Gradzette
THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINE MAY 2012
Gradzette UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA’S GRADUATE STUDENT MAGAZINE 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: publisher@gradzette.com
Editor: Sheldon Birnie Copy Editor: Leif Larsen Designer: Leif Larsen Contributors: Grace Romund, Gemma Manangan, Leif Larsen, Beibei Lu, Ayla Slessor, Emily Wessel, Clara Lysecki, Gemma Manangan 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 byThe 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 objectively 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 exchange of opinions and ideas and to stimulate meaningful debate on issues that affect or would otherwise be of interest to the student body and/or society in general. The Gradzette serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism. Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute. Please contact the Editor for submission guidelines. The Gradzette reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its editorial board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or libelous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors. The Gradzette is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national student press cooperative with members from St. John’s to Victoria. All contents are ©2012 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation. Yearly subscriptions to the Gradzette are available, please contact publisher@gradzette.com for more information.
HSGSA summer events By Grace Romund
Students and Medicine poster competition. Included in the forum will be an evening of socializing and dining at Lower Fort Garry.
Looking for something to do on the Bannatyne campus this summer? Here are some events that will be hosted by the Health Sciences Graduate Students’ Association (HSGSA) in the coming months.
HSGSA Bowling – Summer 2012 If you are an avid bowler and member of HSGSA be sure to drop by
the HSGSA office to register for a voucher of one of the 12 HSGSA HSGSA Hot Dragons will compete at Dragon Boat Festival –
sponsored spots for unlimited free bowling at the Coronation
June 8 and 9
Bowling Centre for the entire summer. Registration is required.
Come out and support the HSGSA Hot Dragons, HSGSA’s very own dragon boat team of 22 graduate students, who will be racing at this year’s River City Dragon Boat Festival at Manitoba’s Water Ski Park (365 Murdock Road). All money raised for the Hot Dragons and at the event will go towards the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, which supports healthcare, medical research and technology.
Canadian Student Health Research Forum – June 12 to 14 During this three day event the HSGSA will be facilitating a number of engaging activities for members of the HSGSA including tours of Winnipeg, the National Microbiology Laboratory and the Royal Mint. Throughout the forum there will also be a Health Sciences Photo by Clara Lysecki
ii
Staying motivated over the summer Take advantage of that warm weather and reduced workload By Ayla Slessor During the academic year students may find it
believes “it is easy to stay motivated when you
easier to get into a routine of research,
find pleasure in what you are doing and see
readings and assignments. Campus is busy and
how what you are doing is making a difference
there are fewer distractions in wintertime. But
i n t h e l i v e s o f o t h e r p e o p l e . ”
how can students stay motivated through the
$
summer months when bonfires and weekends
how a student spends their summer months
at the lake are common diversions from thesis
depends a great deal on whether or not they
courses?
have significant funding. Boese, a social and
Just as each successful graduate student
personality psychology master’s student and
develops their own method to staying
Social Sciences and Humanities Research
organized and motivated September to April,
Council grant recipient, feels that if you have
there are numerous ways to spend the summer
sufficient funding that you don’t need to work
months without losing the drive to succeed
a second job during the summer, those months
a c a d e m i c a l l y.
are the best part of graduate school.
$
$
revisions $
Photo by Beibei Lu
and
summer
Timi Ojo, a PhD candidate in soil
U of M student Greg Boese notes that
“No courses. No a ssignments. No
science at the University of Manitoba, believes
meetings. The weather is nice. It's great to be
motivation is contagious. “If you stay around
able to focus only on research,” says Boese.
people that are motivated, you should be
“Which you probably really enjoy doing
‘infected,’” he says. Students will find it more
a n y w a y s . ”
difficult to shirk summer academic
$
responsibilities if they make a point of staying
like a job during the summer months. Heading
in contact with particularly driven individuals
to campus five days a week during office hours
— friends that encourage them to take on new
to do research or any other course
challenges and make the most of each day. Ojo
requirements allows students to spend their
Boese also recommends treating school
Gradzette
3
evenings and weekends as they wish. If it is possible for a graduate student to
$
spend the summer continuing their studies and research in a full time manner
feeling enthusiastic about academic pursuits and making time to enjoy the
the student is afforded a wonderfully balanced lifestyle that maintains their
sunshine. It is important for students to carefully consider what they want out
academic
of their summer and what their academic responsibilities are during this time.
motivation
all
year
r o u n d .
