The Argosy, January 25, Vol.147, Iss. 13

NEWS Decanal proposal concerns (Pg. 2)

raises

Skyping grandma since 1872

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

OPINIONS

Challenges in the Indigenous school system (Pg. 6)

Mental health outreach in the Inuit Nunangat (Pg. 11)

Left-handed accessibility on campus lacking (Pg. 14)

Mount Allison’s Independent Student Newspaper

COVER: MATT GALLANT, INTERDIMENSIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, COLLAGE, 2017.

January 25, 2018 Vol. 147, Iss. 13

02 NEWS

EDITOR: MAIA HERRIOT | JANUARY 25. 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Proposed decanal restructuring phases out university librarian University provost Jeff Ollerhead says contents of proposal are not final

THURSDAY, JAN. 25 7 Mondays creative writing group Blind Forest Books, 7-9 p.m.

Garnet and Gold presents: The Addams Family Musical Convocation Hall, 8 - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JAN. 26 Post-Grad Immigration Options Talk Dunn 106, 2:30 - 4 p.m.

Economics Seminar: Legalizing and Regulating Cannabis Avard-Dixon 116, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Starry Sackville Dunn 26, 7-8 p.m.

Garnet and Gold presents: The Addams Family Musical Convocation Hall, 8-10 p.m.

THE PROVOST’S OFFICE AND THE LIBRARY COUNCIL URGED THE COMMUNITY TO EMAIL THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE PROPOSAL TO THE PROVOST SYLVAN HAMBURGER/ARGOSY

SATURDAY, JAN. 27

MINNOW HOLTZ-CARRIERE Contributor

Mt. A Women’s Hockey vs. St. FX Tantramar Civic Centre, 7-9 p.m.

Garnet and Gold presents: The Addams Family Musical Convocation Hall, 2-4 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 28 Mt. A women’s volleyball vs. MSVU Athletic Centre Main Gym, 12-2 p.m.

Mt. A women’s basketball vs. Holland Athletic Centre Main Gym, 3-5 p.m.

Trombone, She Wrote: Music by Canadian Women Composers Brunton Auditorium, 3-5 p.m.

TUESDAY, JAN. 29 Tea on Tuesday Chapel Manning Room, 3-4 p.m.

Summer work and study forum Dunn Wu Centre, 7-8:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8 Employment Fair Student Centre, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

JD Irving tree planting Avard-Dixon 112, 12:30-2 p.m.

Collegium Musicum Brunton Auditorium, 4-5 p.m.

Internship panel discussion and launch Avard-Dixon 111, 5:30-7 p.m.

A recent proposal from the provost, Jeff Ollerhead, for the restructuring of Mount Allison’s decanal level attracted attention this week for its suggestion that several positions be consolidated or significantly changed.

Among the potential changes were the proposals that the position of university librarian be phased out, the positions of dean of arts and dean of social sciences be merged, and a dean of business position be created.

The proposal discussion document is aimed at determining the best way to organize the decanal levels, as well as exploring ideas that reduce the workload of deans and the resources needed to replace them on a regular basis.

Ollerhead oversees the administration of the University’s academic affairs, including how the academic deans are organized.

Ollerhead presented the proposal to the community for discussion in two open meetings on Jan. 8 and 10. He described the document distributed at the meetings as a compilation of “all the ideas that [he has] received for possible change to the structure.” The proposal was intended to test how they would be received, rather than to announce their adoption. Ollerhead also called for feedback from students and staff, accepting suggestions and critiques about the proposal until noon on Jan. 19.

The restructuring proposal prompted the release of an open letter from the Library Council and a statement from the MASU vicepresident of academic affairs on Jan. 16, as well as a student-run petition.

The Library Council’s letter, emailed to all Mt. A staff and students, objected to the phasing-out of the

university librarian position. The university librarian would be replaced with a non-academic management position that would not operate at the level of the deans nor require its holder to be a librarian. The letter states that “such a model would contravene professional norms and practices for academic libraries in Canada,” and would “have a detrimental impact on Mount Allison’s reputation in the professional librarian community and broader academic community.”

University archivist David Mawhinney further explained some of the Library Council’s issues with the proposal, saying, “The first concern is that, according to the collective agreement and the way things have been set up, the libraries and archives are an academic unit within the institution. Obviously they would want someone from within the ranks to be in that position to represent them, advocate and manage that particular unit.”

Mawhinney also expressed concern that deprofessionalizing the university librarian position could create a precedent, and potentially cause tension between Mt. A’s library and the libraries of other universities, cutting Mt. A. off from important academic resources. “We have to rely on interlibrary loan or consortial arrangements with regional and national groups to get discounted pricing to be able to acquire the resources that are used by students,” he said. “My fear is all of the other people that are sitting on those groups are university librarians from across the country, and you have no control over what they might decide to do. What if they start to become concerned about ‘Am I next on the chopping block? Where does the deprofessionalization end?’ ” Mawhinney’s fear, in the event

the proposed changes are accepted in their current state, is that other university administrations might make an example of Mt. A in order to protect themselves by cutting the university off from interlibrary and consortial agreements. “If you can’t get an article from another institution, or you have to pay full price for some of the online resources that you currently have, that’s going to affect student fees in the longer term,” he said.

Rachel Howlett, MASU vicepresident of academic affairs, had her own concerns about the idea of merging the dean of arts with the dean of social sciences. “I don’t think that’s in the best interest of students for that position to be merged,” she said.

“The argument toward that would be to have a dean for a B.A. and a dean for a B.Sc. and a dean for B.Comm, which on paper looks really clean, but when you look at numbers it doesn’t make sense. Roughly two thirds of students, I think, would fall under the social sciences and the arts, and that one dean [would be responsible for them]. And that also goes to faculty.”

Ollerhead described the consultation process as one of “soft lobbying,” where he was given various suggestions and ideas for change over time. On the origin of the idea of merging the deans of arts and social sciences, Ollerhead said, “Right now the dean of social sciences is responsible for commerce and social sciences. And there are those who have said that’s not a great combination, because commerce is this, sociology is this, they’re really not very much the same thing. So, wouldn’t it make more sense if sociology was together with a group that included religious studies and philosophy? So one way to square that circle would be to say, ‘Maybe

we should have a dean of arts and social sciences, but then we’ll have a dean of business that would oversee commerce, but maybe commerce and economics.’ ” Similarly, Ollerhead said that he had received suggestions that the university librarian position be combined with another role and be given new responsibilities, similar to university librarians at other schools.

“It’s not about the money,” said Ollerhead about the motivations for exploring different decanal structures. In reference to the funds the University would save, he said, “If this entire plan were adopted, we’re talking about maybe one hundred, one hundred and thirty-thousand dollars, which to a student sounds like a big number, but for a $45 million budget for the University it’s not a big number.”

Ollerhead was careful to articulate that the proposal was not set in stone.

“The only thing I’ve been able to say declaratively is no, I have not made any decisions,” he said. “Ultimately it would be my responsibility to decide how to arrange the decanallevel structure because all those people report to me, but right now no decisions have been made.” Ollerhead said that he would be reading all the feedback he received last week and taking it into account for a second draft of the discussion document that will be shared with the community, likely sometime this week.

Ollerhead, Mawhinney and Howlett all urged students who have thoughts about the proposal to stay engaged and informed about the process, and to be open about their opinions and concerns by giving feedback.

NEWS

THE ARGOSY | WWW.SINCE1872.CA

ACTIVISM

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Interdisciplinary Conversation looks at diverse approaches to community action Doreen Richard, Juan Carlos Martinez and Susie Andrews speak on how their individual academic and personal backgrounds inform their perceptions of conscious ACT/ION MAIA HERRIOT News Editor On Thursday, Jan. 18, the Canadian studies department hosted an Interdisciplinary Conversation in the Owens Art Gallery foyer on the theme of ACT/ION. Three Mount Allison community members each gave a 10-minute lecture, followed by an open discussion.

The first to speak was Doreen Richard, Mt. A’s former Indigenous affairs coordinator. Richard began her talk by asking her two fellow speakers to each hold one end of a long piece of yarn with 10 squares of paper strung along its length.

She then flipped the first layer over to reveal words like “dirty,” “lazy” and “addict,” while explaining that they were misinterpretations and stereotypes often directed toward Indigenous people. “When you think about First Nations culture, you also have to think about leaving space for Indigenous people to step up,” said Richard. “If we don’t have space then we’re always going to be thought of in this way.”

She then flipped the papers over again to reveal seven Indigenous

teachings, including “love,” “humility” and “respect,” with three papers left blank to symbolise space left. “Once Indigenous people have done this – have used these seven teachings and fought the negative stereotypes put upon us – all of these things come,” Richard said, flipping the papers once again to reveal new words like “chiefs,” “doctors” and “mothers.”

“When the non-Indigenous culture leaves us space, we can show action, and use action, and fill in that space,” said Richard before asking the two other speakers to turn the string around reveal the word “understand.”

She concluded her 10 minutes by saying that, if the seven teachings are heeded, “You can understand where we came from and where we’re going, because we are here to stay. Over 500 years of the negative and we are still here.”

Associate Spanish professor and acting head of Mt. A’s Hispanic studies department, Juan Carlos Martínez, began his 10 minutes by acknowledging María de Jesús Patricio, the first Indigenous woman to run for president of Mexico: “She knows that she is not going to win,

but she is putting problems on the table that no one has wanted to talk about, and that is very important.”

He then spoke about Maria Choc, an Indigenous activist who was recently arrested in Guatemala, without warrant or previous notification, for protesting mining operations on Indigenous land. Bringing it closer to home, Martínez said that the mining companies the Indigenous people of Chile and Guatemala are fighting are Canadian, and Indigenous people in places like Honduras are being displaced by rich Canadians buying land to build their winter homes.

Martínez then moved on to the Indigenous concept of “good living,” saying that every Indigenous group has their own definition, but that they are all “community-centred, ecologically aware and culturally sensitive.”

Martínez said that those Indigenous concepts should be universally understood while their individuality and unique perspectives should be respected for their differences. He gave the example of Ecuador incorporating the Indigenous Ecuadorian idea that nature has individual rights into their

constitution in 2008, which meant that nature can now take someone to Ecuadorian court.

Martínez concluded by saying that if more people understood the concept of good living, which Indigenous people have been aware of for over 500 years, issues like climate change or oppressive global trade would be more effectively addressed.

Susie Andrews, associate professor of Eastern religions, closed the presentation portion with a 10-minute lecture on Mount Wutai, a sacred Buddhist site. She opened her talk by asking, “How should you act on a Buddhist mountain?”

Mount Wutai is the home of the bodhisattva (Buddhist deity) of wisdom, Mañjuśrī. Bodhisattvas are infinitely compassionate beings who devote their lives to helping others. Andrews said that “They wake up to the fact that you live in a world of suffering because you want things … and they say, ‘For the rest of my lifetimes I’m going to tell all the sentient beings from the caterpillar to the hell-dweller until we can all escape [that suffering].’ ” Because of the great sacrifice that the

bodhisattvas make, they command a certain amount of respect.

Andrews then told an ancient Buddhist parable in which a rich man hosts a large feast at the base of Mount Wutai, and a pregnant woman comes and eats and asks for a second helping of food. The rich man refuses the woman and no one else in attendance steps up to give her any of their food either. Suddenly, the woman turns into Mañjuśrī and everyone is greatly ashamed of their behaviour.

