The Fulcrum- Volume 79, Issue 5 - Fiction Issue

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IN THIS ISSUE

Ford government cuts tuition, OSAP P.4 The latest in Ford post-secondary interference

Why you shouldn’t watch You P.9 Stop sympothising with stalkers, Netflix

The Fiction Issue P.13 The best in fiction writing from your peers

Kevin Domingue P.23 Read up on the Gee-Gees’ all-time leading scorer

Which is better, books or brightspace? P.26 Two contributors argue it out

Your philosophy prof is dead and we have killed them P.27 How to write erotica P.28 Ty’s tips and tricks

NEWS PROVINCE ANNOUNCES 10 PER

NEWS EDITOR

Eric Davison & Sarah Crookall news@thefulcrum.ca associate.news@thefulcrum.ca

CENT DOMESTIC TUITION CUT, SLASHES LOW-INCOME GRANT

STUDENTS TO SEE NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID, OPT-OUT OPTIONS FOR CAMPUS SERVICES Matt Gergyek & Anchal Sharma Features Editor & Editor-in-Chief

I

n response to a “flat rate” of enrollment, the provincial government announced today post-secondary domestic tuition fees will be reduced by 10 per cent starting in the 2019-2020 academic year and will be frozen the following year, along with changes to OSAP and student levies.

The press release outlines changes to OSAP, triggered by findings from the auditor general in December, and claims that the program’s costs could total $2 billion by 2020. Most notably, free tuition for low-income students will be slashed in favour of support via loans, the Canadian Press reports.

Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, said most funding through OSAP will now go to students whose families earn under $50,000 per year, and the income threshold for grants will be lowered.

In addition, students will be able to opt-out of on-campus services such as student media, service centres and advocacy groups. The statement notes “essential” health and safety fees will remain mandatory.

“Student fees in Ontario can range up to $2,000 per year, and, too often, force students to pay for services they do not use and organizations they do not support,” she said, adding the government’s decision will “ensure students

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have transparency and freedom of choice regarding the campus services and organizations which get access to their money.”

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario called the opt-out policy “an attack on students’ unions, democracy and student services” on Twitter. “We are the students and this new framework is not for us,” they wrote.

At the U of O, undergraduate students paid an average of $930 in incidental fees in the fall 2018 semester, which includes health insurance, student union fees, the U-Pass, faculty associations, and student services. Students at the Telfer School of Management also pay fees for the Career Centre.

Paige Booth, the acting president of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa called the decision “reckless” in an email to the Fulcrum, stating that “allowing students to opt-out of student services reduces student voices and representation.”

“The SFUO offers a variety of services and programs including a food bank, peer mentoring and tutoring, mental health support, the University of Ottawa Student Emergency Response Team (UOSERT) and many more.

With optional and therefore, vastly reduced funding, the quantity and quality of being able to produce such services will surely decline,” she wrote.

“Even if students may not need or use a student service at the time, they may need to access them at a later time in their university career.”

The U of O declined the Fulcrum’s request for an interview, however David Graham,

Photo: Rame Abdulkader

the provost and vice-president of academic affairs at the U of O commented on the announcement in an email, stating “the University of Ottawa is assessing the impact of this announcement on our budget and operations.”

“We have always been committed to offering the best academic programs and services to our student population.

I can assure you that this commitment will not change.”

The email added that more information will be released “in due course.”

At a press conference in Toronto, Fullerton said that the move will reduce tuition fees for Ontario undergraduate university students pursuing general arts or science degrees by an average of $660, while college students in the province will see a $340 reduction. At Ottawa’s Carleton University, Fullerton said undergraduate engineering students will see their tuition

reduced by $1,120.

Ottawa Centre NDP MPP Joel Harden compared the move to the U.S. right-to-work law, calling it an “attack on services students rely on, an attack on democracy, and an attempt to muzzle Ford’s critics.”

Nathalie Des Rosiers, former dean of the U of O’s Faculty of Common Law and current Ottawa-Vanier Liberal MPP, also raised concerns on Twitter, saying (the government) “should be expanding access to higher education for those who seek it out.”

It is unclear how universities will absorb the loss of revenue from the reduction in tuition rates, as Fullerton claimed in today’s press conference that the changes to OSAP will not act as subsidization for universities.

The province has not made any changes to international tuition fees, according to the Toronto Star.

The Canadian Federation of StudentsOntario called the opt-out policy “an attack on students’ unions, democracy and student services” on Twitter. “We are the students and this new framework is not for us,” they wrote.

NEWS | 5

SECOND PROTEST STAGED IN SOLIDARITY WITH WET’SUWET’EN CAMPS

Indigenous rights protestors occupied TransCanada Gas offices, held ceremony Eric Davison News Editor

On Jan.15, a group of antipipeline protestors carried out a series of demonstrations in downtown Ottawa.

Wet’suwet’en protestors in BC gained international attention after an RCMP raid on a camp that was blocking the construction of the Coastal Gaslink pipeline. This protest was one in a series of solidarity demonstrations nationwide.

The event began at 1 p.m. with a rally in Confederation Park, where the protestors provided donated food for free to all attendees and passersby.

“We are here to cause real change and support everyone that the government has let slip through the cracks,” Jordan Reiss, a third-year political science student at the University of Ottawa told the Fulcrum. “Sharing food with your neighbours —it’s a really powerful way to show everyone you are on their side.”

At 2 p.m., the protestors marched to 275 Slater St.—an office building home to a small TransCanada Gas office.

The protestors went to the ninth floor of the building despite accusations of trespassing by the building’s staff.

Ottawa Police Service officers attempted to block and disable

elevators but were ultimately ignored by the protest group, furthering tension with the officers and the building’s private security. Indigenous protest groups carried out a traditional peace pipe ceremony while in the office. Protestors later demanded that office workers call their Calgary headquarters to ask for an end to all projects on Wet’suwet’en territory.

“The core issue here is respect. Respect for the First Nations of Turtle Island, and respect for Canadian citizens who have to deal with the fallout of the oil industry’s mess,” Marie, a self-described water warrior, shared.

The Canadian government maintains that they have consulted all First Nations band councils which hold territory in the planned path of the Coastal Gaslink pipeline.

However, some Indigenous populations claim that the band councils do not represent their constituents. Instead, they recognize the authority of the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en, who have not been formally consulted.

“When Trudeau talks about consultation—well that’s not consent. It’s like breaking into your house, but the robber asks if he can take the TV too, or just your jewelry,” added

Photo: Eric Davison

Lewis, a carpenter and Marie’s partner.

The elected band council system was imposed by the Indian Act and is not a traditional form of First Nations governance.

Not all protestors at Tuesday’s event were there to support the hereditary

Photo: Eric Davison

6 | NEWS

council.

Environmentalist groups—including Earth Strike and Extinction Rebellion—also showed up to the demonstration.

“We are talking about investing billions of dollars in fossil fuels when the (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has told us we

have 12 years to save ourselves (from global warming),” said Glenn, an agricultural worker and EarthStrike protestor. “We can spend 6 billion dollars on a pipeline to carry gas that might kill us in a decade, or we can spend it on green energy that will serve us for generations.”

The Coastal Gaslink pipeline is currently on hold pending federal review by the National Energy Board. Protestors have committed to continuing demonstrations until the federal government cancels all pipelines on Wet’suwet’en territory and recognize the authority of the hereditary council.

Photo: Eric Davison

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PROVINCE’S FREE SPEECH POLICY SPARKS CONTROVERSY ON CAMPUS

Universities must comply or risk losing funding Eric Davison News editor

Winter 2019 will be the first semester in which Ontario universities will be required to follow the Ford government’s new free speech policies or risk losing out on provincial funding.

Doug Ford’s Conservative government first implemented the policy last year, intending to address a perceived crisis of free speech on campus. However, the move has faced backlash by academic organizations who claim it erodes the independence of educational institutions.

“There is no free speech crisis on Ontario campuses.

This is an ideological fiction advanced by the government to justify interference in the academic governance and autonomy of Ontario’s universities and colleges.” states the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) and the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) in a joint statement.

The University of Ottawa passed a compliant policy in December, now known as Academic Policy 121. The policy states that all students have a right to free expression on campus, and the university will not “seek to shield its community from controversial or objectionable views.”

The university has historically maintained a similar, but informal policy on free speech. However, Policy 121 gives the administration new powers to punish individuals and organizations who interfere in the free speech of others.

The OCUFA statement continues, “Threatening to discipline students, staff and faculty actually limits expression rights on campus, especially for systemically marginalized groups. Members of the campus community may be discouraged from speaking up for fear of being disciplined.”

Policy 121 states that it does

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The policy is intended to address a perceived crisis of free speech on campus but has faced backlash by academic organizations who claim it erodes the independence of educational institutions. not “permit interference with the free expression of the full spectrum of human thought.”

Jeremy Cavenaugh, a thirdyear international economics major, believes that the noninterference element means the policy is inherently hypocritical.

“If the school won’t let you yell at a Nazi then you don’t really have a free speech policy, you just have a proNazi policy.”

“When you have people who publicly prop up the Jewish conspiracy—well that isn’t an idea that deserves protection,” he says, in reference to Faith Goldy’s appearances on university campuses.

Policy 121 does allow the banning of hate speech but does not elaborate on if or how this will be enforced.

Other students were more supportive of the move.

“When you have people pulling fire alarms and barricading doors instead of arguing, you have a free speech problem,” says Allen Ramsey, a second-year Telfer business student. “Some of these speakers, are saying the dumbest shit—it isn’t hard to prove them wrong politely. When you riot, you are just sort of giving them legitimacy and causing property damage.”

The specifics of Policy 121’s enforcement mechanisms on campus are still not known.

The province has committed to an annual review of all publicly funded schools to ensure compliance with the Conservative party’s plan.

Ford speaks during his 2018 Campaign.

Photo: CC, Flickr

PART-TIME PROFS TO VOTE THIS WEEK ON STRIKE MANDATE

APTPUO bargaining, strike vote to be held amidst Ontario tuition cuts Savannah Awde Managing Editor

The Association of Parttime Professors of the University of Ottawa (APTPUO) special general meeting on Jan. 25 will see members participate in a strike vote, with cuts to tuition by the Ontario government in the backdrop.

According to APTPUO communications and administration officer Shawn Philip Hunsdale, the strike vote happens during every round of bargaining with the administration, but this year’s vote is happening earlier than usual.

“We’ve basically come to a point where we’ve had to ask for a conciliator because where we’re at with bargaining proposals is so different,” Hunsdale said of negotiations between the union and the administration.

So what would a strike mandate mean for students in the winter term? Hunsdale said that if the strike vote sees a majority, it would simply be a tool for the APTPUO to negotiate and wouldn’t necessarily indicate a strike is in the near future.

“The goal of a strong strike mandate is to avoid a strike, and there can hopefully be a response from the university that won’t be ‘no’ all the way down,” Hunsdale said.

When asked about the likelihood of a strike this term, Hunsdale answered that it would depend on specifics of the negotiations, but noted the potential impact of the new provincial government.

“The provincial government has changed and with it their legislative agenda, and the spending they foresee for the public and para-public sector—which includes universities,” Hunsdale said.

The negotiations are happening in tandem with the Ontario government’s move to cut tuition by 10 per cent, without providing subsidization to make up for losses incurred by universities.

Kate Fletcher, part-time criminology prof and board member at the APTPUO, told the Fulcrum that the union is “very concerned” with the province’s new legislation and the impact it will have on negotiations.

“The provincial government has changed and with it their legislative agenda, and the spending they foresee for the public and para-public sector, which includes universities.”— Shawn Philip Hunsdale, APTPUO communications and administration officer.

—Shawn Philip Hunsdale, APTPUO communications and administration officer She said the main points of contention in this round of bargaining are unpaid labour and job security, alongside concerns about the quality of education at the university.

Hunsdale also highlighted that part-time professors take up 2 per cent of the university’s budget, while teaching 50 per cent of the classes offered.

“I think that by demonstrating a strong strike mandate … our hope is that the employer will recognize, I’m not going to get away with denying part-

time profs what I would say is their basic right.”

Union members with valid photo identification may vote at the meeting or during the two following business days at the APTPUO office in University Centre room 106. No proxy votes will be allowed.

The meeting is set for Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. in room 4007 of the Faculty of Social Sciences building but is not open to the public. You can follow updates on negotiations via the APTPUO’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

NEWS | 7

U OF O STUDY: WORKRELATED DEATHS UNDERREPORTED BY 13 TIMES

Cancer and disease often escape official work-related death statistics

“When we look at the cases when we see that people are killed at work— there’s evidence to suggest that many of them involve some kind of criminal negligence,” —Steven Bittle, study author and U of O professor of criminology

About 12,000 work-related deaths escape official statistics each year, according to a U of O study. Featured: Steven Bittle and Jasmine Hébert, study authors.

Photo: Sarah Crookall.

Sarah Crookall

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8 | NEWS

News editor

A U of O study, published in the Journal of Canadian Labour Studies, finds workrelated deaths are underreported by 10–13 times. According to an article published in November, cancer and disease are the leading causes.

“We have a much greater chance of being sickened or killed by a major corporation than traditional street crime,” said Steven Bittle, study author and U of O professor of criminology.

The study, titled, “WorkRelated Deaths in Canada,” analyzed reports of workplace deaths, using a combination of government, academic, and alternative data sources. With a goal of redefining workplace fatalities, the study suggests that current definitions are too narrow.

“In Canada, for a fatality to be counted in the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada’s (AWCBC) data it must be ‘founded,’ meaning it must result ‘from a work-related incident’ ... accepted for compensation,” the study reads.

Currently, the AWCBC’s data suggests 1,000 annual deaths in Canada are workrelated.

Whereas Bittle’s research suggests 10,000–

13,000 deaths are the actual numbers, considering alternative data and unreported cases.

