The Fulcrum - Vol 75 Issue 25

VOL.75 ISSUE 24 MARCH 26, 2015

Ottawa's little

Iron Man

P.7

IN THIS ISSUE Suite deal for new rez P.5

Rideau St. hotel to become residence

100 strong P.6

GSAÉD election sees dismal turnout

Pop’s popularity P.10 Catchy tunes in focus at student’s TEDx talk

The youth ballot P.14 How student votes can reflect federal elections

Rockin’ the roller skate P.16

Students part of roller derby comeback

Life after basketball P.17

Gees stars plan their exit strategies

Stand on guard for thee P.20

How should we protect our war memorial soldiers

Time to duel! P.23 Gladiator combat replaces final exams

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Second strikeout for general assembly Student leaders agree next GAs need to be on campus to raise attendance Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor

I

t took two referendums to instate general assemblies as the highest decisionmaking body of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO)—and after two attempts they still have yet to meet quorum.

Only 107 students showed up to the Shaw Centre on March 24 to vote on 11 motions.

The number fell 230 short of quorum. The first GA in November was fewer than a dozen students short.

“I’m definitely a little bit disappointed that we didn’t get our quorum. I think we have a lot to reflect on why that is,” said SFUO president AnneMarie Roy. “There are six of us on the executive and we do our best to promote … but we are limited in what we can accomplish,” she said, pointing to the 1,100 students who signed petitions in support of the various motions, most of whom didn’t show up.

“If you have a motion and you want to reach quorum and want to debate it and vote on it, you have a role to play in making sure that collectively we can reach that goal.”

Roy said the motions didn’t interest voters as much as the ones from previous GA, such as the student strike motion, which had many students attend the GA solely to oppose it.

Tony Bui, a third-year political science student, submitted a motion on electoral reform that called for a ban on the slate system, to have spoiled ballots counted and made public along with the official result, and “to make SFUO elections fairer overall.”

Bui said he was very frustrated “to hear blame coming from the executives saying that we were responsible for getting people out.”

“That responsibility was part of the SFUO, regardless of how many people sit on there,” he said, citing a lack of promotion as the reason why the GA didn’t reach quorum.

4 | NEWS

Ikram Hamoud addresses online comments Vice-president social Ikram Hamoud read a statement in response to comments she has received throughout the year, saying she’s been called a terrorist, a monkey, and told to go back to her own country, among other things.

“Tensions regarding racism on campus erupted last March during the first In My Skin event,” said Hamoud, referring to an event that many criticized for separating students by skin colour.

“Throughout this process, my name was then dragged by the medias, on and off campus, and by some students, including some in the room, creating an environment that made me nervous even walking on campus alone.”

She also addressed the failure of the Racialized Student Centre referendum during the SFUO elections in February. “Racialized students faced racism once again when they were denied this space,” she said.

Hamoud has been heavily criticized for her performance as vice-president social this year, namely by several members of various federated bodies that have circulated a petition to have her impeached. At last count, the list had almost 700 signatures. Hamoud also addressed comments made on the SFUO Does Not Represent Me page on Facebook.

“A federated body vp social commented on a status on this page claiming that I’m too busy fighting white supremacy to do my job ... as if fighting racism on campus is a pet project rather than a necessity of this work,” she said.

Later, Hamoud explained in an interview with the Fulcrum why she used the GA to address those comments.

“I think it’s something that had to be said and be talked about,” she said. “I’ve been going through that since I’ve been at the SFUO as an executive.”

The administrator of the Facebook page, who has held onto anonymity, said that they’re not sure where Hamoud’s claims of racism are

coming from,“but if it’s about this group, I can guarantee it is not at all true.”

“I have a strict no race talk (policy) on this page, but even then I haven’t seen nor had to delete a single rude post against her,” said the administrator, who added they’ve had to “block and ban her friends from the page for spamming it with comments calling everyone (even non-white commenters) racist white supremacists.”

Revolutionary Student Movement leaves in protest The Revolutionary Student Movement (RSM) stormed out at the beginning of question period in protest of the GA’s off-campus location, lack of academic amnesty, and poor timing. The group also occupied the SFUO’s office, among several other locations on campus, to protest the GAs. The RSM put forward a motion at the last GA to investigate the possibility of a student strike. Due to fierce opposition, Roy said she would personally table the motion to the next GA, rather than have the Board of Administration vote on how to proceed.

However upon reviewing the SFUO’s constitution, Roy said she discovered that she didn’t actually have the authority to table motions to the GA, and that the RSM would have to resubmit their motion. The RSM said they weren’t informed of this change ahead of time.

Jean-Philippe Ouellet, an RSM member who championed the general assembly referendum last year, reiterated the group’s complaints about the GA’s logistics but said he remains optimistic about next year.

“We think they’re instrumental in creating the culture of democratic participation … and we will do everything we can next year to make that happen,” he said.

pus and acquiring academic amnesty “will be key,” adding that he will look into holding the assemblies earlier in the year. He also emphasized reaching out to students more, and including federated bodies, clubs, and services when it comes to promoting the events.

“It’s the highest democratic thing we can do on campus. It should be upheld, and it should be functional,” he said.

Hadi Wess, incoming vicepresident social, said he agrees with Roy that students in charge of the motion should have done more to mobilize students.

“Six members cannot promote an event that big to the whole student population,” said Wess, though as an exec next year he said he’ll start promoting “five months in advance.”

The general assembly ended with the chair informing the room that they had overrun the 20-minute question period, which sparked complaints among several members of the audience, similar to the last GA. All 11 motions will be tabled to the next Board of Administration meeting on April 8.

—With files from Spencer Murdock

Future execs reflect on the night’s events David Gakwerere, president-elect of next year’s SFUO executive, commented on how he’s going to approach running the GAs next year.

He said having GAs on cam-

Photos: Rémi Yuan

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Man charged in St. Patrick's Day stabbing Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor

Ottawa police have charged a 37-year-old man following a stabbing incident that occurred at the University of Ottawa on March 18 at 1:23 a.m.

Jean Robert Degazon is facing assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and possession of dangerous weapons, after an altercation on the 100 block of University Private.

Nicole Desnoyers, vice-president of services and communications of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa, confirmed the incident occurred on the terrace of 1848.

The victim sustained several injuries, but

The terrace outside 1848.

Photo: Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi

none were life-threatening.

Degazon appeared in court the following afternoon, according to police.

The university did not want to comment on the incident, or confirm whether Degaon was a student.

The University of Ottawa will convert the former Quality Hotel on Rideau Street and King Edward Avenue and open a new residence building by September. Photo: Joshua Hands

U of O to convert Quality Hotel into student rez Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor

The University of Ottawa has announced plans to open their third new residence in 12 months, renovating the Quality Hotel at Rideau Street and King Edward Avenue into a 414-room residence.

The new property will help ease the pressure of the U of O’s housing needs and beat back competition from private developers in the area. By September the university will be able to house 4,000 first-year students on or near campus, up by almost 1,000 spaces in a year.

“We see this as really a win-win across the board,” said Michel Guilbeault, director of Housing Service.

Guilbeault said the hotel was chosen because of its proximity to campus and nearby amenities. “A hotel conversion can be done rather quickly,” he said, adding that the university plans to open the Rideau residence by September.

The new residence will be one of the more expensive options for incoming first-year students, at around $825 per month.

But Guilbault said the cost includes many services such as 24/7 staff, cable, and Internet. Each room will have additional features like air conditioning, double beds, a kitchen, a full ensuite bathroom, and a flat screen TV. Meal plans will not be mandatory for new residents. The university is also looking into including commercial businesses in the building.

Similar to the Friel residence, the Rideau residence will have a 24/7 reception desk and

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security, with community advisors and partnerships with Protection Services and Foot Patrol to ensure students walking home after evening classes feel safe.

Despite its location in the heart of downtown, a bit further from campus than other residence buildings, students living at Friel were among the most satisfied with safety in recent surveys, according to Guilbeault.

The U of O will also be opening an 172-unit residence on Henderson Avenue this fall.

Members of the Friel residence have worked

“We see this as really a win-win across the board.” —Michel Guilbeault, director of Housing Service on numerous initiatives to become a part of the surrounding community, according to Carine Bélanger, the resident coordinator, who said community engagement was something she wanted to focus on specifically when she took the job last summer.

“We worked really closely with the centre of community and global engagement,” she said, having hosted four “very successful" events.

According to Bélanger, Housing Services is also developing a "living learning community” that will work specifically on community engagement projects.

NEWS | 5

One hundred students vote in GSAÉD elections Independent candidate takes only contested race Lindsay MacMillan Associate News Editor

The unofficial election results for the Graduate Students' Association (GSAÉD) came in late March 19, with an independent candidate winning the only contested race among five allied candidates.

One hundred graduate students voted out of a total 6,300 eligible voters. Almost double that number voted in last year’s election. The GSAÉD constitution doesn't identify a minimum number of votes necessary for an election.

The only contested race in the election was for the university affairs commissioner. Giancarlo Cerquozzi, who ran independently, received 52 votes, while the Alliance slate's candidate William El Khoury received 35 votes.

Cerquozzi thanked students for the opportunity, saying “it’s imperative that GSAÉD engages with graduate students and increases participation, engagement, and interest over

the next year.”

El Khoury called the election an “amazing and motivating” experience, adding that while not a member of the executive, he is still part of GSAÉD. “I’m extremely happy that the rest of the Alliance made it and I would like to congratulate my teammates. Giancarlo has a great platform and I support him completely, I'll make sure he follows through, and I wish him all the luck.”

El Khoury was the only international student in the running.

All executive candidates who ran unopposed were also all part of the Alliance slate, and were voted in. For internal commissioner, Antoine Przyblak-Brouillard received 65 votes in favour and 20 opposed. Incoming external commissioner Kelly-Dawn Clarahan had 70 votes to 16. For student life commissioner, Nicolette Addesa went 70 for and 18 against.

Finance commissioner Matthew Lafrenière received 67 votes for and 18 votes against.

Lafrenière, who is also running for a Liberal

Nicolette Addesa, left, Antoine Przybylak-Brouillard, Matthew Lafreniere, Giancarlo Cerquozzi, William El Khoury, Robert Head, and Ali Shaker participated in two debates in the week leading up to the GSAÉD election.

Photo: Lindsay MacMillan

nomination for MP in Simcoe North, previously said if he were to win both positions, he would choose to represent Simcoe North.

Both representatives for the university Sen-

ate were elected. Ali Shaker will represent humanities and Marie-France Paré will represent science. Robert Head was elected to the Board of Governors.