She concluded by explaining that the lesson of this ancient teaching is that anyone you meet could be the revered deity Mañjuśrī and you should act accordingly.

The audience-led discussion that followed touched on the struggle of letting others live a “good life” that differs from your own, how to leave space for Indigenous people to fill, nature as a resource to be drained, and respect in action instead of just words.

The next Interdisciplinary Conversation will be in the foyer of the Owens Art Gallery on Feb. 15 and will address the same theme of ACT/ ION with different speakers.

COMMUNITY

Maintaining faith practice at university Students share their personal experiences of practicing religion away from home

LILY FALK News Reporter Young adulthood is a time when values and beliefs are questioned and explored. Mount Allison is home to students coming from diverse faith backgrounds, many of whom are grappling with how to navigate and balance student life and spiritual life.

Hannah Ingalls, a third-year psychology student, found that her faith has been especially important to her since coming to university: “I can’t remember a time where going to church wasn’t important to me.… It’s always been a big part of my life.”

In her first year, she became involved with the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship group, which provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding through conversations and discussions. She’s also gotten the chance to connect with the greater Sackville community through a student lunch program at her local church, where members host students on Sundays.

However, Ingalls has also encountered negative stereotypes about Christianity while at university.

“I feel like the image people have of Christianity is super uptight, and based on the southern U.S.,” said Ingalls. “Personally I’m more laidback than that stereotype and most of

the Christians I know are more laidback than that stereotype.”

Gultaj Sangha, a fifth-year psychology student, has found himself embracing Sikhism more than before he came to university.

“Even now I am not the epitome of a Sikh man,” he said. “However as the physical distance between myself and India has grown, along with

“IT WAS A FEAR OF PEOPLE NOT THINKING YOU’RE INTELLIGENT ... IT FELT A LOT LIKE ‘OH YOU STILL BELIEVE IN SANTA’” taking some religion courses and a growing understanding of the world, I have found myself growing closer to Sikhism.”

Fourth-year PPE student Tierra Stokes grew up in a Christian community. “My family itself isn’t super religious but everyone I knew was Christian,” said Stokes.

Through taking philosophy classes, she began to reassess her religious

identity. “I don’t really identify as a Christian.… I don’t necessarily believe in one God but I’m more spiritual in general,” said Stokes.

Many feel apprehensive about speaking about their faith or allowing people to know that they are religious. Stokes felt like she had to hide her religious identity because of the negative stereotypes around Christianity. “It was always a really important part of my life, but coming here I felt uncomfortable about it,” said Stokes. “Kind of aggressive questions about Christianity and people saying you’re wrong… I felt like I had to become the spokesperson here for all the things I didn’t know.”

There can also be the challenge of finding a space to practice your faith.

Third-year international relations student Kira Gill-Mayer didn’t find a group to practice with until the end of her first term of university. “People are afraid to ask people because if they ask someone, it means they’ll know I’m a Christian and that’ll break your cover,” said Gill-Mayer.

When she did find a group, she was afraid that she wouldn’t be accepted because she has two moms, but was happy to find that people were open and accepting.

Many shared this apprehension about sharing their religious identity out of fear of no longer being taken

UNIVERSITY RELIGION COURSES CAN OFTEN MAKE STUDENTS REEVALUATE THEIR FAITH, ALTERING OR AFFRIMING THEIR RELIGIOUS VIEWS. LOUIS SOBOL/ARGOSY seriously. “It was a fear of people not thinking you’re intelligent or that you didn’t understand anything,” said Stokes. “It felt a lot like ‘Oh, you still believe in Santa’ kind of thing.”

Rev. John Perkin, the University chaplain, can be a resource for students looking for a faith community on campus. “One of the things they can do is they can come to me,” Perkin said. “We have a chapel … [that is] intended to be

denominationally inclusive.”

The chapel is open every day and is available as a quiet space for anyone.

There are multifaith prayer spaces on campus, including one in the Student Centre and one in the basement of the Chapel, that are open to anyone, religious or not. Perkin works with students of diverse faith backgrounds to ensure people have spaces to practice on campus.

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NEWS

JANUARY 25, 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

STUDENT RESEARCH

LEADERSHIP

Honours student Women’s Leadership research profiles Series encourages

compassionate leaders Doreen Richard speaks from experience on the moral responsibilities and characteristics of a good leader AMELIA MACDOUGALL-FLEMING News Reporter

EMMA BUSH IS A FOURTH-YEAR HONOURS STUDENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY.

“I am conducting my honours research under the supervision of Dr. Vett Lloyd on the topic of the prevalence and ramifications of Lyme borreliosis (more commonly known as Lyme disease) upon horses of the Maritime provinces of N.B. and N.S. This is important because it is something that has never been looked at in the Maritimes before.

I am conducting this research by collaborating with the local equine communities in collecting ticks, blood samples and medical histories.

This project is exciting for me as it has allowed me to meld my love of horses, biology and animal welfare.”

FORREST GALLAGHER IS A FOURTH-YEAR HONOURS STUDENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY.

“I am completing my research on bioactive gallium compounds in Dr. Steve Westcott’s laboratory. I got excited about research in second year when I volunteered with Dr. Westcott’s Wild Toads program on Saturday mornings and have not left since, working in the lab the past two summers. My work focuses on synthesizing new compounds using the under-studied metal gallium(III) and testing them for antibacterial and anticancer properties. Previous work has shown the metal to exhibit bioactivity and it is our goal to produce compounds with medicinal properties that have fewer negative side effects on the human body and lay the groundwork for future research in this field.”

GILLIAN HILL/ARGOSY

On Friday, Jan. 19, newly retired Indigenous affairs coordinator Doreen Richard spoke about what it means to be a leader at Indigenous Ways of Leading, the theme for Mount Allison’s second annual Women’s Leadership Series. The event was originally set to occur in Jennings Dining Hall, but was moved to Crabtree to accommodate the large number of people who attended the event.

Richard began the presentation by giving a ball of string to a member of the audience. The string was then passed around until every audience member was connected by a web of string that covered the auditorium.

Richard then invited the audience members to gently tug on the string when something she said resonated with them – the string moved many times.

Kawama Kasutu, a first-year sociology student, said, “I liked her string exercise, how everyone was connected. I feel like even if we didn’t have the string, everyone would feel connected in some way from what she was saying, because she just inspires people.”

Richard spoke about the many ways to be a leader, saying, “In First Nations communities, we recognize there’s no shortage of leadership roles, and no one role more important than the other. Whether you’re right there plowing the snow or digging a ditch or cleaning a floor, or you’re a chief or a councillor or a nurse, they’re all valuable.”

This resonated with the audience.

“I felt so moved and empowered, because I felt like everyone is capable of being a good leader,” said Heaven Augustine, a first-year student who attended the talk.

Richard also spoke about how her own community inspired her to be a leader, as she was surrounded by strong role models throughout her life. She said, “I’ve always been in the presence of leaders – my dad, my chief, my mom, my grandparents, my elders.… They all held leadership roles with distinct responsibilities.”

Richard told personal stories that illustrated leadership qualities in children as well as adults. One story was about how her granddaughter

DOREEN SPOKE ABOUT HER YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER’S ABILITY TO LEAD THROUGH SIMPLE DISPLAYS OF KINDNESS ALONE. SARAH NOONAN/ARGOSY leads through her ability to be kind and care about others. She also told stories from her time as a firstgrade teacher, where she learned how to communicate effectively with students to provide leadership fitted their individual needs. In one instance, a student used profanity to communicate his frustration with Richard during a reading assessment and she decided to listen to his needs rather than punish him for his language. The story made the audience laugh and spoke to the necessity of compassion in leadership roles. Maisyn Sock, a first-year student, said, “Her talk really opened my eyes to what a leader is because

it was very raw. She understood that people are not [all] the same.”

At the end of the talk, Richard returned to the string exercise.

“We’re all connected, and what you do resonates,” she said. “Treat people with respect, bring them up, pick them up, carry them if you have to get them to where you are.” Richard’s lessons inspired compassionate leadership skills that many of the audience members will be able to use in their own lives.

NEWS

THE ARGOSY | WWW.SINCE1872.CA

ARCHIVES

UNKNOWN Ladies’ College Scribe From the archives brings you old news today. As time passes, the news we report on changes, as does the way we report on it. Conversely, we’ve been covering some of the same issues since 1872. While today we can write about the religious diversity on campus, things were more homogenous in 1922, when Presbyterian socials provided the perfect backdrop for the students of the Ladies’ College to mingle with the boys from across the Pond.

Sat. Oct. 14, 1922: vol. 49, issue 2.

And who dares to say that we of the White House lead a dull, drab and “humdrum” existence? Whosoever

does, let him follow the L. C. line to the Presbyterian Social, held on the night of Friday the 6th of October.

Yes, perhaps he might be forced to hold his hands over his ears, and wish that females had never been blessed with tongues, but let him notice how amply we made up for this when we arrived at the Presbyterian Hall!

Let him notice also the dead and decorous silence in which we entered, the praiseworthy manner in which we refrained from too open glances in the direction of our “gentlemen friends,” and I am sure he will not judge us too harshly.

And now, having managed to get us all into the hall land in the act of removing our wraps, with many little pats in the region of the cranium

and frantic clutches at powder puffs, we are going to leave the doubting person very much to himself, and devote ourselves to giving a full and adequate description of the evening’s entertainment, so kindly provided us by the Presbyterian ladies.

The boys and girls will now kindly proceed upstairs, where they will proceed unkindly to arrange themselves into opposing formations on opposite sides of the room, the boys ably defending themselves from any shy glances aimed their direction by members of the gentler sex. Fortunately Mr. Fisher now comes to the rescue, and by the ruse of matching cards, is able to draw the enemy camps together. The boys no longer resist the fusillade of the

girls’ eyes, but bask happily in their full brilliance, very much engaged in the pleasant task of presenting themselves as lords of creation to their respective admirers.

It was at this happy stage of the proceedings that a game began to be played : sheets of paper were passed around on which were a list of questions, all to be answered by the name of some flower. The question being the name of what flower, the players spent the next half hour looking futilely into space, and at odd moments of inspiration, jotting down the results of these inward communings.

The atmosphere became calm and peaceful again, however, when the papers had been removed from their recent

05

owners, and became absolutely alive with joy waves when the most wonderful lunch in the world was served. Although the period directly following a hearty meal is conceded by most to be a poor time for the exercise of the vocal chords, songs were sung by one and all, and the party finally broke up with a few well chosen and delightfully rendered yells, the Cape Breton one featuring prominently among them.

We now ask the doubting one if anyone could possibly have spent a more enjoyable evening, and also take this opportunity of thanking those who made it possible.

GOVERNANCE

Candidate for university president visits campus and hosts preliminary events

The singular candidate, Jean-Paul Boudreau, discussed qualifications and answered questions MATHIEU GALLANT Managing Editor

On Monday, Jan. 15, Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau, special advisor and executive lead at Ryerson University, visited campus to meet with the University’s students, faculty and staff. He could be found four times at three different locations across campus.

