Volume 51 issue 13

Feature: a profile on Peterborough activist and Trent alum Kemi Akapo

INside:

Volume 51 | Issue 13 | February 13, 2017

The Legal battle against brexit

islam awareness week at trent

Dylan O’ Hagan: Memoriam

from climate to culture

Editors-in-chief Yumna Leghari & Zara Syed editors@trentarthur.ca @TrentArthur /ArthurNews

Photographer Samantha Moss

CONTENTS Volume 51 Issue 13

Opinion

• Pg 3: Editorial • Pg 3 & 4: Letter to the Editors • Pg 4: Yusra Khogali silenced

Copy Editor

Amanda Reed

Board of Directors Chair: Anthony Moniz Treasurer: Josh Skinner Secretary: Amino Yusuf Members at Large: Jordan Porter • Jeffery Moore • Matt Douglas • Shanese Steele

Contributors • Yumna Leghari • Shanese Steele • Zara Syed • Clay Duncalfe • Mauricio Interiano •Dan Morrison • Josh Skinner • Tyler Majer • Lubna Sadek • Berfin Aksoy • Sarah Crookall • Deborah Bright- Bundle •Sean Mcintosh • Amanda Reed • Laurence LeBlanc Submissions due Thursdays at 12:00 pm Articles should be subitted via email as *.rtf, *.odt, *.odt or *.txt attachment | word limit: 800 words.

Letters to the editor | word limit: 100 words Listings, annoucements | word limit: 100 words Images should be submitted via email, Google Drive, Dropbox or other firesharing site. Images should be sent as attachments in *.jpeg and *.tiff formats with a dpi of no less than 300 pixels

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Kemi Akapo

• Pg 5: Gina Miller and Brexit

• Pg 8: Open Mic at the Spill, a

Campus

celebration of Black Arts

• Pg 9: SAID conference a success!

• Pg 10: Panel discussion at Champlain College

• Pg 9: Strange Fruit; the significance of art in discussions of race

Community

• Pg 11: Social Justice Day at

• Pg 10: In memory of Dylan O’Hagan

Trent Radio • Pg 11: Sophia’s Kitchen

Arthur Newspaper would like to thank Samantha Moss for volunteering her time to capture the stunning Kemi Akapo in this week’s feature!

Arthur’s spring elections are happening soon!

Elect the editor(s) and board for Volume 52 Arthur Spring Elections are coming up!

That means that it is time to elect the editor(s) and three Staff Collective Board directors for the upcoming academic year.

For more information about these positions, please consult the Arthur Policies and Procedures.

You can also contact the Arthur board at board@trentarthur.ca.

Time and Place The election location will be announced

in the next issue. The date of the elections is Wednesday April 6, 2016.

Refreshments, likely Persian, will be provided.

Agenda The Adgenda is usually as follows: 1. Editor(s) Remarks 2.

Presentations of candidates for editor(s) platforms (10 minute limit per set of candidates) 3. Question Period 4. Election of Editor(s) 5. Election of three Board directors by the Staff Collective 6. Adjournment

Arthur reserves the right to edit for length and clarity.

Opinions expressed in this publication do not reflect those of Arthur staff, volunteers or its Board of Directors.

Pg. 6 & 7:

Celebrating activist and Trent alumna

Zafer Izer

Proofreader

Black Heritage Month Feature

International

• Pg 9: Islam Awareness Week

@MossWorks

February 13 2017

Who can vote Only those who are on the staff collective

at the time of the election can vote (the list so far is to the right). Voting is done by secret ballot. Everyone on the staff collective is entitled to a single ballot.

Who’s on the Staff Collective?

You are considered part of the staff collective if you have contributed to the production of at least 15% of the issues of Arthur released before the election.

For our purposes that means you must have contributed to at least three. (Again, see right.)

Proxy Votes

In accordance with section 6e of the Arthur bylaws, staff collective members may participate in the election through means of proxy vote. They may appoint, in writing, a proxy holder to vote for them in the election. The proxy holder does not need to be a member of the staff collective.

Proxies must bring: - The name and signature of the Staff Collective member - The date the proxy is signed - Who the proxy is giving voting powers to - Who the Staff Collective member is

Volume 51 Staff Collective as of Issue 13

Samantha Moss Zafer Izer Mauricio Interiano Marina Wilke Holly Stark Clay Duncalfe Lubna Sadek Berfin Aksoy Jordan Porter

One contribution needed: Matt Douglas Brendan Campbell Hayley Raymond Shan Culkeen Sarah Crookall Daniel Morris Jenny Fisher

Joshua Skinner Shanese Steele Scott Maufront Dan Morrison Tyler Majer Derek Newman- Stille Kristina Dergacheva Daniela Leal Sarah Crookall

92.7 FM Trent Radio

voting for (or the Staff Collective member can allow the proxy holder to choose who to vote for).

Who can run for editor?

Candidates for the position of editor(s)

must be members of the Staff Collective at the time of the election. Two Staff Collective members may choose to run as co-editors. They must have been running together to fill the positions of co-editors together.

Who can run for the Board?

Anyone who is a member of the Staff Collective at the time of the election.

Deadlines The deadline

for nominations for editorial candidates is Thursday March 13 2017 at Noon. All sets of editorial candidates must submit a position platform (800 word limit) and photograph by this time. These will be published online and in Issue 15.

Those wanting to run as Staff Collective directors on the board can be nominated at the Spring Election meeting.

Should you be on this list?

Email editors@trentarthur.ca Want to be on this list?

Just contriubte to Arthur!

Please note: the list of people who need two contributions is available on trentarthur.ca

Arthur’s on the airwaves!

Keep your ear out for Radio-Free Arthur, every Wednesday at 12:30pm!

Editorial re: “Serious issues at Athletic Centre” The week before reading week is one of the busiest and most stressful times at Trent University. Whether you are a student in the midst of exam period or an administrator preparing budgets, this month is generally a tough time to get through.

We acknowledge that it isn’t easy trying to survive under intense workloads while having to balance a job and a social life along with extracurriculars. Such is the bustling life at Trent. In the midst of it all, decisions are being made about the money you are spending, hidden in financial language that takes time to unpack and investigate. Often, the average student doesn’t have the time to break down their usage of these fees.

This editorial is short, but aims to respond to the criticism the article “Serious issues at the Athletic Centre”, published in Issue 12 on January 31. The majority of the feedback we have received has been in regards to the anonymity of the article, citing that perhaps it was the work of a disgruntled Athletic Centre employee hesitant to

attach their name in fear of losing their position. A lack of regard for ethical journalism is another reason given for criticism.

These are all fair critiques, and as anyone in a position of authority, it is important to be transparent about the reasons we do the things that we do. We take pride in protecting those that put themselves at risk when voicing their concerns. It is our way of reaching out to the public, to employees and to students. If you are undergoing any kind of oppression at your position of employment we will not disclose your information. If you are facing such an atmosphere, we urge you to come forward to us, and if you are uncomfortable with putting anything in writing, we can make ourselves available by phone to hear your grievances.

Regardless of your fear of being at risk at your workplace, we can assure you that we will do everything in our power to represent your concerns through the conduit of Arthur.

The article surpassed 10,000 views, a first in Arthur Newspaper history. Regardless of

OPINION

the source, it clearly has hit home and resonated with the community, raising questions that has led to an investigation in the vein of this paper’s original purpose.

An employee should be able to speak candidly about their treatment at a workplace. For anything else to be the case is a violation of your legal rights as a worker.

Therefore, it is a cause of concern if people are being let go or silenced at their place of work, and we intend to uncover the nature of what is taking place at this University.

Thankfully, we have a gracious team of administrators that have made themselves available to respond to the concerns raised in this article. Below you will read Deborah Bright-Brundle’s response to the article, and she has made herself available to answer the public’s questions.

We would like to apologize to anyone who may have experienced emotional distress in response to the piece published, and hope to move forward in a way that speaks to the spirit of Trent University and Arthur Newspaper.

Open letter re: “Serious issues at Athletic Centre” (Jan 31, 2017) I would like to take this opportunity to issue an open letter in response to the article about the Athletics Centre, written anonymously and published by Arthur February 3rd, 2017. For clarity purposes, I was not made aware of the article in advance of its publication or given an opportunity to provide information ahead of time to address any concerns or to provide input or perspective on the information that was published. As such, I feel it is important to provide additional information, and in some cases to correct information related to points made in that article. As various comments made in the article pertain to other University departments, I wanted to take the time to confirm the correct information from those departments prior to issuing this response. Transparency and verification of facts, especially information that is published, is important as it ensures that all sides of a story are presented.

Taking on the position of Director, Athletics & Recreation at Trent University in July, 2014 has been a great point of pride for me. Over the last two and a half years, we have built an exceptionally strong team of full-time staff, part-time student-staff, studentathletes, coaches, and sport and aquatics program instructors to best serve our students and community program members.

