Activities to do During Isolation

Activities to do During Isolation

By Mary Uchechukwu Okorie

Quarantine is a very challenging period and people need to engage in activities to help prevent or lessen mental health issues. There are many activities one can engage in, but I will only discuss a few:

  • Go out on walks.

  • Participate in more online events to connect with others.

  • Watch a movie or read a novel.

  • Find a hobby.

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Going for walks is an activity that can be really helpful during the isolation period. People need to be out of their house, need to breathe fresh air, and see places that do not include the four walls of their room or home, and at least see some other people moving around at a safe distance. People can also go for walks to clear their mind and just appreciate nature. This will enable people to take their minds off the possible loneliness that accompanies isolation.

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People should engage more in online events so that they connect with other people. While online events cannot really compare to the interaction of in-person events, we do not have much choice but to make the best out of our situation. Participating in online events is also better than just being alone, doing nothing and having no one to talk to. This could be an organized group discussion or ‘party’, or merely watching a movie or playing games with friends online. This allows people to communicate with each other, talk to friends, and possibly find new friends. It would be beneficial to participate in these types of events.

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People can also watch or read a novel during the isolation period. This can serve as a relaxation period or reward time after studying. It will help people to not feel so lonely and to engage their brains in other things so that they do not have the time to think about being alone or anything that may be causing anxiety. It is really refreshing to read a novel or watch a movie.

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During this isolation period, people can also experiment on different things that they like and might not have been able to do if they were to go out every day. People should find a hobby that makes them happy. It could be cooking or baking or any other activity they can engage in that will keep their mood elevated. Finding hobbies can really help to get through quarantine.

Therefore, finding a hobby, watching a movie or reading a novel, participating more in online events and going out on walks are a few things out of the many activities people can engage in to help pass the time and hopefully keep them sane through the period of isolation.

Halloween Food Drive To Continue Despite Pandemic

Halloween Food Drive To Continue Despite Pandemic

By Ronnie Kayla Neiman

(Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

(Photo Credit: Creative Commons)

Despite what is going on, the annual Halloween food drive is continuing. It is an event that partners The Assiniboine Community College Students’ Association (ACCSA) and the Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU) with the Samaritan House Ministries to drive through the streets of Brandon to trick or treat for various items of food for the food bank. 

Students of both post-secondary institutes in Brandon, along with many other community

Volunteers will be heading out on Saturday, October 31st between 5:00pm and 9:00pm to collect non-perishable food items and donations are to be used by both the Samaritan House Food Bank, and the BUSU Food Bank.

The safety of the volunteers and of those who choose to donate food is of very high concern to all involved. Many efforts have been put in place to ensure proper social distancing is attainable, while also allowing the ease of Brandon citizens to provide non-perishable food item donations from the comfort of their front step. Halloween Food Drive stickers will be distributed in the Thursday, October 29th edition of the Brandon Sun. These can be peeled and affixed to a bag or box and left out on front steps for a Halloween Food Drive Volunteer to collect during the Halloween Food Drive.

For households that will not be participating in Halloween Trick-or-Treating, or feel unsafe having volunteers come to their door but still wish to donate, donations of food items & cash donations may be dropped off directly at the Samaritan House Food Bank at 820 Pacific Ave, Brandon, MB. 

Keeping in mind the chaos and unpredictability of recent times, the Halloween Food Drive organizers may be required to cancel this event on short notice based on directions from Public Health Orders in Brandon. For the most updated information, please visit busu.ca or accstudents.com. For more information, media inquiries, or to sign up for volunteering, please contact: Matthew May, ACCSA Director at 204 725 8700 ext. 7213 or maym2@assiniboine.net for ACC or Ashley Taron, BUSU General Manager at 204 727 9682 or gm@busu.ca.

Masks On, Masks Off

Masks On, Masks Off

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For a few weeks, wearing a mask was mandatory in all stores and on public transit. Then on September 18th, that was changed to optional. The cases of verified COVID-19 are rising again. Manitoba had perhaps 20 cases each day, once again we are finding upwards of 40 new cases each day. Manitoba is setting records, and not the good kind. COVID-19 cases are continuing to increase in this second peak. 

It’s worrying that so many cases are being confirmed but there is one upside. The testing capacity and capability has greatly improved. More tests are being done, and while a majority come out negative, those that do test positive are able to isolate themselves or be admitted to the hospital as needed. 

