE RISE Most online video platforms now feature such content, and the ASMR community has expanded exponentially since it originated in 2010. Some popular ASMR YouTube channels, such as GentleWhispering and Heather Feather, have racked up as much as 1.4 million and 500,000 subscribers respectively. Well-known ASMR YouTuber British Primrose told Huff Post in 2016 that “the community has tripled since (she) first discovered it (in 2012).” One of the first recorded experiences of ASMR in literature can be traced back to Virginia Woolf’s 1925 classic, Mrs. Dalloway. Some have suggested the vivid audio-visual imagery shrouding Woolf’s writing style hinted at the idea of ASMR being experienced by some characters in the book. When ASMR broke into the mainstream in 2010, it was known by a variety of other names: head tingle, brain tingle, spine tingle. Some suggested ‘tingle’ was really just a code word for an orgasm. While ASMR itself doesn’t necessarily have to carry any sexual connotations, new subtypes such as ‘ASMR-otica’ are emerging. In fact, when the term ASMR was coined by a woman named Jennifer Allen in 2010, it was originally coined to mean something along the lines of spontaneous orgasmic feelings. For ASMRists on YouTube, the largest view counts often come from videos where they engage in role play, generally as a medical professional.
The most popular ASMRists are also often females. Some suggest this may be because males are more prone to feeling ashamed of engaging in this type of content, rooted in gender norms. Popular ASMR YouTuber TheOdd1sOut pointed out in a video that an ASMRist’s primary task is to calm their viewers, whether this be through ‘curse-removal rituals’ or ‘alien roleplay,’ some which last for over an hour. “You can type ASMR (on YouTube) and then type anything after that and you’ll get something,” emphasizing how broad the field of ASMR video making has become.
MORE THAN A FEELING The applications of ASMR expand into several fields, from neurology to imaging technology, medicine and mental health issues. “ASMR has the greatest potential to be beneficial for patients diagnosed with anxiety and insomnia,” Richard said. “ Our preliminary data shows that about half of those individuals diagnosed with these conditions report ASMR is helpful to their condition.” “It is possible that ASMR might have positive eff ects on (mental) health similar to those associated with meditation, but there’s no evidence that it should be used as a replacement for established therapies,” Smith cautioned. Despite ambiguities in exactly what ASMR is, Richard pointed out that “ASMR videos are helping people around the world to de-stress and fall asleep more easily. ASMR services like ‘Whisperlodge’ are providing professional person-to-person ASMR sessions like visiting a masseuse, and ASMR has even influenced some commercials to be more quiet and relaxing.” A study published in PeerJ: Brain and Cognition in 2015 suggested that ASMR could be used as “a therapy tool for those suff ering from depression, stress and chronic pain.” The researchers also found that most ASMR consumers engaged in the videos before bed, as it helped them calm their senses, allowing for better sleep.
“Interestingly, one of the biggest complaints (from people who experience ASMR) is that it may go away temporarily,” Richard said. “I refer to this as ‘ASMRtolerance.’ ASMR will usually return if the person avoids ASMR stimulation and ASMR videos for about one week, so you could say that ASMR has a natural ‘anti-addiction’ mechanism built into it.” This counters Smith’s perspective of the potential problem of ASMR addiction. “People could (potentially) hide from reality by watching ASMR videos in the same way that they hide from reality by playing video games or wasting time on their favourite websites,” he said. “Some people who use ASMR videos to help them sleep might feel dependent upon them.” Despite the potential for addictive and compulsive indulgence in the phenomena, Smith said he has not come across any evidence suggesting that dependence is a long-term problem. “People who need ASMR videos to go to sleep should consult their doctor and get a referral to a sleep clinic—the problem is likely larger than ASMR videos,” he added.
A TOPIC FOR FURTHER STUDY Dr. Smith also brought up a valid and current problem in ASMR research: “The videos are quite strange, so many academics shy away from the phenomenon,” he said. “This makes it difficult to publish, which is problematic if you are a graduate student or are trying to establish yourself as a young academic (in the field).” Richard encouraged pursuing study in the field for its bare potential. “I highly encourage students to get involved in ASMR research,” he said. “It is such a new area of study that anyone who does ASMR research today, will be considered a ‘pioneer’ of ASMR research within five years.” As for the average person, the community encourages others to avoid knocking ASMR until they try it. You too may be hooked into the world of euphoric sounds before you know it.
T
he 2018 Oscar nominees were a somewhat surprising lineup for those accustomed to the typical directors, big-budget features, and A-list stars.
Four of the 2018 Oscars’ best picture nominees, including Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, Lady Bird, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, were independent films. It was proof of a growing public inclination towards the indie genre, asking movie lovers to check out TIFFsponsored festivals or small arthouse theatres, rather than just settling for the Tuesday discount at their local Cineplex. The changes aren’t just taking place in audience’s heads, but on movie sets themselves. Get Out made headlines for its Black director, Black star, small budget, and massive box office success. Call Me By Your Name tackled a same-sex love affair. Lady Bird was directed by a woman and boasted a largely female cast. “It’s a slow, glacial shift but it’s there and it’s underway (and) the momentum now is considerable,” says Tom McSorley, executive director of the Canadian Film Institute. “It takes a lot of seismic shocks for the establishment to move but I think it’s starting to happen.” This year’s best picture nominees are proof that the
traditional concept of what type of movie is considered worthy of film’s greatest honour is beginning to change. Independent film is able to explore themes, on-screen and during production, that are more difficult to access in Hollywood. Marginalized groups who may not have been given acclaim on the world stage in the past are able to find a voice in the independent market. One such group is Canadian film. Canada is home to TIFF, one of the world’s largest film festivals, and Toronto and Vancouver are frequent shooting locations for American programs, but Canadian film is historically underrepresented in theatres both Canadian and international. A renewed enthusiasm in the indie film industry may be changing that.
“A LINGERING INDIE SPIRIT” “It’s always the end of the world and it’s always the beginning of the world in the Canadian film industry,” says McSorley. “However conscious or not, (there’s) this sort of lingering indie spirit in Canada. It’s always been about doing it yourself, because there’s no studio you can work at and
work your way up. That doesn’t exist in Canada.” In particular, films and filmmakers from Quebec have seen increasing success, both within Canada and beyond, says Bruce Harvey, film commissioner with the Ottawa Film Office. “Quebec directors have been doing phenomenally well on the international scene,” Harvey explains, pointing to the success of directors Denis Villeneuve and Xavier Dolan. Dolan’s film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan became his first English language film and his first to debut at TIFF in September, accomplishments that are perhaps symptomatic of changing attitudes in indie distribution. A growth in the public appetite for indie films has led to an increase in their absorption by the Hollywood market. Some suggest that this is a threat to the integrity of the industry, but McSorley sees it as a potential for introducing more diversity. “I think it’s potentially damaging to the individual artist, but (Hollywood) is always on the lookout for talent,” he says. “Everybody critiques Hollywood, but it is kind of amazing that they brought in Guillermo del Toro, and a few other Mexican filmmakers, to
make films with more money than those guys had ever made films with before, because the producers saw talent in them.” As a consequence of American interest in independents, American or otherwise, a new wave of Canadian directors are flocking to Hollywood. Both Harvey and McSorley cite Denis Villeneuve, whose blockbuster Arrival was nominated for eight Oscars last year, as an example of this phenomenon. It seems 2018 proved that cultural globalization, changing social norms, and technological advancement are changing the face of the film industry in favour of independent film, which is sure to produce more innovative and exciting art in the near future. If you’re interested in sampling some of the best recent indie films,read on for reviews of some of the Fulcrum’s favourites.