Bittle says many deaths are investigated as accidents instead of crimes, which may be because of stereotypes.

“When we look at the cases when we see that people are killed at work, there’s evidence to suggest that many of them involve some kind of criminal negligence,” he said.

“Most often those are dealt with through non-criminal rules and laws—administrative laws, or regulatory laws,” Bittle added.

According to this research, work-related fatalities double homicide statistics. According to data from Statistics Canada, 660 people died of homicide in 2017—that’s 640 fewer deaths estimated in the recent workrelated death study.

Of the fatalities studied, cancer and disease escape statistics most often. Employees are exposed to “dusts, gasses, fumes and vapours at work.”

However, establishing a link between cancer and work environments is challenging, says Bittle.

“There’s research that’s starting to show us that when it comes to certain substances they do have a work component,” he said. “A great example of this is asbestos. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos.”

The article estimates as many as 8,939 cancer deaths may be work-related.

Additionally, it states workrelated suicides are on the rise because of unmanageable workloads, harassment, low or unchanging wages,

and the “erosion of workers’ rights and protections.”

The study suggests 400 work-related suicides occur each year.

“Of all the topics that we covered, I think (work-related suicide is) an area that’s extremely understudied and one that demands more attention.”

Examining other factors— such as heart disease, agriculture incidents, non-working victims, and commuting—the study notes additional causes of work-related deaths are not always considered.

Bittle’s team proposes that 466 commuting deaths are work-related. The study states, “these commuters are at the greatest risk of driving while fatigued and in dangerous conditions, in comparison with those who work normal business hours.”

The study found deaths related to work often escape statistics because of a high burden of proof, rejected compensation claims, and are uncounted by police.

To address current datacollection limitations, the study suggests all levels of government create more reliable ways of tracking fatalities at work. It concludes that initiatives should start by “seeking insight from various researchers and union/ labour groups.”

According to Bittle, the current process “should be better regulated and controlled so that people do not die just trying to make a living.”

Moving forward, the researchers hope to gather more data on work-related deaths, and further explore work-related suicides.

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A&C EDITOR Iain Sellers arts@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @iainsellers

ARTS & CULTURE YOU ROMANTICIZES SERIOUS ISSUE THAT OFTEN GOES UNNOTICED

NETFLIX SERIES SPARKS ONLINE DEFENSE OF STALKER Iain Sellers

Arts & Culture Editor

O

n Dec. 26, 2018, Netflix premiered a 10 episode series, titled You, that follows the life of a seemingly love-stricken protagonist who stalks an unsuspecting 20-something year old as he manipulates her, and forces himself into her life.

While the series tackles some important and complex issues, the reaction by some media outlets has been to cast the protagonist as repulsively alluring, or to focus on the narrative about whether the stalker is really attractive, or not—but, that can diminish the importance of the larger issue at hand.

According to Julie Lalonde, a women’s rights activist and a two-time victim of stalking,

the show is inherently problematic in the way that it portrays stalking without most of its harmful psychological effects.

“I think it’s recreating a lot of these really damaging and dangerous tropes that stalking is about romance,” she told the Fulcrum. “Even in the context to which there might be some indication of (creepiness to the stalker’s actions), it’s never really pushed to the degree which we actually see how terrifying it really is.”

Indeed, You is structured in such a way that viewers are meant to feel empathy for the stalker, as they are forced to see things from his perspective, and feel suspense as he narrowly avoids being caught. Yet, what is absent for the greater part of the show, is the everyday harm that victims of stalking feel.

“There’s a paranoia that is

ALBUMS YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO SHAD | THE OLD PRINCE | BLACK BOX RECORDINGS Ben Woodhouse Fulcrum Contributor

WHY YOU HAVEN’T HEARD IT Before Drake made Canada a hip-hop powerhouse, Canadian rappers often had a hard time breaking through to mainstream audiences, even within the country.

Although the scene went through a bit of a boom in the 2000s, it was still far

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from a major force in the Canadian music industry.

Toronto rapper Shad was one of the more successful rappers of this period, in terms of press coverage and national accolades, but he still went largely unnoticed on a national scale. His second album released in 2007, The Old Prince, didn’t generate any big radio hits like some of his contemporaries, so unless

oftentimes seen by people as unjustified,” said Lalonde.

“So, then it starts to play with your mind, (and) then you start to doubt your own perception of reality … (you become) hypervigilant at all times ... so it really gets in your head whether they’re actually watching you or not.”

“That feeling doesn’t go away when the stalking stops because that person decided to move on, that person got incarcerated, (or) in my case, (when) it ended because he died,” Lalonde continued. “I didn’t just wake up the next day and shed all of those habits that I had accrued over all of those years, (because) it’s really hard to basically deprogram yourself from that feeling that you’re constantly being watched—not to mention the impact that it has in terms of things like how you approach social media (and)

While not one of the biggest names in 21st century rap, Shad’s storytelling is legendary.

Photo: Courtesy of Black Box Recordings

you’re an alternative hiphop head, the album would have probably flown under your radar.

WHY IT MIGHT BE TOUGH TO GET THROUGH The style of hip-hop that Shad explores on this album—a soulful, conscious sound similar to Common and Kanye’s early music— puts a lot of emphasis on lyricism, and Shad delivers

Photo: Courtesy of Julie Lalonde, Dave Chan for The Globe and Mail

all of those things.”

To have a prominent Netflix series which diminishes the gravity of these issues has been frustrating, Lalonde admitted.

“It’s really frustrating for folks who are living this every single day, in a world in which the justice system doesn’t take it seriously, (and) often times our friends and family don’t take it seriously.”

“From my understanding, part of what’s problematic about the show is that they frame the victim in a way that she doesn’t look that great, so you get the idea that she’s not perfect either—all of those things contribute to keeping victims silent,” she said.

Lalonde explained that, through her experience as a victim and advocate for those who have been stalked, she does not think that Canadian society takes stalking seriously enough— both culturally and legally.

“There’s no resources, there’s no ads, there’s no posters. There’s truly nothing on this issue that is impacting so many people— particularly women,” Lalonde explained. “So it’s massive, it’s so common, and we just don’t talk about it.”

To raise awareness, Lalonde created a video titled “Outside of the Shadows: A Project of Criminal Harassment in Canada” that explains her story of being stalked for a

decade, and gives advice for those being stalked.

Yet, for those other victims going through stalking right now, while the Netflix series continues to air and be talked about, Lalonde offered words of compassion and support.

“A lot of people are going through this (and) a lot of people are angry with how the narrative is playing out,” she said.

“So, you’re not alone, you’re not crazy, and it’s truly not your fault. Myself, and folks like me, are fighting for you, we’re trying to change the narrative, and we’re trying to change the conversation, we’re trying to change the laws. So, don’t treat it like you’re alone here.”

in this regard, but the density of his raps can be a lot to handle. Plus, this sound isn’t exactly en vogue right now, so listeners who are more accustomed to modern hip-hop may take some time to get used to its old-fashioned aesthetic.

As well, the album may be hard to get into if you come at it from a hardcore or gangsta rap angle since Shad takes a relatively lighthearted approach to his subjects. Even the songs that deal with heavier themes—like loneliness and racial stereotyping—are punctuated with levity and playfulness, so listeners who like their hip-hop with more grit may not be satisfied.

rappers working today, and The Old Prince is filled to the brim with entertaining and thought-provoking hip-hop. His storytelling is clear and vivid, but still full of personality and headspinning rhyme schemes.

His offbeat humour shines through on the album too, like when he spends a whole song defending his absurd—and borderline unhealthy—money-saving practices. True to its title, The Old Prince earns Shad a place among rap royalty.

of the previous host, Jian Ghomeshi.

• In 2008, The Old Prince received a Juno nomination for Rap Recording of the Year and was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize, an annual award given to the year’s best Canadian album.

FUN FACTS

“No parka for me, not even gloves, scarves or a fleece/I may freeze but I’ll keep saving marvellously.” (“The Old Prince Still Lives at Home.”)

WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT ANYWAY Shad is one of the most charismatic and talented

• Shad has earned both a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a master’s degree in liberal studies from Simon Fraser University.

• Shad briefly hosted the CBC Radio program Q following the dismissal

BEST LINES AND SONGS “I’m the biggest thing out of Canada ‘til Quebec separates.” (“Intro: Quest for Glory.”)

“Yo, this world’s so sick, like Ne-Yo’s hit/Or folks with no OHIP, don’t slip.” (“Now a Daze.”)

ARTS & CULTURE | 9

BOOK LAUNCH SPOTLIGHTS LGBTQ+ ADVOCACY, HISTORY

OTTAWA REVEAL OF QUEERING URBAN JUSTICE HELD AT U OF O CAMPUS Iain Sellers

Arts & Culture Editor Detailing history can be a monumental task.

For historians, it means dealing with contradictory narratives, unreliable narrators, and seemingly impossible facts—and often, mistakes are made.

So, for the editors of Queering Urban Justice, their goal was set a story straight.

On Jan. 15, three editors of Queering Urban Justice spoke to around 50 U of O students, members of the faculty, and outside community members about how LGBTQ+ residents of Toronto have been simultaneously pushed out of history, and out of Canadian cities.

“Marvellous Grounds started out as a space project, and that’s what you’re going to read a lot of in Queering Urban Justice,” said Syrus Marcus Ware, one of the book’s editors, to the audience. “We started working on issues of counter-archiving, and documenting queer genealogies of resistance.”

The event, which served as the book’s launch in Ottawa, was an opportunity for the editors to speak to students about their findings, and promote Marvellous Grounds— which is the larger project that also incorporates another newly released book by the same name, and an interactive blog.

“Marvellous Grounds has been a wonderful project to work on,” continued Marcus Ware.

“It’s generative, it’s creative, and it’s been embellamative of the kinds of activism that QTBIPOC has been doing in this city, this province, and this country.”

The book launch featured a brief explanation of the project’s work, a reading of the first chapter and epilogue, and a question period for the audience to engage with the material.

10 | ARTS & CULTURE

When asked by an audience member about what they hoped their book would accomplish, Marcus Ware responded that he hoped to change the widely-held belief that LGBTQ+ leadership has only been white.

“So, what I hope would come out of these volumes are examples of the ways that we (people of colour) have queered urban justice … and reinscribing that into the narrative,” he said.

Following the presentation, Ghaida Moussa, another editor and a U of O alumna, told the Fulcrum that even if the book did not directly focus on Ottawa, there was a local link.

“The book mostly focuses on Toronto, but at the same time—because of Toronto’s positioning within Canada, it’s (also) a (history) of queer, trans, Indigenous, black, and

people of colour … (in) Canada,” she said.

“I think that any areas that experience gentrification, experience some of the things that we’re talking about in the book,” Moussa continued. “In those places (there are) lower-income working class people— which generally overlaps with queer, racialized, and trans folks—(who) do experience the outcomes of gentrification, which is often displacement, increased placement, and that kind of thing.”

Indeed, while some students attending were asked to attend the book launch for their classes, some still described it as an enjoyable, and informative book launch.

When asked what her biggest takeaway from the event was, Emiley Prak, a third-year criminology student explained that “(she) learned a lot about it,

Both books are a part of a larger project titled “Marvellous Grounds.”

Photo: Iain Sellers

“It’s generative, it’s creative, and it’s been embellamative of the kinds of activism that QTBIPOC has been doing in this city, this province, and this country.”

—Syrus Marcus Ware, one of the books’ editors about queer people, people of colour, and this sort of context—(and) how they feel excluded.”

So, the event served as an informative opportunity for students to ask questions, and for

the editors to spread the word about their project.

“We’ve launched the book in Toronto, and now we’re launching it in Ottawa,” Marcus Ware said. “We’ll continue to launch it in some of the

sister cities where there’s similar QTBIPOC activism happening.”

Copies of Queering Urban Justice and Marvellous Grounds will be sold in Ottawa at Venus Envy on 226 Bank St..

CATCH ME AT THE CLUB: MUSICAL THERAPY CLUB UOTTAWA

GIVING BACK HAS NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD Rhea Verma

Staff Contributor The beginning of a new year can mean a lot of different things for different people. For some, it is an opportunity to try new things, or give back to one’s community—which is where Musical Therapy Club uOttawa thrives.

The club, which is based on a commitment to philanthropic work, is looking for student musicians to volunteer in hospitals and healthcare centres as a way for them to “find positive outlets for their creative talents,” explained Gurvir Singh Rai, the club’s president, and a thirdyear biomedical science

student.

Music therapy is a growing trend that has ancient roots. In essence, the goal of the therapy is to trigger an emotional, mental, or spiritual response in hopes of promoting mental and physical healing.

“Many students aren’t even aware that music therapy and music volunteering opportunities exist,” Rai told the Fulcrum. “Our club hopes to promote an interest in musical volunteerism at the university, so (that) our students can provide a service to their community in a creative and fun way.”

The team is currently planning on hosting a

coffee house in the coming months, in partnership with the Cure for Women and Children uOttawa Club, “to help raise funds to support women and children in Bangladesh suffering from birthrelated injuries.”

Indeed, the club, which is actively seeking to grow its membership base, has a mandate to raise money for charitable causes, alongside its commitment to providing musical therapy to those who are ill.

“Anyone and everyone is welcome to join our club,” Rai told the Fulcrum.

“Our team works to match members with the organizations that best fit their musical ability, schedule, and interests.”

All musicians are welcome— regardless of their musical ability.

Photo: CC, Ann via Flickr

The club takes a versatile approach to the musicians they allow, whether it be through singing or playing an instrument. So, there is something for all wouldbe volunteers—regardless of musical ability. The only requirement is to have a passion for the task ahead, in order to gain the most from the experience.

In fact, the club also boasts “volunteer opportunities that are difficult to access anywhere else,” according to Rai. “In some cases, the partnerships we create

with health organizations allow us to create (other) opportunities that don’t yet exist,” he explained.

