The Campus- March 18th ' 20

Vol. 75, No.11

MARCH 18, 2020

Stressed since 1944

What’s Inside Coronavirus Pandemic Shocks The World| Page 2 Life Is Suffering| Page 5 Plastic Problem| Page 6 2020 Student Research Poster Competition| Page 8 Gaiters Fall To UQAM In The RSEQ| Page 10 Cover Page Photo Credits to Kennedy Fraser Design by Swapandeep Sandhu

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NEWS

THE CAMPUS MARCH 18 2020

Sarah Mojsej, News Editor » thecampus.news@gmail.com

THE EDITORS 2019-2020 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BRONWEN HOLDER thecampus.editor@gmail.com

SENIOR COPY EDITOR LOCH BAILLIE

thecampus.copyeditor@gmail.com

JUNIOR COPY EDITOR HUGH GODMAN

thecampus.jce@gmail.com

LAYOUT EDITOR SWAPANDEEP SANDHU thecampus.layout@gmail.com

BUSINESS MANAGER JUSTIN BRANT

thecampus.business@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR SARAH MOJSEJ

thecampus.news@gmail.com

OPINIONS EDITOR AARON HONE

thecampus.opinions@gmail.com

FEATURES EDITOR JESS LAPENNA

thecampus.features@gmail.com

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

TRINITY ANN MERRITHEW thecampus.ac@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITOR MATTEO NOBILE

thecampus.sports@gmail.com

GRAPHICS KATE SCHWARTZ

thecampus.graphics@gmail.com

ALLIE TRINQUE

thecampus.recruitment@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATORS FIONA DORAN SARAH MARIA ONYANGO

Coronavirus Pandemic Shocks the World

Fiona Doran Contributor

While issues like mass poverty and hunger are generally limited to developing countries, a virus pandemic can affect everyone, regardless of where in the world they are. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced earlier this week that it has updated the status of the coronavirus to a pandemic. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.”

Countries around the globe are trying to contain the spread of the virus, but is it just a little too late? While most would assume that more developed countries would be better equipped to handle a healthcare crisis, that hasn’t proven to be true. As it appears, some of the countries with the better responses are ones that most wouldn’t expect to be so prepared.

scramble to leave the “red zone.”

China, the epicentre of the pandemic, has more than 80,000 cases and has had more than 3,100 deaths since the virus’s emergence in the city of Wuhan in December. China’s government was able to enforce a lockdown in the province of Hubei by monitoring residential complexes, banning the use of private cars, forbidding residents from leaving their homes without permission and requiring anyone buying medicine to disclose health information like their temperature as well as their home address. A resident of Wuhan described it as a “living hell,” expressing that, “only China can lock down a city with millions of people at lightning speed.” This resident has requested to remain anonymous due to fear of reprimand for speaking critically of the Chinese government. While these measures are drastic and are dramatically affecting the lives of everyone under such strict regulations, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, “Even though there’s a lot of things that have unintended negative consequences of that ... I think they prevented a broader spread.”

In a surprising turn of events, Vietnam emerged as one of the countries with the most effective and swift response to dealing with the pandemic. The WHO cited such a quick response as a crucial step in containing the spread during the early stages. After only six confirmed cases, the country officially declared an epidemic on Feb. 1. The city where their outbreak started was put on lock down when more cases were confirmed, and officials were vigilant with “intensifying surveillance, enhancing laboratory testing, ensuring infection prevention and control and case management in healthcare facilities, clear risk communication message, and multi-sectoral collaboration,” says WHO official Dr. Kidong Park. While there is no cure yet, patients have been treated with doctor surveillance, healthy diets, and monitored oxygen saturation levels. Moreover, the Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do instructed schools to disinfect classrooms before classes resume. Bans on wildlife trade were put into place as an extra precaution.

On the other side of Eurasia, Italy experienced a recent spike in the number of reported cases, specifically in its northern regions. Within a few days of the virus spreading, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared all of Italy a “red zone,” meaning that people should only leave their homes to go to work or in the case of an emergency.

As a result of Conte’s declaration, sports games, schools, universities, and places for divertissement like museums and theatres have been closed and will not reopen until April 3. This reaction has been seen as the most dramatic measure yet. While the virus spreads around Europe, a similar reaction can be expected as confirmed cases in other countries continue to rise. Unfortunately, the communication of such information was not presented effectively. Important documents were leaked before the cabinet officially releasing them, causing people to

In an almost completely opposite response, Iran was accused of hiding information about the number of confirmed cases and deaths from the public in an attempt to avoid a lack of voter turnout amidst their parliamentary elections on Feb. 21. Since then, public gatherings have been cancelled and the screening of air travellers at departure gates has been implemented. The U.S. is being blamed for the lack of supplies, such as masks, ventilators and test kits available to Iran because of the sanctions. Throughout Iran’s attempt at limiting the spread of the virus, a number of top officials have contracted the disease, with 71-year-old senior advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dying last week.

