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ALWAYS FREE THEONTARION.COM 194.3 | MARCH 2023 SINCE 1951 P. 3 P. 18 & 19 P. 24 CSA Election Heathers: The Musical Skating through life
Cover art by @pagestamp
"They don't warn you how hard it's going to be"

3. Elections underway for Central Student Association

4. Destress, relax and Take A Paws

Spring Fever Valentine’s Market highlights small businesses

5. U of G offers a variety of different foods on campus

U of G students compete in the second phase of Deep Space Food Challenge

7. U of G exhibition highlights life and work of Anne Innis Dagg

8. Ford government to expand the surgical role of for-profit healthcare clinics

9. U of G student receives free tuition for a year

10 & 11. The future is sustainable living and it starts with you

12. Human trafficking: How does it happen and where can you reach out for help?

14 & 15. Struggling to find a place to live? You’re not alone

ARTS & CULTURE

17. Roll into spring with Quad Nights

Funky beats and spicy bars: The ingredients that make up Identity Soup

18 & 19. How very! A behind the scenes look at Heathers: The Musical

20. Ramadan Mubarak!

21. The art of mocktails

22. Donating through art

SPORTS & HEALTH

Rihanna returns with Superbowl halftime performance 23. New name, same magical sport

Skating through life with Hannah Tait

FUN STUFF

Gryphon Sports Roundup 25. March to-do list

Pets of the month 26. Puzzles page

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Now

Elections underway for Central Student Association

What is the CSA and what do each of its members do?

ELENI KOPSAFTIS & TAYLOR PIPE

I t’s that time of year again! CSA elections are underway and four positions are up for grabs. If you’re a student, you’ve probably been getting a ton of emails about the CSA elections.

You might even find yourself saying “What the heck is this about?”

In case you’ve decided to ignore all those emails reminding you to vote in the election, or if you just never check your U of G email, the CSA consists of four executive members and a board of directors.

But what do any of these people actually do, and how do they help maintain the services CSA provides.

The CSA President

“So the President's role is very big picture” said current CSA President, Nicole Walker.

“So it's about upholding the mandate of our organization. Our mandate has been around since 2017, and included the consultation of about 5500 students and so we shaped our mandate of our

organization based on student input.”

The CSA President presides over anything and everything related to student government. They’re the primary spokesperson, signing authority, and representative in legal matters.

Additionally, they’re the Co-Chair to the CSA/GSA Transit Committee and the Student Health and Dental Plan Committee, and they’re also the Chair of the Petitions, Delegations and Representations Committee.

“I just advocate and represent students,” said Walker. “I have a lot of seats at different tables.”

The president manages the other executives and the full-time staff to ensure that every decision is made with the collective interests of undergraduate students in mind.

Basically, you can reach out to the CSA President for just about any of your concerns relating to student government, but if you have any particular gripes on your university experience then

you might want to reach out to some of the other executives first.

Vice-President Student Experience

This executive is in charge of making sure the entirety of your undergraduate experience fun and engaging.

The VP Student Experience is responsible for most of the events going on around campus, including Sexy Bingo and the O Week Block Party. And if you’re interested in any of the CSA clubs, this executive is the one that allocates certain spaces for club events and programs.

In addition, they supervise and coordinate SafeWalk and the Free Menstrual Product program.

“They also support special status groups and advocate for underrepresented and marginalized students and depending on the person in the role that can look differently” said Walker. “There's also some crossover as well with presenting and advocating for marginalized or underrepresented students amongst the different executive roles.”

In addition to all these services, you can also find the VP Student Experience managing the CSA’s social media and online presence.

Vice-President Academic

This executive represents and amplifies undergraduate students’ voices on academic concerns such as financial support, inclusivity, and accessibility needs.

If throughout your academic career you encounter any problems regarding your academic rights or the overall health and wellbeing of students, the VP Academic is there to address these

concerns.

As part of their job requirements, they’re tasked with knowing all about U of G’s bursaries, grants, loans, and scholarships should any problems arise in these areas, and they also keep up to date with the Residential Tenancies Act and related Guelph bylaws so that the VP can advocate for students’ tenancy rights.

The VP Academic also supervises the Student Help and Advocacy Centre, and they coordinate the Art in the Bullring program and the annual Student Memorial Tree Dedication.

“It's a really special time where we get to honour those students' lives and celebrate them so the VP academic is responsible for organizing that event,” said Walker.

Vice-President External

The VP External advocates for the rights and interests of students on matters as they relate to community and government. They notably advocate for free post-secondary education and supervise the staff of the CSA Bike Centre and the Guelph Student FoodBank.

As their title implies, this particular VP works with external organisations including civic engagement groups like Wellington Water Watchers and the Coalition for Social Justice. They also build coalitions with labour unions and workers groups such as CUPE, OPSEU, and the Guelph District Council.

“They also liaise with all of the government within our area, specifically provincial, municipal and federal,” said Walker. “So, making sure we have established relationships with our municipal councillors, like knowing what's

going on with Guelph city council and how that affects students.”

Walker said the VP external is also a representative of the Canadian Federation of Students, (CFS) on both a provincial and national level.

By representing students’ external needs, this executive member of the CSA strives to ensure the success of undergraduates both in and out of campus.

Timeline Nominations for the CSA elections opened up on Feb. 6 and went until Feb. 15.

Walker explained that from Feb. 16 to 24, the candidates were able to get their promotional materials together.

“We provided a couple of days before reading week,” she said. “Reading week is downtime for a lot of students, which is a good opportunity for them to start developing some of their campaign materials if they'd like to without having the constraints of school.”

During the week of Feb. 27, the candidates were announced and campaigning began.

“Candidates will be actively campaigning across campus,” Walker said. “So, this includes class talks, tabling in the University Center, engaging with students on social media and just really being creative with how they get the word out there about their campaign.”

Voting for the CSA election will take place from March 6 to March 10.

For more information on the CSA or its programs and initiatives, you can visit their office on the second floor of the University Centre or check out their website at csaonline.ca.

3 NEWS THEONTARION.COM 7 | ANNE DAGG 14 & 15 | HOUSING 10 & 11 | SUSTAINABILITY
Voting for the election will take place March 6 to 10. CREDIT:
WALKER
Jena-Lee Ashley, VP External (left), Nicole Walker, CSA President (center) and VP Academic, Mason Friebe (right). CREDIT: CSA/NICOLE WALKER
CSA/NICOLE

De-stress, relax and Take A Paws

Relieve your stress one dog at a time

With midterms coming to an end and exam season near the horizon, the stress and the pressure of success can weigh heavy on our minds and bodies. Depending on the pressure you are under, not only from school but many other daily stressors that can affect your everyday life, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, angry outbursts, and social withdrawal.

As understandable as this is, your stress doesn't only affect you, but it also tends to affect those around you. When you have friends and family noticing behavioural shifts in you, it can be hard to navigate when reaching out for a helping hand.

It is important to give yourself time to unwind during a trying time. That is why regardless of how busy you are, integration into familiar and comfortable habits and activities is important to incorporate into your schedule.

For many students, seeing their dog cheers them up. But when they’re in Guelph, they don’t get to see their fluffy friends as often. That's why the Take a Paws program offered on the U of G campus immediately piqued student's interest.

Take a Paws is a program that U of G created in collaboration with the wonderful and charitable organization St. John's Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.

Specifically, Take a Paws offers 15-minute slots where you can come, forget about your problems, meet the kind volunteers and play with their adorable therapy dogs.

I was lucky to attend the event on Thursday, Feb. 16, where I was fortunate enough to speak with the lovely Louise Savard and her precious standard poodle, Bandit. Bandit is a kind, hilarious, and given her name, sometimes mischievous little pup. Savard shared adorable stories about Bandit and the joy she brings her and the U of G students that attend the events.

She also shared why she loves the experience.

"It's the community. I love the community," Savard said.

When it comes to first years and the search for companionship, joy and comfort, Savard said for first years, having an activity where companionship is a key element is beneficial.

Bandit and the many other dogs there. Even people who had just written an exam could feel the de-stressing powers of the dogs.

SJA volunteer Blanca Canales and her adorable Yorkshire Terrier, Kofy were in attendance at the event. Canales’ face lit up as she shared some heartwarming stories of the joy Kofy brings, not only her and her family but so many others.

Surrounding yourself with those that mean the most to you is an excellent example of something that can give your mind and body tranquility. However, when you are away from home like most students are, it can be difficult to connect back to those roots.

Spring Fever Valentine’s Market highlights small business

The downtown tattoo and piercing shop encouraged shopping local with a valentine's day-themed market

WERONIKA SZCZYPKA

The city of Guelph is a small town run largely on small businesses. Many of those who live here try our best to shop locally in support of small business owners. Even the residents of the city of Guelph will often attempt to encourage people to shop local, by hosting events such as the recent Spring Fever Valentine’s Market.

The Spring Fever Valentine’s Market was hosted by the Spring Fever Tattoo and Piercing Shop, a unique style tattoo shop downtown Guelph across from city hall.

On Feb.12, the market was hosted inside the tattoo shop, with admissions costing just $2. Proceeds were donated to Your Downtown Guelph Friends, a

volunteer group within Guelph which strives to help out within the community.

The market hosted many

splendid vendors, each with very unique and artistic items available for sale.

A few of the vendors stood out. One of them being a little plant and plant pot shop, with thrifted pots! Brittany Crawford, or the Lil Pot Lady, started out with having a problem when it came to thrifting plants and pots. She soon realized, many of her friends loved her little potted plants, and so approximately one year ago she decided to start a business out of it.

The best part about it is not all the proceeds go to her. Crawford volunteers at Tango’s Lead, a local dog rescue. Some of the proceeds of her pots sold, such as the puppy shaped ones, all go towards the rescue, to help pups find their ‘furever’ homes.

Crawford’s business can be found on facebook and instagram at @LilPotLady.

Another vendor that caught my eye, was one with quite unusual art. Breila Von Holstein-Rathlou’s business is called Burnt Toast Creations, and it also involves recycling and combining nature and thrifted materials. Holstein-Rathloud takes pieces of nature, such as flowers, rocks, insects and even skulls, and combines them with other materials, to create jewelry and decorations.

This all started a few years back when Holstein-Rathlou

"I found the first years that are here when they first start, it's all new,” she said. “It's a new experience to them, the residence, the school, all new people, and I think it's great for them to meet the dogs. And when they are patting the dogs, a lot of them get to meet each other at the same time, which is like a bonding thing for them as well, and I think it's nice to see them. And a lot of kids will come in and say, 'I just needed this today.'"

The room was filled with nothing but smiles, laughter, and eager students ready to play with

As students wandered in, stopping to play with Kofy and watching their smiles widen, it was obvious why she said Kofy was special.

So if you ever get the chance, be like Savard, Canales, and the many other wonderful SJA volunteers that give back to the community, and brighten up your own and someone else's smile during this stressful exam season.

Many different people have a variety of reactions when it comes to the art, some are immediately drawn to it and love it, others get a bit creeped out, but according to Holstein-Rathlou, most of the time there is appreciation for the art in the end.

You can find Holstein-Rathlou’s cool art on instragram @ burnt.toast.creations.

Ewa Ciesielska, a resident of the city of Guelph, was absolutely in awe of the market and its vendors.

“I moved to Guelph about six years ago now, and I absolutely love how close everyone seems to be. It is so nice that the community is so supportive of the small businesses,” she said.