Forum looks to turn rape culture into consent culture Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor

The Canadian Federation of Students’ (CFS) national consent culture forum this past week brought members of student unions across the country to Ottawa to discuss how sexualized violence on campus is being addressed.

Meanwhile, the U of O chapter of the Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) held a silent auction, and invited several experts to discuss rape culture in local terms.

Lawyers Silmi Abdullah and Karin Galldin, University of Ottawa law professor Elizabeth Sheehy, and activist Julie Lalonde analyzed the 11 recommenda-

6 | NEWS

tions the university's Task Force on Respect and Equality made to the administration in January.

The U of O created the task force in response to several events over the last year.

They’re now in the process of finalizing the action team which will be charged with implementing the recommendations.

“I know in the last year we talked a lot about rape culture, but we want to take our culture from a rape culture to a consent culture,” said Anne-Marie Roy, president of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), who spoke at the CFS's conference and who's part of the task force's action team until her mandate with the SFUO finishes up in May. Last February, Roy was the subject of a sexually graphic Facebook conversation between several student leaders who resigned after the chat was made public. A few days later, Thunder Bay police broke the high-profile news of an alleged sexual assault by members of the men’s hockey team. In November, another student leader resigned from his position after allegedly sexually harassing a first-year student during 101 Week.

Roy said these events have shifted the dialogue around sexualized violence on campus.

“I remember last March giving interviews and the media asking me, ‘What do you mean by rape culture? What is that?’” said Roy, adding that some thought she made the term up.

Feminists first coined the term in the 1970s to bring attention to the prevalence of sexual violence in American society.

“I feel now society is recognizing its existence and having a dia-

logue around the issue,” said Roy. The Government of Ontario’s sexual assault policy, introduced this month by Kathleen Wynne, puts the province ahead of rest of the country, said Roy. Lalonde, who first got involved in anti-sexual violence activism when she campaigned for six years to create a sexual assault centre at Carleton University, will also be on the university's action team.

She was brought in to weigh in on the importance of involving the greater Ottawa community in the U of O’s sexual assault policy.

“One of the biggest pieces is that they’re just not working with communities,” said Lalonde.

“You have all of these amazing people in your community … why don’t you bring them into the fold? Why don’t you integrate them and their perspectives into the work happening around campuses?”

Lalonde said that U of O president Allan Rock wants the recommendations to be implemented by next spring before his mandate as president is finished.

Problems haven't only been at the U of O, however. Several highly publicized events and issues have recently forced postsecondary institutions across the country to address sexual violence on campus.

“Our big concern right now is that there seems to be this trend, talking about sexual assault policies and pumping them out really quickly,” said Roy. “We’d rather have our institutions take the time to consult students and to write long, well-versed policies that are actually effective.”

The action team plans to have all 11 recommendations implemented by next spring.

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Ottawa’s little Iron Man Prosthetic hand contest makes local boy's superhero dreams come true Spencer Murdock Staff Reporter

With the help of University of Ottawa students, six-year-old Sebastian Chavarria has become a reallife superhero.

Due to a partially deformed left hand, Sebastian hasn’t been able to join his friends in most games and sports.

Three months ago, the Faculty of Engineering challenged the U of O community to build him a prosthetic hand using only 3D-printed materials at the university's Makerspace.

The faculty held a presentation where Sebastian showed off the Iron Man-inspired prosthetic he chose from a set of finalists on March 20.

Sebastian’s mother Lety Chavarria spoke of the challenges children in need of prosthetics face in a previous edition of the Fulcrum.

“Children grow so much every year, no one would be able to afford that many prosthetic limbs if they all cost $20,000,” she said. “With these printers, we can allow him to have (the) use of the hand now, so he can play sports, and do other things all children should be able to do.”

The goal was to create something that was functional but also low-cost to supplement the expensive alternatives sold in the medical market.

Second-year biomedical mechanical engineering students Shannon Lee and Robert Rayson designed the winning hand, winning them a $1,000 prize.

“It’s actually really inspiring to be able to use your engineering knowledge—it’s much more engaging to do this than calculus," said Rayson. “I can actually

apply what I’ve learned to physically see the mechanical principles I’ve studied in action. It has been a lot of tough work but it has been very rewarding.”

Members of the Makerspace and the faculty said they're "extremely proud" of the response to their first project, and are excited to continue giving back to the community.

“It makes us extremely proud that the Faculty of Engineering, seeing this kind of initiative happen,” said Frank Bouchard, manager of outreach programs for the faculty.

“Having a facility like Makerspace where we run competitions and provide a resource to a client in need makes the university experience more relevant to the students,” he said.

The faculty also announced future plans for the Makerspace.

In the coming months, the faculty will be fundraising for the Makermobile, a truck that will travel to schools and libraries around Ottawa to teach youth about 3D-printing technology.

“We’re using the model of a lot of top universities in the United States, like MIT and Stanford, where they have made Makerspace-type facilities at their faculties,” said Bouchard.

“They’ve gone in the direction of getting a truck and going into the community and showing that these technologies are becoming more and more commonplace. If we introduce these technologies at a very early age, later on when they are very mainstream they will have that edge above everybody else.”

The Faculty of Engineering will soon launch the fundraiser to finance the vehicole in hopes of having it on the road this September,.

“After about 20 Dragon’s Den comments, I decided to figure out ... how to actually get onto Dragon’s Den.” —Toby Maurice, co-founder of Wipebook

Six-year-old Sebastian Chavarria tries out his new Marvel Comics-inspired prosthetic hand, made by two biomedical mechanical engineering students. Photo: Rémi Yuan

Wipebook startup ventures into the Dragon’s Den

Grads pitch successful learning tool to potential investors Savannah Awde Proofreader

Catch Frank Bouchard, left, and Toby Maurice on Dragon’s Den on April 1 at 8 p.m. on CBC. Photo courtesy: Toby Maurice

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A pair of recent University of Ottawa engineering grads are proof that the entrepreneurial flame is burning bright on campus.

Toby Maurice and Frank Bouchard, co-founders of Wipebook, are set to appear on the CBC’s Dragon’s Den on April 1.

The pair met in an entrepreneurship class while both completing master’s degrees in engineering, and developed the Wipebook as part of a project.

Maurice describes the finished product as “a marriage between a white board and a notebook, a little simple tool for brainstorming and taking notes.”

It's “a notebook for life,” he said, noting that its environmental consciousness is a major reason for its success—and a must for any modern entrepreneur.

“You should find an angle, or a strat-

egy to your business model so you do employ some sort of corporate sustainability,” he said.

It was overwhelmingly popular on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, where it earned $420,000 in its first round in 2013 and another $110,000 in late 2014. All the support led them to pursue the idea further.

Their involvement in Dragon’s Den arose as the co-founders were completing routine processes of refining their business model.

“We had all these elements on our business model canvas, and we just went out and tried to basically prove those elements wrong,” said Maurice.

As they presented their invention to members of their target audience, they were continuously encouraged to show off their product on the show, now in its ninth season.

“After about 20 Dragon’s Den comments, I decided to figure out the process of how to actually get onto Dragon’s Den,” said Maurice. t “It was a cool experience, a fun ex-

perience, crazy experience though," he said, though he didn’t want to give away details from the episode.

“It’s scary in that you know when you’re going in you’re going to get a pretty good whipping from each of the dragons, because you’re trying to validate your entrepreneurial skills and there’s an entertainment factor to it too.”

He recommended it to anyone interested in building their business, but pointed out that entrepreneurship is far from a one-size-fits-all concept.

“It’s a very rewarding thing too.

You’re building something that’s your own. And it’s a roller coaster—one day could be so positive, and another day you just want to go home and bury your head in a pillow,” said Maurice.

“You have to have the mindset that you could fail. But you have to be ready to accept failure. If you have that itch, do it, but be prepared.”

Catch the Wipebook co-founders on Dragon’s Den on April 1 at 8 p.m. on CBC.

NEWS | 7

National News

Ryerson student union files complaint over racist emails

Two white students were asked to leave an anti-racism event March 11.

Photo by Emily Joveski/The Ryersonian

Racialised Students’ Collective says it received hateful, threatening messages after recent news story Emily Joveski & Nitish Bissonauth The Ryersonian

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published as two separate articles in the Ryersonian.

TORONTO (CUP) — The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) has filed a complaint with the university’s discrimination and harassment prevention services (DHPS) in relation to a Ryersonian story.

The RSU’s Racialised Students’ Collective (RSC) says it received hateful and threatening messages after a March 13 story about two journalism students turned away from a meeting because they are white.

Trevor Hewitt and Julia Knope attended an event hosted by the RSC on March 11 to cover it for a class assignment. When the students arrived to the event, it was explained to them that the meeting was a safe space for marginalized persons.

A safe space in the public realm is where marginalized people can share their views and experiences free of judgment. The students were asked to leave because they were reporters and were not victims of racialization.

The Ryersonian article had more than 100,000 views over the weekend on its website after it was shared to Reddit and several white supremacist websites.

“We are angered because since the release of this article we have received countless racist emails, telling us to go ‘back to our countries,’ denying the existence of racism, and others containing violent and threatening KKK slogans,” the RSC wrote in an open letter posted to the RSU's Facebook page.

“These past few days have showed us that racism and ignorance are both still very much alive, and that the campus community is not always as supportive and accepting as some would like to say it is,” they said.

DHPS cannot disclose any information about specific complaints they receive, but Ann Whiteside, a discrimination and harassment prevention officer at Ryerson, says if someone reported

8 | NEWS

to the office that they were receiving threats or hate mail, DHPS would “definitely” recommend they get the police involved.

“If they were waiting to meet with us here, they shouldn’t wait,” says Whiteside. “They should probably go to the police themselves, quite frankly. Because hate is a very serious thing.”

Whiteside says it’s ultimately up to the RSU to decide whether they will report the messages.

The RSU regularly holds events that it says are intended as “safe spaces,” through the RSC and other campus equity groups such as the Centre for Women and Trans People.

Ryerson doesn’t have any official policies to provide students with information about the importance of safe spaces.

Likewise, Ryerson’s school of journalism has no specific policy regarding student coverage of safe space events. The journalism school will consider the issue at its April faculty meeting.

Brendan Myers Miller, a constitutional lawyer from Calgary, says their exclusion from the meeting might have been justified because the right to privacy of those in the meeting would trump the students’ right to report the event.

“If these people have a right to privacy, which I think they would in these sorts of counselling sessions, essentially they’re going to a safe space,” said Miller.

“The media’s right to access to that is overwritten by that. That expectation of privacy is higher than the right of the press to report.”