Regardless of how countries are currently reacting, this is only the beginning. Universities in the U.S. and Canada are being moved online, study abroad programs are being cancelled, and travellers are being advised to self-quarantine. Unfortunately, it seems that these actions are too late to limit the spread of the coronavirus. As more countries put travel bans in place, people who don’t understand the severity of the situation are becoming frustrated. From the perspective of a young, healthy student, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Yet, it’s those young, healthy people that end up being carriers of the virus and infect older and immunocompromised people. It is important to remember not to give in to the hysteria and make sure that the information being spread is accurate. Just remember these important things: cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands. That should be pretty easy; we learned it in kindergarten.

PHOTOGRAPHERS THERESA GRAHAM STEPHEN LEVAC ANNABELLE MORGAN THIS ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS Amy Svotelis Catherine Blais David Rossiter Dr. Steven Woodward Merrin Haver Rachel Bayer Sonia Patenaude

Alpha Phi

Sarah Mojsej News Editor

Hey, BU! I’m Merrin, the VP of Community Relations for Alpha Phi. This semester we are focused on community service. Last semester, we were able to raise over $400 for Women’s Heart Health Research and over $300 for Mental Health Estrie! This semester, we have partnered with Best Buddies BU and have already had an amazing Karaoke Night. We cannot wait for our upcoming Paint Night & Bingo.

We hope that more of our Purple Community will join us!

If Alpha Phi is something that you think might interest you, let us know on Facebook or Instagram @bualphaphi.

SINCE 1944

Stock Market Plunges as Coronavirus Fear Escalates

NEWS Sarah Mojsej News Editor

Around the world, stock markets are plummeting as investors grow weary of coronavirus. On Wednesday, March 11, the World Health Organization officially classified the virus as a health pandemic due to its continued propagation around the world at an alarming rate. Canada now has over 100 confirmed cases and the United States reached 1000 cases on Wednesday.

Experts have warned about the possibility of the virus triggering a 2020 worldwide economic recession. This week, the Dow Jones tumbled into “bear territory,� meaning it had fallen more than 20 per cent from the prior month. At one point last week, the New York Stock Exchange halted trading for 15 minutes after stocks dove tremendously. Such a measure is done to minimize losses that can be seen once the market is reopened.

Outside of the United States, stock markets have all capped losses within the last week. In Australia, the S&P/ASK 200 ended 7.3 per cent lower than when it opened on Monday. This same decline was seen in Asian and European markets. U.S. oil prices have also taken a tumble with trading declining by 23 per cent.

This stressful pandemic has reached civil society as well. Numerous Ivy League universities have cancelled their classes and some businesses are ordering their employees to work from home. On Wednesday, March 11, the Trump Administration announced a thirty-day travel ban prohibiting Americans from travelling to and from Europe. While Canada has not been affected by border restrictions, Air Canada has acted by cancelling all flights to and from Italy for the next thirty days. The Trudeau government has pledged $1 billion to fight the virus and to ensure containment efforts.

As of Friday, March 13, Laurentian University in Northern Ontario is the only Canadian post-secondary institution to move its classes online.

Experts indicate the world was on a realm of a global recession. Coronavirus could be the inciting event of worldwide economic contraction.

Retrieved from: https://time.com/5793506/a-stock-market-crash-was-comingcoronavirus-was-just-the-spark/

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OPINIONS

THE CAMPUS MARCH 18 2020

Aaron Hone Opinions Editor » thecampus.opinions@gmail.com

I’m Sober. It’s hard, but I love it.

Grey Lorbetskie Contributor

I finally realized that I had a problem. It manifested as a lurking intensity: every moment I was sober lingered the desire to get high or drunk. I excused it as unwinding at the end of a hard day. “Weed makes me more creative” I said, or, “I can’t socialize if I’m not tipsy”. I felt like I could truly be myself, uninhibited by my social anxiety.

I know a lot of addicts, but all their stories seemed so different from mine. I couldn’t relate to my friends who got drunk alone at a seedy bar every night. I wasn’t like them.

I liked to drink with people, but smoke alone. I knew my weed habit was not healthy, but thought I was powerless over it. My nihilistic brain would justify it, thinking “we’re all going to die someday, so why quit? Everyone has their vices”. Eventually my life fully revolved around weed. Whenever I ran out, I had a personal crisis and all my energy that day was spent trying to figure out how I could get more. My everyday morning, evening and night bowl of keef started to give me panic attacks, and panic characterized my state of mind when sober and high. That’s when I realized that I needed to stop.

It wasn’t easy. Quitting was easily one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and it required an entire restructuring of my social and personal life. The first three weeks were the hardest; that’s when the insomnia set in. I relied on a bowl before bed to sleep, and when that was gone, I laid in bed awake thinking about how easy it would be if I was stoned.

But I was determined to feel what my body could feel like without the accumulated THC. As the withdrawal diminished, I began to have dreams again. There is plenty of scientific evidence that points to the cannabis-induced suppression of dreams. I hadn’t realized how much I missed dreaming, and that became a reason for my sobriety. Sometimes the smallest, seemingly insignificant details can make the difference between sobriety and relapse.