“Anyone and everyone is welcome to join our club. Joining is as simple as visiting our Facebook page and filling out our quick information form,” he continued. “We do not hold regular meetings, however many of our members perform on a weekly or monthly basis.”

For more information contact the Musical Therapy Club on their Facebook page.

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The festival will be accepting applications until Feb. 25.

Photo: Courtesy of UPROAR via Facebook

UPROAR SET TO TAKE PLACE THIS SUMMER AS NEW FESTIVAL

FESTIVAL GIVES PRIORITY TO FEMALE, QUEER-GENDER, OTTAWA-BASED ARTISTS Iain Sellers

Arts & Culture Editor Ottawa has a few notable festivals that have become increasingly popular in the past few years—like Bluesfest and CityFolk Festival—but, that has not stopped would-be organizers from starting out their own new, and smaller, celebrations.

This summer, from Aug. 8 to 10, ten artists will kick off the first-ever UPROAR festival at the Arts Court on 2 Daly Ave.. “UPROAR is a new multidisciplinary arts festival that will showcase female and genderqueer artists of all kinds,” Monica BradfordLea, the festival’s executive director and public relations representative, told the Fulcrum in an email.

“The festival really started with a single goal: let’s celebrate womxn artists,” she continued. “As a group of local artists, this is something we’d all felt for a few years—that desire to celebrate and connect with other female (and) genderqueer artists.”

Initially, the group had put a policy in place requesting all groups only apply if they were composed of 80 per cent

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women or queergender members—because the festival is based around celebrating those communities— but has since removed that requirement due to logistical challenges.

“When we initially wrote the call for artists, we were thinking about representation—we wanted to make sure that the artists involved in the festival were representative of the communities we wanted to celebrate,” BradfordLea explained.

“After we launched the call, we heard from some in those communities that this requirement was a challenge for them.”

“It’s important to us that female and genderqueer artists be at the forefront of the festival; but so is having representation from a variety of disciplines,” they continued. “So we had to balance that, and ultimately decided to remove the requirement and instead list it as a programming priority.”

Indeed, the fledgling festival recently opened up applications for wouldbe musicians, artists, comedians, poets, and more—and applicants have

“The festival really started with a single goal: let’s celebrate womxn artists. As a group of local artists, this is something we’d all felt for a few years—that desire to celebrate and connect with other female (and) genderqueer artists.”

—Monica Bradford-Lea until Feb. 25 to apply on the group’s website.

“Don’t be shy to apply!

The goal for this festival is to showcase artists of all kinds—from any age, background, or artistic discipline,” Bradford-Lea told the Fulcrum. “So, whether your project is brand new or something you’ve already been working on, we want to hear about it.”

To get the festival started, the organizers conducted two separate fundraisers at the end of the summer in 2018, and successfully reached all of their target donation goals.

“I think we’ve all been blown away by the support we’ve received,” BradfordLea continued.

“Our fundraiser back in August, and the online campaign

we ran in September were both incredibly successful—we hit over our target fundraising goal at both events—and we’ve had so many people reach out and ask how they can get involved.”

“The support we’ve received has definitely indicated to us that this was something that the rest of the community also felt was missing,” she

explained, “and we’re both excited and humbled by everyone’s support.”

So, if you would like to take part in the beginnings of a new festival, or even if you just want to support female, and queer gender artists, be sure to check out UPROAR this August.

“We can’t wait to see everyone’s work, and start UPROAR off with a bang this summer.”

ARTS & CULTURE | 11

NOHIBERNATIONFOROTTAWAS’ CULTURESCENETHISWINTER This year, there are tons of fun and cultural activities that you can partake in— both inside and outside—to make the season great. So, grab a toque and brace yourself for five of the Fulcrum’s top activities for you in this wintry wonderland.

If you’re worried about cold temperatures, be sure to check out one of the indoor activities.

Photo: CC, pixabay

BEATING THE SNOW SQUALLS IS EASY IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK Iain Sellers

Arts & Culture EditoR

When compared to the fervor of summer, or the excitement of starting school in autumn, winter can seem dull in Ottawa.

However, it would be a mistake to assume that there is nothing going on.

This year, there are tons of fun and cultural activities that you can partake in—both inside and outside—to make the season great. So, grab a toque and brace yourself for five of the Fulcrum’s top activities for you in this wintry wonderland.

12 | ARTS & CULTURE

Catch a movie at the Join a new ByTowne Cinema (seasonal) club

Try your gloved hand Attend this year’s at a winter sport WinterPride

Feast on Ottawa’s winter specialties

While outdoor movies in the park might not be showing this time of year, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make an event of going to the movies.

The ByTowne Cinema, which was originally created in 1946, has a uniquely old-timey feel to its make-up, and regularly plays an average of three shows a day— featuring documentaries, independent films, and old school classics.

So, if you’re looking to stay up-to-date with the best in film this winter, you should definitely consider checking it out..

Plus, if you really enjoy the atmosphere, their memberships provide a $4 discount on all showings, and are only $6 annually for students.

If the past couple of Winter Olympics are any indicator, Canada seems to have a natural talent for winter sports. So, why not take advantage of the white powdered stuff outside your window, and try out a new winter workout?

While the classic winter adventure might be to lace up your skates, and hit one of the longest outdoor skating rinks in the world, there are tons of other opportunities within a short commute from the U of O, including skiing at Camp Fortune and snowshoeing in Gatineau Park.

Even if you don’t end up in the 2022 Winter Olympics, getting out in the National Capital Region’s ice-kissed nature is bound to be picturesque.

No winter celebration would be complete without tasting some of Ottawa’s best seasonal food and drinks.

While many bigger coffee shops will be selling specialty drinks like apple cider and hot honey vanilla tea lattes, local coffee shops like Planet Coffee will also be offering winter specials to help you beat the worst of the post-WinterPride cold.

To make things even more convenient, major winter tourist destinations—like the Rideau Canal skateway, will be selling other hot drinks and foods, because there is really nowhere else that you can eat a beavertail while skating on the canal with the Parliament buildings as your backdrop, eh?

It’s no secret that the winter semester can be tough for people. With limited hours of daylight, and with only a small break between getting your final exam marks and starting a new course-load, it can be hard to find the time to try out new things.

Yet, testing out clubs, and discovering new passions is an important part of the university experience.

As an added bonus this winter, certain clubs like the U of O Outdoors Club or UOttawa Parks Canada Club will definitely be hosting seasonally appropriate activities, so be sure to check them out!

While Ottawa has routinely had a Winterlude during the first two weeks of February, this year—from the Feb. 6-10— there will be an added festival incorporated into the winter celebration: WinterPride.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Canada’s partial decriminalization of homosexuality, Capital Pride has decided to hold five days of concerts, a speaker series that will be focused around advocacy, and a march recognizing the anniversary and the road ahead.

thefulcrum.ca

hundred coins clink down the rows of slot machines as I slide my card into the punch clock.

At 19:02 I’m on the job and the fat lady at Number Four wins $65.

I’ve got to pick up my cart from the supply closet but first I like to step onto the floor—just to look around for a few seconds, you know. Every shift I wonder if I’ll see somebody I recognize, even though I very much don’t want that to happen. Maybe Ms. Maldonado from up the hall…

I don’t ever want to see her here, all excited and sexed up and spending the coin. I don’t want her to see me, either, in my coveralls, with my mop, just shuffling around and cleaning the place.

Once I get to wheeling my squealing cart around the games floor, I’ll be finding all sorts of messy things.

Abandoned bottles, crushed smokes, sticky mint wrappers, glitter from chests or faces, a golden cufflink worth twice my wage left by some big shot who won’t realize it’s gone.

But those are the easy stuff. The filth that really sticks is the kind I can’t simply throw out. There is a kind that breathes and moves. It thinks and it feels, but it loves more than anything to abuse.

It’s like they invite all the dirtiest folk to this place. Ladies in long fur coats or girls in short dresses tight as a glove, downing champagne like as if it was holy water. Their hands will be climbing up men’s slick necks, and these men will be slapping down cards and feeling their way to pleasure with their free hand. Rings will rest

against the insides of pockets, dark turkey, already neatly sliced. spaces to seal off the madness.

It will be worth it, I know it. Mama All these filthy things, and there’s will set the table and my boy will try a man to clean them up. I’m the to sit up tall like a man and be proud cleanest, straightest, godliest of what his family will eat that night. creature in the whole joint. And I tell I’ll invite Ms. Maldonado over, too, myself that it takes an outsider like and somewhere over the meal, I’ll say that to work my job. It takes someone thank you so much for the pot pie. who knows the world differently.

That’s what I’m thinking about People like me don’t see things as tonight. fair or unfair. We can’t afford to.

As I’m sweeping up scraps into my When I hear the crash, I look up dustpan, moving between tables quickly from my work then down and whispering “Excuse me, ma’am” across the floor. Somebody’s upset a here, “My apologies, sir” there, I craps table. Among the spilled chips will know only judgement, shallow there’s standing this beast of a man. and impulsive. No matter their A young lady, discreetly massaging shouting and stumbling, cheating her wrist, stands next to and a little and deceiving, the folk in this behind him, and he’s yelling wildly at place will reserve for me a special another man. condescension, and, as if they’ve picked up a mop of their own, they’ll A shameless hush falls over the room. scrub me away like trash.

All the filthy people feign concern for what will happen next, but their thirst I come out here every night and do my for something magnificent and awful job as good as I can. And I do it real is right there for everyone to see. good. The bosses pay me alright and I don’t get to expecting anything that I’ve left my cart and dustpan behind can’t be written on a cheque. and I’m making my way towards the angry man so caught up in the scene When I get to feeling sick, I think he created. All business on the games about sweeter things. My mama and floor has now stopped. When I get my baby boy, who wait for me to so close to him, some people notice come back in the early hours of the me and whisper among themselves. new day… sometimes even old Ms. The man ignores me until I speak Maldonado in her cardigan, who to him. I do it forcefully, pointing a left a pot pie on our doorstep on shaking finger.

Thanksgiving.

“Now sir—listen, now, sir! That’s It’s almost Christmas now, and I think enough of this! These people are here to that with the good hours I’ve done enjoy themselves. Don’t be standing in we’ll have enough to put together a the way of that, now. Come on, sir!” proper dinner. Maybe I’ll become over-excited at the grocer, egged It’s at moments like these that on in that odd, silent way by all the I know who I am. It’s also at people who march around buying nice moments like these that I feel things for their own dinners, and I’ll my boy and my ask over the counter for both ham and mama and dear

Ms. Maldonado very close to me. They stand like lonely flowers in such a vast field of mud.

If they were on the floor with me tonight, I know they would see the sweat rolling down the back of my neck. I know they would see the silver glint of a pistol grip sticking out from the angry man’s waistband. I know they would see the box cutter that I hold in the hand behind my back.

I hope they would see the subtle difference between the terrible and the heroic and so find a way to forgive someone who may get the two confused.

— Keelan Buck, second-year public administration and linguistics

Trash

byKeelanBuck fulcrum freelancer

Illustration: Rame Abdulkader.

Visions in Vinyl

byZoëMason

very old man sits in a worn leather armchair in his favourite room in his house. The walls are lined with shelves of vinyl records. In the centre of the farthest wall is a fireplace, casting an orange glow upon the leather armchairs that sit across from it. The armchairs are flanking a small tweed record player. It is sitting open, the little light labelled ‘on/off’ already glowing red, faded photographs pinned to its lid illuminated by the firelight. Slowly, meticulously, the old man does what he has done so many times before, unsheathes a record and lets the needle fall into its grooves. He sinks into the leather chair and bathes in the familiar crackling sound, the sound of anticipation, of emptiness soon to be filled. But when a voice trickles out of his stereo, the old man is taken aback. It is a deep, syrupy sort of sound, heavy with distortion, slow and menacing. The old man adjusts the speed on his record player, but the thick and unsettling noise persists. He turns the knob and the ‘on/off’ light fades. He stands, in the shaky way of the elderly, over his record player for a moment, accompanied only by the sputtering of the fire behind him. He is mourning.

Today it is not. If she were there, she would probably request he play Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, or if she was feeling adventurous, Tom Petty.

He decides she would probably want Otis, and he spins The Dock of the Bay, hoping that wherever she is now she can hear it. He spins his wedding ring absentmindedly and looks at a photograph pinned to the lid of his record player of a white-haired man and his white-haired wife, and there are tears in his eyes but he is smiling.

h

A man opens the door for his fouryear-old son, who is excited because his father has never let him into this room before. The door was kept locked and the key high above the boy’s sticky fingers, on top of the refrigerator. He had dreamt up a number of fantastical worlds that might lay behind this door: Dinosaurs, princesses, enterprises of espionage.

He enters the room, greeted instead by shelf after shelf of thin cardboard covers, two armchairs, and a small tweed box. He looks up to his father, disappointed. His father lifts him into one of the armchairs.

“Son,” he says, “you are about to who picked the apartment and moved experience something very special.” their things and hid her stress very well throughout the whole process.

He selects an album from his walls, The Beach Boys Pet Sounds, and he “I love it,” he replied, and he smiled hands his son the thin piece of shellac, and he kissed her and he meant it, he letting him flip it over in his tiny loved it, and he loved her for picking hands. He puts it on the record player it and moving their things and hiding and waits. The boy is surprised, her stress very well. bewildered. He doesn’t understand how the shiny black disc correlates to He opens one of the boxes and takes the sound that seems to come from all out a record, new, the cover still around him. shiny. For you, he says, handing it to his wife. She takes it out hungrily— “Where is the music coming from,” it’s Ella Fitzgerald. She puts it on the boy asks his dad. the record player. Her husband pulls her to him and they start to dance, laughing, and she feels her stress The man smiles. melting away. Suddenly he pulls away.

