Gradzette The university of mANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT Magazine February 2015
Tips for making the most of remote living during fieldwork trips Page 6
Gradzette THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINE
February 2015
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Gradzette c/o The Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation 105 University Centre University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2 General inquiries and advertising Phone: (204) 474.6535 Fax: (204) 474.7651 Email: editor@gradzette.com Editor: Ryan Harby Copy Editor: Bryce Hoye Designer: Marc Lagace Contributors: Tom Ingram, Bailey Rankine Cover: Bailey Rankine
The Gradzette is the official student magazine of the University of Manitoba’s graduate student community and is published on the first Monday of each month by the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.
The Gradzette is a democratic student organization, open to participation from all students. It exists to serve its readers as students and citizens. The magazine’s primary mandate is to report fairly and objec¬tively on issues and events of importance and interest to the graduate students of the University of Manitoba, to provide an open forum for the free expression If you have a passion for writing, jourand exchange of opinions and ideas, and to stimulate nalism, photography, or illustration meaningful debate on issues that affect or would oththe Gradzette is looking for individuerwise be of interest to the student body and/or society als to get involved with the producin general. tion process of the U of M’s graduate student paper. The Gradzette serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism. Students and The Gradzette currently offers 10 other interested parties are invited to contribute. Please cents per word for freelance articles, contact the editor listed above for submission guide$7 per photo/graphic used, and $30 lines. for images used on the cover. FreeThe Gradzette reserves the right to edit all submissions lancers will be added to a contact and will not publish any material deemed by its editoripool and emailed with potential aral board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic ticle, photo, or graphic assignments or libelous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are when they become available. solely those of the authors. Interested applicants please send The Gradzette is a member of the Canadian University your resume and at least two (2) rePress, a national student press cooperative with memcent work samples to editor@gradbers from St. John’s to Victoria. zette.com. All contents are ©2015 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.
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February 2015
A group of protesters gather outside the Administration Building at the Fort Garry Campus
‘Stop the cuts’
Hundreds gather in Engineering Atrium to protest budget cuts at rally Tom Ingram
L
ate afternoons in the Engineering Atrium are usually pretty lonely. But on Jan. 27, the room was abuzz with excitement as a large number of people gathered for a demonstration. As the university’s administration prepared for a Board of Governors meeting in the nearby conference room, the protestors slowly assembled to present a clear message of opposition to the proposed budget cuts at the University of Manitoba. Background On Nov. 14, the University of Manitoba’s administration announced that the faculties and non-academic units should prepare for budget cuts of up to four per cent per year for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years. Shortly thereafter, concerned students held a public assembly to plan a campaign against the cuts. According to the U of M administration, budget cuts are necessary due to a $10.5 million shortfall that cannot be made up any other way – since tuition increases are capped, government grants
are smaller than expected and increasingly unreliable, and faculty salaries are increasing. Not everyone on campus agrees with this assessment, however. Faculty members have been critical of the amount spent on administrative costs, marketing, and capital projects, while students have criticized the lack of transparency in the budget process. In a past statement, U of M president David Barnard emphasized the necessity of balancing administrative and academic expenditures. “You might decide to squeeze part of your budget at some point,” said Barnard, “but eventually you have to keep the size of the different components of your budget in balance.” The unions’ allegations As a crowd coalesced in the atrium, different media outlets jockeyed for an opportunity to interview the rally’s organizers. The organizers included representatives from the major
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unions on campus: the University of Manitoba Graduate Students’ Association (UMGSA), the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU), the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 3909, and the Association of Employees Supporting Educational Services (AESES). Also present were representatives from the Canadian Federation of Students-Manitoba (CFS-MB). Representatives from CFS-MB were vocal about their opposition to the cuts. “I think it’s a matter of priorities,” said Mitchell van Ineveld, deputy chairperson of CFSMB. “This administration clearly thinks that capital investment, building new buildings, and increasing advertising budgets is far more important than providing a quality education for students and ensuring that the campus is clean.” Kristjan Mann, vice-president academic of UMGSA, agreed that significant budget cuts would likely mean a reduction in the quality of education at the U of M.
February 2015
“Our student members do grader-marking for classes, TA work, and we’re concerned that with these cuts we’ll see larger undergraduate classroom sizes but no increase in our members’ hours. So our members will be expected to do more work in the same amount of time.”