Though now that masks are no longer mandatory, it is causing people to let their guards down and aren’t being as vigilant as they once were. Many signs at stores no longer say Masks Mandatory. They say Masks Optional. Sanitizing upon entry to various buildings are also optional. The debate about whether or not to wear a mask, and to make it optional or mandatory becomes a truly choice based debate. 

On a personal note, as someone with an auto-immune condition, I would prefer to be extra safe. I continue to wear masks on buses and in stores. I carry sanitizer with me and sanitize each time I open a door. It may be overdoing it in some respects but until this pandemic has a vaccine or is simply gone, I will do what is within my own capabilities. So, to put it in only a few words; Masks on for me.

Everyone Eats Brandon 

Everyone Eats Brandon 

By Ronnie Kayla Neiman

Everyone Eats is a not-for-profit community initiative developed in partnership with the Brandon Food Council, John Howard Society, Brandon University Food Services and Assiniboine Community College in response to increasing rates of food insecurity, nutrition insecurity and food waste. The organizations mission is to provide top quality, nutritionally balanced meals at a price point that everyone can afford so that there are no barriers to good food.

The statement that the web page pertaining to Everyone Eats Brandon says that “Food insecurity, before the pandemic affected 14.4% of households in Manitoba and more than one in five children. The majority of these individuals being employed or on social assistance clearly indicates that current minimum wage and social assistance levels are not enough to meet basic needs.” The added issue of unemployment due to the pandemic, the ability to pay for and attain food is even more difficult. 

Everyone Eats is an initiative to stand in the gap, to assist folks in meeting immediate nutritional needs while also providing the dignity of contributing to one’s meal in the amount you are able. The program plans to maintain the creation of 200 meals per day. People can order meals in quantities of one to a maximum of eight per day. The meals can be picked up at Brandon University or delivered by a volunteer if needed.

In starting this type of program, the hope is to create a universally acceptable, barrier-free platform that the general public can use to work together in order to build a healthy and empowered community. Donations and volunteers are always welcome to organizations that look to promote cooperation and to help navigate the world as we know it during the pandemic. 

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: 135-Years-Old and as Timeless as Ever

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: 135-Years-Old and as Timeless as Ever

By Aidan Trembath

A tale of innocent whimsy and piercing social commentary, Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1885, masterfully interweaves the wide-world wonders of youth with the author’s sober observations of racism, slavery, familial dysfunctionality, and the feuding of households in nineteenth-century American frontier. The story follows the Mississippi-voyage of Huckleberry Finn and his companion, Jim, as they encounter wily rapscallions and village drama in their efforts to flee their respective domestic predicaments. Finn, a boy running from a domineering father, and Jim, an escaped slave, form an inseparable bond that transcends Finn’s socially ingrained impulse to return Jim to his place of servitude. Toward the novel’s climax, Finn reunites with a long-cherished friend from another famous Mississippi-novel of Twain’s, Tom Sawyer, and the two hatch an impossibly elaborate plan to help an imprisoned Jim escape from his captors (who ultimately become sympathetic to him). In the end, Jim becomes a free individual as per the request of his owner, and Sawyer jubilantly exclaims “he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth” (Twain, 217). 

Twain’s Huckleberry Finn illustrates the language and customs of a nineteenth-century America, making the novel as much a valuable historical tome of cultural and lingual significance as an enrapturing storyteller. Finn’s southern dialect, demonstrated as he recalls his experiences in the first-person, comprises the narrative prose of the novel. The grammar and spelling is improper, but Twain explains that the multitude of dialects he employs in the novel represents his finely tuned understanding of the methods of speaking he grew up with. Twain’s novel stands as not only a supreme article of storytelling but a time-travelling insight into the multiple speeches of southern Americans during the nineteenth-century.

The novel’s theme of discrimination and dissection of the evils of slavery are as applicable to today’s prevalence of systemic racism as they were prescient for an author writing in the nineteenth-century. Finn’s declaration, that he would rather “go to hell” (Twain, 162) than alert Jim’s slaver of Jim’s whereabouts, speaks volumes of Twain’s distaste towards slavery and his sympathy towards those discriminated by an American state and culture founded on social inequalities. 135 years later, Finn’s condemnation of racist social systems ring as loudly as ever today. As many countries revaluate the racism lodged in their respective political cultures, Twain’s wisdom from more than a century ago illustrates that racism has intergenerational consequences that require a diligent pan-societal effort to address and resolve.  