Social events became simultaneously more difficult and surprisingly easier. Whenever people smoked around me at parties, I had to channel all my power into saying no. I had fear of missing out on amazing highs with my friends, but as soon as one of them started having a weed induced panic attack, it reminded me of why I chose sobriety. I realized that I didn’t miss the nightly panic attacks and the social humiliation of tripping balls at parties.

The creative influence of weed was another difficult hurdle to jump over. Painting and smoking weed became a ritual that I loved; it defined part of my personality. I was the stereotypical psychedelic art kid. I relished in the thought that I was a creative stoner.

I had to break with the romanticized spectre of my stoner personality, and that had to begin by getting my sober creative juices flowing. I began painting sober and found that I was more deliberate than before. Finding sobriety broke me out of a repetitive cycle where I was painting the same kinds of ideas or images over and over. My creativity critically developed alongside my sobriety.

When I quit weed, I thought I was done. Problem solved. I had achieved peak enlightenment. Weed was my main vice, and I drank socially. Drinking wasn’t an issue, yet. Many addicts describe the compulsion to consume as “the need to fill the void”. This is something I strongly identify with. As my depression began to become more immediate when I quit weed, I needed something else to fill the void. That’s when I began seriously drinking. Whenever I craved weed, I would opt to drink. The same pattern was created. I would drink a nice stout while writing an essay because it helped me think more clearly.

I loved the extravert I became when I drank, until I was shamefully throwing up in the bathroom of the club or in the flowerpots outside. I started to realize that the substance itself didn’t matter; whatever filled the void did the trick. The emptiness was never really filled by substance abuse, it only postponed the feeling. As someone who values

their independence, the shame I felt after a night out and my strong dependence on substances was weighing on my self-esteem.

Unlike many people who struggle with substance abuse, I was lucky enough to have a close friend that was open about their involvement in a 12-step program. I considered going for months but had a hard time self-identifying as an addict or an alcoholic.

There were times when I could just have one, harmless beer. But other days, I would drink uncontrollably and the day after would be reserved for recovery. The impact that substances had on my life was unignorable. After a particularly rough night, hungover beyond belief, I decided to go to my first 12 step meeting with my close friend. Their support, and the help and compassion I received from other close friends gave me the strength I needed to take the plunge. While not everyone has the guidance of someone deeply invested in a program, discussing your experience with substances with those you trust is essential to understanding the steps needed to reach a healthy relationship with them.

Living on or near a university campus further complicates things. Binge drinking can feel all consuming; sobriety can feel like exclusion. I am one and a half months sober.

I never thought I would get here. I don’t think I even planned to get here. Every day I would think to myself: just stay sober tonight. For those who are considering sobriety, the process is so much easier when we just take it one day at a time. Making lofty goals aimed at a month or a year of sobriety can be overwhelming and feel impossible, and it’s easy to relapse when sobriety seems so far away. Ultimately, whether sobriety is your goal or not, be gentle with yourself and open up to those you trust.

This article is intended to provide readers with insight into my lived experience with addiction and sobriety. As someone so new to sobriety, advice is not necessarily mine to give. All I can really advocate is to take things one step at a time.

FO LLOW US O N LIN E /thecampus

@thebucampus

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OPINIONS

SINCE 1944

Life is Suffering

Josh Hoekstra Contributor

According to a particular Buddhist teaching, life is suffering (Duhkha – first of the four noble truths). This much is true; who could deny the pain every life bears witness to?

At the same, it is also completely inadequate in describing the vast breadth of human experience. The life of self also at times is pure bliss; intoxicatingly overpowering, sweet and enveloping. In the embrace of another, my name when whispered in the dead of night evokes warmth in the deepest recesses of my being. I do not accept or choose the warmth of love in this instant, rather it accepts and grabs ahold of me – a unique and individual person. It seems as if all instances of love operate similarly, being derived from intimate contact whether that be in the emotional, social, physical, even natural world.

It, love, is predicated on a sort of experience that grabs us in a most unique way, free of personal control or choice. Implied within the statement “falling in love” is this loss of selfhood. Perhaps it would be better described as having love fall into us. Even for theoretical subjects one may come to love contemplating, as a form of experience that moves into us through those particular books, speech acts, and thought of a particular kind. And seemingly the love that we would lose our self for in whole, the highest kind of love, is constantly compelling us to give up aspects of self to let love shine in and fill that absence. Love then is a turn, an orientation of sorts, the opening and entering of a door, movement away from self; outwards and beyond into the world.

Yet while love gives meaning to our experience, continually filling us, in modern culture the intimacy it is predicated upon is continually broken up and moved away from.

Alienation in Marxist theory is a consequence for our individual self, if a member of the working class; that the producer is alienated from their essence as a creative producer.

A deeper more nuanced alienation however exists within the delocalization of supply chains, and increased division of labor. The people who operate in the dehumanizing abusive manufacturing centers of South East Asia as faceless are easily ignored but how

Staying Calm

much harder is it to ignore the homeless person who I happen across on my path.