Staying motivated over the summer months is about staying positive,
Some students may keep an extremely stressful schedule during the
They must then find a balance that works for them; where they feel relaxed and
academic year and find that by the time May rolls around all they want is to take
are able to make time for a personal life, but still feel connected to academia.
$
a
deep
breath
and
relax.
Graduate students who take the time to consider which course of action will
Blake Hamm, a master’s student at Carleton’s Norman Paterson School of
best serve their personality and purposes will remain motivated throughout the
International Affairs, advises relaxation with friends and family as a way to
summer, and begin the fall semester rejuvenated and excited to continue their
prepare for the return to a full schedule in fall. Taking time to travel, or working
program of study.
$
a job that is not overly demanding while perhaps doing volunteer work related to research interests may be the best way for some to rest up and regain a calm, devoted attitude to their studies. $
Three places to enjoy summer while being productive
Another approach to staying motivated over the summer has students
taking part of co-op programs, attending or presenting at a conference and otherwise spending the summer months heavily involved in their given program. This method allows graduate students to create a summer schedule where the activities they take part in are beneficial to completing their academic program to
others
in
their
field.
and
connecting
$
The University of Manitoba’s Archival Studies master’s program has a
mandatory internship component that generally takes place over the summer months. Program participant Danna Slessor-Cobb says she feels lucky to have
1. Coffee shop patios: Buy one $5 latte and you can sit in the sun for
hours, plugging away at your grant application/thesis/research proposal on their free Wi-Fi for hours. Just make sure you either have a glare-resistant screen, or one of those giant umbrellas.
2. Lawns by university buildings: Wi-Fi signals are pervasive things and
easily bleed through walls, windows and trees. When you start to feel a vitamin D deficiency set in unplug that laptop and plunk yourself down on one of the University’s green spaces.
professors who structure the internships around assignments that relate back to
the students thesis and formal proposals. Slessor-Cobb also notes that spending
campus. The lack of Wi-Fi might deter some, but you don’t need to be tied to
the summer in such a way allows students to keep up with current professional
the Internet. Print off a few journal articles, grab a highlighter and enjoy the
trends and gain experience that will benefit them both in their program of study
warm embrace of a summer’s day.
as well as in the job market. This term employment then becomes a valuable and
3. City parks: King’s Park is just a short walk from the Fort Garry
-By Leif Larsen
productive endeavor in a number of ways, as students work towards their goals t h r o u g h o u t t h e s u m m e r b r e a k i n a s t r u c t u r e d e n v i r o n m e n t .
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4
Unpaid internships Hardship or part-in-parcel of a graduate education? By Emily Wessel $
The word “intern” can carry a connotation — in particular, a coffee-
$
“Part of your responsibilities in most education programs is to do an
unpaid
summer break, many university students take internship positions to cope with
$
a growing demand for industry experience. While the idea of working for free
not. We were paying full tuition — paying to be off campus — and we didn’t
on top of working toward a degree is unrealistic for some, it can be the
receive any money. We’re talking anywhere from 600-800 students a year are
d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n a j o b i n t h e f i e l d o r n o t f o r o t h e r s .
paying full tuition from one campus. It always bothered us because if you look
$
In Canada, internships are becoming the logical first step in a career.
at [other professions], doctors in training are paid, lawyers in training are paid;
Internships provide industry insight and real-world experience, and they also
teachers pay to get trained and make less money. We had many conversations
present
about how inequitable it was, and how we were paying for university services we
$
valuable
networking
o p p o r t u n i t i e s .