Work Cited

Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1994. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 

A Local Brandon Man is the Victim of a Hate Crime

A Local Brandon Man is the Victim of a Hate Crime

By: Lulu Maria Garcia Manzano 

Over the last few months as the death of George Floyd urged various countries to rally against police brutality and thousands of BLM protests took place, several protests took place here in Brandon. I attended a few over the summer and marched throughout Brandon protesting the injustice black people suffer at the hands of authority. Yet racism is still a part of our community and on September 3, 2020 at around 7:00 pm a group of five individuals (4 women one man) brutally attacked a Black man resulting in his hospitalization. The attack took place at the skate park on 9th and Princess. Bystanders filmed the altercation and the brutality of the attack has already been viewed by thousands of citizens in Brandon. As seen on the video first, the group begins by yelling racial slurs at the man and as he tried to leave in order to avoid any confrontation, they began to physically confront him, and a fight broke out. As the victim tried to defend himself, one of the women began to stab him. Luckily, the victim was taken to the hospital by a citizen before police arrived and he is expected to make a full recovery after an emergency surgery was performed on him. 

With the use of a video taken by a witness police were able to locate two of the five suspects and make an arrest. One is a 23-year-old woman from Brandon, who is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Weapon, Mischief to Property Under $5000, Public Incitement of Hatred and Failing to Comply with a Release Order. The second suspect, a 20-year-old woman from Sioux Valley, is charged with Assault, Public Incitement of Hatred, Public Mischief and Failing to Comply with a Release Order. (Brandon Police Media Release). While the other three suspects are yet to be caught on a conference held on Friday Sept 4th by Brandon Police Staff Sgt. Bill Brown told media that Brandon police are ‘fairly confident’ they know the identities of two of three suspects still at large and are actively seeking them out. He also said that to his knowledge, it is the first time hate crime charges have been laid in the city.

A link to the video of the attack provided by Global News can be found below:

https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/9fa6eeba-eefd-11ea-b518-0242ac110003/?jwsource=cl

On September 6th, 2020 Brandon Police obtained arrest warrants for 36-year-old Steven Jason Huntinghawk (left) and 60-year-old Annie Rose Huntinghawk (right) in connection with Thursday's stabbing near the Kristopher Campbell Memorial Skate Plaza in Brandon. Pictured below, citizens are encouraged to reach out to police in case they know their whereabouts.

Photo Credits: Brandon Sun

Photo Credits: Brandon Sun

The New Burger On The Block

The grills of Brandon’s own Wayback Burgers have been open since last week Tuesday, and the quality of its food and service is nothing short of sizzling. Wayback Burgers is a diner-inspired burger-and-shake chain that began in the United States and has since opened locations around the globe. The company’s presence in Canada is still growing with its only Canadian locations in Manitoba. Wayback’s Brandon location can be found on 18th street across from the Keystone Centre grounds. 

In a city where burger chains are never in short supply, Wayback Burgers had its work cut out to make an impressive entrance onto the Brandon-burger scene. The restaurant validates its presence with a considerable menu of burgers, hotdogs, and milkshakes whose quality differentiates the restaurant enough from the super-convenience but comparatively mediocre products offered by fast-food conveyors such as McDonald’s and Burger King. While the prices are slightly more expensive and the wait-time for food is understandably longer (especially with the restaurant being in its first week of operations), the product is worth the price of admission. Wayback succeeds at filling the void that its “fast-casual dining” cousin Five Guys left behind by offering a gustatory treat that any diner-enthusiast will enjoy.

In preparation for this review, I ordered a combo that included a bacon double-cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milkshake, and tasted a veggie burger and onion rings . I fortunately dined with others who could assist in finishing some of my fries as I quickly discovered how filling Wayback’s food is. Where other fast-food restaurants leave a person craving more, I left the restaurant in a state between satisfaction and being over-stuffed. The bacon double-cheeseburger and the chocolate milkshake were the most praiseworthy items that I tried; the sandwich was a substantial meal unto itself whose deliciousness matched its sheer weight, and the milkshake’s richness and robust chocolate flavour alone warrant another visit to Wayback.  The onion rings, fries, and veggie burger were of a standard that other less-expensive fast-food restaurants competently meet and did not explode expectations. The service at Wayback was very positive with each server delivering and checking on orders in a friendly and accommodating manner. This was particularly commendable given the fact that the restaurant was packed during my visit. Overall, I was very satisfied with my experience at Wayback and would recommend the food to anyone who has been craving a “higher-end” burger in Brandon since Five Guys’ closure.