“It’s magic.”

“I think I’d like to start a new tradition,” he says, and he finds his Polaroid camera and he asks her to A man opens the door of his new smile, and she obliges, although she apartment for his new wife. The place hates having her picture taken. He is small, unfurnished, populated only shakes the photo, takes a pin from a by cardboard boxes and dust bunnies, box on the dusty floor and he drives except for a crooked wooden table it into the back of the record player. with a small tweed record player on I want to cover it like this, he says, with photographs of people like you it. and moments like this. She ruffles “What do you think?” asks his wife, his hair, still many years away from growing white.

h

h

“That’s a great idea,” she says.

“I thought this thing would outlive me,” he mutters, smiling sadly.

A young boy scampers down the stairs in plaid pyjamas, dragging his parents behind him. It is Christmas morning.

Quickly, excitedly, he tears open his gift, carefully wrapped by his quiet mother, carefully chosen by his loud father. It is a small tweed box. What is it, he asks his father.

His father smiles, eyes crinkling, and says “Son, you are about to experience something very special.”

His wrinkled fingers take the photographs between them, slowly, meticulously.

h

A man falls into his leather armchair, exhausted down to his bones. He is an old man, but still spry, the kind of man whose face is lined and hair white but his mind sharp, his humour quick, and his legs strong, although you wouldn’t guess it today. Today he looks as though he is a breath away from toppling over. He is wearing black, from head to toe, and his eyes are watery and blank. The armchair next to him is usually inhabited by a woman, with white hair like his and quick humour like his but altogether more delicate than he in her old age.

Staff Contributor

h

Many decades later, a very old man unpins the last picture, one with a young boy smiling big and holding The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, and for the last time, he closes the small tweed box.

—Zoë Mason first-year political science and history Illustration:ZoëMason

The Way Down Illustration: RameAbdulkader

The Widow andtheChild I was walking the streets one cloudy autumn day The breeze was cool, and danced with delight When from a shadowy alcove I heard a voice say Spare some change, sir, so I may eat tonight?

Against a weathered brick wall a woman lay And though hunger and weariness marked her face She was barely a woman, I thought with dismay I asked how one so young could fall so far from grace I loved once, she began, and he was my joy It was to be forever, that was our vow To fate, we are all but a child’s toy For he died in the trenches; I know not how

The smell of halftime oranges, soccer days over 30 years gone at sunrise this morning.

Sliced pink with age, membranes still thread sections, the afghan my grandmother carefully crocheted for her first grandchild. Girl. She sewed a white afghan, colliding snowflakes.

Roses bloom when closet doors open.

Memories spill out of newborn petals watered by shining lilies for the ones who came before.

It is cold in Ostrava, so cold I am still cold 19 years later, the cold Chincoteague horses stamping my marrow with a wild that is so wild, wind is hushed to humbleness.

Blue is through the July rain, soft and smooth, a blue sparrow. Breathe the dawn. At the threshold, hearts sing like crickets in my ears my soul as I drop hot coffee, it is the way down.

—Alex Tyrie, secondyear history, with thanks to Katie Dunn

—Kate Stewart, English graduate student

Imprints

When our eyes meet I can’t help it A smile forms, blushes stolen My heart beats faster Inexplicably As emotions overwhelm me But I’ve never been more —Kate Stewart, English certain of anything

Under an old blanket I notice a child’s curious stare graduate student The woman pulls the child close, holding her tight All that remains of those times is my daughter, my shield against despair Illustration: Together, I think we RameAbdulkader may be alright After I left I found myself thinking of the woman’s sad tale So I spared them some change, and began to visit every few days without fail.

Never give beggars anything, I used to say Until I saw the little girl in her school uniform one day

called to me in sleep voice, “This is how I died.”

The stories flit like shadows in your brown bear eyes. Your bear moves with graceful bulk in dark corners and carries secrets.

I try to follow, but the threads will not connect through our open, frosted eyes.

If I stand beyond the window, out in fields of moth-eaten snow, will I be like him and disappear? Was there another Way? Does his sister want to die because his funeral glorified a life of disuse? Did I almost live and die in L.A., or was that just a dream another night in my life of dreams so real even my cold dreams are ashamed?

Sora means “sky” in Japanese. Sora is where I fly to when I won’t remember.

ColdDreams

Time stands still I stand rooted to the ground Slowly I prise open my lips To make a sound, But I can’t You had my heart But as the cold winter days went by You left it on an empty shelf, discarded Stripped of your warmth It slowly froze Preserving all that was left of your memories and smile And all that remains is What there was to begin with A whisper in the wind

Held hard in the right hand, I walk through the woods but cannot find the Way. The net between the Beyond did not catch my Sooner or later step-brother The wilted leaves and that night in 2009 when he flowers will be gone

In its place, a bright daffodil sprouts Clouds part, breathing life Into my thawing heart And as you frolic My aching heart yearns to dance again with renewed passion But every now and then I flip through the pages and smile Cherish every memory, every fight, every minute spent together Hopefully, it amounts to more than just a few scattered pages A chapter in your book

—Ricardo, first-year computer science

Illustration: RameAbdulkader

Matryoshka tiles tick by how many panels to count before my tongue meets the air waits retreats finds the pattern and follows cocoon after cocoon layers to hold the rocks on my shoulders spikes in my throat breath after breathafterbreath afterbreathafter I splinter my fractured cocoon leaves no room for refuge from the air leaking into my chest layer upon layer I count, I build nothing in or out nothing borne of the world

fracture on fracture under lock and key and if they collapse panel by panel I wait, retreat, cocoon, collapse wait.

—Savannah Awde, Managing Editor

Library Sanctuary i feel safest within libraries where time freezes in the air and i can live out other lives without leaving my chair these pages hold souls and these shelves hold dreams, from the floor to the dust on the top shelf dancing under the celestial light of the ceiling i slip into libraries for a vacuum-like place and forget how quickly time can pass when i sneak between the pages why let my body take up spaces that are painful? and hostile? and cold? when i can breathe free and exist where i am welcome, where i will never grow old i go to libraries where ink stains thumbs and dog ears cover doubts, where i can hide in comfy chairs and never come out where pages flipping are my symphony and gentle tapping peace and liberty where knowledge is my charter and my right. i stay until the sun’s bright eyes grow weary through the night shelves grow heavy limbs, flickering lights will fade to dark, and the night will hug my spinning thoughts like film reels spinning on where i can whisper to the empty shelves is anybody there and a thousand different authors’ voices whisper back we will always be here

—Mar Khorkhordina, third-year political science

43 The sharp metal screeching Crawling down the corridor Illustration: RameAbdulkader

The musk of iron Shamed by the stench of sterility

if you pick up the phone i will tell you that to know a woman is a privilege, and not a right.

The zest of plasma Dripping across swollen tongues

poetry

Hotline Bling, or Why I Called

A shriek of distress Muted by the moaning mechanical requiem

i gave you the privilege of myself. in turn, you taught me regret. guilt. shame. you taught me that i didn’t exist without you.

The harvest of meat Scrubbing hungrily into fatty flesh

The golden iris withering Imploding softly in the showcase Sunlight soars through the skylight Frozen in the fluorescent haze

—Matt Gergyek, Features Editor

ever since you left the city i drink i dance i do what i want. i dive headfirst into the dark pool of the night. i don’t come up for air; you made me good at holding my breath. i don’t think about you, i think about her. i wonder if she’s bending to your will. i wonder if her back aches like mine. i just called to say that i have nothing to say. that i have nothing. that i am going to take it all back from you. i am not grateful for any of it. but i thank you for telling people who you are. pressthreetodelete thismessage3.

—Julia D’Silva, second-year conflict studies

Illustration: RameAbdulkader

Mac and Cheese DeMarco smelly overalls stained fingers wrecked guitar picks messy hair my dear mac and cheese demarco actin like you don’t really care oozing all over my bedroom dripping melting down my sweater

holy cheese like your personality but at least your music’s better gap tooth goofy raunchy ranch boy dipping celery sticks in dreams you’ve got smelly blue cheese crack up jokes and warm brie harmonies fill my ears and fill my belly music soft like comfort food fill the space up in my bedroom bathroom kitchen cooking up somethin good turn the pot on to high heat plop the butter in the pan shake your macaroni noodle cause tonight you know we’re groovin to my fave macaroni man

—Mar Khorkhordina, third-yearpoliticalscience

Write/ Alright

Illustration: Kelsea Shore

Forgets to For Romeo Scream Dallaire

Cancer is cold like water far out to sea, so cold the sun’s kisses get lost like my feet inside the prints vanishing in the forest.

I may not be great My soul space stops, at many things forgets to scream.

But all my life I’ve been The heart is a dying told I can write bird, raging for life I may not be a... wildly in its cage of but I stay in university ribs. Blue shudders because the brain on my flake green, rusted shoulders is alright pain off as fish gasp, and write I will even the redness of space. when I’m wrong Fish swim in water I’ll absorb all the knowledge without being aware that’ll help me in the long they are fish, or there run jump with my legs is water, water is from page to page consciousness as are even when my chest is heavy fish. We are such fish.

I can live another age Pain is hot white hard between the words that flow deep angry cold full. and the words that hold me I tuck myself inside words that are there when the envelope we call no-one else has got time we a hospital and breathe walk day to day down barbed wire for my the sun-soaked streets keening child. with hope in our chests I squeeze my eyelids. and drive in our feet Trees come off walls in my drive flows through museums in New York; my fingertips, I take the city but leave it grooves like a river you by the yellow curb. and drips out my lips How do you surrender? when a sinkhole’s in I imagine a heron and my chest swirling meditate on Kandinsky. nothing feels right I whisper drip drop dear you are strong you can write

—Mar Khorkhordina, third-yearpoliticalscience

—Kate Stewart, English graduate student

Oh Romeo Do you know where you are?

Frenching a bottle of scotch Pills float in it Under a Quebec park bench.

You beg us to kill you *gasp* *gasp* Oh speak again You who denied your wife, Your children What’s Dallaire?

If not your service Your stoic stance A handshake Has that fiery baptism 23 years past Taken your name It was not you Who cost you Your perfection.

—JamesLewicki,political science student

by Liam Wray fulcrumcontributor

hough the wind shrieks ferociously in what is, even for January, a rather frigid winter night, he lays sprawled on his bed naked, his covers draped on the floor, his window cracked wide open; even still, the sheets under his body are damp, and his forehead glistens in the light emanating from the lamp seated on the nightstand his father built for him when he was 7. He can hear his father shovelling outside, even though he begged him not to. I love my dad, he thought.

Illustration: RameAbdulkader

father all the way out the door, promising he’d do it tomorrow.

His father wouldn’t listen. Not because he didn’t believe his son. He knew his son would do it—he always did. He ignored his pleas because he relished the chance to do something on his own again. He also knew damn well that considering his son didn’t storm out of his room to pry the shovel from his ageing grip, as he normally did, he must seriously be sick.

He knows exactly how it appears to others: his father’s face, bursting red, brighter than the lights shining from the roof; his back hunched over, as if somebody were literally forcing his neck down, gusts of wind punching him in the head, over and over; and, most of all, the grunts, whose ferocity screams for help, ensuring that even those who dare to look away remain He was sick, but not in a way his father perturbed. would understand. Although his naked, sweaty body suggested a bad case of the He knows exactly what people think, flu, the reality was much worse. He’d too: Why is Frank shovelling alone? played football his whole life, but he’d Where is that ungrateful son of his? had never felt this beaten down; his The truth is, his father shouldn’t arms barely felt strong enough to hold be shovelling alone. In fact, at this his phone above his head, as he squinted point, he shouldn’t even be going into the dim screen. Instead of reading outside without help; one slip and the one of the dozen books stacked on his plummeting snow would quickly form desk, each one coated in a thick layer a casket overtop of him. However, of dust, his eyes remained glued to the he isn’t ungrateful; he shouted at his time, watching as each minute, which

Nally Nally McDrab

McDrab and the gang ride the elevator up to his swank law firm on the top floor, which I guess he still owns because all his stuff is still in his office.

At this point, I’m unsure if the shellof-a-man McDrab is trustworthy and

by Jean McLarney ultimately has the boys’ best interests fulcrum contributor in mind, he could be a greedy, soulless had a movie dream about a manic attorney. ex-lawyer, played by Robin Williams, who kills himself by There’s a cardboard cut out of his jumping off a tower. It was a musical. partner beside a picture of his wife because I guess they married or The avuncular Williams, as the down- something when McDrab went crazy. and-out high-rise attorney McDrab, just The secretaries can’t get them out of runs around with a gang of kids in the the office fast enough. Somebody yells basement of a tower. They sing songs. He PIZZA! and they go back downstairs. plays these theremins that jut out of the walls like faucets. And there are all these McDrab foils a bank robbery. The ovens underneath the faucet-theremins kids help or something. They stop bad with white dough balls in them. guys with guns. Someone plays a steel

At around 10 p.m. he figured it would finally be safe to venture outside of his room; he hadn’t heard a single noise in at least half an hour. Once upright, he looked around his room in disgust. Beside his nightstand rested his pillow, completely covered in chip crumbs.

He reached for it, but upon picking it up, he found underneath it an open deodorant stick sitting half inside of a McDonald’s bag. Grossed out, he decided to leave the mess—and wretched smell, which he was just noticing now—until the morning to rid of. He would have to do it then, after all, as he had school tomorrow.

The only thing worse than accepting the reality of the new semester would be having his father come into his room to check up on him.