The capitalist modern culture we exist within impedes the intimate encounters and relationship with the world that would otherwise happen and draw us into dialogue with it. Love as that thing which orients us outside of our self, beyond our self, is neglected by the liberal project which bases the person and in extension the world upon an anthropology of self-interest. The world is thought of always in reference to self; its utility and desires. This conception of self, even when motivated by emancipatory hopes, is in reference to a human being and world detached from how we encounter it in the immediate; a world outside of us that continually calls us to response as it dictates through a mediated selfhood.

Movement away from the self and into a loving relationship with the world implies that we look beyond our selfish desires to hear what is needed; an orientation of our actions within the world. Moving beyond self, being filled with love through an encounter with the world less hindered by selfish obstacles allows for a clear response to need without compromise.

When I saw the clear-cut valleys, the love I have for nature grabbed ahold of me, calling my actions into question. While we can always allow desires of selfhood to impede upon our loves, (and this kind of process is not a linear one) if we consent to it, a response to what we must do in the singular intimate situations of everyday life becomes apparent.

While I struggle with being a vegetarian (amongst a lot of other things) my love for the world and thus my own place within it (a thing that will live and die) calls me personally towards it. The degree to which we accept this love and thus its responsibility in intimate encounters is really the only choices we get in life.

Aaron Hone Opinion Editor

As a person with a panic disorder, the advent of the COVID-19 situation has been trying. More than anything, the experience has been an education in learning how to remain calm. The day before writing this, I was sitting in the library attempting to prepare a presentation that I had to give the following week. Like most, I find periodic breaks in my focus where I am brought to mindlessly and habitually rotate through social media platforms where I passively absorb the latest crisis.

Normally I am well adjusted to the general state of disarray that my screen presents to me. But by some perfect storm of worry and sensory overload, I was whipped into a tizzy. The classic panic attitude: catastrophizing. No matter where I looked, every post, every email, every story pertained to the COVID-19 outbreak. Even those seated around me: they began to whisper about the cancellation of campus events, and I could sense the mood of the room altering.

At that moment it felt as though the entire universe had shrunk to fit the surface of a pin. My existence had reached a critical mass: I could see the future and it was dismal – my fate and the fate of all those around me was determined and sealed. Rather than writing any more of my presentation, which would have demanded a Herculean effort, I fed the beast and read all that I could, and indiscriminately.

In the days prior I had found reliable sources and gotten myself to a place where I was confident in my safety and knew no serious harm would befall me, so long as I took the adequate precautions. But in the moment, these truths could not be more distant from my thought. I would feed off every source of negativity available, reinforcing and aggravating my self-destructive spiral.

When I regained the necessary sense and a semblance of calm, I left the library.

Suddenly, I was hit by a wave of comfort – the sky was blue, and the air was fresh and cool. The catastrophe unfolding inside of me was met with a momentary collapse in my realization that life had continued, by and large, as per usual. The tempo and intensity of life as I had experienced it through the light of my phone, in the frantic conversations of my library-dwelling peers, was shown false. The peace sustained, at least, until I got home.

Friends had congregated at my partners apartment, one which neighboured mine. The air was cluttered with question and excitement, and I sought a moment’s respite in my room. What I found was far from it – a rasp and a sniffle greeted me through my roommate’s voice – and again the panic set in. I messaged my parents, I worryingly notified my partner, who was already exhausted. I received many a frantic message from

my mother who shared in my inclination to catastrophize, and my worry touched all those I lived with – the sniffler especially.

The moment that broke my despair was a realization of the impact I was having on my peers – my reckless desire to seek comfort in absolute security was spreading unrest like wildfire. My partner had been overwhelmed by the whole affair and pointed out to me, rather obliquely, that I was largely at fault for the localized panic which had set in. This sobered me immediately.

I have seen many statements in the media reminding us that stress and panic is hard on our bodies and should be avoided, in order to best protect one’s health. But panic is far more than a drain on the body’s resources and toilet paper or towelettes – and it spreads more quickly than any virus possibly could. What keeps me strong and stable in these times which are trying for all of us, not just those with my predisposition, is the recognition that it only takes one person’s submission to despair to drain a whole community of its sanity.

FEATURES

6 FEATURES

THE CAMPUS MARCH 18 2020

Jess Lapenna, Features Editor » thecampus.features@gmail.com

Becoming a Student Portfolio Manager Portfolio management is one of the most coveted jobs on the market. However, it is usually accompanied by tremendous pressure and stress. In this line of work, the stakes are high and mistakes are unacceptable. As odd as it may seem, I will become a portfolio manager next month at only 22 years old. Four colleagues and I will be managing a fund of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Perhaps even more remarkable, I actually feel confident about becoming a portfolio manager. My confidence does not stem from a belief that I possess superior investment insight or skill. Rather, my confidence comes from knowing that I will be working in a supportive environment. I am not heading off to Wall Street for this position, nor Bay Street. I’ll be taking on the role right here on campus as part of the SEED Portfolio.

The SEED Portfolio is one of our university’s premiere experiential learning opportunities. It is a way to learn the intricacies of stock investing from industry professionals in a serious yet supportive atmosphere. It’s interesting, it’s exciting, and it’s hard work!

The SEED portfolio began 22 years ago when Mr. Williams gave a substantial donation to our university’s business school, which now bears his name.