Ciesielska said her favourite vendor stand was Silvia Taylor’s. Taylor has a variety of beautifully made glass and metal art, which she creates on her own. You can find her art on her instagram @ silvia_taylor.

Overall, the Spring Fever Valentine’s Market was a wonderful event for local shoppers to attend.

wanted to give old objects a second chance and bring them back to life. A lot of contrast is used in the art, such as combining butterflies with bones, or crystals with shell casings.

Guelph is always hosting all sorts of fun activities, markets, and events which bring the community together! Be sure to keep a look out whenever you are downtown or online, since there are many great things like these little local markets that you can attend.

4 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | NEWS
Bandit was one of the dogs available to help with stress. CREDIT: LOREL DANIELOV Kofy has created lots of joy during their time at the event. CREDIT: LOREL DANIELOV Follow Burnt Toast Creations @burnt. toast.creations on Instagram. CREDIT: WERONIKA SZCZYPKA Crawford's puppy-shaped pots go toward Tango's Lead, a local dog rescue. CREDIT: WERONIKA SZCZYPKA

U of G offers a variety of different foods on campus

We tried to find out why the food on campus is so dang good

The University of Guelph is known for its amazing food. There are plenty of TikToks showing off how great U of G food is. Students get to thoroughly enjoy the delicious meals and snacks all over campus. Campus food is definitely worth the social media hype.

From the exhibition meals at Creelman, to the sushi bowls at the UC, there is something for everyone.

Vegetarian favourites include, Nosh & Nourish, and Nature’s Best; which offer buffet bars dedicated solely to plant based/meatless options.

Student favourites like The Bullring, or one of our three Starbucks, mean that learners will have a great variety of meals, and a

whole lot of coffee.

While students are on the go, food eateries are kept running by Hospitality Services, a team of staff that clean, cook, serve, and create.

With different and rotating meals across all eateries, I was curious to know how the menu gets planned?

Hospitality Services Executive

Chef, Vijay Nair explained that the dining hall menus change based on researched food trends, feedback from the Student Advisory Committee, and data from previous school years.

They also said that the menu is flexible depending on unknown variables.

“We leave the menus flexible to accommodate supply chain issues

and include ingredients we source locally at short notice," they said in an email to The Ontarion

Fresh produce and quality ingredients are a staple here in Guelph, so where is the campus food sourced?

“We source our food and drinks from over 75 different suppliers,” Nair said.

The school has contracts with several food distributors, and many ethnic supplies are delivered through specialized partners.

Veggies and produce are as local as possible. The food team also purchases many vegetables from Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming, and the Elmira Produce Auction.

Ontario meat farmers play a

big role, supplying most of the meat served on campus.

Nair shared that the Hospitality Services team, that keeps our 20 campus eateries running, is upwards of 900 staff during the school year. He said around 600 of these staff are students.

Hospitality Services brings a lot of creativity to student life and often delivers fun meals.

Nair says to keep watch, in March, dining halls will have dishes centered around themes like St Patrick’s Day, Sustainability, SNAP, and Carnival Day.

“Dishes and pop ups will continue to celebrate Indigenous

foods, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas,” Nair said.

Even though there’s plenty of opportunities to try something new, favourites will continue to remain on the menu.

It was explained that student and staff favourites include: macaroni and cheese, pizzas, burritos, ramen, sushi, fried chicken, pierogi, Mongolian BBQ, banana bread, and cookies.

If you haven’t tried some of these yet, this is your sign. Our wallets may be empty, but we are well satiated and fueled with healthy and incredible food provided by the U of G Hospitality Services team.

Out of this world - U of G students compete in the second phase of Deep Space Food Challenge

Guelph’s innovation to grow your favourite fruit & vegetables in space

What if astronauts could grow their own food instead of relying on dehydrated foods during space exploration? That’s what the Deep Space Food Challenge is all about.

The Deep Space Food Challenge is a national competition to innovate technology that can support the progression of space exploration by effectively growing food in outer space with the help of self-sufficient systems.

The Canadian Space Agency, (CSA) visited the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility on campus to judge University of Guelph’s submission for the contest, as one of five schools across the country to compete in the second phase of the competition.

Michael Dixon, the director of the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, is also the director of University of Guelph’s team, which is named Team Canada GOOSE, (Growth Options for Outer Space Environments). He is very proud of his team and how far they have already come in the competition.

He said that the team of students is what makes this project so successful.

“All I did was write the proposal, then they did all the work. The details, the enthusiasm,” he said.

He added that it’s been a long process.

“Part of the downside is that the program is longer than the tenure of some of the students, so I’m losing some of the grad school community,” he said.

Team Canada GOOSE is composed of students with varying academic backgrounds from different disciplines of environmental sciences.

This diverse group is what adds to the innovation of the project, each bringing a different perspective on environmental science.

Dixon said he felt the student community aspect of the project is what made the team and project strong.

The sky is not the limit when it comes to the use of these self-sufficient produce growing systems.

Closer to home, there is also the potential for these systems to be implemented into remote locations across Canada to grow food closer to rural communities.

There are many benefits to growing food locally, from being more environmentally friendly, to

improved quality of the produce.

Serge Levesque, a second-year PhD student working on the project detailed the importance of locally grown food, as it can allow populations in more remote areas to have fresher, nutrient rich produce.

“Sometimes food is sitting on the shelf for a few weeks before it gets there [Northern regions in Canada],” he said.

He added that “higher quality produce for rural communities will improve the access to food, and provide greater food security to populations that might not always have access to as many produce options.”

Levesque and Rosemary Brockett, a second-year masters student, said the multi-tier system they designed with the team functions so that it can grow a wide variety of plants, while creating as little waste as possible.

Ajwal Dsouza, a first year PhD student involved in the project said the water and nutrients are provided through a liquid medium and there is an automatic dosage of nutrient levels within the system.

Levesque and Brockett explained the team is currently growing vegetables from sprouts, lettuce, carrots and tomatoes - as well as

mushrooms.

“Testing things out and seeing how they work, that was really fun and really fascinating,” said Brockett.

Brockett added that her favourite part of the project was figuring out the most effective way to grow the plants.

Regardless of their place in the

competition, their innovations have the potential to be used for food security, and benefit communities in remote parts of the country.

This month, the team finds out if they’ve made it to the third round of competition, which includes a full system demonstration before the winner is announced in the winter of 2024.

5 ISSUE 194.3 | NEWS THEONTARION.COM
The project will not only be able to feed astronauts, but also people in remote rural communities. CREDIT: RACHEL FIORET From the UC's chef's hall, to The Bullring and Creelman Hall, there's something for everyone at U of G. CREDIT: TAYLOR PIPE
YOU’RE INVITED! Kid’s activities Extra! Extra! Join us in our newsroom to learn about the history of campus The Ontarion is holding its first ever College Royal Open House display! March 18 & 19 Room 264, University Centre

U of G exhibition highlights life and work of Anne Innis Dagg

plants for her research.

After Dagg’s time in Africa, she came back to Canada and got her PhD in animal behaviour from the University of Waterloo. She then went on to teach at the University of Guelph in the zoology department for a couple years. However, gender inequalities stood in Anne’s way of becoming a tenured professor.

This poured gasoline onto Dagg’s ongoing passion for women’s rights activism. Dagg persevered and went on to write about topics like systemic discrimination and nepotism. In 1988, she published the book MisEducation: Women and Canadian Universities with Patricia J. Thompson.

the kids to say you know, ‘Oh, they’re in a lab coat’ or ‘They have glasses and they love to experiment on things.’ And I'm waiting for one of them to say ‘He does this, and he does that.’ And then that's when I say ‘Hey, this doesn't have to be a guy’.”

Mary is continuing to share her mother’s story with others, both young and old, through a screening of the 2018 documentary, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes at The Bookshelf on Apr. 16 at 2 p.m.

preserving local wildlife and protecting endangered species.

“We do a lot of education for kids in the mountain rural areas,” Mary said. “Some of them have never been in a car before. Some of them have never seen a giraffe and we would purchase buses and have them all jump in… We'll travel around on the bus and take them off to the parks so they can see giraffes and other wildlife.”

For Anne Innis Dagg, it all started when she was three years old and saw her first giraffe. After she saw those big brown eyes, there was no turning back.

In 2023, 87 years later, an exhibition showcasing Dagg’s groundbreaking scientific work, human rights activism and advocacy for environmental conservation is on display at the McLaughlin Library at the University of Guelph.

In the mid-1950s, Dagg graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s degree in genetics. Shortly after graduating, she pursued a placement studying giraffes in Africa and observing them in their natural habitat.

However, finding an opportunity that would accept Dagg was a challenge because she was a woman. After several refusals, a farm in South Africa called Fleur De Lys agreed to have Dagg come to study giraffes.

Dagg said in an interview with The Ontarion that every day after lunch, she would take her car and observe the wildlife.

“I would take notes about the giraffes,” she said. “Which ones were where and why they liked each other, or why they didn't.”

Dagg also studied the diet of giraffes by taking leaf samples from the greenery that the towering animals would munch on. She said she was friends with a botanist who would help identify the

More recently, Dagg and her daughter, Mary Dagg, met with women professors from Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph.

Mary said the women all acknowledged that although there have been great strides in rights for women in the workplace, there is still work to be done when it comes to supporting women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Medical, (STEM) fields.

“Some of them described it and said it's like living in someone else's house where you can change the furniture but you can't change the structure of the house,” Mary said. “So, you can move stuff around, but you can't move a bedroom... You can't do something significant.”

Dagg and Mary are both working on changing the perspective of the next generation by attending schools and speaking about Dagg’s accomplishments in science, as well as conservation efforts.

“One of the things we always start out with is I'll say to them, ‘What do you think a scientist looks like?’,” Mary said. “I'll get

The movie is an in-depth look at Dagg’s personal life, her contribution to giraffe research and advocacy for human rights. It also includes footage of Dagg revisiting the area of South Africa that she studied in during the 1950s and attending the 2017 Women’s March.

The screening will serve as a fundraiser for the African Wildlife Foundation.

Mary explained that the funds would go directly to training dogs that can sniff out poached giraffe meat. She said it also goes toward educating future generations on

In addition to speaking at school assemblies, meeting with women in STEM and documentary screenings, Dagg and Mary have also created a traveling exhibit that is on the first floor of the McLaughlin Library. The exhibit, The Anne Innis Dagg Exhibit: Musings of a Scientist, Feminist, Activist, features different artifacts including photos of Dagg, Dagg’s binoculars and newspaper clippings.

The exhibit will be on campus until August when it will be moved to Wilfrid Laurier University.

For more information about Dagg, conservation efforts and to take action visit anneinnisdaggfoundation.org.

7 ISSUE 194.3 | NEWS THEONTARION.COM
From being the first to study giraffes in their natural habitat, to being an activist, Anne Innis Dagg has continuously pushed the envelope for positive change and education
TAYLOR PIPE
Dagg has been recognized as a pioneer in giraffe research and human rights. CREDIT: ANNE INNIS DAGG FOUNDATION Dagg revisited Fleur De Lys in South Africa for the documentary, The WomanWho Loved Giraffes CREDIT: ANNE INNIS DAGG FOUNDATION In 1956, Dagg was the first woman to study the giraffe in its natural habitat. CREDIT: ANNE INNIS DAGG FOUNDATION

Ford government to expand the surgical role of for-profit healthcare clinics

In early January, the Ford Government announced its commitment to expand the role of for-profit healthcare clinics in Ontario, but despite the ongoing healthcare crisis, reactions to this expansion have been mixed.