Boudreau spent one hour at each event. At the three formal presentations, Boudreau was given 30 minutes to present and 30 minutes to answer questions. Mount Allison also organized a more casual pizza lunch at Gracie’s Café with Boudreau. As the events were planned during class time, the Argosy only had the opportunity to cover the 3:30 p.m. presentation in Flemington.

Flemington 116 was packed with faculty members and staff. Ron Outerbridge, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, opened the

floor. He took the time to introduce the committee members who were present and asked the audience for confidentiality, saying, “He’s on a vacation day today. Just don’t go around and put stuff on Twitter and stuff like that.”

Boudreau began with a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation outlining his employment history and professional qualifications. It also delved into his six ideas that capture the opportunities and challenges he was expecting to encounter in his new role, which he collectively called a “sixpoint plan, or beginning of a plan.”

These are: communicating success, mapping our future, advancing exceptional student experiences, building important partnerships with our community, supporting research scholarship creativity and advancing and supporting financial stability.

The second half of the presentation was dedicated to answering questions from audience members. The first

question came from someone who had not had the opportunity to ask their question at an earlier presentation due to time restraints.

When asked about his “thoughts on freedom of speech and academic

“WE AGREE, WE DISAGREE – BUT WE PROTECT THE RIGHT TO HAVE THAT DEBATE ”

freedom in light of things that are playing out these days,” Boudreau said, “I think [that] it’s a core part of the DNA of the university and … it’s what we do in university: we have critical engagement, we have debates – we agree, we disagree – but we protect the right to have that debate, and that’s a really precious right and one that we should continually

support and stand strong and tall to protect.”

Boudreau was also asked to talk a bit about his personal research. He said, “My own work that I’m really proud of is really, I would say, my observations of making a case that the human body in early development is as strong, if not stronger, than in cognitive development. Because we tend to put cognition ahead of action, and in my field we tend to put action ahead of cognition because … we’ve shown how action can drive cognition.”

Another attendee asked what Boudreau had planned in terms of increasing diversity of the faculty.

“You’d be surprised what happens in hiring committees because the first thing that often happens is ‘I like this person, gee, they look an awful lot like me.’ And I don’t mean just visually, but I mean they look at the CV and they see a lot of themselves there and that creates these unconscious biased

pathways which we really need to guard against,” said Boudreau. “I think at times we can’t look at that [Indigenous person’s] CV the same way that we look at a non-Indigenous CV. And I think that is something that many of our universities are just starting to really grapple with and coming to an understanding of. They need to think differently about it.”

There were still audience members left wanting to ask questions as Outerbridge brought this question period to an end. The timing and length of the presentations were not ideal for student and faculty attendance as the presentations were scheduled during class times. For those who were unable to attend the presentations and lunch, Boudreau offered to answer any “burning question” through his Gmail account, accessible through the Presidential Search Committee. “I don’t use my university account for obvious reasons,” he said.

06 ARTS & CULTURE

EDUCATION

Room for growth in Indigenous schools

EDITOR: ALIX MAIN JANUARY 25, 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

COLUMN

Adapted from a conversation with Doreen Richard, Mount Allison’s coordinator of Indigenous affairs RYAN KARIMI Arts & Culture Reporter Doreen Richard once taught a boy who was repeating a grade in a Grade 5/6 split classroom. “I looked at his transcript,” she said, “and I knew this kid was capable.” Knowing this, Richard struck a deal with the principal. If she could get him through all the Grade 5 material by Christmas, he would be moved up to Grade 6 for the remainder of the year. By November, he had passed the Grade 5 requirements “with flying colours. [She] knew what things were like at home,” so she began to set up an environment conducive to his learning. Every day after school, she would have some cookies and milk for him. “Get something to eat,” she would tell him, “and let’s get to work.”

He went on to graduate high school and attend Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

The aim of this article is not to demand support for the cause of Indigenous education. Instead, it is to communicate the views of an expert in the area and to shed light on how to address it. Two central causes for the disparity in quality between the public and Indigenous educational systems are the high turnover rates of teachers and the legal framework that keeps Indigenous students in those schools.

New teachers on reserves tend to be afraid of the conditions in which they must teach and are fully aware that students often will not come in on time with finished homework or refuse to, say, take coats off indoors.

As a result, Indigenous schools see a higher-than-average turnover

rate of teachers. “Think about the home environment. Maybe a child doesn’t want to take off their coat because there’s no washing machine in the house and their shirt smells,” said Richard. “A child may not have finished her homework because a loud party near their home went on all night.” Richard sees a simple solution: hiring more Indigenous teachers, as they were often raised in such environments and can better understand the reasons students sometimes are unable to comply.

The number of Indigenous teachers is closely connected with the quality of Indigenous education as a whole.

A high school diploma is required to apply for a bachelor’s degree, which is required to apply for a bachelor’s of education. This means a nudge in the number of Indigenous teachers who go back to teach on reserves could improve the quality of education on reserves, leading to more high school and university graduates, and more certified Indigenous teachers returning to teach on reserves. “Now there’s more and more people going to university, getting their bachelor’s of education, and going back to their communities.”

Richard presents another problem. “When you have a school in a community, it’s federally run.

We’re controlled by the federal government,” said Richard. If a student wishes to travel outside of the community to attend a specialized program in another, provincially-run school, the community must pay a steep cost to subsidize that child’s education. Reliance on the federal government makes it difficult for communities to take ownership

of their educational institutions (in curriculum development, renovations, hiring, and so on).

When asked whether moving these schools under a provincial jurisdiction would help improve their state, Richard replied, “we would lose the little control that we have over our children’s education.”

This view is shared by many Indigenous students on campus.

“Our culture was intertwined with our program,” said Thunder Nevin, a first-year student and former attendee of Elsipogtog School. The Indigenous teachers at his school had no hesitation to discuss Indigenous culture “when it came to why we smudge, why we pray, [and] all these legends and stories.”

The federal government has also made efforts to grant Indigenous communities more autonomy in administering their educational institutions. In 2016, the federal government, in partnership with the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre, announced the creation of the Manitoba First Nations School System, a network of schools with curricula designed by Manitoba’s Indigenous communities.

All in all, the issue of substandard living conditions on reserves is complex and multifactorial, but improving the quality of education through increased autonomy in curriculum design and bolstered numbers of Indigenous teachers is a tangible, realistic measure that can be taken. After all, the first step in solving any tough problem is to understand its root causes.

LOUIS SOBOL/ARGOSY

TINA OH Columnist ­ y father was arrested in the 1980s M protest against the authoritarian government in South Korea. He spent eight months in solitary confinement because he was deemed a political prisoner with high risk of disseminating anti-government ideology. The protests in the 80s were a response to state-sanctioned violence including rapid expansion of martial law and “re-education” labour camps. In one of the early mass protests in the city of Gwanju, approximately 600 people – mostly undergraduate students – were killed in open-fire by government troops. After almost a decade of demonstrations, the people of South Korea overthrew the authoritarian regime in 1987, eventually bringing democracy to the country.

Throughout history, activism has always been an essential component to civil society. Civil disobedience has toppled oppressive regimes using nothing but the power of collective mobility.

Through organized advocacy, basic human and civil rights have been instituted: women have earned the right to vote and same-sex marriage has been realized, along with other such milestones. The strongest environmental policies that protect our waters and communities are a result of intense protests and scrutiny by environmentalists and Indigenous communities. Police brutality and gun violence that disproportionately affect black and brown lives have been held accountable by acts of civil disobedience like sit-ins, blockades and marches. In engaging with these non-violent direct actions, we are admitting that legislative processes sometimes fail to produce real change. By radically speaking out, we are exposing abuses of power and resisting compliance to them.

On Jan. 20, millions of people across the world practiced civil disobedience for gender equality during the second annual Women’s Marches.

Galvanized by the #MeToo campaign that has been radically transforming industries complacent in fostering a toxic culture of sexual assault and harassment, people demonstrated their exhaustion from the systemic violence that faces women, femmes and non-binary people. While the Women’s Marches have been rightfully criticized for their lack of intersectionality with factors like race, sexuality, ability and class, they have grown to be a part of a broadbased feminist movement advocating for issues ranging from immigrant rights to health-care reform. While we do not yet know what the future holds for this movement, we can look toward the democratic movement of the 80s in South Korea to teach us that there is a revolution possible from people-power.

For systemic trauma, empowerment has always come from collective mobility. When we mobilize as a community, we are practicing a tender act of self-care with those who are also impacted by the tightly woven oppressions that are forced upon us. Healing is a communal practice because we are liberating ourselves from trauma that has spanned painstakingly for generations. When we demand justice together, we are releasing ourselves and each other from corporations and institutions that profit off our individualized self-preservation and survival. Justice for one person or a single group of people while others struggle through multi-faceted oppressions is not justice. Instead, it is when we come together, centred by the voices of those denied, that we are able to resurrect as a safer, more resilient and more compassionate community.

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DRAMA

07

Garnet & Gold Moves Toward the Darkness Musical theatre society stages a fresh take on the ‘New Yorker’s’ famously macabre family

JENA MCLEAN Arts & Culture Reporter If you were to stop in at Convocation Hall before Jan. 27, you’d be greeted by a looming two-storey purple set, a torture rack and a crossbow. You’d also meet the death-loving Addams clan and their ancestors, including a dead bride, a hippie and a saloon girl.

However, these torture instruments and ghosts are no cause for alarm.

They’re integral parts of Garnet and Gold Musical Theatre Society’s current production of The Addams Family. The musical, which runs from Jan. 25 to 27, follows the iconic family from the original New Yorker cartoons and the 1990s films. In this adaptation, the family must contend with a new issue: daughter Wednesday has changed.

She’s fallen in love with the straightlaced Ohioan Lucas.

“There’s something wrong with Wednesday,” says matriarch Morticia Addams early in the show. “She’s in the kitchen smiling.”

Last weekend I sat in on rehearsal as the cast, directed by Karen Valanne, worked through the show to fine-tune stage pictures, correct lines and drill harmonies. At one point, specific attention was given to a crossbow trick shot, causing Michael McCracken, who plays Lucas Beineke, to exclaim, “That’s

the magic of theatre!”

According to Emma Hudson, the society’s secretary/treasurer and a member of the ensemble of ancestors, this macabre magic is what initially attracted the society’s executive team to the show.

“We wanted to do something completely different,” she said.

Recent G&G productions have included Anything Goes, Tarzan and, most recently, Legally Blonde. Though last year’s fashionably pink romp showed the society’s more mature side, Addams is a darker departure. Still, there are classic themes buried under torture, potions and monsters under the bed.

“It’s a show about family and about love,” said Emily O’Leary, who plays Wednesday Addams, “even underneath all of the spooky ridiculousness.”

This sentiment was echoed by Kaye Klapman, the society’s VP External and show’s assistant vocal director.

“It tells the kinds of stories that everybody knows or has experienced in this really interesting, funny, kind of cartoony context, so it takes the sting out of them,” she said. “You can really relate but also enjoy the funny elements and the drama and the big

“IT’S A SHOW ABOUT FAMILY AND LOVE,

EVEN UNDERNEATH

ALL OF THE SPOOKY RIDICULOUSNESS”

blowout numbers.”

The show’s core focus on the importance of family and friendship can be found amongst the cast themselves.

“The cast is great. Everyone’s fun to work with,” said Grayson Kenny, who plays Gomez.

