IN THIS ISSUE Student on trade mission P.6
Trip to Peru to learn about international business
Faux Facebook endorsement P.9
Mansbridge denies supporting student campaign
Who you gunna call? P.10
Paranormal investigators look for Ottawa-based managers
From nine to 99 P.14 Intergenerational learning brings young and old together
The return of Warren Ward P.18 Former Gee-Gee playing for Mississauga Power
Harper’s words and actions P.22
Disparity between economic narrative and reality
NEWS
NEWS EDITOR
Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260
Ombudsperson sheds light on lack of procedural fairness at U of O
No policies or appeals process in place, says report
Lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, and former player Andrew Creppin announce the lawsuit at a press conference on Jan. 13. Photo: Marta Kierkus
U of O concedes hockey team investigation was part of legal strategy
University has refused to publish reports Lindsay MacMillan Associate News Editor
T
he University of Ottawa is refusing to release two investigative reports into the events surrounding the suspension of the men’s hockey team, admitting that the documents were prepared as part of a pre-emptive legal defence.
Following demands by the Canadian Press to see the reports under the province’s Freedom of Information act, a letter to the information commissioner from the U of O’s administration states its primary worry about releasing the files is that they are considered legal advice. Many of the players, who have now launched a $6-million lawsuit against the university, participated in the investigation, which served to help guard the university against a lawsuit. The university hired private investigator Steven Gaon to examine the circumstances surrounding the team, which was suspended a year ago following allegations of sexual assault on the part of two players. This January, the university extended the suspension into the 2015–16 season. Gaon produced two reports, one about allegations of sex-
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ual misconduct and one about excessive drinking, which lead to the firing of coach Real Paiement for not informing school officials about the incident. The university enlisted the help of the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright Canada, who hired Gaon to prepare the reports for use as legal advice, according to the Canadian Press. At the time, the university said in a press release that “Gaon’s findings reveal that while the events in Thunder Bay represented an isolated incident, the behaviour of some players was unacceptable, did not reflect the university’s values and failed to meet the university’s expectations of its student-athletes.” They said the reports would not be published to avoid conflicts with the police investigation, and out of respect for the university’s privacy. The remaining members of the team have launched a class-action lawsuit against the university for allegedly tarnishing their reputations by suspending the whole team. “If you’re going to punish somebody for something that you said they did wrong, you have to at least disclose to them the basis for the punishment ... it’s fundamental fairness to human beings,” said Lawrence Greenspon, the players’ lawyer, according to Canadian Press. The U of O has now filed a notice of intent to defend against the lawsuit.
Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor
Rumours of a potential code of conduct have sprung up this past year at the University of Ottawa, but the latest report from the university’s ombudsperson has revealed the university has already administered academic sanctions for non-academic offences. In some circumstances, states the report, “the presence of a student on campus may not be advisable or possible for a period of time.” In these situations, Protection Services notifies the dean of the student’s faculty about the situation, and the dean must then decide the best course of action. The problem, according to U of O ombudsperson Lucie Allaire, is that the university has no clear-cut policy on when and why Protection Services must forward the report to the dean, nor are there any set ways for the student to appeal the process. “I haven’t seen anything. I can’t find anything that says when do they do that and for what purpose,” she said. According to the report, “the inquiry is not conducted in a manner to find facts to support a decision and there are no rights of appeal in place.” Mireille Gervais, director of the Student Rights Centre (SRC), said she’s been familiar with these types of cases for a number of years. “I don’t believe Protection Services should be forwarding these reports to the dean as policy,” she said, since they often result in several punishments for students for the same action. “This mentality that students are ambassadors of the institution at all times of the day and night is a flawed notion that only looks to deepen the authority of the institution over students’ lives,” said Gervais. According to Gary Slater, the U of O’s vice-president international, incident reports are only forwarded when a person on campus is considered a threat to themselves or others.
“It’s a judgment call on that basis,” he said. The dean who receives the report then makes the final decision regarding the student in question, said Slater. They have access to recommendations from the university’s Committee of Persons of Concern, created in order to support students. Allaire recommended Protection Services develop a “meaningful test” for reporting an incident to the dean of a faculty, and that the university create a specific policy and appeals process. Slater said they intend to make changes following Allaire’s recommendations. “Although there might not be anything wrong from the process we’re following, it’s not explained anywhere, there’s no place where you can find the details,” said Slater. “So, we need to make it explicit, and we will, and we’ll add an appeals process,” he said. “In my opinion it’s not an academic penalty. It’s just making sure we minimize the risk.”
“This mentality that students are ambassadors of the institution at all times of the day and night is a flawed notion that only looks to deepen the authority of the institution over students' lives.”
— Mireille Gervais, director of the Student Rights’ Centre
U of O ombudsperson Lucie Allaire sheds light on the procedural fairness issues in her fourth annual report.
Photo: Courtesy of the office of the ombudsperson
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SFUO snow fort contest falls flat Fed bodies criticize vp social for cancellation, citing lack of communication Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor
Dissatisfaction with the vice-president social of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa has snowballed following a lackluster Winter Challenge, and the cancellation of the annual snow fort building contest. Christine Backs, vicepresident social of the Engineering Students’ Association (ESA), said she’s frustrated by the lack of communication because she had tried to get more information about the event for two weeks prior to the start of the Winter Challenge. Guerre de Toque, the annual snow fort-building contest is part of Backs’ mandate as vice-president social, and the ESA has participated year after year. She said she received confirmation about the event too late “to even consider participating.” “The event costs $400 to participate, and requires at a minimum 20 competitors and two captains,” Backs wrote in an email to the Fulcrum. Both this year and last year’s Guerre de Toque were scheduled for a Thursday and Friday, instead of Friday and Saturday like in previous years. Hanna Fazal, vicepresident social of the Students’ Association of the Faculty of Arts, said the dates showed “no consideration to those in class or (who) had work.” Fazal is also one of the organizers of a petition calling for the impeachment of the SFUO’s vice-president social,
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Ikram Hamoud. “I based myself on last year’s Winter Challenge, and it was on the Thursday, and there weren’t any problems,” said Hamoud. She maintains that she kept the fed bodies up to date about Guerre de Toque during their roundtable Nov. 27, where she informed them the event would be held on the Thursday, and that she posted the meeting minutes online with the specific dates for those who didn’t attend. The SFUO lowered registration fees by $100 to no avail—only the Economics Students’ Association (ESA) signed up. “It’s just frustrating that the people who are volunteers deliver, and then the people that are paid don’t,” said Colin Guldimann, vicepresident social of the ESA, who said he was told at around 4 p.m. the day before the event was to take place that his team was the only one to register. Hamoud gave Guldimann the opportunity to still participate, he said, but his team “couldn’t justify” spending $400 on the snow fort contest against no other competitors. Guldimann said he was told later that evening that the SFUO would waive their registration fee, but by then his team had already decided to drop out. “It was just kind of frustrating for us because (the cost) was a big part of what we made the decision on,” he said. Guldimann said he’s also not satisfied with the work
the SFUO put into the Winter Challenge overall. “It just hasn’t been one of those things that seems to be big on their agenda… it just feels half-assed.” This year the SFUO took a different approach, opting for smaller daily prizes as opposed to the big vacation prizes offered at the end of the week as in previous years. “What was different this year was people were able to participate in Winter Challenge without being in a team and without being forced to participate the whole week,” said Hamoud. That new take may be the cause for a drop in participation this year, according to volunteer coordinator Sunny Bui. Hamoud said the Winter Challenge saw a good turnout, but Bui, who also worked on the event last year, said the numbers were down. “Compared to last year there has been less student involvement,” he said.
Colin Guldimann said they now have to find a way to repurpose supplies the Economics Student’s Association purchased for Guerre de Toque. Photo: Marta Kierkus
“It's just frustrating that the people who are volunteers deliver, and then the people that are paid don’t.” —Colin Guldimann, vice-president social of the ESA
NEWS | 5
Global Vision has sent Canadian students to locations across the world since 1991.
Photos: Courtesy of Adam Peabody
Student embarks on trade mission to Peru Trip to enhance students’ business knowledge Allegra Morgado Staff Contributor
Logan Turner is escaping the ‘historic’ winter storms that are set to pound eastern North America, as he prepares for a trade mission in South America. Turner, a first-year University of Ottawa student, hopes his ten day trip to Peru this February will broaden his understanding of international business and South American culture alike. “I chose this trip because it is an incredible opportunity to experience different cultures and to experience what you do in international business,” said Turner, who studies international studies and modern languages. Turner, along with 17 other high school and university students and graduates from across Canada, will be in Peru with the non-profit organization Global Vision, completing mandates set by businesses, civil societies and government
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organizations in Canada. One of Turner's mandates is from Digital Engineering, a technology company that develops greener energy solutions, based out of his hometown of Thunder Bay. The firm's president, Les Perrault, said they’re gathering information on the burgeoning renewable energy market in Peru. “We understand that there’s a lot of activity in Peru right now, so we’re taking advantage of the opportunity to piggyback on the trade mission and see what we can find out,” he said. Global Vision is a youthoriented travel program that aims to offer practical business knowledge to students. “They’re actually obtaining
partnerships and providing value feedback to those businesses and organizations in the form of contacts and market intelligence,” said Adam Peabody, project coordinator of Global Vision. They also want to ensure both the student and the local business benefit from the relationship, he said. The Peru trade mission will teach students about the strong links between the two American continents, said Peabody, ahead of this summer’s Pan Am and Parapan American games in Toronto. “What we want to do with this trade mission to Peru is highlight Canada’s role as a leading country in the America’s,” said Peabody.
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Former U of O prof named first ‘honorary Wikipedian’ in Canada
Christian Vandendorpe seeks to restore trust in the online encyclopaedia "Wikipedia brings open access knowledge to everyone with an Internet connection.” —Christian Vandendorpe, honorary Wikipedianv
Former U of O professor Christian Vandendorpe has studied the online open-source encylcopaedia since 2005.