Williams requested that $200,000 of the donation go toward creating a student-managed investment fund, and the SEED portfolio was born. Professor Sylvie Béquet has overseen the fund since its inception. Over this time, the fund has grown from $200,000 to just over $452,000. In fact, before the recent corona shock (see “Market Plunges as Coronavirus Fear Escalates” in the news section), the fund was worth $618,000. Note that, throughout the shock (since January), the fund has succeeded in outperforming the S&P index of the Toronto Stock Exchange (S&P/TSX) by over four percentage points—a fund’s performance is evaluated relative to the performance of the broader market, in this case, represented by the S&P/TSX. Now, allow me to explain how the SEED program is structured. The SEED program lasts two years. In the first

Plastic Problem

Hugh Godman Junior Copy Editor

year, you enter as a Research Assistant (RA). Being an RA has taught me how to understand a given company and how to valuate it. To understand a company, we consider qualitative factors, such as its business model—a high-level picture of how a business makes profit after expenses—and the way its management is compensation—are its executive officers given bonuses for short-term success or long-term success? Do they own much stock in the company? (This would personally incentivize them to act in the best interest of the stockholder.) Of course, we also learn about quantitative aspects like financial metrics and valuation methods such as the discounted free cash flows model.

Each month, the team of RAs produces a report for the portfolio’s board with the support of Professor Béquet. This The SEED Portfolio team of 2019–2020 at Beyond the Bubble board is comprised of SEED alumni that now work in the financial sector in cities Alternatively, there is the role of Strategist. Strategists across the country. Via conference calls, the members of the board listen to our findings and offer decide how much funds will be invested in each of the their thoughts and queries. It’s during these calls that I sectors (energy, information technology, industrials, truly catch a glimpse of how finance professionals think. etc.). Such decisions are made based on an analysis Just recently, for example, they brought me to realize of macroeconomic trends. Strategists also begin as that because an aircraft leasing company is essentially Research Assistants for a year, though their research making an interest spread, it should be valuated as you will be macro economic focussed in lieu of being firmwould valuate a financial institution rather than as you focussed. Strategists receive three credits per semester.

Research Assistants receive none. would valuate an airline.

In the second year of the SEED program, you become a portfolio manager. This is when you get to decide what stocks to hold, what stocks to buy, and what stocks to sell. You continue to work closely with Professor Béquet and the board, but the choice is yours. Moreover, as a Portfolio Manager, you receive three academic credits per semester.

If you would like to be a part of the SEED Portfolio, now is the time; we’re currently recruiting Research Assistants for next year. To apply, email your resume, as well as a letter stating why you would like to join the SEED Portfolio, to Professor Béquet at sylvie.bequet@ubishops. ca. Applications are due Sunday, March 22.

Jess Lapenna Features Editor

The Plastics may have been a popular group in the movie Mean Girls, but even in the end, everyone was better off without them.

On a more serious note, in the real world, plastics are a ubiquitous part of our everyday life; it’s in our vehicles, furniture, and even in our clothing. Depending on the thickness of the plastic, it can take up to a thousand years to decompose in landfills or it ends up in the oceans where it destroys aquatic life and essentially disturbs the entire food web. As plastics break down in the environment, they don’t fully degrade, they only break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic called microplastics, and release toxins as they do so. In other words, plastic never fully disappears from our environment.

The main plastic is produced is for disposable packaging or other shortlived products that are discarded within a year of being manufactured. Kind of a counterproductive material that has a short consumption period with long and damaging effects to our environment. While plastic production has increased drastically, our individual and global efforts of waste management and disposal have grown lazy or ignorant to the consequences it is causing to our planet.

The biggest problem with plastic is that it possesses so many unique properties desired by manufacturers. The demand for plastic is high, but there are insufficient

management protocols to deal with its abundance. You might remember the three “Rs” from elementary school: reduce, reuse, recycle. But what if I told you that much of the plastic being collected for recycling gets shipped to countries with lower environmental standards? If you’re like me, you’d think that this is an incredible waste of energy and resources. Countries need to come together and stop putting economic reasoning over environmental health. For such a high demand material, stricter management and recycling regulations should be implemented.

As humans, we have the ability to make choices every day to reduce our consumption of single-use plastic products. There are many eco-friendly alternatives to plastic products such as reusable water bottles, reusable shopping bags, metal or pasta stir sticks, and metal or paper drinking straws. While these are just individual efforts, the real problem begins with the manufacturers who mass-produce this toxic material.

Unfortunately, nationwide or even global policy changes can take years to implement.

In June 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will ban harmful single-use plastics such as plastic bags, straws, cutlery, plates and stir sticks as early as 2021. If one country can do it, who’s to say the rest can’t do it?

FEATURES

7

SINCE 1944

Green Alternative Products: They’re Not All Weird I get a lot of environmental-related targeted ads. Some of them present themselves as, “This may seem insane, but there are green alternatives,” which seems really odd to me because none of them are all that whacky. Except that’s probably just my upbringing.

My superhero of a mother had three children in cloth diapers at the same time. I know she did it for health benefit reasons and, although she’s never expressly said it, given what I know about my mom, I’m sure she also did it for environmental reasons.