THE FLORIDA PROJECT, SEAN BAKER Sean Baker’s latest feature is as bold as it is unique. Baker, the director who rose to fame through his previous features shot entirely on iPhones, switched to a camera for The Florida Project (most of it
anyway, a short scene in Disney World is shot on iPhone), but it retains the same effortless type of cinematography that thrust him to fame on the independent scene. The bright colours help accentuate the lens of childish innocence that seeps through the story. The Florida Project is almost entirely shown through the eyes of six-year-old Moonee, living with her young mother in a motel near Orlando. The juxtaposition of the amusement park paradise, full of wealthy families and childhood dreams, next to the poverty and unsavoury nature of Moonee’s life in the motel is striking. Despite her questionable parenting ability, Moonee’s mother Halley’s love for Moonee is a constant throughout the film. The tragic realism of the situation, which worsens as Halley is forced to engage in more and more morally questionable ventures in order to support her small family, makes the film relatable and heart-wrenching. It is also a testament to the power of childhood, able to flourish in all situations. Highlights in this film include the performance of sevenyear-old actress Brooklyn Prince, whose acting ability is far beyond her years, and the quiet heroism portrayed by
Willem Dafoe that earned him an Oscar nomination.
LADY BIRD, GRETA GERWIG In her directing debut, Greta Gerwig delivers a convincing, heartwarming and altogether relatable story about the teenage years and mother-daughter relationships. Her writing is witty, her characters potent and her story unique. The coming of age genre sometimes feels repetitive and predictable, but Lady Bird is neither. Centred on the tumultuous relationship between teenaged Christine, who has renamed herself “Lady Bird,” and her mother, the film is at once about teenage angst, popularity, and eccentricity. There is a piece of Christine that is relatable to everyone, and her exploits are somehow both enviable and hilarious. On a deeper level though, the story is also about confronting the realities of adulthood, whether that be behaving diplomatically with one’s family, getting into relationships, or, a central issue throughout the film, figuring out the next steps after high school. The chemistry between Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf is convincingly familial and will have you reminiscing on all the high school clashes between you and your mother. The best part of the film may just be its end, where it is able to somehow remain ambiguous while giving the audience a sense of closure, continuing to emulate the uncertainty and unpredictability of youth until the credits roll.
Illustration: Kelsea Shore
FEDERAL POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS JUNE 8-9
CANADA HOSTS 44TH G7 SUMMIT Canada hosted the summit in La Malbaie, Quebec. U.S. President Trump made shockwaves by arguing that Russia should be reinstated to the G8 while imposing tariffs on the U.S.’s allies. News agencies began calling the summit the “G6 plus one” to refer to the isolation of the United States.
AUG. 2
CANADA—SAUDI ARABIA DIPLOMATIC DISPUTE A major diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia erupted after Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland sent out a tweet criticizing the country’s human rights abuses. The Saudi government enacted a number of measures against Canada in retaliation, including the moving of all Saudi students in the country (246 at the U of O) on government-funded scholarships out of the country, save for medical residents. Other measures included suspending the country’s airline services in Canada, stopping all new trade and investment with Canada, and expelling the Canadian ambassador.
AUG. 23
BERNIER LEAVES CONSERVATIVES TO CREATE NEW PARTY MP Maxime Bernier announced he was leaving the Conservative party of Canada due to disagreement with Andrew Scheer’s leadership. In September he announced the formation of the People’s Party of Canada.
AUG. 30
FEDERAL COURT BLOCKS FEDERAL PURCHASE OF TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE The Federal Court of Appeals blocked the federal government’s move to purchase the Trans Mountain Pipeline that carries oil through Alberta and British Columbia, citing a lack of Indigenous consultation and the possibility of environmental damage. The pipeline is still delayed.
dairy market, automobiles must now have 75 per cent of their components manufactured in the three countries to sidestep tariffs and the copyright period for a drug class called biologics was increased by two years. The deal was signed by the leaders of all three countries on Nov. 30 at the G20 summit in Argentina. .
OCT. 1
CAQ WINS QUEBEC ELECTIONS The Coalition Avenir Quebec wins the majority of seats in the provincial elections, becoming the first party other than the Liberals or Parti Québécois to win since 1970.
OCT. 17
CANADA LEGALIZES CANNABIS NATIONWIDE Canada became the second country worldwide to legalize cannabis after Uruguay, ending nearly a century of prohibition, but laws governing legal cannabis differed widely between provinces and territories. The legal age for consumption was set at 19 across the country except for Alberta and Quebec (although there is a planned increase) at 18 and 21, respectively. Canadians can grow their own cannabis at home, except for those living in Manitoba and Quebec. Legal smoking areas diff er widely.
NOV. 19
VIOLA DESMOND APPEARS ON $10 BILL Viola Desmond, a Nova Scotian civil rights pioneer and businesswoman, became the first Canadian woman to be featured on a circulating banknote.
NOV. 22
TRUDEAU CALLS LOW ALBERTA OIL PRICES “A CRISIS” Trudeau addressed the low selling price of oil coming out of Alberta, roughly 40 per cent below the world price, largely caused by a lack of pipeline capacity in the region to ship oil outside of Canada.
SEPT. 30
NOV. 27
After over a year of renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the United States, Canada and Mexico agreed on the United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA). There were a few notable changes to the trade deal: U.S. farmers were given more access to the Canadian
The federal government passed legislation forcing Canada Post workers striking across the country, who were asking for better pay and greater job security, to return to work.
NAFTA BECOMES THE USMCA
FEDERAL BACK-TO-WORK LEGISLATION FOR POSTAL WORKERS
Year in Review
CANADIAN POLITICS IN 2018
SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE MOMENTS IN PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL POLITICS THIS YEAR
PROVINCIAL POLITICS JAN. 1
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FREE FOR ONTARIANS UNDER 24 Under OHIP-plus, any Ontarian aged 24 and younger could have their prescription drugs filled for free. The policy covers more than 4,400 prescription drugs and near the end of January the Ontario government reported filling close to 1 million prescriptions. The newly elected Conservative government tweaked the policy in June, making those with existing private insurance coverage no longer eligible.
JAN. 1
MINIMUM WAGE HIKE The minimum wage jumped from $11.60 to $14 as the new year kicked off, making Ontario the province with the second-highest minimum wage behind Alberta at $15. Business owners expressed concern that the higher minimum wage would impact their economic success. Minimum wage was planned to increase to $15 in 2019 but the plan was halted by Doug Ford’s government.
