SEPTEMBER 2019
Published since November 21, 1910 Circulation 4,500 ISSN 0845-356X Suite 3-04 8900 114 St. NW University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J7
Editor-in-Chief Andrew McWhinney
News Editor Adam Lachacz
Managing Editor Christine McManus
Arts & Culture Editor Ashlynn Chand
Art Director Peter Elima
Opinion Editor Payton Ferguson
Photo Editor Helen Zhang
Staff Reporter Khadra Ahmed
Online Editor Advertising ads@gateway.ualberta.ca Tina Tai Website www.gtwy.ca
Webmaster Hugh Bagan
Director of Finance & Administration Piero Fiorini
Director of Marketing & Outreach Pia Co
Contributors Nana Andoh Calvin Chan Pauline Chan Haley Dang Nathan Fung Craig Hall Katie Komarnicki Tina Liu Bree Meiklejohn Jack Stewards Rachel Wang Cover Peter Elima
Copyright All materials appearing in The Gateway bear copyright of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.
Volunteer Want to write, draw, or shoot photos for us? To get involved visit gtwy.ca/volunteer for more information.
GSJS The Gateway is published by the Gateway Student Journalism Society (GSJS), a student-run, autonomous, apolitical not-for-profit organization, operated in accordance with the Societies Act of Alberta.
Printing Printed in Canada at Capital Colour, on FSC certified uncoated paper.
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DEAR READER, Welcome to the first issue of 2019-2020! For those of you who are reading us for the first time, The Gateway is the University of Alberta’s official student journalism society. Most of our work appears in our daily online publication, but every month we also publish a print magazine to showcase the work of dedicated student writers, photographers, and artists across campus. Over the summer, we had our second round of creative writing and art submissions. We had some amazing students submit their work, and we’re thrilled to share some of it with you in this issue. Our new section, The Studio, will be a designated spot for creative writing works this year. We also made a conceptual alteration to the magazine. Those of you who read us last year may remember that all our issues were themed. This year, we’ve decided to leave most of our issues unthemed, to allow our contributors as much creative freedom as possible. However, a few themed issues will still be hitting the stands this year, so keep an eye out for them! Despite a lack of official theme, common threads between the pieces began to emerge as we planned the September issue. September is a time of transition. Leaves burst into reds, oranges and yellows. Crop tops are packed away and favourite sweaters are taken out of storage. We look back on who and where we’ve been as we are swept downstream towards the future. This issue is imbued with all the mixed and complicated feelings about starting a new academic year: nostalgia, excitement, fear, curiosity, and courage. If you’re interested in volunteering for The Gateway, check out our meeting times on our website, gtwy.ca. No experience in writing or photography is necessary, and we’re always looking for new voices and friends. If you’d like to submit creative writing or art and design pieces, send us an email at submissions@gateway.ualberta.ca or look for updates at our Facebook page. We hope this issue makes you feel a little more informed and a little less alone as you look to the year ahead. Good luck — not that you’ll need it — and have a great year! g Yours, Christine McManus Managing Editor
Peter Elima Art Director
SEPTEMBER 2019 1
NOTES
4
CONTENTS!
The Gateway’s Declassified University Survival Guide Your official syllabus for university life is here.
6
Which faculty do you REALLY belong in? Think you picked the right program? Think again.
REQUIRED READING
10
If At First You Don’t Succeed, Tri(athlon) Again Read about one student’s love for a gruelling sport.
12
Explore how friendships in university change through technology and time.
THE STUDIO
18
Coasting Take a summer road trip through the Rocky Mountains.
Community in Flux
15
Dessert Conquest Find the best cheesecake in Edmonton.
FEATURES 20 24
Skipping out on Peer Review Not all academic publications are created equal: sometimes, they’re an outright scam.
(Un)natural Beauty Beauty is only skin deep, but for those on the fringes, its consequences run much deeper.
DIVERSIONS
32 34 36
Horoscopes Learn what a new school year has in store for you.
Crossword Test your knowledge of the season of autumn.
Comic Never fear, the Fat Bike Vagabond is here!
ILLUSTRATION KATIE KOMARNICKI, “ME TIME”
NOTES
THE GATEWAY'S DECLASSIFIED UNIVERSITY SURVIVAL GUIDE TEXT PAULINE CHAN ILLUSTRATION PETER ELIMA The day has finally come. You count down the hours, the minutes, even the seconds to when you are officially independent. They bid you their farewells, say their goodbyes and then the door closes. Alone. The first day of university doesn't start when your professors begin their first lectures; the first day of university starts when you realize your dinner isn't going to cook itself. Living on your own for the first time involves a lot more work than you may think. Don’t let the trappings of academia fool you. University is just another twisted version of survival of the fittest, but the good news is, natural selection hasn’t weeded you out just yet. With this guide, I, a humble third-year university student, will teach you the ins and outs of surviving in your strange new habitat. So take out the notebooks, get out your pens. Here is the comprehensive list of essentials to get you through the first few weeks. Even if you’re lucky enough to be living at home, these tips and tricks will help anyone who’s new to this whole “adult student” thing. Consider this your syllabus.
1. FOOD
5. KITCHENWARE
The all time basic to survival is food. In the student world, there are generally two types of foods: fresh food and not fresh food. Survival requires both. Fresh food to maintain health and stamina. Not fresh food to maintain sanity. I recommend butter chicken or pasta sauce in a jar. As for fresh food, salad is the easiest.
You won't believe how fast you will need these when you're on your own. Get yourself a set of plates, bowls, cups, and enough cutlery to last you through exam season. I don't wash my dishes every day and neither should you. Pots and pans are equally as important. My go-to is the mid sized pot. It works as a skillet, a saucepan or a very large bowl.
2. WATER BOTTLE
6. COMFY SHEETS & PILLOWS
During summer, Edmonton gets hot. During winter, temperatures plunge into the negative 30s. Being a student, it's not always easy — or cost effective — to buy cases of bottled water. Invest in a durable water bottle and a coffee mug. You'll be bringing these everywhere you go. Save money AND save the earth. Two birds, one stone.
3. TUPPERWARE Being an adult means preparation and preparation means tupperware. Some prep a week ahead, while others prep the night before. Whatever you prefer, GET TUPPERWARE. Without prepared meals, you’ll soon find yourself spending the last of your savings on A & W. Tupperware means saving money, and saving money means saying goodbye to student loans.
4. SEASONAL CLOTHES & WARM BLANKETS The moment you step off the car/plane/bus/ bicycle/horse, head straight to the nearest department store and buy yourself some warm clothes and blankets. Winter hits Edmonton when you least expect it. No month of the school year is truly safe. The last thing you want is a runny nose while you write your midterms. Reliable winter footwear and warm socks are also a musthave! Your toes will thank you later.
Whether you’re living off-campus or in a dorm, the beds might not always be comfiest. Make sure to bring adequate bedding and pillows, no matter how awkward it is to lug it with you. A good night's sleep is the golden key to success in university.
7. WIFI If you live off campus, install Wi-Fi as soon as possible. Need I say more? You'll soon realize it's better to get things done early than late, and that midnight cram sessions in Rutherford are the pits. Pro tip: scout out deals ahead of time, some companies provide student discounts and other benefits.
8. BACKPACK I cannot stress this enough: every student needs to invest in a sturdy backpack. Your book bag is essentially an extension of yourself. If your backpack can survive university, so can you. What greater pain can be experienced than a backpack strap snapping on you during a morning rush? Nothing is more frustrating, trust me.
9. AN ITEM FROM HOME You'll feel lonely. You might not want to admit it, but it happens. It might take a week, it might be the next day, but it’s inevitable. Have a precious photo, stuffy, or a souvenir. Whatever is most important, bring it with you. And don't forget to call home at least once a week.
This is the most basic collection of essentials that you should bring with you when you start your first year. You'll build up your arsenal of essentials as the years go by and soon enough you'll be an experienced third year like me. Good luck and have a great fall semester! g
SEPTEMBER 2019 5
6 GTWY.CA
We get it. As a child, you had a calling to become a doctor and you’re sticking to your guns. However, you’re in university now and that means it’s the time of your life where you question every life decision you’ve made, especially picking your current degree. Be honest: did you choose arts because you wanted to ponder the implications of Foucault's “Body Politics” or because you were sick of calculus? The purpose of this quiz is to let your inhibitions go — to let your subconscious speak. Each decision you make is a step towards being true to yourself, a stride towards the career you should really pursue.