“I did one in my undergrad, and I only did it because I could afford to do
internship
at
a
school,”
Bates
says.
delivering, paper-pushing, overworked slave connotation — but with the
“They stick you in the classroom right away to figure out if you like it or
w e r e n’t
g e t t i n g . ”
it,” says biological sciences master’s student and GSA Vice President Internal
$
Angela Freeman. “I was living rent-free so I just basically went out every day
year to work for free, there is no comprehensive data on the number of
with this guy and did some field research. It was just a guy with a truck, and he
Canadian students who do unpaid work each year. It’s possible that some of
wasn’t getting paid either. I couldn’t ask for money because there wasn’t any to
these unpaid positions are undocumented, but the somewhat convoluted labour
give. But now that I’m a graduate student and I have bills and I don’t live at
sector of Canadian law might be another complicating factor. Labour in specific
home anymore, I wouldn’t be able to take an unpaid internship . . . I can’t
industries, such as TV, radio broadcasting, banking, shipping and fishing, is
financially
regulated under federal jurisdiction. All other labour falls under provincial
$
do
i t . ”
It was a sentiment echoed around the table at a GSA meeting in late
jurisdiction,
M a r c h .
$
$
to
Tonia Bates, GSA Vice President External and kinesiology and recreation
While 600-800 students a year may pay the University of Calgary each
which
v a r i e s .
Now that Freeman is doing her master’s, she has turned from volunteer hiring
a
v o l u n t e e r.
management master’s student, has plenty of experience doing unpaid work. In
$
her education degree from the University of Calgary, Bates taught in a school
possible because they were working for nothing,” she says. “As long as the
for
quality of work is there, if they need to take a Friday off, I’m fine with that.”
four
months
without
pay
while
paying
full
t u i t i o n .
“When I had a volunteer in the summer, I tried to keep them as happy as
Gradzette
5
$
Bates says her experience in
require volunteerism for graduation, but implies it.
education also increased her workload, but
$
outside
only way to get things done because there’s no
$
of
the
i n t e r n s h i p .
“With fine arts, generally volunteering is the
“I had a four hour window on
money for arts, ever,” she says. “I’m on student
Saturday where I could actually do all of my
loan and I’ve maxed it out to do this. That’s just
c h o r e s , s h o p p i n g , l a u n d r y, a n d g e t
the reality of the arts program. Sometimes you
everything done,” says Bates. “My unpaid
can’t just do the internship and get the check mark;
internship took up 40 hours of my life a
you actually have to fit the criteria to succeed after
week, and then I had to work for money,
i t . ”
and then I had this tiny little space where I
$
could actually live. And I did that for four
Photo by Beibei Lu
m o n t h s . ” $
In Biological Sciences, Freeman says many
opportunities come with some pay or funding, and sometimes internships can lead to a win-win s i t u a t i o n f o r b o t h i n t e r n a n d e m p l o y e r.
But Bates acknowledges that her
intensive workload during those four months wasn’t illogical, as challenging as it
“Some people in my department have partnerships with Fisheries and Oceans,
may
so they do research there and get paid for it, but they can also use it for credit
$
have
b e e n .
“You have to do it to graduate,” she says. “It’s not a choice. You learn a
toward their thesis,” says Freeman. “Everybody wins, as long as you’re getting
great deal, and you have access to people, and you don’t come out of your degree
p a i d , a t l e a s t a l i t t l e b i t . ”
with no experience; you come out with practical experience, which is great, but
$
there’s still a fight for jobs, and it’s still money that you have to pay back or
Martinez all agreed on one thing: the fit of an unpaid work experience depends
money you have to come up with before you go back to school. It’s a challenging
on the prospective intern’s paid and unpaid workload, as well as financial
p l a c e t o b e i n . ”
situation. The workload can lead to valuable experience, but it also severely
$
Freeman also says her summer of free work paid off the next year.