JUNE 8
DOUG FORD ELECTED AS ONTARIO PREMIER The Progressive Conservative party, led by Doug Ford, won a majority government in the provincial general election, which takes place every four years. The Liberal party, led by former premier Kathleen Wynne, was shafted, losing official party status for the first time in 161 years. The NDP party, led by Andrea Horwath, formed the official opposition.
AUG. 30
FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS Ford announced in a press release that the provincial government would be mandating all publicly-funded post secondary institutions in Ontario to develop and implement free speech policies by Jan. 1 2019 or face the risk of funding cuts. Policies must include a definition of freedom of speech and are to be based off the Chicago Principles that state post-secondaries should be home to open expression, free inquiry, and should not shield students from off ensive or disagreeable ideas or opinions.
SEPT. 10
FORD INVOKES NOTWITHSTANDING CLAUSE TO CUT TORONTO COUNCIL The provincial government made headlines in September when their plan to cut Toronto city council from a 47 ward model to 25 was passed thanks largely to Ford’s use of the notwithstanding clause, a policy never before invoked by an Ontario government that allows provincial legislature to pass legislation that overrides provisions in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
OCT. 23
POST-SECONDARY EXPANSIONS STOPPED
JULY 3
FORD SCRAPS CAP AND TRADE
The Ford government kept a campaign promise by cutting the province’s cap-andtrade program, which forced corporations to pay for their carbon emissions (some called them ‘permits to pollute’) in their attempt to lower gas prices by 10 cents a litre. The revenue from the program went towards rebates for energy-efficient renovations, transit projects and funds for school repairs.
The provincial government canceled government funding that was to be used to expand three major universities into diff erent cities, citing a multi-billion-dollar provincial budget deficit: York University/Seneca College was to expand into Markham, Ryerson University/Sheridan College into Brampton and Wilfrid Laurier University/Conestoga College into Milton.
NOV. 19
FRENCH-LANGUAGE UNIVERSITY CANCELLED
JULY 11
FORD SCRAPS SEX ED CURRICULUM Ford’s provincial s cr app e d the previous
Liberal government’s sex ed curriculum, updated in 2015 to include modules on online safety and same-sex relationships and consent. They reverted back to the 1998 curriculum instead, warning teachers that they could face consequences if they do not follow suit.
government
Ford announced he would be cancelling plans to build Ontario’s first ever French-language university, set to open in Toronto in 2020, citing financial reasons.
We put together a list of some of the major Canadian political news stories of the year.
Matt Gergyek and Oasika Sharma FEATURES EDITOR AND STAFF CONTRIBUTOR
Illustration: Rame Abdulkader
SPORTS TOP 5 GEE-GEES
SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Price sports@thefulcrum.ca @APricey47
MOMENTS OF 2018
BREAKING DOWN THE BEST U OF O SUCCESSES OF THE YEAR Andrew Price Sports Editor
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he 2018 Gee-Gees year was full of memorable moments.
In honour of the year in review, here are the top five moments for University of Ottawa teams, athletes, and alumni.
WOMEN’S SOCCER BRINGS HOME GOLD The Gee-Gees women’s soccer season was—from the outset—a remarkable one. The team set the tone for how its season would go early on, dominating teams like Trent, Ryerson, and Laurentian to start. The only team to really trouble them in these early matches were the Nipissing Lakers—whom the Gees drew against, and later suffered their only loss of the season against. Nevertheless, they didn’t let that stop them as they rolled to a 14-1-1 regular season record. The striker Emma Lefebvre shone in particular, leading the OUA conference in goals and overall points for weeks on end. She ended the season fourth in goals with 11, and second in points with 18. The Gees carried their regular-season momentum through the playoffs and never looked back, culminating in their 2-1 victory over the Trinity Western Spartans to win the U Sports gold medal. Midfielder Miranda Smith got the game-winner for her team. This sealed their victory and brought gold to the U of O for the first time in soccer since 1996.
BREAKING THE PANDA STREAK Having lost four straight
thefulcrum.ca
Panda Games, it was safe to say the Gees football team was on the hunt for some revenge. It finally came when they beat Carleton 38-27 in the 50th edition of the historic game, snapping that streak and bringing Pedro home. The game began with a trick play on a gutsy play call from Ravens head coach Steve Sumarah, when the receiver Quinton Soares took the toss and threw it downfield to a wide-open Dominic Walker, who took it in for the touchdown on the first play of the game. This did not daunt the GeeGees, who were able to quickly come back and teach the Ravens a lesson. The defensive side intercepted Ravens quarterback Michael Arruda four times, while U of O first-year quarterback Sawyer Buettner had his best game up to that point with four touchdown passes. While Carleton tried to mount a late comeback after being down 38-14, it was not to be. This year, Ravens fans had to sit and watch the Gee-Gees’ faithful storm the field at TD Place. It was part of a strong season for the U of O that ultimately concluded in a second-round playoff exit, but nonetheless was one of the great moments of 2018.
MEN’S HOCKEY SQUAD KNOCK RAVENS OUT OF THE NEST In addition to their victory in the Panda Game, the GeeGees also had success versus their cross-town rivals in hockey. The men’s hockey team— playing in just its second season back on the ice since the two-year suspension— knocked off the Ravens in three games in the quarterfi-
nals of the OUA playoffs in late February. It was a hard-fought series for both teams, with Carleton taking the first game 3-2 in electric overtime fashion. The Gees were not phased, coming back in Game Two to blow out the Ravens 5-0. This forced a tie-breaking Game Three, where the winner would move on to the semifinals. The all-star Kevin Domingue opened up the scoring for the Garnet and Grey, followed up by Brendan Jacome. It was Cody Drover who got what turned out to be the game and series-winner at the end of the second period, beating Ravens goaltender Francois Brassard with the wrist-shot. From there, the Gee-Gees advanced to the semifinals, losing to the McGill Redmen. Nevertheless, beating out the rivals in three stunning games was one of the great moments of the year.
EVANS RACES TO SILVER, SETS THE RECORD The Gee-Gees were also successful on the track, with distance runner Stephen Evans in particular lighting it up. The fifth-year runner brought home the U Sports silver medal in the 600 m race with a time of 1:19:50 in early March. He also set the record for University of Ottawa GeeGees’ runners with a 600 m time of 1:18:30 earlier in the season at the Louis-Riel Dome. While the 2018-19 season has gotten underway for the track team, there’s still plenty of time to go to make it back to the podium.
