Travelling to downtown Sherbrooke

Bridget Boucher, Arts & Culture Editor » thecampus.ac@gmail.com

Manu Bissonnette Contributor

It’s official: the last standing piece of hangout-friendly land in Southern Quebec has fallen into the hands of COVID-19. With the red zone regulations now in effect in Estrie (see Cassie MacDonell’s article on page 2), hanging out with friends in a pandemic-safe way seems harder than flying to Australia for winter break. However, the city of Sherbrooke offers an interesting solution that combines both safe in-person friend time and a sense of travelling: sightseeing tours in the beautiful city centre. Join a friend, and enjoy a socially distanced walk with the spirit of vacation!

Downtown Sherbrooke is full of hidden gems that are easily overlooked. Guided sightseeing tours are offered through the app BaladoDécouverte, which allows you to learn about your home or host city and admire its main attractions through various themed routes. GPS localization and interactive maps are included to facilitate orientation in the neighbourhood, and the app also provides audio explanations, video capsules, and pictures that offer valuable additional information about the sightseeing circuits. It even presents a downloading option for the whole material, so no LTE is needed. It’s like having a personal tour guide that you can carry around in your pocket!

A fan favourite of this touristic activity is the Sherbrooke Rétro circuit that teaches you about Sherbrooke’s history

Diversity is a hot button topic on today’s university campuses, especially after the protests surrounding police brutality and racism this summer. At Bishop’s, many ideas have been proposed on how to diversify the student experience, from introducing a Diversity Week, to incorporating a mandatory class on racism into the curriculum. While all are great in theory, one cannot run before they can walk; it’s important to consider the smaller steps first, starting, perhaps, with auditing and changing what is currently being taught on the Bishop’s campus.

As a major in English with a literature focus, I am expected to fulfil a set of varied requirements ensuring that I get a well-rounded education in English literature. At least, that’s what I thought going in.

Now in my third year, and after all of the events of 2020, I’m not so sure. Several of the courses I enrolled in for the fall 2020 semester have failed to meet my expectations, specifically regarding their assigned reading lists. A class I chose entitled “The Contemporary American Novel” seemed like it should have its pick of the litter in terms of a diverse curriculum; to my disappointment, I found that two of the three novels assigned were virtually from the same perspective: a straight, middle-aged, white, male protagonist written by a straight, middle-aged, white, male author. Contemporary American Novel seems like it could lend itself pretty easily to diverse perspectives; while, of course, not being American, the example of Margaret Atwood’s novels come rather readily to mind, and I’m sure an American counterpart could easily be found (perhaps Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl, which is, in my opinion, one of the best modern mystery novels). And of course, diversity is not just including voices of different genders: authors and protagonists of varying races, sexualities, and religions must also be included. I am a big fan of Toni Morrison’s work and thought that, especially in today’s climate surrounding the protests of this summer, it would be prudent to include teachings about race. on such a list either, nor would, if one would like to forgo the limitations of the novel and include poetry and other literary forms, the works of Maya Angelou, Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, Mary Oliver, or Leonard Cohen. with a twist. While the itinerary leads you to various historical sights of the city centre, you can find pictures dating from forty to one hundred and twenty-five years ago on the app that match the exact location of the attractions. You will be standing in front of glorious city landscapes with their exact historical replica in your hand, allowing for direct comparison. It is up to the most observant to notice the differences. If you are a history nerd and you have a sharp eye, or even if you are just a curious person looking for a fun afternoon activity, this circuit is for you!

However, my personal favourite is the route of the murals of Sherbrooke. This circuit includes 18 giant murals painted directly on the buildings of the city centre. As for all tours, audiovisual content is offered through the app that discusses everything from the creation of the mural to the work of the artist behind it. These playful wall paintings focus on optical illusions and trompe-l’oeil – the circuit is the biggest trompe-l’oeil mural tour in North America. Likewise, the murals themselves are gigantic. For instance, look for the hanging heart: it is bigger than a full-sized car! Not only are these murals immensely impressive and a sight for sore eyes, but they also retell Sherbrooke’s cultural and artistic history. This tour is perfect for artistic souls and people who love a good view; it’s like an outdoor museum!