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Lindsay MacMillan Associate News Editor
It might just be ok to cite Wikipedia in your next paper. Former University of Ottawa professor was recently named the first honorary Wikipedian at the University of Victoria. “Wikipedia brings open access knowledge to everyone with an Internet connection,” said Vandendorpe, who has studied the website since 2005. “Wikipedia compares to the first encyclopaedias from ancient civilizations in India and China,” he said. “The website contributors have the same enthusiasm and same jobs as these writers from thousands of years ago. It’s the heir, and a new way of sharing knowledge publicly.” The new job consists of working with University of Victoria researchers and students on Wikipedia pages related to the university and to his research interests. Vandendorpe aims to “draw attention to the importance of Wikipedia in providing knowledge for the general public, and to act as a role model in convincing other academics to improve the encyclopedia.” It’s a tough road he’s set out
on, since the vast majority of high school teachers and university professors forbid their students from using Wikipedia as a source in their schoolwork. Vandendorpe said he hopes to quell academia’s fierce phobia of Wikipedia by encouraging university professors and their students to contribute to the website. “Every contributor tries to make the article as best as possible. If the writing does not meet Wikipedia’s standards… then it will be deleted by someone in the community of editors.” Many of the qualms about Wikipedia, which was founded in 2001, come from print companies like Encyclopedia Britannica trying to “protect their turf,” he said, along with outdated stereotypes about the website. Wikipedia was “amateurish in the beginning, but now has thousands of editors working in a continuous peer review,” he said. Patrick McCurdy, an associate professor in the department of communications at the U of O, has students in certain classes edit Wikipedia for assignments, but warns it’s not the “be-all end-all” of sources. “It’s an amazing, valuable,
initial resource,” said McCurdy, “but you need to go beyond it. It’s no different than just using the Encyclopedia Britannica article for information.” McCurdy, who also sits on the Academic Fraud Committee of the Faculty of Arts, added that one of the most common forms of plagiarism he sees is students stealing from Wikipedia. “That to me is an academic failure. We want students to think about their research, not just copy and paste the answers Wikipedia has.” McCurdy noted that Wikipedia has changed people’s specialization of knowledge in many ways. “You can be an expert on a TV show or have a famous grandparent, and you can contribute to Wikipedia about that,” he said. “It makes people question what knowledge really is.” The University of Victoria is the first Canadian university to have a Wikipedian-inresidence, but other global institutes have created similar positions, including the Smithsonian, the British Museum, the National Library of Norway, and the Federal Archives of Switzerland. Vandendorpe will hold the position until 2016.
Photo: Courtesy of Christian Vandendorpe
NEWS | 7
News Briefs
Driver speeds off after child falls out of moving car Police are looking for a male driver who drove off after a child fell out of a moving car on Jan. 15 near St. Laurent Boulevard. A witness quickly picked up the child, about two years old, while two other witnesses came to help. The driver, who identified himself as the boy’s father, returned for the boy after a few minutes, according to Ottawa police. He then drove toward the Vanier Parkway along Queen Mary Street before police arrived. Police now want to speak to the parent, even though there might not have
been a crime committed, said Sgt. Jeff Webster with the Ottawa police sexual assault and child abuse unit. The car is a dark-coloured, four-door, early-2000s Volkswagen, according to police. There was a car seat in the rear passenger seat. The driver is described by police as a black man in his mid- to late30s, about five feet and 10 inches tall with a medium build, and very short curly hair. Police say the child is also black and wore a hooded lime green and purple coat. —Miriam Saslove
California man to fly over St. Lawrence in homemade rocket
“Mad” Mike Hughes and his X-2 SkyLimo Rocket
American stuntman “Mad” Mike Hughes is bringing his daredevil stunts to Canada as he seeks to propel himself in a homemade steam-powered rocket across the St. Lawrence River. He plans to launch from Morrisburg, Ont., 80 kilometres south of Ottawa, and land by parachute on Ogden Island in New York State this spring, according to the Ottawa Citizen. His homemade rocket, inspired by fellow American daredevil Evel Knievel, can reach speeds of 350 miles per hour. Hughes tested out his rocket in the past by propelling himself more than 420 metres in an Arizona desert.
Photo:madmikehughes.com
While he sustained several injuries from this attempt, he deemed it a success. Hughes isn’t the first to attempt to jump the St. Lawrence. The famous Canadian waterway has been the host of daredevil stunts since the late 1970s. The 58-year-old also holds the record for the longest limousine ramp jump. In 2002, he flew 31.39 metres through the air in a three-tonne Lincoln Town Car. “I want to validate that I’m the greatest daredevil in daredevil history,” he said to the Citizen. —Deborah Sogelola
Ottawa Heart Institute bypass operation wait times increase The latest numbers from the Eastern Ontario health authority show that wait times have increased for patients at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in need of bypass surgery. In October, the Champlain Local Health Integration Network identified the lengthy wait times in the first few months of 2014. Only 58 per cent of patients at the Heart Institute got the life-saving operation within the recommended 90-day time frame. The figure dropped to 41 per cent for the months of June, July, and August in 2014, while in most other parts of Ontario 90 per cent of patients received bypass surgery within 90 days.
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However, the Ottawa Heart Institute typically performs more complex procedures and takes on dozens of referrals from other hospitals, resulting in a much higher demand. The hospital has increased the number of scheduled surgeries, which has resulted in 75 per cent of patients getting their operation within 90 days, according to Heather Sherrard, the institute’s executive vice-president and chief of clinical operations. “Not all hospital wait lists are the same, just because of the nature of people you provide service to,” she told the Ottawa Citizen, adding that the most urgent cases are dealt with as soon as possible. —Beatrice Au
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National News
Student groups meet with Kathleen Wynne about sex assault policies Ontario to present 'action plan' against sexual violence in March Jackie Hong
The Eyeopener (Ryerson University) TORONTO (CUP) — Members of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) Ontario met with Premiere Kathleen Wynne at Queen’s Park on Jan. 14 for a roundtable on sexual assault policies on post-secondary campuses. The meeting comes weeks before the Ontario government presents an “action plan” against sexual violence and harassment on March 8. Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) vice-president equity Pascale Diverlus, who is also the constituency commissioner for CFS Ontario, said the conversation was long overdue. “The Canadian Federation of Students Ontario and different student unions have been working on this issue for years and years,” Diverlus said. “We have been advocating for (a) sexual assault policy and we have had very little response … so, it’s nice to see (Wynne) put this at the forefront.” Twenty-one members of CFS Ontario attended the meeting and each member talked about how sexual assault and harassment are handled on his or her respective campus. Members also suggested what they thought should be included in future policies
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.
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dealing with sexual violence, such as prevention and consent education, accountability, and including students in policymaking processes. Diverlus said Wynne did not make any commitments but “just listened to our experiences.” Anna Goldfinch, national executive representative of the CFS Ontario, said Wynne approached the student group because the group is an “expert” on how to prevent and handle sexual assault and harassment. “We’ve been working on this issue for decades now. We’ve been running our ‘No Means No’ campaign since the ’80s,” Goldfinch said. “The media is paying attention and the public is paying attention now,” Goldfinch said. A lack of sexual assault policies at post-secondary schools rose to attention in late 2014 after a Toronto Star story revealed that only nine of 78 Canadian universities had guidelines in place to deal with sexual assault and harassment on campus. The University of Ottawa is one of those nine, with guidelines on sexual behaviour on campus and a committee on sexual harassment. Meanwhile, other schools like Ryerson are working toward implementing similar policies.
RSU president Rajean Hoilett previously said that pushing administration to get a protocol in place would be one of the student union’s top priorities for the winter 2015 semester. Ryerson President Sheldon Levy said a “big process” is underway at the administrative level to get a policy in place. “We’re working with the other universities … and a lot of groups have been brought in, including the student union,” Levy said. In December, he asked vice-provost of students Heather Lane Vetere to “lead a thorough examination of Ryerson’s policies, procedures, approaches and responses” to sexual assault. Vetere has since had a number of meetings with Ryerson community members, including staff, the Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson and the RSU, and is expected to report back on how Ryerson should proceed on how it handles sexual violence on campus. “(Administration’s) been great and wanting to meet with and set up a policy committee to review what we already have,” Diverlus said. ”We are just hoping to get student representation on the committee.” —With files from Dylan Freeman Grist and the Fulcrum
Photo: Sierra Bein/The Eyeopener
This photo of Peter Mansbridge holding a campaign sign was posted to MASU presidential candidate Piper Riley Thompson’s Facebook page. Photo: courtesy of The Argosy/Facebook
Peter Mansbridge denies support for student president campaign CBC anchor says quote of endorsement used in Facebook post did not come from him Tyler Stuart
The Argosy (Mount Allison University) SACKVILLE, N.B. (CUP) — When Peter Mansbridge posed in a photo with a “#Piper2015” sign, the Mount Allison chancellor said he did not know it would be used as an endorsement for Piper Riley Thompson’s campaign for president of the students’ union. Days later, the candidate and CBC anchor have distanced themselves from the campaign post. The photo was posted on Riley Thompson’s Facebook campaign page for her run for president of the Mount Allison Students’ Union (MASU) from her personal account. Five days later, the post was deleted. Accompanying the photo was a quotation attributed to Mansbridge: “I know Piper from her work on Parliament Hill as a Jaimie Anderson Parliamentary Intern and have full confidence in her ability to lead the Mount Allison Students’ Union as President.” Mansbridge said he did not say this. “I never said that, and anybody who would have printed that knows very well that I never said that,” said Mansbridge, who had been at Mt. A for the third annual Mansbridge Summit. Riley Thompson refused to say who uploaded the post, attributing it to her “campaign.” She also refused to say who else, if anyone, has access to her personal Facebook account. Riley Thompson character-
ized the situation as a series of misunderstandings on her part and others. She said her misquote of Mansbridge was a “personal, grammatical, referencing error.” Mansbridge’s former producer on CBC’s The National, Leslie Stojsic, said she was skeptical of the origin of the quotation. “No one speaks that way,” Stojsic said. “I don’t know where she got that quote.” In an interview with the Argosy, Riley Thompson effectively said the quotation was not verbatim. “It’s strung together from a conversation,” she said. “So it’s word-for-word in the sense that that’s what was expressed, but I didn’t record it.” Near the end of the summit reception, after dozens of students had taken photos with Mansbridge, Riley Thompson approached him with her campaign sign. “Anybody who would have been standing around there would know that I made it clear that this wasn’t to be used in any fashion in terms of an election campaign,” Mansbridge said. “There was no formal endorsement photo.” Multiple sources have said Mansbridge told Riley Thompson not to use the photo for her campaign. Riley Thompson said she had not heard this. MASU president Heather Webster, who has supported Riley Thompson’s campaign, argued that simply posing for the photo with the sign was an endorsement whether Mansbridge meant it to be or not. “He took a picture with a campaign material, making it a cam-
paign picture,” Webster said. Opposing presidential candidate Dylan Wooley-Berry filed a complaint with CBC’s English-language ombudsperson about Mansbridge posing for the photo, saying he felt the anchor’s conduct demonstrated poor journalistic ethics. The ombudsperson, Esther Enkin, forwarded the complaint to Jennifer McGuire, the general manager and editor-in-chief of CBC News. Wooley-Berry also filed a complaint with the MASU ombudsperson challenging Mansbridge’s behaviour in his capacity as chancellor. But the posts broke no campaign rules, according to MASU’s elections policies. Only five people are explicitly barred from endorsing candidates, all of whom are MASU staff. “There is nothing in our operating procedure that says the chancellor himself is not allowed to endorse a certain campaign,” said MASU’s chief returning officer, Rayan Bouhlel, who oversees the elections. Shortly after her interview with the Argosy, Riley Thompson posted an acknowledgement that she had deleted the post, and apologized for “causing concern for some members of the Mount Allison community.” “I acknowledge the upset that this has caused to the Mount Allison community and I apologize unreservedly,” the post reads in part. “I hope we can now return our focus to the remainder of the campaign.” —With files from Kevin Levangie, Cameron McIntyre and Richard Kent
NEWS | 9
ARTS &CULTURE
A&C EDITOR Jessica Eritou arts@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260
Shining A light on living With Anorexia How one theatre artist draws from her own struggles with an eating disorder to help others
Jessica Eritou
Arts & Culture Editor
W
hen Lisa Jeans was abruptly taken out of school to go to a psychiatric ward at the age of 15, things didn’t feel right.