Rating: 4 out of 5 flaming grills.

pc: Aiden

Black Friday Is A Horror Movie

Canadian shoppers craving a deal increasingly turn to Black Friday, a sales bonanza imported from America, where retailers have always slashed their prices the day after their Thanksgiving holiday, seemingly at the expense of another sales spree, Boxing Day. there was a recent study done by the Retail Council of Canada and it estimates Canadians will spend $12.6 billion dollars on the day after American Thanksgiving, more than ever before.

As humans, we seek deals because they offer the allure of the exclusive and desirable; conversely, we are anxious to take advantage while the sale lasts, because we want to avoid losing out by squandering a rare opportunity. Black Friday, we are emphatically reminded, comes around only once every year. Supplies are limited; act now, don’t delay, miss this and you will live to regret it. The impression that an event such as Black Friday creates. It produces a sense of urgency, and we are powerfully drawn to seize the day. 

The psychology of discounts has been well-documented. Occasions such as Black Friday exploit two characteristics of human behaviour simultaneously: the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. It’s not necessarily having saved money that matters. It’s the feeling of having saved and Black Friday offers that in spades.

The surge associated with sales and Black Friday above all creates a thrill, much like the climax of a horror movie. 

Daly House Museum Opens New Exhibit:

The Daly House Museum is located a block down from the university and has just opened a new exhibit. Sites of Grieving – Sites of Memory: Remembering the Great War marking the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, November 11th, 2019. The exhibit will be on from October 29th 2019 to April 4, 2020 and there will be a high tea and fundraiser to celebrate the new exhibit. There will be two seatings for the tea, 1:30 and 3:30. You can purchase tickets at the Daly House and they are $25 for members and $30 for non-members. The phone number of the Daly House is 204-727-1722 if you would like to call and reserve tickets. 

The new exhibit was designed, according to curator Eileen Trott, to tell stories that are community based about various permanent war memorials in southwestern Manitoba. She is quoted as saying that the exhibit “conveys a sense of how these sites of memory served to console communities and bereaved families in wake of the Great War.” The exhibit was inspired by two scrapbooks in the archives of the museum that were created by Laurence V. Smith, a Great War Veteran. 

The Daly House’s motto is “Preserving the Past for the Future.” It houses a very large doll house that children love, as well as many interesting artefacts and rural history. Go check out the museum, and the new exhibit!  

The Grand Swiss Isle Of Man

With the strongest Swiss chess tournament in history, with an average Elo of 2605 the chess tournament heats up as many players have high a lot on the line. Each player get an hour and a half for the first forty moves with thirty second increment from move one. Once move forty is reached the players get thirty addition minutes added onto their clocks, and if move sixty is reached an additional fifteen minutes for the remainder of the game.

Most of the 120 competitors are the best of best. Some of the top seeds are the current world champion, Magnus Carlsen, world number two Fabiano Caruana, the American chess player, Wesley So, and the previous world champion Viswanathan Anand.

Straight from the first-round players eager to win first to get the last entry into the 2020 Candidates Match which the winner of that will play Carlsen for the title. In the first round Najer had made on of the biggest upsets in history by beating Anand. And the tops seeds did not fail to disappoint with both Caruana and Carlsen winning their first matches. By far in the Isle of Man is round four which was the most exciting. Magnus Carlsen in a horribly lost position against Kovalev manages to escape his first lost in over a year with a draw. Magnus has a unbeaten streak of 90+ games and by luck and time pressure on his opponent he pulled a rabbit out of the hat. After that game Kovalev said “Oh my God! How did I not win that?” after being frustrated in beaten the champion. Along with the other leaders in the tournament rising the rising star under twenty world champion Maghsoodloo was not happy with the dress code policy not allowing him to wear his lucky jacket said “Yeah, and then I can put in some rule that I can wear my lucky jacket.”

In round five, the legendary American player Fabiano Caruana escapes from the English grandmaster Luke McShane in a lost position. Luke has been described as the strongest amateur player in the world, and one of the most creative. However, Caruana managed to find away to ruin Luke’s immortal game by drawing in one the hardest endgames in the world. Caruana was described as “doing a Magnus” after Magnus escaped a lost in a similar manner earlier in the tournament. Luke’s game with Caruana lasted six and half hours long and ending at move eighty-five. The long grind now imprinted in both players minds. In the same round Carlsen with the white pieces against Ganguly plays an insane Sicilian Defense, Najdorf with move like 6. h3, 7. g4, and later 10. a4! After sweeping the floor Carlsen was quoted “I don’t recommend this a4 business” despite having a swift victory. In that same interview when asked how he got in a bad position the day before Carlsen said “He actually reached for the rook, then I saw oh oh, Rae1. I realized I am probably just lost.”