O’Leary echoed this sentiment.

“It’s really nice to make a whole new theatre family away from home,” she said. “[Garnet and Gold] definitely made the social aspect of coming to a new place easier because immediately I just had a whole new group of friends, and that was great.”

Perhaps this tight-knit energy has led to McCracken’s favourite part of the Addams Family process: “the energy and the dedication.”

“Everyone’s been keeping their spirits high and has been helpful,” he said. “You get people that have been coming and building sets that are also members of the cast.”

Hudson also highlighted the final stages of rehearsal as the most exciting. “The way it comes together every year is just thrilling,” she said.

“The vibe of everyone being so excited is the best part.”

If you’d like to meet the Addams Family, visit them from Jan. 25 to 27 at Convocation Hall. Advance tickets ($10 for students/seniors, $12 for non-students) are available at the MASU office, Tidewater Books and Jean Coutu. $12 student/senior tickets and $15 non-student tickets can also be purchased at the door.

“THE WAY IT COMES TOGETHER EVERY YEAR IS JUST THRILLING. THE VIBE OF EVERYONE BEING SO EXCITED IS THE BEST PART,” SAID EMMA HUDSON ON THE FINAL STAGES OF REHEARSAL. GILLIAN HILL/ARGOSY

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ARTS & CULTURE

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MUSIC

FESTIVAL

Students attend performances by Runge and Sherkin

First-ever Cold Nights Festival hosted at Thunder and Lightning

Pianists perform major Cold Nights, Warm duo piano works Hearts, Can’t Lose REBECCA BUTLER Contributor

BROOKLYN DUFFIE: “THIS RECITAL TOLD A STORY AND PUT EACH PIECE INTO A BROADER CONTEXT.” CHAOYI LIANG/ARGOSY

ISAIAH YANKECH Contributor

Last Saturday evening, pianists Adam Sherkin and Stephen Runge collaborated in a piano recital that featured works for solo and duo piano. Works by English composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) dominated the program, with works

by Colin McPhee (1900-1964), one of Britten’s friends, as another main feature.

“The concert explored composers I was previously unfamiliar with and presented them in a unique way through video clips, pictures and anecdotes in addition to the music itself,” said second-year pianist Brooklyn Duffie.

Sherkin and Runge included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448 in the program, which Britten recorded with highly recognized pianist Sviatoslav Richter.

“The repertoire was full of colours and textures,” said Duffie. “I liked how there was an emphasis on music written for two pianos, an area that is not as common as solo piano repertoire.”

The Sackville community is becoming increasingly familiar with Sherkin as a pianist and composer.

The Toronto native has visited the Mt. A music faculty in the past as a guest performer and speaker and is a friend of department head Dr. Runge.

The concert opened with Sherkin’s

performance of Holiday Diary, a four-movement work for solo piano

by Britten. Sherkin did a remarkable job of conveying the contrasting elements from the titles of each movement.

In the second movement, Sailing, different aspects of sailing were evident. A light melody conveying the calmness of the water opened the movement, transitioning to bouncier and more active rhythmic figures later on in the movement before returning to a gentler atmosphere.

In the following movement, Funfair, constant motion was lively and engaging, and especially effective during ascending scalar-like passages.

The next work, a set of Balinese dances by Canadian composer Colin McPhee, featured three ceremonial dances that were recorded by Britten and McPhee. This was the first time Sherkin and Runge appeared on stage together, performing on separate grand pianos facing each other, with their high level of communication as collaborators immediately on display. Each movement conveyed a shimmery effect, with a clear tonal centre around which all the motion revolved.

The first half ended on a high note with Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos, a nice contrast to the 20thcentury music that comprised the majority of the recital program.

Their performance was well balanced and in sync, often sounding like one

grand piano in passages when they were playing exactly the same music material.

The second half featured more of Britten’s works, at the beginning and end, with works by McPhee in between, including Sherkin’s own personal take on McPhee’s Like the Stirring of a Thousand Bells.

The first set of the second half, Two Lullabies by Britten, showcased contrasting lullabies: the first, Lullaby, was simple in texture, while still adding a mysterious element to the work. The second, Lullaby for a Retired Colonel, was evidently different, with its dotted rhythms evoking a military.

The recital ended with two more works for duo piano by Britten, Mazurka Elegiaca and Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca. The former continued the mysterious soundscape reminiscent of Britten’s works that were played earlier in the program, although moments of chaos arose in the middle section, elicited by well played, thick, present chords.

Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca was one of the livelier and more energetic works in the program, a fitting conclusion to the recital. Sherkin and Runge captivated the audience through their clear articulation of syncopated rhythms, a mixture of gradual and sudden momentum changes and their striking approach to the various shifts in moods throughout the work.

This past week, Thunder and Lightning (T&L) became a warm hideaway from the frigid Sackville weather as it hosted the first-ever Cold Nights Festival. Presented by T&L and CHMA’s Stereophonic, the festival provided what they described as “half a week of arts-based entertainment to get [Sackvillians] through the cold nights.”

Wednesday and Thursday evenings welcomed three artist concert bills, inviting performers to thaw Sackville souls frozen by the week’s snow and glacial temperatures. Amidst a quiet snowstorm on Wednesday, locals Klarka Weinwurm and Kylie Fox and visiting artist Nick Ferrio filled the evening with “pop, rock, a bit of grunge and some playful folk,” according to the Facebook event page.

“It was such a cozy evening,” said Fox. “From where we were playing we could see the snow falling outside and people were sitting on the floor around us. It was really sweet and special. I’m really grateful to have a band to share those experiences with.”

The following evening welcomed artists Camille Delean, Richard Laviolette and Campbell Woods for what the event page called a night of “country, folk, feel-good music.” Wednesday and Thursday’s concerts took place in the kitschy front “living room” of the bar. The indie atmosphere of T&L makes for a wonderful venue for such intimate, cozy concerts year round.

Friday evening invited attendees in for a winter social cocktail hour and art show. On display were a curated selection of T&L concert posters. Following the casual drinks and art show was a film screening of satirical comedy Modern Classic, a film featured at the 2017 Canadian Film Festival. The festival concluded Saturday night with two T&L staples:

Nerds Rewarded trivia and a raucous karaoke dance party.

“I had such a good time during the Cold Nights Festival,” said student Sophie Betts. “It’s really encouraging to see so many people come out to enjoy good company and good music despite the frigid temperatures. It’s also lovely to see students supporting local music at a small, local business like T&L. I’m really thankful to live in a place where people can come together to appreciate talented artists and good drinks.”

Asked about his time at the festival, Sackville local Sam Bliss said, “The first two days featured three Sackville artists – Kylie, Klarka and Richard.

It’s really cool to be able to see bands from all over the country play shows with local talent.” Bliss said karaoke was a high point of the week for him, highlighting local artist Graeme Patterson, who “broke out the best Freddie Mercury impression I’ve ever seen, complete with moustache and sleeveless shirt.”

Bliss also added that Mount Allison students should know T&L is “welcoming to everyone, not just the arts and music community,” and made note of the fact that the bar happens to have the cheapest beer deals in town.

With unique drink specials, weekly concerts and trivia, and excellent company, T&L is certainly a local hotspot to visit if you’ve never been.

This Thursday, Jan. 25, Presents: the Improv will perform a cozy comedy set. Sunday, Jan. 28 will bring an opportunity to catch what the event page describes as Fredericton artist Keith Hallett’s “spooky pre-war blues” as a part of T&L’s Sunday Sessions, a series of low-key concerts to finish the weekend off surrounded by music, community and joy.

Have a say in your student newspaper!

The Argosy is seeking one student representative to be part of its board. If you’re interested, prepare a short (less than five minute) presentation of why you would be a strong representative of the student body and present it at:

THE ARGOSY WINTER FUNDER’S MEETING 5:45 P.M. THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 WALLACE MCCAIN STUDENT CENTRE ROOM 386 This meeting is open to the public, and will also provide an overview of the changes made this year, our direction going forward, and a summary of the 2017-18 budget and expenditures.

Refreshments will be provided.

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INDIGENOUS ACTION

09

Elder Albert Marshall provokes intriguing ideas through “two-eyed seeing” concept

The President’s Speakers Series continues to captivate with guest Indigenous teacher MAX CHAPMAN Arts & Culture Reporter The President’s Speakers Series continued Jan. 16 evening in Crabtree auditorium. The speaker, Elder Albert Marshall, who comes from the Moose clan of the Mi’kmaw nation, spoke to a packed audience.

Crabtree, Mount Allison’s second-largest lecture hall, was brimming with excitement at the opportunity to interact with one of the most influential advocates of the Mi’kmaw community. He often speaks of combining views to enrich our lives as members of this land and to commit to our environment as well.

Marshall began his talk by speaking for a minute or so in Míkmawísimk.

The crowd, that had been chattering, quieted at the chance to listen to a language that is rare nowadays. Those in attendance were from a range of backgrounds, from university students, to children, to professors, to other residents of Sackville.

The focus of Marshall’s speech was a term that he himself coined: “Two-Eyed Seeing.” This is a way in which people interact with their environment and with themselves.

“Two-Eyed Seeing helps me inwardly reflect,” said Marshall. “Who I am, where I’m going and why.” He spoke on how it is a way to look at ecological problems from multiple

perspectives, both what he called a “Western” notion of science and the spiritual aspect that is so important in Mi’kmaq communities.

Marshall, who lives in Eskasoni, Unama’ki (Cape Breton), tours universities and halls around the Maritimes to work with Mi’kmaq people of diverse backgrounds.

He teaches them about Two-Eyed Seeing and integrating it into their everyday life. It’s a lifestyle that can help people who struggle with a sense of being lost and introduce them to a way they can live in harmony with their environment.

Combining these two different focal points is central to Marshall’s goal. “We have to understand we need to be self-sustaining both spiritually and physically,” said Marshall. Looking ahead seven generations and asking if his actions are producing positive outcomes, and looking seven generations in the past and reflecting on whether or not his ancestors would be happy with what he is doing, he said that we should be able to enjoy the beauty of our shared land, and strive to maintain it for as many generations as possible.

Prior to the speech, Marshall showed a video of the situations that can arise when living in two worlds.

Patricia Doyle-Bedwell, an associate professor at Dalhousie University, said, “All of us, as Mi’kmaq people, have felt that connection that

“RECIPROCITY IS

CRITICAL ... [IT’S] SOMETHING TO WORK ON”

sometimes we are living in two different worlds.… For me the idea of Two-Eyed Seeing came up in law school. I felt my Mi’kmaw culture coming up against the Western culture.” Marshall’s term seeks to open these two points of view, allowing them to live harmoniously.

“Reciprocity is critical.… This is something we must work on.

Differences are who we are,” said Marshall.

Marshall finished his talk to a room stunned to silence. His powerful words were felt and reciprocated by the crowd. “I loved it,” said Jessica Grant, a third-year English student.

“It was extremely insightful.… It’s something that we can use in dayto-day life for situations that can be blurry.” Thunderous applause followed, and many members of the audience stayed behind to give thanks to the elder.