What I’m getting at her e is that not everyone had such a “granola” upbringing as me. Some of you might be surprised by what these ads are trying to sell me. So here are some things that may not have occurred to you, but I hope don’t seem insane. I promise I won’t tell you to use apple cider vinegar for everything you do.

Let’s start off easy: containers and mugs. I’m guessing we’re all pretty familiar with this concept even if it’s not a lifestyle you have personally adopted. No one thinks “well THAT’S different” when they see someone bring a reusable travel mug into Tim’s.

We are still kind of in the collective societal mindset that it’s weird to bring your own container to a restaurant to bring home your leftovers. But screw that, do it anyway; normalize it. My leftovers at home don’t go in Styrofoam, so my restaurant leftovers shouldn’t either.

Cloth bags are becoming mandatory in Sherbrooke as of April 22. So, get on that train if you aren’t already. Did you know you can bring cloth bags to more than just grocery stores? And if you forgot to bring a bag out thrifting with you, it’s perfectly acceptable to carry your latest addition to your dad shirt collection just in your hands (I may be projecting purchasing habits again).

I wash my hair with bars. You know how you can either buy liquid soap in a plastic container or a bar of soap with little to no packaging? Well, the same goes for

shampoo and conditioner. Bonus points if you support a local artisan while you’re at it. It feels weird the first few times you run a brick through your hair, but it’s easy to get used to.

In fact, most personal care products have green alternatives that don’t look like the “regular” kind but have better ingredients. You can buy enviro-toothpaste, or you can buy toothpaste solids (I’m personally a fan of Lush’s toothy tabs). You can buy enviro-deodorant, or you can buy the kind in a jar (or make it yourself if you’re into DIYs).

If you’re a regular reader of this column (if you are, thank you), you’ll know that I use handkerchiefs instead of disposable tissues. But I understand that, especially right now, people want the things they put right up in their face to be as sanitary as possible. My argument to that is that you don’t trust yourself to do laundry correctly and that sounds like a you problem.

Period products, people! I’ve been getting a lot of these ads for cloth pads, which just seems ridiculous to me because I’ve been using cloth pads literally since I started getting my period; it’s not some whacky idea that the internet needs to convince me of. Maybe I need to convince you, though. I’m also a big fan of the Diva Cup. You can also buy reusable sea sponge tampons if that’s more your jam.

I have a friend who swears by paper towel and can’t imagine cleaning with rags. I, on the other hand, can’t imagine cleaning my house with single-use products.

I wash my dishes and floors with cloths and it’s very easy to just throw them in the laundry (along with my handkerchief).

The point I’m trying to get to is that using green products doesn’t have to be onerous. It’s something small that you just need to get used to. The one thing I personally cannot get on board with (not yet at least) is the reusable Q-tip that Facebook specifically is trying to push on me. A box of Q-tips lasts me about two years; I’m not killing the planet all that much with this, right?

How to Win a Court Case for an Incomplete Stop Like any other teenager, I was eager to get my licence and have a little freedom in my life. I had started working and saving up so that as soon as I turned 16, I was ready to register for driving school. Not only is driving school very expensive, but it’s also a pretty long process in Quebec (13 months of training… if all goes well), so you can imagine my frustration when getting pulled over for traffic violations.

I like to think I’m a good driver, but in the six years that I’ve had my full licence, I’ve gotten pulled over three times for incomplete stops (not a bad record, but still an annoying reason to get a ticket). To give you an idea, it was a $179 fine and three demerit points. At the time, I was under the age of 23 and only had eight demerit points to spare (with my three tickets, I would have lost my licence a long time ago). Now, I could go on about the ridiculous amounts of stop signs in my town, or the fact that cops just sit around waiting for you to fuck up, but instead I decided to make a how-to guide on how to get out of the punishment.

Luckily, I decided to test my luck on my first ticket and I contested it. I dressed in my Sunday’s best, took the piercings out of my face, and put on the nicest attitude I could summon. To say the least, I was prepared and it paid off. By the time I contested my third ticket, it

Catherine Blais Environmental Club Co-Lead

was like second nature to me. So, here’s what you have to do if you find yourself in a similar situation: How Many Cops?

The most important factor when contesting a stop sign violation ticket is to remember how many cops were at the scene. If there were two cops and you were alone, you might be out of luck. No matter how good you make your case, a judge is likely to side with the two cops instead of you. I luckily only had one cop present for all my cases.

Study the Ticket

You’ll be surprised at how detailed the cops need to make their reports. The more details you can remember about the incident, the more likely the judge will believe your statement. I’m talking about the day of the week, the time of day, the weather conditions, who else was on the road around you; all these factors seem small, but they’re important. (You also need to contest the ticket within 30 days to be eligible for a court case!)

Take Photos of the Scene

After reading the ticket, it should tell you where the cop was sitting and how far away they were from you. Take photos from your point of view at the stop sign and the cop’s point of view from where he saw you. The

Anonymous Contributor

more trees and shrubs in the way, the better your case will be, cops don’t have X-ray vision. Print these photos and bring them to your court date.

