Gradzette The university of mANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT Magazine October 2014
Gradzette THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINE
October 2014
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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: Angela England, Tom Ingram Cover: Beibei Lu
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 and If you have a passion for writing, jourexchange of opinions and ideas, and to stimulate meannalism, photography, or illustration ingful debate on issues that affect or would otherwise be the Gradzette is looking for individuof interest to the student body and/or society in general. als to get involved with the produc tion process of the U of M’s graduate The Gradzette serves as a training ground for students instudent paper. terested in any aspect of journalism. Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute. Please contact The Gradzette currently offers 10 the editor listed above for submission guidelines. cents per word for freelance articles, $7 per photo/graphic used, and $30 The Gradzette reserves the right to edit all submissions for images used on the cover. Freeand will not publish any material deemed by its editorilancers will be added to a contact al board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic pool and emailed with potential aror libelous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are ticle, photo, or graphic assignments solely those of the authors. when they become available. The Gradzette is a member of the Canadian University Interested applicants please send Press, a national student press cooperative with members your resume and at least two (2) refrom St. John’s to Victoria. cent work samples to editor@grad zette.com. All contents are ©2014 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation.
Freelance
Gradzette
October 2014
Who pays the price?
Photo by Angela England
Freedom of expression the topic of 2014-15’s first Visionary Conversation Angela England
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ho is it that pays the price for our freedom of expression? That was the question of the night at the University of Manitoba’s first annual Visionary Conversation of the 2014-2015 year. The event provided an opportunity to explore the topic of free speech within a Canadian context.
of expression as a support, a sword, and a shield in the way it interacts with Canadian society. It does this by protecting, intervening, or fostering expression among individuals in difficult circumstances, said Lugtig.
Representing law, media, and academia respectively, Kesselmen introduced the event’s three speakers — alumna Sarah Lugtig, a human rights lawyer and director of experiential learning with the U of M’s faculty of law; alumus Cecil Rosner, CBC Manitoba’s managing editor and author of Behind the Headlines: A History of Investigative Journalism in Canada and co-author of When Justice Fails: the David Milgaard Story; and David Barnard, president and vice-chancellor of the U of M, and current chair of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
Rosner—“responsible for all of CBC’s radio, television and digital editorial content in the province,” reads his bio for the event—spoke about the difficulties the media can face in bringing the public its news, and how this can be made even more difficult when wellfunded organisations seek to influence or impede the dissemination of facts they do not want made public.
She asked the audience to consider three open-ended questions of the sort court tribunals have had to ask Joanne Kesselman, academic vice-president and provost, themselves in the last 20 years. One such question was moderated the event held at the Robert B. Schultz whether Manitoba’s anti-harassment law should apply Theatre on Sept. 17. She described freedom of speech to universities in the context of academic papers or and freedom of the press as an “important cornerstone presentations that might cover topics some people could of democracy” given its inclusion in the Canadian find offensive or as harassment. Charter of Rights. To discus the evening’s topic from a media context,
“A great deal of the media is stage-managed,” Rosner said speaking on how the freedom of the press can become a problem of which party has better financial backing.
“There’s other information that never gets to the media.” Lugtig, whose recent work focuses on better enabling those with low income access to justice, spoke first, “National security is sometimes a matter of perspective. comparing the legal framework surrounding freedom One man’s national security is another’s cover up,” said
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Rosner, further raising questions about the fine line between conflicting views on protecting privacy and protecting the general public.
in which the first consideration is that no rights are absolute.”
Whistleblower legislation—laws meant to protect individuals providing information on the wrong-doings of institutions or individuals—was another topic Rosner brought up. He spoke about their crucial role, but also the possibility that current legislation is lacking when it comes to protecting those individuals who come forward.
“Perhaps the greatest threat to academic freedom is not in applying it carefully and thoughtfully but in the tendency to enlarge it, so that it appears to trump all other rights. This would be protecting privilege without responsibility.”