“This administration clearly thinks that capital investment, building new buildings, and increasing advertising budgets is far more important than providing a quality education for students and ensuring the campus is clean.” - Mitchell van Ineveld, CFS-MB
“What ultimately concerns me about these budget cuts is while the university is looking to expand its student base it’s also cutting back on available funds for teachers, classrooms, TAs, so on and so Administration responds forth. So how does it expect to meet the needs of In a statement, John Danakas, executive director all these new incoming students that it expects to of marketing and communications for the host while it’s cutting back on its infrastructure?” University of Manitoba, pointed out a number of Thomas Kucera, president of UMFA, echoed the fundraising initiatives that will benefit graduate allegations that the university has money available students, such as the “Double Their Impact” giftbut is using it unwisely. matching campaign, and the U of M’s “Front and “Every year the university makes significant Centre” campaign. According to Danakas, $4.875 transfers from the operating budget to the capital million has been added to budgets over the past budget, and we feel that at the moment that’s the four years in support of graduate students. source of any immediate problems the university may have.”
Danakas also defended the value of the university’s outreach efforts.
“Simply put, they’re making the wrong decisions “Sharing the story of the university and its people about how they allocate money,” Kucera said. with our communities and partners in order to Jennifer Black, vice-president for Unit 1 of CUPE foster deep and meaningful engagement also 3909, expressed concern about a potential increase supports student success,” Danakas said in a in workloads for teaching assistants and graders. release.
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“The Three Minute Thesis Competition, and so many other graduate student activities and achievements, are supported through the University’s outreach and engagement efforts.” Rallying An impressive crowd was gathered in the atrium by the time Matthew Brett, one of the rally’s organizers, climbed on a chair and grabbed a microphone to address the assembly. After warming up the crowd, Brett passed the microphone to the representatives, who each delivered a short speech.
February 2015
and the first portion of the meeting was still open to visitors. A number of people rushed the entrance to the conference room, but only a few visitors were allowed in due to room occupancy limits. Those with placards or recording devices were not permitted in the chambers. The Board meeting remained incongruously silent on the subject of the budget cuts, given the audible chants of protestors outside the conference room and the presence of a number of them inside.
The budget was discussed in a routine way, but the cuts were only briefly addressed in a presentation by Rempel, who sits on the Board. Other items UMGSA president Laura Rempel called for on the agenda included enrolment targets and more representation of all stakeholders, including proposed amendments to the flag etiquette policy. students, during the budget process. While the meeting carried on, students marched “Would you rather invest in advertising campaigns, around campus chanting slogans such as “We are or in quality professors and supports that create a rebels – stop the cuts!” and “Budget cuts are the good reputation by producing quality research by worst; education should be first!” Shortly before grad students?” Rempel said. the protestors’ return to the Engineering Atrium, Rempel shared anecdotes of the difficulties of the Board meeting went into closed session and pursuing graduate studies at the U of M, including all visitors were asked to leave. overworked advisers, few graduate classes offered, On returning to the Engineering Atrium, the rally and delayed time to completion. dispersed. More events are planned in the future, “That’s the current situation, so what would four including a talk by activist Alan Sears to be held per cent cuts look like? It’s a pretty grim situation.” on Feb. 12. Marching, crashing the meeting
Tom Ingram is the Comment Editor for the Near the end of the speeches, Brett pointed out that Manitoban. He is a member of AESES and CUPE the Board of Governors meeting was beginning, 3909.
Get your research featured in the Gradzette Are you a graduate student eager to promote your research and provide exposure for your work in the master’s or doctoral program? The Gradzette is looking for individuals interested in participating in our ongoing “Researcher Profile” column, which seeks to showcase important and exciting U of M research for a larger audience. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming “Researcher Profile,” please contact editor@gradzette.com with details regarding your field of study, a short blurb about your current research, and any pertinent contact information for interview purposes.
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February 2015
Keewaydin Island - my personal time spot
Fight field season fidgets
Tips for surviving remote living while conducting fieldwork Bailey Rankine
M
ild winter temperatures often create a buzz for Winnipeggers, and though still some time away, the anticipation of the field season is among us field researchers. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran Post Doc, or a fieldwork freshie, you’re bound to benefit from a few of these tips on how to survive living remotely. Know your location Location is really what makes each fieldwork experience particularly unique. Before you jump on the plane, do your background reconnaissance. Know how far you are from basic amenities, or the sorts of elements you’ll be facing. Having knowledge of your environment will allow you to enrich your experience and effortlessly concur any obstacles.
There are also climate-specific items that should be considered for each location like sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses (more than one pair), and all of your socks! Example: Gnaraloo, Western Australia, the location of my current field-based sea turtle conservation research, is a fly haven. Although warned, I did not bring a bug canopy for my bed. Each morning at 5:30 am, following a night survey that concluded at 4 am, the flies would commence their assault. They were inescapable and relentless as the scorching temperatures made even a sheet for protection unbearable. It wasn’t until three months into my stay that I was able to order a bug net online. It was life changing! But I will never be able to make up for those days that I was exhausted and barely functioning.
