Pets Stress Makers Or Stress Breakers

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted a cat. I love those whiskered, hairy little bastards. They’re soft, and when they choose you, they are the cuddliest creatures ever. They also have sharp nails and just generally do whatever the hell they want. Recently, I got a furry demon of my own named Wonton.

I suffer from anxiety and a touch of depression, neither of which shame me (brains suck sometimes), but they do get in the way of my every day life sometimes. I’ve done research, and pets can help with calming down anxiety attacks. Therefore, I view pets as a stress breaker. Unfortunately, many landlords in our fair city disagree.

For landlords, a bad pet owner can ruin the concept of having a pet friendly place for eternity. For them, pets are total stress makers. They have the potential to scratch up the walls and the carpets (if anyone knows how to get Wonton to use his scratch post rather than the carpeted stairs, please let me know), or ruin screened windows or doors, or even stain carpets with urine or feces.

For concerned pet owners, these are also stress makers. We don’t want our pets to be untrained and ruin things, but sometimes things happen during the training process. Responsible pet owners will, as a rule, do their best to fix or replace things their pets have wrecked, but all it takes is that one guy who doesn’t give a flying rat’s ass about rented property that wrecks it for everyone.

I live in a pet friendly apartment. I paid a pet deposit and pay a monthly “pet rent”. My cat is kind of a jerk sometimes, but he’s a kitten, and the occasional jerk moment is to be expected. We’re doing our best to keep him from permanently damaging the apartment, and in general, he’s a stress breaker for me. He sits on my lap and purrs in the morning after breakfast, and he plays with me in the evening after I’m done work. He’s soft, sweet, and just the best.

Eleven More Sounds

Hello all art fans out there and everyone else! Thursday, March 8th from 7:00PM to 9:00PM marked the opening reception to a student thesis art exhibition, Eleven More Sounds, by Jimmie Kilpatrick. Eleven More Sounds exhibition opens from March 8th to the 18th and is located at the Glen P. Sutherland Gallery of the Art at 2021 Victoria Avenue, Brandon MB. The gallery is open daily from 2:00PM to 6:00PM.

Eleven More Sounds is a body of work which focuses on sound and perception. The artworks throughout this exhibition highlight various sound events. Some works examine sounds that come from unexpected sources such as vacuum cleaners and household furniture. Others are silent pieces using visual language to describe sound.

Kilpatrick is a thesis student at Brandon University, studying toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Kilpatrick is also a touring musician who performs internationally under the stage moniker “Shotgun Jimmie.”

The artworks in this exhibition combine elements of performance, sculpture, video, installation and sound art. Eleven More Sounds is a body of work that allows sounds to be perceived as a material thing that can be seen and touched.

It’s sure to be great, so come out and enjoy some art!

Book Review A Study In Charlotte

I recently finished reading A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. It is the first in the Charlotte Holmes Mysteries, and is a combination of a retelling and an alternate universe contemporary/mystery for young adults.

The story takes place at Sherringford Hall, a boarding school in Connecticut, and stars James “Jamie” Watson and Charlotte Holmes, descendents of the original Dr. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. Charlotte belongs to the illustrious Holmes family, who has been training their children in the arts of deduction since the time of their infamous forebear. Jamie is the product of a broken home, attends Sherringford on a rugby scholarship, and hasn’t seen his father in several years — until a bully, Lee Dobson, who lives in the same dorm as him is killed shortly after an altercation between the two boys over Charlotte.

Of course, Charlotte and Jamie are implicated in the murder, and spend the remainder of the novel solving the case to clear their names.

Things get more complicated when it is discovered that the murderer is emulating the old Sherlock Holmes mysteries (written by Jamie’s great-great-great-grandfather, the original Dr. Watson), and it all gets worse when more violent crimes in the style of Sherlock Holmes stories crop up around campus. Everyone is a suspect and the only people Jamie and Charlotte can trust are each other. (Seriously, they go from Charlotte hating Jamie to them describing one another as ‘best friends’ in record time.)

The characters were a little bit two-dimensional, in that Jamie is very singularly focused on Charlotte, and Charlotte herself was viewed through Jamie’s rose coloured glasses and therefore exceptionally Mary-Sue-ish. I don’t really buy the concept of Charlotte consuming all of Jamie’s thoughts so thoroughly within such a short period of time that he doesn’t even think of his own interests — rugby, for instance, is barely mentioned, despite being the thing Jamie allegedly has a scholarship for. In addition to these writing flaws, Cavallaro doesn’t write Jamie like a teenage boy. Even for a Brit, he’s too prim and proper (in my opinion).

Personally, I found the novel fun, but super cheesy. There was an unnecessary romance that built between Jamie and Charlotte for no real reason other than they’re a male and a female with heteronormative sexual preferences, and all of the secondary characters may as well have not been there for all that they were interacted with past the first fifty pages.

There was a really weird plot twist that didn’t have much to do with anything near the end, which I won’t give away in case there are any other fans of YA soft lit out there.

Cavallaro has written two more Charlotte Holmes Mysteries, The Last of August and A Case for Jamie, the last of which was released just last week. I personally rated A Study in Charlotte a 3.5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads, and I do plan on picking up the other two books at some point in the near future.

Wine and Cheese PSA

On March 16th the BU History Club, and Department of History is holding a wine and cheese event. Students are encouraged to come out and meet other students in history, talk to professors and even find out about courses that will be offered next year, as well as the new Public History program. The event is from 4:30-6:00pm in the Louis Riel Room.

This type of event is a great chance to get to know your professors or future professors and make an impression.