Jeans had been struggling with an eating disorder at the time, but she says the blunt intervention didn’t help her—it actually slowed her recovery. “It’s very threatening,” she says. What she needed instead was empathy. Years later, Jeans wants to help open up the conversation that people like her younger self so desparately need. LIGHT, a theatre production running till the end of the month at Arts Court Theatre, follows Dr. Helen Rose, who struggles with the idea of perfection as she suffers from an eating disorder.
The play was inspired by Jeans’ own journey, as well as her past work in medical education, where she witnessed first-hand that she wasn’t the only one dealing with those problems. At the medical centres where she worked, she could see how her fellow residents would struggle through high-stress and high-stakes career paths. “You see people struggle with a number of things and one of the places (where) I was working, there were several of the group who were clearly suffering from anxiety and other things, among them anorexia,” she says. “And I thought, oh my goodness, here is my context. The character of Helen emerged through the overlapping of my two worlds I was working in.” The production’s writer, director, and lead actress, Jeans tells the story by interacting with video projects in-
Lisa Jeans explores eating disorders in a new light to promote conversation for those struggling with the disease.
volving 10 other actors, often improvising with cues from her team. LIGHT also features an educational discussion after each performance. Representatives from Hopewell, an eating disorder support organization,
alongside Dr. Iryna Ivonova from the Centre for Eating Disorder Research, engage the audience in a conversation about what they saw and learned from the play. Series curator Bronwyn Steinberg says Jeans’ idea for
Allegra Morgado Staff Contributor
For those who aren’t kept up at night by scary stories, Canadian paranormal research group Cold Spot is now recruiting case managers from the Ottawa area. It doesn’t have a sweet theme song like Ghostbusters, but the Toronto-based firm has investigated paranormal activity throughout North America since 2002. Believers from the University of Ottawa might not have to look far to do some research. The school has a couple of ghost stories of its own. Michel Prévost, the university’s chief archivist, described the stories and how students had a great interest in the ghost tours he offered last year with Community Life Service across Lowertown for a haunted walk. One of the ghost stories takes place right here in Tabaret Hall. After a fire burned down
Help wanted: ghost investigators in Ottawa U of O’s haunted history part of paranormal hotspot
Flames grew at Tabaret’s original building allegedly killing a woman who now is a gohst.
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Photo: Courtesy of Michel Prévost
Photo: Andrew Alexander
the production fit perfectly with her vision. “It’s just so relevant with eating disorders,” says Steinberg, an alumnus of the University of Ottawa’s master of fine arts in theatre. In a 2005 study, the Can-
the original Tabaret building in 1903, three people who were inside died, including one unknown woman. When the building was rebuilt, it included a residence, and students who stayed there claimed to see a woman’s ghost walking around late at night. After the residence was converted into offices in 1965, she has not reported to have been seen since . In fact, most of the Ontariobased reports that Cold Spot investigates come from Ottawa, says the group’s founder, Michelle McKay. She says her interest in the paranormal began when she was only 10 years old, living in a house she believed to be haunted. After her friends asked her to investigate their homes, she said it never stopped. McKay’s family has a background in paranormal research, with her great uncle Henry McKay being one of the former leading UFO researchers in Canada. How-
adian Mental Health Association reported that more than 500,000 Canadians suffer from eating disorders. Steinberg says LIGHT will help promote a nonthreatening environment to openly talk about them She says she can relate to the main character’s drive to meet high expectations—it’s a notion most students can relate to, and the stress comes in many forms. For anyone with a friend or loved one who struggles with an eating disorder, Jeans says the best thing to do is to let them know you’re there for them. “(That) person has to decide. You can’t really force it,” she says. Jean suggests empathy rather than intervention to help those struggling. “You’re not trying to take away their control, or impact their agency and autonomy.” LIGHT runs until Jan. 31 at Arts Court Theatre.
ever, she says she never knew about her uncle’s research until after she began her own. “I’ll never forget standing in his kitchen and telling him what I did and him telling me what he did,” she recalls. “We both stood there with our mouths dropped, just in shock.” Now that her great uncle has passed away, McKay says she’s dedicating more of her time to continuing his research and wants to keep the busy Ottawa branch buzzing. Of course, skeptics are aplenty. But she says she’s here for the believers. “I don’t waste a minute on trying to convince the skeptics, because I don’t care about the skeptics. I have nothing to prove to them,” she says. Prévost is not a believer himself, but he says there’s merit in learning about these stories. “Is it true? We don’t know,” he says. “But it’s part of our history, so for me I find it very interesting.”
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Go ahead and jerk it
Crowd-sourced tales of masturbation to be told at Arts Court show
Janoah Willsie Staff Contributor
It’s time to lend a hand, and perhaps a tissue. The popular Undercurrents festival coming soon to Arts Court has a new show in town that will get your blood pumping. Jerk It is a crowd-sourced show all about masturbation. Created and directed by May Can Theatre, an independent Ottawa-based theatre group, Jerk It takes anonymously submitted masturbation stories from the public and gives them to well-known Ottawa actors and comedians to read aloud. Madeleine Boyes-Manseau, resident member of May Can Theatre, explains that their theatre group aims to have events that are inclusive and fun by getting the audience involved. The origins of the show come from the juxtaposition
between the taboo of masturbation and its universality. By setting up the anonymous email submissions and having other people read the stories, the members of May Can Theatre put distance between the subject matter and the people sharing, making the subject accessible, fun, and surprisingly insightful. University of Ottawa theatre alumnus Patrick Gauthier describes Undercurrents as the best of independent theatre from Ottawa and the rest of the country. The festival started in 2011 as a joint project between Gauthier, who was interning at the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) in Hintonburg, and Lise Ann Johnson, who was the artistic director of the GCTC at the time. After growing at the GCTC for four years, Undercurrents moved to Arts Court, only
minutes from U of O, for this February’s events. Gauthier describes their work as riding the line between theatre and performance. Jerk It is not a play, but it is a performance piece. It deals with a subject few people talk about—especially not in a public space—and puts it right in the spotlight with plenty of humour to ease the awkwardness. “The spirit of Jerk It is to laugh at yourself,” says Gauthier. “It’s about shared experiences … of having done that. All of us.” The stories aren’t all sexy or embarrassing, says BoyesManseau. “Some of them are very insightful and touching.” It’s an all-around celebration of masturbation. Undercurrents runs Feb. 12–21 at Arts Court. All shows are pay-what-you-can for students with a valid student card.
Making their mark in fashion In the wake of OFW’s final walk, Her Campus keeps both feet on the runway Chloee Detchou Staff Contributor
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Photo: Marta Kierkus
As the city’s fashion scene recovers from the loss of one of its biggest events, some of the University of Ottawa’s most stylish students are leading the walk down the runway. The U of O’s chapter of the online magazine and community Her Campus is back to host its third annual charity fashion show called Capital Catwalk. A variety of designers will unveil their collections, including Julien Boissonnault, a fourth-year communication student at the U of O and the creative mind behind the label Julien|George. The show will also feature local fan favourites like Babes n Gents and Zarucci and even established labels from outside the city, like Montreal’s Naike. “Ottawa is becoming a lot more of a young city,” says Meaghan Hannah, external affairs intern at Her Campus and a U of O student. “This convergence of style,
fashion, and young creative designers is pushing the city into a new and exciting direction.” But despite Capital Catwalk’s success, Ottawa’s fashion scene has seen its struggles. It was dealt a big blow just this past June when Bruno Racine, artistic director of Ottawa Fashion Week (OFW), announced that the bi-annual event would be cancelled. So what makes some fashion leaders strut while others stumble? It’s hard to tell what it will take for fashion to thrive in the capital, but Her Campus’ president of events and marketing Jessica Mastronardi says it’s up to students and other young people to set the trend. “What sets us apart is that Capital Catwalk is student-run and student-attended,” says Mastronardi, “The fact that students are so dedicated and involved in the community to help out charities is a great thing.” Grace Odumo, creative director of 613 Style, agrees that it’s Her Campus’ access to young, creative people that’s kept things
Last year, rows were filled full of fashion enthusiasts for Her Campus’ show. Photo: Courtesy of Shaughnessy Photography
going strong. They rely on students to push ticket sales, a “brilliant strategy” because it’s the same audience as their publication, she says. “Their marketing is what’s helping them to thrive,” says Odumo. “That same technique wouldn’t work for Ottawa Fashion Week because it’s expected to adhere to a different standard of sales and marketing.” However, problems with marketing and maintaining an audience may have been just a small part of a much larger issue. “What happened in Ottawa isn’t an isolated event,” says Ottawa Citizen style editor Janet Wilson. “Fashion weeks the world over are experiencing problems as online shopping and discount retailers are taking a big chunk out of the business.” She says Ottawa also has to face down its rather conservative reputation. “We do have a gala crowd but not everything that was shown on the runway is suitable to wear in Ottawa.” Those who were involved in OFW remain active in the fashion community by helping out with various events, including Capital Catwalk. “There is talk that fashion bloggers would like to resurrect OFW, but most admit it’s a dream,” says Wilson. Still, the city’s most stylish can take in the latest trends Jan. 31 at the Shaw Centre, where 500 people are expected to attend Capital Catwalk. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.