Suggestion: Bring supplies that may be difficult or expensive to obtain once in the field. A few things I’ve come to find handy: sewing kit with scissors, Know your freedoms and restrictions duct tape, Leatherman (multi-tool), super glue, cold medication, first aid kit with polysporin The major things to consider are transportation and recreation. Often field vehicles are strictly (ointment and eye drops). that. Depending on your funding or access to
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parts and repair shops, your field vehicles may be Radio Lab, but there are all types of genres to restricted for work purposes only. choose from and most are free to subscribe and It comes down to ensuring your personal freedom. download. Remote living can be challenging to say the least, especially if you start to feel as though you’re trapped. Let’s face it, being outdoors, exploring new places, and enjoying the splendors that nature has to offer is why we all love the field season.
Example: Movie nights at Gnaraloo are as close you can get to going to the theatre. Movies are projected onto the wall where we give presentations to guests interested in sea turtle conservation. We rearrange the furniture so that the room is full of Suggestion: Field work requires a lot of equipment beds and we pile on with our bowls of popcorn to be brought on site so why not cram in a in hand. snorkel, a bicycle, a fishing rod, or snow shoes, or Make family dinners cross-country skis, depending on your location. If It’s fun to set a roster and take turns cooking travelling by plane, these may be an extra expense meals so everyone gets a chance to show off their but usually worth the investment; you can’t put culinary skills. “Variety is the spice of life” and it a price on your sanity. Alternatively, you can gives people the opportunity to try new things. use sites like craigslist to find items of interest and organize exchange points that are more Meals can get pretty dodgy when supply runs are infrequent, but meal times can really bring a convenient. group together. Example: One of the researchers currently stationed with me at Gnaraloo, brought a surfboard he picked up in Perth. His journey began in Spain, but he used Gumtree (the Australian version of Craigslist) to find a board along his travels and organize an exchange. The seller met him in Perth at the bus station while waiting to catch the coach up to Carnarvon on the final stretch of his journey. In hindsight, I wish I had used this method to get a bike. Plan for rainy days Not everyone’s field season offers the opportunity to explore untamed wilderness. Some may be confined to research vessels or unforgiving environments. In these instances it’s even more important to keep yourself entertained. Boredom is the enemy, and multi-media may be the remedy. Suggestion: Stock your hard drive with TV shows, movies, audiobooks and podcasts. Download all the seasons of Game of Thrones and find out what all your 9-to-5 friends (the ones that got a real job instead of slaving away in grad school) are raving about. If you haven’t discovered podcasts yet, now’s the time! If you’re a science geek like myself, you’ll probably enjoy Stuff You Should Know and
Gnaraloo bug net - know your location
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Suggestion: Thanks to the Food Network, pretty much everyone these days is a self-proclaimed chef. Experiment with new recipes or try foraging for ingredients. Pick up an edible plant survival guide specific for your region and see if you can identify any consumable flora.
fun, they have been an essential tool for surviving remote, communal living. So what have we learned?
Preparation is certainly key, but you can’t plan for everything and each season is a new adventure and learning experience. However, not being prepared Example: While participating in a geological at all can turn an exciting adventure into a prison mapping field school on Quadra Island, B.C. sentence. Nothing is worse than being too cold, we picked stinging nettle and chanterelles to top too wet, too sunburnt, or too bitten by insects, our pizza; and at the Experimental Lakes Area in with no relief for the foreseeable future. northwestern Ontario we made freshly picked In the end what it comes down to is making blueberries into jams and pie. the most of it. If you find yourself in an exotic Take personal time. location you will probably never travel to again Living and working with the same people day-in then extend your visit a month and tour around. and day-out can be challenging, especially when The best advice is to treat your field season like a in a remote location. Remove yourself when once-in-a-lifetime experience and embrace it. tensions get tight, it’s therapeutic for you and it Whether you’re research takes you to the confines will make communal living much more bearable of an arctic vessel, the plains of Africa, or the for everyone. outback coast of Australia, hopefully one or Suggestion: Take a walk, or find a quiet spot to two of these tips will help quell the madness of read, like in a hammock near the lake or wrapped limitation and isolation. in wool in front of a woodstove. If you’re feeling exceedingly irritable, burn it off with a workout or yoga. Working out also builds endorphins, which will boost your mood and help you stay positive. Example: Try not to laugh, but at every single field-based position I’ve had, P90X videos have been my saving grace. Whether I was doing them alone to burn off steam or with a group just for
Pre-field school in Hawaii - making the most of it
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Men in Dalhousie dentistry scandal to take separate classes as external investigation begins Rachel Ward - CUP LABOUR BUREAU CHIEF HALIFAX (CUP) — The Dalhousie University president announced Jan. 9 that 13 dentistry male students had been barred from attending regular classes. The students were members of a Facebook group in which some posted misogynistic and sexually explicit comments. The group was banned Monday from degree-required clinical work. “No woman who has been harmed by this will be sitting in a class next to one of the Facebook page members,” said President Richard Florizone in a press conference that afternoon. Those men have been barred from regular classes, but may take classes remotely or in a separate oncampus classroom. When questioned, Florizone did not explain the logistics of this decision.