After putting on a pair of dirty underwear he found sandwiched between his backpack and one of his shoes, he slowly opened his door, which had been creaking ever since he could remember, so not to wake his father, and gently closed it behind him, leaving behind his fortress of shame. He first went to grab a cold, wet towel for his face, hoping to wipe away the last couple of his days from his memory. Then, he quietly trudged over to the kitchen, where he was to grab another few bags of chips, a soda, and return to his room for the remainder of the night.

morning, as he knew he’d beat himself up over it—even though he wasn’t supposed to go in there without his permission. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a red folder sticking out slightly from the middle of a pile of tax folders. He wouldn’t have thought anything of it, except he remembered his father always put tax forms in beige folders. He knew his father would kill him if he found out, but he felt a strange sensation to open the folder (he was always a curious one, his father told him). He slipped it out, careful to see where it was in the stack, to ensure he put it back in exactly the right spot.

When he opened it, he was surprised to see a hand-written letter inside.

Against every fibre in his body, he began to read. Shortly thereafter, his hands starting trembling as he gripped the chair in front of him, which stopped his legs from collapsing underneath him. His eyes were already tearing up, but upon reading the last paragraph, he began to cry uncontrollably; for the first time in months, though, they were tears of happiness.

“I know how hard it must have been for you to deal with your mental health and continue to take care of me, Jack.

You’re so much stronger than I ever was. Your mother would be proud”.

At the bottom, it was dated February 12, his birthday. A rush of emotions flooded through his entire body, from love to relief, to shock. But one stood out from the rest: shame. Not the usual shame he felt when his mental health was at its worst; shame that he had felt the need to hide it from his father. I love my dad, he thought.

He noticed something unusual: sitting on the table in the living room was a pen. Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed or cared, but he found this strange; his father never forgot to put things back. He went downstairs to return it to his father’s office—he —Liam Wray, didn’t want his father to see it in the second-year political science drum. Everything seems resolved.

The building workers suddenly act real nice to McDrab. Seven women in cop uniforms ruffle the kids’ hair like good job, or something. Then they’re naked and they dogpile a mailman.

Everyone’s covered in iguana tattoos.

had the yellow pepper or the red one, and McDrab won’t answer her.

Billy rides the elevator up with McDrab because he forgot something in the office. It’s a long elevator ride—almost slow motion. McDrab is talking on his cellphone, which is a Motorola flip phone from the early 90s, and Billy realizes McDrab is crazy because old flip phones don’t work in elevators and because he’s yelling about a salad really intensely. And Billy doesn’t realize that McDrab is actually talking to his psychiatrist who is desperately asking whether McDrab

I watched the last part from the balcony in an outof-body experience.

They get to the top floor, and McDrab walks at a deliberate pace into his office, out to his garden, and off the ledge, splat.

—Jean McLarney, second-year English.

— Keelan Buck, secondyear public administration and linguistics

Illustration: Christine Wang

AWinterNight

felt more like an hour, passed by.

Illustration: Zoë Mason

Freaking the F Out in the Bathroom: Based on a True Story

by Jane Furlong fulcrum contributor

hat is that?

WHAT is TH AT? Don’t touch it. Don’t touch IT. Sarah, I swear to GOD don’t do it—EW. I just had to, I had to know what it feels like. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life! Oh, it’s just used gum. Okay, okay, okay, okay. DON’T panic. Whatever you do. I’m having heart palpitations—WHY is my heart beating so fast? Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in! Jesus, I’m never doing this again. How long have I been in here? Do you think people have noticed how long I’ve been in here?

OK—check the time and make sure to check back in five-minute intervals.

Shit, where’s my phone? WHERE IS MY PHONE? It fell down the toilet, it’s gone forever, your incompetence is astonishing, Sarah, really—TRULY. What THE HELL? Stupid. Stupid.

Stupid. Stupid. Okay, stand up. Sarah STAND UP. You need to look in the toilet to see if your phone is in there.

Oh, thank God! looking at me strangely, haven’t you OK, reach in! ever seen a girl look for her phone?

Do it!

No, they’re looking at your uneven eyes, Sarah!

Okay, okay, okay, okay. You need to I think I need a medic. YES—I’m go wash your hands, definitely having a heart attack. pull up your pants… Undeniably going into cardiac arrest. there we go, kid! Oh, it’s Zoe. Oh wait, I forgot, I’m You’ve got this in sorry. It’s ZOË. Zoe but with an ë. the BAG. We’re up Pretentious, really, isn’t it, ZoË? She’s and we’re running. coming this way! She’s staring right Now just open the at me! Do something, say something! door. There we go, slide Don’t let her know! “Hhhiiii…ZoË! the lock. YES! Freedom! Now, don’t How’s your night going?”. “Fine”, she freak yourself out, don’t look in the says. FINE? Pompous, ostentatious, mirror, no DON’T! Come ON Sarah, snobbery`, that’s all she is. FINE, what were you thinking? OK—we’re really? Wait, she’s looking at you. She’s going to be here for a while, aren’t we? waiting for an answer…answer HER! Yes, Sarah, we’re going to be here at “Cool!”. Now, turn around abruptly. the mirror for a while. Have I always Please, just leave me alone, ZoË. had uneven eye sizes? No WONDER you’re single Sarah, you’ve got uneven Yes, okay. Shit! We’re back at the eyes! As if you didn’t know. OK, mirror. LOOK AWAY. You need to so, how much time has passed now? get out of this bathroom. Is that…

Check your phone. Yes, reach into is THAT a nose ring? HOW are you your back pocket, don’t let people going to get a job with THAT in your know you’re struggling. WHAT. face? Hm? HOW—Sarah? Absolute Are you kidding me? Where is it? tomfoolery! Really, Sarah. Do you Freak out. FREAK OUT! People are EVER think about what you do

Dragonfly he arrives at half-past midnight when his hand is still bleeding.

Her hair is up in that half-bun that he likes so much. She’s pinned her bangs to the side with a dragonfly-shaped clip. Flakes of mascara fall intermittently from her eyes and lie magnified under her wire-framed glasses.

She sits in the centre of his couch, the lacy fabric of her dress spreading in waves across the dusty cushions.

He inherited this couch (and half his other mid-century furniture) from his grandmother, who died of pneumonia the same year he moved away from home.

She helps him bandage his hand. He doesn’t notice her wincing at the wet slick of blood that runs halfway to his

BEFORE you do it? How long have I been in here? Check the time. Yes, reach into your back pocket...wait.

I’ve been here before. Is this some type of twisted game? Hey! Hey, YOU! Up there! Why are you doing this to me? “It’s not my fault, Sarah”.

Wait, Sarah. You don’t believe in God! You decided to be an Atheist in 5th grade, remember? Collect yourself.

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER WOMAN! I cannot believe you almost just relied on a fictitious character from a book to get you out of this.

OK—a little far, Sarah. There really is no proof, is there? There’s no proof that there is a God and there’s no proof that there isn’t a God. So why am I…how long have I been in here?

Oh, NO! They’re going to leave me here. They’re going to call the Uber and leave me here to rot. You’re going to die here, Sarah.

You need to get out. Where’s my phone? Back pocket. BACK. POCKET. SARAH! You can do this.

—Jane Furlong, third-year English

by Sarah Priscus fulcrum contributor

elbow; he only notices her wiping it metal that he has unearthed from the away with a dishrag. ground. He asks if she knows what a nymph is.

He thanks her for coming at such a late hour. He calls himself clumsy and She says she is hungry. It made her can hardly wait for her to insist that he nervous to eat at the housewarming isn’t. She says it’s no problem. She says party. her cousin’s housewarming was boring anyways. She says it’s much quieter here He does not cook for her but rather with him in his circa-1960s basement microwaves some leftovers from the apartment. When he hears this, he Thai place down the block. He arranges imagines fluttery, delicate wings the takeout noodles unceremoniously bursting from the small of her back. on his crowded table. Their plates She looks at her cellphone and scrolls do not match. Her wine glass, filled through a misspelled email from the halfway with $8 rosé, sits on a copy supervisor of her part-time job. of Sports Illustrated. When she looks directly down through the liquid, the He likes how her green eyes glimmer cover model’s left breast is magnified under the Craigslist-bought IKEA just enough to look grotesque. lamps that illuminate the apartment.

He says he’s so glad he found her, He adjusts his starchy collar and stares speaking as if she is a jewel or precious

Illustration: KelseaShore

at her dragonfly hair clip. When he asks what’s new in her life, she excitedly recalls stories of late-night grad paper rewrites and getting good test scores.

He nods. He says she is very beautiful.

He doesn’t understand what he’s said.

She says nothing. She finishes her wine. Then she gets up, gliding out of the apartment and into the humidity of the night. He swears he saw her disappear into a puff of smoke. He swears she flew away on dragonfly wings.

—Sarah Priscus, English and theatre student

Willian’s Neighbour

and, even though it seemed impossible, he was flaps open, a whole other level of the smell came out. It undoubtedly the worst neighbour Willian ever had. reminded him of exiting an air conditioned building on a hot and humid day but instead of a heat wave, he was Along with being a bartender, Alex was an aspiring introduced to a wave which smelt like decay and sweat.

YouTube personality. Over the years, Alex would He staggered back in horror as he had to force to keep choke on cinnamon, lay down on the hood of his car the vomit that was threatening to come out back down as it slowly crept down the driveway, rub salt and his throat. Willian was forced to run outside so he could ice on his arm while he screamed in agony, duct take in the smell of the fresh air, but it seemed not to tape himself to the garage door, and countless other make a difference. It was as if the smell had become undoubtedly dangerous and hardly funny challenges. deep-seated in the fabric of his clothing, sticking to him like a shadow.

Because of how exhausting it was to watch him try and become Internet famous, Willian was relieved Nothing that he tried could get the smell out of his that Alex knocked on his door one day, told him nose. He finished two bottles of Febreze, put on two he’d be away for a month, and asked him to get his medical masks and took three showers, but it was as mail. Willian was happy he could spend at least a if he was still standing in front of the open package. few weeks not worrying about Alex’s tired stunts He decided that he just had to bite the bullet. He and how they might bleed into his own life, and came a bit more prepared this time, with a clothespin pinning his nose shut under the two medical masks, negatively affect him.

Illustration: Rame Abdulkader a garbage bag in one hand, the strongest household The first few days, Alex received a few bills, cleaner he could find in his cupboard in the other, some spam mail, and some flyers; nothing out of and large rubber gloves. However, when he peered the ordinary. Exactly three weeks after Alex left, into the box, Willian realized he didn’t need any Willian came home to find a large cardboard box of those things, he wouldn’t even have to touch the fulcrum contributor with the words ‘Return to Sender’ written in big box, let alone clean what was inside. He would only illian was convinced that he had the worst red letters. have to deal with the nightmares that came every luck when it came to neighbours. night for a long, long time.

Willian was quite strong, but he had a lot of trouble When he was eight, his neighbour was an elderly lifting the box. He had even more trouble pushing It was Alex. Dead. man named Bob, who lived alone. He constantly it across his lawn and he quickly realized that he messed up Willian’s name, always calling him would not be able to lift it up the porch steps and He was still in one piece, but very dead.

William, no matter how many times he was through his front door. He decided that his best bet corrected. was to leave it in his garage. Willian struggled to Willian obviously called the police, and open the garage door which seemed to be stuck, unsurprisingly, they took him in to interrogate.

Willian hated Bob. and as he pulled on the handle as hard as he could, Willian understood as it was hard not to suspect he tripped backward, knocking over the package the guy with the dead body in his home. Luckily When Willian was 14, Bob died and a family that was behind him on the concrete driveway. A for him, it didn’t take long for the police to gather of three moved next door. The kid, Eden, was loud crack came from the inside of the box. that he wasn’t involved. While most of the evidence Willian’s age and they went to the same school. He pointed to him, there was a piece of indisputable relentlessly bullied Willian whenever he was given Willian cursed, hoping that he hadn’t broken anything proof that proved his innocence. It was the vlogging the opportunity. too important, but he figured he’d not tell Alex and let camera in Alex’s hands. him assume that whatever broke had happened during Willian hated Eden. shipping. With his hands now free, Willian was finally Willian only got to see the contents of the video able to get the garage door to open, but not without it once. To this day, he’s still not sure if the police were When Willian was 17, Eden was expelled from school screeching in protest as it rolled up and over him. He allowed to show it to him or that they just felt so bad, because of his antics and his family was forced to move. dragged the box inside, setting it in the corner of the they decided to give him the peace of mind and show him what happened. Alex was sitting inside the box, Eventually, twins, Ruben and Ross, moved in next garage and forgot all about it. laughing, as he told his viewers he was going to ship door. Ruben and Ross were supposedly in college, but they spent every night hosting parties so loud, that A couple days later, Willian woke up and was met himself across the country and back. He’d brought Willian was never able to sleep because of the paper- with a sickly and nauseating smell. Willian spent some pee bottles, water, food, a blanket, a pillow, thin walls that connected the two townhomes. hours in his home looking for the source of the smell and a flashlight. His friend, whom Willian had seen without any luck. He felt as though it was coming multiple times in Alex’s front yard, closed the lid and from everywhere, but when he opened the garage probably dropped him off for shipping.

Willian hated Ruben and Ross. door, it was obvious that that’s where the odour was The next few days, Alex recorded little snippets When Willian was 18, Ruben and Ross failed their coming from, as it almost knocked him back. about his progress in the box. On the last entry, classes for the semester and their parents forced them to move back home, which allowed a nurse He held back a retch as he reached for a pair of the box fell over and he broke his neck. The camera named Pedro to move in next door. Pedro became scissors and ventured towards Alex’s package, the recorded his lifeless body until the battery died.

Willian’s stepfather 11 months after he moved in, only possible thing that the smell could be coming eight of those month’s involved constant fights from. At first, Willian thought that Alex could However, there was an important detail that between Willian’s father and his mother which led have a subscription to a meat of the month club, Willian decided not to tell the police. There was and assumed that the meat may have gone bad from something in the footage that would haunt Willian to his father moving halfway across the world. being out for such a long time. But that didn’t make until the day he died, a detail that cemented Alex sense because of words ‘Return to Sender’ written as the worst neighbour that Willian ever had. Just Willian hated Pedro. on the side. after the box fell and Alex’s neck broke, there was the faint, but all too familiar screeching sound of When Willian was 24, his mother and Pedro Willian’s garage door opening.

