The Ontarion - 193.3

Viral tweets highlight the need for better accessibility

Due to structural ableism and the nature of accessibility policy, disabled individuals have struggled to have their needs met at U of G

U

nder the ‘Accessibility (AODA) Resources’ tab on the University of Guelph website, you will find the U of G’s own statement of commitment to ac cessibility. There, our prestigious school commits to “fostering an educational, working, and living environment, where all Univer sity community members experi ence an authentic sense of inclu sion and belonging.”

However, if you’re a student or member of faculty with dis abilities, or you’ve at least kept up to date with recent U of G-related news, you might’ve noticed that such statements have been criti cized in light of students’ actual experiences.

nah reveals a series of experiences in which the University of Guelph and some of its faculty failed to accommodate her.

When she first reached out to the university for accommoda tions in light of the limited DE courses, she was suggested to ei ther drop the semester or attend another school. When Hannah pointed out her concerns over these options, a linked screenshot of one of her emails read, “I re alize that some of the options are not the most efficient but there will be some limitations if there are certain (reasonable) restric tions you are working with for the first part of the semester.”

The same email also point ed out that professors are not required to “make exceptions” in light of accommodations, and Hannah’s professors had not of fered any kind of accommoda tions or alternatives.

As such, instructors, whom Davies says are often overworked and underpaid, may not want to put the extra effort into needed accommodations. There are also other factors, such as lack of train ing resources, to consider, though Davies says the problem mostly stems from structural ableism.

“When people whose minds and bodies operate outside of the

On their Twitter profile, Da vies elaborated a bit on their own struggles and that of their stu dents.

“The emotional labour of be ing a queer nonbinary disabled faculty in the academy is enough of a reason as to why there are so few of us. I’m tired of feeling like I work at a place that would rath er I not be there,” they wrote.

On Oct. 17, they also wrote that one of their students had contacted the university about ac quiring accessible desks before the start of the school year. Six weeks into the semester, Davies’ lecture hall finally received the desks, only for them to be nowhere to be found the very next week.

“No explanation was offered,” said Davies in a series of replies.

They responded, “the Uni versity cares deeply about our stu dents. We do all we can to help them to succeed. We are commit ted to creating and maintaining an equitable learning environment for all. We recognize that each stu dent has their own specific needs to do their best academically.”

In early September of this year, U of G psychology and so ciology student Brittany Hannah posted a thread of tweets about her experiences as a disabled stu dent that quickly went viral.

Hannah has been bound to a wheelchair since an ATV acci dent injured her spine, three parts of her ribs, and her ankle a year ago. In July, a scheduled surgery left her completely unable to bear weight on her ankle. As a result, she cannot attend class on cam pus. Her program also has a limit ed amount of Distance Education (DE) courses available, according to Hannah.

In her thread of tweets, Han

“I should not have to beg a school that is ‘committed to pro viding goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and inde pendence of persons with disabil ities’ for respect as someone with a disability. I have the right to the education I’m paying for. I am devastated,” wrote Hannah.

The thread has since gotten over 600 retweets and 2,200 likes.

U of G Assistant Professor Adam Davies told GuelphToday that although the University of Guelph does have a policy that should ensure that accommoda tions, such as audio or visual re cording and virtual lectures, are provided, many such accommoda tions are “supplementary,” mean ing it is left to the discretion of each course instructor.

taken-for-granted norm of high er education, people often don’t know how to respond to that, are not willing to put the energy into making their classroom more in clusive,” said Davies in the article on GuelphToday.com.

They further explained that the solution for Hannah’s case could’ve been a simple one, and that professors would only have needed to “have a Zoom camera going during class and record the lectures, then post them after wards. It’s definitely manageable because we’ve been doing that over the last few years with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Following the media atten tion of her tweets, Hannah has since received accommodations from her instructors, but unfortu nately it still seems like there is work to be done to better support students and faculty with disabili ties.

“Disabled students, faculty, and staff are treated like second class citizens in higher education and there is a systemic issue at this in stitution. As a disablaed faculty, I have been asking for copyediting for a month and still have noth ing.”

The Ontarion reached out to the University of Guelph for a statement on Hannah’s situation and the issue of accessibility.

They go on to explain that the team at Student Accessibility Services works with students in dividually to meet their needs and aims to remove structural barriers to ensure the equitable participa tion of all who attend post-sec ondary education at U of G.

“We work closely and collab oratively with students, staff, and faculty to determine what is need ed. The process begins with the student reaching out to Student Accessibility Services.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the university learn ing environment, the University of Guelph will “[work] to contin ually evolve [their] practices and processes.”

On Oct. 25, Hannah tweeted that she would be pursuing edu cation elsewhere.

“I’ve tried very hard to advo cate for disabled students, but I’m tired of this administration and their lack of care or urgency with the systemic discrimination that they’re aware of,” she wrote.

Suspect taken in by police following Arboretum

stabbingA U of G student was attacked in early October while on a walking trail. A Mississauga man has turned himself in and is being charged for the incident

On Oct. 3, a student at the University of Guelph was reportedly stabbed in The Arbo retum. A suspect has since been taken in by police and charged.

The Arboretum is a 400 acre campus-adjacent park with several walking trails open to the public from dawn until dusk. The victim sustained a “minor stab wound to his arm” at around 5 p.m. on one of the trails in an unprovoked at tack. He was treated in hospital and later released.

The police initially believed the suspect and victim were not known to each other. Additional ly, the suspect “appeared drunk,” possibly suffered a facial inju

ry during the incident, and fled from the attack on foot, according to Global News.