ARTS & CULTURE | 11
Laughing at our own jokes
Alumnus’ new book gives lessons on what makes Canadians funny Ganeshya Kaaneeshan Contributor
Canada has a long history of unique northern-flavoured humour, and one author has set out to explain what Canadians find funny—and why. Dick Bourgeois-Doyle is a University of Ottawa alumnus who graduated in 1987 with a certificate in business administration, and is now secretary general of the National Research Council. But his latest work deals in the lighter side of life. Three years ago, he wanted to develop his skill as a writer of histories, biographies, magazines, and books. He started to study the techniques and styles of Canadian humour authors, and in the process, met many authors and others associated with humour books. From what he learned comes What’s So Funny? Les-
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sons from Canada’s Leacock Medal for Humour Writing, a collection of essays about the 67 books and authors that have received the Leacock Memorial Medal, awarded annually since 1947 for the best Canadian humour writing. The book features lighthearted moments and personal reflections on the Leacock writers he’s curated in his collection, such as Pierre Berton rolling a joint with Rick Mercer, his own failed attempt in a contest run by The Vinyl Cafe’s Stuart McLean, and his grievances against his mentor Dan Needles for not writing more books. It also includes newspaper columns, essays, and satire from other Leacock winners. The author shares anecdotes and analysis of their unique styles of humour. Bourgeois-Doyle says Canadians are mostly known for their gentler and
drier humour. “Some people wonder if you can even label Canadian sense of humour because it’s so personal … and we’re such a diverse culture,” he says. Our reputation for being overtly polite and considerate comes into play with our taste in humour, he says. After all, we are known to say sorry far too much. “Canadian jokes and humour sort of revolve around that perception,” he says. From there, our stereotypes and conflictions of kindness play a huge role in our punchlines. But that doesn’t mean we don’t offer up biting satire. He says Canadians tend to have an extra sensitivity for jokes and often deliver them in a dead-pan style, like in This Hour Has 22 Minutes, for example. Comedy can also be trickier to write than it is to convey in person. But Bourgeois-Doyle
says the medium of the joke doesn’t matter. “Only you and I can say what is funny for us personally, but it appears that most people laugh at what is labelled the incongruities of life: things that are not expected or not the way we presume they should be ... and at the same time do us no harm,” he says. Bourgeois-Doyle held a book launch event at the Comedy Night for Parkinson’s on Jan. 24—a time when laughter really was the best medicine.
What’s so funny, eh? Try being nice, says author Dick Bourgeois-Doyle.
Photo: Courtesy of Dick Bourgeois-Doyle
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From the 1800s to the roaring ‘20s U of O production turns classic opera into fun-filled musical Matthew Timmermans Contributor
Two University of Ottawa music students have turned the opera into a scandalous Hollywood soap opera. The upcoming production of Die Fledermaus features champagne, mistaken identity, love triangles, and a number of illegal and illicit activities. For first-year master of music performance student Maria Bamford, it’s the very same opera that first inspired her years ago. Much of that influence came from the hard work of the older performers in her vocal studio at the University of British Columbia. That’s where she completed her undergraduate degree in music in 2008, specializing in voice and opera. Bamford says the “tuneful melodies and large dance sequences” of the U of O’s version of Die Fledermaus make it fun for all, opera fan or not. “It’s like a musical and therefore accessible to everyone,” she says. It’s a
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lighter form of opera called an operetta, she explains, which has more links to satire with light and amusing plot lines. Sandra Graham, a U of O professor and the artistic director and choreographer of Die Fledermaus, says the production has done away with much of the historical context of the original in lieu of a grand old time. “You don’t have to understand anything to laugh,” she says. “I’ve set the production in the roaring ‘20s rather than Vienna, Austria in the late 1800s. People are drinking throughout the opera— which is outrageous because it’s prohibition time.” Bamford says it’s been easy enough to learn her parts on her own, but the hard part is bringing everyone together under a unified vision. “Every rehearsal is a struggle,” she says with a laugh. Bamford explains that it is easy to learn your part alone, however the hard part is working together to create one unified vision. “Each person’s contribution to the opera, from chorus to
leads, is essential, everyone must realize this and give it their all to make the production successful.” Rachel Lloyd, a second-year undergraduate studying music, celebrates this show as her first operatic role playing a count. Lloyd was cast as the only mezzo role, Count Orlovsky, who is a man. While preparing for the pants role, the term opera singers use for male roles performed by women, she says, “I had to learn to walk like a man to make the comedy and the story convincing, while at the same time pretending to be drunk.” For Graham who has also sung in Die Fledermaus professionally says there are many obstacles vocalists learn and overcome through performing, which will be learnt through this production at U of O. “As a singer you’re doing it every moment you’re on stage. You have to have to count on yourself to overcome each moment.” Die Fledermaus plays from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 at the Alumni Auditorium in the UCU.
The U of O production rehearses, as Jordanne Erichsen belts out her role as Rosalinde.
Photo: Marta Kierkus
ARTS & CULTURE | 13
Bridging th
How students use technology to e
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y 90-year-old grandfather wanted a laptop. It was a few years ago at the Heidehof, a long-term care facility in St. Catharines, Ont. where he now lives. For my parents who visit him on a weekly basis — and for me, or really for anyone whose elders have barely come to a proper understanding of a TV remote or a mobile phone —the request seemed to come from nowhere. It’s not that my grandfather is resistant to technology, or that he lacks the mental capacity to learn new things. It still amazes me that he knows how to operate a VCR. But my parents and I couldn’t imagine why someone his age would be interested in the online world. We later learned that during mealtimes other residents, many of them also in their 80s and 90s, would bring their laptops to the table to share their latest Internet discoveries. Naturally, grandpa grew more and more intrigued. So, my parents went out and bought him an Acer. It has been sitting on a table in his living room, unused, ever since.
Like most people his age, my grandfather has much to offer young people like me. Born in the mid-1920s, he has lived through the Great Depression, fought in World War II, and witnessed the rise of the Internet age. He can offer insight about the past by sharing his experiences and give guidance during difficult times. There's a lot he can teach me and not much I can teach him. But there is one thing I can teach him: basic computer skills. If I showed him how to turn on his laptop, how to check his
email, how to do the thousand little things that come so naturally to me, perhaps his laptop wouldn’t go to waste. In the Internet age, we Millennials are the experts. And more often than we realize, our elders now rely on us to understand the digital world around them.
The digital divide Although seniors are increasingly going online, there continues to be a digital divide between generations.
of those we interviewed automatically told us, ‘No, that’s not for me,’” she says. “But the minute we sat down with them, and the minute we showed them a little bit of the potential that these new technologies could bring to them, all of them wanted an iPad.”
With the right guidance, seniors can benefit from technology the same way younger generations have, but it means that some "major social changes" need to happen before we arrive at that point, she says.
According to Martine Lagacé, a communications professor who studies ageist communication here at the University of Ottawa, the real divide remains between those over 80 and the rest of the population. Those in their 60s and 70s have had an easier time adapting to new technology.
“We have to stop thinking that they can’t learn.”
At a certain age, many seniors begin to believe they are too old to start learning, or that it’s simply not useful for them to do so. Part of it has to do with impaired mobility and cognitive functions. Another part of it has to do with what we tell them.
A new kind of student
“One of the most prevalent stereotypes is that seniors cannot use technology. We think they’re way behind us,” says Lagacé. “The divide can partly be explained by what we tell the old people, the messages that they’re getting socially.” Lagacé recently completed a study that aims to understand how seniors perceive new technologies. She spent time with seniors in four long-term care facilities in Ottawa, showing them pictures on her iPad and asking them whether they would be interested in devices like it. “Ninety-five percent
With the pace of modern technological development, there will likely always be a digital divide between generations. But intergenerational programs that bring the young and old together can go a long way in bridging that gap.
Haik Kazarian, a U of O alumnus and owner of Studentsfor-Seniors, recalls being in class when he came up with the idea for a technology tutoring service for seniors. Launched in 2014 with the help of Anton Sestritsyn, Studentsfor-Seniors conducts in-home tutoring sessions on computers, smartphones, email, social media, and anything else involving modern technology. “People don’t really take the time to teach their grandparents how to use technology,” he says.
“When they do, there’s a little bit of condescension that goes with it. Like it’s your grandma, so you talk to her like you would your grandma: ‘Grandma, I showed you this already!’
“And so they sometimes feel like they’re imposing,” he adds. “If you don’t visit your grandma very often, she doesn’t necessarily feel like asking you to show her something on the computer. So we kind of fill that gap.” Students-for-Seniors is a result-oriented business, meaning its tutors build their clients’ curriculum around what they want to learn, whether it’s doing photo editing, online shopping, or operating smartphones. “If grandma wants to learn how to communicate with her grandson, that’s what we’re going to do,” says Kazarian. One client who lives alone, and whose only child works out of town, wanted to learn how to use Skype. Kazarian was able to show him how to use the application, and the man now video chats with his
he age gap
enrich the lives of seniors daughter “religiously.”
Kazarian believes the biggest obstacle is that seniors are still afraid of technology. Whereas youth tend to learn new programs and devices almost intuitively, older adults generally prefer to be shown. “It’s about empowering them to find answers themselves,” he says. “It’s good to encourage them to explore, but that takes time, it takes patience, and it takes actually caring.” Once they get started, seniors can become quite active on the Internet and even on social media sites. Of Kazarian’s clients who are in their 90s, one in particular stands out. Since having joined Twitter, she has tweeted thousands of times and gained hundreds of followers. “She’s excited mostly about having friends and enemies on Twitter,” he says. “People who love what she posts, and people who don’t like what she posts, and retweeting this and retweeting that, and feeling as though she is actually contributing to the interwebs.” Reta Bunbury is another one of Kazarian’s students. Since having started with Students-for-Seniors, she has learned to properly scan documents, to
organize files into folders, and to use word processors, all of which have helped with her work as national administrator for the Inner Peace Movement of Canada. Tasks that once took her days to complete now only take her a few hours.
“Until I started working with Haik, I thought I was just dumb about computers,” she recalls. “These past couple of weeks I’ve realized that it’s only because this mind isn’t trained to work with computers. So that’s all I need—someone to give me some direction.” Direction. That’s often all it takes for seniors to become more comfortable using the technologies they feel unable to learn. In turn, helping older people increase their digital literacy undermines the stereotypes we have about them. “One of the positive sides of intergenerational projects is that they help counter the ageist discourse and demonstrate to elders that you know what? You can do it too,” says Lagacé.
The benefits of intergenerational
learning The sharing of skills or knowledge between generations, referred to as intergenerational learning, is a key part of growing up and growing old. “I wouldn’t frame it in terms of benefits, I would say it’s a necessary part
of being a normal human being,” says Stuart Hammond, an assistant professor at the U of O who studies children’s moral and social development. “You have to learn intergenerationally.” In the Internet age, the bidirectional nature of intergenerational learning has arguably become even more important. According to Hammond, as kids become much more savvy at technology than their parents, we can expect to see more of a “reverse order of intergenerational learning, with kids teaching their parents.” This is good news, because every type of intergenerational relationship tends to benefit all those involved. “Most empirical research in psychology and sociology has clearly demonstrated that intergenerational relationships, of quality of course, are like a bouclier (a shield),” Lagacé explains. “They protect you from loneliness, from losing your self-esteem. You have a feeling of empowerment, a sense of identity, a sense of belonging.”