Probably some dumb supplies for his next video, Willian moved away, which allowed him to have the home thought to himself as he covered his nose and guided the all to himself. The home next door was vacant and Willian finally felt at peace. A year later, Alex, a scissors to tear through the tape. He didn’t think it was —Yara Ahmed El-Shaboury, third-year English bartender who was Willian’s age, moved next door, possible but the smell got worse but as he flipped the and communications

byYaraAhmedEl-Shaboury

SPORTS U SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Price sports@thefulcrum.ca @APricey47

COMING TO GEE-GEES FIELD

GEE-GEES WOMEN’S RUGBY PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR EXCITING SEASON Jasmine McKnight Fulcrum Freelancer

A

fter hosting the U Sports women’s soccer championship tournament this past November, Gee-Gees Field will be the stage for another national championship event.

From Oct. 31-Nov. 3, the University of Ottawa will be the home of the 2019 U Sports women’s rugby nationals.

In addition, the University of Ottawa was selected in a joint bid with Carleton University and the Ottawa Sport and Entertainment Group to host the 2020 U Sports men’s and women’s basketball Final 8 tournaments.

“What hosting a nationals does is gives our students athletes an exciting opportunity.

It enhances their experience,” University of Ottawa Sports Services director Sue Hylland said. “It gives our university more profile and visibility—it gives our students, teachers, and employees here a chance to engage in something that is unique. Hosting is something we want to do more of.”

Having the University of Ottawa host the 2018 U Sports national championship for women’s soccer was a huge success involving a number of people. From the team and staff themselves, to the organizers and volunteers, there were a number of things that came together to make the event run smoothly.

“There are trillions of details that you have to get done

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when you’re hosting something like this,” Hylland said.

“We’ll implement many of the same things because it worked, but we’re going to tweak it with the learnings we had.”

Just a week after their own national competition, the GeeGees women’s rugby team, along with their head coach Jen Boyd, were able to see the soccer event themselves.

“It was really amazing to see the standard that was set by the university in hosting our first national championship in a really long time,” Boyd said.

In the final game against the Trinity Western Spartans, the Gee-Gees women’s soccer team were able to finish off their dominant season with a win to claim the championship on their home field.

“Winning soccer nationals was powerful,” Hylland said. “It was like a dream—you couldn’t have scripted it any better.”

Along with the benefits to the university, hosting the rugby national championships will bring attention to the sport.

“It’s really nice to bring rugby to Ottawa,” Boyd said.

“It’s been a really great place to learn and play the game and I think this will grow the game in the city, and that’s probably what I’m most excited about.”

In recent years, the GeeGees women’s rugby program has made a number of accomplishments under Boyd. This includes a national championship in 2017, a silver medal in 2016, and bronze medals in 2015 and 2018. In the past five years, the team has claimed the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship five times.

After winning the 2017 U Sports women’s championship, the Gee-Gees are looking to shine again on home turf.

Photo: Parker Townes

Tori Wyman, a player who will be going into her fifth year on the team, has been there to experience all these successes.

In the 2018 season, the RSEQ recognized her as a first-team all-star.

“When I came into it, I didn’t expect to do what I did. It’s pretty amazing what the team has been able to accomplish in the last four years,” Wyman said.

“Jen has really prepared us, she just puts so much into the program. She’s always thinking about rugby and thinking about ways we can improve.

She’s always thinking about what we can do next, what we can change to make it better, and it’s really shown.”

Hylland echoed that sentiment.

“Those girls are tough—they have a great coach who works them hard and is demanding, but she cares about them. I think she’s built this culture of what these kids need to do to be successful,” Hylland said.

Tylo Borsboom, a rookie in the 2018 season, credits much of her growth to Boyd and her teammates.

“Coach Jen has every base covered and then some. She has a huge amount of experience. I have learned more this year than I have in all my previous years of rugby combined. The standard that she holds her players to both on and off the field assures that nothing is left to chance,” Borsboom said. “On this team I am surrounded by talented and hard-working athletes, many of which I look up to.

Training and playing alongside rugby players of their caliber helps me to push myself to work harder and be better.”

In 2018, nine players earned spots on RSEQ all-star teams.

The conference’s rookie of the year title went to Claire Gallagher, who had another big role to play on the team.

“I have definitely improved a lot as a player since being here. Our coaching staff has so much knowledge of the game to help us improve, and our team environment of always expecting more each time we step on the field constantly makes me a better player,” Gallagher said.

“It gives our university more profile and visibility— it gives our students, teachers, and employees here a chance to engage in something that is unique.

Hosting is something we want to do more of.”

—Sue Hylland, U of O sports services director Coming off their bronze medal finish in 2018, the team will be looking to improve their game and claim the U Sports national championship on home turf in the upcoming season.

“We’ve never hosted before, so there’s an element of unknowing what that’ll be like and how that will impact results,” Boyd said. “Overall, we’re overjoyed to be able to play in front of our friends and family—the girls were really excited when they heard.”

Georgia Stewart, another player who will be entering her fourth year in the 2019 season, expressed the team’s excitement as well as their desire to perform.

“We obviously want to do well at nationals, but to do that we need to work hard this offseason. We’re very excited but we need to stay focused,” Stewart said.

The rugby team will be back in action in the fall. Until then, they’ll be preparing for the exciting season ahead of them.

SPORTS | 21

WOMEN’S SOCCER COACH CLAIMS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD Steve Johnson selected as male coach of the year Andrew Price Sports Editor

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dding to the list of accolades for the Gee-Gees women’s soccer team, the Ottawa Sports Awards committee has selected head coach Steve Johnson for male coach of the year.

Every year the Ottawa Sports Awards recognizes achievements from athletes, coaches, and teams from the nation’s capital. Last year the awards recognized Gees’ head women’s rugby coach Jen Boyd for her 2017 national championship win.

Johnson was selected following a tremendous season from the U of O women’s soccer team, finishing with their first gold medal at the national tournament since 1996.

“I’m happy for the recognition, and obviously I think it is a team recognition. You’re not going to get male coach of the year if your team isn’t successful, right?” Johnson said. “So I think we had a really great season, and you know, my selection is just the result of the fantastic performance we had all year.”

The Gees, who hadn’t made it to the national tournament in four years, had a stellar 2018 season all around, finishing 20-1-1 in regular season play.

The only team to really give the Gees trouble were the Nipissing Lakers, whom they drew against in their first matchup, and suffered their only loss to.

“Our performances against Nipissing were good in both games,” Johnson said.

“We played a style that sometimes left us exposed at the back. We were very much a possession-based team —we tried to play a high tempo with the ball, but we made mistakes in both of those games, and Nipissing was able to punish us for them. So we took them as opportunities to learn about things we wanted to avoid, things we wanted to be better at. Overall I think it did help us in our season.”

From there on, the Garnet and Grey would not lose a match, breezing their way to a provincial championship, and then the national tournament⸺hosted at the U of O’s Gee-Gees Field.

“There was a worry that we would go to nationals and embarrass ourselves, because you’re a host, and we did not

FULCFIT FOOD SERIES: SASSY SHRIMP SALAD

The Fulcrum lets you in on a quick and healthy dish for the new year

Johnson claims the award after 25 years of making it to the playoffs, and coaching his team to the gold medal in 2018.

Photo: Greg Mason, UOttawa Sports Services.

want that,” Johnson said. “So part of our target was having a good regular season, and trying to come in as the OUA champions.”

In the national tournament, the U of O beat Calgary 2-1 in the quarter-finals, then rolled over McMaster 4-1 in the semifinals, finally squaring off against Trinity Western in the gold medal match. There they prevailed 2-1, with Miranda Smith getting the game-winner for her team.

Johnson, who’s now been coaching the Gees for 25 years, said part of what made this group so special was their

Graham Robertson Fulcrum Alumni

It’s the start of another new year, and for many of us, that means getting rid of old habits and incorporating positive lifestyle changes.

Maybe you’ve decided to tidy up your apartment, à la Marie Kondo, or finally blocked your toxic ex’s number. Or

bond on and of the pitch.

“This was a group I think really liked each other. We had year-end meetings and one of the topics that came up fairly often was just how players enjoyed the season, so regardless of the fact we won nationals or that we had so much success on the field, they felt like there was success as a team off the field,” Johnson said.

“They wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much without winning the national title, because that’s such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There’s great players and teams who never get a

chance to win the national championship. It made that part of the season really special. Regardless of the results, this group enjoyed training.

This group enjoyed going on the road together. This group enjoyed getting together to study. They were just very, very together.”

The awards will be handed out Jan. 30 at Algonquin College at the Ottawa Sports Award Dinner, an event celebrating its 66th anniversary on that day. Johnson will join female coach of the year Cassandra Smith of the Academy Snowboard Programs, alongside other award winners.

perhaps you’re trying to eat a little better and hit the gym more often. That’s great news!

But preparing healthy meals can be both time-consuming and pricey depending where you shop, and you’re probably getting tired of the same boring smoothies. This can lead to people losing the motivation to stick to fresh, healthy cooking, and picking

something up between classes or during their lunch break at work. If this is you, then fear not, because here’s an easy recipe for hearty salads you can meal prep and keep in the fridge for almost a week.

Sweet and spicy shrimp mixed with fresh, colourful veggies leave you with a quick lunch or dinner that’s sure to have your taste buds swimming.

INGREDIENTS: • One bag of shrimp, thawed (roughly 15-20 of them) • Half a box of mixed spring greens • Two stalks of celery, finely chopped • A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved • One zucchini, finely diced • A small serving of a low-fat cheese of your choice (optional) • Half a lime • Two tablespoons of honey • One teaspoon of chili powder • One tablespoon of salt • A pinch of ginger paste Just toss one of these salads in your school bag and you’re ready to go!

Photo: Ian L

22 | SPORTS

DIRECTIONS: 1. Clean and devein the shrimp, and marinate with lime juice, honey, chili powder, salt, and ginger paste for half an hour.

2. Once marinated, lightly fry shrimp until cooked (four to five minutes per side).

3. Chop shrimp into thirds, and mix with greens, celery, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and a small serving of a low-fat cheese (cottage cheese works great).

4. You can also make a dressing by blending half an avocado, two tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, and some salt and pepper until smooth and creamy.

The recipe makes four servings, so pack up those tupperwares and enjoy!

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ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: KEVIN DOMINGUE

“I hope I score many more goals, but it’s more the timing of those that counts to me.”

The all-star forward recently became the Gee-Gees’ all-time leading scorer Charley Dutil

Associate Sports Editor Growing up 20 minutes north of Montreal in the suburb of Laval, Kevin Domingue took his first strides on skates after his dad’s team practices.

Learning how to stop and turn, Domingue, like millions of Canadian kids before him, fell in love with puck. When he was old enough, he got his parents entrenched into the world of minor hockey.

“Dingo”—as he is known to his teammates—played most of his minor hockey career at a fairly high level, reaching midget and playing in the Midget Espoir in Quebec.

Not ranked and considered a “maybe” for the draft due to his

age, the six-foot-one forward was drafted to his surprise, 166th overall by then-new expansion franchise, the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

“I was genuinely surprised to be drafted,” Domingue said. “I was told I was in the ‘considered’ part of the scout’s list and wasn’t on the main board.’’

Domingue would play two more years of midget in the stronger AAA league, where he would get called up twice, playing 12 games for Phoenix and collecting five points along the way.

The 2014-15 season would be Domingue’s first and only full season in Quebec’s top junior league, playing 64 games while scoring 11 goals and

—Kevin Domingue

The men’s hockey star sits down with the Fulcrum to talk about his career.

Photo: Dasser Kamran

five assists.

In the playoffs he struggled— shut out through six games.

After then being released from Phoenix, Domingue packed his bags and headed out west to Whitecourt, Alta., a small town about two hours northwest of Edmonton. He played well there, putting up 57 points overall in 60 games for the

THE BOXSCORE: PLAYOFF SEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

FRI. FEB. 1, 2019

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

SAT. JAN. 12, 2019

FRI. JAN. 11, 2019

Ravens

Gee-GeES 86

Gee-GeES 1

vs

vs

vs

LaurentiAN 61

Montreal 4

Gee-GeES

FRI. FEB. 1, 2019

MEN’S HOCKEY FRI. JAN. 11, 2019

Gee-GeES vs

Ravens

SUN. JAN. 13, 2019

McGill

Whitecourt Wolverines.

It was following that season that Domingue got a call from Gee-Gees head coach Patrick Grandmaitre, asking him if he’d be interested in joining the new University of Ottawa men’s hockey program as a fourth-liner.

Domingue agreed, and joined the Gees for their inaugural 2016-17 season.

For Domingue, battling to stay in the lineup in that first season meant every game was a tryout.

“Pat (Grandmaitre) is a great coach, and him and my teammates made the transi-

tion from junior to university easier for me,’’ Domingue said.

Things started off very well for the forward from Laval, scoring 16 goals and 15 assists in 28 games in his first season in Ottawa. That vaulted him to OUA all-rookie status.

Now in his third season with the Gee-Gees, Domingue has scored 48 goals as of this publication to become the all-time program leader. But for the first-liner, it’s not the number of goals that count— it’s about scoring goals that impact the games he plays in, and helping his team win,

that is important.

“I hope I score many more goals, but it’s more the timing of those that counts to me,” Domingue said.

Looking ahead, the social science student said he hopes to finish his major and then look for a shot at professional hockey in Europe or in North America. For now, he stays grounded as a Gee-Gee for the foreseeable future.