An image was later released of a man between 18 and 20 years of age wearing a dark hoodie, jeans, and a backpack walking away from the scene of the stab bing. Investigators believed the

individual may have had infor mation on the attack and reached out to the public in an effort to reach him, though it is unknown whether or not this yielded any results.

Over a week after the inci dent, a 19-year-old Mississauga man turned himself in to police on Oct. 12, and police no longer claim that the suspect and victim were unknown to each other.

The man was charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and uttering threats. According to a new Global News article, he is scheduled to ap pear in a Guelph court on Nov. 22.

Embracing your inner rainbow on National Coming Out Day

Attending a National Coming Out Day tie-dye social with the Sexual Gender Diversity office at the U of G

National Coming Out Day was first celebrated in 1988, in the United States by Robert Eichberg and Jean O'Leary. It's a recognized day to support the LGBTQ com munity, spread awareness about coming out, and decreasing the stigma surrounding it.

The Sexual and Gender Di versity office at the University of Guelph hosted an amazing tie dye social event to celebrate the National Coming Out Day at the university which allowed the stu dents on campus to have a safe space to enjoy the day together.

The event was held in Peter Clark Hall at the University Cen tre. All the equipment for tie-dye ing was already set up along with snacks for the students. The event was a huge success, and the turn out for the event was amazing. Students went home with beau tiful tie-dyed socks, shirts, and a full heart, knowing that they are not alone when coming out.

“National Coming Out Day is a day which celebrates all identi ties and all stages of coming out,” said Caleb Hardwood, the Sexual and Gender Diversity advisor at the university.

Hardwood supports and advo cates for students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community by help ing them, navigate their identity while in the cisheteronormative society. He played a huge part in setting up the very successful tie-

dye social and creating a calming and comfortable environment for all the students.

He believes that National Coming Out Day plays a crucial role for the LGBTQ+ community because, it celebrates all identi ties, which is not dependent upon who someone is out to, how they are out to someone, or even if they are out to anyone. He tells us that, “We just want to celebrate every body within their own queer iden tity, and that’s what the [Sexual and Gender Diversity] team really wants to achieve."

loved one’s identity.

• Learn what their identity means and understand it through the various resourc es available on the internet and on -campus.

• Don’t make judgements to wards the person who has come out to you.

• Sharing your pronouns to create a safe space for oth er people to share and use theirs and feel more comfort able around you.

• If you make a mistake, take a step back, apologize, learn from it, and move on.

Here are a few ways you can celebrate the queer identity of your loved ones and show support through allyship:

• Creating a safe and healthy environment for the person where we can talk about queer and trans identities freely.

• Tell the person that they are loved no matter what, and when you say that, mean it.

• Validate and respect your

Overall, make sure to al ways respect the identities and experiences of LGBTQ+ folks. If someone decides that they want to come out to you, they will feel a lot safer doing so knowing you won’t judge them for it. Also, re member that it is ultimately the other person’s decision if they want to come out or not, so don’t take it personally if they do only after knowing you for a long time. Revealing these parts of your identity can be incredibly diffi cult, and some may be perfectly content not coming out at all, and that’s okay.

If you make sure that you can be a safe space, you’ll like ly find that your relationships to your loved ones will feel even more fulfilling.

Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit folks and much more likely to experience violence than other populations in Canada. The time for action is now

ELENI KOPSAFTIS

In Canada, Indigenous women and girls are five times more likely to experience violence than any other population. To ac knowledge those impacted by this violence and honour the missing and murdered In digenous women, girls, and two-spirit indi viduals, Guelph-Wellington Women in Cri sis (GWWIC) hosted the Sisters in Spirit candlelight vigil event on Oct. 4 in Royal City Park.

Indigenous women in Canada experi ence disproportionately high rates of vio lence. According to the GWWIC website, Indigenous women represent only about five per cent of Canadian women. Despite this, 24 per cent of female homicide vic tims between 2015 and 2020 were Indige nous.

Further, a study by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics showed that 56 per cent of Indig enous women have experienced physical assault and 46 per cent experienced sexu al assault. These rates are even higher for Two-Spirit individuals.

“This event will offer space for reflec tion on the impacts of this violence, as well as for remembrance and healing,” read the GWWIC website.

At 6 p.m. on the day of the event, com munity members gathered at the Sacred Fire for the vigil as.

The Sacred Fire was created in Royal City Park by First Nations, Métis, Mixed Ancestry, and Inuit. It is used for various spiritual gatherings, and the Fire Keepers stay with the flame at all times while main taining it according to their traditions, says the Guelph City website.

The space for Sacred Fire is located right off of Speed River, chosen for its proximity to the merging rivers which was a meeting point for Original Peoples.

The sacred flame was encircled with red, yellow, white, and black fabric for the event, and the trees near the space were hung with red dresses.

The red dress became a symbol for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in 2010, says journalist Christian Allaire in an article, when Winnipeg-based Métis and Finnish artist Jaime Black start

ed the art series after seeing a group of 40 local women who had experienced having family members go missing without any re course. The women wore red dresses, the colour of the life-giving blood.

During the vigil event, participants were invited to smudge, enter the circle around the Sacred Fire, and hold onto some dried tobacco leaves throughout the event as to infuse them with our prayers and remembrance and later place them in the fire. Every participant was also given a candle to hold for the duration of the vigil.