Independent healthcare facilities are private-sector clinics that receive public funding from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) to perform limited medical procedures.

In a press conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said cataract operations and knee and hip replacements have been backlogging Ontario’s health system for years, so by expanding the number and range of surgeries performed outside of hospitals, government officials believe that medical procedure wait times will be greatly reduced.

However, healthcare professionals are seeing a problem with this solution; abdicating more funding from public resources into private ones might drain existing resources from hospitals and unfairly benefit owners of private-sector clinics without improving patient care.

On Feb. 22, the Guelph Health Coalition held a town hall meeting addressing these new private clinics and the impact they’d have on already strained healthcare resources and healthcare workers.

“We know now from the Canadian Health Institute for Health Information (CAHIHI) that Ontario is the worst in the country when it comes to RN’s, (registered nurses) per capita across Canada,” said Erin Ariss, one of the vice presidents of the Ontario Nurses Association.

She continued to say that across Canada there are 830 RN’s per 100,000 people. In Ontario, there are only 668 RN’s per 100,000 people.

“Ontario needs to hire almost 25,000 RN’s immediately,” she said during the town hall meeting.

Ariss said the most broken parts of the healthcare system are the ones that have already been privatized, like the long term care sector and home care.

“Private healthcare will take away from public care by pulling resources and staff from the public system,” she said. “That public system that is already short 25,000 RN’s. As nurses, we’ve already seen this as our colleagues have left time and time again to go to work for private agencies.”

She added that the nurses who do go to work for private care centres often leave because they’re able to strike a better work/ life balance and get paid more because “con-

veniently enough, they are not subject to Bill 124”.

Guelph’s own Mike Schreiner has spent most of the healthcare crisis suggesting different solutions to alleviating the burden on public clinics and hospitals.

One such suggestion brought forth to The Ontarion by Schreiner was to repeal Doug Ford’s Bill 124 which caps nurses’ salary increases at one per cent.

According to Schreiner, removing this restriction and offering nurses the option to negotiate fair wages, benefits, and working conditions would bring more workers into the public healthcare sector.

Despite all this push back, Ford has assured that the move towards the private sector is the right one.

“I don't even like the word 'private' because it's really not,” he said in a press conference.

“No Ontarian will ever have to pay with a credit card,” Ford said. “They will pay with their OHIP card … We need to have facilities like [the privately-owned Shouldice Hospital in Thornhill, Ont., which performs thousands of OHIP-funded hernia operations annually] to take the burden off the hospitals.”

The Guelph Health Coalition said this would raise taxes further as outside companies typically charge more for procedures and the government would pass those costs on to taxpayers. They also would be particular about which procedures they would undertake.

“These clinics will only take the easy cases, and if they run into complications, the patients have to be transferred to the public hospital,” they said in an email to The Ontarion. “Leaving only the more difficult cases left for the underfunded hospital.”

Another major concern of Ontario residents is the possibility of ‘up-selling’, whereby a clinic could charge patients for an upgraded version of the medical implant they are receiving, instead of OHIP-funded implants.

This is common in the surgical treatment of cataracts, where a more expensive lens will lead to better vision, but also applies to hip and knee replacements.

As it currently stands, average wait times for the typical patient classed as Priority 4 and awaiting a cataract surgery, hip replacement, or knee replacement are from 80 to 91 days from a referral to a patient’s first appointment. From the decision to operate until the day of surgery, the wait is about 124 to 168 days.

However, alleviating the need for sur-

geries in hospitals may have some other impacts on the strained healthcare sector due to nurses leaving.

“This year, we’ve had a completely unprecedented closure of 158 emergency rooms because of a lack of staff available,” said Doug Allen, treasurer of the Ontario Health Coalition.

The Guelph Health Coalition compared the privatization of surgery clinics to the privatization of long term care homes, a sector that was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

““The fact that these are for profit

clinics will impact patients attending them by treating people like numbers, aging equipment due to profits needed, and a foreseeable decrease in wages, as the profits have to come from somewhere, such as up-selling, again,” said the Guelph Health Coalition.

“You just have to look at what has happened in Long Term care and homecare, the writing is on the wall.”

If you’d like to learn more about the Ontario Health Coalition and the fight against privatized healthcare, visit ontariohealthcoalition.ca.

8 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | NEWS
Additional surgical clinics will aim to reduce wait times for, but concerns rise over the possible draining hospital resources
ELENI KOPSAFTIS, OLIVER BULLINGHAM & TAYLOR PIPE
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Erin Ariss, one of the Vice Presidents of the Ontario Nurses Association said Ontario needs to hire 25,000 Registered Nurses. CREDIT: PEXELS

U of G student receives free tuition for a year

When third-year biological sciences student Jo Mgonja was greeted on the second floor of the UC with confetti cannons and a giant cheque for $35,000 she was in shock.

“I was like ‘I can’t believe this. Is this even real? Is this even happening?’” Mgonja said.

The free tuition is part of an annual contest run by the Student Life Network (SLN), in conjunction with CIBC. Since 2012, these two organizations have worked together to help eliminate student debt, and set students up for success through their various projects like Canada’s Luckiest Student, Full Ride and 99 Scholarships programs.

Mgonja said she was initially contacted by a representative from SLN about doing an interview for a video highlighting student life at the University of Guelph.

“That was like the original pitch to obviously disguise what

this really was,” she said. “And I was like, ‘I don't really want to do it. I'm like, not gonna respond’,” said Mgonja.

However, with a little persuasion, Mgonja agreed to do an interview about life at Guelph.

During the interview, several representatives from the SLN, CSA and members of the media were waiting around the corner to witness the moment Mgonja was met with cheers and confetti.

“It was genuinely such a shock,” she said. “Especially because, like, I saw my sister there too. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, she came here for this? It's like a big deal,”

Mgonja’s friend, Sydney Leblanc said Mgonja is definitely deserving of this award.

“"Since we were kids, I've watched Jo work so hard in school and in life to achieve her goals and deserves this more than anyone,” Leblanc said in a press

release.

Mgonja said that she had never won any contests before this.

“If this is the only thing I’m going to win ever, it’s nice that it’s this massive prize,” Mgonja said.

She also said this money will help her greatly while she’s studying at the University of Guelph.

“I know for sure that like, oh, pay off the tuition for my last year of school, which is easy, but it obviously still leaves me with a lot of money,” Mgonja said. “I'm trying to decide… I just really don’t know yet what I’m going to do.”

After the surprise, Mogonja told the SLN that the money would help her reach her dreams of “graduating, first of all but also becoming a cool scientist.”

If you want to enter the Stu dent Life Network’s contest, visit accounts.studentlifenetwork.com.

9 ISSUE 194.3 | NEWS THEONTARION.COM
“It’s like what you see when people win the lottery.”
TAYLOR
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The future is sustainable living and it starts with you

Last year saw disastrous climate-related events such as the floods in Pakistan caused by record-high heat waves, and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that we need to do more about climate change and the way we live in relation to our environment.

Living sustainably is the way forward if we are to prevent further damage to the planet, but how can what does it mean for us in Guelph and how can we work towards it?

Representatives from the University and City of Guelph had a lot to say about the matter and insist that while change must happen at government levels, it can and should also happen on individual and personal levels too.

At the University of Guelph, Samantha Casey, Communications and Engagement Co-ordinator at the Department of Sustainability, along with her team are involved in ensuring purchases made on campus are done so in the most efficient ways while supporting sustainable distributors and ensuring proper waste disposal of those purchases.

choose to lead and develop them into operational projects through the Sustainability Ambassador Program.

Some existing projects that have been developed from the Idea Bank include the Biodiversity Inventory, and the Bag Bank. Other ideas in the Bank waiting to be developed include the Guelph Climate Café and the Free Store. Those interested in finding out more about these projects can read about them on the Department of Susainability’s website.

sustainability practices and ways to get involved on campus. Casey said that getting involved and contributing to a sustainable U of G doesn’t have to be a huge action.

Casey also said that sharing and supporting sustainability initiatives on campus and attending events, as well as sharing ideas we have with the Department of Sustainability are important ways of contributing to campus sustainability.

“There's so many ways [to get involved] and it's everything from as simple as participating in the Green Container Program offered through Hospitality Services and making sure you bring back those containers if you borrow them, using a reusable mug here on campus - it’s those things that seem really small,” she said.

This team is broadly involved in energy optimization and monitors how much energy is used to treat and clean the water that runs through our city, how we can derive clean energy from energy sources like solar panels, and works with developers to ensure they are not affecting green spaces.

They are also involved in developing a 0 per cent interest loan program that will allow households to borrow money from the City to invest in making their homes more energy efficient and to reduce their greenhouse gasses. Programs like this, along with initiatives like moving towards electric buses contribute to a much larger goal that many other cities in the world are involved in as well.

This department runs many programs and initiatives on campus such as the Idea Bank, which is a bank where community members as well as University of Guelph students, staff, faculty and alumni can share ideas on how to improve sustainability on campus. Members of the campus community can pick up existing ideas and

The Department of Sustainability has also partnered with some other organizations to bring the U of G Food Market. In collaboration with the Arrell Food Institute and the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, the Food Market prioritizes food security for students on campus. Casey says that environmental sustainability is important, but people often forget about social sustainability and the Department strived to close that gap.

“People can't really take care of the planet if they’re not taking care of themselves, so we need to make sure that people have access to food,” she says.

The Food Market runs every Thursday in the University Centre from 12-3pm, and food brought in by The SEED is sold on a sliding scale.

The department offers other resources like the online tool, Waste Wizard, that tells you the best way to dispose of items, be it an old binder, or broken blender. They also offer consultations and training to staff members interested in learning more about

“We need everyone to be doing their part, everyone on campus needs to be involved in sustainability. We can't just have a select few working on it, we’ll never succeed if it's only a small group working away. We need everyone to be taking steps right now to make their lives a bit more sustainable, and then using that power that they have to impact change and shape us into the future of campus.”

On a larger scale,the City of Guelph has plans the City has for promoting and ensuring environmental sustainability. Since climate change is such a huge and complex matter, the City of Guelph has several departments and teams responsible for managing different aspects of environmental sustainability.

One such team, the Corporate Energy and Climate Change Team, led by Bryan Ho-Yan, aims to manage climate change and emissions from greenhouse gasses.

In 2020, the UN launched a global campaign called ‘Race to Zero’, in a bid to curb carbon emissions and move towards a more sustainable way of living. The end goal of this campaign is to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and many cities, institutions and businesses in the world have pledged to this initiative and are striving to meet this goal. Guelph is amongst the 1,136 cities participating in this initiative, and Ho-Yan explained some of the ways the City is working towards meeting the 2050 goal of zero carbon emissions.

“It [Race to Zero] also says, ‘can you make sure that you report your emissions and other related items annually?’ And we are already doing that as well through the Carbon Disclosure Program,” Ho-Yan said. “The other thing is that they have a list of

10 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | NEWS
An interview with community representatives on why environmental sustainability is so important now, and for the future
PAULA HENRY-DURU
Small things, like reusable coffee cups can make a big difference in creating sustainable habits. CREDIT: UNSPLASH

actions that you can do, and one of them was ‘do you want to pilot electric buses’, and we’re on it."

Initiatives currently in place in Guelph include cleaner transportation through the newly-arrived electric bus with more on the way, and supporting electric vehicle owners by having public electric vehicle chargers around the city.