More specifically, technology can help seniors who are lonely or suffering, she says. With an iPad, for example, they can listen to old songs, look at pictures of places they grew up, or connect with their children or grandchildren. “Let’s say you’re by yourself and you have multiple diseases, you’re in a home and you don’t like bingo. If you have an iPad, you don’t need to feel isolated anymore,” she says. “I’m not saying it would solve all the problems of old age, but it can
Justin Dallaire Staff Contributor
certainly reduce substantially feelings of loneliness and feelings of low self-esteem.” Something as simple as email is often enough. At Christmas, Bunbury was in Thunder Bay visiting her daughter, granddaughter and greatgrandson, Henry. Upon her return to Ottawa, she received an email with a picture of her daughter and little Henry. “It was so nice,” she says. “It was just so much fun to see this picture of the two of them.” On the other hand, being in contact with seniors can help young people gain a better understanding of older generations. Kazarian says that as a tutor he has learned a lot about the hobbies and interests of those he mentors. Often they resemble those of young people: watching how-to videos on YouTube, looking up new recipes, and exploring Google Earth. He's also learned that many seniors tend to get lonely, and having access to technology can help. Teaching an elder about technology can therefore really make a difference. It opens the doors for seniors to connect with the world, and for Millennials to connect with their elders. If I were to take the time to show my grandfather how to use his laptop, I would be able to send him an email now and again. He could watch YouTube videos of the Lancaster Bombers he once flew in, or virtually visit the places he wants to see in Europe. He could even read this article online and leave a comment, if he wished. For all the things he has taught me over the years, hopefully I can soon say I at least taught him one.
SPORTS
SPORTS EDITOR Sarah Nolette sports@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260
The good old hockey game Sandy Hill Winter
Classic finds common ground—or ice—between locals and students Sarah Nolette Sports Editor
B
efore the first period began, all players and supporters removed their hats and sang our national anthem. It was one of the many moments when Sandy Hill locals came together with University of Ottawa students for the Sandy Hill Winter classic.
Saturday, Jan. 24 marked the second annual Sandy Hill Winter Classic hockey game open to all U of O students. It was picture perfect for organizers Evan Trofimchuk, Graeme Eastwood, Kyle Dunn, and Graeme Markell. The tournament grew to 160 players compared to last year’s 100, and attracted more sponsors and volunteers. This year’s round robin tournament format let more people stick around, bring out their friends, and hang out with some pizza and hot chocolate. Head organizer Trofimchuk began to raise money for his Ride to Conquer Cancer after his friend’s father died of cancer a few years ago. “Every year you have to raise $2,500, so the first year was easy to ask family and friends for money, but the second time, I didn’t want to pester them,” he said. “Why not get all my friends together who have a common love for hockey and outdoor sports in Sandy Hill, and
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bring some competition to the table and raise the money as a team?” This year’s tournament included a raffle and an after-party, which raised more than $3,000. “It was a fun day, especially with the snow falling during the final game,” said Markell. “It started to have healthy completion going on, just seeing how everyone was so generally receptive of the idea, and the whole cause behind the day.” The guys were surprised to see community members come out, especially those who weren’t involved in the tournament, simply to help with the cause. “I was in contact with the guy who was running the ice, so he was getting extra floods and maintenance in for us,” said Trofimchuk. “I had to pay my dues and help out by flooding the ice a couple of times. But I was always talking to him about how it was kind of cool how this tournament was integrating the students and the Sandy Hill locals, especially since there is always a clash between them.” It was likely one of few times where students were partying without upsetting the residents. Tromfimchuk was even asked by a community member how he would feel about a bunch of 40-year-old men playing in the tournament. “I told him it was open to anybody. You might pull your
Second annual Sandy Hill Winter Classic was a great success with 160 hockey players.
Photos: Marta Kierkus
groin, but it would be pretty cool if they could partake in the event.” It was crucial for the organizersto keep the tournament friendly, dry, and respectful. The four men are set to graduate this spring, but they hope the tournament will live on. “The most important thing is to keep it for charity, and keep it friendly,” said Tromfimchuk. “We hope that people keep it for what it is.”
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The nation’s number-one ranked team has been on an absolute tear since first stepping on the court this season. Their stampede over Ontario University Athletics (OUA) competition slowed but didn’t stop during one of the longest road trips of any team in the conference. The Gee-Gees first pulled into London to meet a Western Mustangs team on the edge of the country’s top 10. Although more heralded as a football rivalry, the Gee-Gees had their hands full against the province’s other pack of horses. The Mustangs’ only losses this season had come against top-ranked teams and they looked eager to take on the best.
The Gees were without the services of their injured starting point guard Mike L’Africain, pushing Medhi Tihani into the lineup. Western fought early to keep the game in reach before surrendering a 10-point lead after the first quarter. The Mustangs would rally before the half as they outscored the Gee-Gees by six-points, leaving Ottawa with a narrow five-point lead into the second half. The Ottawa squad’s starters were able to keep the Mustangs at arms length and pulled away in the fourth to secure a 90-82 win. There were a handful of times where the game was too close for comfort, but behind the performance of Caleb Agada, Johnny Berhanemeskel, and Vikas Gill, the Gee-Gees moved on un-
scathed. Conversely, the secondranked Carleton Ravens ran into the staunch defence of the number-five Windsor Lancers and were handed their second loss of the season. The Ravens’ loss could have big implications for seeding in the playoffs, but also for solidifying the Gee-Gees as the best team in the country. The Gees moved down Highway 401 to take on the strong Lancers team invigorated by the previous night’s win against Carleton. Windsor’s gym was packed as two of the nation’s best collided. Windsor could not match the size and athleticism of the Gee-Gees despite their poor shooting performance. Both teams had times when they could not settle into a rhythm, but yet again, the game was never in doubt for Ottawa.
The Gee-Gees women’s basketball team had a strong win against the Western University Mustangs in London on Jan. 23 with a 79-43 win, followed by 7647 loss 24 hours later in Windsor. “Going into the weekend with only nine players, we had a good win against Western, with over 30 points,” said team captain Kellie Ring. As for the game against
Windsor, it wasn’t the same ball game. “We started off well in the first half of the first quarter, but we weren’t ready to play, we just lost focus,” said Ring. Indeed, they were leading 7-2 with 5:21 remaining in the first, but the Lancers overtook Ottawa with just over three minutes, a lead they never regained. “We can’t hang our heads in
shame. We can learn from this in order to play better team basketball,” said Ring. “If we play on a game-by-game focus, hopefully we can peak by the end of the season.” The Gee-Gees will collect themselves for their next game coming up against Algoma on Jan. 30. They remain in first place in the Ontario University Athletics North Division.
Spencer Murdock Staff Reporter
Caleb Agada setting up the play for the Gee-Gees.
Photo: Rémi Yuan
Men’s ballers grind out wins in Southern Ontario road trip
SPORTS RECAP
Gees now 13-0 after matchups with Western and Windsor
Shorthanded women’s b-ball falls to Canada’s top team
Gee-Gees track triumphs at McGill Team Invitational
united as the women’s squads placed third in all of their events. Specifically, the 4x200-metre team of Charifa Labarang, Devyani Biswal, Gift Okwanku, and Alannah McBride ranked third with a time of 1:42:91, classing them fourth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport rankings. The Gee-Gees men’s relay team placed fourth in both the 4x400-metre (3:22.49) and 4x800-metre (8:03.38) relay, while placing an overall sixth in the 4x200m (1:29.92). The Gees competed exceptionally well in individual races. The fourth nationally-
ranked high jumper Steve Nkutsi placed third with a jump of 1.93 metres. Nelson Cecereu placed third in pole vault with 4.63 metres, breaking his season best of 4.40. Devyani Biswal placed fifth in the 60-metre hurdles, with a final time of 8:69. Meanwhile, fellow U of O student and Ottawa Lions star Sekou Kaba placed first in the 60-metre hurdles with an outstanding time of 7.86. On Jan. 30, the track team will head to their next meet in the Big Apple for the Armory Collegiate Invitational.
the board, winning all sets during the match. “We came in with a focus, and we really stuck with it. We were one step ahead of Brock throughout the match,” said libero Steph Theiler. “The third set they came out and pushed back, but I felt we responded really well.” “(They) changed up their style of play, and we had a little trouble with adjusting to it. But eventually we regained our rhythm and our lead,” added left side Kaly Soro. The team’s consistent rhythm of play has helped set the tone
for each game, said Soro. “Our serve receives and serving was good so it gave us a lot of opportunities to run our offensive plays,” she said. The team currently sits in seventh in Canadian Interuniversity Sport and second in the Ontario University Athletics East, behind the Toronto Varsity Blues who are fourth in the country. Next, the team will play two home games at Montpetit Hall, first against the Queen’s Gaels on Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. and then against the Royal Military College of Canada on Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
Tima Hacini
Staff CONTRIBUTOR The Gee-Gees track team headed to Montreal on Jan. 23 for the largest indoor track meet in Canada. The two-day McGill Team Invitational attracted about 900 athletes from across the country, and the Gees sped into the top ranks. The relay teams were
Women’s volleyball on three-game win streak Tima Hacini
Staff CONTRIBUTOR The Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team is on a roll coming off the winter break, having added a third consecutive win against the Brock Badgers on Jan. 25 with a score of 3-0. It’s also the third time in a row that the team has swept
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William Hume CONTRIBUTOR
The game ended 81-70 in the Gees’ favour. Through foul troubles and minimal bench efficiency, Gees head coach James Derouin had to rely on his star seniors to secure the victory. Guard Berhanemeskel had 22 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on the night, and forward Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue posted 18 points along with five rebounds and assists. The Gee-Gees have not seen a loss from Canadian competition since last year’s CIS final. Ottawa’s next game will be against the 0-12 Algoma Thunderbirds on Jan. 30. From there, the team will go straight into preparation for another clash with the Ravens for the Capital Hoops Classic at the Canadian Tire Centre on Feb. 6.
SPORTS | 17
Warren Ward during his final year with the Gee-Gees.
Warren Ward returns to Canada
Former Gee-Gees basketball hero joins Mississauga Power Spencer Murdock Staff reporter
Two years ago, Gee-Gees basketball superstar Warren Ward ended his five-year career at the University of Ottawa. In the time since, he practice in front of National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, signed to play professionally in Germany, and later went to play in France. Now, he’s back in the place he calls home.