A lot of work and true team effort have gone into plans that have strengthened the Excalibur Varsity program, grown our Campus Recreation and Youth Development programs, invested in fitness equipment, involved the Kinesiology program and the Trent Centre for Aging and Society, and launched new sponsorship programs and revitalized community membership. All of these initiatives have been focused on enhancing our business so that we can reinvest in the programs and services that we provide to our students and program customers.

I am very proud of the hard work and dedication of the Trent Athletics team, the many successes, championships, and medals our Excalibur Varsity student-athletes and coaches have experienced, and I hope that the following clarifications will allay concerns or misunderstandings and affirm our commitment to student satisfaction and program excellence.

I welcome any and all continued dialogue and I can be reached directly at dbrightbrundle@trentu.ca or by phone at 705-748-1011 x 1252 or on my Trent cellular phone at 705-760-2838. Only with

feedback, and by working together, can we continue to grow and enhance our programs.

Student Ancillary Fee University Ancillary fees are governed by the Compulsory Ancillary Fee Protocol, managed through the College and Student Services Committee (CASSC) and approved by the Trent Board of Governors. The Athletics fees are determined in the same way other compulsory ancillary fees are. These fees include Colleges, counselling, accessibility services, health services, campus card and convocation, as well as orientation for first-year students.

Any Athletics fee increases beyond inflation are approved by the student representatives on the CASSC Athletics Advisory Committee, then CASSC. These Committees are made up of student representatives from the TCSA, TGSA and college cabinets, who vote on fees. If students have questions about ancillary fees and how they are determined, they are welcome to contact their student representatives, or the Office of Student Affairs (studentaffairs@trentu.ca).

Athletics fees are made up of two components: the general Athletics fee ($201) and the Athletics expansion fee {to be used to accomplish future growth and expansion goals} ($50). The former has been in place since before the protocol, and the latter was voted on by student referendum in 2004.

Trent Athletics has not requested a fee increase beyond inflation for the past three budget cycles. Over the last two and a half years, Trent Athletics has focused its energies on sourcing new revenue streams to grow the overall departmental revenue base and provide a more diversified funding base for the Athletics & Recreation Department.

The article also referenced a club fee of “up-wards to $250 dollars” and to confirm this is not a fee that is part of the Trent Athletics revenue or budget. (This reference may be to TCSA Sports Clubs which is managed through the TCSA and not Trent Athletics.)

Lastly, each University’s ancillary fees will be based upon different factors, not just what is included in each fee yet the fee may also be based upon what other Athletics items are funded within a University’s budget overall. In comparison to other universities please find below some examples of Athletics Ancillary Fees:

Western University-$275.82 + additional charges for campus recreation University of Toronto- $384.5 + additional charges for campus recreation Carleton University- $190.50+ additional charges for campus recreation, fitness passes and student summer members Guelph University $184.13 + additional charges for campus recreation and fitness passes Staffing Trent Athletics is proud to be one of the main employers of part-time student-staff on campus, employing over 100 students annually. Their contribution is absolutely invaluable to the success of our programs and services. I am very proud of our student-staff and I am very thankful to them for all of their work and the leadership that they provide.

Trent Athletics also currently has sixteen permanent positions. There were twelve permanent positions when I arrived at Trent Athletics in July 2014. As we are able to enhance our business, we have ensured that we invested back into the positions, and people, that are directly aligned with our programs and services. I believe the strong combination that we have with our full-time staff and our part-time student staff makes an exceptional team that provides quality programs and services in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. We also hear from those students that this work experience is invaluable to them in rounding out their education.

Surveys and Services Customer feedback is key to the success of our programs and service delivery.

In the last two years Trent Athletics has been establishing various vehicles to obtain ongoing feedback from students and program users and community members.

All surveys are posted online and available to any student or program member. In addition, there are dedicated student surveys for the Campus Recreation Program (two surveys a year) and the Excalibur Varsity program (one survey a year) to obtain specific feedback on those two programs.

Trent Athletics also has a Member Advisory Committee made up of five members of which two positions are student representatives. This Committee, although new, has been established as a vehicle for the department to receive areas for improvement, recommended solutions, and

generally enhance relationships and communication with students and members, to help shape decisions to enhance the quality of programs and services provided to students and community members.

Most recently, Trent Athletics has also established a Varsity Supports Varsity Athlete Council comprising twelve student-athletes (representing each varsity program) to provide feedback on specific varsity items as well as input on a variety of programs (i.e. Awards Banquet) and leadership opportunities (i.e. Mini-Excalibur program where the Men’s Volleyball varsity student-athletes went to Chemong Public School in 2016 to host a volleyball training session for their students and most recently over twenty Varsity studentathletes hosted 150 local youth for the Special Olympics PAHL Sports Festival at the Athletics Centre gym on January 27th, 2017).

Trent Athletics also works directly with the Athletics Advisory Committee and the Athletics budget is presented annually to both the Athletics Advisory Committee and the Colleges and Student Services Committee (CASSC). The Athletic Advisory Committee serves to enhance the total student-athlete experience by providing sport, recreation, and wellness opportunities for all student-athletes and ensuring student-athlete prosperity through effective communication between the Athletics & Recreation Department, the Trent study body, and Trent staff/faculty.

All of the Athletics Centre promotional draws (for towel service, lockers, etc.) are inclusive of our student members and three Trent students have won as part of the last three draws. Trent students are also invited to participate in all appreciation events that take place throughout the year and which are scheduled to specifically coincide with student schedules.

Trent Athletics also has a main email address ac@trentu.ca to gather any and all feedback. This is tracked in the Request Tracker system as a means to ensure we can effectively and efficiently respond to inquiries.

Parking The Parking Office reports through to the Risk Management Department. Trent Athletics does not control the parking lot that is beside the Athletics Centre. Trent Athletics did work with the Parking Office to set up dedicated parking spots for community members (approximately fourty percent of the spots available in the park-

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OPINION ing, as part of the Community Membership, contributes to keeping fees lower and enhancing programs and services.

Rentals at the Athletics Centre and the Athletics Centre as an Ancillary Department of the University As an additional piece of information, the Athletics Centre is an Ancillary Department of the University. As such, the Department of Athletics & Recreation

(like other Ancillary Departments such as Housing, Parking, Conference Services, etc.) has to develop sustainable and diversified revenue streams to cover its departmental operating costs.

It is important to note that Trent Athletics does provide complementary space to all TCSA Sports Clubs and other smaller rental opportunities within the University.

In closing, I would emphasize my willingness to have an open discussion with any student or program member so that

we can work together to continue to grow and enhance sport, fitness and wellness programs and services.

To provide me with your feedback, or to set a meeting, I can be reached by email at dbrightbrundle@trentu.ca or phone at 705-748-1011 x 1252 or my Trent cellular phone at 705-760-2838.

I would like to close by thanking all of our staff, students, varsity student-athletes, coaches and programs members and partners that I have the pleasure of working

with.

I look forward to continuing to work together to enhance these partnerships to provide a greater number of quality programs and services in the future.

not a set of beliefs held by the cavemen of our time, but rather a set of practices that are practiced at an institutional level.

Scholars much smarter than myself, like Sharon Martinas, have broken down white supremacy as such: “White supremacy is a historically based institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations and peoples of color by White peoples and nations of the European continent; for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege.”

By delegating white supremacy to the fringes of white society, we are able to absolve the practice of white supremacy from the mainstream in our government and our everyday lives. Now you may be reading this and think “well, you’re wrong because I’m poor; if this was true, then I would be living the high life.”

To begin with, it sucks that you or people that you love and happen to be white are not secure and safe. However, your socioeconomic status doesn’t disprove white supremacy. A major policy of the institution of white supremacy is the dividing and conquering of whites to ensure it’s own survival. There were poor white people during slavery, and these poor whites were offered marginal jobs

and weapons to dominate slaves, or were tasked with defending colonies from Indigenous raiding parties who were undergoing genocide.

This practice continues today with the election of Trump. Capitalism and white supremacy go hand in hand in creating a class of poor white people that will act in defence of the structures that marginalize them. You are told that you are poor and marginalized because of marginalized people of colour by the people that make you poor and marginalized.

Maybe this is too political. Consider sports, and in particular the National Football League. The binary in adjectives applied to white and black wide receivers is irresponsibly blunt when the New England Patriots play. Julian Edelman, a wide receiver for the New England Patriots is always described as a “hard worker” or my personal favorite a “route runner”.

The phrase route runner is a loaded term because it implies that the athlete in question may not be the most physically gifted, but they study playbooks and use their brain to overcome opponents that are faster than themselves. It’s the allegory of the American dream in which hard work is rewarded with success. However the phrase route runner is only bequeathed to white athletes. Meanwhile black

wide receivers are lauded for their “raw athleticism” or are described as “beasts” in the “slot”, “perimeter”, or “end-zone”.