PRESIDENT CAMPBELL SPEAKS WITH MARSHALL. CHAOYI LIANG/ARGOSY

MANY ATTENDED MARSHALL’S TALK IN HOPES OF LEARNING FROM THE ELDER’S WISDOM. CHAOYI LIANG/ARGOSY

REVIEWS

Sharp Reviews: ‘Angry Inuk’

A heartfelt, focused documentary that articulates the struggle of the marginalized DEREK SHARP Columnist The first shot in the 2016 documentary Angry Inuk is of the arctic: it is beautiful, desolate and isolated. A hunter shoots, hooks and skins a seal. While butchering the animal, the hunter explains how each piece of the seal will be used in one way or another. The hunter returns to his small, isolated village and go door to door giving out the meat. The communities who seal hunt in this way are all small and isolated, and our journey into their lives is an intimate one, as shown by this initial sequence.

Angry Inuk is a worthwhile documentary in a number of ways.

Firstly, it stands tall as an honest and comprehensive analysis of seal hunting as it exists in Inuit communities. It shows the process, what it means to members of the community, and how it is unfairly portrayed on the world stage. In addition to this, however, it shows many issues that Indigenous communities face. Systemic poverty, unfair legislation and marginalization are all on display here in a tangible

way. It is, of course, untrue to say that all marginalized communities are treated similarly, but Angry Inuk does illuminate the mechanisms of a specific type of marginalization and thereby allows the viewer to understand how marginalization on this scale functions.

Those opening minutes navigate seal hunts frankly, and I recounted them here because they are essential to the rest of the film: they frame the story by serving as a mental reference point for us to return to when this controversial practice is taken to courts in the European Union.

The issue is, of course, more complex than simply “shooting seal=bad?” The seal hunt at the top of the film isn’t illegal, as writer-director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril explains.

Instead, laws have been established which essentially kill the market for clothing made out of seal skin. This harms the populations who need to hunt the seal for food, as selling surplus skin is essential income for many hunters. Angry Inuk illuminates the unworkable economic situation that many Inuit communities have

been given.

Angry Inuk also battles many misconceptions that exist about seal hunting.

For example, the whitecoat seals which are used in all the anti-sealing propaganda (as Greenpeace’s anti-sealing campaigns are often called) aren’t hunted; it’s actually illegal to kill those particular seals.

Additionally, the seal population has been growing exponentially for the last few decades and is nowhere near endangered or even at-risk, as is often suggested by groups like PETA or Greenpeace.

Angry Inuk can feel like a dry lecture at times, but this isn’t inexcusable, and may not bother some. However, it did impact my experience, and so merits mentioning.

This occasional dryness, though, is almost necessitated by the subject of the film itself. The contention around seal hunting affects the Inuit in an incredibly intimate way, and to grasp it in its complexity requires some background knowledge, which the film certainly provides. It’s not always engaging to watch, but the information is clear and explained well. As I’ve indicated above, it goes into great depth and is presented with

incredible heart and reverence for the subject matter.

Angry Inuk confidently succeeds as a documentary. It is not only informative and comprehensive, but also boasts some stunning visuals. However, it goes beyond simply highlighting one important issue, as it also serves as a firsthand account of the battle against systemic marginalization and for Indigenous rights.

10 FEATURE

JANUARY 25, 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

MENTAL HEALTH

Second-year student Ashley Cummings pushes for greater mental health support for youth in the Inuit Nunangat

AS AN AMBASSADOR OF YOUTH-LED ORGANIZATION NORTH IN FOCUS, PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT ASHLEY CUMMINGS LEADS MENTAL HEALTH WORKSHOPS FOR YOUTH IN NAIN, NUNATSIAVUT, IN 2016. LEE NARRAWAY/SUBMITTED

MIRELLE NAUD Editor in Chief Content warning: Article discusses topics of youth suicide and mental illness.

For a significant part of her childhood, Ashley Cummings struggled with allergies. When she went to school, she would frequently develop hives, and would regularly take an over-thecounter, and sometimes, when the reactions were particularly bad, she’d leave school early.

At one point in time, the reactions occurred so frequently that she stayed at home and was homeschooled.

It was clear that something was wrong, so her family scheduled allergy tests with a doctor. But in order for this to happen, she had to travel over 2,000 kilometres by plane.

Cummings is from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, a small town of roughly 1,500 people located on the southern tip of Baffin Island and at the base of Mount Duval. The town looks onto an ancient riverbed that has been eroding over thousands of years, forming the iconic Akshayuk Pass, formerly known as the Pangnirtung Pass. Surrounded by mountains, the unmistakable tundra appears barren to those who are unfamiliar, but is rich with berries, willows, and heather to locals.

Today about 30 businesses dot the town, including several outfitting stores, a courier service, seven contractors and an arts and craft gallery. An airport strip parallels the pass, an essential service for many whose remoteness requires trips to towns like Iqaluit, Happy ValleyGoose Bay and sometimes more distant places like Ottawa.

Cummings did fly to Ottawa, more than once. Although she never found

out what she was allergic to, the trips weren’t unusual occasions for her.

“Doctors are usually fly-in, or people fly out of the community to see a doctor,” said Cummings.

“All the other communities beyond that, they have a couple nurses, and they have social workers, but there’s no registered counsellors. There’s no doctors, no dentists.… There’s really nothing, and that extends beyond Labrador, that’s across Inuit Nunangat.”

Health-care services are essential to everybody, but residents of northern communities are in particularly urgent need of them compared to their southern counterparts.

As of 2008, children and teens in the Nunangat have a five times greater risk of death than their cohort in the rest of Canada. They’re 11 times more likely to succumb to an injury or an infectious/parasitic illnesses, and twice as likely to succumb to a noncommunicable disease.

But out of all the reasons for Inuit mortality, suicide is the leading cause, occuring at one of the highest rates in the world. Among children and teens in the Inuit Nunangat, suicide is 30 times more likely to occur than among youth who live in the south of Canada, as reported by Statistics Canada for the period between 2004 to 2008.

Part of the problem is the lack of access to services, with mental health resources among the scarcest in the Nunangat. When Cummings was in elementary and middle school, she recalls that there were no mental health programs or education.

“The problem that arises in the northern communities is that there’s no opportunity to learn more about [mental health]. That lack of mental health education is what ends up

perpetuating and making the [mental health] stigma more obvious than in a southern community like Sackville,” Cummings said.

In addition, years of colonization, high costs of food and other goods, and intergenerational trauma brought by the residential school system have compounded the effects of the area’s lack of health-care resources, resulting in high rates of untreated mental illness.

It wasn’t until Cummings moved to Nova Scotia that she realized the suicide rate of her community was abnormal. “When I moved to Nova Scotia, there was one suicide that year,” Cummings said. “And the whole province was in shambles about it, over one person. I was like, ‘Why is this a big deal?’ I didn’t understand. I thought it was a normal thing to commit suicide.”

Cummings, who moved to Nova Scotia when she was 12 years old, also felt for a long time that her own depression was incurable. “I just thought, ‘What’s wrong with me? I’m messed up, I’m unhealthy, I’m crazy’ – all these stigmatizing thoughts.”

She was eventually diagnosed with depression about seven months after moving to the Maritime province.

This was when Cummings started “talking about all the suicides [she’s] faced, about her own thoughts about it” and learned that depression is curable and suicide is preventable.

“It was just eye-opening to find out that this doesn’t need to happen,” Cummings said. “That my grandma won’t have to lose another grandkid, I won’t have to lose another cousin, another friend, another classmate to suicide.”

Since then, Cummings has been motivated to reduce the number of suicides in her community and others

across the north. In high school, she participated in Students on Ice (SOI), an organization that educates youth about the Polar Regions through immersive expeditions. This was when she met her future team members, Eva Wu, Gabrielle Foss and Patrick Hickey, whom she would later work with to promote mental health in the north.

At the time, Wu, now a student at McGill, and Foss, now a student at Western, had been working with Art with Heart, a project that involved creating original photo books for hospitals and retirement homes in Toronto, which they co-founded in 2014.

After learning about the prevalence of untreated mental illness through their expeditions with SOI, the pair expanded their project to include mental health and renamed it North in Focus (NIF).

Hickey joined the pair in 2015 as the education and mental health program coordinator, and in 2016, Cummings became the northern consultant, alumni and ambassador coordinator.

NIF specializes in leading afterschool programming for youth over the ages of 12, combining art, physical recreation and meditation with mental health promotion and anti-stigma education.

Cummings’ involvement with NIF brought her to Nain, Nunatsiavut, for her first workshop experience with youth in 2016.

The week started with a game called “hand up, hand down” that Cummings said was to “show kids they have mental health.”

Children answer a variety of questions like “Do you like sushi? Hand up, hand down,” “Do you like dancing?

Hand up, hand down.” The hands are meant to be raised, because once the final question is asked – “Do you have mental health?” – everybody’s hands should be in the air.

The organization emphasizes that communities maintain a certain amount of resources once it leaves.

Before workshops even begin, “We locate local resources. We talk to social workers. We talk to doctors, if we can,” Cummings said. “We connect with social workers so we can get them in to speak to the youth, and tell them you can speak to us [and them].”

Most recently, Cummings’ involvement with NIF brought her to Reykjavik, Iceland, in Oct. 2017 for the fifth annual Arctic Circle Assembly, where she and her teammates presented a proposal on their work promoting mental health and suicide awareness to youth.

The assembly connects “leaders around the Arctic Circle, as well as different allies, who connect on the basis of the Arctic, caring for the Arctic, and ensuring it has a

future,” Cummings said. Over 2,000 participants representing over 60 countries attended that year.

In its short history, the assembly has not had a major health component, instead focusing primarily on “infrastructure, climate change and supporting people in the Arctic,” according to Cummings. As mental healthcare advocates, Cummings and her team at North in Focus had decided to apply.

“We put in an application on a whim – the worst they can say is ‘no’ – and then on some miraculous occasion we got in,” Cummings said.

She found out they had been accepted on her birthday, which she shares with National Aboriginal Day, an occasion that was “so special.”

Among the speakers at the assembly was filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, whose film Angry Inuk was screened at the Ralph Pickard library on Jan. 18. Due for a second screening in Sackville, the film documents the history of anti sealhunting propaganda and its effects on Inuit communities.

Also among the assembly’s other attendees were Canadian politicians Carolyn Bennett, Minister of CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, and Stéphane Dion, the ambassador to Germany and Special Envoy to the European Union and Europe.

“It almost felt alien, seeing these very important people take us very seriously, because although we’ve been lucky and we’ve been endlessly supported throughout, we’ve always expected when we’re around certain people, or if they’re important, they might not have the time for us, and we’ve accepted that,” Cummings said.

Instead, the Arctic Assembly surprised Cummings with its “instant dialogue, instant connection, instant discussion on mental health and our passion for it.”

Duncan Phillips, vice-president of Mitacs, a national non-profit research support centre, was impressed with the group’s presentation at the assembly and nominated it for the Arctic Inspiration Prize. As finalists, North in Focus is waiting to learn the prize results, which come out at the end of January.

A national Loran Scholarship finalist, Cummings is in her second year at Mount Allison pursuing a B.A. in psychology and English.

She is currently preparing for NIF’s upcoming summer workshops in Nunavut, and wants students to feel comfortable approaching her about the topics she’s passionate about.

“Talk to me,” she said. “I’m always happy to talk if [you] have any questions regarding mental health in the North, Inuit culture, whatever. I want dialogue.”