Court Date

After contesting your ticket, the courthouse will send you a letter with the date and time of your court hearing. Don’t be late. This is the most important part of the process; all the preparation is ready to be tested. You need to remember every detail of the incident. While the details of my three tickets were different, there were a few key phrases that I think really helped my case: “I stopped my vehicle just before the stop line.

All four wheels came to a complete stop.

I looked left, right, left, as I was taught in driving school.”

I truly believed this was how I won all three of my incomplete stop court cases. I’ve spent a lot of time in that courtroom listening to other people plead their case, and not everyone was successful. Saying things like “I know I did my stop because I always do a proper stop” is not going to fly with any judge.

So, the next time you find yourself in a similar situation, remember this article. I hope it helps you get out of a hefty fine and some demerit points. But most importantly, drive safely and drive responsibly.

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ARTS&CULTURE

THE CAMPUS MARCH 18 2020

Trinity Ann Merrithew, Arts & Culture Editor » thecampus.ac@gmail.com

Roll Out the Red Carpet for Our Annual Bishop’s University Film Festival (BUFF) Gala Dr. Steven Woodward Contributor

Date: March 27, 2020 Time: 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Venue: Centennial Theatre Come out to this red-carpet event to see fantastic short films made by Bishop’s students. Witness the inflation of egos and the making of careers as our illustrious panel of judges names the best works in a range of categories. Complimentary refreshments and a vote for the “Audience Choice” award are included with your ticket, available after reading week.

Photo Courtesy of ubishops.ca

2020 Student Research Poster Com-

Amy Svotelis Contributor

Bishop’s is hosting its annual Student Research Poster competition. Occurring in the Centennial Lobby from March 23 to 27, 2020, the competition allows students to showcase research and activities they have recently conducted.

Students who have led or participated in research as honours students, as master’s students (co-supervised by a Bishop’s professor), as research assistants in independent studies, in a B.E.S.T. or McConnell projects or in summer USRA/FRQSC research assistantships are invited to register.

We’re inviting both graduate and undergraduate students to participate. The deadline to submit to the competition is Monday, March 9, 2020.

For more information regarding the event visit: ubishops.ca/research-excellence/poster-

Musique Chez Nous - Sam Kirmayer Sextet

Sonia Patenaude Director of Musique

Date: March 27, 2020 Time: 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Bandeen Hall One of CBC Music’s picks for the “35 Best Canadian Jazz Musicians Under 35,” guitarist and composer Sam Kirmayer has released two albums as a leader: Opening Statement (Chromatic Audio, 2017) and High and Low (Cellar Live, 2018). His playing has been described as “no pretense or posturing, only musical sincerity” (Jazz Guitar Life) and “never overstated and always expressed with good taste.” (All About Jazz). Kirmayer’s new project sees him stepping out as a composer and arranger with a program of new original works for a sextet comprised of young New Yorkers and Montreal heavyweights.

SPORTS

SINCE 1944

Matteo Nobile, Sports Editor » thecampus.sports@gmail.com

Buzzer Beater Sends Gaiters to Final 8 Saturday night was electric in Bishop’s Mitchell Gymnasium. The RSEQ men’s basketball league championship was at stake and was being hosted on the Gaiters’ home turf. Bishop’s faced the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins in the title game. Bishop’s finished the regular season with an identical record to UQAM at eight wins and eight losses. This made for somewhat of a unique championship as the final two teams were seeded third and fourth respectively coming into playoffs.

Two semifinal upsets later, we were set for an exciting, evenly matched championship game.

Not only were the two teams competing for the Quebec league title, but a berth to the Final 8 national championship tournament was also at stake. The home court advantage was real for this one as a raucous crowd of 931 Bishop’s faithfuls packed the gym. The purple and grey crowd was not disappointed as they were treated to a game of a lifetime.

A tight game from tip-off until the very end, the lead changed several times between teams keeping fans on the edge of their seats. After tying the first quarter and a close second, the Gaiters pulled ahead slightly in the third. They entered the final frame with a seven-point lead, the biggest of the night. However, UQAM began to climb back in the game eventually tying it and taking the lead for the first time all half. This set the stage for some unforgettable last-minute heroics by senior Joany CastorThadel.

With a mere 15 seconds remaining in the game, the Gaiters trailed the Citadins by two points. Bishop’s had possession of the ball after a time-out and successfully inbounded to centre Jordan Thornhill. After a couple of passes at the top of the key, Thornhill swung it to guard Ibrahim Ngom. Ngom then passed it off to all-star Nervens Demosthene who quickly hit Joany Castor-Thadel. Castor-Thadel jumped up for the three-point attempt and so did the entire home crowd in anticipation. The ball seemed to hang in mid-air for a moment before swishing through the bucket touching nothing but net.

David Rossiter Contributor

Bishop’s was seeded sixth out of the eight participating teams. They faced off against the third ranked University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the first round. The format of this national championship tournament followed the exciting model used in NCAA’s March Madness: single knockout elimination. So the winner moves on and the loser goes home, simple as that.

Unfortunately, UBC’s high-scoring offence was just too much for Bishop’s to handle.