This is because in the context of the National Football League, black wide receivers do not own this “work ethic” or “intangibles” that their white counterparts do. Julian Edelman was actually the fastest athlete at the NFL scouting combine, but this isn’t mentioned because it challenges the narrative that describes white athletes as “cerebral”. Even in an apolitical a realm as sports, the structure of white supremacy informs us of how we see race.

White success is explained by ingenuity and intelligence, while blackness explained purely in terms of the physical.

White supremacy is not just shaved heads, hoods, and the shooting of unarmed people of color without consequence. It’s a set of practices that began with genocide of the indigenous and the enslavement of Africans, and continues with the election Donald Trump and minorities using a white voice to get a job.

Yusra Khogali called out Trudeau for being a part of this white supremacy, and now white liberal minded folks are calling for her to be removed from her post.

Perhaps we whites should figure out what she is accusing our Prime Minister of before we start a mob to silence her.

Sincerely, Deborah Bright-Brundle Director, Athletics & Recreation Trent University

Why the silencing of Yusra Khogali is problematic

Josh Skinner Recently, Yusra Khogali, the leader of the Toronto branch of Black Lives Matter, has come under scrutiny for her declaration that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a “white supremacist terrorist”. This statement has ruffled some feathers. The response has ranged from vitriol to outright confusion, because how could someone with hair as luscious as Trudeau’s be a white supremacist? Just as opinions regarding people of colour are informed by their caricatures on media, so too is their conception of white supremacy.

It is not the duty of the marginalized to devote their time to explaining how racism works to us white folks, rather, this is a conversation that we need to have within our own communities. The way that white supremacy is conceptualized is in the framework of tribes, where we look at Ku Klux Clan members as backwards racist people that only exist on the fringes of societies. This validates modern people, and allows us to say “that’s not us, we interact with people of colour on a day to day basis. We aren’t racist”.

We then pat ourselves on the backs, and move on with a greater sense of self.

However, the idea of white supremacy is

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INTERNATIONAL

Gina Miller: waging a legal battle against Brexit

Dan Morrison

Gina Miller: she is an “enemy of the people” and she has won two court cases that force parliament to debate beginning the process of leaving the European Union.

So, what’s she all about?

Born in Guyana and educated in Britain, she went on to become an investment manager and a philanthropist.

In 2012 she set up a campaign against misselling and hidden fund charges in the City of London’s fund management industry. This campaign came on the back of the True and Fair Foundation, which supports charities with funding. As “conscious capitalists”, the Foundation aims to help communities and is concerned with the excesses of capitalism.

While on one occasion it was alleged she “would bring down the entire City”, Edi Truell saw it differently: “As for her City ‘career’ she would like to think she was rocking the City to its core. The reality is... yawn... who?”

Truell, a pro-Brexit financial entrepreneur who was appointed Head of London Pension Authority by Boris Johnson, argued Miller was “utterly unknown in the City before she grabbed headlines with her anti-democratic stance. Typical remoaner refusing to accept the referendum result.”

It was with this “anti-democratic stance” that she entered the public consciousness.

On June 23rd 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union, 51.9% voting “Leave”. More people voted in favour of Leave than had voted for anything before in the UK: “Remain” is second on that list.

To leave the EU, a state must trigger Article 50. Article 50 contains the rules for exit and triggering it formally notifies the EU that UK wants to leave. Once triggered, there is a two year window after which the UK will have negotiated some sort of deal and actually left the EU. Miller, seeing that the vote “would change the fundamental rights of citizens”, pursued the case because she thought that such a change needed a parliamentary vote.

Pictured: Gina Miller / Image Source: Business Insider

Others saw her claim of feeling “physically sickened” by the referendum outcome and argued that her case was nothing more than an anti-Brexit crusade.

Following the referendum, Miller filed her case at the high court The dispute was over whether authority for formally declaring the UK’s withdrawal lay with parliament or ministers- the high court ruled that government does not have the power. The cased moved on to the Supreme Court.

Here, as BBC explained, the government’s lawyers argued that “royal prerogative” gave ministers the power to trigger Article 50; that the referendum result gave ministers the power to withdraw from the treaty; and that parliament would have taken the ministers’ power away if it had wanted to. Royal prerogative is the executive power that used to belong to the monarch, but over the centuries passed to elected parliament.

Miller’s team argued instead that the 2015 Referendum Act didn’t give them any powers at all, let alone the power to change the constitution. Government also couldn’t show that Parliament actually handed over power to ministers during the 1972 act- which saw European law become UK law- and that parliament’s silence on the

BLACK HERITAGE MONTH

issue doesn’t mean ministers are in control.

24th January, the court ruled 8 votes to 3 that parliament must vote on whether government can trigger Article 50. The court ruled that when the UK withdraws from EU treaties, an independent source of UK law is being removed- the source being EU institutions- and that the rights of UK citizens will change. Constitutional arrangements means that the changes need parliament’s authorisation.

On February 1, parliament voted with a majority of 384 to allow Theresa May to begin Brexit negotiations.

Throughout this process, the backlash against Miller has stood out. Often, the opposition she faced became more of a story than what she was actually doing.

The merits and detractions of her case did not matter- it was that she dared to take the case that did.

There are two strands of opposition. The main one was a disheartening cocktail of hyperbole and nonsense, with two shots of ignorance: one genuine, one wilful.

Miller was attacked for not accepting the referendum result, for defying the “will of the people” and on the basis that defying the “will of the people” was necessarily undemocratic.

It saw the judges on the ruling branded

“enemies of the people” and roundly attacked for their ruling. After the initial high court ruling four newspapers ran front pages attacking the judges, seemingly unaware that an independent judiciary is quite a good thing (I refer you to Turkey, Hungary, Egypt among others if you are unconvinced).

These attacks all overlooked the fact that her case made no claim about the referendum result, but was specifically about the way we leave the EU. She was working with the referendum result.

The smaller one was the depressing, often bewilderingly premeditated abuse that is the hallmark of scum, trolls and dickheads. Gina Miller received a smorgasbord of the stuff, from the racist and sexist to death and rape threats.

The personal attacks varied from the press having to mention that she was “foreign-born”, to being threatened with being hung, shot, and gang-raped.

She is only one woman, but police have had to issues cease and desist orders against eight different people.

Metro reported that somebody had offered £5000 to kill her. As a result of the barrage of abuse and threats, she has been advised not to use public space and public transport, and now has personal bodyguards.

Miller’s experience in the courts has neatly captured what many thought about Brexshit, that it was never really about what people said it was and that it would unleash loathsome forces.

It was the British law applied by British judges that they wanted but when they got it, they changed their position to attack this as undemocratic. Rallying for “the people” is dumb and a misunderstanding of democracy, but people also felt it gave them the power to mount personal attacks on Miller.

Mob mentality and attacking democratic institutions is a worrying start to our post-referendum future.

Do we have any clue how democracy is supposed to work?

How the Trent African Caribbean Student Union is celebrating Black Heritage Month

Berfin Aksoy Black History Month is an annual celebration to remember important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Viola Desmond, a prominent black Nova Scotian businesswoman who changed the course of Canadian history by defiantly refusing to leave the whites-only area of a movie theatre in 1946, is the face of Canada’s ten-dollar note. Her impact on the civil rights movement in Canada makes her one of many people deserving recognition for their courage.

The Trent African Caribbean Student Union (TACSU) aims to address the importance of black history by providing a

platform of events to encourage and inform people. TACSU is a student group under the Trent International Students’ Association (TISA). The group’s main focus is to provide students, Canadian and international alike, with exposure to the cultures of Africa and the Caribbean. Black History Month is celebrated in February in Canada and TACSU has various events planned throughout their celebration of black history!

Their first event on February 1st was a TACSU Talk: Learning Out Roots Africa, where history professor Katrina Keefer came and gave a talk on pre-colonial and colonial African kingdoms. Important figures were noted in the colonial resis-

tance, as well as those that were able to bring vast regions of peoples together.

“It was an event that many members enjoyed and learned a lot from. It reminded many of us how great the African nation is and how we continue to prosper in dire situations” says Najah Mohammed, VicePresident of TACSU. TACSU’s second event, a movie night, was cancelled in favour of “Artist Showcase and Open Mic”, organized by the Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough to for the celebrate and appreciate black artists.

To brighten up the month TACSU hosted a very successful, first ever TACSU Mingle event on February 10th at Gzowski Dining Hall. In the evening, members came out in their best attire to get to know one another. Mohammed comments: “It was a fun experience where members got to talk to one another, one-on-one for two minutes each. Many people said they enjoyed it and hope to do more of it in the coming year because it was good to know other students here at Trent.”

This week will feature “Learning Our Roots: the Caribbean” on February 15th.

Current TACSU member and former Director of Publicity, Mikeela Skellekie will be discussing the history of the Caribbean

and how it became the region that it is today. The following day will see a karaoke night in collaboration with OPIRG, for students to get together and show some self-love! Prizes will be awarded to accompany this theme.