WARD WINS EVERYTHING
If anyone defines what it means to be a Gee-Gees alumnus, it’s Lewis Ward. The ex-U of O kicker finished his outstanding university career in record-setting fashion with 89 field goals hit in total. That was the most in OUA history—let alone program history. He was just shy of the all-time U Sports career total of 91. After finishing his GeeGees career, he signed with the Ottawa Redblacks in early January. After a training camp battle, he fought his way to the position of starting placekicker—his specialty. In the 2018 season, he set numerous records. The first to knock down was Luca Congi’s record of 21 consecutive field goals made by a rookie. Ward hit 22 straight in his first professional season, but wasn’t done there. He went on to smash the consecutive field goal record for all players with 33, going on to make a whopping 44 straight field goals. This earned him the Most Outstanding Rookie and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player on his way to a Grey Cup appearance. Unfortunately for Lewis and his team, they lost the game to the Calgary Stampeders, but nevertheless 2018 was a series of great moments for the Gee-Gees alumnus.
It was a successful year for the Gees, between championship medals, playoff upsets, and more. Photos: Courtesy of Greg Mason, Stephen Evans, and Parker Townes.
It was a successful year for the Gees, between championship medals, playoff upsets, and more. Photos: Courtesy of Greg Mason, Stephen Evans, and Parker Townes
SPORTS | 21
MEN’S B-BALL WINS SIXTH STRAIGHT
Gee-Gees keep on ballin’ versus Guelph Charley Dutil
Associate Sports Editor
T
he Gee-Gees men’s basketball team was in Guelph on Friday, Nov. 30, taking on the Gryphons to open up a six-game road swing. The Gees came into this one winning all five of their last matches, and hadn’t lost a game since October, while Guelph was also riding a hot streak after losing their first six contests. The game got off to a quick start. Less than 15 seconds in, U of O guard Gage Sabean opened up the scoring on a jump-shot, prompting an immediate response from Guelph to tie it 20 seconds later. Both teams exchanged baskets until the 12-point mark, where Guelph went on a ninepoint streak thanks to two three-pointers from Tommy Yanchus. The Gees would crawl back, scoring eight straight to come within one point of Guelph on the backs of a combined effort from Kevin Civil and Calvin Epistola. At the end of one, the Gryphons led 21-20. The second quarter was a better one for the Gees, who scored first thanks to a Civil jump-shot to reclaim the lead. However, Guelph would once again grab the momentum, scoring 10 buckets in a row, giving themselves a 31-24 lead, but the Gees once again came back. Brandon Robinson and Epistola would both sink threepointers, and Guillaume Pepin added a couple two-fors to retake the lead and score 17 before the end of the half. They took a small 41-36 lead into the locker room. From there, Sabean had a killer start to the second half. The Port Williams, NS, native went on a tear in the third quarter, sinking a jump-shot three, and overall controlling the game thanks to his strong play with the ball. Sabean wouldn’t be the only Gee-Gee to impose himself in the third quarter. Epistola continued to put the team on
22 | SPORTS
Gee-Gees squeak by Guelph in close affair thanks to dominant performances from Brandon Robinson and Calvin Epistola. his back, scoring five points of his own, while Civil also added four in a 21-point third quarter effort from the Gees. Nevertheless, Guelph would actually win the quarter 21-20 in a mirror image of the first quarter to cut the U of O’s lead to only four points. In the fourth quarter, the Gees and Gryphons traded baskets, with the U of O never leading by more than six at any point, but the Gryphons took the quarter 23-21. Guelph missed their chance for the win as guard Craig Valeriote would fail to convert on a three-point shot with six seconds left that would have given the Gryphons an 84-83 win. With the miss, the Gees left Guelph with their sixth win in a row, taking this one 83-81. In the win, Epistola had 21 points and four rebounds, Robinson had 19 points and three rebounds, while Kevin Civil had 16 points and three rebounds. The Gee-Gees took on Sault Ste. Marie on Sunday, Dec. 2 on Algoma at 3 p.m. The Gees will then enjoy a break for exam season and the holidays. The boys in Garnet and Grey will be back on the court early in January to take on the University of Toronto and Ryerson in what promises to be some exciting ball.
Gee-Gees squeak by Guelph in close affair thanks to dominant performances from Brandon Robinson and Calvin Epistola. Photo: Parker Townes
A BREAKDOWN OF SPORTS SERVICES’ BUDGET
The Fulcrum details athletic spending at the U of O Charley Dutil
Associate Sports Editor Every year University of Ottawa students pay thousands of dollars in tuition, including incidental fees for the university’s different services—including Sports Services. According to the students’ account statement for the fall 2018 semester, full-time students paid a sum of $114 each, while part-time students paid about half of that towards Sports Services. This represented a slight $2 increase from fall 2017, where students paid $112. Sports Services director Susan Hylland said in an email that for the 2017-18 fiscal year, Sports Service had a budget of $16 million, which in part came from students’ incidental fees. According to U of O spokes-
person Isabelle MaillouxPulkinghorn, other sources of revenue include program delivery, incidental fees from employees and partnerships including sponsorships, suppliers, donors, fundraising, event revenue, endowed funds, and other special contributions. Broken down, here’s how Sports Services spent its $16 million budget in 2017-2018. Forty-four percent of the budget, or $7 million, was spent on Sports Services programming, which includes the Campus Recreation department, intramurals, camps, the fitness centre, instructional or recreational programs, the 11 Varsity Teams and 22 clubs. “The funding model for varsity teams treats all students equally across all teams, but team budgets will vary based upon things like the number of
student-athletes on the team, league and playoff travel and championship location, number of home and away games, officials requirements (major and minor), league fees, other league requirements, equipment needs, etc.,” Hylland explained. “There is a fairness applied to all teams, female and male, and anything teams want to do over and above what Sports Services can provide in its budget, is raised by the team through their own fundraising efforts.” The next biggest slice of the budget is allocated to sports facilities, and amounts to about $5.7 million, or 35 per cent of the total budget. According to Hylland, Sports Services pays for the operations of, or a portion of the operations of the three athletic facilities on campus—the Min-
to Sports Complex, Lees, and Montpetit Hall. Fourteen per cent of the budget is allocated to staffing and administration, as well as IT support for the different programs. According to the Ontario sunshine list, the highest paid employees of Sports Services are Hylland herself with a salary of $157,531 a year. Head football coach Jamie Barresi is next with a salary of $120,960, then Sports Services vice-director Roger Archambault with $115,331, and finally women’s basketball coach Andy Sparks with $109,561 over a year. Finally, six per cent of the budget goes to business operations such as event hosting, Sports Info, community outreach, the Gee-Gees website, and about one per cent is held as a contingency fund.
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WOMEN’S HOCKEY SINKS IN STANDINGS
Gee-Gees fall to Carleton for the second time this season Charley Dutil
Associate Sports Editor Losers in their last three games, the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team took on the Carleton Ravens on Friday, Nov. 30 at the Carleton Ice House. This marked the third time the two teams met, and the first since the Alert Cup. The season series stood tied at one going into this match-up. Hostilities for this one got off to a slow start—both teams struggled in the neutral zone early and for the first 10 minutes, dump-andchase hockey was in order. Then the Ravens took a tripping penalty, giving the Gees a two-minute powerplay, to no avail as Carleton goaltender Katelyn Steele stopped two good Gees scoring chances. The failed power-play
marked a swing in momentum, as the Ravens dominated the last five minutes. Carleton forward Carly Wouters beat U of O goalie Maude Levesque-Ryan on a shot through the wickets to give them a 1-0 lead with two and a half left in the first. At the end of one, the Gees trailed on the scoreboard, but were tied in shots at six each. The second started with high intensity on both sides— trading chirps and scoring chances, but again Carleton managed to edge out the Gees, scoring midway through the period. Hannah Dinovitzer scored on a breakaway, deking out Levesque-Ryan with a sweet forehand-backhand move. The U of O would head to the dressing room down two, failing to score on seven second-period shots.