TEXT KHADRA AHMED + CALVIN CHAN VISUALS PETER ELIMA
PC
CAMPUS CUP
ANTIFREEZE
WEEK OF WELCOME
Let’s hear it for team spirit! You decide you actually want to be a part of the campus community. What are you joining?
MAC
As a gift for making it to university (or maybe as an incentive to keep you in it) your parents decide to buy you a new computer! Time to choose between aesthetic and practicality!
CAMERON
RATT
A SWEATER AND PANTS
A BLAZER AND DRESS SHOES
It’s a typical Edmonton winter day: below 40 and snowy as fuck. What are you wearing to lectures?
DEWEY’S
Hoorah! Finals are done and it’s time to get drunk! Where are you drinking?
RUTHERFORD
NOTES
TEAPSY
THERE’S NO SUCH THING
yes
no
The way technology is moving, it’s not an impractical fear that robots will take over our jobs. Do you want a job that could very soon be taken over by robots in exchange for early retirement?
yes
It’s a simple question, but it really tells you a lot about the person. Are you Pre-Med?
STARBUCKS
It’s been a really long day and that annoying kid in your lecture that hogs both armrests has really gotten on your nerves. You need a pick me up, where are you hitting up?
NIGHT CLASS
no
HO HO’S
FILISTIX
Like most university students, you have no sense of money and are content to spend a fortune eating on campus. Where are you getting lunch?
APPLE MUSIC
WHYTE AVE
WHITNEY HOUSTON’S “GREATEST LOVE OF ALL”
ADAM SMITH
LIL NAS x’s “OLD TOWN ROAD”
It’s late at night and you can barely keep your eyes open You need a song to motivate you through this study session! What song are you blasting?
RIVER VALLEY
PAPA MARX
You’re having a steamy sex dream and you’re being spanked for being bad. Who’s your daddy?
You’re tired of campus and want a change of scenery. Where are you taking a stroll?
SPOTIFY
As university students, we need to capitalize on all the discounts we can get! Which music streaming company are you paying five dollars for?
ITS MARS, DUH
Elon Musk is assembling a team to go and colonize Mars because he’s Elon Musk?! Are you joining him?
8:00 AM LAB
You only need one more class to graduate this hell hole! However, It’s a tough decision
NOTES
SEPTEMBER 2019 7
NOTES
You strut around campus in your Value Village sweater, Kanken backpack and Doc Martens like the hip, fashionable kid you are. Everyone says Arts majors won’t find jobs after graduation, but without you, who’s fighting to end institutional oppression, questioning society as we know it… or producing those Avengers movies?
Like Whitney Houston, you believe children are our future and we need to teach them well to let them lead the way. It takes a special kind of person to become a teacher and you have a heart of gold if you can put up with screaming children, pubescent teenagers and parents treating you like a glorified babysitter. Teachers need to be paid more!
People think you’re all gonna be gym teachers and that’s (mostly) not true. Yes, you’re probably a jock, but you’re a smart jock. When you’re not memorizing muscles and bones you’re hitting up the squash courts or eating Chopped Leaf for the third time that day.
Who needs coffee when you can hug a tree in the morning? While everyone is out there polluting the world, you’re the ones trying to clean it up. Now hurry and complete your degree, we’re counting on you to save this planet before Elon Musk blows us up trying to “automate” Mother Nature.
You didn’t choose the drug life, the drug life chose you. You’ve been gifted with the superpowers of reading shitty doctor handwriting and conversing with old people. It’s your destiny to save the world, one pill at a time.
You’re the epitome of confidence: strutting through ECHA in a fresh set of scrubs, brand new sneakers, and an iced coffee in hand. Let’s be honest, who runs the world? Nurses. Step aside doctors, nurses are the MVPs.
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NOTES
8 a.m. labs? Pre-Med? You’re the definition of an over-achiever and you should just embrace it — not everyone can survive the torture of organic chem labs. You’re a confident bitch who's not afraid of competition (because let's face it, the sciences are over-crowded and not everyone can go to med school).
You may possibly be a masochist — taking more than five courses a semester, sitting through math labs, eating at Ho Ho’s — but you’re also the backbone of society. You may be more comfortable around numbers than you are humans, but without your sacrifice, we would’ve never gotten smartphones, Wi-Fi… or basically anything.
You are essential to university because without you, who’s calling the university out on all their white, colonial bullshit? You may be part of a small faculty but just being a Native Studies student in university is an act of resistance in itself! You keep slaying!!
We all know you chose “Old Town Road” to try and fit in with the freshmen. But you need to embrace being an adult learner. If Natalie Portman and Oprah can do it, you can too. It’s time to take your horse to University Avenue and ride ‘til you can’t no more.
Your rock a power suit like no other and eat motivation for breakfast. The grind doesn’t stop and neither will you. You’re striving to be the next Jeff Bezos but let's be real: most of you are destined to be a Michael Scott. g
SEPTEMBER 2019 9
REQUIRED READING
If At First You Don’t Succeed,
Tri(athlon) Again TEXT & PHOTO HALEY DANG Waking up early is difficult enough for the average student. Now, try waking up early knowing that you’ll be doing not one, but three gruelling races alongside hundreds of other people. For Sydney Ens, this is the kind of day she looks forward to every summer. Sydney is a third year environmental conservation student. In addition to being a student, research assistant, and lifeguard, she’s also a triathlete. As the “tri” implies, a triathlon is not one event, but three: a 1.5 km swim, a 40 km bike ride, and a 10 km run, done one after the other. The world of triathlon can seem intimidating; doing the race alone is a feat in and of itself, never mind trying to beat others. But for a girl from Saskatoon, the intense physical endurance is a total blast. After a swim practice, 13-year-old Sydney saw a poster advertising a triathlon training camp. “I remember thinking that would be so cool to try,” she says. The program offered was only a three week training camp, but after some googling she found a club affiliated with the Saskatchewan Triathlon Centre. This club would offer longer bouts of training and give Sydney a chance to get more serious with the sport. Her mom, Sydney recalls, took a little convincing. “I remember begging my mom, ‘come on, can I try it out, can I please do this.’” After a question-filled phone call, Sydney’s mom got her into the next practice. Armed with the little experience she had in competitive biking and swimming, Sydney attended her first bike practice as a triathlete. Unfortunately, the outdoor session turned out to have less than ideal weather conditions: it was a rainy day and Sydney was falling behind the group. A lot of her fellow athletes were worried she wouldn’t come to future practices because of the difficult introduction. “But I just loved it and kept coming back,” says Sydney. In wet and muddy conditions, Sydney discovered a love of triathlon that she didn’t know she had, and that love only grew as she got older. Hooked on the sport, Sydney gradually became more involved and got more competitive with it throughout high school. By the time she was in grade 12, she was
10 GTWY.CA SUPPLIED IMAGE
REQUIRED READING
SUPPLIED IMAGE
training at least twice a day and competing in triathlons across Canada at the national level. But those successes made her schedule packed and her life stressful, and something had to give. In the middle of grade 12, the commitment became too much. Sydney took a break from triathlon and decided to switch back to doing track and cross country. “I just kind of wanted to be more relaxed with [triathlon], a little less competitive cause it was really taking over my life,” she says. Despite the forces keeping Sydney and triathlon apart, she couldn’t help but be drawn back in. The following summer, she entered a few triathlons with a less formal mindset, which helped her to remember the fun in racing. She never looked back. “I look forward to racing, it’s so much fun if you’re not serious about it,” says Sydney. Not everyone shares that opinion. Sydney recalls more intense races where people are not above punching, kicking, and trying to shove their opponents under the water at the start of the swim portion. “The start of the swim is absolute chaos,” she explains, calling it a “hot mess.” “Everyone is just trying to get there.” But it isn’t all competitiveness: mutual support exists in the world of triathlon.