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After finishing his season in Europe, he decided to find a place to play once again in Canada. Under the direction of a new agent, he found a spot on the roster of the Mississauga Power, a team that competes in the young National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC). The Brampton, Ont. native says that signing with the Power was a great opportunity to play for a hometown crowd and show off his tal-
Photo courtesy of Warren Ward
ents in a new league. “It was just the best decision for me,” said Ward. “My situation in France was good but it wasn’t what I was looking for. At the time I didn’t think it would prolong my career.” As for acclimatizing to the new competition, Ward says there’s a difference in play as the NBLC is faster-paced and more athletic but significantly less cerebral. It took four games for Ward to shake off the rust and find his form again. But in his last two games, Ward posted an astonishing 52 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists, and five steals. Despite the early success, Ward still has higher aspirations, framing his time with
the Power as just “a little chapter break” in the long run of his career. He’s still planning on returning to Europe to play in August once the season begins, but says he’s happy where he is now. With his return to Canada, Ward has been able to keep a closer eye on the basketball success of his top-ranked
alma mater. “I’m extremely proud of what they’re doing,” said Ward. “Every time I hear good news, or check the box score they’re winning by 30, or beating Carleton and nothing makes me happier than that.” Like the thousands of others that take a piece of the
Warren Ward playing for Mississauga Power in early January.
University of Ottawa with them after they graduate and move on with their careers, Ward is still proud to represent his university no matter where in the world he ends up. “There is no better school in the country,” he said. “Even if (people) didn’t know the school, they know now.”
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Photo courtesy of Mississauga Power
Toluwalope Makinde
Emily Manns
staff Contributor Toluwalope Makinde is hoping to make another CIS podium appearance during his final year.
Track and fielder shares some of his best (and worst) memories
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eet Toluwalope Makinde—or Tolu, as most people know him— member of the men’s varsity track and field team at the University of Ottawa. Finishing up his last year at the Telfer School of Management, this quick-footed Gee-Gee—not to mention former national and provincial youth champion in the 200-metre dash—is bursting with talent both on and off the field.
The Fulcrum: When did you first get involved in track and field? Toluwalope Makinde:
Early, like at five years old, everyone is forced to do track and field on that one day at school. I was the kid that just continued to run to see how much faster I could be. I only started consistently training in Grade 10.
What would you consider to be a highlight memory? My highlight as a GeeGee would definitely be the 2012 CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) track season. I came in as a rookie to join an amazing
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team of veterans. We broke a long-standing CIS national record in the 4x200-metre by close to a second, and turned around in 20 minutes to win the 4x400-metre gold as well.
Have you had any of what could be considered bad experiences in track and field? My worst experience had to be being injured last year. I was barely able to jog for five months. I took the opportunity to get stronger because you always have to make the best of a situation.
What are some of your other hobbies? Outside of track and field, I spend a lot of time on photography and playing bass guitar. I’ve always viewed myself as an artist before I viewed myself as an athlete too.
Photo credit : Dan Kilbank
brother probably had the most influence when he made the Olympics in 2012. It showed me hard work beyond talent is essential to success.
What has been your most embarrassing moment? One time in high school I was so tired at the end of a race, and I tripped after the finish line and faceplanted into the track. To make matters worse it was at the city championships. Believe me, it’s not fun.
What is your biggest pet peeve? When people aren’t paying attention and walk onto the track while others are fullout sprinting. It’s nearly impossible for a sprinter to stop their momentum that quickly. I’ve had my fair share of collisions.
Who inspires you?
What do you like most about Ottawa?
For most of my life I never really looked up to any one person. There are bits and pieces of everybody’s story that can be so revealing and inspiring. My older
The best thing about Ottawa is the diversity of people you get to meet. Also, a lot of good places to eat if you take the time to look.
SPORTS | 19
OPINIONS
Hockey team needs a blank slate
The loss of another season is a tough but necessary pill to swallow Kyle Darbyson Opinions Editor
S
ometimes the smart thing to do and the right thing to do are not necessarily the same thing.
When it comes to the fate of the remaining 22 players of University of Ottawa men’s hockey team and their now non-existent 2015–16 season, the actions of the university administration have been deeply divisive. Some believe the hockey program has been needlessly sacrificed to satisfy administrative culpability, while others are of the opinion that this hiatus is needed to
cure poisonous aspects of university sports culture. In messy situations like this—where everyone involved is caught up in such profound moral and legal minutiae—there’s really only one move they could have made: push the reset button. It may not be the right thing to do, but this situation calls for, from the wide view of things, a practical approach that will give the U of O hockey program the time and social capital it needs to properly rebuild its squad. Some may suggest this is a weak-kneed compromise, and that people in the athletics community
OPINIONS EDITOR Kyle Darbyson
opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260
In messy situations like this…there’s really only one move they could have made: push the reset button. On Jan. 16 the U of O extended the suspension of the men’s hockey team into the 2015-16 season.
should stand up to supposedly self-interested politicians like U of O president Allan Rock. However, if only from a managerial standpoint, having the team wait out the next season is still the most practical thing to do. Right now, the team is basically non-existent, without a head coach to lead them nor the necessary players to fill their ranks. To go about recruiting a new team for the upcoming season would be a disaster, since it’s unlikely they could successfully cultivate a competitive squad that could meet varsity standards in time. Furthermore, the bad
press that has accumulated surrounding the university administration and their poor handling of this situation would further hinder recruitment efforts. But aside from these logistical issues, there are the broader social implications to consider. Sexual assault is, of course, a serious topic on university campuses, with much of that scrutiny being aimed at male sports teams. And anyone who’s ever been involved in macho sports like hockey or football could tell you that the locker room is typically not a bastion of progressive discussion on social
issues. The U of O administration decided the best way to deal with this issue is to cut out at the root. It’s not necessarily the “right” approach, since 22 men are now saying their reputations have been damaged because of their association to the two that have been charged. The university also doesn’t score any points for transparency, since any evidence of possible wrongdoing on part of the remaining players has not been made public. But it’s still the “smart” move to make, since wiping the slate clean and clearing away the 2015–16 season is the most ex-
The systemic devaluing of student politics
Photo: Marta Kierkus
pedient way of showing good faith on the university’s part. While Rock and company are certainly looking to cover their own asses, they are also— whether intentionally or not— making sure there can be a hockey program to come back to in the fall of 2016. So while the suspension of the next hockey season will definitely hurt for fans, the hiatus will, hopefully, pay off in the long run. Not only will the U of O hockey program get a chance to properly rebuild itself, but they will also get a chance to cultivate a more positive, sustainable program in the process.
Serious lack of communication surrounding SFUO elections Julia Riddle and Chelsea McManus Contributors
If you’ve been a student at the University of Ottawa for more than a year, you probably know that student government elections are coming up soon. What you may not realize is that the deadline to nominate or even run as a candidate, whether that be for the executive, Senate, or Board of Administration (BOA), has already come and gone. That’s right. If you as a student had an idea to improve the way this campus is run or wanted to continue the work that’s being done, you’ve officially missed your chance. The nomination period began Jan. 12 on the first day of classes and closed on Friday, Jan. 16.
20 | OPINIONS
Election promotion this year has been pretty pitiful, consisting of passing mentions in two mass newsletters sent out by members of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) on Dec. 11 and Jan. 8. In these two emails, the upcoming election news was buried under a long list of announcements that discussed topics such as health insurance, the U-Pass for 2015, Black History Month, Green Week, tax clinics, the Winter Challenge, and the “best idea” contest. If the SFUO had been giving away a free all-inclusive trip to Cuba, most students still wouldn’t have taken note of it in such a crowded email. Other than that, efforts to involve the U of O campus in the
elections, or to inform students that they are even happening, consisted of a single notice posted on the SFUO website, again amongst a mass of other upcoming events. You don’t need to take an intro political science course to know that democratic legitimacy requires fair and open elections to exist, or that the federation elections as run on this campus don’t usually meet these basic standards. The 20-year-old that reads every email they receive is a rare breed in the year 2015. Posters, class presentations, repetitive emails, and, most importantly, promotion through existing student networks are essential to getting the word out on campus. And while it’s a shame that
these networks aren’t leveraged to promote regular student programming, it is a true blight on our campus that they aren’t used to maintain the basic integrity of our government. This doesn’t mean we should blindly or unsympathetically point fingers at any one member of the election committee or the BOA which oversees it. Organizing something as large as an election takes work, and coordinating with committees populated with busy full-time students is difficult. But elections are important and should be held to higher standards, and it’s reasonable to think that this recent slip-up will probably have serious negative consequences for the year ahead. It’s been a rough year for U
of O student politics. From the $10,000 fireworks scandal to controversial instances of racism and rape culture on campus, there have been serious questions raised on the subject of what constitutes a well-governed student body. In a year as divisive as this, student elections should present a chance to bring forth new ideas, have meaningful debate, and ultimately improve our university experience. Instead, it seems we are headed
for record lows in terms of candidates and voters, coupled with record high student apathy and toxic political discourse. That’s not the campus community we should aspire to, and not the one that will make the U of O better going forward. Julia Riddle is the president of the Economics Students Association. Chelsea McManus is the president of the Conflict Studies and Human Rights Students’ Association.
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The disparities of sympathy On Jan. 11 more than three million people took part in unity marches across France.
Photo: Olivier Ortelpa, CC
Why does violence in Paris trump mass slaughter in Baga? Colin Andrew MacDougall Contributor
The attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on the morning of Jan. 7 horrified France and the rest of the world. In response, people from across the globe, Canada included, took to the streets and social media in signs of solidarity for the victims of this unpardonable violence. On Jan. 11, more than 40 world leaders gathered in Paris along with millions of demonstrators to protest the bloodshed. In our own backyard, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quick to jump on the political bandwagon, proclaiming that “the international jihadist movement has declared war” on our freedoms. And yet, four days prior to the bloody attack on French soil, the village of Baga in northeastern Nigeria was assaulted by the terrorist group known as Boko Haram in one of its deadliest attacks yet. When the smoke cleared, the village was almost completely destroyed with up to 2,000 people killed, the victims consisting mostly of women, children, and the elderly. Just how much public outrage surrounding this event permeated the consciousness of the western world? Very little. Regrettably, this is understandable, if unfortunate.
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The privilege of being able to ignore such slaughter comes easily to the developed world. After so much misery has leaked into the news from crisis-ridden regions like Africa and the MiddleEast, the exhaustion of public and political sympathy is no surprise. With public attention spans quickly waning in the era of the 24-hour news cycle, both the media and politicians pontificate only on the most sensational stories—and what could be less sensational than a story about mass death in Africa? More to the point, world leaders remain largely mute on the mass slaughter in Nigeria because the act of echoing public outrage surrounding this event offers them little in terms of political capital. This is in stark contrast to the attacks in Paris, which provided countless heads of state with the international soapbox they needed to further their own agendas. Canada has recently seen its fair share of political opportunism. Prime Minister Harper already used the recent domestic “terrorist” attack in Ottawa as a tool to advocate increased military activity abroad and, just as with Charlie Hebdo, turn tragedy into a chance to spout “us vs. them” rhetoric. But it would be inaccurate to view this problematic phenomenon as being unique to Canada. Many of the world leaders who attended the highly-
publicized march in Paris did not attend because they truly believe in freedom of the press. In fact, figures like King Abdullah II of Jordan, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, and Prime Minister Davutoglu of Turkey all have dubious records when it comes to imprisoning journalists. Yet these leaders couldn’t deny the opportunity for a glamourous international photo-op—an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how much their governments support freedom of speech. But when it comes to the slaughter in Baga, these same leaders stand to gain nothing from linking arms in the street and singing Kumbaya together. As such, many of them have remained silent thus far. When civilians are slaughtered like livestock, world leaders and media organizations owe places like Nigeria more than casual disinterest. They owe them the dignity of general outrage.