“TALK TO ME...

REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE NORTH, INUIT

CULTURE, WHATEVER. I WANT DIALOGUE.”

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WELNESS CENTRE

11

Rethink the Drink hosts needed conversation on binge drinking Students and the CCSA offer input on ways to reduce harms related to alcohol consumption KATHLEEN MORRISON Health Intern The Rethink the Drink event that was recently organized on campus has inspired conversation around the importance of addressing the culture of binge drinking we reside in. There are many facets of drinking that can be explored, but alcohol harm reduction must be emphasized.

It is the goal of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) to reduce the harm of alcohol and other drugs on society through various forms of education, including the Rethink the Drink event.

Information provided by the CCSA says that low-risk drinking assists in promoting moderation as well as

supporting a healthy lifestyle. They also suggest that limiting alcohol consumption to 10 drinks per week for women and 15 drinks per week for men will reduce long-term health risks.

The CCSA provides safer drinking tips, which include: abiding by the limits you set for yourself; not having more than two drinks in any three consecutive hours; eating before and while you drink; and coupling every alcoholic beverage consumed with a non-alcoholic drink. It is important to stress that the choice to drink is personal. We are individually able to choose the circumstances in which we drink, but low-risk alcohol consumption is what will change a binge drinking culture to one that

emphasizes moderation.

Emma Miller, the MASU vicepresident of student life, helped organize the Rethink the Drink event and said that she wants “to facilitate more opportunities that will allow students to talk about issues regarding alcohol consumption, with the hopes of straying away from the binge drinking culture that we have become accustomed to.” Second-year student Lauren Boyce said, “conversation surrounding binge drinking at our school should continue and information about alcohol harms reduction could be better shared with students living in residence.”

In response to asking about the importance of talking about binge drinking, third-year student

Anneke van der Laan said, “It’s not abnormal to hear someone talking about blacking out because of drinking, sometimes even as often as every couple of weeks. Sometimes even more often.” She continued, saying that “we need to rethink the consequences that come with binge drinking and what it might be doing to our body and our safety.” Being educated on the possible risks of drinking heavily is so important, and could be the reason you avoid getting “blackout drunk” this weekend.

The effects consuming alcohol can have on our mental health is another important issue that needs to be addressed. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the rates of alcohol consumption are

high for individuals with depression, and there is indication that abuse of alcohol could lead to depression. The Public Health Agency of Canada also collected data in 2000 that linked 25 to 30 per cent of suicides in Canada to alcohol.

Holding events like Rethink the Drink is a step in the right direction towards better conversation and understanding in regard to low-risk drinking. However, there is a need for continued conversation because drinking has become so normalized in our society. Again, drinking is a personal choice, but it must be done safely.

VOLLEYBALL

Women’s team hopeful for season’s second half

With award-winning teammates, tough losses and high turnover mark an undeserved record

KEIFER BELL Sports Reporter The Mount Allison women’s volleyball team went into the holiday break with a record that didn’t reflect their talent. Two of their first four games to start the semester were against a strong UNBSJ team and an undefeated MSVU roster with outcomes that didn’t help their record. Currently, the Mounties sit in sixth place out of eight teams, with a record of four wins and nine losses.

Despite the losses, the team lost a close battle three sets to two, to the undefeated MSVU Mystics last weekend, proving that they are capable of playing with any team in the league.

Despite the team not having the results they wanted to start the season, they remain positive in hopes for a turnaround going into the end of the year. “We’re hoping to bring our record up so that we have a better ranking going into playoffs,” Rachel Van Gestel, a third-year power said.

She later explained how the close game against MSVU was a positive experience despite the loss. “Their coach told us we were their biggest challenge yet. It definitely sent a message to the entire league.”

One of the main issues with the women’s volleyball team has been high turnover over the past few years.

Many players do not play on the team for the entirety of their degrees. “The last couple years have been building years because people don’t come back,” Van Gestel said. “It’s hard to develop anything despite our talents when you have unexpected turnover year after year. It’s hard to get anything going. We should have had a setter with us for all four years, but every year we’ve had a new one.”

Emily Burbidge, a third-year power, commented on some of the team’s biggest struggles: “Keeping the

team dynamic has been tough. You can come in as an extremely talented recruit but getting the experience of playing at a higher level is something in itself.”

Despite the challenge of turnover, the team knows that 0they have what it takes to move up in the standings.

“We have to play to our own caliber and play how we know that we can.

Our games are always close; we often seem to be ahead but can’t finish,” said Jenecca Crossman, a third-year power.

Many of the Mounties games have been close, with sets down to the final serve. The ball hasn’t been landing in their favor with numerous tough losses. “There are just little things that aren’t clicking together. We know that we can play with these teams; we just get into games where little things go wrong that add up in the end,” Burbidge said.

The team only has one senior, Melissa McAnsh, along with three third-year players: Van Gestel, who was an ACAA second team all-star in 2017, playing alongside Burbidge and Crossman. Adding to these four girls is Rachel McDougall, a secondyear player who took home three prestigious awards at the end of last year.

McDougall was voted as the ACAA’s Rookie of the Year, named an ACAA first team All-Star and an All-Canadian for women’s volleyball.

Clearly, the Mounties have talented individuals on their roster with multiple league award winners and a list of talented rookies adapting to the ACAA style of play. Despite a rough start, the team is looking for a final push towards playoffs to finish on a more positive note, which they know they are capable of.

“THEIR COACH TOLD US

WE WERE THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET. ”

The women’s volleyball team’s next home game will be a rematch against MSVU, played at noon, on Sunday Jan. 28.

TOP: THIRD-YEAR B.SC STUDENT JENECCA CROSSMAN IS ONE OF THE TEAM’S POWERS. PAUL LYNCH/MTA ATHLETICS BOTTOM: THE 2017-18 TEAM. FRONT ROW – RACHEL VAN GESTEL, EMILY BURBIDGE, RACHEL MCDOUGALL, MARIKA WILDEBOER, BROOKE GILLESPIE, LAUREL GENGE, CALLIE MACDONALD, MORGAN LEBLANC. BACK ROW – ANDREW KENNEDY (ASSISTANT COACH), ETHAN FRENCH, GABRIELLE LANDRY (STUDENT TRAINER), ABIGAIL MALAYNY, LETICIA LIMA FERREIRA, LILY MCLAINE, JENECCA CROSSMAN, MELISSA MCANSH, EMELYANA TITARENKO (STUDENT TRAINER), BRAD BRYDGES, PAUL SETTLE (HEAD COACH). PAUL LYNCH/MTA ATHLETICS

12

SPORTS & HEALTH

JANUARY 25, 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

CLUBS

Mount Allison’s hidden dojo

With three meetings a week, Karate club in Tweedie offers another way to keep fit over winter

LEFT: THE KARATE CLUB WAS RE-FOUNDED IN 2002. BACK – AMINAH SIMMONS. SHAWN LEVERING, DALE SHERWOOD, JONATHAN BRADET-LEGRIS, ZOE MCINTYRE. FRONT – SENSEI NORM ROBITZA AND SENSEI JOLENE ROBITZA. RIGHT: JONATHAN BRADET-LEGRIS, WHO HAS BEEN PRACTICING FOR NINE YEARS, PERFORMS THE KATA UNSU (CLOUD HANDS), AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE HAND BLOCK. GILLIAN HILL/ARGOSY

HAMZA MUNAWAR Contributor Over the winter season, we may find ourselves slipping up on living a healthy lifestyle, both mentally and physically, because of the cold. One of Mount Allison’s oldest and richest clubs may hold the solution.

Every Monday and Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m., the Shotakan Karate Club meets at Tweedie Hall. There they practice aspects of self-defence, attitude and the emphasis of health and fitness.

“Karate is a very fun experience

for me,” said Mt. A student Shawn Levering, a member of the club.

“Although it takes a lot of practice and focus, it has been quite an exciting and rewarding experience, and a great stress reliever as well.”

L e v e r i n g emphasises that “more students should get involved because it’s a great way to meet new people, it’s a close-knit and welcoming group and it’s also a great way to get a good amount of exercise.”

Karate provides a source for many aspects of healthy living. “Karate has

taught me discipline so far,” said Mt. A student Aminah Simmons. “Not just physically but mentally. I am a whole lot calmer than when I first

re-founded in 2002. “At the time [in 2002], the Mt. A karate club had been closed for a few years because of lack of interest,” said head sensei Norm Robitza. “I was only a brown belt when I started the club, and I have had the opportunity to train with some of the most renowned karate masters in the world. To pass on the knowledge that I have learned over the years is so much fun.”

Robitza identifies that the community the club builds makes it what it is: “Our club has brought people together. Friendships are

“KARATE HAS TAUGHT ME DISCIPLINE SO FAR. NOT JUST PHYSICALLY BUT MENTALLY.” began, and I am also a whole lot less tense. I am also now more open to new experiences and opportunities.

Overall, it’s been a good way to blow off university stress.”

In addition to its benefits to health and fitness, the Shotakan Karate Club has a rich culture since being

FOOD

formed in our classes. I even know of two couples that married after leaving Mt. A that were members of our club.”

Recently, Robitza was promoted to Godan (fifth-degree black belt), and earned his international judge’s license.

Overall, karate provides a unique outlet to grow as an individual and beat the winter blues. The club is always welcoming to new members of all experience levels, and are looking to build their group. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, Robitza has a place for you, and in the process, “you also learn some really cool self defense tricks,” added Simmons.

What’s with the grey bins, Jennings?

Meal hall handles your food waste in these three steps: scraping, pulping and composting

ANNA HARDIE Contributor Ever wonder what the grey bins by the scraping station in Jennings Dining Hall are for? The items that belong in the grey bins are tea bags, banana peels, egg shells, mussel shells and beef or pork bones. What do NOT belong are the paper napkins and fruit stickers we often see misplaced there.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: why do banana peels and tea bags belong in the grey bins?

Shouldn’t they go into the compost with the rest of the food waste? Why should I care what belongs in grey food bins?

To fully understand and answer these questions, one must understand the food waste system at Jennings.

There are three steps to handling food waste at Jennings: scraping, pulping and composting.

The first step is scraping, a.k.a. when you go to scrape food off your

plate. Once the food waste is in the bin, it is brought to a pulping machine. This brings me to the second step, pulping. The pulping machine turns the food in to rice-sized pieces.

During this process, the five grey items (tea bags, banana peels, egg shells, mussel shells and bones) can get stuck in the cutter and break the pulping machine. Therefore we have the grey food bins in place so that the likelihood of that happening can be reduced. That’s why the grey bins are important and taking a moment sort your food waste properly is important.

Meanwhile, the rest of the foods are allowed to go through the pulping machine and are ground into small pieces. Finally the pulped foods are transferred to the large composter machines, more formally known as Big Hannas (in-vessel composting units made in Sweden). The machines were named Dirt and Ernie by Mount Allison students. The composter turns the pulped food into compost

over a period of six weeks. When six weeks have passed, the compost, which looks like ground coffee, is driven over to the Mt. A farm to be used as soil.

This is all great, but what happens to the foods in the grey bin if they can’t be pulped? They simply skip the

HERE TO HELP: A HANDY HAND MADE INFOGRAPHIC. ANNA HARDIE/SUBMITTED

pulping step and go straight to the composting machines (the third step of the food waste process).