In yesterdays round Magnus Carlsen showed no mercy to the fifty-one-year-old Alexi Shirov. Now only behind the leaders by half a point Carlsen starts to get more aggressive in his play. Levon Aronian now on his last chance on getting to the Candidates match also decides it is time to get serious. After his embarrassing loss in round one previous world champion Vishy Anand starts to make a come back by winning multiple games in row leaving him only one-point behind the leaders. After his win yesterday, Caruana now is half a point ahead of all the players. After one rest day and five more rounds to go the shackles tighten. Who do you think will win the Grand Swiss Isle of Man? I am rooting for Luke, Magnus, and Caruana.   

N. Monk, nicknamed “the finale” in the chess world

2019 Run for the Cure 

The 2019 CIBC Breast Cancer Run for the Cure took place across the country on Sunday, October 6th. Iwent to the run in downtown Winnipeg, and it was an amazing experience. I went with my team called “Kimmy’s Krew,” named after my aunt Kimmy who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. She fought hard and has been in remission for three years. This was Kimmy’s Krew’s fourth annual year at the run. We donned our Run for the Cure shirts and pink layers (as it was cold and rainy out)  and walked (or ran) the 1-5km. For the first time, we brought our Labradoodle dog Libby to the run, and she did great. I was a bit hesitant about bringing her as she is a very social dog and I thought she would be a handful but my sister went up ahead and handled her the whole time. Libby very much enjoyed her 5km walk! (Pictured below: My sister Morgan and dog Libby)

pc: mallory johnson

I got a chance to reunite with some family and family friends that I hadn’t seen in a while, and have a nice visit with them! Walking a kilometre is a good way to catch up.   

pc: mallory johnson

(Pictured above, from left to right: Me, my aunt Kristin, Morgan, family friend Jodi, cousins Sophie and Katie, Gramma, and family friends Marnie and Lisa.) 

There were many people in attendance, approximately 3500. There were booths at the start of the course from sponsors, like the Running Room store and the CIBC bank. There were cookies, hot chocolate and coffee offered (no donuts this year).  

pc: mallory johnson

pc: mallory johnson

(Pictured: the crowd before the run started) 

There were many volunteers with tambourines over the course of the run, to cheer us on! Additionally, there were two groups of people drumming at two separate spots on the course. 

 

 

pc: mallory johnson

(Pictured above: One of the drumming groups, and my aunt Kimmy’s dog, Teddy) 

 

pc: mallory johnson

pc: mallory johnson

 

(Pictured above: the crowd during the run) 

 

pc: mallory johnson

(Pictured above: Me during the run: note my rain poncho!) 

pc: mallory johnson

(Pictured above: my mom donning an iconic bright pink wig, and my aunt Kimmy, her younger sister - and who we all ran for) 

 

pc: mallory johnson

(Pictured above, left to right: My cousin Katie, me, and Morgan) 


In conclusion, I had an amazing day showing my support for all those who have fought or continue to fight breast cancer. Together over the years, Kimmy’s Krew has raised $17,500 for breast cancer. Rain or shine, we kept our promise to keep running in support. 

Trudeau Facing Scrutiny Amidst Federal Election

Earlier this week, the shocking controversial photos and video of

current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have shaken up the

political world and have taken the top headlines of many major news

outlets in Canada and internationally. What exactly were these photos

of though?

Nearly two decades ago in 2001, when most of the freshmen here would

have been newborns, photos and video of Mr. Trudeau depicted wearing

black face and brown face were taken. The Prime Minister has been very

defensive of and cautious about what to say in response, having

apologized to many people already for the incidents, stating that he

has no memory of the occurrences.

While some believe 18 years is a long time ago and that things were

different back then, it certainly doesn't help the Liberal party's

campaign, as rather than focus on promoting Trudeau's ideas of how

they plan to make Canada better, they are instead rapidly trying to do

damage control, and with Trudeau's approval rating within areas like

Alberta and Southern Manitoba facing an all time low, this certainly

drives him to a point some would even refer to as beyond rock bottom.

Some say that it would have helped if Trudeau had spoken out and came

forward about these incidents beforehand, rather than just shrugging

them off and not saying anything about them, as though they didn't

exist. In one of the photos, he can be seen in brown face with a

turban, something that the NDP party leader Jagmeet Singh calls both

deeply hurtful and offensive.