Kellie Grace, a traditional healing li ason for the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC), spoke out throughout the vigil, highlighting the aforementioned rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people as well as the need for action.

“We continue to see women walk out the door, never to return. Families have lived the agony of regular phone calls that suddenly stopped, only to be replaced by si lence. These women don’t just stop calling their families. They aren’t out partying or choosing to end their lives. They don't just disappear without a trace,” said Grace.

“The crimes against Indigenous wom en that continue to take lives and destroy many others from the loss, trauma, and grief need to be brought forward. The rip ple effect on these families, children, and communities is not going to go away … How can we continue to turn a blind eye as mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunties missing without a trace or dying at the hands of killers? The justice system, pro vincial and federal government, is failing them. It’s failing us.”

By 7 p.m., participants were again of fered leaves–this time from pine trees–to

imbue with their prayers and cast into the Sacred Fire following a minute of silence. Grace not only thanked everyone at the event, she also urged everyone in atten dance that the time for talking and waiting has come and gone, that the time for action is now.

“It is time that we Canadians rise up and embrace our own forms of expression and our own calls for action among this ev ergrowing genocide,” said Kellie.

“Write your provincial and federal governments. Demand action. Attend vig

ils. Listen to the stories of families. Attend workshops. March for the missing and mur dered. Stay educated and up-to-date. Learn Canada’s true history from an Indigenous perspective … I challenge you to speak out against racism, sexism, ignorance, and ste reotypes for my people. Don’t forget that this is happening.”

Although the Sisters in Spirit event and other such vigils could not bring back those who have already been lost or mur dered, action may hopefully prevent anyone else from suffering the same untimely fate.

‘I challenge you to do something’: GWWIC holds candlelight vigil for missing and murdered Indigenous people

“It is time that we Canadians rise up and embrace our own forms of expression and our own calls for action among this evergrowing genocide,” said Kellie.

Student experience aims to make your time at U of G as enjoyable as possible

Student Experience strives to create equal opportunities and build communities that support students throughout their time at the U of G

The University of Guelph’s Student Ex perience resources are an invaluable addition to university life. Its goal is to make students’ time at the University of Guelph as easy and enjoyable as possible. Through hosting events, advising students and offering resources when students have specific needs, Student Experience strives to create equal opportunity for everyone to succeed and build communities that sup port them in their learning and experienc es at Guelph.

If you’re looking for ways to get involved, Student Experience has many resources to help point you in the right direction. The Student Engagement and Leadership Unit support students in engaging with Guelph communities and finding leadership oppor tunities. If you’re interested in becoming a peer helper, starting a new club or organiz ing an event but are unsure where to start, talking to Student Experience advisors can help point you in the right direction. They can help you find ways to become a better leader in your field or area of interest.

Email is a great way to get in touch with these resources, you can reach out to leader@uoguelph.ca to learn more about the Leadership Intensive program that aids students in professional development, and email students@uoguelph.ca for more infor mation regarding the LAUNCH program for Student Groups and Leaders.

Student Experience also runs its own programming and events. Did you partici pate in Orientation week activities? That was just a glimpse into how Student Experience works to build a community and create pos itive spaces that welcome all students to uni versity life.

If you are a first- or second-year stu dent, you might have seen START emails appear in your inbox. START is run by Student Experience to help students adjust to academic life and provide resources to help them connect with other students and campus activities. It also offers orientation programs for First Nations, Inuit and Metis students, international students, exchange students, and students registering with Stu dent Accessibility Services. Regularly check your START emails or visit STARTonline. ca to learn about these programs and get updates and information on seasonal events, services, reminders, and resources.

“It’s been a great experience work ing in such a welcoming environment and being able to learn about resources that I didn’t know about before,” said Amatul raoof Al-Abassi, a second-year bio-med stu dent in a work-study position with Student Experience. “I’ve been able to work with staff members on projects for all different students.”

Amatulraoof wishes students knew more about Student Experience’s programs, like Cultural Diversity Advising and the Indigenous Student Centre.

“They are open to everyone and wel coming to BIPOC students here at Guelph as well as the LGBTQ+ Gender and Sexual Diversity Advising,” Amatulraoof said.

Other advisory resources are offered as well. If you or a student you know has been having trouble finding housing due to the overload on residence spacing, Off-Campus Living Advising offers support in navigat ing these potentially new and stressful ex periences. For off-campus students, Student Experience offers Rental Living Resourc es and Commuter Student Programs and Resources. These options help students to become good neighbours in the Guelph community, provide lease reviews, and of fer information on bylaws, transportation, and safety.

To further connect with Student Expe rience, be sure to visit @uofgstudentexp on

Instagram for an introduction to differ ent aspects of life at Guelph. The page highlights the life of a Gryphon and is regularly updated on upcoming events for students, program information, and

more. You can also visit the new Stu dent Experience front desk located in the University Centre 3rd Floor South, for general questions and inquiries or visit uoguelph.ca/studentexperience.

‘Beautiful views’: Mood Routes

nature walks to boost mental health, well being

Each week, participants will be taken into the Arboretum for an hour-long, low-key, relaxing nature walk along with the won derful volunteers, she explained.

“You can choose to chat with your peers, or simply tag along and enjoy the beautiful views,” she said.

The organizers believe having this hour in nature can be very beneficial to mental health and physical wellbeing.

“Taking this walk is really helpful to clear your head, and stretch your legs,” Digiacinto said.

TAYLOR MARTIN-ROBBINS

Is school stressing you out? Do you feel like you want to make more friends on campus? Or do you simply love nature and want to explore the beautiful trails the Guelph campus has to offer?