Sydney joined the Triathlon Club while attending the U of A at the start of her first year. There she is able to share her love for the sport with others through being the head coach and vice president. Her favorite part of the sport, she says, is the people. “Everyone’s so nice and so [supportive]. No matter what speed you are.” Transition period, the time in which athletes switch from one race to the next, is where she hears the most crucial support. “It’s really fun when you get out of the water because everyone’s there, everyone runs there cheering you on.” Sydney has met some of her closest friends through triathlon, and she says that the shared love of the sport and commitment to training has helped her get to know many people. While she may be far from home now, Sydney will go back to her hometown every year for her favourite race, one that she’s been doing since grade nine. “I just really like it because it’s nostalgic for me and I’ll run into a lot of people I used to train with and my old coach,” she says. Some may not think “Saskatoon” when you first say triathlon, but for Sydney, it’s where it all started. A sport that many find daunting captured the heart of Sydney Ens and she hasn't looked back since. g
COMMUNITY TEXT CRAIG HALL PHOTO NANA ANDOH
REQUIRED READING s with many summers, this has been a summer of Firsts. I hosted my first housewarming party. I went to my first music festival. I finished Community by myself in a dark room after midnight, having spent two months binging six years of one of the most adept shows on television. Finishing Community was like saying goodbye to an old friend. I became invested in a group of characters who were coming into their own adulthood and increasingly conflicted in their obligations to each other. The themes presented by Community’s final season, the growing uncertainties of growing up, resonated with me. This year has helped me realize that getting older brings as many Lasts as it does Firsts. Finals season, the first real harbinger of summer, is such a flurry of emotions: it’s a turbulent emotional atmosphere, a moratorium not only on pencils and books but on familiar faces. The sunshine of early summer post-school days carries with it the threat of rain. For me, finals represented the end of a chapter, but for many of my friends, finals were the end of a saga. Most of the friends I still keep in touch with graduated this year, so my first housewarming carried with it the sour notes of potentially permanent goodbyes. It was a bizarre cocktail of achieved goals and last hurrahs. The process of getting to this point, all those classes and icebreakers and lease-signings and collective bad decisions, seemed like it would last forever. But now that many of my friends are leaving, I don’t think it lasted long enough. I skipped right over many of the necessary steps to maintaining friendships with my high school co-conspirators. In hindsight, I’m not sure if making the effort would have been worth it. There was a difference in context that prevented the bonds we formed from being as deep as the ones I’ve formed since university started. Most of my university friends were made while in residence, less than a hundred feet from each other. That alone was a huge boon. Constantly being in a state of mutual activity — even if
FLUX
that activity is something inconsequential, like studying or napping — does a lot to encourage co-existence. Residence catalyzed friendship formation more than I gave it credit for, leaving me with more and closer friends than I’d ever had in high school. The downside was that I didn’t get the experience needed to expand my network without the benefits of cohabitation and an enthusiastic RA watching out for me. That was a skill I had to develop on my own. I never really got the hang of it until a few years ago. I started writing standup comedy, which gave me two really important things: enough ice-breakers to shake a stick at and an eagerness to open myself up to new experiences. Being passionate about something like comedy places you in situations where it’s easier to talk to people than not. While I’m still no expert, most of my anxieties surrounding reaching out have subsided. But now that I’m at the tail end of my university adventure, my priorities have also shifted from forming friendships to preserving and assessing them. Maybe it’s a function of the world as a whole speeding up. The advance of social technology certainly had something to do with the changing nature of my friendships. The advent of the group chat shifted my group interactions to the internet, although there was still a necessary in-person element. My memories of Facebook Messenger’s basketball game are all set next to friends on a couch, glaring at each other whenever a high score was demolished. There was an invasion of technology into physical relationships before there was an upload of relationships as a whole. In many ways, this has eased the transition. I can keep in contact with my long-distance friends because we were already communicating in spite of distance long before distance became an obstacle. The question now is whether I will. Whose Snapchat stories do I open? Whose do I respond to? If someone in Vancouver or Cape Breton invites me to come visit, should I accept? What if they want me to move there? If I decline, can the internet provide a satisfactory method of maintaining those friendships? If so, as someone whose attention span has significantly declined as Faulkner’s presence on my bookshelf was replaced with Buzzfeed News’ presence on my phone, I’m left with the seemingly impossible task of balancing frantic online distractions with genuine interpersonal connections. The line
between the two is already blurred. There is always the risk that if friendships are uploaded, they will become background like everything else on the internet. If they are not, and I choose to put in a different kind of effort — writing letters or physically visiting, for example — this requires an investment that I know I will not always have the time, money, or energy for. If the closeness that facilitated our friendships in the first place has splintered, is technology a method of overcoming that? Or does it simplify a complex relationship too much? I don’t think I’m unique in having a very compact core friend group with a larger web of friends-in-law, or in that I have never been particularly invested in networking. Most of the people I talked to in the post-finals months were coworkers, and while they are all incredibly nice people, our relationships are incidental and purposeful in ways that my relationships with friends are not, and vice versa. I’m at an age where the idea of making new friends, of writing new histories, is incredibly daunting. But it’s also just not a priority anymore. It doesn’t feel like there’s enough time to start a new decade of inside jokes. The takeaway of Community’s last season is that hoarding the past is counterproductive to growth. Holding people back from their attempts at self-actualization is not just selfish towards them, it holds you back from your own self-actualization. I like television because it’s reliable and doesn’t often ask much of me, but I’ve been blessed with friendships that are equally reliable while encouraging me to grow and change. While I’m not yet sure how far I’m going to go to preserve old friendships, the experiences I’ve had have been fantastic. Having those positive forces a thousand kilometres away is an obstacle, but it doesn’t have to be a blockade. Social media condenses even my more tertiary friends into a series of status updates, leaving me aware of their big moments without years of unnecessary context. I can gain a reasonable understanding of where someone’s at even if it’s been a long time, easing reconnection. Perusing Facebook to see what estranged friends are up to is daunting but motivating. I’m not the same person I was when I formed the friendships I value most today and even if those friendships disappear, I hope their positive impact will remain. I’ve been sparked to reassess and more deeply value my own successes, to close gaps between me and my peers — gaps in both physical distance
SEPTEMBER 2019 13
and personal growth. Sometimes it feels Kantian; it doesn’t require interaction and it doesn’t require thanks. But I worry that if I don’t learn from unkempt friendships, they were pointless. The relationship between distance and technology in friendship preservation is still very much in flux, with the upshot that rising methods of overcoming physical distance bring both benefits and challenges that didn’t exist prior to the internet. Friends existing exclusively online can feel interchangeable and friends offline can feel inaccessible. I don’t really have solutions to any of these problems, but they’re common
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and they’re pressing. They’re things I think about often and with varying degrees of anxiety. Maybe what’s more important than worrying about how to manage all of this is being conscious of it. Hold onto those you care about without smothering them. Recognize that distance is sometimes inevitable. Value those around you because, one way or another, things are going to change and people are going to move away. Firsts are going to become Lasts. This is going to be an interesting semester. I’ve never really had classes with friends, but they’ve always been in the background, quietly studying or chiding me for not studying
or asking if I wanted Domino’s to motivate me to keep studying. This is going to be my first solo year of university and the first year where I have real motivation to connect with classmates. My intimate connections have been outsourced to Calgary and Vancouver and Toronto, and I’m equally excited and apprehensive about what that means for my future. It’s first year all over again, but it’s first year with the hindsight of knowing who I am and what I value in friendship. It’s first year with the benefits of group chats, event pages, and other digital features that I didn’t have growing up. It doesn’t have to mean starting over, just starting better. g
REQUIRED READING
DESSERT CONQUEST TEXT PAYTON FERGUSON ILLUSTRATION PETER ELIMA What is your favourite dessert? Maybe, like me, you love anything chocolate. Maybe you prefer a more rich dessert. Or maybe your favourite lies somewhere in the middle, balancing perfectly between sweet, creamy, and rich: cheesecake. I went to five different cafes near campus to see which served the best cheesecake. To keep things fair, I ranked them based on four things: flavour, price, location (in relation to campus), and presentation. I used a scale of 1-5, 5 being my favourite, and 1 being my least favourite. The cheesecake with the highest total number at the end would reign supreme. Without further ado, are you ready to rumble?