Ho-Yan and his team are also involved in implementing ‘zero carbon design strat egies’ in facilities to ensure buildings have proper insulation, clean energy for heating, and solar panels. A new library is also in construction that will meet zero carbon de sign standards.

it affects the people that can’t have that access to food,” Ho-Yan said. “So there’s so

Ho-Yan mentions that although the target is to have emissions at zero by 2050, there is an interim target for 2030 to mon itor progress being made. The UN provid ed guidelines for this interim target based on the City’s capacity and ability to reach the end goal. They came to the conclu sion that by 2030, Guelph should have its carbon emissions down by 63% compared to what the emissions were in 2018, and keeping track of progress is important.

Naturally, there are some challeng es in meeting these goals especially in terms of resources, because implement ing change and creating new policies takes time and is also expensive. Another challenge is that achieving a sustainable Guelph would involve a collective action of all community members to get involved, but people can’t get involved if they don’t know what’s going on.

“We have some really cool commu nications people within the city that are very focused on community engagement.. and they're doing what they can to get the word out to people, but also to bring in people who don't even know where to start, as well,” Ho-Yan said.

“Part of the communication is not only from a marketing standpoint but it's going deeper. It’s a higher quality of communication on how we're actually sharing information and making it simple for people to understand and want to do and then guiding them through it,”

Although news about climate change is generally depressing, Ho-Yan urges us to stay positive that change is indeed possible. Collective action is important, and we have to acknowledge that the issue of climate change affects all of us.

“There are forest fires that are going on outside of Guelph and that's affecting agriculture and then that works into our food supply and it affects our pockets, and

11 ISSUE 194.3 | NEWS THEONTARION.COM
ICONS BY FLATICON It doesn't take wearing a cape to be a hero, it just takes practicing sustainability. CREDIT: PEXELS

Human trafficking: How does it happen and where can you reach out for help?

A group of local educators ran a webinar to raise awareness on the trends and challenges of human trafficking, a problem that doesn’t only happen overseas

For Human Trafficking Awareness Day

on Feb. 22, local leaders and educators hosted a virtual panel discussion to highlight the resources and challenges for victims of this horrendous crime.

According to the government of Canada, “human trafficking involves recruiting, moving, or holding victims to exploit them for profit, usually for sexual reasons or forced labour. Traffickers can control and pressure victims by force or through

threats, including mental and emotional abuse and manipulation.”

While projections and stereotypes might suggest that this issue only happens outside our borders, the fact is that human trafficking is happening right now in communities all across Canada.

One of the guest speakers for the webinar included Olena Kania, the project coordinator for Youth Activists and the Indigenous Community Mediator in the

Montreal region. There, she works with Indigenous homeless youth and collaborates with the local police force to address human trafficking in relation to missing and murdered Indigenous women.

During the panel, Kania explained that the main way human traffickers find and lure their victims is through social media. While this method has been present since the days of Omegle, a virtual video chatting service to connect with strangers, Kania says the normalisation of enormous follower counts and the promotion of personal projects online has made human trafficking a lot easier.

“There are no barriers to sharing what you want [on social media], especially for younger individuals,” Kania said. “They want a place to express their freedom and show their individuality, and unfortunately a lot of traffickers do take advantage of that.”

“A lot of people think it’s mostly women who are the targets. It’s very much not just women, and while it’s still a disproportionate amount of women, it still happens to men, especially when it comes to vulnerable youth such as homeless or indigenous [youth].”

So if you or someone you know might be at risk of human trafficking, what exactly should you be looking out for?

Jaseth Purcell is a human trafficking counsellor for Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis (GWWIC), and she says that traffickers will get creative with various methods of coercion, manipulation, control, and exploitation. In addition to targeting vulnerable populations such as youths or Indigenous women, Purcell says that traffickers are using the housing crisis to their advantage by targeting homeless people by offering them houses or cars.

“They will promise the world to [victims], and then they’ll use that as exploitation for, say, running drugs in a car which is in [the victim’s] name,” said Purcell during the webinar.

She also explains that some traffickers will lure victims in through a relationship.

“Victims might think ‘he loves me,’ but when the police get involved then the person who's being trafficked will be abandoned,” Purcell said.

Due to the questionable situations that victims are put in by traffickers, victims then tend to have a difficult time getting help.

Raquel Hall, another guest speaker and an intimate partner violence case worker with Victim Services Wellington (VSW), says that not everyone feels comfortable approaching the VSW office since it’s located in the Guelph Police Station.

Hall runs short-term acute crisis intervention for past, present, or possible victims of human trafficking. The VSW is open 24/7 and also serves as a referral base to long-term care for victims.

“There are a lot of individuals who do not come to us for the first point of contact because they’re not aware that we’re a nonprofit agency that has collaboration with police but not necessarily for police,” said Hall during the panel.

On top of that, the belief that human trafficking just doesn’t happen in Canada can add an additional barrier in which individuals or those that they report to don’t understand that they’re the victims of a crime.

“There were times that I've seen where [indigenous women’s] crimes were not taken seriously and they were swept under the rug, and our team was looking at each other like, ‘what is going on here? This is an actual crime that needs to be take to authorities, why isn't anything being done?’” said Kania. “When I was reaching out and talking to [authorities] about it, they didn't really understand that because it wasn't openly talked about.”

By talking about it during events such as the webinar, each of its guest speakers hope to raise awareness on the intricacies of this crime and make the methods and trends of traffickers more widely known so as to prevent the victimisation of vulnerable populations and make it easier for everyone to recognise.

To reach out for help, volunteer, or donate locally towards human trafficking education programs, you can visit the GWWIC website at gwwomenincrisis.org. You can also access their 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-265-7233.

12 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | NEWS Brisson, Leis & Associates Judith A. Brisson, O.D. P. Lynne Leis, O.D. Reita Thomas-Parel, O.D. Violet Zawada, O.D. Jianchang (Iris) Shen, Optometrist OPTOMETRISTS Serving the U of G community for 40 years, we provide personalized eye care including comprehensive examinations, contact lenses and eyewear. Exams available in English, French, Polish, Mandarin and Cantonese. 21 College Avenue West, Guelph (across from OVC) TEL (519) 822-2710 · FAX (519) 822-7877 www.eyesoncollege.ca · brisson.leis@rogers.com
To reach out for help, volunteer, or donate locally towards human trafficking education programs, you can visit the GWWIC website at gwwomenincrisis.org. You can also access their 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-265-7233. CREDIT: TAYLOR PIPE
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Struggling to find a place to live? You’re not alone

Insights and landlord laws to note when searching for your next rental

This time of year is usually when students begin the search for an off-campus rental, although this year is posing as a much more competitive and expensive time to be entering the student housing market.

Many students are worried about finding any place, let alone being able to afford monthly rent.

We interviewed Dr. Paul Anglin and two first-year students to bring you tips to ease the process.

Once you’re set to sign your lease, don’t forget to review the landlord laws at the end of the article.

Professional Insights

Dr. Paul Anglin is a professor of real-estate at the Lang School of Business and Economics, with a focus on the process of buying and selling properties. He has provided helpful advice for students currently searching the market for a rental.

“Most university students have limited experience with selecting a place to live.” Anglin strongly recommends speaking with upper year students who have more insight on the process, like finding the right area to live, and might be able to provide advanced information on rentals that are becoming available.

When considering a rental, Anglin suggests “talk[ing] with the landlord and see[ing] if you would be comfortable with them, especially since you would need to talk with them in case of a problem.”

Anglin reminds us that houses are assets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. You are in competition with many others, “So, why should a landlord pick you?”

He recommends that when communicating with landlords, be as presentable as you can, in-

cluding over email. Show that you are a clean and respectful person when walking through the place, to show how you would take care of it if you were actually living there.

It can be perplexing to many students when they don’t get the house they want. Anglin explains that students have to distinguish themselves.

“If you know somebody who lives there currently then mention their name, “ he said. “If you will be living in a house then offer to shovel the snow.”

Students have different criteria when seeking a rental, and this has created gaps in the cost and types of units available. It might be valuable to focus on your personal criteria, like area, cost and upkeep, as this can influence the direction of your search.

Maybe you’ve already found a listing, but don’t know if it is legitimate or not. Anglin says that scams exist, but they are rare.

“The most common scam that I hear of is renting places that do not exist,” said Anglin. “Verify that the place actually exists and that the person who takes your money actually looks after it.”

Many students might be wondering why they can’t find a place.

“The sad truth is that the process of building more places to live often takes longer than it takes to finish an undergraduate degree,” said Anglin.

If you’re frustrated with the rental search, you’re not the only one. Here’s what other students have to say about finding a place to call home for next year.

student.

Veltman and Collins agreed it can be a pain to look for housing.

"It’s 'very, very stressful,' said Veltman. “[It’s] time consuming… I’m not sleeping. I’m dreaming of landlords. It’s horrendous.”

Collins said that looking for a rental has definitely not been easy and has been more of a headache than anything else.

“They don’t warn you how hard it’s going to be,” said Collins. Many students might be wondering how long it takes to find a place and how to even approach the task.

The Student Experience

First-year students Amanda Veltman and Hannah Collins have been trying to find a house for next year. Veltman is studying an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Co-op, and Collins is a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences

Veltman started looking during Nov. of last year through checking on the cannon, kijiji, places4students, Facebook marketplace, realtor.ca, rentola, and various different websites. She’s “met 2 good landlords. The rest are indifferent or some are standoffish.”

Her group of 4 put their names in for around 16 houses and found a place this Feb. Collins says she and her 3 roommates started looking Dec. 2022 and got their place Jan. of this year. She stresses to be on top of the new listings, which are of-

14 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | NEWS
ICONS
Before signing a lease, make sure you read the leasem visit the property and feel you can trust your landlord. CREDIT: PIXABAY
BY FLATICON

ten posted at night.

For students, finding a roommate does not have to be a hassle. Veltman met two girls during O-week and saw whether it would be good for them to live together. They then reached out to another person to move in with, and have a fifth person backup, who posted on The Cannon that they are looking for a place.

Collins said she talked with her current roommates and also found someone living across the hall in residence.

“You can live with people you don’t know, but it can be a bit of a gamble. You just have to make sure you are compatible,” she said.

Although student housing may seem like a nightmare, there are some tips you can follow to make it easier.

Veltman recommends to“start as early as possible. Be assertive with landlords, email them. Have multiple options going on at once, so that you have backups. If you need parking spots, make sure the place comes with parking spots. Be willing to compromise. ”

Collins echoed these thoughts.

“Don’t put off the housing hunt…Don’t get disheartened,” said Collins. “Make sure you know how many people you are looking to live with. Be ready to sign right off the bat, like that day. Check to see if utilities are included, and if the place has wifi. Figure out what you need, and what you can compromise on. We have a tenant living in our basement, but we’re ok with it.”

General Landlord Laws

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing states the Renting Rights in Ontario. The

Government of Ontario describes the standard lease as a requirement for most residential tenancy agreements. Here are some relevant Landlord Laws to know:

• The rent increase guideline for 2023 is 2.5% on rentals first occupied before Nov. 15, 2018

• It is the responsibility of the landlord to keep the property in good state of repair

• A landlord can not shut off or interfere with the supply of vital services: heat, electricity, fuel, hot or cold water. Regardless of the state of the unit when a tenant agrees to rent

• Landlords may enter the unit after providing 24 hours notice to do general repairs, show the unit to prospective renters and to carry out an inspection

• Landlords may enter without notice in the case of an emergency, if they have the consent of the renter, or the lease requires the landlord to clean the unit

• The Landlord Tenant Board can resolve conflicts between tenants and landlords

out the rental process, and they are great to consult if you need further clarification or support. Their website offers a PDF titled Learning Your Lease which outlines each section of a standard lease.