Roxanne Rioux takes the puck with the Ravens in pursuit. Photo: Parker Townes
The final frame seemed more of the same for a struggling Gee-Gees team. In spite of outshooting their counterparts in white, the girls in Garnet and Grey failed to capitalize on the many opportunities offered to them on a platter by the Carleton defence. Even blessed with a fourminute power-play due to a dangerous hit to the head by Carleton’s Shannon Pearson, the Gees couldn’t settle any
GEE-GEES WIN IN OT COMEBACK
Men’s team sits in top seat of OUA East division
The Gees got some of their thunder back, beating UOIT. Photo: Parker Townes
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kind of attack in the Ravens’ zone, prompting head coach Yannick Evola to call a timeout in despair. The Ravens would easily win this one 2-0, and the Gees extended their losing streak to four games. “It was a good performance. In general, we had about 15 shots more than our opponent, but we lack the ability to finish plays, we don’t score enough goals. Carleton took advantage of their chances and they scored two goals,”
Owen Falkenham Fulcrum Contributor
On Friday, Nov. 30,, the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team, currently first place in the OUA East division, took on the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks in the opposition’s home arena, in front of a full and passionate crowd. The first period began with both teams battling to set the tempo, but an early penalty put the Gees on the defensive. Despite some chances for the Ridgebacks, goaltender Anthony Brodeur held the line to kill the penalty. Only 14 seconds after the successful penalty kill, the Ridgebacks managed to sneak the puck into the top right corner of the net, giving them an early lead. Despite the setback, the Gee-Gees battled back, earning chances of their own. At the end of the period, UOIT was leading slightly in shots on goal at 11-9. Only three minutes into the second, the U of O got their turn on the power-play, looking to tie it at one goal
Evola said. “Their goalie played well, but we have many, many, many injuries, and that makes it tough. We don’t like losing but we hope for health over the holidays to come back healthy in January.” Levesque-Ryan also commented on her team’s tough loss. “We do pretty much everything well except scoring. We’ve been saying that for a while, but when it’s not go-
ing well, we need to focus on what’s working. We just need to find the back of the net,” Levesque-Ryan said. The women’s hockey team will now enjoy a much-needed month and a half break before their next game against the Montreal Carabins on Jan. 11. This will be available live on RSEQ TV at 7 p.m. on that day. The Gees will be back at Minto on Sunday, Jan. 13 to face the first-place McGill Martlets at 2 p.m. Grab tickets here.
apiece. This was impeded with their own penalty a minute later. With both teams at four players on the ice, a mere 40 seconds afterwards a brawl broke out on the boards, sending three players to the penalty box. This gave the Gee-Gees a four-on-three, to a four-on-four, to a five-onfour staggered power-play. This was the break the Gee-Gees needed, with Brendan Jacome scoring on the five-on-four to tie the game at 1-1. The pace of the match did not slow down from there, with the Ridgebacks regaining the lead a little over two minutes later, only to have the game tied again three minutes later off a goal from Mark Beckstead. Two and a half minutes after that, the Ridgebacks scored their final goal in what turned out to be a whirlwind of a period, taking the lead for the third time in the game. In the third, each team battled desperately—the GeeGees to tie it, the Ridgebacks to secure the lead. Despite successfully killing an early power-play, the Ridgebacks
were not able to hold back the boys from Ottawa. Allstar Kevin Domingue tied the game with a snapshot off the faceoff. Neither team was able to break the tie by the end of the period and the game once again proceeded into overtime. The Gee-Gees kept up the pace from here, monopolizing the puck through OT, and trapping the Ridgebacks in their zone to set up Domingue for his second, and game-deciding goal, to win it it 4-3. “We just played our style, skated and worked hard. We were confident … that we would find a way to get back into the game,” Gee-Gees head coach Patrick Grandmaitre said in a post-game email. “For us, we see the season as a preparation for the playoffs. This season with a veteran team, we are confident that we will make the playoffs. It is more a question of finishing as high as we can and playing our style of hockey.” The Gee-Gees will return home Jan. 11 to face off against Carleton once again.
SPORTS | 23
OPINIONS
OPINIONS EDITOR Hanna Méthot
opinions@thefulcrum.ca @HannaMethot
EMPLOYEES SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DISCLOSE THEIR ACTIVITIES WHILE ON SICK LEAVE
SICK LEAVE FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISN’T BLACK AND WHITE ACROSS THE LABOUR BOARD
Hanna Methot & Anchal Sharma Opinions Editor & Editor-in-Chief
A
recent federal labour board decision states that a University of Ottawa graduate and former public servant was wrongfully terminated for taking a position as a teaching assistant at the university whilst on sick leave from her job for anxiety disorder. In the fall of 2010, the employee had worked out a flexible schedule with her employer, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), while she worked towards her PhD. She then filed for educational leave, which was denied. In July of 2011, the employee attempted to file a harassment claim against her direct supervisor, which was rejected as it was deemed not within the threshold for harassment. Later that year, a psychologist advised her not to return to work, saying that it was aggravating her condition. In January of 2012, her employer learned that she was working as a teaching assistant at the University of Ottawa, and sent her five letters asking for an explanation from January to November, to which she didn’t respond to under the advisement of her doctors. In November 2012, INAC terminated her contract
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on grounds of “abandonment of position.” In December 2012, the employee saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with depression and anxiety, and concluded that the stressors at work had been contributing to her anxiety disorder. In February of 2013, the employee’s medical doctor was told she could return to work, but since her contract had been terminated in November of 2012, there was no position for her to return to. The court document states that “the respondent’s decision to deem (the employee) to have abandoned her position was not reasonable,” but that, “the grievor failed to fulfill her obligation to fully explain her absence to the employer.” Both parties were given 60 days to resolve the issue, a timeframe which has now passed. First and foremost, the employee’s absence and lack of communication should have been properly explained to INAC. Section 7 of the charter does state that “it is a discriminatory practice, directly or indirectly, to refuse to employ or continue to employ any individual … on a prohibited ground of discrimination.” The employee shouldn’t have had to disclose any personal medical information on her condition, but could have simply been forthcoming with the fact that her doctors advised against communication, and that once her doctors advised
her to reopen communication, she would do so. That being said, having another job while on sick leave is not her employer’s business, especially in circumstances involving mental health. Working at the university helped the employee in question pursue her education, while managing an anxiety disorder. What someone does on sick leave should not impact their ability to return to their job. There are many ways to manage mental health disorders, and taking sick leave from one job to work as a teaching assistant is not the equivalent of leaving a company while on sick leave to work for its competitor for example. INAC needs to come to a reasonable agreement with the employee, given the fact that her claims of harassment were not taken seriously, and that she was wrongfully fired while on sick leave that was initially approved by her employer. The only acceptable resolution would be for her to return to her position. Instead of helping the employee re-integrate into the work environment, INAC phased her out completely, leaving her in the lurch when she was able to return to work. The government of Canada should be held to higher standards, and needs to take the well-being of their employees into consideration. –With files from Sarah Crookall.