Both the media and politicians pontificate only on the most sensational stories— and what could be less sensational than a story about mass death in Africa? OPINIONS | 21
Harper is losing his grip of the ‘national tiller’ PM’s economic narrative is slowly unraveling William Wilson Contributor
Conventional Canadian political wisdom dictates that the economy is the only issue that really matters, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper has never been shy about trying to capitalize on this mentality. Of course, the state of fiscal, monetary, and trade policies should be important to Canadian voters, but our obsessive focus on the economy has allowed Harper to survive several political scandals that would’ve easily sunk more qualified prime ministers. From the “deathbed” prorogation of Parliament in 2008 to regular violations of the Canada Elections Act, Canadians have overlooked persistent abuses of the country’s basic constitutional and democratic norms in favour of Harper’s allegedly steady hand on the “national tiller.” Extra pocket money, it seems, is the sole point of concern for contemporary politics in Canada. We’ve reduced everything to a question of balanced budgets and lower taxes, and Harper is the
22 | OPINIONS
mastermind behind this narrative. We could be actively discussing the need for a public inquiry into the disappearance of aboriginal women, or the true nature of Canada’s role in the war against ISIS. Instead we’ve opted to wait patiently in line for the next round of tax cuts. It’s under this rudimentary understanding of Canadian politics that we approach the next federal election. Harper will make his third bid for Prime Minister on the promise of balanced budgets and lower taxes, and the opposition parties will be forced to react within the narrow confines of this narrative. However, there’s a critical flaw in this strategy that doesn’t bode well for Harper’s re-election hopes: the economic narrative no longer resembles the economic reality. The recent sharp drop in international crude oil prices will undoubtedly affect federal tax revenues and hurt employment figures in the oil-producing provinces. We might see a corresponding improvement in the Ontario and Quebec economies where the manu-
facturing sector benefits from low fuel costs, but this could take years to develop. All of this has led TD Bank and the Bank of Canada to fret over the future health of the national economy. Federal deficits will likely remain a harsh reality for the immediate future, and service cuts may once again take the place of tax cuts. I have no reason to doubt the next federal budget will be magically balanced in time for the election. After all, this is the same government that turned a legitimate constitutional option into a messy “coalition crisis.” Beyond that, all bets are off. We’re now at a point where the distance between the economic narrative and the economic reality is becoming increasingly unbridgeable. While Canadians may be tolerant of Harper’s tricks at the ballot box, they’re unlikely to tolerate him playing tricks with their wallets. Harper has built up a powerful political persona that’s tied almost exclusively to the health of the national economy. As it unravels, he’ll almost certainly unravel too.
Harper has built up a powerful political persona that’s tied almost exclusively to the health of the national economy. As it unravels, he’ll almost certainly unravel too. Conservatives have made sound fiscal management the cornerstone of their re-election bid. Photo: Stephen Harper, CC, flickr.com
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Students look to give January the boot U of O activists want to officially remove month from the calendar
The January Blues is the third leading cause of student apathy, right behind Cheetos and Netflix. Photo: Rémi Yuan.
Kyle Darbyson
or Tomato Edit
Hundreds of University of Ottawa students have camped out on Parliament Hill over the last couple of days in the hopes of bringing about radical calendar reform.
These students may have different motivations for doing so, but they are all united under one common goal: to officially remove the month of January from the Gregorian calendar in Canada. “To put it bluntly, January is just the worst,” said Adrian
Parker, a U of O sociology student and leader of the protest. “It’s cold, everyone’s suffering from holiday withdrawal, and it always serves as a stinging reminder that we are all going to die. So, yeah, I think we can do without it.” Unlike popular protest movements like Occupy Wall Street, this group of protesters has a specific plan to set this kind of change in motion. In an exclusive interview with the Tomato, Parker expressed the idea that the month of February should completely absorb January, resulting in a 59-day “super-month.” “Some might say that we are not solving the problem with this kind of ‘super-month’ strategy, but they are missing the point,” said Parker. “The very name ‘January’ is a symbol, a symbol of misery, depression, and shrunken testicles. Without this poisonous label on our calendars, the beginning of the year loses a lot of its
evil power.” Although Parker’s group of calendar reformists started out with only modest numbers, the size of the protest at Parliament quickly swelled to hundreds after the hashtag #BanJan became a trending topic on social media. One of the largest demographics that joined Parker’s group consists of students who celebrate birthdays at the very beginning of the year. “Whenever my birthday comes around, I always feel like some kind of leper,” said Jason Burns, a human kinetics student. “No one wants to hang out at the bar because they are shackled to their New Year’s resolutions to drink less and eat healthier food. It’s a real bummer.” Another large part of the protest group consists of members of the Revolutionary Student Movement (RSM), who took a break from launching passionate cru-
“January is just the worst. It’s cold, everyone’s suffering from holiday withdrawal, and it always serves as a stinging reminder that we are all going to die.” —Adrian Parker, calendar reformist
sades against student tuition hikes to tackle issues that really matter. “We firmly believe the month of January is a tool of oppression, used by powerful groups to forward a hierarchical and unjust capitalist agenda,” said an anonymous RSM representative. “Plus, you know, all the movies that come out during this month are total garbage.” Members of Parliament have yet to officially meet with the leaders of the protest group, possibly because none of them are sure who
within the government is actually in charge of managing measurements of time. Despite this initial setback, Parker and the rest of his ardent calendar reformists remain optimistic about the future. “Today I had a really constructive talk with U of O president Allan Rock,” said Parker. “Turns out he’s sympathetic to our cause, and is looking to install a new rule where the winter school semester can begin no earlier than February. Now that’s what I call progress.”
Flat butt yoga pants gaining popularity Women buy new athletic wear to protest big booty culture
on Kyle Darbys
Tomato Editor
For the last several years, form-fitting yoga pants have been a wardrobe staple for women everywhere. But over the last couple of months, nationwide sales of “reverse” yoga pants have reached an all-time high. While they possess the same sporty quality of traditional athletic leggings, these new yoga pants are designed to make the wearer’s butt look as flat as possible. “This optical illusion is accomplished through the use of a super-secret polyester and spandex blend,” said Adrian Derri-Hare, founder of the trailblazing reverse yoga pants brand FLATery. “It provides our customers with the comfort they are looking for, along with that two-dimensional look that’s all the rage right now.”
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In an exclusive interview with the Tomato, Derri-Hare said her unique brand of yoga pants has gained such popularity because so many people are exhausted by the prominence of “big booty culture.” This kind of sentiment is echoed by U of O students like Alexis Fogel, a proud owner of FLATery’s latest line of athletic wear. “Everywhere I go I get visually assaulted by big booty,” said Fogel. “I see it in music videos, YouTube clips, social media posts… I even see people twerking when I visit the post office.” This new line of yoga pants is also getting some support from self-described members of the “big booty” community, with some women claiming that clothing lines like FLATery shield them from irrational public fear and prejudice. “Whenever I eat out restaurant staff give my butt this terrified look, like it’s going to
destroy all their chairs and furniture,” said Rachel Gallagher, a U of O political science student. “Now, thanks to FLATery, I can go out in public without feeling like an apple-bottomed bull in a china shop.” However, not everybody has reacted favourably to
the newfound popularity of clothing lines like FLATery, believing it to be a form of corporate booty-shaming. Despite these concerns, Derri-Hare’s FLATery yoga pants continue to break sales records and re-define the way Canadians look at athletic butts.
“Thanks to FLATery, I can go out in public without feeling like an apple-bottomed bull in a china shop.” —Rachel Gallagher, U of O political science student Sales for FLATery attire are poised to eclipse Lululemon in Canada. Photo: Rémi Yuan.
THE TOMATO | 23
DISTRACTIONS
Dear Di
Dear Di,
My roommate’s best friend often comes out with us when we go out downtown, and unfortunately, every time this girl has come over we all want to gag at her body odour. Apparently someone let her in on her smell, or she realized her self-stench, and she went to the doctor a week ago. The diagnosis? Boob yeast. I don’t want to ask her about it, I don’t want to look it up online, and I definitely don’t want it myself. Di, can you shed a little light on this eau de boob?
—Say No to B.O.
Dear SNBO,
Intertrigo, or breast yeast, as you so delicately learned, is a yeast infection that comes from folds of skin rubbing against each other. In your friend’s case, that means the skin under her breasts. This unpleasant condition is most common in gals who are well-endowed up top, but it’s a reminder for us all to give our lady lumps the breathing space they deserve by keeping them dry and cool as much as possible. Breast yeast usually results in redness, swelling, and itchiness, and although it may also be contributing to the cause of the smell you be sniffin’, breast yeast usually doesn’t cause serious body odour. Perhaps your roommate’s friend has a few other hygiene issues to consider beyond her breasts. Thankfully now that your friend has gone to the doc, she should be on the road to recovery. Funnily enough, the most common treatment is the same medication that is used for male jock itch. Now, a few hints for you: Make sure your own tatas are nice and dry before you dress them, aim for bras that have breathable fabric whenever possible, and always remember to shower after you get sweaty. Stay fresh!
Love, Di P.S. Want a little more? Check out “Anal Pleasure and Health,” a book by Jack Morin. Available at Venus Envy.
24 | DISTRACTIONS
Dear Di,
Distractions
FEATURES EDITOR Jesse Colautti
features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260
Sex Researcher Profile
Getting the goods:
As both a researcher and a part-time professor in the Human Sexuality Research Laboratory here at the U The U of O’s of O, Dr. Armstrong knows research on sex her sex stuff. She’s had experience studying it r. Heather Armstrong’s across North America at research focuses on the University of British Columbia, at the Centre —Prostate Pleasure the reasons for women choosing to engage in sex, for Disease Control and Dear PP, either casual or with a Prevention in Georgia, and In all my years of sexpertise, I’ve never commitment. Her work now here in Ottawa. had a question too kinky! Although anal If you want to take play does sometimes get a kinky rap, it’s a has found that casual sex a class with her, Dr. sexual practice that any and all can enjoy. is preferred for physical Armstrong is currently Kudos for doing your research: As you reasons, while sex has seem to be aware, the point of most pene- more emotional ties when teaching human sexual trative pleasure for men is indeed the pros- a woman is in a longbehaviour (PSY3122), social tate, which is a gland located inside the anal term relationship. Dr. motivation (PSY3109), canal. Despite its sensual nerve endings, Armstrong also conducts and introduction to applied the main function of the prostate is to help research on minorities, psychology (PSY 1102). with reproduction, secreting a fluid that whether by gender or sexual Think it’s interesting? You helps sperm move and live longer once they orientation. can email her at heather. are ejaculated from the tip of the penis. armstrong@uottawa.ca. It’s a good idea to ensure your partner is I don’t think you’ve ever addressed this question before in your column and I hope it isn’t too kinky. My partner loves being anally stimulated and I would like to learn how to give him a prostate massage. I think it would be an amazing addition to our sex life. I just want to make sure I know the proper technique so I hit the right spot.