On the 28th of February, they will have another student-led discussion about PanAfricanism called “Connecting Our Roots” All these events are taking place at GC 115.

TACSU’s Black History Month celebrations will conclude with their annual formal, which is going to be held on March 4th. This year’s theme is Royal Voyage: Under the Stars, where attendees will embark on a cruise around the African continent and the Caribbean Islands. It will be a night of celebrations and recognizing outstanding members from throughout the year.

“Let us never forget the stories of black Canadians’ courage in the face of intolerance. Diversity is our greatest strength, and we must always continue to build a country that affords equality and opportunity for all,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the subject of Black History Month. However, one should not forget what Morgan Freeman has pointed out in 2012: “Black history is American history”. It cannot be confined to just one month.

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BLACK HERITAGE MONTH

Everyday activism in Peterborough: a profile on Trent University alum Kemi Akapo

FEATURE

Photos by Samantha Moss

“...fear is a huge thing that holds people back.

Fear of sounding stupid, fear of not saying the right thing, fear of repercussions, fear of losing friendships or relationships. Do not let your fear of something impede you from doing it.”

Shanese Steele From Superman to Wonder Woman, superheroes have been the superhumans we wish for when we need defenders of justice; a person to swoop in and save the day, the defender of the meek and the smasher of the oppressors. Someone we can count on.

While they may not be real, there have been real life people whom many may call heroes because of their defense of those being dis-

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criminated against.

During Black Heritage Month, we celebrate some of these superhumans who fought for the collective rights of us all despite the struggles and dangers that lay before them. These activists fought for black rights, but also spoke out against the oppression of many and have now become some of the most inspirational people around the world. Often these individuals seem unreachable and their goals unattainable. It is possible to forget that heroes

like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks started off as regular people. They were ordinary folks who saw a need to fight back against their oppressors and disrupt the status quo. All around us are people who are stepping up and making a mark on the world, including right here in Peterborough.

One of those people is Kemi Akapo, a Trent University alum and Peterborough resident. Born in Nigeria with roots all across West Africa, Akapo doesn’t see herself as an important figure in the activist movement in Peterborough. When asked what she thinks people should know about her, she replied by saying, “It comes a surprise, always, when people are like ‘you’re someone people should know about.’” She continued by saying, “I’m usually like why?

I don’t feel like I’m extraordinary, I just feel like I’m a regular person.”

Akapo is not so much concerned about her pedigree as she is about “looking around at what [her] community needs” and stepping up to the plate to do what she can. For many people involved in social justice, there is a state of being that everyone aims for; becoming “woke.” It’s when you are socially aware of issues, your privileges and the histories or narratives surrounding them. No one is simply born “woke”, and many can remember a time when they were aware of injustice in their lives but not yet “woke” enough to address them. #Blackoncampus is a hashtag that swept through “Black Twitter” and is a chance for black students to discuss what it means to be black on predominantly white campuses. From her time at Trent, Akapo remembers micro-aggressions and what she calls “uneducated ignorance”. That isn’t to say that she didn’t also experience “intentional ignorance.” She told the story of boarding a packed West Bank bus, back when buses ran only every twenty minutes.

While boarding, she overheard a student say, “I wish we could go back to those days when we had designated seating areas.” At the time Akapo was only 17 and didn’t feel comfortable saying anything; as a young international student unaware of the support networks available to her, she was fearful to

“ruffle any feathers in case she got deported or kicked out of school.” She describes feeling like more of an observer and less of an activist at the time.

Flash forward to the completion of her degree. Unlike many students, Akapo decided to stay in Peterborough after being offered a job. That coupled with her growing network peers she established in her final year are what kept her in Peterborough eight years after her graduation. Akapo also gave a shout out to Peter Koloski who introduced her to The Only Café. She also added that Peterborough “has a sense of freedom almost, in that Peterborough is a good place to experiment and try things out.”

Akapo also talked about how since moving here she has seen Peterborough grow not just in numbers but in diversity. She added, “I’ve also seen more of an effort in Peterborough to welcome people of different diversities and backgrounds and more of a recognition of the importance of having diversity.”

She further noted that Peterborough has accepted more than just racial diversity, but still has further to go. Engaging people on the subject of discrimination is also something Akapo has been pushing to do. She discussed how many people feel uncomfortable with discussing issues of discrimination or racism, and while many are more willing to do so on an individual level its hard to engage them in a wider community context.

Every “activist” has a moment in their lives where they decided to move from the stage that Akapo perfectly described, as the observer, to the stage of being an advocate or activist. For some, it can be a major event in the news, witnessing a loved one being treated unjustly, while for others it’s a personal awakening within themselves.

Akapo’s moment was her feeling that people needed to give her “the permission to speak.”

This happened when she was pushed and supported by her friend and fellow alum, Minister of the Status of Women, Maryam Monsef , to join the board of the YWCA. She remembers Monsef suggesting that she

should sit on the board, her response being “boards are for old white men,” and that Monsef was “just being nice because [she’s her] friend.” Eventually, however, she took her advice and was elected to the board, and began to believe in herself and her voice.

For Akapo, this was when “the ball started rolling”, as it not only legitimized her voice for herself, but it also created what she called a “mental shift.” Akapo states, “I don’t need to wait to be invited, I can see things that are happening or not happening and can try and be involved or at least learn about it.” The final question Arthur asked Akapo was, “What advice about getting

involved in activism would you give your younger self?”

“I guess to not be afraid, because fear is a huge thing that holds people back. And fear of different things, you know, fear of sounding stupid, fear of not saying the right thing, fear of repercussions, fear of losing friendships or relationships or whatever.

Do not let your fear of something impede you from doing it.”

Akapo might not feel as though she is an activist, to her it’s just doing what makes sense, doing the right thing. Whether she’s an activist or simply a good person, Peterborough and the world could use a lot more people like Kemi Akapo.

Volume 51| Issue 13 | Februar y 13 | 2017

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INTERNATIONAL

Gina Miller: waging a legal battle against Brexit

Dan Morrison

Gina Miller: she is an “enemy of the people” and she has won two court cases that force parliament to debate beginning the process of leaving the European Union.

So, what’s she all about?

Born in Guyana and educated in Britain, she went on to become an investment manager and a philanthropist.

In 2012 she set up a campaign against misselling and hidden fund charges in the City of London’s fund management industry. This campaign came on the back of the True and Fair Foundation, which supports charities with funding. As “conscious capitalists”, the Foundation aims to help communities and is concerned with the excesses of capitalism.

While on one occasion it was alleged she “would bring down the entire City”, Edi Truell saw it differently: “As for her City ‘career’ she would like to think she was rocking the City to its core. The reality is... yawn... who?”

Truell, a pro-Brexit financial entrepreneur who was appointed Head of London Pension Authority by Boris Johnson, argued Miller was “utterly unknown in the City before she grabbed headlines with her anti-democratic stance. Typical remoaner refusing to accept the referendum result.”

It was with this “anti-democratic stance” that she entered the public consciousness.

On June 23rd 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union, 51.9% voting “Leave”. More people voted in favour of Leave than had voted for anything before in the UK: “Remain” is second on that list.

To leave the EU, a state must trigger Article 50. Article 50 contains the rules for exit and triggering it formally notifies the EU that UK wants to leave. Once triggered, there is a two year window after which the UK will have negotiated some sort of deal and actually left the EU. Miller, seeing that the vote “would change the fundamental rights of citizens”, pursued the case because she thought that such a change needed a parliamentary vote.

Pictured: Gina Miller / Image Source: Business Insider

Others saw her claim of feeling “physically sickened” by the referendum outcome and argued that her case was nothing more than an anti-Brexit crusade.

Following the referendum, Miller filed her case at the high court The dispute was over whether authority for formally declaring the UK’s withdrawal lay with parliament or ministers- the high court ruled that government does not have the power. The cased moved on to the Supreme Court.

Here, as BBC explained, the government’s lawyers argued that “royal prerogative” gave ministers the power to trigger Article 50; that the referendum result gave ministers the power to withdraw from the treaty; and that parliament would have taken the ministers’ power away if it had wanted to. Royal prerogative is the executive power that used to belong to the monarch, but over the centuries passed to elected parliament.

Miller’s team argued instead that the 2015 Referendum Act didn’t give them any powers at all, let alone the power to change the constitution. Government also couldn’t show that Parliament actually handed over power to ministers during the 1972 act- which saw European law become UK law- and that parliament’s silence on the

BLACK HERITAGE MONTH

issue doesn’t mean ministers are in control.

24th January, the court ruled 8 votes to 3 that parliament must vote on whether government can trigger Article 50. The court ruled that when the UK withdraws from EU treaties, an independent source of UK law is being removed- the source being EU institutions- and that the rights of UK citizens will change. Constitutional arrangements means that the changes need parliament’s authorisation.

On February 1, parliament voted with a majority of 384 to allow Theresa May to begin Brexit negotiations.