Tips for signing a lease:

• Read the entire lease before signing (understand the terms of the agreement)

Visit the property at least once before signing

• Feel that you can trust your landlord

In an email to The Ontarion , SHAC said the most common way landlords break the law is increasing rent illegally. This can come in forms of a landlord trying to get students to sign onto a new lease before their current lease expires, or in the form of a joint lease being renewed.

“When it comes time to renew the lease, some students may have roommates who want to leave the lease and not resign, or all the tenants have previously agreed to end the lease at a predetermined date,” said SHAC. “This leaves an opportunity for landlords to take advantage of the fact that the lease is ending, and force a rental increase.”

SHAC - Student Help and Advocacy Centre

SHAC

resources and support for students through-

They encouraged renters who aren’t living with their landlord’s families to familiarize themselves with the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). The RTA outlines things like rent increases, terminating a lease, landlord responsibilities, rules for entering a tenant’s rental unit and the responsibilities of both the landlord and tenant.

Students who have ques -

tions about their lease and its terms can have it looked over by SHAC. They also encouraged students to take advantage of the services they have to offer.

“We have a free lawyer and informed staff on a variety of legal issues,” they said. “SHAC is one of the many services provided by the Central Student Association that offers a variety of support for students in areas including academic guidance, financial assistance, housing/tenancy, human rights, and legal aid.”

They also encouraged students to visit stepstojustice. ca for any legal questions they may have and suggested getting learning more about the Landlord and Tenant Board at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/contact/ or call their toll free number 1-888-332-3234.

SHAC is located on the second floor of the University Centre in UC 235. For more information about SHAC, you can visit their website at csaonline. ca/shac.

15 ISSUE 194.3 | NEWS THEONTARION.COM
provides
If you're looking for help understanding your lease, or have legal questions, contact the Student Help and Advocacy Centre (SHAC). CREDIT: UNSPLASH
"I’m not sleeping. I’m dreaming of landlords. It’s horrendous.”
“They don’t warn you how hard it’s going to be”
Students may have better luck securing housing if they start searching earlier. CREDIT: PEXELS

Roll into spring with Quad Nights

Cultural Diversity Team hosts roller skate nights that will take you through the decades

This semester, the Cultural Diversity Team is hosting bi-weekly Quad Nights in Peter Clark Hall. This event will allow you to skate back in time as you dance to decade-themed music. Enjoy some 90s tunes on March 21 or attend on March 28 to skate to 2000s music.

Throughout January and February, they hosted successful 70s and 80s nights where students had an opportunity to dress up, practice roller skating and have fun. On Feb. 14, they hosted a special Black History Month quad night with a live DJ.

Regardless of roller skating experience, anyone in the University of Guelph community is welcome to participate. Registration is still accessible for Quad Nights on Gryphlife and free rentals are available if needed. The event

takes place from 5-7 pm and everyone is encouraged to dress up and have fun.

This event wouldn’t be possible without Alexis Charles, coordinator of cultural diversity programs. She facilitates programming for students who identify as black, racialized or students of colour and supports their holistic development through workshops or social events like Quad Nights.

She also works closely with student groups such as the Guelph Black students association along with other identity-based groups that are looking for some support with their events, programming and outreach to students of colour with culturally relevant programming.

Last year for Black History Month they hosted a roller skate workshop with an instructor and

rentals which gained great interest and feedback.

Destina Mattrasingh-Williams, a third-year Ph.D. student in pathobiology, thought it would be great to bring this indoor skating to campus again this semester on a regular basis. She reached out to Alexis Charles with the idea, a skating enthusiast herself, who was able to provide support in applying for funding and organizing the event.

“It's been a really good amount of support, especially through Alexis and the cultural diversity office, they've been really helpful in getting this kind of initiative going,” said Mattrasingh-Williams. “I was originally planning on just doing it on my own and I was so happy that they wanted to get involved with it and wanted to make it something that

could keep going on for years to come.”

Charles saw lots of connections being made between students and sees the event as a chance to meet new people and try something new. Both Charles and Mattrasingh-Williams agree that these events are a great opportunity for students to take a break from their busy schedules and blow off some steam.

“I think it's a really good opportunity for people to get out of their bubble, have a little bit of fun and learn something new in an enjoyable way that doesn't have too much pressure,” said Mattrasingh-Williams. “It is a really

daunting thing to try something new but the music, the vibes and Alexis with her little dance lessons all make it a really enjoyable opportunity for everybody to get involved and let loose a little bit/”

So be sure to get your skates on and check out this amazing opportunity to learn something new and make new connections along the way.

To stay tuned with the cultural diversity team and their upcoming events, be sure to subscribe to their newsletter through https://www.uoguelph.ca/studentexperience/cultural-diversity/ and follow @uofgstudentexp on Instagram for more updates.

Funky beats and spicy bars: The ingredients that make up

make Identity Soup

The Guelph-based music collective talked to The Ontarion about their inception, backyard COVID shows, and their first EP

ALEX BRADSHAW

F

rom backyard concerts to sold-out shows, the Guelph music collective known as Identity Soup is a group of five artists who have come together to make music they want to hear. For them, music is only the very beginning. Identity Soup is made up of rappers Emmitt Leacock, Dan Nolan, and Tha Swami, creative visionary Cybelle Goodness, and Aidan Carney, the multi-instrumentalist and producer.

After the release of Leacock’s first EP Emmitt made with the help of Nolan, they were now known as a duo, which led the two of them to start working on something they could do entirely together.

“Originally, Identity Soup wasn’t a group,” said Dan Nolan, on how the group came to

be. Over time, more and more of their friends joined to form the band as it is today.

Nolan and Leacock began their music history together just as COVID-19 became a widespread issue. They learned how to do everything on their computers to share their creative ideas. They performed shows together in backyards during the height of COVID, often to crowds of as few as 20 people. But for them, that was just the beginning.

Later in their career, they opened for Toronto hip-hop fixture Choclair, and reggae band The Human Rights.

Influenced by MF DOOM, J Dilla, Childish Gambino, Little Simz, and more, Identity Soup is one of the first groups

from Guelph to make music that is not to be taken lightly. Each member of the band brings their own talents along with their own stories to tell. They come from different backgrounds with their own stories as well as a new angle of looking at things.

“I think that’s the goal for the group, is to one day lay our paws on everything,” said drummer and rapper Leacock. He talks on behalf of the band and their future endeavors.

In August of 2022, Identity Soup released their first EP Condensed , a collection of songs to make a name for themselves and show the world what they could do.

As for their future, the group talks of working alongside the art collective known as Blue

Room, and clothing brand Futr for future art exhibits, as well as possibly a TV show along the lines of Atlanta, years later.

Music-wise, the next big plan is to release a single and

a full-length LP and promote those when touring in local cities. Together, Identity Soup is changing how local art - as a whole, can be done. They are serving up a promising future.

17
THEONTARION.COM 18 & 19 | HEATHERS 22 | RIHANNA 21 | MOCKTAILS
ARTS & CULTURE
The next Quad Night events will take place on March 21 and 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. CREDIT: STUDENT EXPERIENCE Identity Soup's EP Condensed is out now. CREDIT: IDENTITY SOUP

How very! A behind the scenes look at Heathers: The Musical

The campy and dark show comes to War Memorial in March

High school was not the best four years of Veronica Sawyer’s life, who endured shoulder-padded mean girls and a Bauderlaire-reading boyfriend ready to blow them up. That’s the plot of Heathers , the cult-classic 1989 film which stars Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.

Heathers features a snide clique of three girls named Heather who recruit the introspective Veronica. Five minutes in, the trope of a classic high-school flick

is flipped on its head and dark hilarity ensues.

The movie inspired Heathers: The Musical , which Curtain Call Productions will perform this spring. Director Sierra Campbell chose this musical because “it’s a genius comedy” and “it ties into the raw human emotion of each character”.

“When choosing shows to direct, it needs to be a high energy show that gets

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the audience laughing and dancing in their seats,” she said. “ Heathers definitely has those moments that are dark and not high energy, but it's balanced out very, very well. It's a roller coaster with the way that the plot works.”

From March 24-26, War Memorial Hall will become Westerberg High, taking audiences back to Ohio in the 80s. However, the musical will provide commentary on social situations and mental health issues that still affect youth today. It tackles themes of peer pressure, bullying, toxic masculinity, homophobia, and suicide with songs like “My Dead Gay Son” and “Candy Store."

Sophie De Goey, who plays the lead role of Veronica, describes Heathers as “a little campy, very dark.” She said it’s her favourite movie because the themes are just relevant now as they were in the 80s.

“This is a fun way to understand these sorts of dark things that you think you might have been alone in,” she said. “They've been happening for a long time.”

Heathers includes some memorable characters, like queen-bee Heather Chandler and cocky football player Kurt Kelly. Bella Lánci and David Svoboda, who play these characters respectively, agree that it’s interesting to “inhabit the headspace” of an antagonist.

“We’re both cast as pretty terrible people,” Lánci said. “But it’s fun to play someone so opposite from yourself.”

Kurt says many atrocious things, among them, “She cried just like that when she saw how big I was.” Also, Lánci’s character Heather Chandler has the iconic line, “Fuck me gently with a chainsaw.”

The cast of Heathers has been prac -

tising for weeks, as the show requires incredible vocals and complex choreography. Each year, Curtain Call Productions puts on a musical, and the actors are grateful to be part of the team. If you’d like to get involved, you can follow their Instagram @curtaincallpro.

“This is my first year doing it, and it’s been amazing,” Lánci said. “Everyone is so kind and welcoming, but you definitely do have to be very aware of time management.”

Svoboda said it’s easier for him to be involved as he is not a full time student at the University. He described Curtain Call as a “really nice place to meet cool, creative individuals.”

Curtain Call Productions is a great space to explore your creative side and try out acting. The cast and crew are excited to show audiences what they’ve been rehearsing for, and to take their bows in front of a full house.

18 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | ARTS &
CULTURE
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Veronica, played by Sophie De Goey, is held by J.D., understudied by David Svoboda. This scene uses a prop gun.. CREDIT: ANDREEA BURLACU 1. COLIN STETSON* The Menu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Milan) 2. ATSUKO CHIBA* Water, It Feels Like It's Growing (Mothland) 3. ORCHESTRA GOLD Medicine (Self-Released) 4. MARMALADE DUPLEX** Tropical Metal Studies (Corduroy Palace) 5. CASTLE IF* The Verdant Realm (Self-Released) Originals) er) BOYHOOD* My Dread (Self-Released) 9. ALVVAYS* Blue Rev (Polyvinyl) 10. CRACK CLOUD* Tough Baby (Self-Released)

“Those first nights, the dress rehearsal and opening night are always so magical,” De Goey said. “That feeling is unmatched. It is so special and I can't wait to have that, especially with a show like this that means so much to me.”

Campbell described that Heathers has something for everyone to enjoy. She mentioned the element of surprise, quick changes, lifts, and choreography as the most exciting parts, alongside the ensemble that will “steal the show completely.”

The cast agrees that this production will be spectacular.

“We get naked,” Svoboda said.

“You can see him shirtless, I’m in lingerie, [it’s] very fun,” Lánci added.

In addition to nudity, Heathers: The Musical dives into some heavy topics. Audience members should note the sensitive subject matter the show covers. It portrays eating disorders, bullying, suicide, gun violence and attempted sexual assault.