Students are kicked out from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3 Photo: Rhea Verma
LET RESIDENTS HAVE A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
U OF O KICKING STUDENTS OUT OVER THE WINTER BREAK ISN’T VERY FESTIVE Connor Chase Staff Contributor
It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year. It’s too cold to walk more than three blocks without risking hypothermia, the roads are so covered in slush that you have to change your socks every time life forces you to leave the comfort of your room, and the sun sets just a little bit after most students have their first meal. On top of this, late December offers a much needed and half-deserved break from the stress of procrastinating from exam studying. Most students get (or have) to go home, fill our faces with eggnog, and awkwardly run into old high school friends we haven’t talked to in years. However necessary the late December break is to maintaining partial brain capacity for the next semester, there is a considerable downside to it. Most of the U of O residences shut down over the winter break, and everyone who lives in one has to get out. But shouldn’t students be able to stay in their own units over the winter break if they so choose? Closing the residences over
the break is actually a huge problem for lots of students. Short-term accommodations are provided by the university, but having to move all of your stuff to a new place for only three weeks, so that the university can inspect your unit, seems unnecessary. Moreover, and most obviously, the University of Ottawa is a very diverse place, and as such the cultural festivities celebrated by one student might not be the same as their neighbour. Not everyone has a festive winter celebration to attend, and not everyone is in a great place with their families. Obviously, not every student goes home for the winter break. Some students live in remote places. International students have to scramble to find flights home that they may not be able to afford, to accommodate holidays that they may not celebrate. Being kicked out of your apartment while your family lives overseas is a nightmare scenario, the only alternatives (getting a hotel room, or living in short-term accommodation provided by the university at unreasonable costs) would mean spending money while not having access to 95 per cent of your stuff as it stays in residence.
An alternative to kicking out all students from res would be to open an online portal wherein students can disclose whether they’ll be staying or not. If they will be staying, then the university will then be able to schedule a day to clean/inspect their unit, instead of arranging short-term accommodations for students in other buildings. The University doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to being empathetic to students in residence. At the start of the summer break, the university gives students the boot on April 27 at the latest, but most apartment leases don’t start until May. With many students saying leases should be extended to May 1. For students who were planning to live in Ottawa over the summer, an extra three to four days would mean the world. There’s a plethora of reasons one may want to stay away from home over the winter break, and the university should acknowledge this by letting students stay in their own units. Students who wish to stay over the break should be able to notify the university and be accommodated, without being forcibly moveding to short-term accomodations.
OPINIONS | 25
Illustration: Mohamed Hassan, CC
HOT FOR PROFESSOR? JUST MAKE IT CONSENSUAL.
Student-teacher relationships aren’t necessarily a bad thing Hot For Teacher Staff Contributor
Under Policy 67, the university identifies studentprofessor relationships as sexual harassment and states that it “strongly disapproves of romantic or sexual relationships between faculty members and students ... and expects members of its community to refrain from engaging in them”. Understandably, strong arguments have been made against these relationships and the troubling power imbalance that often comes with them.
26 | OPINIONS
These seemingly consensual relationships can often turn predatory. Professors have a lot of power when it comes to the academic futures of their students. This power often times prevent students from coming forward in cases of sexual assault or harassment, and leads many to question whether there was legitimate consent in the first place. Relationships in any capacity can often turn bad, sour, or abusive. It makes it even worse when this partner has power over you and your future. Although there can be healthy, strong relationships that come
out of professor-student relations, those are generally the exception, not the rule. That being said, the university should be focused on helping victims, and preventing the abuse rather than equating all professor-student relations with sexual harassment. These relationships, just like all relationships, don’t automatically lead to abuse or exploitation. It’s the abusive and exploitative people that cause that to happen. Not to mention that, as we’ve seen with alcohol prohibition, laws against abortion, and the war on drugs, defining
a behaviour as illicit is far from a guarantee that it won’t happen in practice. In fact, those who use drugs for example, under such regimes are often left unassisted when their situation becomes dire. This is not so unlike an outright ban on student-teacher relationships—is it doing victims of abuse any favours to take this approach? Providing resources like the Women’s Health Center, Protection Services, and the Human Rights Center plays an important part in helping to prevent these unhealthy relationships from progressing.
In the future, the university could introduce workshops for faculty members and students on healthy consensual relationships, and provide even more resources to help students come forward. Maybe students should only engage in relationships with members of other faculties, wherein the power dynamic isn’t so pronounced. For relationships that are truly consensual and healthy, the university needn’t get involved. There’s a plethora of sexual harassment that goes on at the U of O. Relationships between two consenting adults
shouldn’t be the university’s primary concern. Instead, they should focus on the sexual assault convict studying at that the U of O law school. Or maybe the former UOHS doctor who’s facing over 80 charges of sexual assault. Stop calling a consensual rendez-vous sexual harassment, and leave us alone to the library, or lecture hall, office, or bedroom. The university needs to focus on actual forms of sexual harassment, exploitative and abusive relationships included, happening on its campus, and get its nose out of healthy student-professor relationships.
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V is for Vegetable Vendetta TODDLERS AT HEALTH CANADA RESPONSIBLE FOR RECALLS
Which vegetable is next?