RSU president Rajean Hoilett says the student union is interested in working with the journalism school to better educate students about safe spaces and racial inequality.

“We are saddened because an opportunity for the Ryersonian to start the conversation about what solidarity and allyship could look like in the face of racism was lost,” the RSC wrote.

The group emphasized that white students “absolutely” have a role to play in anti-racist organizing, and “the first step in this role is learning and understanding why racialized students need space to organize together."

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ARTS &CULTURE

What we can learn from ‘Uptown Funk’

Student’s TEDx talk to explore what makes pop songs so popular Carolyn Mutis Staff Contributor

T

here’s a reason why we hit repeat on a pop tune.

“Uptown Funk,” the wildly catchy song by Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars, has recently taken pop culture by storm and one University of Ottawa student thinks we can

learn a lot from it.

Abenezer Abebe, a thirdyear business student, will present his ideas at TEDxUOttawa on March 29 at Alumni Auditorium. “‘Uptown Funk’ is a special song that I feel like everybody has fallen in love with, from grandparents to little kids,” he says, having also fallen in love with it himself.

When he found himself drumming along to “Uptown Funk” a few days after its release, Abebe started to wonder why exactly the song was so catchy and exciting.

“I started to realize everybody around me was also really feeling the song, so I said OK, this is worth exploring,” he says.

Abebe is hesitant to give away his entire concept be-

A&C EDITOR Jessica Eritou arts@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260 fore his TEDx talk, but he did share a few of the reasons behind the catchiness of “Uptown Funk.”

“The composition was geared to be catchy,” and its frequent use of pop culture references propels the song into the mainstream even faster since the majority of listeners can relate, he says.

“It’s different than a lot of songs right now and I’m going to highlight some of those differences in my presentation.”

The U of O student is no stranger to performing. As a musician and producer who plays a range of styles, including jazz, hip-hop, and alternative rock, Abebe has performed for crowds of up to 700 people.

In his TEDx presentation, he hopes the audience will be entertained but also informed.

“What I would hope is to allow the audience to listen to songs more critically,” he says.

A music man himself, U of O student Abenezer Abebe talks about one of the most popular songs of 2014 at TEDxUOttawa. Photo: Marta Kierkus

Spreading music in the heart of the city

U of O students help at-risk children learn the piano Spencer Murdock & Jessica Eritou Fulcrum Staff

Sometimes, the key to success comes from a set of white and black keys.

Ottawa’s chapter of the Heart of the City Piano Program is primarily run by University of Ottawa students looking to make a difference.

Heart of the City began in Saskatoon, Sask. in 1995 and has since spread across the country, taking children who would typically be at risk of alcoholism, drug abuse, and violence and giving them the tools to learn piano. This encourages them to avoid troubling behaviour.

The program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this April with a grand recital on campus to show their appreciation for the support of their students.

Based out of four Ottawa public schools—Vincent Massey, Manor Park, Connaught, and York Street—the program has provided a place for underprivileged children to express themselves positively through music.

Mirgine Amankwa is a fourth-year sociology and communications student at the U of O who has been a volunteer co-

10 | ARTS & CULTURE

ordinator for Heart of the City at York Street Public School for more than a year.

“I think it’s phenomenal,” she says. “They will go from knowing nothing about piano to playing at their recital at the end of the year.”

Amankwa has been playing piano since she was 11 and understands the privilege of being taught to play a musical instrument for free, since she was

mentored the same way when she was younger.

“It feels good to teach children who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity,” she says.

From September to April a child is partnered with a teacher to learn piano once a week. Free lesson books and keyboards are provided so they can practise at home and stay focused. Priority is given to children to have never been

in the program before, but a few have come back for a second year when there are spots available.

Amankwa has seen a major difference already in one particular student. Despite having behavioural issues, the student has immense talent and can play a song back by just listening, without looking at the musical notes, says Amankwa.

“She’s an amazing student.

She learns so quickly,” she says.

She says her student’s talent is impressive, but the student still has to learn the theoretical and disciplinary aspects of learning an instrument. “I’ve seen her grow in the past few months for sure,” she says.

At the program’s decennial celebration, children from the Ottawa chapter will perform and receive a certificate of participation. Amankwa says she

hopes children continue to love music as they learn the foundations of theory, which can be applied to other instruments.

“Even myself, my first experience with piano was just a few chords,” she says. “I hope they learn to love it.”

The Heart of the City Piano Program performs their recital April 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Huguette Labelle Hall in Tabaret.

“They will go from knowing nothing about piano to playing at their recital at the end of the year.” ­

Mirgine Amankwa appreciated the abililty to study music for free, so she wanted to give back in her own way.

Photo: Rémi Yuan

—Mirgine Amankwa, volunteer coordinator, Heart of the City

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Kaiser on a roll Rock duo’s funny start gives way to big move coming this June Jessica Eritou

Arts & Culture Editor Joseph Rabbat and Max Savage had a strange start to their musical partnership.

The psychedelic rock duo Kaiser, who performed at Café Nostalgica on March 20 to help fund their upcoming studio time, was rather one-sided from the outset.

It started with Rabbat, a second-year communication student at the University of Ottawa, walking past a café in Chinatown in 2014 and hearing music that reminded him of The Black Keys. Curious, he decided to wait around and see who was playing. It was Savage's other band StillNative.

“I waited outside for Max to come out and (then) asked for a cigarette,” Rabbat says. “I

followed them everywhere, I swear.”

From then on Rabbat earned the nickname “Roadie Joe” by helping out with StillNative's sets so he could get into festivals for free.

“Next thing you know we're doing all the (work) and he's sitting there, drinking all the beer,” says Savage. “We had to kick his butt a little bit.”

Even though Rabbat was eventually fired from the gig, he still wanted to be around the band to learn as much as he could.

He decided to take lessons and write more of his own music, and when it was time to find a drummer for his own musical project, Savage gladly filled the role.

“Max is a lot more experienced than me so I always take his advice,” says Rabbat.

In June, the two plan to live

Joseph Rabbat, left, and Max Savage make up the new psychedelic rock duo Kaiser. Photo: Julia Agris

together in Montreal, where Savage currently lives, and record a new EP. Currently, the band meets up only every three months or so. With Rabbat's move in June, the two will be able to make a

lot more music than they have while living in different cities.

So far, Kaiser has existed thanks to instant messaging and demo sharing over the Internet.

The duo says although it's been a slow start for the side

The difference a penny makes

project, they're looking forward to kicking things into high gear this summer.

“It's fun (playing in Kaiser), it's where you get to experience different things,” says Savage.

Savage believes having a band

together is an ever-evolving process that allows you to grow, constantly adapting from previous experiences to create new ones.

“It ends up growing to a bigger tree—you learn.”

Documentary screening looks to enlighten students about food practices Amy Leppanen Staff Contributor

Be wary of what you load onto your dinner plate.

That's the message of the University of Ottawa’s Laboratory for the Interdisciplinary Study of Food (LISF), which seeks to change how students are participating in food systems.

Following the successful 2011 documentary Food Inc., filmmaker and author Eric Schlosser returns as executive producer of Food Chains, alongside actress and activist Eva Longoria, a film that the LISF screened on campus on March 25.

Marie-Josée Massicotte, director of LISF and a U of O professor, organized the screening to increase the Food Lab’s visibility and highlight issues with the food system in North America today.

Food Chains is a documentary looking at the Coalition of Immokalee workers in Florida and tomato pickers who are also mainly migrant workers from

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Mexico and Guatemala.

The Coalition of Immokalee workers developed the Fair Food Program, a revolution in the farm fields to end their poverty and exploitation.

“The Immokalee workers organized amongst themselves to campaign for better pay, working and living conditions,” she says. “Their goal was to highlight that within food chains, those who work the land and help to produce the food we eat on a daily basis are the worst paid.”

Massicotte says our food system is controlled by big money with a concentration of supermarket and fast food restaurant power.

The global supermarket industry is now worth more than US$4 trillion. Unlike most labourers, farm workers are often paid by the piece, rather than by the hour, with most earning an average salary of $12,000 a year.

“The campaign is to raise the wage per pound of tomatoes by one cent,” says Massicotte. “It shows what little difference to consumers that a salary in-

crease for agricultural workers would make.”

Campus Sustainability manager Jonathan Rausseo says, “We need to work harder to balance paying agricultural workers enough, without food becoming too expensive, with a tricky dynamic between the two.”

Massicotte says raising awareness is important because the public doesn’t usually understand where their food comes from, or realize the working conditions of those who produce it. She says organizing from the “bottom up” is the best way to achieve social justice for workers, as workers know their priorities best, although solidarity and building larger networks is also necessary.

However the American documentary doesn’t address whether these issues with the food system exist in the same way in Canada. Rausseo says Canada is just as culpable as the United States for bringing in cheap migrant labour.

Massicotte says Canada has an agreement for agricultural migrant workers to come here under

Raising the wage of tomatoes by one cent per pound would make a big difference for farm workers, according to the documentary Food Chains. Photo: Forest Woodward

special conditions, with big battles for people within the programs, such as the right to unionize. She says the issues are similar but legislation is different, with perhaps greater protections for migrant workers in Canada.

“Food issues have become increasingly jazzy or sexy in recent years," she says, "and there is a lot of interest in understanding them amongst the student body."

ARTS & CULTURE | 11

Singing at centre stage U of O alum hitting the high notes in her opera career Jessica Eritou

Arts & Culture Editor Soprano singer Joyce ElKhoury has done what most singers only dream of.

Born in Lebanon, the University of Ottawa grad immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of six. She always had a big interest in music, having sung in choirs growing up. Her family had always been supportive, saying she had a voice to be discovered.

While many artists and musicians face family pressures to pursue harder academics rather than their artistic passions, El-Khoury's situation was the opposite. She was thinking about studying nursing, but her parents advised her otherwise.

“You know, Joyce, you really should be singing, you have this gift,” she recalls them telling her. At that point, she didn't know much about classical singing or opera, but she went ahead and auditioned for the program at the U of O. El-Khoury completed her bachelor of music in 2005. After an operatic class featuring the production Carmen, she says she knew this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

“That was it, I only wanted to (study) opera,” she says. “I totally fell in love with it.”

And the hard work paid off.

In 2009, El-Khoury made her Broadway debut with the Metropolitan Opera's MET In the Parks Recital Series.

12 | ARTS & CULTURE

Because of her involvement with the MET, El-Khoury was more recently involved in the New Jersey Performing Arts Centre's production of Met Opera Rising Stars: Bel Canto Showpieces on March 15. The series featured performers from or who had trained with the Metropolitan Opera, performers who are now at the cusp of international careers in opera.