“Take care of yourself, because there is a lot of intense subject matter being portrayed. As long as you’re feeling like you’re okay with watching it, please come on down,” De Goey said.

She added that although some scenes may be alarming, the actors are completely safe and comfortable.

“For instance, there’s the ‘You’re Welcome’ scene where the jocks are trying to assault me,” she said. “While we were putting that together, there were always people checking in that we felt okay with the sorts of things that they were saying and doing around us.”

“I'm amazed with the amount of comfort that they've allowed me, behind the scenes and I can't wait to keep working on it because I know I'm in good hands.”

Additionally, the cast and crew are

making sure the subject matter is portrayed appropriately.

“We don't want to just do this show just for the sake of doing it and talking about it, we want to make sure that we are approaching it in a sensitive and comfortable way,” Campbell said.

Heathers will be performed on March 24-26. Each evening will have a 7 pm show and on Saturday March 25, there will be a 1 p.m. matinee.

The cast, crew, and Board of Direc -

tors are sure the show will be “Big Fun.”

“It’s a very funny show, the music’s amazing, we have a lot of great actors that are part of it this year,” Lánci said.

The show promises to be impressive for fans of Heathers and anyone who’s stepped foot in a high school.

“Come see Heathers !” De Goey said, laughing. “It’s absolutely worth it. It’s a great time. The songs are bops. Everyone is really dedicated to their roles and I just know it’s gonna be a blast.”

19 ISSUE 194.3 | ARTS & CULTURE THEONTARION.COM
An important question about J.D., “Who does that guy in the coat think he is, Bo Diddley?”. CREDIT: ANDREEA BURLACU The opening song, “Beautiful”, shows Veronica’s transformation from “greasy little nobody” to a bonafide Heather.. CREDIT: ANDREEA BURLACU

Ramadan Mubarak!

How the Muslim community celebrates Islam's holiest month

The holy month of Ramadan is predicted to begin on March 22 this year. It is a time for prayer, fasting, self-reflection, charity, and gathering with loved ones.

With many Muslim students and faculty observing Ramadan, here’s a guide to what this month means and how you can participate.

The Meaning of Ramadan

“Ramadan is mentioned in the Quran as the time in which the word of God was sent down and revealed to the Prophet Muhammad,” explained Dr. Renée Worringer, a professor in the Department of History who specialises in Middle Eastern history.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the lunar calendar, and the celebration begins with the sighting of a crescent moon. Each year, the dates move back by approximately 11 days. This means Muslims will observe this month across all seasons throughout their lives.

Most Muslims honour Ramadan by abstaining from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset. Before dawn, Muslims eat suhoor, a breakfast before the first prayer of the day. At sunrise, Muslims commit to fasting for the

day with imsak. Then, after the sun sets, Muslims break their fast during iftar by eating dates and drinking water in the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad. There is a sense of community as people unite to share meals.

“On campus, we have a lot of dinners planned for that month, so that people can come together and celebrate together,” explained Ahmad Hassan, the Vice President of Guelph’s Muslim Student Association.

“It’s not just about sacrifice and hardship, it’s a celebratory time,”

Also, Ramadan is a month of self-reflection and spiritual growth. To grow closer to God, Muslims abstain from jealousy, anger, and negative thoughts. They take time to attend prayer services, recite the Quran, and give to those in need.

“The ultimate goal is to make a sacrifice in your own life to recognize the blessings that God has provided you,” Hassan said.

At the end of Ramadan, Eidal Fitr is a three-day celebration of the sacrifice that people have made. This is a time to share gratitude with loved ones, alongside amazing foods and desserts.

“Eid-al Fitr often includes

not just a lovely feast that can last late into the night, but also fireworks and new toys for children,” said Worringer.

Although Ramadan may seem difficult for non-Muslims, Hassan described that there’s a feeling of “inner peace and tranquillity during the month”.

“You're focusing on a particular connection that you truly value, that connection with God,” he said. “So there's an inner peace that every Muslim feels. It’s a special time of the year.”

Celebrating Ramadan in Guelph

The Muslim Student Association (MSA), holds on-campus events that foster community during Ramadan. This year, they are setting the table for community dinners on March 24, 28, 30, and April 4.

“After a long day of working and studying, we’re all able to come down, sit at the same table, and have a nice meal,” Hassan said.

These dinners bring together Muslim students and provide international students a way to connect with their faith in a different country. They will be in Room 442 in the UC, and they can be found

on Gryphlife. Even if you’re not Muslim, you are invited to join in the celebration with a multi-faith dinner on Mar. 28.

“Non-Muslims are welcome too, because it is a way for us to portray some of the beauty that Islam has to offer,” Hassan explained.

Additionally, the MSA works with the University to provide halal meals and cultural fruits and vegetables for Muslims. Hassan noted that the MSA has helped ensure close to 90 per cent of chicken and 50 per cent of beef on-campus is halal. Plus, each Thursday from 12-3 p.m. in the UC, the affordable food market will offer produce such as dates, pomegranates, figs, okra and olives.

“Let's say you're a student and you want to make a particular cultural dish. You want to be able to access the ingredients for that,” Hassan said.

On another note, Ramadan overlaps with the exam period this year, and the University has religious accommodations if you have an exam when you need to break your fast.

“Students can either reach out to their professor directly or reach out to the MSA, and we

facilitate that for them. We get the student an alternative time slot. The university is very accommodating in that sense,” Hassan said.

During Ramadan, MSA raises funds for important causes. Two years ago, they raised close to $5,000, which was used to build wells in Bangladesh. Last year, another $5,000 was donated to provide food packages for people in East Africa and Pakistan. Charity and fasting go hand-inhand, and the MSA emphasises that it’s important to think of people who are less fortunate.

The Muslim community in Guelph invites you to join in the celebration this Ramadan. To keep in touch with them, follow them on Instagram, @guelphmsa. Throughout this month, we wish you prosperity, strength, and joy. Ramadan Mubarak!

20 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | ARTS & CULTURE
ICON BY FLATICON
Ramadan is seen as a month of self-reflection and is concluded with the celebration of Eid-al Fitr. CREDIT: PAIGE STAMPATORI

The art of mocktails

Your favourite drinks, minus the hangover

Going out for a drink can be the perfect way to start your weekend. With mocktails and sober-curiosity becoming more popular on social media, you can ask for your favourite beverages with or without the spirits.

“Sober-curious” refers to limiting alcohol consumption. Reducing your alcohol content can improve your mental health, including your focus and memory, sleep, and energy. There are also a number of physical benefits of reducing alcohol intake such as lowered blood sugar and lowered blood pressure.

In the past, ordering an alcohol-free beverage was often limited to fountain pop, fruit juice, or a pitcher of water. Now, many bars are creating mocktails, which have all the makings of a cocktail except the liquor. These mocktails are growing in popularity on-campus and throughout Guelph.

“Creating inclusive restaurants and bars means having a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available,” said Nick Wever, a supervisor at Bar Mason. “A big part of the craft is knowing flavour combinations and being able to build a great cocktail whether there’s alcohol involved or not.”

Bar Mason’s most popular mocktail right now is “Berry Me in the Snow”, which calls for white grape juice, thyme simple syrup, lemon juice, macerated berries & vegan frother.

The Brass Taps also has mocktails like the “Raspberry Mule”, which consists of raspberry syrup, cucumber, U of G honey, lime, and ginger beer.

The mocktail trend is the new way to socialise while staying sober. Recently, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) recommended having

less than two alcoholic drinks per week.

Dr. Andrew Hathaway, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology who researches illicit drug use, spoke with The Ontarion about sober-curiosity.

He said that there are benefits to choosing an alcohol-free beverage if you don’t want to stop drinking alcohol entirely.

“Taking a break from substance use is a useful way to determine how reliant you are upon it,” he said.

He also mentioned that people might decide alcohol isn’t for them anymore, and that they might not feel the need to drink in excess to have fun.

Many people are reducing their alcohol consumption and choosing zero-proof drinks. There are several reasons why someone might choose not to drink, such as being the designated driver or being on certain medications. With mocktails, everyone can socialise at bars, restaurants, and clubs.

“The dining experience is much more than having alcohol in your glass,” said Mike Calvert, Senior Operations Manager at Brass Taps.

“Quality food, friendly service, socialising with friends and others are also key factors in a positive dining experience. With the addition of creative and unique tasting mocktails on beverage menus, guests can enjoy the same dining experience with a great tasting mocktail in hand.”

On a night out, you can decide whether you’re boozing or staying sober. But having mocktails on the menu ensures anyone can order a drink without alcohol or FOMO.

This refreshing and citrusy drink will mentally take you to the beach, even if its ingredients are found at your local grocery store.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces simple syrup (made by boiling equal parts sugar and water, then letting it cool)

2 ounces lime juice

1 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce orange juice

• Kosher salt for rimming the glass

• A lime wedge for a garnish

Instructions:

Rub a lime wedge on the rim of the glass. Pour about 1 teaspoon of salt onto a small plate, then dip the rim of the glass into the salt. Fill the glass about half-full of ice. Mix together the simple syrup, lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Then, pour the mocktail into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

A strawberry daiquiri is like an elevated slushie, with the taste of berries and a touch of citrus. The secret to a perfect daiquiri is using a mix of fresh and frozen strawberries instead of watering the drink down with ice.

Ingredients:

• Fresh and frozen strawberries

• Lime juice

• Simple syrup (made by boiling equal parts sugar and water, then letting it cool) 7up or Sprite soda

Instructions:

Blend strawberries, simple syrup, lime juice, and soda in a high-speed blender until smooth. You might need to scrape down the sides of the blender every so often to make sure the drink is fully blended. You can customise the amount of each ingredient to make the drink just how you like it! If you’d like the drink sweeter, add more simple syrup, and if you’d like it more tart, add more lime juice. Then, pour the drink into glasses and garnish with a slice of lime.

Virgin Piña Colada (courtesy of Delish)

This recipe is perfect if you like piña coladas, and perhaps getting caught in the rain. The ice cream gives the drink a creamier taste, making a tropical milkshake.

Ingredients:

• 1 (10-oz.) bag frozen pineapple chunks

• 4 large scoops of ice cream (about 1 cup)

• 1 cup of coconut milk

• 1/2 cup of pineapple juice

• Pineapple wedge, for serving

Instructions:

In a blender, blend together frozen pineapple, ice cream, coconut milk, and pineapple juice. Pour into a glass, top with a pineapple wedge, and enjoy!

21 ISSUE 194.3 | ARTS & CULTURE THEONTARION.COM
Virgin Margarita (courtesy of Make Mine A Mocktail) Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri (courtesy of House of Nash Eats) ICON BY FLATICON CREDIT: UNSPLASH CREDIT: UNSPLASH CREDIT: UNSPLASH

Donating through art

Discover your artistic side while doing something good for your community

Art with Heart is the University of Guelph’s most creative way for students to give back to the community. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with the president of Art With Heart, Jayne Hall, to discuss this year’s new way of operation for the club, as well as the importance of their initiative.

Jayne Hall is currently in her second year, working to complete a double major in psychology and theatre at the University of Guelph. Hall has recently taken over as president of Art with Heart and is

in charge of the general organization of the club, as well as planning events and partnering with other campus clubs. This is a role she hopes to hold until she graduates.

Art With Heart is a campus-based club, created in 2018, that allows University of Guelph students to submit pieces of their artwork to sell with the goal of raising money for charity.