SWISS 2 GO 4306 118 AVE The first cheesecake I ate was also the farthest away. Swiss 2 Go is a 20-minute drive away from campus, but I wanted to include it because a) all the cheesecakes look like teacups and b) Buzzfeed’s Tasty did a video about them. Walking into this place was like stepping into a hipster’s fever dream. There was nary a surface without exposed wood or brick, and everything on the menu sounds like someone put a bunch of food and flavour combinations in a random generator. The location is a setback for university students. It’s a long way to go for some teacup-shaped cheesecake. But the distance wasn’t my biggest problem with this one: it was the price. There is another $15.00 cheesecake in the running, but it could easily feed four people.
The price of this teacup sized cheesecake almost knocked the wind out of me. I understand that it’s an artisanal local shop, but my student-loans-heavy heart can’t handle spending that much for that little. Obviously, due to the shape, this cheesecake ranked number one in presentation. The flavours they had on offer were odd, but I love watermelon, so I gave it a go. The only way I can describe it is “watermelon Hubba Bubba.” Despite the weird artificial flavour, the balance of the cheesecake was good: not too sweet, just creamy enough, and not so rich that I couldn’t finish it. My aunt, who usually dislikes cheesecake, did like this one. Overall, because of the price, I wouldn’t get this one again. It’s a fun novelty to experience once, but not worth it to go twice.
$15.00 FLAVOUR ...................................3/5 PRICE ............................................1/5 LOCATION ...................................1/5 PRESENTATION ........................5/5 TOTAL ............................... 10/20
SNOWY DESSERT 10209 82 AVE Moving a bit closer to campus, my next stop was the Snowy Dessert Korean Cafe. This unassuming little dessert cafe has stolen my heart. When I walked in here with my aunt we were the only people there — apart from the girl working the counter, who was ecstatic to have customers. The atmosphere is modern but not mechanical, which is a rare gift these days. For flavour, I wanted to give this the 5 ranking, but I thought it wouldn’t be fair due to the fact that it was technically bingsu with cheesecake in it, not just cheesecake. For the uninitiated, bingsu is an ice cream and shaved ice hybrid, and if you’ve never had it, stop depriving yourself of this heaven on earth. I still put it at 4, because I couldn’t let something so delicious go unnoticed. The presentation, a metal bowl piled high with
fruit, cheesecake, and almond shavings, also received a 4. Despite being pretty much a garbage bucket of frozen components, it still looks great coming out, and each one is made to order. For price, since it is $15.00, I had to give it a 3. However, this thing is absolutely massive, which makes the price worth it. As a bonus, it makes for a great smoothie if you take the leftovers home and freeze them! Because the location was second-farthest, Snowy Dessert Korean Cafe got a 2, but it was only about a 30-second walk from the next cheesecake on the list. All in all, this nontraditional cheesecake was really good. The mango and bingsu really added to the cream cheese flavour, and I will definitely eat this one again.
$15.00 FLAVOUR ...................................4/5 PRICE ...........................................3/5 LOCATION ..................................2/5 PRESENTATION ........................4/5 TOTAL ............................... 13/20
SEPTEMBER 2019 15
REQUIRED READING
BLOCK 1912
$8.75 FLAVOUR ....................................1/5 PRICE ...........................................3/5 LOCATION ..................................3/5 PRESENTATION .........................1/5 TOTAL .................................8/20
10361 82 AVE
The third cheesecake was surprising to me. I practically worship Block 1912, and I had a white chocolate and apricot mousse cake there once that I think made me see God. That said, my results this time were… interesting. Let’s get into the nitty gritty: this was not was I was expecting from Block 1912. I’m not sure if it was just an off day, but the flavour was odd. There was a gritty texture in the cheesecake I didn’t enjoy, and the caramel tasted burnt. The presentation wasn’t necessarily bad, just plain, but definitely the least visually pleasing of them all. The price was definitely not bad, but it was also more expensive than the final two cakes. The location isn’t far from campus,
but still farther than some of the others. I will say that the atmosphere in Block 1912 is very nice — it’s a place I wouldn’t mind sitting down to eat a cheesecake. It feels like Starbucks without all the yoga moms, only darker. The familiar din of quiet restaurant chatter comforts the server in me, and the overall effect is calming. If you want to read here, you should definitely bring a book light. The lighting is great for the ambiance, but not so much for, well… seeing. Altogether, this cheesecake was rather disappointing. I was secretly rooting for Block 1912 because of how good their desserts usually are, but I couldn’t go by past merit alone. I would not get this cheesecake again.
UPPER CRUST 10909 86 AVE
$8.00 FLAVOUR ...................................5/5 PRICE ...........................................4/5 LOCATION ..................................4/5 PRESENTATION ........................3/5 TOTAL ............................... 16/20
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Next up was the unassuming Upper Crust Cafe. I had never been here, but the atmosphere is almost like a sit-down deli. Contradictory, perhaps, but it’s nice. The display case in the front greets you with all the homemade baked goods, and my self-control withered as I saw my first pastry. It reminded me a little of my hometown restaurant, which has since closed down, and my nostalgia got the better of me as we took our seats. This cheesecake was… delicious. The flavour was almost like a heightened cookies and cream, and this was the only cheesecake
on the list not to use whipped cream. I’m sorry auntie, but this cheesecake might have yours beat. There was some kind of irresistible chocolate sauce on top, and the price and location are both second best out of them all. The presentation was a wedge, which was perfect for the atmosphere of the cafe itself. The only reason it gets a 3 is because of Swiss 2 Go’s cuteness and Snowy Dessert’s beauty. I would definitely eat this cheesecake again. It was delicious, well put together, and homemade, and the feeling in this cafe was warm and welcoming.
REQUIRED READING
LEVA 11053 86 AVE The last stop on my journey was Leva cafe. Look, I like cheesecake as much as the next guy; I may even be convinced to say I love it. But after four other cheesecakes, I was pretty sure I had developed some kind of self-induced lactose intolerance. Still, I powered through. This cheesecake is the closest to campus on our list, and I have a not-so-secret weakness for the French macarons here. The only reason this cheesecake has such a high total is because it’s close to campus and it’s cheap. The cheesecake itself was… fine. But nothing special. It was a white slice of cheesecake with a graham cracker crust,
whipped cream, and a couple of blueberries and a raspberry on top. The presentation wasn’t bad, but it was boring. The same challenges affected both the visual and taste aspects of the cheesecake. Again, I was disappointed with this experience because I love that Leva is so close to campus. I do love Leva’s atmosphere, which borders between chic and grassroots, and their other desserts have always treated me fairly well, but this cheesecake was not it. I don’t think I would order this cheesecake again. However, if you’re in the mood, the French macarons are delicious enough to warrant the trip.