Nadia Helal Staff Contributor In recent weeks, Eastern Canada has been suffering from E. Coli and Salmonella outbreaks. Health Canada has advised the public to avoid eating romaine lettuce and
Photo: Chan Walrus (pexels.com, CC)
cucumbers as these have been deemed to be the culprits responsible. As a result, there have been recalls for romaine lettuce across Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, while infected cucumbers have affected Western Canada. Health Canada has as-
sured people to “romaine calm” as the recalls extend into its third month. This situation has left many Canadians wondering what food will be next and why vegetables seem to be the target. A recent undercover Tomato report has established
that individuals at Health Canada just don’t want to eat their vegetables. It seems Health Canada is being run by toddlers. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the minors involved. Director “Jerry Salad” states he knew something was up when, “the interns kept getting younger and younger, we were hiring them fresh out of university, and then before they graduated, and then high school, finally we somehow ended up hiring straight out of preschools? Instead of standing desks, we have pack-n-plays.” “Baby Jane” had been enjoying breast milk and treats until her parents started the audacious act of giving her vegetable purees. Right there and then Jane decided to go on her vegetable vendetta. Starting at Health Canada in her terrible twos, she was the youngest civil servant in the government. Jane was able to work her way up the organization’s ladder and position herself in just the right place, watching and waiting for
her moment to strike. “Romaine has zero health benefits. I don’t understand why people continue eating this tasteless lettuce,” Jane cried out while in custody. In another astonishing finding, “Toddler Todd” seems to be behind the most recent cucumber recall. A picky eater since birth, Todd’s hatred of cucumbers began when his parents tried introducing him to new foods, beyond the five that he was okay with. Thus began his vendetta against the tasteless, nutritionally void plant. The Tomato discovered that Todd’s team was behind the cucumber recall in Western Canada. “Cucumbers are pointless! They are mostly water. Why do we need to eat water? I have my sippy cup for that!” shouted the tantruming Todd while being dragged out of the Health Canada headquarters in Ottawa. His and Jane’s case will be reviewed by their peers pending results from the farmer’s
association. The inquiry will most likely continue for several months until a proper assessment can be made on whether to trust members of Health Canada ever again in light of the recent discoveries. The investigation concludes that the next logical vegetable would either be brussel sprouts or tomatoes as they are both “vile, soggy plants that have no place in a kitchen, let alone a stomach.” We here at The Tomato surely hope not. Meanwhile, this controversy has done nothing to improve the image of green vegetables. Farmers across Canada are throwing out tons of perfectly good lettuce and cucumbers in an effort to appease the public. They are hoping that Jane and Todd pay for what they have done and demand full compensation for losses in revenue. Jane and Todd’s lawyers claim the picky eaters are raising funds through an artisanal lemonade stand.
‘Ottawa Vandal’: University confuses vandalism with wall art VANDALS COME FORWARD WITH THEIR TRUE INTENTIONS Anchal Sharma
‘“No matter what, you are
Tomato Editor-in-Chief one of us,’ was actually a jab The University of Ottawa administration was shocked to learn that the inspirational quotes donning the walls of the recent Learning Crossroads building were actually an act of ironic vandalism, and not, in fact, the wall-art that they thought they had commissioned. The news broke after the Fulcrum published a story about the so called ‘wall-art,’ confusing the vandals, who actually made their mark on the walls. The Tomato has since learned from the ambiguously named alumni Adam, and Matt, originators of the wall scribbles, that it was never their intention to have their quotes taken seriously.
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at the university, meant to address the sheeple culture that plagues academic institutions,” Matt explained. “I figured they would just paint over it. But you know the U of O, always defying the conventional.” The administration claims they believed the wall quotes were meant to show students that they are supported and that their mental health matters, which left many students wondering why they didn’t just invest in better mental health services. “This misunderstanding could have been avoided if the university just had better ideas,” said Graham Mendes, a third-year psychology student. Other students disagree.
“Why spend your money caring for students by improving services when you can use it to flex your commitment to caring for students instead?” Yalex Maris, a second-year English major quipped. “I think it’s a great idea. In fact, they should add something like this to the waiting area in SASS so students feel like they have something to live for while waiting for their appointment that will never arrive.” The university administration has yet to respond to students’ comments, but have said that the Ottawa police are looking into the vandals. At the time of publication, The Tomato confirmed that Matt had fled the country, while the whereabouts of Adam are still unknown.
The university is currently looking for the vandals.
When reached for comment, the Ottawa police said they had better things to do than to chase down a couple of petty criminals, like creating initiatives to fight sketchiness in the downtown core. “This just isn’t a priority for us, and probably never will be,” Adam Mada, head of media relations at the Ottawa police, and recent U of O grad told The Tomato in a phone
interview. The university also announced that they are exploring new and accessible mental health initiatives on campus, like an art show in Hagan. Tickets will be sold for $100 to the public, with a student rate of $150. “These services will benefit students, so it only makes sense that they should pay for them,” explained Jacques Fremont, while work-
Photo: Rhea Verma
ing on a new meme for the Beloved SFUO Overlords Facebook page. Money raised from the event will go towards recommissioning the Learning Crossroads wall. Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Maris’ comments were not in fact sarcasm, as The Tomato initially believed.
THE TOMATO | 27
DISTRACTIONS Dear Ty
Illustration: Rame Abdulkader
DEAR DI, My partner and I have been together since high school, and at this point we know all the ropes to pretty much every and any sexual kink or fetish. But we like to keep things fresh and exciting, and there is one thing we have yet to experiment with: temperature play. Any advice on how to bring fire and ice into the bedroom?
— HOT AND COLD
28 | DISTRACTIONS
DEAR HaC,
thing we want is either you or your partner ending up with a nasty case of I’m so glad you brought this up. Temper- frostbite or a third-degree burn. ature play is one of the most underused If you’re looking to pump the temperand overlooked types of play one can ature up, start with candle wax. Light bring into the bedroom, and those who your favourite scented candle to really don’t try it are really missing out. I mean, with Ottawa’s temperatures quickly build that optimal sexual atmosphere and then another special one made for skin taking a nosedive towards -25 degrees contact—this will be your ‘toy,’ if I may. Celsius (that’s without wind chill), why The average household candle has too not make the most of Old Man Winter? high a melting point and can actually For those who don’t know, temperature cause those third-degree burns we play involves, as the name suggests, talked about, so please, please, invest in using heat and cold during sex, usually a safe one instead, which you can find during foreplay. This broad kink can online or in your favourite sex shop. come in many different forms—it’s usually Once a good amount of melted wax a part of BDSM, but doesn’t have to be has built up in the candle, slowly drip by any means. it across your partner’s body, starting Temperature play quickly becomes a with some common, less sensitive areas favourite in the bedroom because of the like the back or arms before moving for body’s sensitivity to heat and cold. The especially sensitive parts of the body. I main goal here is to stimulate the nerv- recommend the nipples, neck and lower ous system through the skin’s receptors. stomach/groin. We’ve all felt that pleasurable shiver from jumping into a hot bath after spending But stop right there; I know what you’re thinking. What about the genitals? This a day outside in the winter, or on the is of course an option, but as I said I flipside, from jumping into a cold pool or cool shower to escape a wicked heat recommend starting slow. Check in with yourself and your partner to make sure wave (looking at you, summer 2018). Temperature play just takes hold of these the experience actually is still pleasurable for the both of you, and if every other sensations, which do feel oddly sexual, part of the body has enjoyed the wax, and applies them to sex itself. then definitely make the move to the Where to start? I recommend a slow genitals as well. Further down the road, entry into temperature play: the last
FEATURES EDITOR Matt Gergyek
features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260 @mattgergyek try swapping out hot wax for things like melted chocolate, heated scented oils, or even syrups. For other hot takes, try using heated stones, such as the ones you might use in a massage kit. If you’re more interested in the opposite end of the thermometer, my suggestion is to start with ice cubes. In a hot makeout session, try swapping ice cubes between you and your partner’s mouths and experiment with pressing the ice to sensitive parts of the body. You could also swap out ice for something edible, like frozen chocolate or fruits. I’ll point out we are in frigid Ottawa, so you could always swap in snow for ice. Others love to freeze their sex toys to add that extra kick. Along with temperature play, you can also experiment with blindfolding or binding, which tends to heighten the sensations of hot and cold. My main piece of advice here is to experiment and figure out what you like the most. Whether it’s cranking up the heat or dropping it down low, temperature play can really spice up anyone’s sex life.