El-Khoury has spent almost all of her time with opera, travelling to perform all across the globe. The minute one job ends, she's off to do the next one.

“Last year in June I went to an apartment in Philadelphia and put everything in storage,” she says. “I was going to be home literally nothing over 13 days (of the year). I'm on the road all the time.”

She says it's good for aspiring singers to realize how competitive the field is, something that any type of schooling doesn't teach you. She adds that it's important to find out what kind of niche you want to present to the world, to stand out from others who are auditioning for the same roles. “You have to look the part that you are wanting to sing,” she says.

The lack of stability may be scary for some, while others may feed off of the drive to succeed further. “You're living in suitcase, on the move. You have to be comfortable being alone,” says El-Khoury.

“There are many sacrifices, but that's the price you pay to get that feeling you get when you're on stage,” she says. “To me it's totally worth it.”

Joyce El-Khoury has come along way since her days at the U of O, having lived big opera dreams on Broadway.

Photo: Kristin Hoebermann

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Jasmine Van schouwen Staff Contribut or

Why it’s famous: As one of Peter Sellers’ most notorious comedies, this ridiculous, politically incorrect, and sometimes painfully awful comedy, set to the unforgettable Academy Award-nominated music by the famous Henry Mancini, was the first of a series of films that influenced many aspiring comedians.

Sellers’ performance as the imbecilic Inspector Clouseau is a staple of American comedy that remains just as hilarious today as it was in the early ‘60s.

Famous lines:

Inspector Jacques Clouseau: Ah well, if you’ve seen one Stradivarius, you’ve seen them all.

Woman: Take your filthy hands off my asp!

Why you haven’t seen it: If you saw anything that came out in the last 10 years associated with The Pink Panther franchise, you would be justified in being completely turned off by the series.

Steve Martin, we love you, but please, stop.

Why it might be tough to get through : In terms of political incorrectness, this one is off the charts. By today’s standards it is eye-rollingly, face-palmingly insupportable and would probably fail every single PC movie test out there.

Why you should see it anyway: The Pink Panther is one of those rare classic comedies that remains hilarious in 2015. The incompetent trips, falls, and breaks of Sellers’ clumsy Inspector Clouseau make for lovely slapstick comedy that blends with the quippy dialogue and phoney accents. Bechdel test aside, it’s a must-see, ideally when you’re having an awful day and just need a reminder that you aren’t the human embodiment of clumsiness.

Fun Facts: • The film was created to have Sir Charles Lytton as the main character, but Peter Sellers’ portrayal of Inspector Clouseau was so loved by the crew that he became the main character for the film and the subsequent sequels.

• Claudia Cardinale could not speak English, so Princess Dala’s dialogue was dubbed by Gale Garnett.

Most of the movies mentioned in Movies You Should Have Seen are available for loan at the Morisset Library!

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ARTS & CULTURE | 13

“If they ran on the platform of making tuition free, that’s probably what it would take for me to go out and vote,” says a thirdyear chemistry student.

“I just don’t feel like any of the candidates will represent me,” says a second-year history major. “It won’t make a difference,” says a thirdyear engineering student.

Lately, students at the University of Ottawa have been finding all sorts of reasons not to vote.

In the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) elections held in February, 11.5 per cent of students turned out to vote, a number virtually on par with the 2014 results, and a slight improvement from 10 per cent in 2013.

In the Graduate Students Association (GSAÉD) elections held in March, only one hundred students voted, out of a total 6,300 eligible voters.

And when the SFUO attempted to hold a general assembly in November 2014, it failed to even meet the quorum of 337 students. The second general assembly on March 24 garnered even less interest.

The lack of engagement during student union elections goes far beyond the U of O. Universities across Ontario are experiencing low voter turnout in student elections to varying degrees.

In the past year, voter rates at Ontario universities ranged from five per cent of the 31,000 undergraduate students at Ryerson to 42.2 per cent of the 21,000 undergraduates at McMaster.

Apathy tends to take most of the blame.

“It could be apathy to the political process itself,” said Matt McLean, chair of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union board of directors, in a Feb. 11 interview with the Cord, the Waterloo school’s student newspaper.

“Apathy usually comes from misinformation and disengagement, so we find those that are apathetic are the ones that are not trying to find the information.”

Others believe in a more sinister problem that lies in conscious efforts to disengage potential voters.

“This year we have seen a concerted online effort by a select few to disengage stu-

dents that has only been based upon misinformation,” said Emily Niles, a current student at the U of O and former general campaigns organizer of the SFUO. “This tactic is short-sighted and irresponsible. The only thing this does is divide students on campus. When other students see this it is confusing and disenfranchising, especially around election time.”

And while the stakes of low voter turnout during student elections for the majority of Canadians are low, the more troubling thought is that this trend of apathy has surfaced among youth voters in federal elections, too—a reality that may lead politicians to avoid the issues that young Canadians care about the most.

Understanding the youth vote According to Elections Canada, the 2011 federal election turnout rate was 39 per cent among young adults aged 18–24, and 45 per cent among young adults aged 25–34. These are the lowest rates of all demographics, and are especially low compared to adults aged 65–74, whose voter turnout rate was 75 per cent.

This discrepancy in voting patterns means that politicians can afford to ignore the concerns of younger generations while they focus on generating votes from older Canadians.

“If any group in society does not vote, then politicians will not address that group’s concerns,” said Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch and visiting professor at the University of Ottawa.

Low voter turnout numbers among young adults, especially relative to older voters, is a problem not only for students, but for Canada’s future in general. According to Green Party leader and MP Elizabeth May, young voters have more of an incentive to think about longer-term issues.

“I think all of us care about the future. But some of us have more future than others,” said May. “Issues like student debt, youth unemployment, and the climate are huge issues.

The younger you are, the more it matters,” she said.

“The group I believe that can turn things around in Canada and rescue the whole country is young people.”

While many acknowledge the importance of getting youth out to vote, there’s less consensus on why about half of all Canadians aged 18–24 don’t vote in federal elections. It’s easy to blame apathy, but Conacher says the truth is more complex.

He said many young people are disenchanted with the political system in general.

“Youth who are 18–35 years old, they’ve grown up with lots of people saying that politicians act unethically,” he said. “And why would you vote for anyone who’s going to act that way?”

May said another section of this group of non-voters are what she calls “anti-voters.”

“They’re people who are politically aware and analytical of the dysfunction in our current system,” she said.

“They’ve decided not to vote as a form of protest.”

Romi Chan, a first-year law student at the U of O, says she chose not to vote in the most recent SFUO election for that very reason.

“I didn’t vote because I don’t like the system, procedure, or how candidates just keep making lateral moves,” she said.

And while Chan said she has always been an active voter in both federal and provincial elections, she may decide not to vote in the upcoming federal elections later this year.

“I think democracy and public participation are truly important. We are lucky (in Canada). But I also think our system is broken.”

Other non-voters do so for less passionate reasons.

“There are those who would vote if they knew more about it, and feel disempowered and disenfranchised,” May said. “They fear their vote won’t count.”

Niles, who helped out with the Canadian Federation of Students’ (CFS) Take It Over campaign during the 2011 federal election and the Generation Vote campaign during the 2014 Ontario provincial election, says she sees similarities between federal elections and student union elections in that politicians and interest groups “also use tactics to deliberately disengage youth.”

“However, unlike in students’ union elections where student issues are front and centre, in the provincial and federal elections they often ignore student issues as we are not seen as a demographic that will win them elections,” she said.

EY on the

Engagement in stude in Ontario is dwind affecting federal

Eric Davidson & Jesse C

“If any group in society does not vote, then politicians will not address that group’s concerns.”

-Duff Conacher

V

YES ballot

ent union elections dling—and it may be l-level voting, too

ColauTti • Fulcrum Staff

VOTE PLEASE

Changing the techniques of voting In addition to politically motivated reasons, some technical aspects of voting may be hampering potential youth voters.

Identification requirements for federal elections increased with the Fair Elections Act passed last spring.

Voters used to be able to just show up with no ID, and another voter from that riding could vouch for their identity.

But due to the Fair Elections Act, this is no longer allowed.

Conacher says this shouldn’t have that large of an impact on voter turnout, however, since more than 40 different pieces of identification are still accepted, including library cards. He says there will also be more advance polling days for the upcoming federal election, and more groups trying to educate voters on proper voting technique.

One potential solution to low voter turnout that has cropped up in a few Canadian universities is online voting. Universities that have experimented with online voting for student union elections include McMaster, Queen’s, Wilfrid Laurier, and the U of O. “Just the convenience of it is a huge aspect. And it reaches all students equally, not just those on campus,” said Chris Casher, chief electoral officer of the Queen’s Alma Mater Society, in an interview with the Canadian University Press.

But online voting has had mixed success. It increased turnout at McMaster, kept turnout steady at Queen’s, lowered turnout at Wilfred Laurier, and was abolished at the U of O due

to security concerns.

Those security concerns are one reason why Niles said the Canadian government should not try to engage young voters with online voting. “We’ve seen countless examples of how online voting systems are not secure at various electoral levels. The risk of manipulated, and thus illegitimate, election results by online hacking far outweighs the convenience.”

There has been talk of instituting online voting at the federal level in Canada.

In August 2011, Marc Mayrand, chief electoral officer of Elections Canada, told a parliamentary committee that “Elections Canada has been examining Internet voting as a complementary and convenient way to cast a ballot.”

Mayrand also told the CBC that online voting is “the way of the future.” But plans for such a system were scrapped in April 2013 due to budget cuts at Elections Canada.

The buddy system May says that while online voting may entice apathetic voters, more improvement can come through personal connections as opposed to technical changes.

“I believe that convincing someone to vote is best done one-on-one. It’s a personal thing,” she said. “Whenever I’m speaking to groups, I urge people to take on a personal commitment to get somebody else to vote. It’s a buddy system. Not telling them how to vote, just saying I want to bring you with me to an advance poll. If a lot of people did this, we’d significantly up voter turnout.”

And it seems that May is not the only one in favour of the buddy system. Conacher is involved with an initiative

called Vote Promise that puts May’s preaching into practice. “We’re asking voters to promise not only to vote, but to recruit three to 10 nonvoters and help them vote,” he explained.

“If you reach out to voters and say vote … it won’t increase voter turnout, they already vote. And we’re not going to reach non-voters, they’re not engaged.”

Vote Promise is still in its early stages but it could have a serious impact. Its success hinges on two main factors: popularity among individual Canadians, and popularity among citizen groups, such as the CFS. Conacher says around 5 million people in Canada belong to a citizen’s group, so encouraging voting within such groups could make a dramatic difference come election time.