Now you know what the grey bins are for. Luckily, now there are posters around Jennings that remind us of what belongs in the grey bins so even if you forget, the posters will

be there to help you sort your food waste. Remember that when one person uses the grey bins correctly, the people around them will as well; it’s a matter of social psychology.

OPINIONS 13

EDITOR: ALLISON MACNEILL| JANUARY 25, 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

DISCUSSION CORNER

“What can Mt. A and members of its community do to reduce the campus’s environmental impact?”

Members of the Mount Allison community share their thoughts on this week’s topic

ELLA PORTER

On a broad level, divesting from fossil fuels and investing in green energy is one step to reducing our environmental impact. On a smaller level, making sure that the three-bag waste system is used properly by students. Some places on campus are still set up for the old system, some labels are misleading and some students are unaware of how to sort their waste. Seeing plastic in the compost is one of my biggest pet peeves!

NOAH FRY

Offer rebates for bringing your own mug to Gracie’s and/ or the library.

ELIZABETH COPELAND Divest.

SOPHIE HANSON

More effort could be put toward making the University buildings more energyefficient and attempting to use more renewable energy sources.

THE ARGOSY w w w. s i n c e 1 8 7 2 . c a

Independent Student Newspaper of Mount Allison University Thursday, January 25, 2018 volume 147, issue 13 Since 1872 Circulation 1,000

on Unceded Mi’kmaq Land

CAITLIN GALLANT

The best thing that you can do to start reducing your environmental impact is to look at ways of cutting down on personal waste. Start small by cutting out plastic cutlery or straws, and then gradually eliminate as much disposable products that you can. Oh and learn to follow the garbage streams!

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THE ARGOSY is published by Argosy Publications, Inc., a student run, autonomous, apolitical not-for-profit organization operated in accordance with the province of New Brunswick.

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ISSN 0837-1024

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EDITORIAL staff EDITORS-IN-CHIEF | Adrian Kiva, Mirelle Naud MANAGING EDITOR | Mathieu Gallant

What do you want to talk about? Contact Allison

MacNeill with your suggestions for future discussion corners!

OPINIONS EDITOR | Allison MacNeill HUMOUR EDITOR | Carly Penrose COPY EDITOR | Charlotte Savage

PRODUCTION MANAGER | Marina Mavridis

Simple acts of kindness can have a meaningful impact on those who are feeling lonely

I have been reflecting more on my work recently, in part because of the changing university culture and in part because of the changing culture of young adults; I note particularly the shift among university students from “millennials” to the “iGeneration” with their different interests, priorities and needs. It has been important to me, in my professional work, to be both rooted in the tradition in which I stand, but also to adapt and change my ministry in order to be relevant to my changing context.

When I began in chaplaincy at Mount Allison in 1993, I was interviewed by the media about my work: among the questions posed,

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR | Alix Main

PRODUCTION staff

COLUMN

THE REV. JOHN C. PERKIN Columnist

NEWS EDITOR | Maia Herriot

I was asked what I thought was the single biggest challenge facing young adults. I thought then that this challenge was loneliness, and 25 years later I would say the same.

In part, loneliness has become a huge challenge for all adult ages in Western culture, and for young adults particularly the challenge has only become greater. Despite the connectivity of the iGeneration to the larger world, and to one another through a variety of different social media platforms, deep down I think many young adults still struggle with loneliness. New parents, busy with work and young children and often at a distance from their family, can also feel the challenge of being isolated. Many in middle age, seeing children move away, leading full

lives with work and travel, are still lonely. And seniors, more than ever before, are facing the challenge of loneliness. Newcomers of all ages to communities, especially immigrants and refugees, experience bouts of loneliness, as do those who are disabled and those who experience the challenges of mental health issues.

This past week British Prime Minister Theresa May appointed one of her cabinet ministers to lead a government-wide group to address issues of loneliness: as one British paper declared, “the Minister of Loneliness.” Tracey Crouch, who currently serves as Minister for Sport and Civil Society, will take on the task of addressing this huge social challenge. As the Prime Minister noted, “For far too many people,

loneliness is the sad reality of modern life.”

In the small town of Sackville, where it seems we all know one another, and on the small campus of Mount Allison, we might assume we are exempt from this social challenge, yet the challenge of loneliness is still present; it does not discriminate based on age, education or geography.

This has been one area where I have sought to engage in a ministry of presence, of support, of friendship.

In non-political terms, I have tried to be a “minister of loneliness,” and continue to work to address the challenges posed by social dislocation and isolation, but this is a challenge we can all address. Whether moved by faith or spirituality or common kindness, whether younger or older, outgoing or shy, despite the busy schedules of university life, it can be a simple thing to keep our eyes open for those who are disconnected; it can be a valuable investment of time to spend a little with someone who would benefit from a meaningful conversation, a shared cup of tea, some interest in their well-being. My challenge for 2018, then, is not about what I might do, but about what I might encourage others to do: to see the real faces of real people who might gain immeasurably from some human contact and conversation. The benefits would not only be for those whose lives we touch, but for ourselves as well, and indeed for our social order. Let’s not wait for a government ministry to be introduced in Canada; rather, let’s begin today to “reach out and touch someone,” and break the cycle of loneliness.

PHOTOGRAPHERS | Gillian Hill, Chaoyi Liang ILLUSTRATION EDITOR | Sylvan Hamburger ILLUSTRATORS | Sarah Noonan, Louis Sobol VIDEOGRAPHER | Louis Sobol VIDEOGRAPHY PRODUCER | Lily Falk ONLINE EDITOR | Marina Mavridis

REPORTING staff NEWS REPORTERS | Amelia Fleming, Lily Falk ARTS & CULTURE REPORTERS | Max Chapman, Ryan Karimi, Jena McLean SPORTS REPORTER | Keifer Bell

OPERATIONS staff BUSINESS MANAGER | Jill MacIntyre DISTRIBUTION MANAGERS | Matthew Hamilton Fyfe, Shannon Power

CONTRIBUTORS Rebecca Butler, Narissa Gallant, Anna Hardie, Minnow Holtz-Carriere, Kathleen Morrison, Hamza Munawar, Tina Oh, the Rev. Perkin, Ella Porter, Derek Sharp, Will Traves, Isaiah Yankech COVER | Mathieu Gallant

PUBLICATION board Leslie Kern, David Thomas

DISCLAIMERS & COPYRIGHT The Argosy is the official independent student journal of news, opinion and the arts, written, edited and funded by the students of Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Argosy’s staff or its Board of Directors.

The Argosy is published weekly throughout the academic year by Argosy Publications Inc. Student contributions in the form of letters, articles, photography, graphic designs and comics are welcome. The Argosy reserves the right to edit or refuse all materials deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic or otherwise unfit for print, as determined by the Editors in Chief. Articles or other contributions can be sent to argosy@mta.ca or directly to a section editor. The Argosy will print unsolicited materials at its own discretion.

Letters to the editor must be signed, though names may be withheld at the sender’s request and at the Argosy’s discretion. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Comments , concerns or complaints about the Argosy’s content or operations should be first sent to the Editors in Chief at the address above.

If the Editors in Chief are unable to resolve a complaint, it may be taken to the Argosy Publications, Inc. Board of Directors. The chairs of the Board of Directors can be reached at the address above.

All materials appearing in the Argosy bear the copyright of Argosy Publications, Inc. Material cannot be reprinted without the consent of the Editors in Chief.

14

OPINIONS

JANUARY 25, 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

GENDER EQUALITY

For fear of femininity

We aren’t free from the patriarchy yet

ELLA PORTER Contributor What words would you use to deeply insult a man? Maybe something like sissy. Princess. You little bitch. Don’t be a pussy. You *insert verb here* like a girl. What do these insults have in common? If you said, “They’re all feminine or in some way related to/ associated with women,” then you’re correct!

We live in an inherently sexist, patriarchal society that devalues women. No, you say. I value and respect women. My mom was a woman! Unfortunately, we all are prejudiced because we have been

socialized and surrounded by a prejudiced society. Even women can be misogynistic.

The devaluing of women results in demeaning femininity and basically anything associated with women. A woman usually gets paid less than her equally qualified male counterpart.

Why? We value her less than a man.

Occupations associated with women generally have lower salaries and statuses than many jobs associated with men. Housework, childcare and other forms of care labour are typically done by women for no pay, sometimes in addition to a full-time job (thanks a lot, gender roles). People often say that my mom doesn’t work, because she “just” takes care of and home-schools six children. Wrong.

My mom has a 24/7 job: she just doesn’t get paid for it.

In 2006, Dr. Emily Kane of Bates College conducted a study examining parental attitudes towards gendernonconformity in preschool children, which found that parents tended to support their non-conforming daughters. They were proud of their

sporty girls, their boyish girls, their pants-wearing, pink-hating girls.

Boys stepping outside of gender roles received a different reaction. It was not okay for boys to like pink, to wear dresses, to want Barbies or to be emotional. Why? Because we devalue femininity. Girls being like boys is okay, even encouraged.

Flee from femininity while you can!

Be masculine, it’s better. However, boys are not allowed to be like girls.

Feminine boys are weak, lesser. Cling to hegemonic masculinity. Be a real man!

By the tender age of eight, I knew it was bad to be girly. I desperately wanted to prove that I was different.

I lived on a farm and played hockey, so I had to show I was tough. I hated pink, preferred toy tractors, wasn’t shy of getting dirty and was aggressive on the ice. I was a selfproclaimed and proud tomboy. In hindsight, some of this was genuine.

I truly enjoyed playing on the farm and racing cars. My short hair was to avoid painfully brushing out tangles.

However, I recognize that my distaste

SARAH NOONAN/ARGOSY of pink, heels, makeup and dresses was me fleeing from being girly. I wanted to be valued, to be one of the boys. As an adult, I’m trying to work on this and stop judging feminine people, including myself. Some days I express myself femininely, some days I’m more masculine. Both of

these sides are important parts of me; I don’t have to pick just one.

I encourage you to examine your childhood and your present-day selves. What has the fear of being too feminine forced into or kept out of your life?

ACCESSIBILITY

Overlooked barriers to accessibility on campus

Campus accessibility issues often unrecognized by those unaffected NARISSA GALLANT Contributor At first glance, the environment of Mount Allison shares a beauty appreciated by all – unfortunately, many are not able to travel as safely as they would like. There are students with various needs based on various disabilities and movement disorders, from chronic pain to tremors to paralysis. The campus has quite a number of legitimate issues that need to be fixed for the benefit of those who are physically disabled, mobilitychallenged or simply functionally different.

Let me endeavour to clarify that latter point first: something many students may not have realized is that, in a surprising number of classrooms, there is not proper seating for left-handed individuals.

It sounds counter-intuitive, arbitrary and honestly archaic, but in classes like Crabtree M10, of all the chairs provided, there is only one seat for a left-handed person. M10 is an example of another issue I’ve personally encountered: the position of the previously-mentioned seat changed constantly. It was like an inconvenient game of Where’s Waldo: Chair Edition, where I would often be forced to sit in the fourth row or even further back when I prefer and often require the front row. The front row is

where I am able to best pay attention to the professor and ensure that I am getting my time’s worth by attending class. This may sound minute, but the difficulty makes writing a serious chore and the discomfort of sitting in a desk that doesn’t accommodate you makes it genuinely hard to pay attention, making it more likely you won’t take notes as effectively and even concentrate on what’s being said. This much trouble is simply related to being left-handed.