Student Wellness has an event that might be for you.

Mood Routes is a stress-free, zero commitment event, where you can meet great people and get a well-deserved break from your studies.

“We just talk about our days, and what’s going on and get some good exercise,” said event coordi nator, Angelica Digiacinto.

And the best part is, you don’t have to be particularly outdoorsy or athletic to participate. Everyone goes at their own pace, whether they are a fast walker, or like to take things slower.

“I’m an indoor person, and I love staying inside, and I love this, because it’s just a nice way to get to know people,” said volunteer Han ika Saini.

Mood Routes happens every Friday from Oct. 25 to Nov. 25 from noon to 1 p.m.

Participants can meet outside the J.T. Powell building, rain or shine.

You can register for the event on Gryphlife, and for more information, go to gryphlife. uoguelph.ca.

Need something to get you in a better “mood”?

The future of fashion is circular

How the Guelph Tool Library stylishly celebrates the circular economy, sustainability and slow fashion

October is Circular Economy Month, and the Guelph Tool Library set out to prove just how stylish, cool, and fun reducing waste consumption can be.

There’s no denying the value in re-sourcing clothing. Person ally, I have always loved scour ing local thrift stores in hopes of coming across a lost gem that I couldn’t find anywhere else. It’s an incredibly rewarding feeling, and one that has roots in an im portant aspect of environmental conservation; clothing.

Fast fashion’s trend focused model has permanently altered our environmental landscape. Accord ing to the Waste Reduction Week in Canada movement, North Ameri cans send over 10 million tonnes to the landfill each year, according to Waste Reduction Week Canada.

Not only does it wreak havoc on our Earth, but it also poorly impacts individual fashion. Rath er than encourage creativity and personal style, fast fashion retail ers relentlessly pump out cheap, uninspired, and monotonous clothes to try and keep up with an insatiable trend cycle. You’ll be on trend, but you’ll also look just like everyone else.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve fallen for the lure of cheap clothing. Web-based retailers, like SheIn, Zaful, and Romwe, seem to offer it’s consumers the perfect deal. For a fraction of the price, you have access to an endless vari ety of trendy clothing.

But the more you shop, the more you waste. Our Earth can no longer afford to pay the price of an industry that takes and nev er gives. This linear economic model, where resources are ex tracted, used, and thrown away, is the unstable basis of our current society. But if this isn’t working anymore, then what do we do?

The Circular economy works to solve this problem. By its de sign, already existing resources

are valued and repurposed. It pro motes skill-sharing, slow fashion, and a shift to appreciating what we already have.

Over the years, the demand for second-hand clothes has sky rocketed. Value Village is the new Forever 21. With clothing reseller apps like Depop, Thredup, and Poshmark, it seems consumers are enthusiastically searching for more sustainable alternatives to traditional retail stores.

We want to do better, but maybe don’t know how. In re sponse to this, the Guelph Tool Library created their very own Circular Fashion Festival which coincided with Canada’s Waste Reduction Week.

Running from October 17th to October 23rd, the Guelph Tool Library curated a collection of eight separate events which ad vocated for the necessity of slow fashion and the circular economy.

Held at 10C Shared Space on Carden Street, their up-cycled fashion show showcased four de signers each with their own take on reusable fashion.

Shop the Swap, Gather and

Make, The Muse and I and Bobby Raffin’s Three Pieces each offered their intricate collections of upcy cled and revitalized clothing to an eager audience. The buzz in the room was palpable as the crowd cheered for the designers and the innovative outfits they saw before them.

The whole experience was inspiring. It encouraged me to create and explore fashion in a way I hadn’t thought of before.

The upcycled fashion show proved that second hand cloth ing is cool, chic, and necessary for protecting our planet. It helps that you can look amazing while doing something that makes a dif ference, too.

Rather than buying some thing new, repurpose what you already own. Go shopping in your own closet, learn a new skill, and most importantly, seek inspira tion in everything.

face masks for a variety of skin types

are skin care products so ex pensive? Popular places to shop for skin care products, like Sephora, have $100 price tags for tiny shiny bottles. Even the more affordable shops, like Shoppers Drug Mart, charge anywhere from $15 to $80 for a single product. I don’t know about you, but as a student there is no way I can afford to be spending this kind of money, at least not if I plan on eating.

But here comes the problem: with midterm season upon us, and all the other social and environmental stressors, my skin is as irritable as ever. Swearing off skin care practices right now is simply unthinkable. So, I did some research looking for cheap skin care, and I stumbled upon DIY face masks on a few different websites and com piled the best ones. This was a trip down memory lane; I haven’t made a face mask since 2016. I decided to give them another shot, and had so much fun. I swear my skin felt more hydrated!

If

•

Application:

avoiding eyes and

warm water.

Death of Mahsa Amini sparks global outrage and protests

It is estimated that 215 people, including 27 children have died due to the protests in support of women’s human rights

Days after being arrested by Iranian authorities in Teh ran, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody on Sept. 16. The alleged crime? Wearing her head scarf too loosely.

Although the Iranian author ities say she suffered from a heart attack while in custody, many in Iran and across the world believe this is not the case.

According to the Associated Press, Amini was seen being beat en by police in a patrol car and was reported to have had a frac tured skull during her autopsy.

The death of Amini has sparked international outrage as well as local and international protests in support of the Iranian people.