Conacher has spent endless hours thinking of what to say to best convince people to vote, but in the end he says it comes to knowing your vote matters.

“You should show up because if you don’t, politicians will never address your concerns,” he said. “They’ll think you don’t really care.” And although it may be a tired old cliché, every vote counts.

“There are many ridings that are determined by a few hundred votes,” he said.

“There are surprises every single election.”

It’s easy to find fault with politicians, whether they are students or MPs, and all too easy to become disillusioned with aspects of the political system.

But inaction and apathy are in many cases voiceless protests. And whether it affects a six-person student union executive or the entirety of Canadian Parliament, change begins at the ballot box.

VOTER TURNOUT IN 2015 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT UNION ELECTIONS

5%

RYERSON

11.5% U OF O

42.2% MCMASTER

2011 CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION TURNOUT RATE

BY AGE DEMOGRAPHIC

39% 45% 70% 75% 18-24

25-34

35-64

65-74

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR Sarah Nolette sports@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

DERBY girls in the capital

The Rideau Valley Roller GIRLS ARE ROCKING the ROLLER skates Sarah Nolette Sports Editor

It’s a sport that rose to popularity back in the 1940s, but has never quite stuck.

Roller derby’s popularity has fluctuated greatly over the years as the theatrical elements have competed with the athleticism of the game. What was once a sport broadcast on multiple television networks throughout North America has now become an underground phenomenon run by fun-loving amateurs, typically in self-organized women’s leagues.

Here in Ottawa, the Rideau Valley Roller Girls (RVRG) are bringing the roller skate back in style.

Since 2008, the non-profit organization has been run by the skaters, grouped into three awesomely-named home teams: the Slaughter Daughters, Riot Squad, and the Prime Sinisters; and two all-star teams: the Vixens and the Sirens.

University of Ottawa student Angie Tracey joined in August 2013. She began practising with the beginner’s program, called Fresh Meat, every Friday.

The object of roller derby is to score the most points by lapping the opposite team’s skaters on the track. The game itself is

called a bout, and each bout consists of many jams. The jams are two minutes long where skaters can score points.

Tracey explains that everyone who gets started with roller derby has to pass a minimum skills test, where they learn a bunch of different skills; how to stop, how to jump in skates, and how to hit people safely.

Tracey now plays with the Riot Squad, with skills practices every Tuesday and league scrimmages every Friday and Sunday.

Fellow student Jamie-Lee Lauzon skates with the “A” travel team, the Vixens, the highest level of roller derby.

Lauzon has been involved with the RVRG for three years.

At 16, she bought roller skates with her friends, and then saw a flyer to get involved with junior roller derby in Montreal. At the time she had just seen the movie Whip It, and was interested in giving it a shot.

“The movie is nothing like roller derby is now, but you still get the idea. So, I went there and I basically learned to skate, as I learned how to play,” she says.

Tracey and Lauzon, like other roller derby players, use flashy derby names during competition. On the track, Tracey goes by “Mercy Not Found,” and Lau-

Univeristy of Ottawa students Jamie-Lee Lauzon, left, and Angie Tracey compete with the Rideau Valley Roller Girls.

zon goes by “Jamie’s Got a Gun” (a play off the similarly titled Aerosmith song). Derby names usually come from the skater’s interests and their on-track persona.

“We come up with our derby names,” says Tracey. “Not everyone always has one, because they may want to take on their actual name, and take it more seriously. (But) if someone were to just do house tournaments,

Soccer in a bubble

they definitely would have a derby name.”

Though there’s no shortage of excitement, she says it’s difficult to master the skills and keep motivated. Some talents aren’t the easiest to acquire.

“For me, doing transitions was really hard, and it was really a mental block,” said Tracey, referring to the 180 degree turn skaters learn. “It took me six months to do it, but I even-

Photo: Sarah Nolette

tually got there.”

“It was the eagle skating for me, which is when you glide on both feet, the toes turned out to the sides, and heels facing each other,” says Lauzon. “It was just so hard for me to place my feet this way, even when not skating … I’m still very happy when I do it, because I remember how long it took me to learn it.”

For anyone looking to join roller derby, it’s most important

to go in with an open mind, the ladies say. “Don’t expect yourself to be an expert the first time you put your skates on,” says Tracey.

“As long as you work hard and stay determined, you will soon accomplish that one skill.”

The next RVRG event will be their double-header home game Saturday, April 11 at the JeanMarc Lalonde Arena in Rockland, starting with their first game at 6 p.m.

Hilarious new take on soccer slowly floats into Ottawa Raghad Khalil Staff Contributor

Kicking, flipping, and haphazardly crashing into any person or surface on your way to the ball.

You’re in a massive bubble exterior engulfing your entire upper body: it’s bubble soccer, and its quick growth in popularity has slowly taken root in Ottawa. Several companies have sprung up in the region, and University of Ottawa students are starting to take notice.

Miranda Sculthorp, a fourth-year economics student, says her first experience with bubble soccer was a blast.

“I played soccer competitively throughout elementary school and high school, but this required no skills whatsoever,” said Sculthorp.

“I definitely recommend it, especially with a group of friends.”

Originating in 2011 as a joke on the Norwegian comedy sports show Golden Goal, clips of the game went viral and the sport spread throughout Europe.

16 | SPORTS

More recently, bubble soccer has been introduced in sports arenas across North America, including opportunities for games and rentals in Ottawa and Gatineau.

The sport is a cross between soccer and bumper cars, and it’s almost as hilarious to watch as it is to play. The premise is much like that of soccer. Participants are divided into two teams whose goal is to score on the opposing team’s net.

The twist is that the top half of each player is enveloped by an inflatable plastic bubble, so they can bump, smash, and push around the other players in an attempt to get the ball.

If you are fearful for your life, worry not.

The sport is actually safer than regular soccer. While the bubble serves as each player’s attacking arsenal, it also serves as a shield and cushions for any hit, or fall. Kneepads can also be worn for added protection.

The sport is currently available in the form of public games, or private events, but due to the sport’s relatively new inception in Ottawa,

Algonquin bubble soccer weekend will be held April 4 at 11 a.m.

no bubble soccer leagues currently exist.

Bubble Soccer Ottawa runs private games that you can sign up for on their website. Foobz, a bubble soccer company based in Gatineau, is another option nearby. Algonquin College will even host a charity tournament starting Saturday, April 4 at 11 a.m. Tickets are $25 each, and group rates are available for teams.

All participants are on the same unstable

Photo: John Loo, CC

playing field to start out, regardless of previous athletic experience. Ladies, you might feel vindicated knocking over a six-foot man with little to no effort.

Made for athletes, soccer fanatics looking to take up a new challenge, or anyone who may have never touched a soccer ball in their life, the sport is open to everyone and anyone looking for a good time.

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Johnny Berhanemeskel ready for next step The Gee-Gees basketball legend’s U of O career just ended, but his future is bright Spencer Murdock Staff Reporter

After the disappointment of the Ravens taking yet another national championship from the Gee-Gees, there was a lot of uncertainty left on the floor.

For the national player of the year Johnny Berhanemeskel, it was a bittersweet end to an illustrious career.

As the final buzzer sounded, he was no longer a collegiate basketball player — it marked the beginning of his transition to a professional.

Players in the United States have the luxury of knowing that if they're good enough, they'll have a chance to play the highest level of basketball on Earth.

Players in Canada are not so lucky, as the competition is not as high and players are not as exposed.

Berhanemeskel finished his career as the best basketball player in University of Ottawa history and now looks forward to donning a new uniform as a pro—somewhere.

“I don’t have any specifics yet,” said Berhanemeskel.

“I’m taking a couple of days off and talking to some agents

and trying to hear what they have to say. I’m using my coach and some recourses like Warren (Ward, former Gees star), and other guys that have played pro and have firsthand experience.”

Typically, most products of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) basketball programs who make the jump to pro end up in European leagues. Cracking the American market is incredibly difficult, but not impossible.

“Europe is the most probable outlet right now,” said Berhanemeskel, who holds the record for most career points at the university and is in the top three in all-time scoring in Ontario.

“I’m not going to weigh down any options, I’m open to all suggestions. Maybe I’ll go down to the States in the summer to do some training.

I just want to give myself the best chance to be successful whatever I end up doing.

I know I definitely want to keep playing basketball come next fall.”

The transition will be difficult, but as he has proven throughout his career, the Gees MVP isn't one to settle.

Berhanemeskel said he plans to review game tape from

Johnny Berhanemeskel drives the ball up for the floor for the Gee-Gees.

overseas to learn the style of play to avoid a shock if that's where he ends up, along with general training to up his play during the off time.

“I have to reevaluate my

game," he said. "I’m happy where I’ve gotten in five years and I definitely want to build off that. I’m not going to change everything I do. I want to keep working on my

body and get some weight of course. I feel like there is an endless amount of stuff I can do in terms of skill that I can work on.”

In the coming months,

Photo: Marta Kierkus

Berhanmeskel will hire an agent and begin the process of looking at teams to sign with.

For now, it's a game of waiting to see what's to become of the Gees' beloved shooter.

Basketball co-captain trades ball for bench

Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue accepts coaching job after Gees retirement Spencer Murdock Staff Reporter

Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue graduates and is starting his career as a strength and conditioning coach.

thefulcrum.ca

Photo: Marta Keirkus

With his basketball — playing days now over, Gee-Gees star Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue is prepared to start a new chapter.

As he prepares for graduation, the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) second team all-star is going to be putting his degree in human kinetics to work as a strength and conditioning coach for the Canadian Strength Institute.

Over his five-year career at the University of Ottawa, Gonthier-Dubue transformed from a young player to the vocal leader and physical anchor of one of the nation’s top teams. He said he’s not only proud of his athletic accomplishments, but also what he was able to master off the court.

“The first thing is that I’ve learned another language,” said Gonthier-Dubue, a Frenchspeaking native of Gatineau. “Now I am bilingual and that’s the reason I got the job I have today.”

A hectic lifestyle of juggling school and sport was key for preparing him for life and work after school.

“It takes a lot as a student-athlete to manage schoolwork and practices. You have to be on

point with everything,” he said. “The things I had to do to get those done in appropriate time allows you know how to deal with those experiences in life in general.”

This season, Gonthier-Dubue averaged 10.7 points per game for the Gee-Gees and was eighth in the nation in field goal percentage at 58.3.

Despite not finding his own opportunities to go pro, he said he's proud to see the U of O have strong representation in professional leagues across the world. The next generation of players on the team have better chances than ever to follow in the footsteps of players like Warren Ward and Terry Thomas, he said.