Singh took over the position of leader from Tom Mulcair who previously was Trudeau and Stephen Harper's adversary in the 2015 election. Singh is from Scarborough Ontario, and had an upbringing in a Sikh family, and his parents were immigrants from India. He is a devout member of the religion, and is the first non-Caucasian leader of a political party in Canada, so he did have quite a bit to say about the ordeal that our Prime Minister faces.

Trudeau has stated that he will apologize to Singh for what he had

done and hasn't done so yet, but has said he will. Singh has invited

Trudeau to have a private one on one discussion relating to the racist

pictures. Trudeau had this to say to reporters in Toronto:

             “I will be apologizing to him personally, as a radicalized Canadian, as I have been apologizing to Canadians, who have suffered discrimination and intolerance their entire lives in ways that some of us, like me, have never had to experience on a daily basis,”

Trudeau expressed deep regret, likely due to how this will be

affecting his campaign and career moving forward, but did say this

about Singh's idea to meet:

“And on that I am certainly in deep agreement with Mr. Singh and I

look forward to having a good conversation with him.”

While many claim that Justin had made a few dumb decisions way back when, but it still hurts for some, including many of the immigrants

who helped support him in 2015 during his campaign. How this will

affect liberals has yet to be determined, but it doesn't look too good

for them at the moment. 

As stated before, some say that it was a

different time, while I would like to point out the fact that 18 years

ago it was any less okay. Racism is racism, and in 2001 it still would

have been deemed as highly offensive. Perhaps during the 70's a stunt

like that wouldn't have seemed that bad at the time, 2001 was long

after acceptance towards black people had become mainstream, which I

would say is likely going to do Justin no favours in this election.

Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer has been attacking Trudeau,

and has mainly been focused on this issue, which doesn't come as a

surprise, as the liberals were busy digging up dirt and raiding the

closets of Conservative party members for skeletons, and had found

allegations of racism with plenty. Scheer states that though the

actions of those members are shameful, as long as the people guilty

are honest about what has happened and take accountability for their

actions, then  it shows a level of maturity, one that unfortunately

our own Prime Minister seems to be lacking. Scheer calls the scandal

deeply shameful.

While Scheer may be using this as political ammunition against Trudeau in hopes of letting the Conservatives reclaim Parliament which they lost after Stephen Harper's defeat in 2015, Sheer is also probably

using the incident to draw attention away from his own scandals, which

relate to his homophobic views which have recently come to light, but

have now been overshadowed by Trudeau's scandal. Scheer had previously skipped many LGBT celebration events, and a pride parade back in August and has been very cautious about sharing his views on the subject of gay marriage, with the homophobia scandal being an ongoing trend for the Conservative leader. Trudeau and Singh have both

attended pride parades, yet Scheer hasn't and with the more recent

strings of homophobia attached to him, it's likely that LGBT voters

will be steering clear of any Conservative rallies and ditching their

support for the party. Trudeau's scandal hasn't just been dominating Canadian headlines.

Stateside, people have been discussing the issue there as well. Host

of Comedy Central's “The Daily Show” Trevor Noah, who is biracial and living in New York happens to be an immigrant from South Africa, and the comedian has proposed a law to stop incidents of black face from happening as often. Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump has mentioned that even he is surprised by how many times the PM has been shown wearing black face. Trump is no stranger to allegations of racism, even before he was campaigning for President in 2016, having accused former President Barrack Obama of being a “Secret Muslim” and had requested that Obama show the world his birth certificate. During the campaign too, Trump had proposed anti-terror and border control plans that obviously did seem to stem from fear of ethnic minorities, with a proposed Muslim entry ban to the United States that sounded like the evil plan of an off brand James Bond villain, and his border wall, which if I'm being realistic about, he probably got the idea

from watching “Game Of Thrones” on HBO.

 

Even someone who seems more racist than Trudeau is shocked by the racist scandals he has been involved in, and keep in mind, Donald

Trump was backed by the KKK in the 2016 election and tried to downplay the Charlottesville incident in 2017 with the comment “There were good people on both sides.” So maybe this is more serious than some people think. 

Either way, Trudeau is trying to make amends without further hurting his campaign, and hasn't been specific on if the documented incidents were the only ones that he had been a part of, or if there were more. Until after the election, we likely won't get an answer

unless more surfaces on its own.

Until then, Canadians will have to decide themselves who they want to run this country. Elections take place next month, so for now Trudeau and Scheer must both try to get their incidents under control.

Trudeau Under Fire

Trudeau Under Fire 

By: Mallory Johnson


If you haven’t seen the news lately, last week Time Magazine ran an article exposing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of wearing blackface. The first instance of this happening was at a prep school costume party, which had a theme of “Arabian Nights”. Justin dressed as Alladin, complete with a turban, a black painted face, and a black painted hand.(pictured below). 