$7.00 FLAVOUR ...................................2/5 PRICE ...........................................5/5 LOCATION ..................................5/5 PRESENTATION ........................2/5 TOTAL ............................... 14/20
FINAL THOUGHTS All in all, I’ve had my fill of cheesecake for a while. If I was lactose intolerant, I think I might be dead. I can happily say that I won’t be eating any more cheesecake for at least a few weeks. My stomach now gets nauseous at the mere sight of anything resembling cream cheese, and I think I napped for five hours after eating the final cake. For my own sanity, and your own untainted taste buds’ enjoyment, please take my humble recommendations and try one of these cheesecakes. What I do not recommend is eating all five in a row — trust me. The winner, with a whopping score of 16/20, is Upper Crust Cafe. I have to say, they definitely deserve this. The cheesecake was absolutely divine, and if I had to drown in a dessert, that would be it. I very well might go back for this one soon. The atmosphere worked, and I had no major qualms with anything. This cheesecake is delicious, and in walking distance of campus. If you’re fond of mom-and-pop places that serve uniquely great food, this one should be at the top of your list. g
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THE STUDIO
COAS IN
Travelling was tedious. Logically, the end destination was the looming cosmopolis of Vancouver, a proper city where people actually lived and a city that actually had functional public transportation. More importantly, a city where my sister’s skating competition was to take place. But, deep in the forests of Banff or Yoho or Jasper or whatever national park we were passing through, it felt as though there was no end destination in sight: only endless stretches of mountainous forests. We’d drive around the bend, following the road, hoping that this would be the end of the forest only to see yet another forested mountain before us. Every hundred kilometres or so a lake would appear to interrupt the monotony of the forest. The still, aquamarine blue of the water was deceptively enticing. Each successive lake was stunning to look at, but the mountain water was far too cold to splash around in. And then there were the deer. So, so many deer. A deer with a spotty coat stood tall before the swatches of dead forest. Being the tourists we were, we stopped the car on the shoulder of the road so we could get out and take pictures. It was an embarrassingly
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urbanite practice but we were embarrassingly urbanite tourists who wanted an authentic photo of a wild deer. A closer look showed that the uneven splotches on the deer’s coat was not the natural colouration of the fur. The splotches were longer patches of fur that were much lighter and somewhat matted. What would cause such splotchiness? “Why are the trees dead?” my sister interjected, pointing behind the deer at the large swath of forest that was, indeed, dead. But, no matter: I got my photo. Dead trees were of no consequence to me. They were already dead. But the deer, the deer was still alive and its head twisted slowly to the side before shaking rapidly. Perhaps the deer’s splotchy coat was the consequence of a forest fire that had gotten just a little too close. A fire would explain the trees too. But no matter, only the deer was alive. Later on, there was a traffic jam. Naturally, it was caused by a herd of mountain goats crossing the road. Canada, eh? Based on experience, the two leading causes of traffic jams are snow and wild animals, because we just can’t seem to win against nature. But that was okay with me. With the traffic having slowed to a crawl on the
ST NG
THE STUDIO
TEXT TINA LIU PHOTO RACHEL WANG
highway, I rolled down the window and because “what if I fall and don’t make the stuck my upper body out of the car. If we podium?” Dad was stressed because “what were going to be stuck here because of goats, if the goats damage our paint job with their then we were going to come out with phehorns?” Mom was stressed because half my nomenal photos of goats. A cursory glance at body was still dangling out the rear window the cars around us showed that I was not the and “what if we suddenly start driving and only embarrassing urbanite sticking half my you get hurt?” body out of the car. I, too, was stressed because I almost The goats had no sense of road safety. had the perfect framing for a snapshot of There was no reason why they would; we the goats prancing off the road. Here they were the ones who built roads and infrawere, finally being exciting and I was just structure through their homes. this close — That said, I couldn’t help the irritation Click. bubbling in me. It didn’t take long to take the Satisfied with the mountains looming desired photos — especially since the goats over the goats in my photo, I ducked back weren’t doing anything particularly exciting. into the car and rolled the window back up. But the goats in question were crossing in Unlike the goats, I did finish what I set out the slowest possible manner. Diagonally, but to do: take a good picture of them. My goals at such a subtle angle they may as well have didn’t remain abstract hypotheticals bebeen walking in a straight line. And there cause I set them low enough to be achievable. were so many goats. Originally, they were Taking a photo of a goat was no major feat, just on the shoulder of the road so the cars but I still felt the warmth of achievement as before us just slowed down when passing I flipped through my new photos. My parents them. But, being goats with no respect for and sister were stressing over the upcoming the tarred lines, they quickly branched out competition and growing increasingly aggrainto our lane which stopped traffic comvated with the goats on the road. Would we pletely. A handful of cars switched into the be late? What if the goats charge at our car? opposing lane — despite the solid yellow diWhat if the goats made us miss my sister’s vider — to skip past the rest of us. Eventually, competition? the goats did get off the road to climb back But I had zoned out from those big up the mountainous slope. Those goats never “what- ifs.” I was perfectly content with my ended up crossing the road. They just went new photos. right. Back. Where. They. Came. From. Once the goats left the road, traffic Traitors. picked back up again and soon we were once At least finish what you started. again on our way to Vancouver. A hundred But then, it was that mindset that led to kilometres per hour, with only trees and our current predicament with those goats. rocks and the occasional lake to observe. We weren’t heading to Vancouver for anyWith nothing to catch my attention, I slipped thing fun; we were heading to Vancouver beback into my drowsy half-asleep state. cause we collectively decided we needed to At some point, we crossed the border make my sister a skating champion. Because from Alberta into British Columbia. I didn’t if we were going to spend that much money know when, though. on her, then my sister was going to have to The forest looked no different in be the best figure skater. Accordingly, my British Columbia, and I had missed the sister was stressed about the competition welcome sign. g
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The Gateway
Feature
September 2019
Skipping out on Peer Review
Skipping Out on Peer Review: How predatory publishers prey on desperate researchers
TEXT NATHAN FUNG VISUALS PETER ELIMA
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Skipping out on Peer Review
For an up and coming scientist, getting their work published is an important first step, one that often takes years of work. But while there are plenty of reputable journals out there, not all of them are what they appear to be. Beneath a legitimate veneer lie predatory publishers, false scientific journals that try to take advantage of people’s work. They guarantee publication of any work submitted, even if it’s gibberish. They also don’t provide the same editorial services reputable journals have, and often charge far cheaper publishing fees than their legitimate counterparts, making the barrier to entry quite low. A predatory publication’s cheaper fees might seem like a deal to someone desperate to get published or looking to pad their CV. However, having one’s name associated with these phony journals hurts more than it helps. It can weaken reputations, cost valuable time and money, and damage the careers of seasoned professors and undergrad research assistants alike. As William Grover, a bioengineering professor at the University of California Riverside, learned in late 2017, part of that shadiness includes making up entire academic institutions. When he took a closer look at one of the dozen emails he gets from predatory publishers, he found that an editor listed was a professor at California South University (CSU) — a university that does not actually exist. “I’d never heard of it, despite apparently living just a few miles down the road from it,” Grover wrote in his blog. When Grover found CSU’s website, he found that word for word of its history page was lifted from the University of Alberta’s Wikipedia entry, but with every mention of “Alberta” changed to “California.” They even claimed to have their own Butterdome, which Grover found quite funny. “You don’t hear a name like [the Butterdome] and forget about it easily.” The website also lists a man named Alireza Heidari as one of their notable professors. After some further digging, Grover made an interesting discovery. As far as he could tell, Heidari — who likely isn’t real — is on the editorial board of over a hundred other journals. “No legitimate professor is on a hundred editorial boards,” he said. “If you were that’s literally all you would do, that would be 110 per cent of your time right there.” Grover’s theory is that the CSU website was created to give credibility to Heidari and to the journals he serves as an editor on. Many of the journals Heidari
supposedly works for are produced by the OMICS Publishing Group, headquartered in Hyderabad, India. OMICS claims to publish over 700 journals and to have organized over 3,000 conferences around the globe. Whereas other journals can take months to complete a peer review process, OMICS claims to take only 21 days to review a submission, followed by 15 days to post it online. “Nothing gets published in science under two weeks,” Grover said. “So any journal that promises that in exchange for money and an assurance of publication has something fishy going on.” OMICS Group’s practices — and its CEO, Srinubabu Gedela — have been criticized by many in the scientific community, and have been on the receiving end of a number of lawsuits. In 2016, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched one against OMICS for misrepresenting scientists as editors on their journals and other deceptive practices like failing to disclose their publication fee until after the work was submitted. The FTC won its case in April 2019, and OMICS is required to pay $50 million USD in fines. In addition to legal battles, journalists and academics have tested the rigour of the OMICS peer-review process by submitting pseudo-scientific work to their publications or conferences, often with humorous results. In one such case, Tom Spears from the Ottawa Citizen submitted two papers to a biology conference organized by OMICS. The first paper was on the biomechanics of flying pigs. The second paper claimed that birds lived in the bottom of the ocean and that underwater robins are endangered by overfishing. Both papers were accepted and OMICS asked for a $999 publishing fee from Spears.
“Nothing gets published in science under two weeks,” Grover said. “So any journal that promises that in exchange for money and an assurance of publication has something fishy going on.”