Bishop’s battled hard but the Thunderbirds could not be contained as they used thirty-point 1st and 3rd quarters to put the game out of the Gaiters’ reach. Guards Ibrahim Ngom and Connor Kelly led the gaiters in scoring with 16 and 13 points respectively. When the buzzer sounded, the final score showed 103-66.

This was the end of the road for the Gaiters and their national championship hopes.

It was not their final game, however. The tournament had a consolation round for the four teams that lost their first-round matchups. Bishop’s was slated to play the University of Ottawa GeeGees.

Bishop’s students and alumni, as well as friends and family, provided support at the matchup despite their Gaiters no longer being in the championship hunt. They were treated to a much closer and more competitive match between two top Canadian teams. In an exciting finish, the GeeGees scored a game-winning three-point shot with two seconds remaining to bring home a 77-75 win.

Despite not making it as far as they may have hoped, the national championship tournament in Ottawa was an overall positive experience for the Gaiters. This sentiment was echoed by Connor Kelly, who, reflecting on the season as a whole, had this to say: “This season provided a lot of ups and downs throughout the course of the year. I was proud of how we stuck together through the tough times and came together to capture our goal of winning the RSEQ championship.” That is true, the 2019/2020 Bishop’s Gaiters will always be the men’s basketball champions!

The crowd instantly erupted into a joyous celebration. That shot was picture perfect and was shared among Gaiters fans in days to come. The play itself was so memorable it was shared on TSN’s plays of the week alongside a montage of exclusively pro sports clips. It was the play of Joany Castor-Thidel’s career, a great moment in his last game in front of the purple crowd.

The aftermath was a scene of glory with fans cheering, friends and family celebrating on the court and players lifting the championship trophy.

Connor Kelly, a sophomore guard who hit some huge three-pointers in the game, had this to say about the exciting finish: “It was a pretty surreal feeling. We’ve been working towards this goal since August and to see the shot go in and know that we were champs was a dream come true.”

It was a quick turnaround for the Gaiters squad as they were faced with their next challenge. Just one week following their championship victory, the team loaded the bus and headed for Ottawa. The USports Final 8 tournament included teams from coast to coast. Competing with teams from outside of the RSEQ, Bishop’s faced some stiff competition.

Photo Courtesy of Emery G

SPORTS

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THE CAMPUS MARCH 18 2020

Gaiters Fall to UQAM in the RSEQ Our women’s basketball team took a very tough loss against the UQAM Citadins on Feb. 26 in the RSEQ semifinals. The final score was 61-48 in favour of the Citadins. This upset ended the season for the Gaiters.

At half, the Gaiters managed to grab the lead, up 23-21, but a hot second half by the Citadins left a devastating loss for the Gaiters. Inga Aleksaite had a big height advantage over the rest of the court and it helped her grab 20 boards and she finished with 14 points. Clara Blachier led all players with 19 points and helped secure their win with 12 of her points coming in the final quarter. The Gaiters appeared to execute their systems properly, but they seemed to struggle shooting. They were only able to drop 23 per cent of their field goal attempts and only 17 per cent from behind the arc.

The Gaiters will look forward to their next season with Jael Kabunda, who was the first-ever Gaiters recipient of the Kathy Shields Award, which is awarded to the country’s rookie of the year. Although she was labelled as undersized for a forward,

Matteo Nobile Sports Editor

her aggressive style allowed her to average a double-double throughout the season. Her season averages were 14.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She finished second in the conference for both points and rebounding. We look forward to seeing what Kabunda will be able to accomplish next season!

Amaiquen Siciliano was rewarded for her efforts this year by being added to the first team all Canadian. She also took home the RSEQ player of the year award. She found herself at the top of leader boards, averaging 21.5 points per game which was the best in the conference. She also leads the conference with 2.2 steals a game and finished third in assists. Just in her second year, it is hard to believe there is more to come from Siciliano.

These young women made huge improvements this year, finishing with ten wins compared to the two they finished with last year. Things are moving in a great direction for the Gaiters and we are excited to see what they will bring to the court next year!

Photo Courtesy of Emery G

“L

and Acknowledgement: We acknowledge the Abenaki people and the Wabanaki Confederacy, the traditional stewards and protectors of the territories upon which we are learning. In performing land acknowledgment, we make what was invisible visible, and invite the land, the First Nations people, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into our conversations. This act of naming – of inviting something into language – is an underlying principle of advocacy and lies at the heart of higher education. The etymology of advocacy is ad (to add) + vocare (call or voice): the origin of the word’s meaning is to give voice to something or to call out in order to initiate dialogue. The “ad” prefix makes explicit the importance of multiple voices – and by extension multiple perspectives. In this sense, advocacy compels us to acknowledge a diversity of thoughts and opinions as a starting point rather than as an ideal outcome. In institutions of higher learning, we have a responsibility to honour spaces for emerging and established voices to engage in productive, respectful, and sometimes even uncomfortable conversations where individuals are safe to speak truth to power, explore and challenge dominant ideologies, and call out injustices and inequalities in order to imagine new ways of existing.”

Dr. Jessica Riddell