“We do something different each month. We’ve partnered with Student Disability, the Environmental club, Gender Queer equali-

ty and others, so we are trying to do more campus organizations rather than make it too broad,” Hall said.

In the fall semester, Art With Heart hosted a live art sale and partnered with a campus club in hopes of raising money to give people with autism service dogs.

“The interesting thing about our club is how far reaching it can be, and how many people it can help,” Hall said.

The club uses Instagram as its main source of communication with the community. Students can submit their artwork to the Instagram page and the club will post their work for $10. In order to ensure participant’s safety, the club will assist with monetary transactions and delivery of artwork once something has been sold.

Art With Heart is welcome to all new members and everyone is encouraged to experiment with the art styles they choose. Last year, the club’s main art medium was painting, but under Hall’s presidency,

Rihanna returns with Superbowl halftime performance

The singer surprised audiences worldwide after announcing her pregnancy with her second child

SPENCER EGERHAZI

Rihanna has finally given us a performance after years of waiting for her to return to music. Rihanna released her last album ANTI, in 2016, not having released an album in seven years.

She has become a big business woman in that time, being the CEO of Fenty Beauty and creating the SAVAGE X FENTY clothing line, and winning awards for her artistic vision for her innovative fashion shows. As much as the makeup and clothes are beautiful, fans have been dying for new music.

She released a couple songs at

the end of 2022 for the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

As well, she announced headlining the Super Bowl LVII Halftime show, and she gave us a very memorable performance.

The show began with her in a red, puffy suit, showing off a baby bump, officially announcing being pregnant with her second child. Then, we saw her on a glass stage which was suspended in the air. All her backup dancers wore matching white puffy suits and danced along with her to some of her biggest hits.

Songs performed included

“We Found Love,” “Only Girl (In The World),” “Pour It Up” and “Umbrella.”

However, the performance really crescendoed during “Diamonds,” when Rihanna was lifted into the sky again on a glass platform.

To add to the show and provide accessibility for everyone, an ASL interpreter performed alongside Rihanna. In the days following, it was clear that Justina Miles, the ASL interpreter was a strong highlight of the show.

Joe Pompliano, social media personality, investor and en-

the club has widened their search.

“It used to be exclusively paintings, so now we’re trying to broaden the scope to what exactly we will accept,” Hall states.

Hall said her hope is that this will draw more students into participating and they can reach a larger audience.

Hall emphasizes that they try to eliminate the pressure of creating art by highlighting the good it can bring to the community.

“For people who are interested in joining, you don’t need any

art skills, everything is accepted, every form of art is accepted so that it’s more open to you,” she said.

There’s lots of exciting things in store for the future of Art With Heart. Monthly events are a new feature under Hall’s presidency. In March the Art with Heart club will be hosting a paint night, so keep an eye on their social media for more information.

You can follow Art With Heart on Instagram @Artwithheartguelph.

trepreneur tweeted that Rihanna gained 1.5 million followers on Instagram in 24 hours, and Fenty Beauty Google searches increased by 833%. Rihanna also had a very large boost in Spotify listeners and streams thanks to the superbowl performance.

Although Rihanna faced some scrutiny on social media, that is to be expected from anybody performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. And among that scrutiny, we even got a plethora of new RiRi memes to send to our friends when they get a little too extra.

All in all, the performance was definitely one to be remembered. We’ll be awaiting her upcoming performance at the 2023 Oscars and we’ll be waiting patiently for whenever Rihanna decides to release a new album… If she ever does.

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Rihanna shocked fans with showing off her new baby bump during her performance. CREDIT: PAIGE STAMPATORI Art by Jayne Hall. CREDIT: ART WITH HEART
ICON BY FLATICON
Art by Alyssa Salajka. CREDIT: ART WITH HEART

New name, same magical sport

U of G’s quidditch team is saying Avada Kedavra to its associations with the Harry Potter universe

TAYLOR MARTIN-ROBBINS

Better be Gryffindor.. No, QUADBALL!

On January 2nd, 2023, the University of Guelph’s Quidditch team announced on the team’s instagram that the sport they are playing is now going to be called quadball instead of quidditch.

This effort to change the name was made by US Quadball, Major League Quidditch and the International Quidditch Association, as announced in August 2022 by Quidditch Canada.

In case you aren’t on social media, it's no ‘Chamber of Se-

crets’ that J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels, has become quite a controversial figure. The author has made many transphobic comments on twitter, masked as ‘feminism’ and has also been involved in allegations of cultural appropriation of Indigenous culture in her recent works.

In light of this, the league no longer wants to associate themselves with Rowling.

Our University team is quite content with this choice to change the name of their sport, as it makes sense with the values of inclusion of the team, as well as

Skating through life with Hannah Tait

How the U of G Women’s Hockey Captain balances schoolwork and being

AADYA KAPOOR

Hockey is one of the biggest sports in Canada, and with so much talent in Guelph, it comes as no surprise that the Gryphons Women’s hockey team is one of the best in the country. We got to chat with our very own Captain Fantastic, Hannah Tait, who has been playing for the Guelph Gryphons for the past four years, and was a part of the winning squad of the 2019 U Sports Women’s Ice Hockey Championship. Tait has also made a larger name for

herself in the hockey community when she played for Team Canada at the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games at Lake Placid, New York, where her team also successfully clinched first place.

Captain Fantastic shares with us that as a kid she started playing Ringette with her older sister, but soon realized that Hockey was her calling and never looked back. Tait continued to play hockey throughout high school and later went on to compete at the University level.

Tait shared with us that time management and being organized is the key to being a student athlete and striking a balance between academics and her passion for sports. Keeping track of assignments, time and using it optimally is one of the best ways to stay on top of your academics and also keep up with your sport.

Tait also shared how there are many resources provided by the University itself, like the SAM (Student-Athlete Mentorship) program, in which a first-year stu-

dent is paired with an upper-year student that will help show them the ropes. Resources like SAM help first-year students study consistently throughout the semester and also helps them learn to manage their time efficiently.

our university. Especially because there is a large number of queer members on the team.

Another added bonus to the name change is new opportunities for the sport to grow, as they no longer will have issues dealing with the fact that the trademark to their sport is owned by Warner Bros.

“It’s good that we are changing the name to get sponsorships,” said Grace Davey, a player on the

team.

Despite the changes being made to the name of the sport, the game itself will remain the same fun, action-packed full-contact sport it was before, described by Davey as “a mix of dodgeball, basketball, handball and wrestling”.

And in case anyone was wondering, yes this sport is still going to be played on ‘brooms’, AKA PVC pipes.

Outside of Hockey, Tait shared that she is also very passionate about sustainability and is a part of many sustainability clubs on campus. Tait is currently the Director of Finance for ENACTUS Guelph, which is an International Non-Profit Organization working towards sustainability. ENACTUS hosts different events for students, as well as fundraising events to achieve the sustain-

ability goals. She was also a part of the Lang Sustainability team and a Sustainability ambassador in her first year at Guelph.

On talking about the gender gaps that exist in the field of sports, Tait shares “It’s coming a long way as in terms of getting visibility for the women’s game” and how the “Women’s Olympic team are doing such great work in terms of paving the way and getting the visibility and recognition they deserve”. For example, the Premier Hockey Federation is finally working towards closing the pay gaps that exist between men and women in professional hockey. Tait also shared that she is highly inspired by the current Team Canada captain, Marie Phillip Poulin, and shared how she “really admires the way Poulin is humble but also confident.” Tait shares that the confidence and humility that Poulin depicts in her role as the captain of team Canada inspires her every day to become a better captain, and strive for excellence.

Tait also touched on her journey of recovery from her recent shoulder injury, and how it impacted her life as an athlete.

Tait explained that while she was injured, she found out that she might have the opportunity to represent Team Canada for the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games. This was daunting, but she kept working towards healing herself so she could participate. According to Tait, the best way to overcome her injury was to consistently work towards getting better, going to her physical therapy session and having clarity of her goals, which kept her going.

Tait shared a very heartfelt message for all the up-and-coming women athletes, “YOU are stronger than you think and always believe in yourself.” She also shared that having a great female mentor can also help one to achieve their sports-related goals, and when faced with a challenge, you should keep working through it, no matter what anyone tells you.

23 SPORTS & HEALTH THEONTARION.COM 23 | QUIDDITCH & HANNAH 24 | SPORTS ROUNDUP
a badass team player
Player Grace Davey said it was good that the team changed names as it opens up more opportunities. CREDIT: QUADBALL TEAM Quidditch teams across Ontario are changing their name to Quadball to seperate themselves from JK Rowling. CREDIT: QUADBALL TEAM Tait has been playing on the Gryphon Woman's Hockey team for three years. CREDIT: LAUREL JARVIS This year, Tait won gold on Team Canada at the FISU Winter World University Games. CREDIT: HANNAH TAIT ICON BY FLATICON

= shoot out QF = quarter finals

24 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | SPORTS & HEALTH dinosuperfan@gmail.com Your Shoe Pal Open 7 days a week www.dinoshoepals.com Quality Sportswear H Hats T-Shirts H Toques H Jerseys & Lots,LotsMore! LOCAL & INDEPENDANT SINCE 1984 21 Wyndham Street Downtown Guelph 519-841-2825 dinosuperfan@gmail.com Mention this ad and pay no tax! Some restrictions apply. See in store for details GRYPHON SPORTS ROUNDUP WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WOMEN'S HOCKEY MEN'S BASKETBALL Date Date Date Feb. 3 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 4 Feb. 4 Feb. 4 Feb. 10 Feb. 11 Feb. 10 Feb. 11 Feb. 15 Feb. 11 Feb. 15 Feb. 17 Feb. 15 Feb. 18 Feb. 22 Feb. 22 Feb. 25 Feb. 25 Feb. 18 L L W W W L W W W L W L W W W W W W L L W 68-76 2-3 (OT) 94-84 70-65 2-0 59-91 78-63 6-1 93-78 56-75 2-1 91-107 76-64 2-0 90-88 64-51 83-74 67-64 63-70 74-93 74-73 Note: Score is Guelph-Opponent OT = over time PR = preliminary round SO
Queen's Toronto Queen's Brock Ont. Tech Brock Ont. Tech York Ont. Tech Windsor Laurier Windsor Western Laurier Western Windsor York (OUA PR) Lakehead (OUA PR) McMaster (OUA QF) Windsor (OUA QF) Windsor W/L W/L W/L Score Score Score Opponent Opponent Opponent WOMEN'S BADMINTON WOMEN'S SQUASH WOMEN'S WRESTLING WOMEN'S NORDIC SKIING MEN'S WRESTLING MEN'S NORDIC SKIING
SWIMMING
TRACK & FIELD MEN'S TRACK & FIELD MEN'S SWIMMING MEN'S SQUASH WOMEN'S CURLING WOMEN'S FENCING MEN'S FENCING MEN'S CURLING MEN'S BADMINTON Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Date Feb. 17-19 Feb. 10-12 Feb. 11 Feb. 24-25 Feb. 24-25 Feb. 22-24 Feb. 11 Feb. 22-24 Feb. 9-11 Feb. 23-25 Feb. 24-25 Feb. 24-25 Feb. 9-11 Feb. 10-12 Feb. 10-12 Feb. 17-19 Feb. 17-19 Feb. 10-12 Feb. 17-19 8th 6th 4th 7th 9th 8th 5th 8th 3rd 12th 1st 1st 5th 5th 8th 12th 13th 4th 8th N/A N/A OUA OUA OUA U Sports Championship U Sports Championship OUA OUA OUA OUA U Sports Championship OUA OUA OUA OUA OUA OUA OUA OUA OUA Place Place Place W/L Place W/L Place Place Place Place Place Place Place Place Place Place Score Score Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event Event MEN'S HOCKEY Date Feb. 3 Feb. 4 Feb. 9 Feb. 11 W W W W 2-0 5-3 4-3 (SO) 3-2 (OT) TMU York Brock York W/L Score Opponent WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL MEN'S VOLLEYBALL Date Date Feb. 3 Feb. 3 Feb. 4 Feb. 4 Feb. 10 Feb. 11 Feb. 11 Feb. 17 Feb. 17 Feb. 18 Feb. 18 L L L L W L W W W W W 0-3 0-3 0-3 0-3 3-0 0-3 3-2 3-0 3-0 3-0 3-0 Toronto Toronto York York Lakehead Waterloo Lakehead RMC RMC RMC RMC W/L W/L Score Score Opponent Opponent ICONS BY FLATICON Feb. 22 Feb. 25 Feb. 26 L W W 0-1 (2 OT) 3-0 3-2 (4 OT) Windsor (OUA QF) Windsor (OUA QF) Windsor (OUA QF)
WOMEN'S
WOMEN'S

MARCH TO-DO LIST

MARCH 1

Take the stress out of IBS

• 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

• Online

• Tips to decrease IBS symptoms and regulate digestion using diet and stress management.