limits time for other things. It could be the shining badge of honour on your
$
“The skills I learned during that internship directly related to my
resume, or it could be something you omit for fear of prospective employers
employment the following year . . . I wouldn’t have even gotten that job if I
inquiring. It could be the reference letter of a lifetime, or the kind of place that
h a d n’t
teaches you the red flags to spot before signing on for a term of free work
$
done
the
internship
before
i t . ”
Among the 78 master’s programs offered at the University of Manitoba,
No matter their experiences with unpaid work, Freeman, Bates and
without a paper trail.
GSA council member Monica Martinez says her field, fine arts, doesn’t officially
Gradzette
6
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Andrew Miller By Leif Larsen them.
“We determine we have an
the
understanding of a system
$
when
the journal Ecology and Society titled “Agency and resilience: the teachings of
it
responds
predictably
to
environment
around
Miller recently submitted a paper, with coauthor Ian Davidson-hunt, to
our
Pikangikum First Nation elders, Northwestern Ontario.” In the paper Miller
says
explores the concept of “agency,” or the belief that “many non-human peoples
an
— Beaver, moose, loons — make choices and be active participants in creating
ethnoecologist working in
histor y rather than mere subjects of the decisions of others.”
the
$
m a n i p u l a t i o n” Andrew
M i l l e r,
Un i v e r s i t y
of
Miller goes to great lengths to impart to me that what he’s about to
Manitoba’s environment
outline is his “best attempt to make understandable the . . . important ethics in
and
their [Pikangikum] community,” and not necessarily how a member of that
geography
department. “If we make
community
some changes, and we get
$
surprised, then clearly we
Winnipeg believe first and foremost that all things were created to live well.
didn’t understand things.”
“There is no one who was meant to suffer deprivation.” In the pursuit of living
$
Fo r y e a r s M i l l e r,
well you may take what you need, but must “respect the other members of the
who graduated from the U
community by not interfering” with their ability to take what they need.
of M with a PhD in 2010,
$
has been working with
humans.
No r t h
$
American
would
explain
things.
He says that the Anishinaabe elders of Pikangikum east of Lake
The “community” in this case would be all beings with agency, not just
“Their approach is one that says ‘I have to be very cautious when I begin
indigenous community
to interact with other beings, and have to obey those very simple sounding
members, asking them to share their knowledge of natural systems with him.
guidelines, or I may have results that are unpredictable, and for which I’m
Over that time he has developed a tremendous amount of respect for the
r e s p o n s i b l e . ’ ”
detailed systems these peoples have developed to interact with and understand
$
Miller says that disrespecting an animal by being wasteful, or taking
Gradzette
7
more than you need is depriving other members of the community what they
bird is more inclined to help a hunter who has been successful in the past, and
may need, disrespectful of the
says this demonstrates the
Creator’s gifts and can have
concept
“ s e r i o u s co n s e q u e n ce s . ” A
$
person might get sick or suffer
that there are more than just
from misfortune as a result of
humans in possession of ‘mind’
offering
is becoming more and more
$
d i s r e s p e c t .
of
a g e n c y.
“Quite frankly, the notion
He acknowledges that
evident . . . There is a linkage
for non-indigenous people, this
between human action and
concept of a gency and
animal behaviour that amounts
consequences for disrespect
to cooperative resource
may seem “very debatable,” but
production.”
gives an example of a practical
$
application of this philosophy.
stor y, this one about bears
$
In Pikangikum hunters
Graphic by Ben Clarkson
Miller imparts another
b a n g i n g r o c k s to g e t h e r to create sparks, and start a forest
and ravens hunt moose collaboratively. According to Miller’s paper, the birds fly ahead of hunters and do
fire. According to the Pikangikum peoples Miller talked to, bears do this for the
“barrel-rolls” when they spot injured or bedded moose; something Miller has
berries that grow in freshly burned boreal forest. According to Miller, when
witnessed
challenged about this scenario a Pikangikum elder asked if it were any less
$
If this seems like a strange relationship to you, Miller says that it makes
sense $
f i r s t- h a n d .
if
you
consider
the
circumstances.