In Tehran, a protest was held at Sharif University of Technolo gy, which is often referred to as “Iran’s MIT.” The protest end ed with rounds of tear gas being used to disperse crowds and plain clothes officers detaining 300 stu dents, according to Global News.

Accounts from the protest tell the story of students being corralled into an underground

parking lot where they were met with excessive force from Iranian authorities and shot by paintball guns.

“I had a panic attack that night. I imagined that it was me there and they were confining me and beating me and arresting me,” said Alya, whose name has been changed for her safety.

Alya is an international stu dent at the University of Guelph who was born and raised in Iran and attended Sharif University before coming to Canada to pur sue higher education. She spoke

with The Ontarion about the brutal ity that is occuring in her home country and at her alma mater.

“I was thinking about the students that had just come to campus,” she said. “I remember myself when I started college. We were so young and we didn't have any experience. Everything was new and I imagined how these people can be so inhumane, you know, to beat students on the first or second day of school.”

Alya said that when the at tacks happened, her family in Iran lost access to the internet and she was unable to speak to them

for a month. She’s since been able to contact her loved ones through their landline, or on skype.

“I have a subscription on Skype, and I just called or used my subscription to talk with my mom on the phone, but I couldn't see them on video,” she said.

Alya also said that as an in ternational student, she feels very frustrated.

“Honestly, it's so difficult,” she said. “I'm just trying to sur vive. But every day I’m here I check the news and it’s all very, very sad news.”

nadian students shared Alya’’s feelings when they learned of the happenings in Iran and held their own protest in Branion Plaza on Oct. 6.

Mahsaan Moazzen helped plan the protest on campus that allowed campus community mem bers to come together and show support for the Iranian people.

Moazzen stressed that the protest was not against the Islam ic religion, but against a regime led by the Iranian government that’s rooted in extremism.

“What we’re asking for is freedom of choice,” Moazzen said. “This is not Iran versus a reli gion. It’s Iran versus the Islamic public regime. Iranian womenit doesn’t matter if they want to wear a hijab or not, all they want is the freedom of choice and free dom of speech.”

She said she hoped the pro test was a chance for the commu nity to come together and grieve but also stand against the Islamic public regime.

The campus protest was orga nized by the Guelph Islamic Stu dent Association, (GISA).

In a statement, GISA said, “Academia is an environment that should be free from any sort of vi olence and oppression. Freedom of expression and thought should be the fundamental pillars of any institute of higher education. The lack of which defeats the entire purpose of higher learning and academia. The unwavering cour age of Iranian students, teachers, and scholars in resisting state re pression is commendable.”

During the protest, Moaz zen brought up the brutal death of a high school student, Nika Shakarami. Shakarami was 16 and went missing on Sept. 20. According to the BBC, Shakara mi’s family was forced to lie on

camera about the circumstances surrounding her death.

The Norway-based Non-gov ernmental Organization for Iran has estimated that as of Oct. 17 at least 215 people, including 27 children have been killed by secu rity forces during the protests in Iran.

“The students are being ar rested and beaten and, you know, we don't know what happened to many of them,” Alya said. “So, I don't know how the university or the world can protect these defenseless students… But it's very scary that we are living in a world where students are beaten to death.”

Alya mentioned other deaths, including a fire in a prison that was holding social justice advo cates. Four people are estimated to have died in the first at Evin prison in Tehran on Oct. 16. Ac cording to Bloomberg, the fire erupted in a sewing warehouse and was sparked when a conflict arose between inmates and guards about the protests in support of Mahsa Amini.

"wI think [Iranians] are suf fering a lot and they are trying a lot,” she said. “They are risk ing their lives with a very strong slogan, ‘Woman. Life. Freedom.’ And I think it's very inspiring for many people all around the world. These three words… Not just for women in my country. We even have some inequalities maybe here in Canada about women.”

However, Alya did say there is quite the contrast between hu man rights in Iran and North America.

“In Iran, honestly, there is very systematic brutality against women,” Alya said. “Every day, they don't have equal rights to men, and they have to fight for very, very basic rights. Even if we have very, very highly educat ed girls in Iran. They are work ing, they are independent, but they don't have very basic human rights.”

She stressed, like Moazzen, that the protests aren’t against Is lam, they are protests fighting for the right to choose.

“They want to have freedom of choice and they want to choose their own lifestyle and their own interests because many people don't believe in [wearing a] hijab or many other things, but they have to follow it,” she said. “So, it's not the lifestyle of many people living there. It's not anti-Islam. They say that. But we say that everyone can choose their own beliefs and their own lifestyle.”

Alya said that she’s glad the protests are getting international attention as she feels it's an im portant issue that needs to be brought to light, not just for her country, but for other countries too.

Alya said she’s honoured to give the people suffering in Iran a voice. She added that the best way to be involved and show support is to spread awareness of the injus tice occurring.

“It's very important, because when the government and police see that the world is watching, they might reconsider their bru

tal behavior, they might be a little bit more respectful with human rights, and prevent or avoid brutal behavior against people protesting in Iran,” she said. “And I think it's very influential that the world knows.”

To learn more about the in justice occurring in Iran, and to find out ways to help, visit iran humanrights.org.

From The Making Box to the Guelph Comedy Festival

TAYLOR PIPE

Braeden Etienne’s first time doing com edy was during a job interview for The Making Box, Guelph’s former improv the atre and home for live comedy.

“They had us do improv together with the people we were competing against for the job as well as all the owners of the com pany so my first time doing improv was at a job interview,” Etienne said.