• Also on March 8, 15, 22 & 29

Anxiety Skills & Strategies

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

• Online

• Techniques and tips to decrease the uncomfortable sensations of anxiety. Also on March 8 & 15

MARCH 4

The Queen’s Diamond Ball: The Event of the Season

• 7:30 p.m.

• Peter Clark Hall

• Limited to UofG students who live in residence.

MARCH 5

Guelph Record Swap & Sale

• 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

• Unifor Local 1917 Hall

• $2 admission or free with a donation to the Guelph Food Bank.

MARCH 6

STOP Worrying

• 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

• Online Techniques to curb worrying, and how to address pitfalls that get in the way.

MARCH 8

FCC Women Entrepreneurs Summit

• 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

• Delta Hotel

MARCH 11

College Royal Ball

• 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.

UC

General admission tickets on sale now for $37.

Disney Channel Drag Brunch at The Western!

1:00 p.m.

• The Western Hotel

• All ages. Tickets are $13 and can be found on Eventbrite.

MARCH 14

MARCH 9

Field Guide Performance

• 7:00 p.m.

• Brothers Brewing

• Featuring live performances by Field Guide, Sister Ray & Marshall Veroni.

MARCH 10

Guelph Storm Hockey Game

• Various times

• Sleeman Centre Check thesleemancentre.com for timing information and to buy tickets.

• Also on March 15, 17 & 24

Wild Ontario Birds of Prey Presentations

• 11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. Guelph Civic Museum

MARCH 15

Hockey Nights

• 2:30 p.m.

• U of G Gold Rink

• OAC vs. Ridgetown

MARCH 16

Super Thursday

• 2:30 p.m.

U of G Field Hockey Pitch

Sciensational Sssnakes Meet and Greet

• 11:00 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

• Guelph Civic Museum

MARCH 18

College Royal Open House

All day UC

• Also on March 19

Guelph Poetry Slam Live

• 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

46 Essex Street

• $100 cash prize.

MARCH 21

Stress Eating?

• 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

• Online

• Learning how stress drives us to emotional eating, and ways to start addressing it.

Luna Crystal Market

• 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

• Victoria Park East Golf Course

• Free admission

Stress Management & High Performance clinics

College Royal’s programming of events.

PETS OF THE MONTH

MEET MURPHY!

Breed: Australian Shepherd

Photo: Natalie Watson

Age: 2

Fun Fact: He loves swimming, even in the winter

MEET MACHINE GUN KELLY!

Breed: Hedgehog

Photo: Kirsten Boettger

Age: 1

Fun Fact: He jumps up and down when Machine

Gun Kelly's songs play

MEET MILO!

Breed: Husky mix

Photo: Julia Kaczmarek

Age: 5

Fun Fact: Laziest dog you'll ever meet

MEET ROXY!

Breed: Domestic Longhair

Photo: Rachel D’Agostino

Age: 5

Fun Fact: She knows how to open the back door to get outside by herself

25 ISSUE 194.3 | FUN STUFF THEONTARION.COM
WANT TO SUBMIT YOUR PET TO BE FEATURED? Email tpipe@theontarion.com with a photo and the information above!

CROSSWORD EASY SUDOKU

University Centre Room 264

University of Guelph

N1G 2W1

ontarion@uoguelph.ca

519-824-4120

Editorial: x 58250

Advertising: x 58267

Accounts: x 53534

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor-in-Chief

Taylor Pipe

Staff Reporter

Eleni Kopsaftis

Arts & Culture Editor

Andreea Burlacu

Sports & Health Editor

Oliver Bullingham

PRODUCTION STAFF

Photo & Graphics Editor

OPEN POSITION

Across 1- Mil. truant

5- 2:1, e.g.

10- Great serves

14- Comedian Carvey

15- Chilean pianist Claudio

16- Out of sight

17- Flabbergasts

18- Hilton competitor

19- Cross inscription

20- Eyelash cosmetic

22- Version

24- Hotpoint rival

26- Prophet 27- Dough

30- German sub

32- China's Zhou ___

33- Skin marking, often due to injury

34- Deutchmark replacement

38- This is what eyes do

39- Most orderly

42- One of a D.C. hundred

43- Swift steed

45- Use a swizzle stick

46- Reply to "Who's there?"

48- Bony prefix

50- Spain and Portugal

51- Gossip

54- Polite turndown

56- Make good as new

58- Lucidity

Shrinking sea of

Down

1- Brother of Hoss

2- Toddler's glassful

3- Wallet fillers

4- Milan opera house

5- Enthusiastic

6- Indo-European

7- Song syllable

8- Must've been something ___

9- Open air

10- Shake

11- Funnel-shaped

12- Register

13- Paris divider

21- Lower a sail

23- George Gershwin's brother

25- Public sale

27- Tableland

28- Doozy

29- Olive genus 31- Boxer Max 33- Fill to the gills

35- The Beatles' "Back in the ___" 36- Do followers 37- Draft classification 40- Convert into an aromatic chemical 41- Leg bone 44- Glass containers 47- Small dog 49- Road-sign word 50- Keys 51- Rubbish

52- Lofty nest

53- Autocratic Russian rulers

55- The number system with base

8

57- First name in mysteries

59- Actress Skye

60- Affectedly dainty

61- American football measure

64- "You've got mail" co.

ANSWERS FROM ISSUE 194.2

Fill in the empty squares so that each of the digits 1 through 9 appear once in each row, column, and 3-by-3 block.

HARD SUDOKU

Graphic Designer

Paige Stampatori

OFFICE STAFF

Executive Director

Patrick Sutherland

Accountant

Laurie Arnold

Circulation Director

Salvador Moran

Administrative Assistant

Jaidyn McCrae

Marketing Assistant

Jamie Tjeng

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Alex Lefebvre

Chair of the Board

Tasha Falconer

Vice President Finance

*OPEN POSITION

Vice President Communications

OPEN POSITION

Staff Representative

Paige Stampatori

DIRECTORS

Thea Basic

Jordana Glowinsky

BOB'S DOGS CROSSWORD CONTEST

For your chance to win two Bobs dog’s and two pops, just complete the crossword, snap a picture, and send it to puzzles@theontarion.com by March 23rd at 3 p.m. Winners and anyone else who fills in the crossword correctly are announced in each issue. Winners can arrange a physically distanced pickup of their voucher by emailing the same address.

Last issue’s winning puzzle was submitted by Allyson Ngai!

We also received correct submissions from Hannah Abush, Samantha Weeks, Charlotte Chen, Jia-Qian Xu, Anna Brazil, and Sierra Thomson.

Better luck next time!

Avneet Grewal

Paula Henry-Duru

Katelynn Huong

Annie O'Keefe

CONTRIBUTORS

ALIA BALAA

SYDNEY BAYNHAM

ALEXANDER BRADSHAW

LOREL DANIELOV

SPENCER EGERHAZI

RACHEL FIORET

JOHN GOODWIN

PAULA HENRY-DURU

AADYA KAPOOR

TAYLOR MARTIN-ROBBINS

MARYAM NAINAR

ELLIE PETRAK SOPHIE SCHAFER WERONIKA SZCZYPKA

26 THE ONTARION MARCH ISSUE | FUN STUFF
62-
Asia 63- Steaming 65- Hawkeye State 66- Male parent 67- Rest on the surface of a liquid 68- Steven Chu's cabinet dept. 69- Pianist Myra 70- Shouts 71- Hollow grass
EASY SUDOKU HARD SUDOKU
The Ontarion is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. Since The Ontarion undertakes the publishing of student work, the opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of The Ontarion staff and Board of Directors. The Ontarion reserves the right to edit or refuse all material deemed sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise unfit for publication as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. Material of any form appearing in this newspaper is copyrighted 2022 and cannot be reprinted without the approval of the Editor-inChief. The Ontarion retains the right of first publication on all material. In the event that an advertiser is not satisfied with an advertisement in the newspaper, they must notify The Ontarion within four working days of publication. The Ontarion will not be held responsible for advertising mistakes beyond the cost of advertisement. The Ontarion is printed by Metroland. The Ontarion Inc.
ASK FIRST ASK FIRST CONSENT MATTERS CONSENT MATTERS No Means No Silence Means No Intoxicated Means No Only Yes Means Yes All of the Above Any form of sexual activity with another person without their consent is sexual assault TO REPORT A SEXUAL ASSAULT CONTACT THE GUELPH POLICE SERVICE FOR SUPPORT CALL VICTIM SERVICES WELLINGTON IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CALL 911 519-824-1212 519-824-1212 EXT 7304 Funding received from the Ministry of the Solicitor General Community Safety and Policing Grant.

O F F - C A M P U S

P A R T N E R S

435 Stone Rd W 500 York Rd 519-837-1111 304 Stone Rd W 519-763-0892 519-824-4120 ext 58115 519-824-4120 ext 58751 435 Stone Rd. W. 519-265-6624 370 Stone Rd W 519-763-7861 201 Stone Rd W 519-766-1549 35 Harvard Rd 519-265-8313 78 Lewis Rd 519-821-1700 292 Stone Rd W 519-821-5050 370 Stone Road W 519-265-9880 36 Wellington St W (519) 826-9042 338 Waterloo Ave 97 Wyndham St N 519-265-7094 369 Gordon St 519-265-9533 304 Stone Rd W 519-837-3030 5 Gordon St 519-265-8828 35 Harvard Rd 519-265-8989 20 Clair Rd W 519-836-4383 494 Edinburgh Rd S 519-766-4242 26 Clair Rd W 226-314-1971 185 Stone Rd W 519-836-8882 35 Harvard Rd 519-823-5197 987 Gordon St 519-836-2727 492 Edinburgh Rd S 519-836-2233 19 Wyndham St N 519-836-4747 35 Harvard Rd 519-822-7786 @HospitalityUofG Gryphon Centre Arena Artisanal Pizza in 3 min. 570 Kortright Rd W. 226-790-3403
hospitality.uoguelph.ca Call restaurants for delivery. 492 Edinburgh Rd S (519) 822-3434
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