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FEATURE
While OMICS is particularly notorious as a predatory publisher, that doesn’t stop people from submitting to journals or conferences organized by them. Though the exact number changes frequently, OMICS’s website lists about 150 editors, contributors and speakers from the U of A — including the names of a few professors from disciplines like medicine and engineering. Also on the list are students who’ve done postdoctoral studies at the U of A and have since left. While many of these names appear to be genuine, it is unknown how they got onto a list of OMICS contributors, or if they even know their names are on there. The problem of predatory publishing is known at the U of A, and research impact librarian Thane Chambers used to deliver workshops for researchers on how to spot a predatory publisher. She says finding a good publisher for your work is like finding a good apartment, as submitting good research to a questionable journal is a waste of one’s work. “If you were renting an apartment, you would make sure it was built on a solid foundation... and actually had hot water,” Chambers said. “So it’s the same as finding a home for your article, you need to spend the time to investigate it a little bit.” Chambers said for the fees predatory journals charge, getting published in them can seem like a deal: fees can range in the hundreds of dollars, whereas more reputable journals can charge thousands. But Chambers stressed that for those hundreds of dollars, the researcher isn’t getting the same kind of quality assurance they’d get from other journals. “It’s giving them nothing,” she said. “They have a dodgy looking website, and there's no peer review, there's no copy editing, there's nothing. It costs nothing, in terms of time or effort, to just post something on the web.” Despite how contributing to publishers like OMICS is discouraged by academics, it still manages to happen, and not just to professors: students can become victims of these journals as well. A paper that Chambers is listed as a co-author was published in one of OMICS’s publications, the Journal of Nursing and Care. As Chambers explained, the paper in question, “A Systematic Review on the Intersection of Homelessness and Healthcare in Canada,” was a student paper she’d helped with back in 2012. She doesn’t know exactly how that paper ended up in an OMICS journal as she wasn’t informed about the paper’s publication, but Chambers suspects that the lead author of the paper hadn’t examined the journal before submitting their work. “I think it's really important that, if you’re in a research group, there's some discussion about where the paper is going to actually end up,” she said. “Because if somebody had told me about this journal, I would’ve easily looked it up and said no, we should consider something else.”
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Poor communication within research groups and failing to evaluate journals before submitting work aren’t the only ways people accidentally end up affiliated with predatory journals. Some people partake in one of their conferences thinking they’re more legitimate than they really are. One such person was Korey Fung, a fourth-year dietetics student, who went to a pathology conference in New Orleans organized by OMICS International in 2015. While taking a laboratory medicine and pathology course, Fung heard about the conference from his professor, who was approached by OMICS about presenting his work there. The professor was also encouraged to bring some of his students along. Seeing a chance to do something new, Fung signed up. At the time, Fung thought the conference was legitimate enough and that there were people who were presenting on some serious work. But looking back on it now, there are a few details that seem peculiar to him. For one, Fung remembers one presentation had little to do with human pathology, and that the presenter’s background was in veterinary science.
“I just recall that there was a lady whose methodologies didn’t seem like they would be applicable to human pathology, and I was kind of curious as to why she was presenting in the first place,” Fung said. Fung also recalled how some of the keynote speakers only stayed at the conference for an hour before flying out of New Orleans instead of staying to talk more about their research. “The conference did feel like a way for some researchers to boost their CV,” he said. While failing to be vigilant is one possible reason people publish in predatory journals, Chambers speculates that other reasons could exist, such as the pressure academics face to have a body of published work in order to put in a good performance review. It’s a sentiment that’s also known as “publish or perish” and for good reason: not having enough published work can hurt a professor’s chances of getting tenure, or even kill an academic career. The idea that “publish or perish” is what’s pushing academics to publish in predatory journals is a common one. Grover is also convinced that researchers who are under that kind of stress are the real victims of predatory publishers.
FEATURE
“I think the victims in this are faculty members that are trying to get tenured and are under this ‘publish or perish’ kind of pressure,” Grover said. “And so when offered the opportunity to have an easy route to publication, it's easy to fall into that trap. That’s the people these journals prey on, which is pretty despicable.” However, Chambers said that raises more questions on a faculty level, like why the pressure to publish would be so strong, even if it means resorting to low-quality journals. “I know the university would say ‘we would much rather you have two solid, good publication in good journals than 20,’ but for some reason, the researcher feels the need to have 20,” she said. “So something’s getting lost in translation there.” According to Hanne Ostergaard, associate dean of graduate studies in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, publication in predatory or low-quality journals is something that faculty evaluation committees keep an eye on. Ostergaard said the academic performance guide for the faculty mentions predatory publishing as something to avoid. “Listed under unacceptable behaviour is being an editor of a predatory journal,” Ostergaard said in an email. “It further indicates that ‘it is the faculty member’s responsibility to determine the legitimacy of the journal with which they engage.’” While participating in predatory journals is discouraged on a faculty level, Ostergaard stressed that it isn't something for faculties to discipline or punish. Firstly, researchers have the academic freedom to publish wherever they want. Secondly, whether or not a journal is predatory isn’t necessarily agreed upon by everyone, as there are some legitimate open access journals that some might call predatory, and there are some journals that were legitimate but are no longer reputable. “So it’s not a black and white issue, it’s very grey, so you can’t punish somebody for having published in what was a legitimate journal,” she said. “It’s a moving target. We tried to look at this for our faculty evaluation committee and it was just too complex.” Ostergaard added that even though faculties can’t discipline people who publish in these journals, doing so can still hurt them in the long run and can affect their ability to receive research grant or get a faculty position, which is why it’s important to educate faculty members about them. “I just don’t want to see our students and postdocs get hurt because this could impact their future if they unknowingly publish in a predatory journal,” she said. Other universities in Canada are also faced with the problem of predatory publishing. When Eduardo Franco became the chair of the department of oncology at McGill University in 2011, he noticed while reviewing
Ostergaard: “I just don’t want to see our students and postdocs get hurt because this could impact their future if they unknowingly publish in a predatory journal.”
annual reports of faculty members that some of his professors were claiming membership in the editorial boards of these journals. Franco also told his professors that they should resign from the editorial boards of those journals if they’re a part of them. Like Ostergaard, Franco said that predatory journals are an “elusive target” due to the ambiguity of what is and isn’t a predatory journal. But it became a big enough issue for Franco to push it to the faculty level, putting a paragraph in all letter of appointments that professors should only submit work to reputable publishers. “I have some 200 professors under my jurisdiction, and I sent a memo alerting them to the problem, urging them not to submit papers to these publishers,” he said. Over a year after Grover wrote about CSU on his blog, the website for the non-existent California university is back up after being taken down, and Heidari is still listed as an editor on a number of OMICS journals which continues to push out publication after publication in his name. Like how Heidari’s name and the non-existent university persists, so too will predatory journals which have taken root in the publishing landscape. While publishers like OMICS will continue to stick around for the foreseeable future, the best thing researchers can do is to be aware of them and to avoid submitting their work to those journals. As for spotting a predatory publication, U of A Libraries have various resources on the subject. One of those resources is a checklist with steps like looking up if others have called a journal predatory, seeing how long the journal has been around, or checking if the publication is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Chambers added that by following those steps, authors can save themselves the trouble later on. “The university absolutely does not want anyone publishing in these journals because you’re [giving] away your research, really,” Chambers said. “You don't want to have something on your CV that’s embarrassing.” g
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DECONSTRUCTING BEAUTY IDEALS
TEXT KHADRA AHMED PHOTO HELEN ZHANG
Asia Bowman
FEATURE