LOVE, TY
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DEC. 5 TO 30, 2018
THRYLLABUS
MUSIC
FRIDAY, DEC. 7
FRIDAY, DEC. 14
SATURDAY, DEC. 22
Eleventh annual European Union Christmas concert, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica 6:30 p.m.
Headstones and the Matchstick Skeletons, the Bronson Theatre 7 p.m.
The Ottawa Senators vs. The Washington Capitals, Canadian Tire Centre 7 p.m.
DJ skate night, TD Place 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, DEC. 15
Homesick: Emo Night, The 27 Club in the ByWard Market 11 p.m.
Taco eating contest, Zak’s Cantina in the ByWard Market 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19 SATURDAY, DEC. 8 Wakefield Christmas Market, Centre Wakefield La Pêche 2 p.m. 2000’s dance party, The 27 Club 10:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, DEC. 9
ARTS
Marché Artisan Atrium Craft Market, National Arts Centre 10 a.m.
SPORTS TUESDAY, DEC. 11
FUN THINKING
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Stars, National Arts Centre 8 p.m.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine trivia night, Jack Astor’s, Lansdowne Park 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, DEC. 28
Clay night, the Art House Café 6:30 p.m.
Nature Nocturne: White Out, Canadian Museum of Nature—8 p.m.
THURSDAY, DEC. 20
SATURDAY, DEC. 29
Christmas with Aquaria, winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, The Lookout Bar & Nightclub in the ByWard Market 8 p.m.
Pulse 2018 featuring Galantis, Laidback Luke and CID, EY Centre 9 p.m.
FRIDAY, DEC. 21
Resolution Run, Lansdowne Park 6:30 p.m.
Rumours—Fleetwood Mac Tribute, Greenfield’s Gastro Public House 9 p.m.
MONDAY, DEC. 31
Deep Therapy NYE: The Masquerade, Albert Island Courtyard 9 p.m. NYE Party, Barrymore’s on Bank Street 9 p.m.
DISTRACTIONS | 29
30 |
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Volume 79, Issue 4, DECEMBER 5, 2018 Starting trends since 1942. Phone: (613) 695-0061 | Fax: (613) 695-9006 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this or we’ll meme you.
Anchal “Vine” Sharma Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Adam “Salt Bae” Gibbard Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Savannah “Blue eyeshadow” Awde Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Eric “Pogs“Davison News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Sarah “Fidget spinner“Crookall News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Iain “Rainbow begals” Sellers Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Matt “Walmart Yodel Kid” Gergyek Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Andrew “Tebowing” Price Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca Hanna “The Harlem Shake” Méthot Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Rame “Planking” Abdulkader Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Christine “Beyblades” Wang Social Media Manager social@thefulcrum.ca Charley “Tide Pods” Dutil Associate Sports Editor associatesports@thefulcrum.ca Parker “Cinnamon challenge” Townes Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Dorian “Ice bucket challenge” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca Kaylum “Pokemon Go” Bobal Advertising Manager ads@thefulcrum.ca Videographer videographer@thefulcrum.ca
Rhea Verma Sophie Miller Yi Wen Neoh Jane Furlong Owen Falkenham Zoe Mason Oasika Sharma Kelsea Shore Nadia Helal Conner Chase
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Raghad “Yanni” Sheikh-Khalil Katelyn “Laurel” Murray Graham “The Dress” Robertson Jonathan “Bitcoin” Rausseo Justin “Kylie lip kit” Turcotte Donya “Harambe“ Ashnaei Dayne “Damn, Daniel“ Moyer
Cover art: Rame Abdulkader
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THE FULCRUM STANDS WITH THE GATEWAY
C
onservative Member of Parliament from Alberta Kerry Diotte filed a $150,000 lawsuit for defamation on Nov. 19 against the Gateway, the University of Alberta’s student newspaper, in a shameless and unprecedented attack on student journalism.. In his statement of claim, Diotte asserts that two articles published by the Gateway wrongly accuse him of being a racist, damaging his name and reputation. The first article, published on Nov. 2, focused on a photo posted to Twitter by Reed Larsen, president of the U of A Students’ Union, posing with Diotte. Diotte took issue with a line in the article that states, “several U of A students voiced concern over Larsen’s meeting with Diotte, who has a history of making racist remarks.” The Gateway points to a social media post from February of 2017 picturing Diotte with Faith Goldy, an ex-Rebel Media personality, thanking Goldy for “Making the Media Great Again (sic).” Even more gut-wrenching is the fact that Dioitte posted the photo just weeks after the Quebec City mosque shooting that left six dead, where Goldy was widely criticized for spreading conspiracies that the shooting was perpetrated by Muslims rather than the white Canadian male who is currently facing charges. The second article is an editorial published on Nov. 5 on the same topic, which Diotte alleged is defamatory in whole.
The Gateway did make a mistake by falsely alleging that Diotte endorsed Goldy in her race for Toronto mayor—but mistakes can and will happen at student publications. Given that these are newspapers meant to educate students on how to report the news, it’s nearly inevitable there will be missteps. You would think that Diotte, having previously been a journalist, would appreciate this. That’s not to say false reports should be taken lightly. We concur with the Canadian University Press (CUP) that accusations of defamation need to be treated seriously and student journalists deserve to be held to the same standards as any journalists. But there needs to be a middle ground, and Doitte’s hefty defamation lawsuit seems like a blunt tool to silence criticism rather than a means to remedy the Gateway’s possible mistakes. This reaction is especially unnecessary given that the mistake has already been properly remedied by the Gateway: They were quick to add corrections and editor’s notes to both stories in question. Moreover, the fact that Diotte is a politician, one who has stated that “freedom of expression—so long as it isn’t violent or threatening—is ... a sacred right,” is also contradictory. Student press rallies the next generation of journalists, and to pursue a lawsuit for which the complaint has been remedied is a frivolous attack on the Gateway’s young journalists and their ability to keep reporting on their campus. If Diotte is such a champion of freedom of expression, he should understand that his lawsuit
The Gateway is being sued $150,000 by MP Kerry Diotte for defamation. Photo: Dave Cournoyer (flickr.com, CC)
is putting that in jeopardy at the U of A. The fact that Diotte is taking this action as a former journalist is also problematic. Doitte of all people should know how important a free press is to any democratic society. A $150,000 defamation suit would do more than just cripple the Gateway for this academic year, but many more to come. At a time when freedom of the press is increasingly
being drawn into question, especially with the Supreme Court of Canada ruling against Vice Media on Nov. 30, people in authority and positions of power need to be cautious in how they interact with the media and the message this sends to the public. We’re fairly sure Diotte has better things to do, as an MP, than sue a student newspaper for a mistake they’ve already worked to remedy.
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