Throughout this process, the backlash against Miller has stood out. Often, the opposition she faced became more of a story than what she was actually doing.

The merits and detractions of her case did not matter- it was that she dared to take the case that did.

There are two strands of opposition. The main one was a disheartening cocktail of hyperbole and nonsense, with two shots of ignorance: one genuine, one wilful.

Miller was attacked for not accepting the referendum result, for defying the “will of the people” and on the basis that defying the “will of the people” was necessarily undemocratic.

It saw the judges on the ruling branded

“enemies of the people” and roundly attacked for their ruling. After the initial high court ruling four newspapers ran front pages attacking the judges, seemingly unaware that an independent judiciary is quite a good thing (I refer you to Turkey, Hungary, Egypt among others if you are unconvinced).

These attacks all overlooked the fact that her case made no claim about the referendum result, but was specifically about the way we leave the EU. She was working with the referendum result.

The smaller one was the depressing, often bewilderingly premeditated abuse that is the hallmark of scum, trolls and dickheads. Gina Miller received a smorgasbord of the stuff, from the racist and sexist to death and rape threats.

The personal attacks varied from the press having to mention that she was “foreign-born”, to being threatened with being hung, shot, and gang-raped.

She is only one woman, but police have had to issues cease and desist orders against eight different people.

Metro reported that somebody had offered £5000 to kill her. As a result of the barrage of abuse and threats, she has been advised not to use public space and public transport, and now has personal bodyguards.

Miller’s experience in the courts has neatly captured what many thought about Brexshit, that it was never really about what people said it was and that it would unleash loathsome forces.

It was the British law applied by British judges that they wanted but when they got it, they changed their position to attack this as undemocratic. Rallying for “the people” is dumb and a misunderstanding of democracy, but people also felt it gave them the power to mount personal attacks on Miller.

Mob mentality and attacking democratic institutions is a worrying start to our post-referendum future.

Do we have any clue how democracy is supposed to work?

How the Trent African Caribbean Student Union is celebrating Black Heritage Month

Berfin Aksoy Black History Month is an annual celebration to remember important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Viola Desmond, a prominent black Nova Scotian businesswoman who changed the course of Canadian history by defiantly refusing to leave the whites-only area of a movie theatre in 1946, is the face of Canada’s ten-dollar note. Her impact on the civil rights movement in Canada makes her one of many people deserving recognition for their courage.

The Trent African Caribbean Student Union (TACSU) aims to address the importance of black history by providing a

platform of events to encourage and inform people. TACSU is a student group under the Trent International Students’ Association (TISA). The group’s main focus is to provide students, Canadian and international alike, with exposure to the cultures of Africa and the Caribbean. Black History Month is celebrated in February in Canada and TACSU has various events planned throughout their celebration of black history!

Their first event on February 1st was a TACSU Talk: Learning Out Roots Africa, where history professor Katrina Keefer came and gave a talk on pre-colonial and colonial African kingdoms. Important figures were noted in the colonial resis-

tance, as well as those that were able to bring vast regions of peoples together.

“It was an event that many members enjoyed and learned a lot from. It reminded many of us how great the African nation is and how we continue to prosper in dire situations” says Najah Mohammed, VicePresident of TACSU. TACSU’s second event, a movie night, was cancelled in favour of “Artist Showcase and Open Mic”, organized by the Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough to for the celebrate and appreciate black artists.

To brighten up the month TACSU hosted a very successful, first ever TACSU Mingle event on February 10th at Gzowski Dining Hall. In the evening, members came out in their best attire to get to know one another. Mohammed comments: “It was a fun experience where members got to talk to one another, one-on-one for two minutes each. Many people said they enjoyed it and hope to do more of it in the coming year because it was good to know other students here at Trent.”

This week will feature “Learning Our Roots: the Caribbean” on February 15th.

Current TACSU member and former Director of Publicity, Mikeela Skellekie will be discussing the history of the Caribbean

and how it became the region that it is today. The following day will see a karaoke night in collaboration with OPIRG, for students to get together and show some self-love! Prizes will be awarded to accompany this theme.

On the 28th of February, they will have another student-led discussion about PanAfricanism called “Connecting Our Roots” All these events are taking place at GC 115.

TACSU’s Black History Month celebrations will conclude with their annual formal, which is going to be held on March 4th. This year’s theme is Royal Voyage: Under the Stars, where attendees will embark on a cruise around the African continent and the Caribbean Islands. It will be a night of celebrations and recognizing outstanding members from throughout the year.

“Let us never forget the stories of black Canadians’ courage in the face of intolerance. Diversity is our greatest strength, and we must always continue to build a country that affords equality and opportunity for all,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the subject of Black History Month. However, one should not forget what Morgan Freeman has pointed out in 2012: “Black history is American history”. It cannot be confined to just one month.

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BLACK HERITAGE MONTH

Celebrating Black Arts: showcase & open mic at The Spill Photo by Lubna Sadek

Lubna Sadek February is the month of love, and not just because of its fourteenth day. All throughout the month of February, many people across Canada show love and celebration of Black Heritage Month to honour the contributions to society made by black Canadians through time. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued the following statement about Black Heritage Month: “Throughout our history, black Canadians have played a key role in building and shaping the diverse, compassionate, and prosperous country that we are all so proud to call home… On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I encourage all Canadians to participate in the many events that will take place across the country throughout February”. The City of Peterborough has already begun to take part in the action, with various events taking place towards Black Heritage Month.

On the night of February 8th, members of the community came together at The Spill Café on George Street to celebrate Black Heritage Month in an artsy way. Celebrating Black Arts was an artist showcase and open mic event organized by Black Lives Matter Nogojiwangong and the Community and Race Relations Committee of Peterborough (CRRC), with main organizers including Niambi Leigh, Charmaine Magumbe and Caitlin Currie.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is an international movement that began in the United States with aims to rebuild the black liberation movement. The movement was created

by Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors after 17 year-old Trayvon Martin was murdered, and then placed on trial for his own murder while the killer, George Zimmerman, was not held accountable for his crime. The movement was a response to the actions are that are unfortunately enabled by our society; it’s a movement meant to give black lives a voice and to highlight the ongoing racism that still exists in a society that claims to be trying to dissolve it.

Black Lives Matter stands for all black lives on the gender spectrum, aiming to bring equality and human rights to black women, trans, queer, disabled and all members that were discriminated because of their skin colour and beliefs. What began on social media was carried by these women to reality, hosting conferences, projects and opportunities that serve towards achieving the BLM agenda.

Black Lives Matter Nogojiwangong and the CRRC of Peterborough are taking a local approach at the matter, aiming to decrease and eventually end the hate crimes and actions of racism in Peterborough as a city. Charmaine Magumbe, one of the event organizers and chairperson of the CRRC in Peterborough, aims at spreading diversity in Peterborough, educating people about racism, and breaking negative stereotypes about people of colour and Indigenous peoples. It is part of the CRRC’s agenda

to advocate for people against incidents of hate and racism in the city.

Of course, a beautiful part of any movement is the art that it inspires, and Celebrating Black Arts was certainly a celebration. The event was a beautiful collective work of art that came together to powerfully and creatively express the ideologies of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as celebrating black art during Black Heritage Month. Everyone was welcome to attend the event, and performers were people of colour from various backgrounds who took the stage to share their stories. Event organizers Magumbe and Leigh fabulously hosted for the night and made performances of their own. Magumbe presented during the first half of the performance, courageously coming out to the audience as a closet comedian, and the audience did not hold back their laughter. Particularly impressive since she improvised the majority of her performance after bringing the wrong notebook!

The night continued with performers of great talent, it was an outstanding opportunity to listen to people of colour express their thoughts, emotions and reaction to the world around them, from political issues to day to day life, it was about them and experiencing life from their perspective. Performances included a kickass slam poetry from Angela, of indigenous background, who shared poetry about her trip to Standing Rock and on being the lesbian she wants to be. Mikeela, an international student from Anguilla, shared her emotional journey using beautifully constructed metaphors of an ocean. The show also included dancing performances from Micheala Palmer and Francinin Brice, international students from Jamaica and St. Lucia respectively. The girls celebrated the art of Caribbean dancing, and the performance also served as a sneak-peek to their soakasize classes available at the Trent Athletic Centre. Samantha Banton, an international student from Jamaica as well,

and Ropa Mungwari from Zimbabwe filled the room with their robust voices celebrating the songs of black singers worldwide.

Banton also shared poetry about the race we are all running on the track of life, to get listeners to pay attention to the race that matters: the human race.

Powerful performances carried on through the night, such as poetry from Trent student and Arthur writer Shanese Steele, who spoke on her mixed heritage and the inspirational black women that came before her. Community member Elizabeth Jenkins shared her outstanding slam poetry about her heart being broken and tackled issues on racism with her piece “Dear White Privilege”. Finally Leigh, one of the event organizers, wrapped up the celebration with vivid, emotional poetry of her own, and definitely touched the audience.