As a team, the Gee-Gees are on fire, beating Carleton to secure the first OUA playoff berth. They now square off against the UQTR Patriotes in a double-header Jan. 18-19.

WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING TO EMPLOY INDIVIDUAL AND PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS READY TO GO ABOUT THEIR USUAL ACTIVITIES WITH A SMALL ADVERT FOR OUR START UP ART GALLERY PLASTERED ON THEIR CAR/TRUCK.

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Gee-GeES 6 IF INTERESTED, SEND AN E-MAIL TO AMANDAUNDCRAWFORD@GMAIL.COM thefulcrum.ca

SPORTS | 23

OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR Hanna Méthot

opinions@thefulcrum.ca @HannaMethot

Speculation framed as fact.

Photo: Via Ottawa Citizen comments section

AFTER TRAGEDY, WAIT FOR THE FULL STORY

STOP THE SPECULATION, MISINFORMATION AFTER OC TRANSPO BUS TRAGEDY Hanna Methot

A Opinions Editor

t the date of this publication, there’s still much we don’t know about the Jan. 11 OC Transpo bus crash.

Investigators have yet to make a statement on the cause of the crash—but that hasn’t stopped some from framing their opinions as fact.

An article by the Ottawa Citizen alleges the bus driver has been involved in previous collisions. The article highlights that it is not yet known who was at fault for her previous collisions, but that hasn’t stopped commenters. Many have speculated, or projected witness testimony to black ice or sun glare, as the only possible reasons. Others have resorted to making racist remarks about the driver.

When tragedy hits, it’s easy to get carried away in the rush

of everything. New information comes out every day, and online commenters high on adrenaline spread speculation like wildfire, claiming factual accuracy. This is not only irresponsible, but in some cases, dangerous.

During the 2014 Parliamentary Shootings, Twitter went crazy, projecting false reports of an incident at the Rideau Centre. At this time, the gunman was still on the loose.

Recently, Ottawa Police Service (OPS) chief Charles Bordeleau asked that the public “back-

Have you ever heard the saying “less is more”?

The University of Ottawa hasn't.

They believe “more is more” with the 80 gazillion pounds of salt they throw onto the ground whenever it drops below zero degrees Celsius.

Oasika Sharma Staff Contributor

Illustration: Brennan Bova, edits by Rame Abdulkader

thefulcrum.ca

Ah, it’s that time of year — the U of O’s annual vendetta against grass, the Rideau canal, and my shoes. As winter comes around some things are to be expected. The bitter cold air that hurts your face, the city of Ottawa’s inability to shovel the sidewalks, and the devastating 5-minute walk that becomes 15 min-

off” and let investigators do their job, in response to demands for a Transportation Safety Board to launch an investigation. The demand came after brewing dissatisfaction with the OPS on the Internet, often fueled by angry comments.

The bus crash is a tragedy the entire city has mourned.

In the age of social media, we all want information as soon as we can get our hands on it, even if it isn’t always true. We need to be patient, and trust in the OPS to conduct a proper in-

vestigation.

We also need to remember that lives were at stake in this tragedy—three lives were lost, and 23 people were injured.

Finding out the truth about what happened is important for families who need closure, and peace of mind in knowing corrections will be made to prevent tragedies like this in future. The truth here is higher than your need to post an unhelpful 140 character tweet of your conspiracy theory.

Instead of sitting behind

a keyboard spreading misinformation, hold your family a little closer. Hug your friends a little tighter. Donate to fundraisers set up for the families of victims. Volunteer your time.

As details emerge after tragedy, there’s a natural inclination to want to investigate or speculate, but promoting false facts or reports when you don’t have the full story could do more harm than good. Wait until the full story is out, with all the facts, before jumping to conclusions.

Heckles

U OF O, WHY SO SALTY? utes because of WST (Winter Standard Time). With all those issues you would think that’s the end—how much worse could winter possibly get?

Well, have you ever heard the saying “less is more”? The University of Ottawa hasn’t.

They believe “more is more” with the 80 gazillion pounds of salt they throw onto the ground whenever it drops below zero degrees Celsius. Now I appreciate the consideration they have for us students, I like not slipping and dying, but has anyone tried telling them they’ll get the same results with half the amount of salt?

Enough with this blatant disrespect for the environment—salt erodes soil quality for plants making the roots weaker. Having a greenhouse is of no purpose when you

can’t even take care of the grass in the fields.

Not to mention we have a canal right beside our school, so run-off from the snow winds up in the water. I would also like to point out that we drink water from the Ottawa River, and according to the Ottawa Citizen road salt could have played a role in the pollution of the Flint River.

Beyond just that, can we take a moment for the shoes?

People spend upwards of $100 per pair of boots. Take one walk around campus in the winter, and your $200 pair of Timberlands will be covered in ugly white blotches. Have the U of O’s administrators tried getting salt stains out of suede?

It’s basically impossible.

I have had my shoes for the past 3 years and the only time

I cleaned them was at the end of every season. This winter I’ve had to clean them at least eight times.

Not to mention that the floor in my apartment is a mess. There is a layer of salt on the floor near the door, and the same goes for the stairs leading up to my floor.

I shouldn’t have to mop seven times a day.

With all that salt wasted, the university could save so much money by just spreading it properly. A little does go a long way—save that money and invest in something useful to student life.

There needs to be a level of consciousness when the campus is salted. It needs to be done with a bit of deliberation and care rather than dumping clumps of it onto the ground and hoping for the best.

OPINIONS | 25

POINT/ COUNTERPOINT WHEN IT COMES TO READINGS, WHICH IS BETTER, BOOKS OR BRIGHTSPACE?

As a new term begins, a point of contention for students and faculty alike remains strong: physical versus online readings. Some students prefer online readings, others prefer physical textbooks. A third group, faced with this dilemma, just opt out of doing readings at all.

So, should readings be posted to Brightspace, or should Benjamin Books stay in business?

ONLINE READING LEADS TO LOW COMPREHENSION AND OVERCONFIDENCE Connor Chase Staff Contributor

For the first time in my seemingly endless university career, one of my assigned ‘coursepacks’ was not a physical compilation of articles but rather a list of accessible links on Brightspace.

At first, this felt like an academic revolution; my brilliant and innovative professor had updated undergraduate homework to the 21st century, abandoning wasteful printing practices.

I quickly realized that this innovation was anything but productive, and that the extra money in my pocket just meant extra problems on my transcript.

My subjective experience of reading through lengthy and dense academic articles online seemed to be one of more acute frustration. I was more restless, had to constantly re-read sections I should have got on the first read-through, and failed to retain information I had read seconds before.

In the end, I had to journey over to the library and print off all of the readings. It was a complete waste of time, and, after printing a couple hundred pages, refilling my student card ended up being almost as expensive as all of my other coursepacks anyway.

There is research that validates my frustration with online reading. According to these studies, online reading is less than ideal for comprehension and information retention, traits that are necessary for university students.

A 2013 study conducted in Norway found that reading physical text helps with comprehension and knowledge retention. Tenthgraders were asked to read through a 1,400 word document; some read the text in print, and the others on a computer screen. According to the study, when the students were asked questions to gauge their comprehension of the document, the students who read the physical copy, scored significantly better

26 | OPINIONS

than those who read it online.

The important takeaway from this study is that it was significantly easier for print readers to understand what they read and, just as significantly, remember what they read. The reason for this distinction is not entirely clear, though the study suggested that it could be due to the paper giving “spatiotemporal markers while you read,” essentially, this means that the physical act of “touching paper and turning pages aids the memory,”while scrolling through a computer screen “makes remembering more difficult.”

Another study from 2012 presented a troubling reality; that reading on a computer actually makes readers more overconfident about their comprehension of the reading even when their comprehension was lower compared to paper readers. The participants read a document, then were asked to predict what they thought they would get on a comprehension test of the document, and then took a comprehension test.

Not only did the paper readers score higher on the comprehension test, their predictions for their level of comprehension were more accurate. This means that online readers think that their comprehension is better even though it is worse.

Kinda like the move to online course packs itself, the change seems to be taking steps backwards even though it presents itself as moving forward.

The benefits of online coursepacks, regarding cost to your wallet and the environment, are commendable. But online course packs are fundamentally an impediment to the very function of the university. A compromise should be made. If you want to pat yourself on the back for opting to read all your material exclusively online, all the power in the world to you. But professors who understand the detriments of online reading should offer those restless and obnoxious students like me the alternative of buying a physical coursepack voluntarily.

Benjamin Books.

Photo: Parker Townes

ONLINE READINGS, BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOUR WALLET Véronique Therrien Fulcrum Contributor

As the age of social media is upon us and technology begins to replace most basic human contact, more and more professors are growing fond of including online textbooks or links to resources rather than the typical hard copy books. As this trend increases, it is met with both positive and negative responses from students.

Despite a mixed response, the benefits of online readings effectively outweigh the cons. By having uploaded copies of the required readings, it eliminates the need to venture out to the campus bookstore or the DocU Centre. These treks often entail an hour waiting in line to spend hundreds of dollars on books that we only really read a couple chapters out of (or some students don’t read at all). And for those students who wish to have the physical book, many can be downloaded and thus, printed off, eliminating the need for the textbook and allowing the optional hard copy.

Due to the extremely high prices on every textbook, having to purchase them is an added expense which some students cannot afford. Some students already have to pay for tuition, rent/residence, food.

Having to spend a couple hundred dollars on textbooks they’ll use for only a few months (then trying to sell again after the semester is over) is an added stress which technology could reduce.

Many professors have resorted to using coursepacks, which are just a selection of readings compiled into one book (with references included) in order to reduce the cost. The downside being that most coursepacks are not able to be resold due to them been made for a specific semester. Most just end up being disposed of which leads to added waste, and a negative impact on the environment.

Having available links makes it more accessible to all students, reduces costs, saves paper and overall is a much better option that should be adapted by more professors.

thefulcrum.ca

U of O Testing Restaurants group creative on tight budget

The McPicks Menu is a favourite.

Ryan Pepper Tomato Freelancer With club support becoming increasingly sparse, the University of Ottawa has experienced a rash of copy-cat Testing Restaurant clubs scraping by

Photo: Wikicommons, CC

with little to no funding.

Along with the expected ultimate flying disc teams and several new student politics clubs is a restaurant-tasting club forced to forego the usual luxuries such an organization would expect in favour of

Philosophy undergrads overtake professor to cope with existential angst

UNDERMINING THE PROFESSOR IS JUST THE LATEST POSTMODERNIST TREND, STUDENTS SAY Hanna Methot

Tomato Editor

It’s the first week of winter classes at the University of Ottawa. While some students take this time to graze the syllabus or hibernate, others seize this opportunity to strike. The philosophy student, an enigma to those around it, treats this as hunting season. Asserting dominance during introductory lectures is their only way of ensuring a successful semester.

thefulcrum.ca

In “Post-Modernism: Posting the Modern,” Professor Jonathan Oliphant has no idea what’s in store. Sauntering in with his iced caramel macchiato, leather jacket, and downright unruly beard, he begins the lecture by handing out copies of the syllabus and asking the students to call him ”Johnny.”

One student from the herd begins the attack, by pointing out inaccurate office hours on the syllabus. Another, more

more affordable cuisine.

Unlike their more wellfunded counterpart, the upstart Trying Restaurants doesn’t quite benefit from exorbitant student levies.

With club funding being a little short, the group has been

daring student points out that his shoes are untied. At this point, Johnny is crying. After successfully pointing out two spelling mistakes in the syllabus, philosophy student Jerry Kirkland has now become the professor. Jonathan takes his seat in the crowd, and Professor Kirkland takes his place at the front.

Going through the reading schedule, Patricia Albright points out that there are two days missing, while Audrey Poppet draws attention to readings being assigned the day of the midterm. Professor Kirkland’s strength is being tested, but he quickly recovers by asking the students to see him after class.

There’s a few moments of civility following a dick joke about Freud, but soon the students are on the hunt again.

Poppet proposes an addition to the reading list: an obscure writing by Foucault. This is a smart, and pretentious, move, as it implies she’s read the book

forced to resort to sampling more economical fare, but they’ve worked hard to put a positive spin on the situation.

Last week, for example, the club took a trip to the renowned Chez Ninety9, where, among other delicacies, the group split a six-piece box of deep-fried chicken morsels that club president Geoff Stache described as “almost tapas-like.”

“The lack of funding isn’t too much of a problem,” said Stache. “Good food isn’t always in these fancy restaurants, you know the kinds with tablecloths and silverware.

We here at Trying Restaurants believe that good food can come from anywhere, and that anyone can cook.”

Stache seemed ignorant of the fact that he was quoting Ratatouille. When asked whether their choice of food was a Marxist critique on the commodification of basic sustenance and a self-aware commentary on the working class, the group seemed equally befuddled.

Post-modern power struggle.

(when in fact she’s merely memorized the title). The professor stutters, his unlaundered beanie falling from his head. Poppet has won.

Professor Poppet goes to the front of the room, but her dominance is quickly questioned.

One student in the front asks whether the readings are on

GROUP DOING LOTS WITH LOW FUNDING, FINDING VIRTUES IN BUDGET FOOD “We just don’t have money,” explained the club’s vice president of finance, Irene Garden, who hosts a popular food podcast called the Winter-Booted Baroness. The club, however, does not exclusively sample restaurants. They are frequent guests at local artisanal grocers that serve several choice selections using the latest in “cold-temperature molecular gastronomy techniques” aka, frozen food.

“These divine meals come in a box and are ready in two minutes in the microwave,” said Stache in visible awe. “It really is the latest in gastronomy—a biting commentary, surely, on our separation from what we eat.”

Added Stache, “This Monsieur Stouffer truly is a genius.

I should like to visit his bistro in the Left Bank someday.”