“Ravens are territorial animals. They know where the moose are from day
believable than Smokey Bear; a bear who wears pants and a hat, who puts out fires. $
To u c h é . Miller says that traditional knowledge is often imparted in stories, such as
to day,” and the birds benefit from the relationship because they get to eat what
the one about the bear starting forest fires. The elder who shared this story said
the hunters leave behind. Over thousands of years the ravens have developed a
bears did this in order to create berry patches — a natural outcome of ecological
relationship with the local peoples, and have learned that if they help them find
succession and disturbance. Regardless of whether you believe that bears are
moose,
they
will
get
a
meal.
actually banging rocks together in the hopes of getting more berries to eat, the
If the hunter respects the bird, and provides it with food, the bird will
fact that the Pikangikum people are fully aware of complex relationships — such
help the hunter. According to Miller this relationship is not automatic, he says a
as the benefits of forest fires — demonstrates how comprehensive their
$
Gradzette
8
understand
of
their
environment
is.
contaminants from mineral and oil developments are having on people’s health, also
“cultural landscape atlas,” which was part of the bid to have the boreal forest
$
“There’s a health crisis going on, and it’s partially attributable to the
e a s t o f L a ke Wi n n i p e g d e c l a r e d a U N E S C O Wo r l d He r i t a g e S i te .
anxiety people face when looking at a weird fish in their net; You don’t know if
$
Miller says the atlas is an important tool in helping to bridge the gap
it’s safe to eat or not . . . So we’re trying to understand how people relate to that
between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians, and will help to make the
fish, how they understand that fish, what it means to them when they see
“relationship between land and people visible to people who are not accustomed
abrasions
to $
Using his experience in the area, Miller has recently coauthored a
seeing
it.”
$
A copy of the atlas was presented to Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, and
the
impact
or
lesions
on
diet.
but
$
their
on
i t . ”
Miller says this anxiety is contributing to people abandoning traditional
land-based
food
sources
for
less
healthy
alternatives.
Miller’s coauthors are currently exploring options for printing and distribution.
$
$
high sugar. High simple carbohydrates that are not part of the metabolic make
In his current research, in Stef McLachlan’s environmental conservation
“Their alternatives to a land-based diet are crap. It’s high salt, high fat,
lab, Miller partners with indigenous communities in northern Alberta and
up
of
Northwest Territories, where subsistence fishermen are using their traditional
$
This change may be leading to increased rates of diabetes, heart disease
knowledge to help create an understanding of the impact resource development
and
is having on the environment, and the people who live there.
$
$
conduct it. He says all too often researchers enter indigenous communities,
“What we’re doing is interviewing people about the changes they’ve
obesity
gather
and
$
$
doing
toxicology
s t u d i e s . ”
Miller says that indigenous people are ideally positioned to participate in
in
p e o p l e s . ”
indigenous
communities.
Miller hopes his research will help the communities which helped him
observed, how those changes have impacted peoples’ ability to make a living, we’re
No r t h e r n
data
and
leave,
never
to
be
seen
again.
“As a researcher in ethnoscience you’re trying to build a bridge of
communication, establish trust often in settings where there is a legacy of
this kind of research, because of the breadth of their knowledge and experience.
mistrust,
The indigenous peoples “know where those fish are at different times of the
$
year,” and are asked to “look at the slime, scales, organs, content of the guts and
allow [the people] to enga ge with the research in a meaningful way.”
the condition of the flesh each time they catch a fish.”
$
$
I think it boils down to getting people more control over their lives, and
The fish sampled are from different species, and are collected at different
times of year, since their metabolism and internal chemistry changes depending
and
poor
r e l a t i o n s . ”
He says one of his goals is to “make [this] study more accessible and . . .