Trudeau was 29 years old at the time of this party, and he taught at the school which hosted the party. Many people also noticed that his hand is touching a woman’s breast. A second instance was revealed after Trudeau was asked if he had worn the racist makeup since 2001 and said he didn’t know. After that, a third instance was revealed, this time a video. He has also been seen visiting places like India and wearing a turban. 

 

Trudeau apologized for the issue, saying “This is something I deeply, deeply regret.” Regarding wearing blackface, he said it is “always unacceptable because of the racist history of blackface. I should’ve understood it then, and I should have never done it.” Some accepted his apology as valid while others disagreed. In comparison, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper wore yellow face and wore a First Nations headdress. He was given little to no media attention/flack for the racial makeup and costume (although, I have limited knowledge regarding what happened). 

 

Shortly after his apology, Trudeau promised on Twitter that, if re-elected, he would ban all assault rifle guns from Canada. He clearly did this to distract from the drama and to make people want to vote for him again, as the federal election is looming (go vote on October 21st!). In conclusion, this controversy will surely hurt Trudeau’s chances of getting re-elected to Prime Minister. Please make sure you are registered to vote (I am a first time voter and I’m registered!) and go make your voice heard on October 21st! 

A Birthday With the Brandon Wheat Kings

Are you a Wheat Kings fan? Is you child a fan? Here’s some information to make the birthday the best one yet. 

Make your next birthday party and BWK birthday! Save on tickets and pizza’s, receive an autographed birthday card from the Brandon Wheat Kings and get the birthday girl or boys name on the Jumbotron! 

8 child tickets, 2 adult tickets with 2 medium pizza’s and an autographed birthday card. $164 value for only 130$. 

Call the Wheat Kings Office at 204-726-3535 to book your next birthday today!

Hustlers Movie Review

I saw the movie Hustlers (not to be confused with the similarly titled “The Hustle” with Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson) on Wednesday night. I went to the theatre alone and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. But, before I go any further, I just want to issue a big SPOILER ALERT! This movie follows female strippers who, after getting sick of not being able to make ends meet and being treated poorly, start drugging and scamming their male customers. Did I mention that it is based on a true story? It stars Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, and Lili Reinhart. There is a severe amount of nudity, which makes sense as it’s a stripper movie. Something that definitely altered my experience watching this film is that I am a lesbian who highly respects sex workers. Moving on, the movie was quite a bit funnier than I expected. One of my favourite lines, from Jennifer Lopez’s character Ramona, was “What are they gonna do? Say ‘I just spent $5000 at a strip club send help?’” Another aspect that added humour was Lili Reinhart’s character anxiously vomiting in the worst times - for example, near the end she puked as police showed up at her house to arrest her. Not only are the acting performances in this film  simply amazing, but also the actual dance performances. Jennifer showed off how strong, flexible and fit she is despite being 50 years old. Something I liked is that not all of the strippers were as thin as Victoria’s Secret models - there were a few scenes with singer Lizzo. There is a scene near the beginning where Jennifer is teaching Constance how to pole dance, and it reminded me of the hilarious Youtube video where Markiplier learns - or tries to learn - how to pole dance. Something I found interesting was how in some scenes.Constance’s character (Destiny) is being interviewed by a reporter who is writing an article about the events in the film. It broke up the actual crimes that were taking place. I definitely would HIGHLY recommend not taking anyone under the age of 17 to see this movie - there is a lot of nudity (as stated before), drug abuse, and alcohol abuse. The casting was absolutely perfect - there was even a cameo from Usher! The rapper Cardi B had a small part in it, which I find appropriate (although I dislike her) because the exact subject matter of the movie is how she got her start before fame. The film is about sexuality, scams, money, friendship, crime, and chosen families, and just how quickly and accidentally you could lose everything that you have. Overall, I would give it a 5/5 star rating! Now, time to (legally!) hustle! 


Food Truck Warz

Last weekend Brandon was able to enjoy another year of Food Truck Warz. This event is relatively new to Brandon and if you were lucky enough to experience it this year, you’ll most likely be impatiently waiting for the next one.  This year it took place at the Riverbank Discovery Center and since there was more space available, more trucks were able to come. There was a variety of different cuisines that were showcased due to the 26 different food trucks that visited Brandon. Among them were Beavertails, Tamale Time, Simba Safar Grill and KYU Grill. These four are just a few examples of everything there was to try and the many choices to choose from. One noticeable absence however was the Churro Truck. It seemed this year it did not want to grace Brandonites with its delicious churros. Overall however 26 food trucks still maintained everybody happy and well fed. While the food trucks were the main event, due to the larger space more rides were able to come as well. This gave the event a more carnival feel, and people were able to enjoy the rides and the food as if they were in the fair again. If you did not get a chance to go and test it out, do not worry. With the success they had they will most likely come back next year with more trucks and more rides for people to enjoy.