can still remember, in horrifyingly accurate detail, the first time I was fat-shamed. I was around the age of 6 and attending a friend's birthday party. I was doing what any kid at a birthday would do: playing with friends, being obnoxious, and of course, snacking on the mountain of junk food that was the highlight of any party. As I sat with friends, my mother pulled me aside to the living room. In front of all the other parents, my mother and father told me to stop eating. My cheeks hot with embarrassment, I returned to the table and made sure to leave the bowl of chips alone for the rest of the party. It may seem like a silly memory, but it stays imprinted in my mind. According to Ximena Ramos-Salas, director of the non-profit organization Obesity Canada at the University of Alberta, the naturalization of fatphobia starts young. In studies where three-year-olds were shown different pictures of children and asked who they would be friends with, Ramos-Salas says that bigger children were chosen last as potential friends. This may seem to support the argument that we biologically prefer skinnier bodies, but Ramos-Salas strongly disagrees. “If you think about what three-year-olds are exposed to in terms of the cartoons they watch and the stories they read, many of them tend to portray characters with larger bodies as evil or the character people make fun of. It's not difficult to see that the social construction and learning starts very early in childhood.” If we think about it, every original Disney princess was skinny. The only plus-sized Disney character that immediately comes to mind is Ursula the evil sea-hag. Then there’s the trope of the fat loser in movies like Mean Girls and characters like Peter Griffin, the stupid, lazy dad. It’s not only a lack of representation that’s naturalizing fat shaming, but it’s also the fact that when we get to see fat characters, they’re portrayed in a negative light. “The statistics show that 62 per cent of Canadians have excess weight. That’s more than half of the population that wouldn't identify as a skinny photoshopped model or a skinny character on a TV show,” Ramos-Salas says. “None of
the characters we see in the media are realistic considering our population.” However, when I finally start to see positive representation in the media, I’m still left with a bitter taste in my mouth. Scrolling the comments on body positivity Instagram accounts, it doesn’t take long to find a comment about “glorifying obesity.” The idea that one's weight determines their health is one of the sneakiest ways fatphobia is naturalized. Though we cannot deny the health risks that can come with gaining weight, it’s important to remember that a weight that impairs someone's health is different for each individual and there are also genetics and environmental factors at play. The ‘worried about your health’ dialogue is simply fat-shaming hidden under the supposed neutrality of science. “We can't pinpoint and say if you have x amount of fat you’re gonna develop a disease. You can be healthy at different sizes and weights,” Ramos-Salas says. “The definition of obesity is when your weight impairs your health, but it doesn’t define how much excess weight. If your weight is not affecting your health in any way, then you don't have obesity.” Asia Bowman, fourth-year drama student and disability advocate, had a similar experience with her body growing up. “I developed an eating disorder quite early. I remember being seven and asking my mom for weight loss pills.” However, for Bowman, her internalized fatphobia was often intertwined with the ableism of beauty standards. “In my own experience, I’ve always felt that because of my disability, I need to make sure that every other part of my body is perfect. [I had to be] thin, active and fit- which is another hurdle when you have a disability.” Bowman’s struggles with the combination of ableism and fatphobia is a reminder that there are many different ways beauty ideals can affect individuals at the intersections of their identities. Fat-shaming may be a very prevalent narrative in our society, but without taking a minute to consider how others navigate beauty ideals, it can be easy to forget how they are intrinsically intertwined with major systems of SEPTEMBER 2019 27
FEATURE
oppression, ultimately making them ableist, eurocentric, and transphobic. “We need to think about beauty in the ways we think about any other kind of ideology… it erases its own existence. It tries to make its ideological claims seem as if they are natural,” Shama Rangwala, a Women’s and Gender Studies professor says. “[Naturalization] is why it's so prevalent to say ‘I just prefer this or that.’ This is white supremacy in action — it disavows itself,” Rangwala explained. “White supremacy has always been about being supreme and beauty is a part of that. [It’s] a way to marginalize people.” The ableism we see in beauty standards is a direct reflection of how we perceive bodies with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are often seen as non-reproductive beings, which often means being undesirable due to an association between beauty and virility. There is also an intrinsic connection between power and beauty that creates ableist standards.
Bowman: “I’ve always felt that because of my disability, I need to make sure that every other part of my body is perfect. [I had to be] thin, active and fit.” “Beauty is tied to power and value, and we live in an ableist culture where people who are able-bodied are valued more and are more powerful,” Rangwala says. “Beauty is normative, and people who deviate from norms are considered less beautiful.” “I definitely feel pressure to conform and try to make up for my disability. I try to hide it to pass as able-bodied as I can,” Bowman says. “If I have the choice to wear shorts or pants, I'll probably choose pants because it's more inconspicuous. It makes my disability less noticeable which makes it easier for me to live my life at the end of the day.” Biological determinism was used by science to justify racist and colonial policing of bodies. Using measurements of white bodies as the norm and then comparing black bodies to this standard, scientists would use the differences between measurements as a signifier for the supposed inferiority of black people. In adding significance to numbers that simply reflect genetic variance, science was used by colonists to construct race to privilege white bodies. “The way race was created during the time of colonialism, it had to be related to some kind of biology: the Caucasoids always had a certain slope [of the forehead] and they would say it was the most beautiful one. None of these things are real,” Rangwala says. “They had to make it about appearance and naturalize it in that way because this naturalized colonialism.” We might think the practice of using science to normalize colonist values is over, but it still reproduces itself in subtle 28 GTWY.CA
Kevin Mpunga (Supplied Image)
FEATURE
ways. Not too long ago I watched a segment about how Kate Middleton’s nose angle makes her the most beautiful woman in the world. If you google the ‘most scientifically beautiful women,’ you’ll see a flood of white or white-passing actresses. Kevin Mpunga, second-year nursing student and vice-president of Media Marketing for the University of Alberta Black Student Association, finds that biological determinism still dictates the body standards black males feel pressure to subscribe to. “There is the stereotype that black males are athletic, they’re fit, they're tall. Obviously, it doesn't apply to everyone,” Mpunga says. “It was never an issue until basketball started. I felt like I was less capable than my [black] peers and [I had] my white peers asking ‘how come you’re black and not athletic?’” Outside of the basketball court or football stadium, he didn’t see much representation of black men growing up. Even today, it can be a struggle for him to find black models as a photographer. “You could argue that people of colour aren't actively trying to get into that circle, but could it also be because the people in that circle are keeping them out? People of colour are reluctant to even attempt to [model] because for so many years they have been pushed out.” Black representation is definitely increasing in mainstream media, but it’s still often a double edged sword as it feels like black bodies are being diluted to become more palatable. “[Representation] is still eurocentric because you go to movies and there are black people but it’s only the lightskinned ones,” Mpunga says, “On TV shows you have a family and the mom is always the light skin one.” Colourism is an age-old beauty standard that continues to haunt black women — the lighter the skin, the more
Timiro Mohamed
desirable the black woman. I asked Timirio Mohamed, a third-year marketing student, about the beauty ideals she faces. Being light-skinned has become an expectation that transcends the Western world and permeates her African culture. “Being lighter skinned and having a looser curl pattern is the big [beauty standard]. I think that it’s a universal thing because anti-blackness is universal and in turn, internalized anti-blackness is also universal,” Mohamed says. “Being Somali and growing up in my community, having lighter skin was the cultural standard of beauty that we all aspired to.”
Rangwala: “There are [few] acceptable ways to be a woman of colour in public.” Social media has been a key tool in increasing the visibility of black bodies because it grants the black community the ability to post unabashedly. Mohamed makes sure to fill her feeds with plus size women and black femmes who more closely represent her. However, the fact that she has to make a conscious decision to do so speaks to an ever-present gap in representation. “I spent a lot of time online and in my social media bubble intentionally, making it so I'm consuming media that is positive. We have [the singer] Lizzo who’s been killing it and we have Fenty beauty that’s making it a standard in the makeup a community for darker skin to be included,” Mohamed says. “I think there has been a lot happening that’s amazing in the space I’ve created for myself, but in general it’s not enough.” In fact, we should be wary of the amount and kinds of black representation we see. Though they are important, there is also the danger of falling into tokenism with brands introducing one or two black and brown models to simply quench our thirst. Rangwala points out that “tokens can
Shama Rangwala
reinforce the overall structures of oppression,” especially if they allow brands to incorporate diversity to keep their clientele, rather than change their beliefs.