I want to make this research serve more than answering a fancy question.
creating greater prosperity.”
on what time of year it is. $
Miller says that the research is especially important to the peoples around
the Peace, Athabasca and Slave rivers, not just because of the direct impact
Gradzette
9
Rapid Transit has arrived The only problem is grad students need more than just a fast bus By Gemma Manangan To bus or not to bus is a question many graduate students ask themselves, but with demanding schedules that requires travel to the university at all hours of t h e d a y, t h e c h o i c e t o b u s i s n’t a l w a y s a n o p t i o n . $
But according to the University of Manitoba Grad Students Association,
a reliable public transportation system is something that is extremely important to
grad
$
s t u d e n t s .
“We’ve had a lot of feedback from grad students that transit systems are
inadequate,” says Tonia Bates, vice president external. “After 7 pm and in particular on Saturdays and Sundays, students find themselves waiting 45 minutes to an hour for a bus — this is precious time that is being taken away from $
s t u d i e s . ” For over 30 years the City of Winnipeg has been discussing and working
towards creating a more reliable and convenient public transportation system citizens.
for
its
$
In the end the city chose to implement a Bus Rapid Transit system; a
series of separate roadways and corridors exclusive to buses that allows them to avoid traffic and reach high speeds of up to 80 km/h for faster and more efficient $
travel.
On Sunday, April 8, 2012 the “era of rapid transit” began in Winnipeg,
when the 3.6 km Southwest Transitway from Queen Elizabeth Way & S t r a d b r o o k to Pe m b i n a & Ju b i l e e o f f i c i a l l y o p e n e d to t h e p u b l i c . $
Costing $138 million to build, this is only phase one of the corridor.
Eventually the southwest corridor will extend from the Jubilee overpass to
Gradzette 10
Photos by Gemma Manangan
B i s o n D r i v e , c o n n e c t i n g t h e t w o m a j o r Un i v e r s i t i e s i n Wi n n i p e g .
Bates believes there is still a lot that needs to be done before grad students will
$
r e a l l y b e a b l e to f u l l y b e n e f i t f r o m t h i s n e w r a p i d t r a n s i t s y s te m .
Rapid Transit promises riders a faster more reliable trip, more frequent
service, and a couple of new routes to serve the Universities more directly.
$
$
“It’s quite important for Winnipeg Transit to cater to university students,
north ends of the city, and having that transit line reach these areas is
whether it’s University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg or Red River
important,” adds Bates. Phase two, estimated to cost $275-million, will connect
College,” says Bill Menzies, Manager of Service and Development at Winnipeg
the
Ju b i l e e
Transit. “They make up 15 per cent of ridership. We want to make sure we have
$
But before the 6km extension of the rapid transit corridor to the
ser vice
possible
for
them.”
the
best
$
But now that Rapid Transit is here, the question is does it actually make
“We can’t forget that there are many students who live in the south and
overpass
to
Bison
D r i v e .
University of Manitoba can happen, an official route needs to be chosen and funding
to
complete
the
corridor
must
be
a p p r o v e d .
p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a m o r e f e a s i b l e o p t i o n f o r g r a d s t u d e n t s .
$
$
accessible by rapid transit is decades away, with the southeast and northeast
“We’ve had a number of grad students saying that express buses are
According to the Transportation Master Plan, having the city fully
corridors
the evenings, and on weekends,” says Bates. “Grad students work very different
$
h o u r s , a t e a r l y m o r n i n g o r l a t e a t n i g h t . ”
faster and more efficient public transport, the city still has a long way to go until
$
Rapid Transit becomes the grad students’ transportation method of choice.
While it’s great that phase one of rapid transit has arrived in the city,
expected
to
be
completed
after
2031.
important, but what they really need is more buses operating at later hours in
While it’s a relief that Winnipeg has finally implemented some form of
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