No matter your personality type, there is a guided Bridget Boucher Arts & Culture Editor

This is not to say that this lack of diversity was intentional, but as educators, it is important to consider that students come from all walks of life, and not seeing themselves in any of the literature they are ordered to consume can feel very alienating.

Of course, if one is studying a very specific period or author, it might not be possible to diversify the assigned reading. For example, a course on Shakespeare will have a very hard time focusing on any other perspectives than the straight white man’s, given that it is largely the narrative of all Shakespearean plays (that being said, where there’s a will, there’s a way—perhaps a Shakespeare course could or of Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, both of which give agency and voices to minorities that would not typically be very vocal in that time).

In such dystopian times as these, I find it a touch disheartening that such little effort appears to be put into diversifying educational resources. I guess as Margaret Atwood says in her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, “Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum”– but for now, if anyone has any suggestions for some more diverse reading I can do on my own, I’m all ears (thecampus.ac@gmail.com). sightseeing tour for you. The audiovisual content is only offered in French, but the sightseeing attractions themselves are worth the detour. If this circuit was offered in Barcelona, Spain, I’m convinced you would do it, so why not try it here? Enjoy a breath of fresh air with good company while you discover the beautiful city of Sherbrooke!

Graphic by Kate Schwartz

Diversity in assigned course reading

Khaled Hosseini’s Kite Runner would not be out of place

include the study of title characters: The Moor in Othello

Sightseeing Gaiter.

Amphilanthus

Anonymous

And who were you before She told you who to be? Before you were broken At her beck and call Upon your knees? And who were you before She trained you up so violently? You’re a coward, lovesick craven Not your fault that you’re so weak. Spent four years in purgatory Helpless every time she’d leave Tied you up and told you pretty lies Between her neon teeth Straighten up, you spineless bastard Look me in the eyes when you speak You owe me this––You won’t be rid Of me so easily.

Location Location Location

Across Down 4. Caught fire in 1891 1. Hall named for the 4th Anglican bishop of Quebec 6. Oldest residence building still in use 2. Named for the 1st principal of Bishop’s 7. Built to commemorate BU students who sacrificed their 3. Meant to be the new Indigenous student gathering lives in the First and Second World Wars space 8. The most recently renovated residence 5. Newest residence 9. Named for the first female member of the Bishop’s 8. Oldest building on campus University Corporation Christmas cocktails for quarantine Bridget Boucher Arts & Culture Editor

Comedy in calamity

Bridget Boucher Arts & Culture

Are you feeling blue amidst the chaos of COVID-19? Could you use a chuckle or two to brighten up your quarantine? Here are my recommendations for stand-up comedy specials to lighten the mood – and even better, they’re all available for streaming on Netflix.

John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous

In his most recent Netflix special, John Mulaney talks about everything from ghosts to child homicide to politics – and it’s somehow the funniest show I’ve ever seen.

Katherine Ryan’s Glitter Room

A Canadian stand-up comic living in the U.K., Katherine Ryan tackles single motherhood with a humorous twist, from having a daughter who speaks like the Queen to watching Hamilton alone on Christmas Eve.

Watch if you liked: Broad City or Ali Wong

Bo Burnham’s Make Happy

Making use of both his musical talents and incredibly dark humour, Bo Burnham sings his way through relationship drama, country music sellouts, and suicide (in that order).

Watch if you liked: Bojack Horseman or Shia LaBoeuf’s metamodernist breakdown Iliza’s Elder Millennial

Recently engaged and leaving the party scene, Iliza takes on Snapchat, wedding dress shopping, and inviting your significant other to your apartment for the first time.

Watch if you liked: Big Mouth or Saturday Night Live

Watch if you liked: New Girl or Nikki Glaser Hannah Gadsby’s Douglas

After the viral success of her first special Nanette, Hannah Gadsby does not disappoint in this interesting dramatization of life on the spectrum.

Watch if you liked: The Good Place or Community

Source: Netflix Photo courtesy of Bridget Boucher

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Grinch’s Green Martini 1 oz green crème de menthe 1 oz white crème de cacao ½ oz heavy cream Shake over ice and pour into an empty martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane.