Other artists and local citizens signed up last minute and got a chance to express themselves. The event was greatly successful in creating an inclusive and humorous environment, while creating a space that allows for people to artistically share about issues that impact our lives so immensely.

The diversity in the performers was a reflection to the diverse spectrum of people that BLM and the CRRC are representing, and thus the growing diversity in the community. Although the city of Peterborough still has some way to go, the event represents the blooming diversity in the city.

Leigh proudly mentioned that in the four years of performing and going to The Spill, she had never seen so many people of colour in the crowd. The event is part of the growing art movement in Peterborough, and is a step towards art that discusses racism, and unites those who wish to celebrate diversity and humanity. Celebrating Black Arts was definitely a place where we could celebrate our similarities more than what differentiates us, and sheds light on a hopefully bright future where all events can hold that same energy of acceptance and love.

Strange Fruit: music and art still crucial to discussions of race Sarah Crookall

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A strange and bitter song captures an equally strange and bittersweet history.

In January, X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson said she would sing at Donald Trump’s inauguration— on one condition. Ferguson demanded to perform Billie Holiday’s famous jazz tune “Strange Fruit.”

Ferguson’s demand was not so much a request, but a remark. Since the song is known for its anti-racist message, the gesture spoke to current racial tensions. These racial tensions have roots that span long and far in American life.

“Strange Fruit” first appeared at Café Society in Greenwich Village New York in 1939. As a new club, it was the first racially integrated venue in America. A nervous Billie Holiday spilled the lyrics of the song “Like Honey” to a crowd that only apprehensively applauded.

“Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,” are some of the song’s lyrics, conjuring the image of a recent lynching. A vivid and dark depiction of reality at the time.

For context, 1939 was a year of high racial tension. Segregation was common thanks to Jim Crow laws, racial discrimination was legal, and lynching still took place.

It is the year John Steinbeck’s The Grapes Of Wrath was published, and L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz first dazzled viewers with its Technicolor premiere.

At this time it was risky to speak about

www.trentarthur.ca

racism. America was worming its way out of the Great Depression and using art as escape. Unemployment for blacks soared above 50 per cent. And while many clubs employed black talent, people of colour were mostly banned from attending venues as patrons. Music was one of the few ways people of colour could speak freely. In this climate, “Strange Fruit” rose to protest racism through music— long before the protest song became popularized in the 1960s.

But this watershed song did not come to be without its share of tension.

“Strange Fruit” was first published as “Bitter Fruit”— a poem by a Jewish American teacher named Abel Meeropol in 1937.

Meeropol became inspired to write the poem after seeing a photo of the infamous lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. In 1930 the men were arrested for robbing and murdering a white factory worker. The next day Smith and Shipp were dragged from their jail cells, beaten, and lynched by a mob.

The image is especially haunting because folks gather around the two hanging men, as one man points proudly to Smith and Shipp, as if to signal his prize. Another man in the crowd smiles at the camera.

This scene resonated with the Bronx teacher and writer, even as an outwardly visible white Jewish man. “I wrote “Strange Fruit” because I hate lynching, and I hate injustice, and I hate the people who perpetuate it,” Meeropol said, according to The Guardian.

Although Meeropol changed his name to Lewis Allan in order to publish songs and poems because he was Jewish, the song was still risky to popularize. In 1940, the teacher was brought upon a New York court to testify whether or not the American Communist Party paid him to write the song. They did not, but Meeropol was a communist against racism. He eventually left both teaching and the Communist Party after the trial.

When “Strange Fruit” landed in Billie Holiday’s hands, it met further resistance.

Holiday’s record company, Columbia Records, refused to record the tune. The company feared poor sales in the South and negative reactions from CBS. John Hammond, Holiday’s producer, also refused to produce the song.

However, thanks to an a cappella performance, “Strange Fruit” brought one of Holiday’s friends to tears. That friend, Milt Gabler, worked for an alternative jazz label called Commodore. The song was then recorded as a one-session release by Vocalion Records, and sold a million copies. It was Holiday’s best selling record.

Since then, the song has been covered by the likes of Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Sting and John Martyn. The song was also sampled on Kanye’s 2013 Yeezus album.

“It deals with America and the black and white problem, the ugliness of it. That is about the ugliest song I have ever heard.

Ugly in the sense that it is violent and tears at the guts of what white people have done

to my people in this country,” said Nina Simone toward the end of the civil rights movement in 1969.

“It really opens up the wound completely raw when you think of a man hanging from a tree and to call him—strange fruit.”

A solo and sparse piano often accompanied most of Simone’s version, creating a sharp eeriness. Though Holiday’s original recording featured Café Society’s eightpiece band, the arrangement was still selective. The emphasis of the song is undoubtedly on the words, and the heart-wrenching emotionality of its singer.

In darkness, Holiday would end her shows on “Strange Fruit.” The owner of Café Society insisted on no service during the tune and no encores—that way patrons could think about the song’s meaning.

Holiday said the song would wrench her to vomit in the bathroom after her performances. She had also said the song’s imagery reminded her of her own father.

In 1999, “Strange Fruit” was named song of the century by Time Magazine. And The Library of Congress added the song to its catalog in its first year of operation in 2002.

The library said, “It brought the topic of lynching to the commercial record-buying public.”

Through many accomplishments in its near 80-year history, “Strange Fruit” continues to incite friction today. While Rebecca Ferguson made her demand for the famous song, she did not perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

CAMPUS

Islam Awareness Week: education in light of tragedy Photo by Berfin Aksoy

Tyler Majer Last week, the Trent Muslim Students Association hosted their annual Islam Awareness Week. This event provided both outreach to the Peterborough Muslim community, while also providing information on the religion, and deconstructing the common misconceptions that people may hold about the religion.

On Tuesday February 7th in the LEC Pit, an interfaith prayer was held to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community in the wake of the shooting in Quebec. The event began with an acknowledgement of

the land, and a traditional smudging ceremony provided by TUNA (Trent University Native Association). President Leo Groarke then spoke, acknowledging the importance the event, and the need to stand with the Muslim community. Religious community members were then asked to offer words of prayer upon a voluntary basis.

As the room sat in silence and thought, member after member from different religious backgrounds spoke to the importance of love and togetherness in the wake of tragedy. There were individuals from traditional Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist faiths that offered their words and prayers, as well as some individuals who identified with alternative faiths, or no faith at all who spoke offering their wisdom and condolences.

This event provided the opportunity to mourn, and was important in establishing a sense of community amongst the different religious entities within Trent, and the Peterborough community at large.

As well as hosting an Interfaith Prayer, each day of last week members of the TMSA were available to speak on, and dismiss misconceptions about the Muslim faith in person. On February 7th & 9th, the TMSA had a table set up in the Bata Foyer, with February 8th being outside of

Wenjack. Vice President of the TMSA Sahibzada Saif stated that the purpose of the tables was to “create awareness” as well as to “raise funds for the victims of the Quebec shooting”.

The physical presence of the TMSA on these days allowed for people to stop by and chat about the Muslim faith. This allowed for anyone with questions or concerns regarding this religion to come and talk directly to those practicing this religion. This functioned to debunk common misconceptions about the religion, as well as, creating again a sense of togetherness within the Trent community.

Finally, on Friday February 10th from 6-9 PM, the final ceremony of the week was held in Champlain’s Great Hall. Although the weather was bad, there were still around 50 people in attendance. Unfortunately, due to the weather, only one speaker out of the planned four was able to make it.

The event began with a traditional prayer from both the president and vice-president of the TMSA. Although the event was smaller than expected, the message remained the same. It is love, and unity that will unite, and not hate.

President of the TMSA Muhammad Arif Khan stated in his opening speech that,

“it is very illogical to respond to hate with hate. The only option we have is love.”

After the President’s words, Dawood Zwink from ISNA-Canada came to tell his personal story of, and viewpoints on the Islamic faith. He informed the crowd that the word Islam, translates to love and peace.

He also stated that, “this event is to inform, not convert.”

He continued with a telling of some of the traditional stories of the Islamic faith, and worked throughout to inform the truth, and debunk the mistruths associated with Islam.

This week of awareness, and the specific events included within are extremely important right now. With last year’s burning of the Peterborough Mosque, and this year’s Quebec shooting, it is important to continue the conversation, and information surrounding the Islamic faith to make sure that people are well informed, and not making misguided or ignorant assumptions that can lead to terror and tragedy.

The TMSA did a wonderful job of creating a week-long event that sought to provide this information, while also being easily accessible and open.

All donations from the week will be sent to the Islamic Centre of Quebec.

“From Climate to Culture” addresses problems and possible solutions regarding climate change crisis Clay Duncalfe & Josh Skinner Standing at the centre of Sadlier House’s Hobbs Memorial Library, author and community organiser Rosemary Ganley offered a seemingly benign anecdote about an upcoming spiritual retreat in the American southwest she had recently been made aware of, asking the room full of 20-somethings if they think she should attend.