Mpunga: “People of colour are reluctant to even attempt to [model] because for so many years they have been pushed out.” Beauty standards also reproduce eurocentric beauty in the fact that the black and brown women in media are often representing something greater than themselves. For women of colour, adhering to beauty standards is can be necessary to fight stigmatization. “A lot of white feminists want to fight beauty standards and not wear makeup or shave but for brown folks, we’re representing more than ourselves as individuals. That’s where the racial aspect comes in,” Rangwala says. “If you don't bathe, it's not that you're a hippy, its ‘brown folks don't have good hygiene.’ It’s about stereotypes and thinking about how being well groomed signifies a certain kind of properness, class.“ “Because there are so few women of colour in the media, there is extra pressure to look a certain way. There are [few] acceptable ways to be a woman of colour in public.” Race isn’t the only naturalized social concept to influence beauty standards. Biology and the patriarchy frequently tango under our noses to reproduce the entrenched idea that there are only two genders. This means there is only room for strictly masculine or feminine presenting individuals within beauty. Hollis Hunter, a fifth-year Art and Design student, made it a staple throughout his childhood to cut his hair short. Even though he hadn’t come out as trans yet, he still felt an overwhelming pressure to remain within the gender binary. 30 GTWY.CA
“Because I had short hair, I was bullied a lot for potentially being a lesbian. It wasn’t necessarily that I was in a same-sex relationship, but there was a lot of gender bashing happening on the basis of not performing femininity right,” Hunter said. “There was a lot of body shaming.” For many trans individuals, navigating within beauty ideals can be a dangerous situation and your life can depend on how well you blend into the binary. “Being cisgender is so normalized, it’s the standard you’re trying to hit in order to be neutral and safe, but at the same time trying to do that is very violent against yourself,” Hunter says. “Trying to pass or be 100 per cent cis is never going to happen because that’s just not what I am.” At the same time, Hunter also acknowledges that race plays a large part in one’s ability to pass. Trans people of colour are frequently and disproportionately subject to violence due to an intersection of class, race and gender. “There is no shortage in seeing other [white] trans men on TV shows or in fashion magazines,” Hunter says. “In terms of queer and trans people of colour, I find that they aren’t as frequent in mass media. They don’t get nearly the same visibility or positive representations... I think that’s a problem because there are very different cultures, expectations, and familial relationships that change the way you can present yourself and exist.” During our interview, Rangwala introduced me to Janet Mock, a well known transgender writer who is a producer behind the show Pose. She’s black, native Hawaiian, and drop-dead gorgeous. It might seem contradictory to comment on her beauty, but she often writes on how her pretty privilege has allowed her to navigate spaces other trans individuals couldn’t. “There is a currency in being beautiful in that people listen to you,” Rangwala says. “Other trans women of colour get murdered because of how they look — the difference is between the reception of their faces and bodies.”
FEATURE
If beauty standards only exist within two genders, they pose everything in between as undesirable. The beauty narrative was also something Hunter had to navigate as he transitioned. He was seen as a beautiful cis woman before transitioning, and his family was worried crossing into the unknown space between genders would rob him of his beauty, and therefore his worth in society. “Things started getting really negative when I started to come out more as trans-masculine because my parents had this idea that me being attractive or beautiful was the only thing that was valuable about me. There was a lot of [talk about] how trans people are unattractive, don't pass, or nobody knows what they are. There was this idea that I would be ugly and that would be a bad thing.” The patriarchal nature of our beauty standards automatically renders them as transphobic. In putting moral value only in bodies that completely morph into expected gender roles, it allows violence to police bodies onto either side of the binary. If beauty standards only exist within two genders, they pose everything in between as undesirable. Trans individuals shouldn’t feel the need to define their transition, whatever that may entail, according to our patriarchal beauty standards. “There are really negative views on bodily modifications when they’re not enforcing the gender binary or beauty standards. People aren’t allowed to feel positive or do something with their bodies when it doesn’t fit into that,” Hunter says. “A cis woman can go get breast augmentation surgery for health or aesthetic reasons, but if a trans [woman] doesn’t want tits everyone’s [offended].”
“A lot of folks will say there are tons of cis men that have bigger chests or really curvy hips. Because I’m not a chubbier cis man... I can't get away with those things without feeling uncomfortable or unaffirmed,” Hunter says regarding his experience with body positivity. “It’s hard finding this balance between having your very legitimate dysphoria validated and finding positivity and acceptance for yourself.”
Loving our bodies can serve as an act of decolonization and a site of resistance, no matter how small. I’m not going to lie, there are days where I put my favourite bodycon dress at the back of my closet and opt-out for a baggy shirt. There are times where I’m proud of the frizz accompanying my curly hair and low points where, as a fat black woman, I feel truly ugly. Unlearning and decolonizing a lifetime of beauty standards that present as natural as the features it tells us to hate is a radical, difficult process. We’re up against beauty standards that have been centuries in the making. Our surroundings constantly tell us marginalized bodies are not beautiful, therefore every day there must be a conscious decision to fight against these standards. It’s tough emotional labour, but committing to celebrating marginalized bodies sends a message. As Bowman puts it, “To take up space and not apologize for how you exist in that space is one of the most radical things you can do.” g
If beauty is intrinsically tied to our major systems of oppression, the solution is abundantly clear. “The solution to all of our problems is to dismantle these structures of power, but we need to live in the meantime,” Rangwala says. Individualistic actions may not end colonialism or topple the patriarchy, but there is true value in finding the survival mechanisms that work for you. Loving our bodies can serve as an act of decolonization and a site of resistance, no matter how small. “The beginning steps were constantly being aware and self-conscious about my self-talk, and the way I think about myself,” Mohamed says. “It’s a constant game — it’s throughout the day, it’s over the course of your life — it’s not just a state you reach at one point.” Like Mohamed, I choose to use my social media to create an inclusive body positivity feed. For me, being confident in my body, no matter how it may change, is my middle finger to the colonist standards that attempt to burden me. However, it’s important to also make sure my body positivity still allows space for others to receive the affirmation they seek. Hollis Hunter
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HOROSCOPE TEXT BREE MEIKLEJOHN VISUALS PETER ELIMA
ARIES
TAURUS
You will quickly realize those early morning classes were a mistake. At least it bUiLdS cHaRaCtEr.
A map of campus will do you wonders this semester. Unfortunately, it won’t help you find motivation.
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GEMINI Your body is in dehydro-grade. Bring a water bottle to class and stay hydrated.
CANCER As much as you may want to believe it, pizza bagels and popcorn are not a meal.
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LIBRA
SCORPIO
Your teachers are there to help. Ask them all of the questions this semester. Be *that* kid.
That club you saw at WoW that you’re not sure if you should join? Join it!
Your ONEcard is essential. Better check your pocket to make sure it’s still there.
At some point, you’ll meet people who won’t like you. On the bright side, they’re going to die someday.
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CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
As nice as it would be to skip that easy elective, remember you’re paying hundreds of real life dollars for it.
Expand your mind. Question your pre-existing worldview. Become the person your uncle you only see at Thanksgiving feared college would make you.
If you start to panic because you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t worry! No one else does either. g
As you keep busy advocating for the destruction of capitalism, remember to take some time this semester to practice self care.
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CROSSWORD TEXT & PUZZLE CHRISTINE MCMANUS
ACROSS 3. The most famous fall gourd of all 5. A spice often found in seasonal cooking 7. The colour of pumpkins, moons, and autumn leaves 8. Drops steadily as the season goes on 11. The type of tree that sheds its leaves 12. Hear them crunch beneath your feet 15. A chemical compound that breaks down in cooler weather, causing leaves to change color 16. A well known and loved fruit that is harvested in the fall and baked into pies 17. The movement of birds, animals, and other wildlife to warmer climates
Find answers on our website, gtwy.ca
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DOWN 1. Blooms in late summer or early fall 2. As it gets colder outside, you may start to find more of these in your home 4. Falls from coniferous trees during autumn 6. A nickname for the enlarged, orange full moons often seen in the autumn sky 9. One of the two occasions a year when day and night are of equal length 10. Chills your bones, tangles your hair, and steals your breath away 13. _____ maze: a fall tradition to get lost in 14. An illness that rears its ugly head every fall
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Student Admission: $10 ($8 Matinée) Metro Cinema is a community-based non-profit society devoted to the exhibition and promotion of Canadian, international, and independent film and video. metrocinema.org All-You-Can-Eat-Cereal Cartoon Party September 7 @ 10AM The cartoon lineup is always a mystery, but you’ll see both faves and obscurities spanning the 40s through the 80s, all punctuated with vintage commercials and PSAs! Adults: $16, Students/Seniors: $14, Kids (12 & under): $12. Tickets include cereal.
Love, Antosha Opens September 19 Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton’s impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.
Labyrinth
September 28 @ 1PM A 16-year-old girl is given 13 hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother when her wish for him to be taken away is granted by the Goblin King. Free admission for kids 12 & under.
Metro Cinema at the Garneau 8712-109 Street | metrocinema.org
Metro Cinema receives ongoing support from these Arts Funders:
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The Gateway is the official student media source at the University of Alberta. We are run by students, for students. Our magazine is published once a month during the academic year (September to April) and we publish daily news, arts, and opinion content at gtwy.ca. Drop by our office at SUB 3-04 to volunteer or just hang out! No journalism experience necessary. We love making new friends.