David Rossiter, Sports Editor » thecampus.sports@gmail.com

Introducing the sports studies society

Andrew Phillips and Pascale Desmarais Contributors

One of our favourite things about Bishop’s is the atmosphere and tight-knit community One of our main goals right now is to build this society to be self-sustaining and to that comes from it being a small school. Because of this, Bishop’s is fortunate to have continue after we graduate. Thankfully, we both have another year after this to continue various student-led academic societies for the different programs here. growing it and to find motivated lower year sports studies students who will carry on

In these societies, students have the opportunity to meet other students and professors after we leave. in their program through different activities and networking events. The goal of this is During this pandemic, we are unfortunately unable to run any of the events we were to foster connections that carry on through the Bishop’s experience and continue into planning. These events include a wine and cheese, a sports and activities day, and a peer professional careers. mentoring program event. This does, however, give us more time

We are now each in our third year of sports studies, and we to focus on building the foundation of the society and raising noticed that other programs like business, music, and psychology awareness of our existence. have an academic society, but we did not have one of our own. Our social media pages are now up and running, and we

In our first year at Bishop’s, we attended a wine and cheese are sending out surveys to find out how to best run this for the event that was hosted by the sports studies department. The students. We have presented our society in front of sports studies wine and cheese was a great experience for us both; we got to professors at their department meeting and various classes, and speak with upper-year students about their time in the program we are now in the process of connecting with alumni and adding and chat with professors in a more casual environment than them to our LinkedIn. the classroom. Our chair, Dr. Maxime Trempe, and a few sports With most events happening online, now, we hope to host studies students hosted this event with the hopes that it would a webinar where we will bring in various alumni from sports inspire younger students to eventually run more events like studies or Bishop’s alumni working in the sports field and give it. Two years later, Dr. Trempe’s goal was achieved when we current students the opportunity to hear about their career path, approached him with our aspirations of creating a Sports Studies ask them questions, and establish connections. Society, called “SpoSo” for short. The sports studies program is now over ten years old and has

With support and encouragement from Dr. Trempe, we been growing every year – next year’s incoming class is expected have been dedicated to creating this society that helps sports to be our largest yet. We hope that this society will bring the studies students while they are at Bishop’s and after they leave. department closer together for both students and professors, Throughout this endeavour, we wanted to highlight the core all while putting us more on the map as a recognizable sports values that would determine the overall purpose of this society. program in Canada.

We came up with a mission statement that reads, “to represent, If you have any questions or ideas, you can contact us support, and unify the sports studies student body by providing personally, or through our social media. You can like us on opportunities for learning, growth, and connection among Graphic representing the sports studies program. Facebook at “Bishop’s University Sports Studies Society,” and sports studies students of different years, and to facilitate alumni Source: Bishop’s University website follow us on Instagram @BU_ SpoSo to stay up to date on future relations of sports studies graduates.” news.

Adapted senior day celebrations for fall athletes

The last home game of the regular season is host to a yearly tradition for Bishop’s Gaiters teams: the senior night.

A ceremony precedes the game in question and graduating players from the Gaiters line up next to their coach. One by one, they are announced and receive a plaque with a photo of themselves to commemorate their career as a Bishop’s Gaiter. Oftentimes, family members join the player on the field for a photo and, just like that, the game begins!

Yet another dagger in the heart of graduating student-athletes in the class of 2021 is that they would not receive this celebratory send-off. With no regular season, no games were possible and therefore, no senior night.

Desperate to rectify this misfortune as much as possible, the athletics department sought to salvage the spirit of senior nights with a replacement event. The plan devised was that all fall sports teams would finish off their season by playing inter-squad games against themselves on the same Saturday in November.

Teams would compete in purple vs. white on Coulter field, with all of the other fall sports teams watching in the stands. The games would be broadcast to family and friends around the globe. The day would be topped off with plaque presentations to senior players and Domino’s pizza for everyone. But, then, the pandemic struck again.

Monday, Nov. 9, just five days before the event’s scheduled Saturday, the Quebec government announced that Estrie would move to red zone restrictions on the following Thursday (see Cassie Macdonell’s article on page 2).

Uncertainty and disappointment were the emotions at the forefront of Gaiter athletes’ consciousness in the wake of the announcement. Would the inter-squad games be cancelled? Certainly, Saturday’s event could not proceed as intended.