After that interview, Etienne was hired and took a level one improv course, as per the job requirements.

“I'm always a big proponent of cre ativity and the spontaneous creativity that came with improv was really attractive to me,” he said. “So, then I took level two, level three, level four, voluntarily.”

Etienne was in charge of booking acts for the shows that took place at The Mak ing Box. He said that’s when he started ex perimenting with stand-up comedy.

“It was pretty easy to just slot my name in,” he joked.

Slotting his name into shows at The Making Box has led Etienne to perform comedy at places like The Canadian Fes tival for Spoken Word, Guelph’s Hillside Festival, the Guelph Fringe Festival and the Guelph Comedy Festival, but Etienne still thinks of himself as a writer first.

“That seems to kind of be the broadest stroke,” he said. “In that writing umbrella is comedy so I'm stand up as well as an improviser.”

But like many comedians, the pan demic restricted their creativity and ability to perform in front of a live audience.

In 2020, The Making Box closed be cause of COVID-19 and was forced to pivot to a different delivery method. Etienne said this made them question how they could keep delivering improv and keep pushing themselves as comedians.

“How can we kind of accept this terri ble opera that is COVID and move forward with it?” Etienne asked.

“So we did a lot of self reflection as an organization and found probably the best path forward was to bring this idea of applied improvisation to organizations and the community at large.”

The Making Box currently creates team building activities based on improvi sation and being yourself. Since switching to an online format, they’ve been able to lead workshops for organizations such as the University of Guelph, Google, Shopify and the University of Calgary.

During the pandemic, Etienne ex plored his writing further in a series of short stories posted on his blog, braedeneti enne.com.

“I was so used to being a performer,” he said. “Like, I was on an improv team with The Making Box and we were doing monthly weekly shows kind of thing… My form of creativity was like collaborative performance. And then the pandemic came and there was nobody except for myself.”

He found himself on long walks, mak ing up stories about things like an improv trio trying to get into heaven, or a man who definitely isn’t Etienne talking to his therapist about accidentally becoming “the funky socks guy.”

He also shared candid honesty about learning to “brand yourself” in public rela tions school on his blog.

“I think what I like to go by is like, what is something that feels really true or honest and I like, follow that thread more than what I want people to think of it,” he said.

But Etienne is ultimately happy that restrictions are over and comedians can get back to doing what they love - making peo ple laugh.

Since pandemic restrictions ended, Etienne said the Guelph Comedy Festival is the one helping bring live comedy back to Guelph in conjunction with The Making Box.

Etienne performed in the Guelph Comedy Festival’s Stand Up Showcase on Oct. 21 alongside local comedians and Amazing Race contestant Cedric Newman.

“You get that mix of like a really estab lished Canadian comedian mixed in with some of these like local up and comers,” he said. “I think it makes for a really nice balance of like, just local talent and those you know, bigger names that people want to see as well. So you kind of get a little bit of everything.”

Now that the Guelph Comedy Festival has come to a close, Etienne is focusing on his next venture, whatever that may be.

“It's probably going to be something with poetry or comedy, but I've been find ing this year generally that things are just popping up as I'm ready for them,” he said.

Wherever that may take him, one thing is for sure… He’ll probably show up wearing funky socks because he’s appar ently “one of those funky socks guys.” Just don’t call him that.

Braeden Etienne spoke with The Ontarion about his experience with The Making Box, performing at Hillside and totally not being a “funky socks guy”

Painting the cannon: free speech and a campus tradition

Politics, student customs, and the debate sparked by their overlap

Painting the British naval can non, seen in Branion Plaza, is a longstanding tradition within the Guelph student community. It is fondly known as Old Jeremiah, and most nights it is given a fresh coat of paint by students, clubs, or even faculty.

Recently, the cannon has be come the centre of a contentious debate on campus. This was start ed when the Ukrainian Ssociety painted the cannon in support of freeing Ukraine after Russia invaded the country earlier this year. This show of support was painted over before dawn in what was suspected to be a targeted at tack.

Following this event, the Ira nian society painted the cannon to express support for the pro tests that have been taking place around the world following the death of Mahsa Amini. Mahsa Amini died at the hands of the po

lice for allegedly breaching Iran’s strict rules that require women to cover their hair. This resulted in protests around the world pushing for improved women’s rights in Iran. Participation in this move ment extended to Guelph where the cannon was painted, and yet again it was painted over before dawn.

This has sparked outrage and a heated debate about the purpose of campus traditions, free speech on campus, and where these two topics overlap.

Campus traditions such as painting the cannon have always been a political outlet for students. This has been seen through many designs which depicted climate protests, religious holidays and celebrations, and political events. This is not the first time that the cannon has been at the centre of conversation. In 2019, the cannon was painted with the message ‘Stand with Hong Kong’ which also sparked a debate on campus surrounding free speech and the use of traditions to express polit ical opinions. The political mes sage supporting Hong Kong and democracy was also painted over several times.

These events are taking place in countries that are thousands of miles away from Guelph, yet these events impact the Univer sity of Guelph’s student body and manifested themselves on the campus. The University of

Guelph is part of a larger society, therefore it would be ignorant to ignore events happening around the world.

Freedom of speech within the campus environment is a conten tious issue. However, being able to express your opinions without fear is a key part of the university. Students should be able to have an outlet for their opinions and to express their feelings towards events taking place in their lives. However, their outlet should not infringe on others and their safety on campus.

Painting the cannon: What are the rules?

Not many campus traditions have rules to follow, but due to the popularity of this tradition, some rules and guidelines are in place.