This is the complete list of all the Food Trucks that could be found at the event. We hope all of these come back next year and that more come as well. 

  • Smoked & Sauced Mobile BBQ

  • Tot Wheels

  • Trendy Treats

  • Joe Beeverz

  • Island Fusion

  • Tamale Time

  • Poutine King

  • Cory's Pizza

  • Buff's Meaty Goodies

  • Better than Baba's

  • Simba Safari Grill

  • Beavertails

  • Euro Donair

  • Lemon-Train

  • Wings-n-Fries

  • Adele’s Mini Donuts

  • Onion Bloom

  • KYU Grill

  • Habanero Sombrero

  • Dorado Street Tortilla

  • BBK's BBQ

  • Home Style Fries

  • Walleye Wagon

  • Corn Dogs & Lemonade

  • Miss Tiny’s Jamaican Food Truck

  • Meltdown Deep Fried Cheese Curds


Food Truck Warz Coming to Downtown Brandon!

Food Truck Warz runs from September 13-15 at the Riverbank Discovery Centre. 26 food trucks are scheduled to attend, supported by a Select Shows Carnival/Midway, Farmery Beer Garden and Apple and Pine Market.

Organizers shared recently that there will be a small daily charge of $2 per vehicle for those parking on-site at the Discovery Centre for the otherwise-free event. All proceeds from parking after expenses associated with operating the parking service will go to the local John Howard Society in support of their efforts as a non-profit in the community, specifically their Anger Management and Building Healthy Relationship initiatives.

As is the case with other events at the Riverbank, people are not required to park a vehicle to attend Food Truck Warz and may make use of public transport or their own two feet as they see fit. 

This is a fun event to attend, and students wouldn’t need to pay the parking fee as long as they take the city transit, which is already paid for with student fees. 

It’s also a good way to meet people and enjoy a variety of food. 


Spring Gardening

The first day of spring officially past back on March 20th, and with it came warmer weather and melting snow. Soon enough the ground will be fully thawed and the planting season will begin, both in rural and urban circles. So, if you were looking for a hobby to take up this summer as you hopefully get somewhat of a breather from studies, growing your own garden might be in your cards. 

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There are various benefits associated directly or indirectly with growing your own produce. The source of the food is well known as any pesticides, fertilizers, or any other details are left up to your own discretion. In the same breath, if you’re concerned about buying organic products for whatever reason this is a potentially cheaper way to eat organic without paying grocery store prices. Organic seeds can be purchased at stores like Canadian Tire or The Green Spot. Additionally, when growing your own vegetables you’ll have easier access to them and they’ll end up on your plate more often than not, plus some leftovers you may have can be cut up and frozen to have ready. It can help out with any definitely-not-abandoned New Years resolutions that were made to amp up your health. 

Assuming like most university students there’s no large garden readily at your disposal, it is possible to grow some vegetables and herbs indoors. Things to consider first are the amount of sunlight and the types of containers you’d be working with. Some produce, like certain types of carrots, require deep soil in order to grow so any containers that are used have to be able to provide the necessary room. Vegetables in general need a lot of sunlight and warmth, so figure out what window is going to provide the best of each- if they’re too high up consider finding a stool or small table that can be propped underneath them in order to reach the height. Vine tomatoes that can be purchased in pots with cages to grow up would work well depending on your space. Looking for something that takes up a little less space? Spinach can be easily grown in pots and some can withstand a little bit of shade. Really, any vegetables (maybe not full sized corn) can be grown indoors, simply type it into your internet browser and there will be plenty of different instructions available to guide you on your indoor gardening adventure. There’s even specific potting soil that can be bought. 

Another option if you’re low on space would be growing some herbs. Generally, they require smaller containers to grown, and anything from mint, parsley, to chives can be grown in small little containers. Pro tip though, don’t use old soup or bean containers. They’ve got a really nice aesthetic, but rust is unfortunately a factor. Apparently, among their many uses mason jars can also be used to grow a herb garden, stones simply need to be placed at the bottom to make up for any drainage issues. 

Happy Spring!