Thankfully, the athletics department had yet another solution for this speed bump. Any new guidelines or restrictions on school activities like classes and university sports practices would not be announced until Friday, Nov. 13. This meant that teams could finish their season during their final practice times that week.

On Wednesday and Thursday, many fall teams had their final practices. Aided by the athletics department, they performed the planned senior day presentations during their practice time. Plaque presentations and inter-squad games were a go!

The lacrosse team made sure their inter-squad game felt as much like a real game as possible. They wore their game jerseys, hired a referee and filmed the match. This was much appreciated by the players.

Senior midfielder Devlin Kauffeldt shed some light on why the game was so important to the guys. “It was a lot of fun getting to enjoy something other than regular practice. David Rossiter

Sports Editor Everyone was itching to play, especially the graduating players. It was great to have a high pace and competitive scrimmage.”

Heaps of Domino’s pizza helped top the night off and send the seniors on as high of a note as possible.

It was extremely tough for these talented young men and women to say goodbye to their university and, in some cases, to their athletic careers in this unorthodox manner. At least they were able to avoid some sad virtual goodbye, as they got to give their all out on Coulter one final time.

Lacrosse seniors with coach Drew Pollock. Photo courtesy of Clare Webb

Bishop’s students weigh in on the NBA’s most wonderful time of year

Duncan Crabtree It’s NBA free agency and draft season, and, for most NBA teams,

Contributor this is the busiest and most impactful part of their off-season, if not of their entire year. Of course, this leaves lots of room for NBA fans to speculate. I checked in with three basketball-savvy Bishop’s students, including a former Gaiter, to see what they are hoping for this off-season.

David Bélanger ’18 is a Gaiters basketball forward from Sherbrooke. Amadou Barry ’20 is from Montreal and played basketball at Central Florida Christian Academy. Josh Allan ’20 is from Beamsville, Ontario and played basketball at Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario.

The NBA off-season is a defining period for title contenders and developing teams alike. Usually, it is the former which have the assets to make the biggest trades. Predictably, it was the announcement of James Harden’s trade request to leave the Houston Rockets and join Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on the contending Brooklyn Nets that captivated my interviewees. This move would completely change the balance of power in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, if not the entire league.

League parity has been a key point of debate in the NBA ever since Durant joined the dominant Golden State Warriors (GSW) in 2016, helping the team to back-to-back championships. Amadou Barry explains his view on a potential Harden move: “I would want James Harden to change teams but also don’t want what happened with Golden State a few years ago to happen again.” Amadou, a devoted Miami Heat fan, pointed out that, if a trade as massive as this were to happen, he would want to see a corresponding move boosting his own team: “If the Nets were to get James Harden, I would like Miami to get Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and maybe someone else so that the East would not be too uneven.”

Unfortunately for Amadou, his ideal trade seems less likely since the Milwaukee Bucks have now traded for Pelicans’ versatile guard Jrue Holiday and Kings’ sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanović. These upgrades indicate that reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain in Milwaukee, at least for this season. But, as David Bélanger points out: “Giannis hasn’t decided if he’s going to take the super-max extension or enter free agency next summer,” and a potential move to Miami is certainly not out of the question in 2021.

David seems confident of what will unfold off the top of the Nov. 18 NBA draft. He claims, “The top three picks are Lamelo Ball, James Wiseman and Anthony Edwards” and asserts that the top spot Minnesota Timberwolves will “likely” choose Edwards, given that he is a combo guard who “would fit better than the other two” on their team.

David also points out that the second-picking GSW has the biggest need at centre, making Wiseman their obvious choice, and leaving Ball to the Charlotte Hornets, who pick third.

As for the fate of the only Canadian NBA team this off-season, top of mind for Raptorsfan Josh Allan is the looming decision of guard Fred VanVleet who is entering his first period of unrestricted free agency.

Josh is hoping “the Raptors pay him what he’s worth.” Given VanVleet’s trademark slogan “Bet on yourself” as well as recent comments, the guard will likely demand a pretty penny.

Only time will tell which trades, signings, and draft predictions become realities this NBA off-season. But one thing is certain: the endless possibilities will always inspire wonder in the hearts of devoted fans from Bishop’s.