This tradition is popular amongst students, so generally students guard the cannon to en sure they can be the ones to paint it after dark. Those painting it have to be done by the time stu dents begin to arrive on campus in the morning.

Those that paint the cannon can be as creative as they like with their choice of artwork, but no profanity is allowed. Generally, to protect their hard work students guard the cannon till dawn so that their work is not painted over.

In order for the cannon painting to continue, it is vital that students respect the rules as without them it would no longer be a safe space to express yourself.

Affirmation Cards

I am thankful for my opportunities and blessed with my health.

Today I will do my best to bring positivity into the world.

I will not let the opinion of others bring me down.

I will rise above and overcome my adversities.

I am a badass and successful person.

I am intelligent, powerful and resilient.

I will become the person I am meant to be.

I will love myself as I am.

My actions have meaning and will inspire others.

Relaxation techniques offer students a way to cope with stress and anxiety

Exam season is upon us and that means stress season is also in full swing. Between the late-night cram sessions, the mountain of assignments and actually writing your exam, everything can seem like a mountain that seems to get a little taller every time you take a step.

Luckily there are ways to manage your stress and learn how to deal with the anxiety that comes along with it.

Kathy Somers is a Univer sity of Guelph alumni and a Ki nesiologist. During her time in university, Somers suffered from stress-related headaches frequent ly. She was introduced to a pro gram that was started in the 70s and continues to operate today.

“I was very lucky to be taking a particular class where we had to do projects and one of the projects, I joined the relaxation skills class and learned relaxation skills, and was very surprised to find that they're having an impact on my headaches,” Somers said. “I tried all kinds of other treatments and nothing worked for those head aches. So I couldn't believe that something was having an impact.”

Somers went on to study biofeedback and self regulation strategies in her fourth year. She then went on to learn stress man agement education and became board certified in biofeedback. Currently, Somers provides the same relaxation skills class that helped her to the next generation of students.

“I'm really just trying to share with people what some of the possibilities are here if they haven't heard of it, and if they haven't explored this avenue,” she said.

The original programs were typically made of ten sessions or classes. In the 90s, Somers started hosting smaller workshops with less of a time commitment.

“If you're personally expe riencing headaches and you just go to a four session program, but you're motivated, you're intelli gent enough to figure out what

the information is all about and you're actually integrating it,” she said. “That could be enough for many people.”

During November, Somers is offering a few different workshops on topics ranging from better sleep, reducing stress headaches, as well as managing stress and anxiety.

When it comes to managing stress headaches, Somers said she wants to share drug-free alterna tives to dealing with the throb bing pain.

“[I teach] things that you won't necessarily hear if you go to other healthcare professionals in our region, because they know very much about medication,” she said. “Perhaps they know very much about chiropractic or physiotherapy, but what about the things I can do for myself in my everyday life.”

Her anxiety-related programs help address the physical symp toms of panic and anxiety.

“These things are very phys ically uncomfortable,” Somers said. “They definitely get our at tention and the factors that work on decreasing them may be work ing with our body because certain things are happening with our muscles and with our breathing that may turn on or perpetuate these symptoms…There may be very physical reasons and lifestyle reasons, short on sleep, et cetera. We'll talk a bit about that.”

around her. During the pandem ic, she hosted programs on Zoom fatigue and getting better sleep during the pandemic.

This year, she’s focusing on re-entry anxiety in a post-COVID climate for her free session on In ternational Stress Awareness day, Nov. 2.

“It started a little bit last year and it came more to the forefront this year in Canada as restrictions began decreasing as more people were becoming vac cinated,” Somers said. “A lot of people were excited. Some peo ple were afraid. So, people we're both excited and afraid, stressed, anxious, and it is possible to hold all of those emotions at the same time.”

Somers also said a big part of anxiety and stress is uncer tainty. This is something she focuses on when she teaches about test and exam anxiety. She suggests doing one healthy thing daily that is uncertain such as sitting in a different place on the bus, or raising your hand to ask a question.

“It could be a healthy, yet uncertain kind of situation that would be good exposure. Rather than avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid,” she said. “Really trying to get people to build up that muscle of being more brave and facing it. It's a little bit easier if every day I am doing something small, medium or larger that has some uncertainty associated with it.”

She compared the tech niques she uses to calm to the mentality of an olympian. The olympians train constantly, and sometimes the big difference for them is their mental game and their ability to calm down before and after a big game, or take on one event after the other.

“I think that's what life is like, especially in life for a stu dent,” she said.

Somers said she draws her inspiration for her classes from what is happening in the world

Students interested in learning more about the classes Somers offers can visit stress regulationskills.ca or email ksomers@uoguelph.ca.

Learn how to manage your stress headaches, get better sleep and control your stress with Kathy Somers

The dangers of misinformation on self care on social media

Taking a look at the many myths surrounding self care and social media

We are living in a new age of social media and connectedness online. With the increase of popularity, we have seen all sorts of different trends gain noto riety in online spaces.

Some of these trends have lasted only a short while; who remembers the ice bucket challenge? Or what about last week's Tik Tok dance challenge song? There are other themes, however, that seem a great deal

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more pervasive and have spent a lot of time in the social spotlight. One of the biggest being wellness influencers–young and fit individuals sharing content with anything from fitness to food. They quickly amass large cult-like followings, devoted fans that practice all of their preachings.