expressed outrage through the social media hashtag #dalhousiehateswomen, a public statement and an online petition to expel the men, which almost 50,000 people signed. The posts from the private Facebook group, 2015 DDS Gentlemen’s Club, were made public by the CBC and the Coast. They show male dentistry students voted on which female student to have “hate sex” with. Members also joked about getting women unconscious with chloroform or nitrous oxide, in order to “bang until stress is relieved,” and using a penis to “wean and convert lesbians and virgins into useful, productive members of society.” Several posts also named female students directly, according to these media reports.
Florizone also announced the school has One man not participating in restorative justice commissioned an external task force to assess the process dentistry department’s culture and policy. The school is undertaking a restorative justice The revelations mid-December of misogynistic process, one of the informal options in the sexual Facebook posts, sometimes naming female dentistry harassment policy. Fourteen women and 12 men students, shook the Dalhousie community. Some are taking part, said Florizone at Friday’s press conference.
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“I understand the thirteenth elected not to take a formal investigation to identify those involved, part,” he said, refusing to explain further. beyond simply saying 13 students were members. All men involved — including “the thirteenth” It also said nothing has been done to protect the — will be assessed individually by an internal reputations of male students not involved but committee of dentistry professors called the about to graduate. Academic Standard Class Committee (ASCC). This is meant, according the Dalhousie website, to determine whether the students meet professional standards.
“What steps will the University take to ensure that all men who were involved in the Facebook group are identified and held accountable through various institutional processes?”
At the press conference, Florizone confirmed the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario had asked for the names of the 13 to be released, which Florizone refused, citing privacy reasons. Several other provincial organizations have joined the call by speaking with media outlets.
The faculty group, in the statement, said it supports the external investigation in the form of a presidential task force and headed by University of Ottawa professor Constance Backhouse. It wants a broader review, as well. “The President has clearly listened and responded, at least in part.”
In the press conference on Jan. 9, Florizone said he did not know how many of 14 women in the restorative justice process had been named on the Facebook page. Four dentistry students wrote a letter three days earlier to say they disapproved of the process and felt pressured into participating. Florizone released a statement saying the school is dedicated to just process. He echoed that in this latest development.
University commissions external task force
“We care about everyone who has been harmed in this, even if they haven’t chosen to take part,” said Florizone. “What we’re hoping is that some of the other measures we’ve announced today, and this week — the suspension, the work of the ASCC, the broader task force — starts to meet some of their needs just as well.”
Backhouse will lead the Task Force on Misogyny, Sexism and Homophobia in Dalhousie University Faculty of Dentistry, a group of herself and two other members, which she will chose with the president. Dalhousie chose Backhouse, said the release, because of her extensive background working on gender equality. The investigation will review the dentistry school only, by considering documents belonging to the university, interviews with people involved and submissions from dentistry students and faculty, according to the terms of reference.
Goals include answering questions such as when the Facebook group was created and whether others have ever existed, what policies exist regarding Faculty complaint yet to be addressed misogyny, sexism and homophobia and what The school has yet to respond to a formal training students and faculty receive. Missing from complaint filed Dec. 21 by four faculty members, the list is analysis of the individuals’ involvement. Francoise Baylis, Jocelyn Downie, Brian Noble The task force is scheduled to wrap up June and Jacqueline Warwick. The group said it wants 30, 2015 with two reports on policy change a formal investigation through the Student Code recommendations for each the dentistry school of Conduct as the women impacted can remain and the broader university. Florizone said results anonymous and the findings — including a clear will be made public. decision on guilt — will be made public. Florizone said the school is “working hard on” responding — with files from Sophie Allen-Barron and will make another announcement. “We are still waiting,” said the group in a statement Jan. 9. The faculty group said it worries about the lack of
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