Not only are desks a quiet nightmare; chairs can cause real strife as well. This isn’t isolated to one class in Crabtree. In Jennings, the chairs are so close together that getting out (or in) creates this temporal hellscape when people have to weave between each other. Everyone is uncomfortable and every movement seems to be wrong. For those unlucky souls who are forced to sit in cold corners, they are trapped unless they have the mobility necessary to climb over the chair or chairs involved and escape to freedom. It is physically uncomfortable and it also has a high likelihood to lead to painful accidents (someone slammed the back of their chair into my thigh simply because they did not see me, and it hurt). It also creates a sense of anxiety and claustrophobia in many students, making the entire experience feel like a stressor or a chore.

The outside isn’t much better off.

Railings – as well as extra seating throughout campus – would create a safer environment outside. Heading toward Edwards-Thornton can sometimes be an Indiana Jones-like adventure if there is even a sliver of ice, since the walkway dips at a surprising angle. I have seen some dramatic feats of human ability in the oft vain attempt to not get covered

in slush and salt. This is also true of the dip toward Jennings, another area without respite if one falls on their ass. And that is simply describing the issue of heading downhill. Going uphill is a true uphill battle.

You may be wondering why I devoted this op-ed to what might be considered less important matters in the entire issue of mobility accessibility. For me, it’s important

to discuss issues like this just as much as the more obvious ones, in order for people to become aware of both types of issues. If we can’t address these struggles, which have relatively simple solutions, then how can we address struggles that are seen as more important and in higher need of solving, such as wheelchair accessibility in all buildings?

THE R.P. BELL LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE FEW BUILDINGS ON CAMPUS THAT IS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. LIANG CHAO YI/ARGOSY

Got something to say? Contact Allison MacNeill to inquire about contributing op-eds and letters-to-the-editor to the opinions section!

HUMOUR 15

EDITOR: CARLY PENROSE | JANUARY 25, 2018 | ARGOSY@MTA.CA

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ACROSS 1. Sackville pub that’s no longer convenient 7. Taylor Swift seems to think she has one 15. An onion might make you do it 18. Mt. Crumpit and its hermit resident look down on this town in December 20. Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew 22. The most badass teletubby 23. To be gently transitioned 25. Not here, not there 27. Cable TV at the click of a button 29. Reggae-Rock musical genre

30. Imperial unit that’s longer than a foot, but shorter than a mile 33. Not from, on a gift tag 35. A mild WHMIS warning 37. A messy room might be compared to this 39. Like Elton John, Patrick Stewart or Bono 40. Smooch surface 43. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s Land 45. Iron Chancellor Bismarck’s first name 46. Just a pinch (cooking) 47. Bedazzling material 51. Ick!

ADVICE

52. You are __ ____ mind (2 wds) 54.Calendar code for courses like ecology or ornithology 55. No one man should have all of it 56. Network featuring Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole 57. Scientific uniform 60. To remove from a place/position 62. A bitter rant 64. Descriptor for goopy, thick liquid 66. Traditional Indian garment 68. The true nature of someone or something 69. Place Daddy Warbucks sang about in Annie 70. Home to Bangkok 71. How the gaelic may spell Sir McKellen’s first name 72. Enjoyable 74. Ages and ages 75. Hoops, chandelier and studs are all types of this 79. Like The Big Bang, germ or relativity 81. The second word in a giant’s famous chant 83. East of N.B. 84. “__ La-La!” 85. A mock one is being offered Feb. 3 at 9 a.m. in Dunn!

86. To feel angry or betrayed 87. Skin-softening butter 88. Not Pa DOWN 1. Not sour or salty 2. Oprah is a fan of these types of

moments 3. Just alright 4. Common Norwegian male name 5. A fusion language often associated with Jewish descent 6. More foxlike 7. This kind of therapy may harm your credit card 8. When Canada post and FedEx won’t do 9. Also 10. Dolla bill dispensers 11. Martial art ____ –wondo 12. Used to be 13. ____ and aah 14. Often precedes a married woman’s maiden name 16. Some video games which are still awaiting their appropriateness rating 17. “Cool guy” greeting 19. Florida elderly care facility named for Lourdes Noreen McKeen 21. Gene on the Y chromosome that starts production of testosterone 24. The largest Canadian province 26. Where the sun rises 28. Maritime university with a tiger as their mascot 31. Social customs or rituals 32. A lifeguard is around to avoid this 34. Company which used sentient mannequins in their ads 36. Where you may go for a manipedi if you don’t have time for the spa 38. Skin care products that claim to clear pores 41. Can be followed by trimeter,

THE DARK SIDE OF DANK MEMES

tetrameter or most commonly, pentameter 42. Courses in psychology on the academic calendar 44. The sixth sense 46. Their discs got you on the net 48. Come in the form of a tater or a child 49. A boo-boo 50. Rubber mistake-fixer 53. Chinese basketball player Ming 56. Activity in which having love is a very bad thing 58. Happens 59. Egyptian king with a famous tomb 61. Chemical bond, not cis63. “____ beloved, we are gathered here today…”

65. An eight-hour block of work 67. Along with outs, what you may teach a trainee 69. A constructive critique 72. Arch-enemy 73. Bill who loves science 75. Archaic literary term meaning “before” 76. Highest level of minor league baseball 77. How a veteran may refer to this 20-year war, in slang 78. Video game named after a crime 80. Where you might be rushed if you hurt yourself badly enough 82. Third person singular present tense of “to be” 84. It may follow 4 and 5, but not 1, 2 or 3 Find last week’s answers on The Argosy’s twitter! (@The_Argosy)

Wash your mouth out with … pods?

Replace the soap with chicken burgers, please SAME AS IT EVER WAS Contributor

TRILL WAVES Contributor Hello Mt. A community. It is Trill.

I hope you all had the pleasure of witness me on stage at Ducky’s on Friday night. If you didn’t, then let’s just say that the chords to Wonderwall and the lyrics of All Star go together surprisingly well.

I’ve once again decided to grace you with my exceptional advice. This week, I’m going to tell you how to be a very good kisser. As someone with a vast library of knowledge acquired through experience alone (and, like, three Youtube videos), I have lots to say on this topic! Without further ado, let’s get into the tips.

(Also, disclaimer: All of this assumes that the person you’re kissing is ok with you doing that and is enjoying doing it with you, which should be obvious, but I just thought it would be good to get that out there.)

Tip 1: First of all, you’re gonna maintain situational awareness at all costs. This means you will NOT ever close your eyes. When you close your eyes, you open yourself up to a potential attack from an assailant. Make sure you have your hands ready in a fighting position until you establish a safe perimeter.

Romance comes second, self-defence comes first. Once you’ve assessed

your surroundings and determined you are safe for the time being, you can start to focus more on kissing.

But make sure you regularly check your surroundings – you never know when THEY might come after you.

Tip 2: Technique. Technique is what will make out or break out the make-out. The ultimate technique is what I like to call the “tug-of-war.”

This is where you bite each other’s tongues and try to see who can pull the other’s further. Other acceptable techniques involve aggressively sucking on tongues, using only teeth and butterfly kissing (that weird nose thing that teenagers in the Deep South do). I’d say using only teeth is the closest second of all the techniques. Just keep bashing into each other, it’s pretty hot.

Tip 3: Often one of the difficult parts of kissing is knowing when to stop. The answer is never.

Continue steps 1 and 2 until you die. Death by macking. My dream.

I hope to see you putting these tips into practice. They’re probably the most applicable ones I’ve written so far, so, like, apply them.

Contact me on via Facebook under the name Trilliam Waves if you need any specific things you need my stellar advice on. Have a good week, nerds, and have fun kissin’.

Do you hear that? No, it’s not the people singing the song of angry men, or the echo of the beating drums. It’s the sound of a fresh start to another academic semester, which (unsurprisingly) sounds a whole lot like 2,300 undergrads all screaming and crying at the very same time. A new year also brings – you guessed it – more conspiracy theories to the figurative table, which means more sheeple realizing the truth that presents itself to us here in Sackville. In honour of 2YE, the party I attended in spirit but not in mind (RIP), let’s take a second to talk about New Year’s resolutions. Most people choose to aim for achievable goals like going for a run every week or launching themselves straight into the void (a.k.a. the tainted black pit of darkness that we call Swan Pond).

We all aim to be better versions of ourselves when the clock strikes 12 because maybe, just maybe, these next 365 days will be our year. If we aren’t trying to be better, we are hoping that without any effort we will improve, as if time isn’t just a social construct. Well, happy New Year to you, dear readers. Spoiler alert: 2018 has already started, and it’s just as much of a flaming pile of trash as 2017 was!

I don’t know what people who read this column do outside in their spare time besides, I don’t know, listen to Wonderwall or something?

Maybe reminisce about the good old days of the Renaissance? But, if I

had to guess, it’s probably along the same lines as almost every average university student ever: watch Netflix (or if you’re pretending to be trendy, Hulu or Amazon or something), go through metamorphosis on the weekends to obtain final form, procrastinate, sometimes socialize with actual humans, and, of course, participate in internet meme culture.

This is where things get interesting.

We just started a new flippin’ year, people, so why are we trying to ruin it by eating things we should not be eating?! If thoughts of the consumption of Tide Pods popped into your mind, you know exactly what I’m referring to. Where did these memes come from? What is their purpose? Can they reveal a deep truth about you as well as a Buzzfeed quiz about bread can? No. No, they can’t. However, despite the countless warnings and instructive videos telling people not to ingest these squishy little toxic cubes of joy, those darn teenagers will not only refuse to get off your lawn, but have decided to post videos of themselves biting into laundry detergent.

Sure, one might believe that this is all because of some instinct in the Homo sapiens mind that tells them that bright colours equals food.

But, what if the entire concept has been inserted into our simulation, not as a public spectacle or as a way of proving that the millennial generation has finally gone too far, but for marketing purposes? People are only consuming Tide Pods at the moment – why not Gain Flings or Cascade ActionPacs? Perhaps it’s

because the memes were created, not by some lonely rando meme lord, but by a highly woke head marketer who works for Tide. Think about it, who honestly talked about pods before the memes? Most people would probably focus on more important things when buying detergent, like price and the scent quality. Now, pods are the talk of the town! They’re not only great for your clothes but apparently fun for the whole family as well! It’s the exact same effect that all the Chicken McNugget memes are having on McDonald’s sales. I mean, yeah I guess nuggets are pretty decent, but have you ever tried the store-bought ones that are shaped like dinosaurs?

Nuggets weren’t even a part of our social culture until recently! Isn’t that a tad suspicious?

So, heed my warning, sheeple, and beware of what you come across on the internet, for ~they~ might just want you to react to what you think you’re seeing. Except for @ mountallisonmemes on Instagram – those are hilarious. Also, try to make 2018 less awful by consuming objects that are meant for human consumption instead of relying upon bright colours to tell you what to put in your mouth. In the long run, I think that those things alone might actually cause 2018 to be a better year than 2017.

Disclaimer: Seriously, people, you’re in university now. Do not eat laundry detergent.