After a brief pause, a young woman in the audience answered an almost incredulous “yes”.

All those in attendance fell silent after Ganley’s follow up to this casual exchange, which brought to light the western privilege we as Canadians so often fail to take into account when going about our day-today lives: Would a Syrian or Iraqi citizen be offered the privilege to even consider such an opportunity?

And so began “From Climate to Culture: The Complexity of Change”, a conference that, like Ganley’s keynote address, revolved around climate change, while bringing to light broader narratives of race, gender, class and an increasingly polarised political climate in relation to what is perhaps the defining issue of our time.

“From Climate to Culture” is a milestone for the Student Association for International Development (SAID), marking a decade of annual Community Movements Conferences hosted by the organisation.

Ganley, who is the founder of the Jamaican Self Help development agency and a weekly contributor to the Peterborough Examiner, emphasised the role religion can play in everyday approaches to the issue of climate change in her presentation.

The self-described Roman Catholic feminist asserted that in a socio-economic climate that too-often puts economic needs over the environment, spiritual teachings from Aboriginal cultures, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, which emphasise the imperative for humans to exist within nature, ought to be brought to the

Photo by Laurence LeBlanc

forefront in conversations about the future of our global ecosystem.

Dr. Betsy McGregor, who like Ganley, has no qualms about upholding her traditional Catholic values while embracing the progressive cause of 3rd wave feminism, offered an intersectional approach in her Saturday morning address entitled “What have women got to do with all of this?”

McGregor pointed out that women are disproportionately affected by climate change, primarily because their voices are undervalued in negotiations regarding the matter on the global stage.

Just 19.5% of parliamentarians across the globe are women, while women are producing 60% of the world’s food.

In how to go about combatting such injustices, McGregor remained optimistic.

She cited the women’s marches in response to the election of Donald Trump as examples of grassroots mobilization facilitated by mass movements of women.

On a more fundamental level, she advocated that the best way to create gender equality is for a gender-based lens to be involved in all aspects of everyday life, especially in regard to the topic of climate

change.

The weekend also featured an Interactive Board Game hosted by KWIC’s Seeds for Justice and Trent Oxfam youth collectives.

Participants were each assigned the role of a country, as well as a finite amount of money and natural resources that they were expected to maintain as the game progressed.

Players took turns rolling large cardboard dice as they made their way across Sadlier House’s dining hall in an attempt to make it to the game’s finish line before the degradation of resources caused by climate change forced them to start back where they began.

One of the main takeaways the workshop’s organizers wanted to convey to participants was that while developed countries such as the United States and China are some of the largest contributors to climate change through large scale carbon emissions, it is the developing world, especially countries who rely heavily on agriculture as a means to support their expanding economies, who most profoundly feel the impacts of climate change.

Sunday’s itinerary featured two back-to-

back panel discussions, one of which focused on the topic of movement building, while the other centred around policy development in the approach towards combating climate change.

Among the panel guests featured were Mike Nickerson, co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Cultural Evolution, as well as May Chazan, a Canadian Research Chair in Gender and Feminist Studies who directs an activist-based research organisation called Aging Activism.

These panels, along with the teamwork exercises that followed them later in the afternoon, gave observers of the conference a chance to take the knowledge they obtained from previous sessions and provided them with guidance on transforming this information into meaningful change within their communities.

The final day of presentations also featured a networking lunch catered by Black Honey Bakery, where attendees were given the opportunity to meet with local organizers and community members involved with the conference.

Becca Kram, co-chair for the conference committee, provided closing remarks as the conference wrapped up.

The 4th year International Development Studies major expressed her gratitude towards the many presenters and organisers involved in the event for their hard work and dedication, as well as her happiness with the conference’s overwhelming turnout.

“What stood out most to me about this conference is how incredible it felt to see so many young people and community members coming together to discuss the importance of the climate crisis and its solutions. As I walked around the venue, I couldn’t believe how engaged everyone was. I am continually inspired by the passion that emanated not only from the speakers of the conference, but also the attendees. This is where I believe real change begins.”

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CAMPUS

Panel discussion regarding Justin Trudeau’s Liberal governance Clay Duncalfe & Sarah Carthy

On February 1st, exactly 455 days into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal leadership, the Department of Political Studies and Champlain College held a panel discussion to reflect on the overall direction of the Trudeau federal government, touching on areas of real change, controversial moments, as well as campaign promises and failures.

This event was paneled by four professors from the Departments of Political Studies, International Development Studies, and Sociology: Dr. Feyzi Baban, Dr. Kristy Buccieri, Dr. Nadine Changfoot, and Dr. Devin Penner.

Focusing on immigration and the refugee crisis, affordable housing, gender equality, and democratic reform, the discussion outlined the Trudeau government’s movement toward change, and was wellattended by students, staff, and faculty with a vested interest in Canadian politics.

Discussion began with a hot topic across American politics: immigration and the refugee crisis. Receiving praise for its openness toward the acceptance of Syrian refugees, the Canadian Liberal government was described by Political and International Development Studies Professor Dr. Feyzi Baban as a “fresh breath of air” after the strict regulation on refugee processing under the former Conservative leadership.

Despite this, Dr. Baban argued that in context, Canada isn’t doing enough. He asserted that Canada’s accepting of approxi-

mately 39,000 refugees pales in comparison to the millions finding asylum abroad and that the perception Canadians have of their government’s efforts regarding the crisis is exaggerated.

Diverting away from the topic of immigration policy, Dr. Baban also made an effort to tie his presentation to a previous panel discussion held in November, titled “From Trump to Brexit: Where is the World Going?”. He praised Trudeau for making strides to uphold what he describes as “keystones of liberal democratic order” such as respect for human rights and rule of law, which are values he believes have been under attack by not only the Donald Trump administration in the United States, but also the rise of “ extreme right-winged parties” within Europe.

Shifting the discussion toward affordable housing and federal policy, Dr. Kristy Buccieri of the Department of Sociology drew attention to the homelessness crisis in Canada, and resolution efforts made by the previous Conservative government. Indicating steps made by the current Liberal government through the National Housing Strategy, Dr. Buccieri showed confidence in the Trudeau government to make larger improvements in the future.

Dr. Nadine Changfoot’s presentation focused primarily on the Trudeau government’s initiatives regarding gender equality. Invoking Trudeau’s once-viral “because its 2015” quote, she commended the Prime Minister’s efforts towards increased political representation through appointments

In memory of Dylan O’ Hagan

Sean Mcintosh I can’t say I’ve ever met someone as positive and upbeat as Dylan O’Hagan.

At the age of 24 my friend Dylan, a graduate of Trent University, died on Sunday Jan. 29 in Peterborough.

Dylan and I were two of the first Trent students to join the Journalism program.

Real trendsetters, if you will. For the program students would spend two years at Trent and in Belleville at Loyalist College.

None of us knew each other – if a couple people did it was a very casual manner – so suffice to say we were pretty hesitant and nervous heading into a new environment.

But not Dylan. Dylan walks into our residence building the six guys in the program shared, smiling from ear to ear.

“Hey, man. I’m Dylan, nice to meet you.

So what are we doing tonight?” he asked.

“There’s no way he’s this upbeat”, the rest of the boys would say to each other. He must be just putting on a character!

Nope. That’s the real Dylan O’Hagan.

It’s hard to put into words what exactly made Dylan such a good person, because really it was the little things and the small moments that stick out most. There were the small compliments he’d give you, the

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pat on the back if you’re frustrated with something or seeing him become more upset over something that made you mad because no one treats Dylan O’Hagan’s friends like that.

He was a friend to anyone who needed a friend. He was the first person who would come up to you and welcome you into a group, and in our case at Loyalist, was really the first person to help bring us together.

We joked around a lot with each other and Dylan was never shy of firing back with a zinger or being the first to laugh at a joke about him.

“Hey Dylan, you’re a close-talker.”

“I guess I am,” he’d say with a laugh.

And boy, was his wardrobe something else. I’ve never seen someone wear bright yellow sweatpants and a yellow T-shirt before. His banana outfit would always make us smile and I’m sure that’s the only reason he’d do it… That and it was probably pretty comfy.

When the news came out of his passing time seemed to stop for all of his friends and family. Dozens of posts filled up his Facebook and there was a ton of discussion amongst us, his friends.

It’s hard at times like these to be happy and only view the way things come to an end. But it wouldn’t be fair to Dylan to not remember him the way he would’ve wanted to be remembered.

He was always the life of the party. If you were down he’d try to cheer you up. For those who knew Dylan, whether you were close or not, make sure you remember the good times. Remember that time his wide smile forced a smile of your own. Remember the time you saw him dancing with his arms down at his sides – I think he called that move “The Bernie”. Remember his (at times) questionable fashion choices when you passed by him in the Trent hallways.

If you didn’t know him, believe me you would’ve liked him. I’m sure he would’ve liked you too.