“I am very happy for Johnny (Berhanemeskel).

He has talked to me about the process and I’m sure he is going to sign with an agent and I hope he finds a good organization for him to expose his talent and be successful.”

With his career now at a close and another door opened, Gonthier-Dubue’s connection with the basketball program does not stop here. His eyes are still fixed on next season as he plans to stay connected with the team in the future.

Gonthier-Dubue also plans on coaching next year, and working with the new group of GeeGees to prepare them to win a national championship.

SPORTS | 17

Optimistic studentathletes are more likely to achieve their goals

Psychology prof Patrick Gaudreau leads new research Sarah Nolette Sports Editor

Student-athletes who are optimists tend to be better at managing stress, according to a study led by University of Ottawa psychology professor Patrick Gaudreau.

Gaudreau’s research team concluded that when optimistic student-athletes envision their future, they are more confident in their ability to meet their goals. Therefore, they are more likely to achieve them, despite stress coming from school or sport.

In 2005, Gaudreau was coaching golf when he first thought of stress management. He thought about how sometimes athletes are not the best during training, but in competition they can outperform everyone else.

Other times, it’s the complete opposite.

His team went out to study 185 Alberta high school students who all participated

18 | SPORTS

in some sort of competitive sport at the provincial level.

They distributed questionnaires describing their optimism, and questionnaires evaluating how they cope with their academic and sporting life.

The resulting study, titled “Optimism, Pessimism, and Coping in a Dual-Domain Model of Sport and School Satisfaction,” finds that positive thoughts about sports typically meant better performance, and the same for school.

“They were coping in an active manner, using relaxation strategies, and seeing their issues in a logical way.

This in turn gives them a better quality life in sport and academic,” said Gaudreau. “The student athletes were also controlling their thoughts, using mental imagery, and seeing social support.”

Gaudreau says most studies that look at stress man-

agement in athletes don’t take into account every aspect of a young adult’s life, such as their relationships, parents, and schooling.

“We look at athletes without examining other parts of their life. Our study looked at athletes and what’s happening in their entire life.

We tried to look at two of their most important things: school and sport.”

He concluded that coping for sport predicted sport satisfaction, whereas coping for school predicted school satisfaction. But there was no spillover effect; coping strategies used in one domain did not predict satisfaction in another.

Gaudreau hopes his study will at least give information to student-athletes, coaches, parents, and teachers to use and make a difference in their lives. His next step is to see if the coping strategies will help students in their life as a whole.

Gee-Gee Charlotte Gardner managing her school work on top of a busy track schedule.

Photo:Marta Kierkus

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Inside the mind of high-caliber athletes A look at the sport psychology of winners, whether Gee-Gees or pros Garry Balaganthan Staff Contributor

At the most elite level of sport, we’ve seen a common narrative used to describe athletes who’ve become champions: mental toughness.

Commonly noted as a quality needed to succeed, mental toughness is vaguely defined, with few who know exactly what it entails.

Sports psychology is the study and practice of mental preparation in sport. We see sports psychologists now as an integral part of the training staff, a much-developed position in recent times.

Stars like Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant have both faced adversity in their personal lives, but mental toughness can differentiate between the two, with Woods currently struggling and Bryant using his issues to fuel his game.

Employing relaxation techniques and coaching methods, sports psychologists are used to help athletes

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overcome adversity, increase mental preparation, and identify issues in their personal lives which might be affecting their performance.

During every session, GeeGees sports psychologist Raymond Perras says he has purpose when he meets with an athlete.

“The main goal in my work is to help the athlete to become aware of the thought process going on in his or her mind. So, I establish a rapport through listening actively to the state of mind harboured by the athlete.”

Breathing techniques and trying to get back to one’s meditative state are also central tenets of sports psychology. Used with athletes across all sports as the most effective technique to calm down and deal with anxiety and stress, breathing in and out is by far the most widely practised technique.

Like many athletes, GeeGees track star Sekou Kaba uses breathing techniques to relax before competition.

“Prior to the race, I just put

on my headphones and try to take deep breaths in order to focus and visualize the race and what I need to do,” says Kaba.

Visualization and positive reinforcement are also used to regain confidence in the mental preparation of competing. Perras reinforces these ideas when reflecting on his work.

“One fundamental concept is to go back into your past experiences and remind yourself of successful outcomes,” says Perras. “How did it feel to overcome, exceed expectations, nail it, feel on top of the world because you had produced your best result ever. And it can be as little as winning a race in grade school, or beating an opponent at tennis that was supposed to be way better than you.”

Perras says it’s all about focus. To regain confidence, an athlete must work to direct their focus on accomplishments and moments of exhilarating success beyond expectation.

Sports psychology consists of breathing techniques, and relaxation for complete prepapertion before games. Illustration:Marta Keirkus

With the mental aspects of sport being fused with physical ability, the notion of “total sport” follows the prominence

and importance of sports psychology. As the smallest of competitive advantages separates success from failure,

sports psychology continues to shape the results, preparation, and processes involved in training for success.

SPORTS | 19

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR Kyle Darbyson

opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Security at the National War Memorial In the wake of the October shootings at Parliament Hill, questions have been raised about how best to protect the sentries who stand guard at the National War Memorial. Recently, it was revealed that the Department of National Defence (DND) is in talks with Ottawa police about providing extra security for these soldiers. Others have suggested the simpler way to guarantee their safety is to arm the guards with real firearms. If these ceremonial guards truly need protecting, how should Canada best guarantee their safety?

The memorial needs extra personnel Fanta Ly

Contributor

T

he honorary role of ceremonial guards is of great symbolic and cultural importance at historic sites such as Parliament Hill, Rideau Hall, and the National War Memorial.

As such, the brave individuals who volunteer for these positions need to be protected, although public safety shouldn’t be compromised in the process.

In the midst of that tragic day in October, a contentious debate regarding the security measures provided to ceremonial guards arose within the Canadian political sphere, due to the fact that these events highlighted the vulnerability and the potential threat that ceremonial guards are exposed to.

The implementation of extra security measures, courtesy of Ottawa police, is an appropriate response based on the result of a threat assessment conducted by the DND and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Many have criticized these security measures by saying that the idea of guards protecting guards is simply redundant and unnecessary. However, it’s still

Arm the soldiers to defend themselves

a better alternative than suggesting that the ceremonial guards must be armed.

This suggestion is not viable because it disregards the very nature of the ceremonial guard.

These individuals are supposed to encourage Canadians to visit historic sites like the War Memorial and it’s a little difficult to fulfill this when everyone knows you’re packing heat.

Even Major Michel Lavigne, who was Corporal Nathan Cirillo’s commanding officer before he was gunned down, has opposed this idea, saying, “It is not the role of the Canadian Forces to be armed on the streets of Ottawa.”

It is also important to highlight the fact that allowing a ceremonial guard to carry a live firearm would not guarantee that this individual, no matter how well trained, would have the time to respond to an imminent threat.

As such, hiring extra security for the War Memorial is a nice compromise that should serve to please people on both sides of the political spectrum.

In the end, these proposed security measures are a response to an increased threat and are justified. Whether these are the best measures is up for debate, but arming ceremonial guards with real guns is definitely not the right way to move forward.

Omar Abdikader Staff Contributor

I

t has been five months since Michael ZehafBibeau carried out his attack on Parliament Hill that resulted in the death of Corporal Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial.

Although enhanced security measures should be implemented to prevent a repetition of this attack, recruiting the services of off-duty police officers is not a necessary or practical solution.

Attacks like the one in October are not a frequent enough occurrence to warrant such a misallocation of essential resources that could be put to better use. This move by the DND comes off as political posturing, something that’s intended to make people believe that the government is doing everything they can to keep people safe following traumatic events.

Having local police personally assist the RCMP or military immediately may have made sense following the initial attack in October, but it’s not a smart long-term decision.

Instead of settling for these kinds of overly complicated

security measures, the government should just cut out the middle man altogether and provide the ceremonial guards with their own personal protection.

Some have already suggested that arming these guards with loaded weapons is a better option than recruiting off-duty officers, which makes sense. If military personnel are going to be standing guard in high-profile public places that are open to everyone—even dangerous people—they should be given a chance to defend themselves in case of an emergency. This would go a long way in mitigating the fallout from potential attacks, and allow police officers to be stationed throughout parts of the city where they are needed most.

Although having armed military personnel stationed within the city might make some people feel uncomfortable, this kind of anxiety can be alleviated by providing military guards with better training to prepare them for future emergencies.

The events that took place on Parliament Hill in October were tragic, and the government should be vigilant yet still practical in its efforts to prevent a similar attack from reoccurring.

...the brave individuals who volunteer

...the government should just cut

for these positions need to be protected,

out the middle man altogether and

although public safety shouldn’t

provide the ceremonial guards with

be compromised in the process.

20 | OPINIONS

The DND is in talks with Ottawa police to have armed officers protect the ceremorial guards at the National War Memorial. Photo: Marta Kierkus

their own personal protection. thefulcrum.ca

You can’t solve racism with overpriced coffee Starbucks’ #RaceTogether campaign means well, but was ill-conceived from the start Sarah Maya Bhola Contributor

Recently, Starbucks wanted to let its customers know they would not be passive bystanders in the fight against racial inequality—a declaration that rightfully fell flat in no time.

The multi-billion dollar corporation tried to get this idea across through a new campaign called Race Together, which encouraged its baristas to write the titular hashtag on each customers’ coffee cup and to “engage customers in conversation” about race.

However, this strategy didn’t go over well. Because of the massive public backlash against the ridiculous idea of solving racism with coffee, Starbucks decided to halt its campaign a week after its initial launch.

It’s definitely for the better, since this kind of awareness strategy was short sighted and ill-conceived from the start.

The people behind Race Together didn’t grasp the idea that the root of racial unrest in North America is largely due to long-standing systemic inequalities and the consequential effect that has on law enforcement, the economy, and social mobility.

These issues don’t need to be addressed in coffee shops but through changes in government policy, racial profiling, and other forms of social injustice.

Raising awareness is necessary for change to occur, but through a campaign like Race Together, Starbucks sought to fix the problem by generically championing the cause of “equality” without any sense of direction or purpose. Starbucks certainly

meant well, but their marketing approach—which included campaign ads that had phrases like “when it comes to race, we are all human”—was so glibly Kumbaya in tone that it couldn’t be taken seriously.

This is not to suggest that big corporations like Starbucks can’t take a stance on or try to raise awareness for social issues. Bell Media has been lauded for their Let’s Talk initiative, which has sought to break stigmas surrounding mental illness by raising money and supporting various health organizations.