D
relaxed and comfortable before you start stoking his fires. A great way to do this is to take a warm bath together or begin with a sensual body massage. If you’re concerned about safety, which is always a good idea, remember that you can wear thin gloves with lubricant to minimize the chances of STIs or infections and still provide a good backside rub. Make sure your nails are nice and smooth and that you have massage oil or lubricant close by. You can start with a little external stimulation, using your fingertips to gently caress, stroke, or rub your partner’s perineum—this is the area of skin under his testicles towards his anus. This is an especially erogenous area—some men can orgasm through prostate stimulation alone—and the sensations here will add to his arousal, especially if you use your other hand to provide more pleasure to other areas of his body. Your partner should communicate what feels good, and when you’re ready for entry, you can insert one or several fingers into his anus. This part takes a little experimentation to find optimal positioning for the best penetration sensation. Move your fingers in an upward motion towards the front of his body, and gently probe for a small round knob of tissue—this is the jackpot! Here, move your fingers in a “come hither” motion and use the pads of your fingers to massage the prostate, keeping clear lines of communication with your partner for speed, pressure, and other stimulation. He should be ready for take-off in no time! My last point of advice: don’t be too anal about perfecting your prostate probing. Practice makes perfect, and I hope this advice for a rectal rub hits the spot!
Love, Di
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Jan.29 to Feb.24 2015
THRYLLABUS
MUSIC arts
.Thursday,
Jan. 29
August Burns Red w/ Miss May I and Northlane, Bronson Centre — 6 p.m. Les Miserables, Centrepoint Theatre — 7:30 p.m. Ottawa Senators vs. Dallas Stars, Canadian Tire Centre — 7:30 p.m.
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Thursday, Feb. 5
Lowell, House of TARG —9:30 p.m.
Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals, Canadian Tire Centre — 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30 Still Alice begins playing at Bytowne Cinema Fast Romantics + Repartee, Zaphod Beeblebrox — 8 p.m. Mental Fix w/ Dead Weights and Police Funeral, House of TARG — 9 p.m. SHAMELESS, Babylon Club — 10 p.m. Philippe B, National Arts Centre — 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 6 Red Army begins playing at Bytowne Cinema M &W Swimming: OUA Championships, Montpetit Gym —10 a.m. Capital Hoops: M & W Basketball vs. Carleton, Canadian Tire Centre — 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 7
Saturday, Jan. 31
Stars and Hey Rosetta!, National Arts Centre — 8 p.m.
Death From Above 1979 w/ Metz, PS I Love you, Bronson Centre — 7 p.m.
Ottawa Senators vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Canadian Tire Centre — 7 p.m.
Ottawa Senators vs. Arizona Coyotes, Canadian Tire Centre — 3 p.m.
M &W Swimming: OUA Championships, Montpetit Gym — 10 a.m.
The Peptides, Black Sheep Inn — 8:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 9
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mayfair Theatre — 11 p.m.
La Grande Illusion begins playing at Bytowne Cinema
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Thinking
Alestorm, Swashbuckle, The Dead Crew of Oddwood, & The Night Watch, Mavericks Bar — 9 p.m.
Shaping Sound, Centrepoint Theatre — 8 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 2
FUN
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Dear White People, Mayfair Theatre — 9 p.m.
GOOD2GO + Mere Humans, House of TARG — 9 p.m.
Sports
Matt Davis, Absolute Comedy — 8:30 p.m.
Cracking up the Capital Comedy Festival begins at TD Place Arena
Walking The Camino: Six Ways to Santiago begins playing at Bytowne Cinema
Thursday, Feb. 12 Terrorists, Guns, and Drugs: The Application of Social Network Analysis to Illicit Transborder Networks, Faculty of Social Sciences Building — 3 p.m. Pierre Kwenders, National Arts Centre — 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 13 2014 Cannes International Advertising Festival, Bytowne Cinema— 6:55 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 14 Casablanca begins showing at Bytowne Cinema Sarah MacDougall, National Arts Centre — 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 17 Nickelback, Canadian Tire Centre — 8 p.m. For those who don’t enjoy music.
Thursday, Feb. 19 Florida Georgia Line with Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard, Canadian Tire Centre — 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 20 M &W Basketball vs. Nipissing, Montpetit Gym — 6 p.m. Bryan Adams, Canadian Tire Centre — 8 p.m. The Mohrs + The Mandevilles, Zaphod Beeblebrox — 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 21 M &W Basketball vs. Laurentian, Montpetit Gym — 6 p.m. Veterans of SNL: Rob Schneider and Jon Lovitz, Centrepoint Theatre — 7 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 23 Toward a Cultural Political Economy of Canadian Foreign Policy in the Americas, Faculty of Social Sciences Building — 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 24 Tara Holloway, National Arts Centre — 7:30 a.m.
DISTRACTIONS | 25
26 |
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EDITORIAL Volume 75, Issue 17, January 15, 2014 Doing the Charleston since 1942. Phone: (613) 562-5261 | Fax: (613) 562-5259 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this or we’ll give you a Bronx cheer.
staff Sabrina “bee’s knees” Nemis Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcum.ca Adam “cat’s pyjamas” Ashby Gibbard Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Adam “copacetic” Feibel Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Marta “giggle water” Kierkus Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “orchid” Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Jessica “juice joint” Eritou Arts & Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Jesse “whoopee” Colautti Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca
Reconsider the code of conduct
Sarah “sheba” Nolette Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca
R
Chantale “ducky” Streeting Webmaster
umours about an impending student code of conduct have been circulating since Allan Rock took office as university president in 2008. Over the years, elected Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) officials have raised concerns that students should not be penalized academically for non-academic infractions. Since 2008, Rock has responded to these concerns by saying that introducing a code of conduct was not a priority for him.
Deidre “bearcat” Butters Ad Manager ads@thefulcrum.ca
This has appeared to be true, until now.
Andrew ”spiffy” Hawley General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca
In the past year, discussions about rape culture have come up on campuses across the country. At the University of Ottawa, this has been underlined by inappropriate messages about Anne-Marie Roy on Facebook and two varsity hockey players being charged with sexually assaulting a woman while travelling with the team last winter. Both the SFUO and university administration have stated intentions to address systemic and organizational weaknesses on campus that help prop up a culture where this kind of behaviour is considered acceptable. However, it is difficult to address student behaviour directly because the university is not supposed to have jurisdiction over nonacademic behaviour.
Kyle “the darb” Darbyson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “tomato” Van Dyk Online Editor online@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “balled up” Murdock Staff Reporter Remi “dapper” Yuan Staff Photographer Lindsay “caper” MacMillan Associate News Editor Moussa “torpedo” Sangaré-Ponce Associate Online Editor Annalise “dame” Mathers Associate Features Editor Savannah “applesauce” Awde Staff Proofreader
Contributors Brennan “beeswax” Bova Colin Andrew “bluenose” MacDougall William “berries” Wilson Allegra “breezer” Morgado Janoah “flivver” Willsie Chloee “bird” Detchou William “fly boy” Hume Tima “deb” Hacini Deborah “glad rags” Sogelola Miriam “doll” Saslove Beatrice “heebie jeebies” Au Matthew “baloney” Timmermans Ganeshya “jalopy” Kaaneeshan Justin “keen” Dallaire Emily “bell bottom” Manns Julia “dough” Riddle Chelsea “flapper” McManus
a Cover art A) Marta Kierkus (illustration)
& Adam Gibbard
(colouring/text)
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Except they do. Sometimes. A report by the university ombudsperson has revealed that students are sometimes barred from being on campus, and therefore attending class, due to non-academic infractions reported to Protection Services. Some infractions are reported to the deans of the students’ faculties and some are not. Without a clear policy in place on how to deal with these infractions, it’s unclear what the university expects Protection Services to do. This is where a code of conduct might not be a bad idea. No one wants to have their university career derailed by actions made in their private lives. But when students engage in behaviour that puts others at risk ,and the university is made aware of this, it seems reasonable that action should be taken to protect the rest of the student body. What’s more disconcerting than being penalized for nonacademic infractions is an inconsistent system of applying sanctions without an appeals process. Without a code of conduct, the university is in a position where they can respond to infractions however they want and students have no recourse. While the SFUO raises reasonable concerns about the blurring of lines between
private and public life, the reality is that those lines are already blurred. Not just at the university, but throughout modern society. If someone posts a tweet their company feels is inappropriate, it’s expected that this person could lose their job. We can argue the ethics of this, but it still stands as the reality we presently live in. Many professions have governing bodies that define the standards practising professionals must live up to, and there are specific sanctions and appeals processes in place if their members fail to meet these standards. For example, the Ontario College of Teachers outlines five standards of practice for their members, not to monitor teachers’ daily lives, but to ensure that parents and students can expect a level of professionalism from members of the college. Should a teacher fail to meet one of these standards, there is a set process by which complaints are addressed, including an appeals process. The most frightening implication of not having a code of conduct at the U of O is that students presently don’t know what standards they are being held to, and they also don’t know what disciplinary measures they might face if they fail to meet these unknown standards.
A code of conduct is not an infantilizing body set up to treat university students like children, but a set of standards that makes sure that everyone is on the same page. Student expectations are made clear. Expectations for Protection Services and any other university body involved in meting out sanctions are also clear. Further, a system of appeals is put in place when disputes do occur. Rather than resisting, the SFUO ought to make efforts to be part of the conversation on what goes into the code of conduct. Students want to feel safe at their school, and this is an opportunity to ensure policy is not reinforcing systemic issues like sexual violence. There is a time for protest and sometimes that is the best way to protect student interest. This is not one of those times. Students are already being sanctioned for non-academic infractions, and when the safety of other students is in question, that is entirely appropriate. What the SFUO needs to do to protect student interests is to stop shutting down the conversation and make sure they get a seat at the table. The university created a task force to decide what should go into a code of conduct. This is happening. The best thing the SFUO can do is put down the protest signs and speak up for students.
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