As Garden points out, these are trying times for any club on campus, particularly of the fraudulent variety. While spending mysteriously large

amounts of money at local restaurants is now deemed a suspicious activity, said Garden, it isn’t just the foodie clubs that have been affected.

“The ultimate clubs have taken to hanging out at the dog park,” said Garden. “Intercepting the discs before the dogs catch them is good practice for matches, and nothing conditions someone quite like wrestling a disc from a fullgrown Malamute.”

Due to budgetary issues, even getting to some of these grocers and restaurants was becoming a problem, but Stache recently announced a joint initiative with the Sports Car Testing Club and the World Travelling Club.

“The Travelling Club, especially, has some great insights on getting others to foot the bill for your travel.” said Garden.

At press time, the club had just been introduced to a “revolutionary” $5 chickenand-potato boxed dish from the local grocer.

Photo: Michael Saechange, CC (Flicker)

reserve in the library, and how much the course pack costs.

He then notes that he won’t be using the readings for anything after the course, so he’s unwilling to drop seven dollars on a course pack. Professor Poppet quickly retorts, asking why he’s taking a course on a subject he won’t use in general.

This leads every student to become lucid and realize that none of what they’re studying has any real-world application.

They are unemployable and will drown in insurmountable debt upon graduation. They collectively have an existential crisis.

Does it really matter who’s in charge?

THE TOMATO | 27

DISTRACTIONS Dear Ty DIYEroticFiction

Writingeroticfictionmight notbeashardasyouthink.

DEAR HB,

I’llcuttothechase,becauseI knowwe’reallthinkingit:Yes, theinfamousFiftyShadesofGrey seriesbyE.LJamesdoesqualifyas eroticfiction.Idohavetogivethe hugelypopularseriessomecredit fordrawingmuch-deservedattentiontotheeroticfictiongenre(it soldmorethan100milioncopies, makingitthe25thbest-selling seriesofalltime,accordingto onecount),butitdoesn’thaveto solelyrepresentwhateroticfiction is by any means.

WhiletheFiftyShadesofGrey trilogywasattackedbyanumber ofcriticsforitspoorwritingstyle anditsout-of-touch,stereotypical depictionsofBDSMandsexin general,yourfirstshotaterotic fictiondoesn’thavetofalldown the same rabbit hole.

Illustration: Rame Abdulkader

DEAR TY, I’menrolledintheEnglishprogramhereattheUofOandI’mlookingtoexplore adifferenttypeoffictionwedon’tlearnintheclassroom:eroticfiction.I’veread afewbooksinthegenreandfeelreadytogiveitashotmyself,butI’mnotsure where to begin. Any tips?

— HORNY BOOKWORM

28 | DISTRACTIONS

Whenitcomestowritingerotic fiction,thegoldenruleistotreat thestyleandgrammarofthebook likeyouwouldanyothergenre ofwriting.Justbecauseabook focusesonthemesofsexandlove ratherthanyourtypicalromance, truecrimeorthrillernovel,that doesn’tmeanit’sexemptfromall

FEATURES EDITOR Matt Gergyek

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562-5260 @mattgergyek

therulesofagoodbook. dothework.Oftentimes,writing eroticfictionfromamorepersonal Thismeansyou’llneedtokeep placecanaddalotmorepassion yourspelling,grammarand andvoicetothestoryitself. punctuationtopnotch.Italso meansyou’llneedtospendjust Butlet’sbehonest,thosejuicysex asmuchtimeasanyotherauthor scenesarereallywhatdrawreaddevelopingcharacters,storylines, erstothegenreinthefirstplace, plots,dialogueandsettings. andwhatwilkeepthemreading ifthey’rewrittenwell.Building Ineroticfictionespecially, tensionhereiskey.Aswithany charactersandplotdevelopment novelyou’ , rebuildingtowardsan canmakeorbreakyournovelDo . epicclimax,butthistimeyou’ve yourbesttoavoidthoseclichés gotsexonyourside.Construct oftendepictedineroticfiction,like scenesthatallowthesexual theworn-outtaleofanarmoured tensionbetweenyourcharacters warriorfightingtheirwayintoa tobuildbutnevererupt,untilthe heavilyguardedcastletorescue readerisbeggingfortheclimactic (andlove)aprincessorprince scene to arrive. indespair.Trycomingupwith somethingmoreorganicNot . only Whenitdoes,doeverything willanoriginalideahookreaders inyourliterarypowertomake fromthestart,butitalsogives itperfect.Throwinahealthy youthechancetotellimportant amountofingeniousliterary storiesofsexandloveoutsideof devicestopaintthatvividpicture— aheteronormativerelationship. butdon’toverdoitwithinaccessUsetheopportunitytoconstruct iblelanguageoroverly-intricate charactersyoudon’talwaysfindin paragraphs. the pages of a book.

Happywriting,andremember, Ifyou’refeelingstumped,aquick don’tbeafraidtotakerisks! waytobrainstormahandfulof plotandcharacterideasistovisualizesomeofyourdeepestsexual LOVE, fantasiesandletyourwritinghand TY

thefulcrum.ca

JAN. 23 TO FEB 13, 2019

THRYLLABUS

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23

TUESDAY, JAN. 29

MONDAY, FEB. 4

Art in the Anthropocene lecture, National Gallery of Canada—10:30 a.m.

Ottawa Job Fair, Shaw Centre—1:00 p.m.

How to Paint a Hedgehog Watercolour Workshop, Art House Café—6:30 p.m.

Subtle Asian Ottawa Meetup, Asian Alley—6 p.m.

THURSDAY, JAN. 24 Survivors Speak, Canadian Museum of Nature off of Elgin Street—6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, JAN. 25 Comedian and host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah, TD Place Arena—7:30 p.m.

Nature Nocturne: Blend In, Stand Out, Canadian Museum of Nature—8 p.m.

Chus and Ceballos, City at Night on Slater Street—11 p.m.

MUSIC ARTS SPORTS FUN THINKING

thefulcrum.ca

THURSDAY, JAN. 31 Once: Africville Stories play, Canadian Museum of Nature—7 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 1 Capital Hoops Classic, Canadian Tire Centre—6 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 1–SATURDAY, FEB. 2 Gatineau Winter Beerfest, Canadian Museum of History— Daily, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 1– MONDAY, FEB. 18

SATURDAY, JAN. 26

Winterlude, various locations across Ottawa and Gatineau

Animal Tracking on Snowshoes, Gatineau Park—1:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 2

Gee-Gees women’s basketball vs.

University of Toronto, Montpetit Hall—6 p.m.

Red Bull Power 5 hockey tournament on the Rideau Canal—9 a.m.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in concert, Canadian Tire Centre—7:30 p.m.

Fuck Cancer Ottawa 2019 fundraiser, The West on George—10 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 27

SUNDAY, FEB. 3– SATURDAY, FEB. 9

Gee-Gees men’s hockey vs.

McGill, Minto Sports Complex—3 p.m.

International Development Week Ottawa, various locations

THURSDAY, FEB. 7– SATURDAY, FEB. 9 TD Ottawa Winter Jazz Fest, La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins on King Edward Avenue FRIDAY, FEB. 8– SATURDAY, FEB. 9 Bank Street’s Fire & Ice Festival, Snider Plaza on Bank Street— Nightly, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Neighbourhood Arts Ottawa Symposium, Bronson Centre— Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival, Dow’s Lake FRIDAY, FEB. 8– SUNDAY, FEB. 10 Canadian Ski Marathon, Gatineau Park SATURDAY, FEB. 9 Shaun Frank, Barrymore’s Music Hall—11 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB.12– WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13 Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence, Fairmont Chȃateau Laurier—8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

DISTRACTIONS | 29

RE: DOUG FORD CHANGES TO OSAP Dear Editor, To say the first six and a half months under Premier Ford and the Ontario PCs have been a wild ride for many in Ontario would be an understatement.

This is particularly true for university and college students with the short-lived buck a beer, the end to provincial income tax for those earning under $25,000, a new campus free speech policy and now changes to the Ontario Student Loans Program (OSAP).

Thursday morning the Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities, Hon. Merrilee Fullerton, announced that tuition would be cut by 10 per cent, OSAP would be returning to the 2016-17 funding levels and the six-month interest-free grace period was eliminated.

The first part of her announcement sent university and college administrators through the roof while students felt relieved at saving 10 per cent a year on tuition. For a Univer-

30 |

sity of Ottawa student in the facility of social science, this would be about $680 in savings a year or one month’s rent. Students have seen their tuition increase for the past 13 years and the university has turned its back while wait time to access services and classes remains the same.

The previous changes in the OSAP funding were intended to boost post-secondary enrolment within low-income families and mature students. Based on the scathing report by the Auditor General’s report, this program was in fact not benefitting the students who needed it the most, but the program cost was also on its way to exceed $2 billion without providing any real benefit to students.

The Ford government also changed the repayment structure to mirror the federal government program and remove the sixmonth grace period on interest payments. This move will force students to pay their debt

imminently following their graduation or face further crippling debts. When students signed up for OSAP we believed there would be a 6-month interest free grace period to help us breathe as we struggle to transition to the next chapter of life. Changing the rules now is like changing the rules of a contract you signed half way through the deal with no consolation.

This policy is rich when you consider that the government is constantly borrowing money with no plan to pay it back. While these announced changes will foster accountability for us students, both the Ontario and Federal governments should follow their own lead and tackle their debts right away. If the government wants us to pay our debt back the minute we graduate, they should walk the walk and pay their debts back. –Daniel Perry, fourth-year communication and political science student

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Volume 79, Issue 5, January 23, 2019 #teampaperback since 1942.

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

Anchal “Rainbow Rowell” Sharma Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Adam “Douglas Adams” Gibbard Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Savannah “Rainer Maria Rilke” Awde Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Eric “Jane Jacobs” Davison News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Sarah “Mary Oliver“Crookall News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Iain “D. J. MacHale” Sellers Arts and Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Matt “Jonathan Franzen” Gergyek Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca Andrew “George RR Martin” Price Sports Editor sports@thefulcrum.ca Hanna “Daniel Quinn” Méthot Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Rame “Khalil Gibran” Abdulkader Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Christine “Marie Lu” Wang Social Media Manager social@thefulcrum.ca Charley “James Joyce” Dutil Associate Sports Editor associatesports@thefulcrum.ca Parker “Franz Kafka” Townes Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Dorian “Nikolay Gogol” Ghosn General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca Kaylum “Alan Watts” Bobal Advertising Manager ads@thefulcrum.ca Videographer videographer@thefulcrum.ca

Rhea Verma Jane Furlong Zoe Mason Oasika Sharma Kelsea Shore Conner Chase Ben Woodhouse Jasmine McKight Graham Robertson Keelan Buck Aerie Carmichael Alex Tyrie

Ricardo Mar Khorkhordina Julia D’Silva James Lewicki Liam Way Joseph McLarney Sarah Priscus Yara Ahmed ElShaboury Ryan Pepper Véronique Therrien

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Raghad “Sylvia Plath” Sheikh-Khalil Katelyn “J. P. Jacobsen” Murray Graham “Fyodor Dostoyevsky” Robertson Jonathan “Charles Dickons” Rausseo Justin “J.R.R. Tolken Turcotte Donya “J.K. Rowling“ Ashnaei Dayne “Stephen King“ Moyer

Cover art: Rame Abdulkader & Adam Gibbard

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WITH ONTARIO’S NEW OPT-OUT POLICY WE’LL ALL PAY

O

n Jan. 17 the Ford government announced changes to OSAP, a mandatory 10 per cent reduction of tuition fees for post-secondary educational institutions and an opt-out option for student levies which will come into effect in the 20192020 academic year. There’s a lot to unpack in that announcement.

Since the most troubling parts of it are related to the changes in OSAP funding, and the potential loss of services post-secondary institutions will offer due to the tuition reduction, the opt-out option, called the Student Choice Initiative, is understandably an afterthought for a lot of students, but it shouldn’t be.

According to Fullerton, the initiative is being introduced because “Student fees in Ontario can range up to $2,000 per year, and, too often, force students to pay for services they do not use and organizations they do not support.”

However in the Fall 2018 semester, full-time students in undergraduate programs paid an average of $930 in incidental fees for services like the U-Pass, health insurance, student services, student union fees, and faculty associations.

She further described the initiative as a way to “ensure students get transparency and freedom of choice regarding the campus services and organizations which get access to their money,” but in reality, the freedom of choice is an illusion.

The government has mandated certain “essen-

Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities made the announcement.

Photo: Via Facebook

tial” services that students cannot opt-out of such as academic support, health and counselling, safe walk programs, and sports and recreation, however campus media and student unions didn’t make the cut.

This afterthought of a decision has many implications.

For one, most levies for student run services, including resource centres, foot patrol (which would fall under a safe walk program), clubs, UOSERT, the food bank, and student media such as La Rotonde, the Fulcrum, and CHUO, are currently distributed by the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa.

In response to the announcement, institutions will likely have to change the way they operate in order to

meet these requirements, and the U of O especially, given the fact that our current student union is hanging on by a thread, and the future of a new one remains uncertain.

While it’s true that it is in the discretion of universities and colleges to decide what is and isn’t an essential service outside of what the government has already outlined, it’s worrisome nonetheless. If the wellbeing of students were at the forefront of this decision, it would be their choice to determine what services are essential to them, not their institutions’ and certainly not the government.

This is an incredibly disappointing announcement, because the services that the government deems non essential are the ones that

benefit students the most.

For a government that cares so much about freedom of speech, it seems odd not to include campus media as an essential part of post-secondary institutions, especially given the fact that student press holds administration and student government accountable in ways that the larger media landscape both cannot and would not do.

With the mandatory ten per cent decrease in tuition, universities will likely cut services to make up for the loss of revenue, and without students funding necessary services to fill that gap, a lot of important resources will be lost to those who need them.

Without student media around to amplify those voices, no one will.

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