Starbucks, on the other hand, seems oblivious to the racial inequalities that exist within their own company and culture. The arrival of a Starbucks in a neighbourhood is usually a sign of forthcoming gentrification, and the Internet is rife with jokes about the “whiteness” of the coffee chain’s culture.

In terms of employment statistics, Starbucks’ executive level is comprised of 13 per cent people of colour. This is in line with other Fortune 500 companies where, on average, four per cent of employees at the executive level are people of colour.

If big corporations like Starbucks want to really raise awareness, they can do so through the internal management of their own company.

In fairness, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has mentioned that the company plans to expand this campaign to bigger objectives, inlcuding a commitment to hiring 10,000 “opportunity” youth.

Hopefully this is true, since generating higher employment rates for minorities is a much better way of promoting racial equality than having a teenage barista double as a race relations representative.

Starbucks employees are no longer required to write #racetogether on customers’ coffee cups.

Why censorship does not work

Photo: Marta Kierkus

Suppressing information, such as India’s Daughter and Bill C-51, tends to be counterproductive Serguei Tabatchenko Contributor

Despite the wealth of information that’s available in the age of the Internet, censorship is still a serious problem that continues to affect people all over the world.

Although this is a horrible practice, the act of trying to repress or alter information is useless, since it usually produces the opposite of its desired effect.

This suppression often results in the spread of information that becomes more popular and generates more interest, often indirectly promoting the material it’s trying to ban.

Consider the Indian government’s decision to pull the release of India’s Daughter, a documentary that highlights the horrifying case of the rape and murder of a Delhi student in 2012.

The Indian government justified the ban by claiming that the film “appears to encourage and incite violence against women” and is “a conspiracy to defame India.” Not only are these claims ridiculous, but they are also

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counterproductive.

It’s because of this ban that the international community reacted with outrage, which caused the documentary to become popular not only within activist groups, but with people all over the world. Now, more people than ever are inclined to watch the documentary so they can be informed on the issues discussed, such as rape and gender inequality.

The recent unveiling of Bill C-51 is a local example of how acts of censorship can help generate unwanted attention towards issues.

The purpose of this new anti-terrorism legislation is supposedly to modernize certain offences, take into account new communications technologies, and equip law enforcement agencies with new investigative tools.

However, critics have stated that the bill’s vague definition of “terrorism” would allow the government to suppress groups like environmentalists and human rights advocates, a revelation that provoked negative reactions from legions of Canadians.

On March 14, protestors took to the streets across the country to express

their opposition to the proposed legislation.

By trying to pass this law that could give goverment officials the authority to encroach on people’s free speech, Canadians are now more aware of the contents of Bill C-51 than ever before, a fact that is putting its architects, and the values they represent, in question.

Acts of censorship don’t just extend to rabble-rousing movies and rebellious activism—they can also be used by governments to stop important scientific information from seeing the light of day.

Last February, Democracy Watch and the University of Victoria’s environmental law clinic published a report chronicling the federal government’s preventing of environmental scientists from speaking freely to the press. The report stated that scientists were told to say carefully crafted responses or had to request permission before speaking publicly on sensitive topics. In some cases, especially concerning research on climate change, scientists were prohibited from speaking entirely.

This study, and others like it, has at-

Thousands of Canadians marched against Bill C-51 on March 14.

tracted a lot of attention and caused nationwide outrage surrounding the lack of transparency in environmental data.

News about this widespread suppression of freedom of expression has even reached the attention of foreign organizations like the French National trade Union of Scientific Researchers, meaning that the Canadian government’s war on science has now been pushed into the international spotlight.

Ultimately, the counterproductive nature of censorship is emblematic of human nature as a whole: We want

Photo: JMacPherson, CC

what we cannot have, and the act of taking something away only encourages us to go after that one thing more fiercely.

In a lot of ways, modern censorship is the ultimate paradox, since it strives to suppress human beings’ natural curiosity to learn and discover.

Thankfully, because of this dynamic, issues concerning censorship are as prevalent as ever, as this unintended method of advertising keeps the public informed on critical issues in the local community and around the world.

OPINIONS | 21

Upcoming exams offer gladiator combat option

Students embrace opportunity to trade in pens for swords

David Campion-Smith Staff Contributor Are you sick of the stress of upcoming exams? Would you prefer to trade in three hours of non-stop writing for five minutes of gladiatorial combat?

Well, one University of Ottawa professor is giving students the option to engage in a handto-hand fight to the death rather than write an extensive exam.

The idea for this new take on academic examinations began with Roman civilization professor Paul Duncan, who started incorporating the unconventional format into his final exams back in December.

Duncan says that since incorporating this new form of eval-

uation, the attendance for his class and participation from his students has skyrocketed.

“I found that students got more involved in the class once you raised the stakes higher than a pass or fail grade,” he said.

The basic premise is that during the last class of the semester, students get to choose whether they would rather fight another student in handto-hand combat or write their exam. For those who choose the former, the gladiator fights are then scheduled to take place just before the final exam, with the professor and the teaching assistants on hand to judge its outcome.

Duncan’s initial plan was to have students face off against

their professors or TAs, but he quickly scrapped that plan in favour of a student-versus-student format.

“I realized there was no way I could beat any of my students.

We’re already understaffed as it is, so I didn’t want to add to the problem with a completely avoidable departmental fatality,” he said.

Even though professors from other faculties are latching onto this new way of motivating their pupils, opinion is still divided among students.

“I’m really not comfortable with this. I mean, fighting to the death just to see which students pass, that just seems wrong,” said Angela Murray, a first-year history student.

“Honestly, if my choice is between fighting gladiator-style or writing another ballbusting final, hand me a battle trident and let’s get messy.”

—Garth Tomson, second-year political science student

The U of O has already laid down plans to build a replica Roman Colosseum to accommodate for this new exam format. Edits: Marta Kierkus.

“Honestly if my choice is between fighting gladiator-style or writing another ball-busting final, hand me a battle trident and let’s get messy,” said Garth Tomson, a second-year political science student.

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) has also got involved to ensure students have the opportunity for a fair fight.

“While it isn’t our place to tell teachers how to conduct their class, we still want to make sure that every student has the opportunity to pass,” said a source from inside the SFUO. “This means that if one student gets a sword, then his or her opponent should be armed with at least a shield or a mace so everyone’s on a level playing field.”

Despite the guaranteed fa-

tal outcome, this new form of exam may turn out to be the key for a stress-free exam month, especially for those who normally struggle under the weight of their studying.

According to Health Services: “At this time of year, nothing is better for relieving stress than a potentially fatal fullbody workout.”

Serial man-spreader spreads wide on campus

Male population still remains oblivious to social phenomenon Alina Kalini na

Contri butor

An unidentified offender known as the “uOttawa manspreader” has been raising hairs and turning stomachs all around the University of Ottawa campus.

The serial space occupier has been known to settle down, spread out his legs, and prominently display his manhood with no regard for the fellow sitters in his proximity.

This individual’s behaviour has been dubbed inappropriate, distracting, disgusting, and

A rare picture of the uOttawa man-spreader. Photo: Rémi Yuan

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utterly offensive by many female students around campus.

Jennifer Bennett, a thirdyear law student, was riding the bus on her way to Campus station when she first made contact with the subject.

“I wasn’t paying attention.

I had my music on and was reading a book. He slid into the seat next to mine and spread his legs. His thigh overlapped my seat. Our legs were touching. It was really gross.”

For Kim Slider, a first-year engineer, it happened at Morisset Library.

“I was trying to study. He chose an empty couch across from me and sat down. His pants were so tight, and he spread his legs so far, I couldn’t help but stare.”

Following months of awkward and frustrating encounters with the anonymous manspreader, female students are petitioning for tighter seating rules around campus and elsewhere in the city.

The #stopthespread campaign is taking social media by storm, at least among female students. Males at the U of O appear to have no conception of what the fuss is about.

“I’ve seen all these tweets about this guy, but I don’t get it,” Brian Splits, a second-year communication student, told the Tomato. “To me, that’s just a dude sitting down.”

In response to this widespread male obliviousness, female students held a demonstration at the University Centre on Monday afternoon to educate their fellow students about the impact that man-spreading is having on their lives.

Dr. David Bowler, head researcher at the Man Angle Institute at the U of O, spoke at the event. After months of exhaustive research, he and his team say they have found an explanation for this phenomenon.

Dr. Bowler’s team concluded that man-spreaders have been a problem in the human race for centuries. To ensure the preservation of the species, some men throughout the ages have felt an inherent need to find a nesting place for their testicles. Driven by this need, they have spread far and wide, causing mayhem for the opposite sex.

“Many times the manspreader is not aware of what they are doing,” said Dr. Bowler. “It is not intended as an offensive gesture, but one of preservation. Because the need for ball preservation is much more dormant in the average male than it is in a man-spreader, the act of manspreading is not as easily observed by them.”

Despite the work of people like Dr. Bowler and student activists, the U of O’s serial manspreader may strike again at any time and any place on campus. As such, students should remain vigilant, if not utterly terrified.

“I’ve seen all these tweets about this guy, but I don’t get it. To me, that’s just a dude sitting down.”

—Brian Splits, man-spreading apologist

THE TOMATO | 23

DISTRACTIONS Dear Di,

I love anal penetration. It’s at the point where unless I have some serious butt lovin’, I won’t orgasm. It can be really hard when not all my partners are happy to play the back hole.

Is there any way to get it going on more frontally to keep everyone happy?

—Back-End Benefits

Dear BEB,

Dear Di

Back, down, all around—you deserve to be pleasured in whatever way makes you happy! And it’s no wonder—your derriere has super sensitive nerve endings, which is why you find so much pleasure there.

Your anal area can be stimulated by a finger, tongue, penis, sex toy, or any other anally-approved apparatus. If your partner is reluctant to provide your back-end pleasure themselves, you might have to test ride a new play toy. If you do invest, make sure the size of your toy is ass-appropriate, since the anus is a little less elastic than other holes! Lube is also a key consideration for safe sex to help keep your slide slippery.

Anal beads are a hot commodity for both men and women. Picture a naughty strand of pearls that’s inserted into the anus and pulled out during orgasm for a little added pleasure. You can start out small and move your way up in size for greater stimulation and intensity as you see fit. They’re also an easy addition to work into coitus of any kind.

You might also want to try exploring fun with frontal fornicating. Perhaps you can find a unique way—with a little help from your friends—that will maximize your pleasure front to back and back to front. Enjoy!