With the panellists done speaking, the floor opened to comments from the audience. For those who could not attend the event in person, a live stream was made “Whistleblowers in our society are paying far too heavy a available online with the option of following along on price for alerting people to these important facts. They’re Twitter through the #umvisionary hashtag. getting disciplined; they’re getting fired, in some cases A completely new online tool also debuted this year they’re getting sent to jail. [ . . . ] In most cases their only that gave individuals the opportunity to participate crime has been revealing inconvenient truths.” by submitting questions to the speakers through the Dr. Barnard was the last speaker and he brought examples umanitoba.cnf.io website. Individuals could also rank of the controversy surrounding academic freedoms. One the questions posted. Of these, a number were chosen example was a recent situation where a Saskatchewan and directed to the speakers. professor was terminated from both his administrative Question topics ranged from issues of Canada’s position and his tenured academic position for the defamation laws, to Internet anonymity on social media, alleged criticism of some of his university’s decisions. to the increasing power of corporations – all within the “Academic freedom is a valuable principle, and we larger context of their implications on free expression. should all—academics and general public—defend it.” The entire event was filmed and is available for free Other relevant modern issues concerning academic viewing on the university’s Youtube page at http://youtu. freedom revolved around the possibilities of bullying be/lMrZTjw8ADU. within an academic context between peers where tenure The next instalment for the Visionary Conversations series might be at stake. will be titled “Giving the Red Light the Green Light – “These things happen,” said Barnard, adding “[and they Would Legalizing Prostitution Change Canada?” and will are] are difficult to deal with.” take place Oct. 15 with a reception starting at 6:30 p.m. Barnard ended by emphasizing to the audience exactly with discussion to follow at 7 p.m. how complex the evening’s topic was by telling them that there are “reasonable limits prescribed by law in the exercise of rights,” and the Ontario Humans Rights Commission has an “official policy on balancing rights
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UMGSA Award winners announced Recipients range from social workers to engineers Tom Ingram
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arlier this year the University of Manitoba Graduate for young children, and volunteered with various other Students’ Association (UMGSA) announced the groups in the city. During her undergrad, Sherzoi served winners of the annual UMGSA Awards for 2014-15. as president of the Social Work Students’ Association. The UMGSA Awards are given to students in the faculty of graduate studies who do not hold any major fellowships in their field and have contributed to society through scholarship and community involvement. There are five awards: two for master’s students, valued at $12,000 each, one for doctoral students, valued at $16,000, and two for part-time students, valued at $5,000. There is also an award for excellence in teaching, which is valued at $500 and is given to a faculty member who displays “a dedication to knowledge and sensitivity to their students and the student community.”
Now she is chair of the working group against forced organ harvesting. This group opposes the statesponsored harvesting of organs from executed prisoners and persecuted minorities in China. Last year, they brought doctors Kirk Allison and Damon Noto, and human rights lawyer David Matas to the St. Boniface hospital to give a medical workshop on forced organ harvesting in China. “By working with individuals, connecting them with resources, and advocating for social justice, we are essentially creating a positive impact in the communities, and society as a whole,” said Sherzoi.
This year’s winners are: Suzanne Simpson and Jennifer Otto (part-time), Jeana Klassen and Ogai Sherzoi “The majority of my work is with vulnerable children, (master’s), Walter Wai Tak Chan (PhD), and Martin youth, and their families. However, I also do a lot of Scanlon (teaching). volunteer work in raising awareness of global human Ogai Sherzoi is a first-year master’s student in the rights violations. My goal is to have direct participation faculty of social work. Born in Afghanistan, she came to effect change in global human rights violations such to Canada at a young age and was faced with culture as genocide.” shock. She credits her extended family with helping her Suzanne Simpson began her master’s in education in adjust to the unfamiliar environment. 2012 and took a maternity leave in 2013 after the birth “I began to recognize the importance that a support system has on an individual and family level,” she told the Gradzette.
Sherzoi created an after-school cheerleading program
of her second daughter. One of the major criteria for the award is community involvement, and Simpson has volunteered on the boards of directors for ArtsJunktion Manitoba, Pollock’s Hardware Co-op, and the Friends
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“It is the paradox between streets as places and corridors for multimodal transportation that causes tensions in street design. This tension is my challenge” – Jeana Klassen
notes that streets are both corridors for moving people and places for social interaction.
of Kildonan Park.
“It is the paradox between streets as places and corridors for multimodal transportation that causes tensions in street design. This tension is my challenge!” Walter Wai Tak Chan is a PhD student in social work. He studies leadership in the mental health consumer, survivor, and ex-patient movement in Western Canada. He is doing part of his research in Vancouver.
About the award, Simpson said that “It was so very “It is quite fascinating contrasting the politics, people encouraging to be selected by my peers from among and environment of Vancouver with Prairie cities,” he said. the many applicants.” “There are not many awards offered to part-time students and I was thrilled to see that the UMGSA saw the need and dedicated funds to support us. This award allows me to continue being a stay-at-home mom without the worry of where tuition for the next term will come from.” Simpson has completed her coursework and is planning to do her thesis on elementary school teachers incorporating school gardens into their instruction.