Social media has created this unusu al opportunity for anyone and everyone to access a platform. This can be great; social media can provide an opportunity for voic es to be heard, perhaps ones that would have never else had the chance. In other ways, this poses a concern because there is no filtration system to prove that truthful content is being produced. Misinformation can be spread like wildfire, and for people desperate to meet impossible beauty and fitness standards, it is tempting to blindly accept information from wellness “authori ties.”

harmful. This is incredibly alarming, con sidering that several different wellness in fluencers promote and encourage viewers to add Chlorophyll water to their diets.

The video goes on to debunk many more myths, and Sharpe has several vid eos concerning this matter. This is evidence that there is a lot of misinformation that gets spread and promoted.

Popular YouTube dietitian Abbey Sharpe dissects wellness influencers’ diet tips and trends, sharing insights and crit ically examining truths and misinforma tion. Sharpe’s video “Dietitian Fact Checks TikTok Diets” sheds light on some harmful diet tips.

In her video, there is a clip of a man promoting chlorophyll water as a weight loss, skin-clearing, and cancer-curing prod uct. Sharpe explains that there is no ac tual research to prove that drinking chlo rophyll water has any health benefits. In fact, Sharpe says that it could be potentially

All this to say, you do not need to com pletely remove wellness influencers from your feed. Just remember to critically ex amine the content you are consuming. It is so easy to get sucked into a world of ex treme dieting and fitness, so make sure you are doing it safely! Remember that self care does not just look like a 3 hour morning routine. There are less intense and more realistic habits that might be the better choice, both physically and mentally.

To see for yourself, you can visit Sharpe’s YouTube channel and watch her videos, or visit abbeyskitchen.com.

Working out to improve mental health

Studies show that regularly working out stimulates the brain and helps relieve stressors such as anxiety, depression, and more

In addition to the physical benefits of working out that can help with health, confidence, and wellness, the stimulation of energy releases endorphins that can be linked to stressors affecting your everyday life. Because the body and mind are con nected, stress can occasionally manifest into physical pain.

When the pressure starts taking con trol of your life, you may likely notice some discomfort because your muscles are strained. But working out is a great medi cine to relieve pain because it relieves the tension and strains in your body. So when your body feels better, your mind will too.

Sure, when you aren't doing too great, getting yourself up and to the gym can seem like a hassle, but once you make that initial jump, the gym feels less scary, and finding the motivation will feel much simpler.

The cool part of working out is that there are so many different ways to do it! If you prefer more strength-related workouts, there are many ways to test and push your self to get stronger, such as lifting weights which can help boost your confidence. Or maybe you are into endurance, so, for ex ample, running may be a good option for you. The runner's high that people always talk about is usually associated with more endurance-type workouts because the feel ing of euphoria that overtakes you can help take your mind off whatever is affecting your mental health.

Another option, more suitable for somebody interested in improving breath ing and coordination, could focus on more balance and flexibility-related exercises, such as yoga and pilates, which are known to prevent stress. Yoga is especially good be

cause it allows you to slow down your body and breathing, which can help calm the mind.

Suppose you favour any of these work ing styles. In that case, you are in luck be cause there is a wonderful facility on cam pus that offers many exercise classes.

That said, many exercises can be done from the comfort of your home, so for those days when you can't bring yourself to leave the house, you can still work out with some motivation. And, on the days you can get out of the house, something as easy as a smile or a warm greeting can change your mood and make your day.

Another positive effect of working out for your mental health is that it is a way to cope with your stress healthily. Whenever things start to feel like too much, working out will help you relieve that stress by getting

your energy out in a way that is effective but still productive and good for your health.

So, if you are searching for a way to re lieve tension and relax your body and mind, working out may be right up your alley!

TAKE A STUDY BREAK!

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The anxiety surrounding the respondus browser

Student Accessibility Service accommodations

During the pandemic, certain professors at our university began to utilize the Respondus Lockdown Browser in lieu of in-person exams and tests. Some students – including myself – were, and still aren’t happy.

For those unaware, the Respondus Browser is a program which locks one’s computer out of all applications or web sites other than the test they are currently taking. In 2020, a petition on Change.org started by students at UofG called for the discontinuation of the program, which as of October 2022, has garnered over 5,000 signatures.

and obscuring one’s face in any way are “flagged”, and the professor is notified that suspicious activity has occurred.

For someone with Student Accessi bility Services (SAS) accommodations, all behaviours mentioned above are things I use to cope with having to sit still in an examination room for hours.

nuance. If a professor sees a student look ing away once and a while, they won’t im mediately assume that they are cheating, I hope. Yet it doesn’t change the fact that it just makes me, and many of my peers, uncomfortable.

Yet the real issue lies in the program’s ability to access/require a computer web cam to monitor the test-taker. Not only can a webcam be used to record the user to ensure academic integrity, but it utilizes artificial intelligence to track audio, facial, and body feedback to detect suspicious ac tivity. Actions like looking away from the computer, getting up and walking around,

Frankly, it just feels weird to be filmed in my bedroom. It feels weird to be flagged for leaning back and stretching out my legs. Most of all, who can stare di rectly at a computer screen for that long? Is it not a student wellness practice to look away from a screen every few minutes to avoid eyestrain?

Of course, my critique of the pro gram does not contain any semblance of

There are some who think that with out a proctored exam format, all online exams are essentially write-offs. I would say this – just as students had to adapt to online learning, professors should adapt to providing alternative examination for mats.

Final essays and take-home exams are both great ways to challenge students while not requiring them to use invasive proctoring software with well-document ed security concerns. Just a thought.

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