Dear Di,

At some point, I managed to get an STI from one of my partners. I had the pleasure of finding this out after getting my first PAP smear done, and now I am slowly drowning in self-pity and terror.

What do I do now? In the spirit of anonymity, I should also disclose that I have had more than 40 partners in various ways during university. I don’t know who gave me this STI—or when— and I feel incredibly guilty.

—STIgma Problems

Love, Di

FEATURES EDITOR Jesse Colautti

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260

Dear SP,

Sexual health is the most important issue surrounding sex itself, yet it manages to get little to no attention despite the severity of what can go wrong.

There’s no point wallowing in guilt and self-pity.

You need to take steps immediately to ensure your own health, and the health of your various other sexual partners.

Most importantly, it’s time to go have some awkward but necessary talks with your past partners.

Starting with your more recent sexual acquaintances, you should let them know about your STI and ask if they’ve been tested recently—that way you can trace the STI back to its source. Doing this will ensure the least amount of people have to go through the same ordeal you’re going through now.

It’s also important you have a similar talk with your future sexual partners, no matter how unsexy it may feel. Opening the lines of communication will at least act as a first-step preventative measure to protect you both.

After you’ve taken care of all those awkward conversations, you need to start focusing on positive thoughts. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed or guilty.

STIs aren’t always easy to diagnose without testing, as many of them show no signs for weeks. You can also contract some STIs even when you’ve used proper protection. They aren’t as rare as you think— lots of people have had or will have some form of an STI during their lives, and it’s important that we work together to break the stigma of STIs as dirty.

Love, Di

Distractions Sex Researcher Profile

24 | DISTRACTIONS

Getting the Goods: U of O's own sex researchers

Dominique Bourque is a professor in the Institute of Feminist and Gender

Studies in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her recent research looks at “Feminism, lesbianism and the notion of exile; French feminist

theories and practices; literature, art and the fringe.” She also looks at how sexuality, arts, and politics intersect, as well as marginalized

populations and their relationships with sex.

She’s been published in many journals and organized her own feminism conference.

thefulcrum.ca

Mar.26 to Apr.13, 2015

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC

Thursday, Mar. 26 Doctors Without Borders Canada presents : Ebola Frontline, Mayfair Theatre — 6:30 p.m.

A Most Violent Year begins at the Bytowne Cinema Kenny vs. Spenny, Algonquin Commons Theatre — 8 p.m.

FUN Thinking

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Wednesday, Apr. 1 Cheers to Charity Beer Sampling, Lowertown Brewery — 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and include a beer sample.

Friday, Mar. 27 Timbuktu begins playing at the Bytowne Cinema

Patrick Watson, Black Sheep Inn — 8:30 p.m.

The Campaign Against ISIS, Faculty of Social Sciences Building — 12:30 p.m.

Lisa LeBlanc, Ritual Nightclub — 8:30 p.m.

Who Are You: The Music of Tommy by The Who, Centrepoint Theatre — 8 p.m.

Thursday, Apr. 2

BA JOHNSTON + Dead Weights + Sailor Jupiter + The Unknown Wrestler, House of TARG — 9 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 28 ‘90s Punk Cover Night, House of TARG — 9 p.m.

Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang, The Rainbow Bistro — 10 p.m.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mayfair Theatre — 11 p.m.

Oliver: The Musical, Glebe Community Centre — 7 p.m.

Tickets available for students for $17.

Sports

Free presentation of VERSeFest.

Language Arts, Zaphod Beeblebrox — 8 p.m.

Sunday, Mar. 29

arts

Poetry Reading by Lorna Crozier, Simard Hall, Room 129 — 1 p.m.

The Slackers, The Beatdown, Cardboard Crowns, & The Sentries, Mavericks Bar — 9 p.m.

Monday, Mar. 30 Addressing HCV in Marginalized Populations, Guindon Hall, Room 1007 — 11:45 a.m.

The Duke of Burgundy begins playing at the Bytowne Cinema From Backpack to Briefcase, Desmarais Building, Room 12102 — 5:30 p.m.

Free networking event, registration required. Visit uOcal for more information.

Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Canadian Tire Centre — 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 4 Bubble Soccer Tournament, Algonquin College Gym — 11 a.m.

Registration is $25 per person and every player is guaranteed two games.

Ashley MacIssac, Neat Coffee Shop — 8 p.m.

Bey Bey All Beyoncé Dance Party, Babylon Club — 11 p.m.

Sunday, Apr. 5

Imperialism, Today and Yesterday, Faculty of Social Sciences Building — 3 p.m.

Ryan Boldt & more, Zaphod Beeblebrox — 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Apr. 8 Danny Brooks, Irene’s Pub — 8 p.m.

Q-Tips: Quintessential Tips for Exams, Simard Hall, Room 125 — 1 p.m.

Registration required. Visit uOcal for more information.

Thursday, Apr. 9 Citizenfour, Bytowne Cinema — 6:45 p.m.

Free screening.

Birds of Chicago, Neat Coffee Shop — 7:30 p.m.

Screaming Females, House of TARG — 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Apr. 10 Kacey Musgraves, Centrepoint Theatre — 8 p.m.

Saturday, Apr. 11 Shakey Graves, Neat Coffee Shop — 8 p.m.

Ron Hawkins, Ritual Nightclub — 9 p.m.

Electric Pow Wow, Babylon Club — 10 p.m.

Last chance to see Goodbye, Piccadilly at Ottawa Little Theatre

Sunday, Apr. 12

Keek, Ritual Nightclub — 8 p.m.

CAMP RADIO + Terrible Liars + Yuma County, House of TARG — 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Apr. 7

Saturday, Apr. 13

Making Things International 1: Circuits and Motion, Faculty of Social Sciences — 12 p.m.

Stop Making Sense begins playing at Bytowne Cinema

DISTRACTIONS | 25

26 |

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EDITORIAL

Volume 75, Issue 25, MARCH 26, 2015 Refusing to abdicate since 1942.

Phone: (613) 562-5261 | Fax: (613) 562-5259 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this or we’ll behead you.

staff

Sabrina “Afshar” Nemis Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcum.ca Adam “Atahualpa” Ashby Gibbard Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Adam “Faisal” Feibel Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Marta “Kayqubad” Kierkus Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Nadia “Nicholas” Drissi El-Bouzaidi News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Jessica “Conradin” Eritou Arts & Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Jesse “Caslav” Colautti Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Sarah “Bessus” Nolette Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca Kyle “Dafydd” Darbyson Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “Constantine” Van Dyk Online Editor online@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “Maximilian” Murdock Staff Reporter Remi “Rhadamistus” Yuan Staff Photographer Lindsay “Mithridates” MacMillan Associate News Editor Moussa “Murat” Sangaré-Ponce Associate Online Editor Annalise “Agustin” Mathers Associate Features Editor Savannah “Liuva” Awde Staff Proofreader Chantale “Tihomir” Streeting Webmaster Deidre “Phomathat” Butters Ad Manager ads@thefulcrum.ca Andrew “Turgesius” Hawley General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors L. A. “Bonsu” Bonte Amy “Brunhilda” Leppanen Carolyn “Cantacuzino” Mutis Jasmine “Cuauhtemoc” van Schouwen Eric “Charles” Davidson Garry “Ali Khan” Balaganthan Raghad “Louis” Khalil Fanta “Bell” Ly Omar “Al-Musta’sim” Abdikader Serguei “Philip” Tabatchenko David “Phommathat” Campion-Smith Alina “Psamtik” Kalinina Sarah “Tetlepanquetzal” Maya Bhola Devin “Amaru” Beauregard

Cover art Photos: Marta kierkus Edits: Adam ASHBY Gibbard

thefulcrum.ca

Stop the flow of tampon tax dollars N

o one likes to talk about periods, and it’s costing us millions.

According to Jill Piebak, leader of the No Tax on Tampons campaign, in 2014 the government collected more than $36 million from the taxation of menstrual hygiene products.

She’s leading a petition on Change.org and trying to table a private member’s bill to nix the tax on tampons, but politicians have thus far been unwilling to engage in debate or champion this cause. It reflects an attitude that exists inside of the House of Commons, and affects women across the country.

The necessity of menstrual products is easily overlooked in a country like Canada, where it’s assumed everyone has access to them. In some countries, access to clean, comfortable (relatively speaking) menstrual products is a luxury of the rich. But just because we can walk into any grocery store and buy a box of Tampax, doesn’t mean the cost isn’t an unavoidable burden to some. The added burden of taxation on a subsection of society already making less on average than their male counterparts is insupportable.

But periods aren’t something we like to acknowledge. The Winnipeg Free Press wrote a story about a food bank receiving nearly 7,000 requests for menstrual products this past January.

They were only able to fulfill 125 of them. Donations at food banks often include toiletries, but they are more likely to receive toothbrushes than tampons. The cost of menstrual products is a burden on par with food and other medical expenses.

Even if you aren’t in dire financial need, being taxed on a necessary product is bizarre.

The distinctions between what is and isn’t taxed are difficult to sort out, though they certainly help accountants stay employed.

In general, necessary food and medical supplies are not taxed, but there is ongoing debate about what exactly is a necessity. For

example, you can claim your prescription eyeglasses and medical marijuana on your tax return, but not a blood pressure monitor.

Most of the medical items you can’t claim improve quality of life, but aren’t necessary. Condoms, for example, have great benefit for reducing sexually transmitted infections and preventing unwanted pregnancy.

However, no one necessarily needs to have sex, no one is required to have protected sex to get on with their day-to-day life, and there are other birth control methods available. The use of menstrual products, on the other hand, isn’t something anyone who has to go out in public should be considering a choice.

It’s something we may not like to talk about, but we must. The cost is not going away and it is entirely tied to gender. Not every woman menstruates, but every woman should be concerned when a bodily function that affects only women is taxed and discussion is ignored and shut down.

In 2004, Member of Parliament Judy Wasylycia-Leis introduced a bill addressing “genderbased taxation,” while MP Irene Mathyssen introduced Bill C-282 to address the same issue in 2011 and 2013, without any impact on taxation.

How can we be a country that claims to be committed to equality when we have a government that taxes products only needed by women for a normal bodily function? We have a government that allows tax exemptions for wedding cakes, but not Diva Cups, and has thus far refused to discuss the dissonance.

Piebak is continuing to collect signatures until April 27 and intends to present her petition in the House of Commons on May 1. This is an opportunity to stop pretending the taxation of menstrual products is a supportable practice, and a chance to stop pretending periods will go away if we just ignore them.

No matter how hard you try to plug up the conversation, it all has to come out eventually.

Photo: Marta Kierkus

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