A luncheon celebrating the winners of the awards was held on Aug. 26. Aside from the winners of the awards and members of the UMGSA council, James Allum, Manitoba’s minister of education, and Archibald McNicol, associate dean of the faculty of graduate studies, were also in attendance to congratulate the winners.
The award is funded by a levy applied to all graduate students at the U of M, in addition to a contribution by the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative and Jeana Klassen is pursuing a master’s degree in city U of M alumnus Dr. James Burns. The recipients all planning. She is studying street design practices in expressed great appreciation for the award. Canadian cities and comparing them with each other and with cities in Europe, with the goal of improving “I am honoured and humbled to have my efforts accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists. Klassen recognized by my fellow peers,” said Sherzoi.
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An opportunity to share and commiserate Looking back at the GSA roundtable Angela England he University of Manitoba Graduate Student’s Association (GSA) held their first roundtable of the 2014-2015 academic year on Sept. 11. Laura Rempel, president of the GSA, moderated the discussion. Over 30 graduates—many of them from outside of Canada—in fields from electrical engineering to geology made an appearance.
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Campus planning representatives brought students up to date on the developments of the previously acquired Southwood Golf Course lands and the open international design competition that ended last November with a winning urban development vision. The representatives explained that the goal of their department was to think about how the property related to the campus as a whole. One of the plans being considered was the promotion of more alternative methods of transportation like transit or biking, and a focus on reducing car use around campus.
(www.visionaryregeneration.com/feedback. html) includes an online submission tool which allows people to send feedback, questions, or suggestions directly to “the campus planning office [and] the consultant team.” Students may also fill out postcards provided at Degrees Restaurant or Dafoe Library (by the Starbucks) and drop them off in the boxes left at either location. Students spent most of the designated time discussing housing and transportation needs while the three representatives took down the suggestions on how the Fort Gary campus might be improved. A number of students said they are interested in the potential option of additional housing on or around the campus.
Problems unique to the graduate student experience arose in the discussion as well. Given the limited housing options, grad students were finding it difficult to secure Campus planning also gave students temporary housing that didn’t require a various ways they could be reached . 12-month lease signed up front. Those doing The Visionary (re)Generation website fieldwork found the experience frustrating and 7
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expensive since many landlords do not allow subletting and students were not keen to pay for the months’ rent for when they would be away.
could not due to the necessity of scheduling their life around the bus system.
When it came to alternative transportation, there was a call for indoor bicycle lockers. One person suggested turnover housing The apparent lack of security cameras around reserved exclusive for grad students as a current bike lock-up areas was brought up as a possible solution. concern, too. Another student mentioned they had moved Education quality was next on the docket. away from campus to Osborne Village because Student fees were examined and explained, and there was little for them to do in the area. a chunk of the discussion was taken up while “There’s really no good reason to stay,” the grad students commiserated and discussed student said on the topic of a lack of appealing funding opportunities (and the lack thereof) for certain programs. extra-curricular activities nearby. Other concerns were that it was very difficult for exchange students to try and locate either housing or roommates due to a lack of support. UMSU Living—a resource many students had found helpful and were suggesting to one another—was revealed to be a now-cancelled UMSU project. Rempel mentioned that if the service really was useful there might be the opportunity for another organisation to start something similar – possibly the GSA.
Many students had problems with needing to change their areas of research due to funding being pulled last minute, because they were studying “less popular, less sexy topics,” as one attendee put it, or because of a perceived lack of funding opportunities in general.
Students also complained about inconvenient bus schedules and the fact that transit stopped running to certain surrounding neighbourhoods at 7 p.m., making transportation to and from the university difficult. It was then suggested that a campus shuttle that traveled to these neighbourhoods would help students who might prefer to stay on campus longer but
Good news that came out of the event was that the alumni association is in the midst of a fundraising campaign with the hopes of raising $500,000 to support graduate student bursaries.
There was also a consensus among students about the lack of desks with secure storage for research material and computer equipment on campus for PhD students.
The GSA plans to hold more roundtables in the future and invites all graduate students to come down and be a part of the conversation.
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. 8
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Orientation|In case you missed it! Photos by Beibei Lu
Above: students taking advantage of the GSA orientation week city tour courtesy of the Winnipeg Trolley Company. Below: grads gather for complimentary lunches accompanying the workshops, information sessions, and roundtable events the GSA put on over orientation week.
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