Rest in peace, buddy.

made in his current cabinet, half of which is comprised of women, as well as the nominal increase in women elected during the 2015 election.

Despite these positive sentiments expressed by the professor, Dr. Changfoot’s portion of the discussion was not void of criticism. She also noted that while the headway made by the Liberal leadership in conducting a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women was a step in the right direction, a report filed in January by the Native Womens’ Association of Canada described the government’s progress thus far as “incomplete” and “[in need of] further action”.

The report cited other areas of concern as well. Not giving Commissioners the authority to compel police to re-open cases or start new ones based on information provided during the inquiry, as well as a lack of inclusion of the role provincial and territorial governments play in the regulation of social services such as policing and child welfare in their investigation were two major highlights.

Dr. Devin Penner’s presentation focused on democratic reform, which was viewed by many as an integral component of Trudeau’s 2015 election campaign. He began by describing Trudeau’s promise of “bringing real change to the Senate” as something he considers to be an election promise the Prime Minister succeeded in fulfilling.

“Justin Trudeau said he would create an independent, non-partisan advisory

to recommend Senate appointments. He did exactly that.” Dr. Penner explained.

However, the professor also noted that the recommendations made by the board are non-binding, and could potentially be ignored by future Prime Ministers.

Moving onto the more contentious issue of electoral reform, Dr. Penner asserted that the Liberal government deserves “some credit” for opening a national discussion on this issue, despite this discussion being one that he describes as often “haphazard”. He pointed to the Party’s 2016 mydemocracy.com poll, which was criticized by many as being unscientific and biased against a proportional representation voting system, as an example of this.

Trent Mathew, who is a college liaison for Champlain College, was a key organizer of this event, as well as “From Trump to Brexit”, another roundtable discussion that took place regarding the U.S. election held in early October.

When reached out to for a comment regarding for a comment regarding his thoughts on the event and plans for the future, he had this to say: “Given the overwhelming response to the first three panel discussions, as well as recent developments both at home and abroad, I expect that there will be 1-2 more panels before the end of the semester. There is a real desire for this among students and faculty and Champlain College hopes it can help support these events as they come together.”

Social Justice Day at Trent Radio

Trent Radio It is something I have come to know well that the more I learn and the more I read, the more anger, frustration, and worrying would become part of who I am. But I know it is necessary and I, for one, am glad. This thought is well corroborated by my professors, who end lecture by telling us to not feel discouraged or disheartened, that they recognize how burdensome it is for us to learn about and consistently think about all the injustices in the world, that we need to understand that we are doing exactly what we need to do by coming to class and doing readings.

And if you are a strong believer in the idea that nurturing our human faculties will strengthen our human dignity, and have accepted the burden of knowing, you will find reassurance in John Stuart Mill’s

ideas: “It is indisputable that the being whose capacities of enjoyment are low, has the greatest chance of having them fully satisfied; and a highly endowed being will always feel that any happiness which they can look for, as the world is constituted, is imperfect. But they can learn to bear its imperfections, if they are at all bearable; and they will not make them envy the being who is indeed unconscious of the imperfections…”

But deciding on how to bear those imperfections is the most difficult for me.

Some days I choose to nap through my concerns; on other days, when I feel braver, I reflect upon them and write. The most successful solution is usually congregating with my group of friends, who have also understood that reading and learning brings many afflictions, but that we are in too far to just turn away. We have conversations that don’t necessarily make us see

the bright side of things, but they do bring some hope and better understanding that can help appease our thoughts for some time.

Trent Radio Community Outreach Development Manager Mauricio Interiano feels a similar way. It is why he came up with the idea of hosting a Radio Project Day dedicated to social justice. It will take place on Wednesday February 22nd from 9am to 6pm. The schedule for this day will be subbed by programmers who are interested, passionate, and dedicated to social justice organizations, movements, and/or studies. Make sure to tune in.

Listening to others who care while acknowledging the weight carried by these fighters for social justice can turn anger into inspiration and empowerment.

After these lively hours of discussion are over at 6pm, Trent Radio will also be broadcasting the Homelessness Marathon.

COMMUNITY

This year, the Homelessness Marathon will be hosted by 107.3 FM in St John, New Brunswick. This yearly event aims to raise awareness about homelessness in Canadian communities.

Our attitudes allude to Mill’s principles.

We can feel happiness, of the painful kind, of the imperfect sort. Finding others who find themselves in the same situation is a way of bearing with these imperfections.

Part of what makes ideas on social justice so emotionally degrading is the loneliness one can feel when thinking about injustice. You might feel you are the only one who cares. But please know that if there are thousands of books, documentaries, shows, organizations, friends, and student-run radio stations that have accepted the burden of learning and thinking, you must surely not be alone. Join me in tuning in to 92.7 CFFF FM Trent Radio in Peterborough.

Sophia’s Kitchen: a hotspot of deliciousness at Water and Parkhill Photos by Samantha Moss

Amanda Reed When Pat Nelson saw the for sale sign on the corner of Water Street and Parkhill, she knew that it was meant to be. This would be the beginning of her new student friendly restaurant, Sophia’s. Nelson could only dream of the success that she would receive from the grand opening on February 11th.

Sophia’s, a restaurant named after Nelson’s own mother, was something which was created with a very specific purpose in mind.

“One day my daughter only had 7 dollars for her lunch, and she wasn’t able to buy one. I said to her ‘I’m going to own a restaurant where you can get a full meal, fries, and a drink, everything, for 7 dollars’, and here we are.” Nelson smiles as she looks at the dream which has come to fruition in front of her eyes. The mother of two opened up Sophia’s in October of last year, just as students were getting used life

at Trent. Nelson’s goal? Feeding all of them for a reasonable price.

Family and friends have arrived from all over Ontario today to assist Pat Nelson with her grand opening. As usual, nothing is out of place and the counters are always shiny, but the atmosphere is more elated than it normally is. Customers are greeted with a warm welcome from Nelson when they enter the restaurant, and a smile from trusted employees like Breanne Burch, and Ted Sunnerton. Sophia’s is Pat Nelson’s dream, and you can tell by how much pride is put into each detail. There is a consensus from everyone who is here to support Nelson. She has worked hard for this. No one deserves this more than her. Her story is one of determination and inspiration.

When talking to Nelson’s daughters, the message she tries to send them seems to resonate. Dakota, her youngest, says that today is exciting for her and that she appreciates all that her mother has done to achieve her dreams. Madison has also arrived today to help her mother, and she exhibits similar praises while bonding with her aunts and sister Starting up such a vision has its challenges. Sophia’s was a great deal of work with long hours and Nelson had a hard road with months of preparation. When interviewing Pat Nelson there was a definite sense of resilience. Every struggle in Sophia’s has been overcome with a passion and drive, which will continue as the business grows and flourishes. Today is a celebration of how far Nelson has come.

Nelson’s strength and determination shine through as she talks about what keeps her going on days that are the most difficult.

“I need my kids to know that they can’t ever give up” Nelson says, “On the toughest days I take a deep breath and remember

why I’m doing this.”

Nelson’s love of feeding people is obvious in both the prices and the quality of the food. Her 7 dollar special is a big seller among students, but her personal favourite thing on the menu is called the ‘Hail Mary’ after her mother’s middle name. After it made its presence on social media, people began asking for it consistently. Nelson explained that she didn’t think people would eat the full burger, but it turns out that the entire thing is often devoured quickly.

Another feature on the menu are Nelson’s onion rings, a recipe which she learned from another restaurant she once worked at. Nelson swears by the recipe, mentioning the main idea is that the smaller the onion, the sweeter the ring. Often dubbed ‘onion donuts’ (a phrase Nelson loves to hear) one is often placed on top of a box of fries. Students also enjoy them on their own, and they have become quite a popular seller.

Sue Midolo, a friend of Nelson’s, mentions the importance of the food being fresh, “at McDonalds it’s twice as much and everything is processed, here you get real food and real nourishment.” Nelson’s family nods in agreement.

Nelson’s nurturing nature goes into both preparing and serving her food to students, She loves seeing students happy, and says that often, “I have to stop myself from asking, ‘did you eat dinner?’ and sometimes I don’t stop myself.” The basic principle for the restaurant is that people are served good food, at good prices, with amazing service.

In terms of her own success, Nelson wants to give the following advice to students, “you can do whatever you want to do. Never take no for an answer. To challenge yourself is good.” She says that she wants students to know that the things

which hold us back are lessons, and that she truly believes a person can do whatever they want.

Sophia’s is open from 11am – 9pm Monday – Saturday. There may soon be opportunities for students such as upcoming contests, but for now, Nelson has one goal; “I want to feed the world.”

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Volume 51| Issue 13 | Februar y 13 | 2017

724 WATER STREET

(Corner of Parkhill & Water)

Open Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm Closed Sundays DINE IN OR TAKE OUT 705-741-1911

Sophia’s Kitchen is a brand new family owned restaurant, serving up delicious Greek dinners, juicy burgers and onion rings the size of your face