Dr. Winter, who is the Chair of the History Department is hoping most of the Professors from the department will be able to attend the event. It’s also nice to know other students in your department, so if you miss a class you can grab notes from someone or even form study groups for tests and exams. Plus, free wine and cheese!

RGC Diablo

I have been playing Blizzard’s Diablo franchise for over half my life. From the time that I was around twelve years old, my dad has let me play his copy of Diablo II. I was immediately hooked.

I can’t imagine how painful it was for my dad to watch me play at first. I had no concept of strategy. I picked a Sorceress as my first character and then charged in and tried to fight enemies as a Barbarian might. I didn’t use the most effective armour, and I died. A lot.

As I got older, I got better. I chose an Amazon as my character most often, for the benefit of ranged and close combat fighting. I installed the original Diablo on the ancient laptop that I used primarily as a word processor and learned the history of Tristram. And then I waited for over a decade for Diablo III.

The graphics on this game are phenomenal. The class system is superb. The story was easy to follow and escalated with clear goals. It was almost worth the wait. Except for one minor detail: there was too much reliance on the online multiplayer function.

I’m a person who enjoys playing a game on my own, in my own time. That being said, as a monk, I could not beat even the first stage boss on my own at level 28. I needed to get my friends to link in to my game in order to kill the damned thing and advance the story.

I had the same (kind of ) problem with Star Wars Battlefront: I don’t want to have to play online. I would very much prefer a straight campaign.

That being said, I still play Diablo III and will continue to play Diablo III until they make Diablo IV.

(Diablo II is still bae though).

Quintilius

Dear Quintilius,

What is the point of voting? I feel as though my voice isn’t heard and my vote doesn’t truly matter.

Sincerely, Lost Hope In Democracy

Dear Democrazy,

Democracy is a fickle beast, one that cannot be satisfied with votes of incompetent citizens. No one enjoys taking the time to vote for leaders they don’t care about who also don’t care about them. The political terms are too short and the goals too short sighted for any politician to make a real difference.

Sometimes our elected leaders do effective work for a four-year term and sometimes they run policies on creating billions in debt, saying the economy will balance itself. But neither of those really matter when in another few years that party will be out of office and the new party will break down all the old decisions previously made.

No one’s voice is heard in the winds of change, only the majority makes the slightest difference and their votes are finicky at best. See in the days of empire we had one person efficiently lead our society. They did not have to try and woo the people who knew nothing of worldly topics, all they had to do was keep people fed and entertained.

Emperors did not have to convince us why they should lead they showed us through actions. A lot of work and progress can be made on a national level when you don’t have to try and convince people why you should lead. You can get real, meaningful work done when you spend your time working opposed from when you spend your time talking.

All Salute The Eternal City,

Qunitilius of Rome

Psychemology Social

This year’s psychemology was yet another great success for the Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology clubs. On the night of March 2nd, droves of study-weary students descended on the Ukrainian National Home for an evening of dancing, drinking and socializing. The roughly 150 revelers roistered ‘round a room ravishingly ringed in red ribbon streamers, balloons and rife with traffic light party related riggings. Partygoers were asked to dress in red signaling they were taken, green for single, and yellow for “it’s complicated”. It would be interesting to find out whether more people went from green to red or red to green during the party. At any rate it seemed that the inebriated gyrating carousers on the dance floor heeded these signals as little as small town red lights at midnight. It pains me to admit that in my journalistic duties I too failed to remain an objectively uninvolved reporter. While being swept away by the rhythm of the music the words “verweile doch, du bist so schön” may have escaped my lips, lucky for me Mephistopheles doesn’t seem to have heard.

If, like me, dancing is more of an act leading to embarrassment rather than enjoyment there was still opportunity enough to have a good time. The test tube shots turned out to be a great hit in particular. Who wouldn’t want to down coloured alcohol served in test tubes? As Claudia Rodriguez Diaz put it “I liked (the social), love the test tube shots those were fun!”.

I promise those tubes were clean and not recycled from the Infectious diseases lab. I don’t have the stats to back this up, but from the looks of it, the number of dancers was directly proportional to the number of shots sold. As soon as the party was well under way free pizza was brought in to ensure that everyone would have sufficient energy to last late into the night. Free pizza is always a good thing, and the best university students have developed a nose for smelling out events where some is to be had. I swear my diet consists of 50% free ‘za! Alas, all things have an end, except for the sausage which has two, and at 2:00AM the social came to a conclusion. 

The Bio, Chem and Psych clubs were pleased with the outcome of the event which saw around 140 tickets sold. It was a combined effort from all members of the three clubs that enabled this remarkable outcome.

Kelsey Dickson, the fearless leader of the Bio club, had this to say: “The social was a tremendous success which was made possible only by the incredible support of all the club members and volunteers as well as our generous donors. Everyone had a great time, something which may have to do with the fact that we nearly sold out of test tube shots!” The proceeds from the social will go towards funding of further activities that the clubs might have planned for the future.

Pop Culture- Trolling

Chances are that, unless you live under a rock, you have by now become familiar with the term troll. The name is thrown around everywhere now a days, from internet forums to political debates. The troll relevant to today is an entirely different species than the mythical creature bearing the same name. A troll is someone who deliberately makes an offensive or provocative statement or action with the aim of upsetting or eliciting an angry response from another. If you have ever surfed the waves of the world wide web you no doubt have come across a few yourself. Trolls however are not solely confined to the dark recesses of the internet, and they have a sinister and varied history, adopting many faces throughout the years. The troll has occupied many niches within modern society and adapted to perfectly target its prey of choice, the troll feeders. Let us have a brief look at the diverse lifestyles of the toll.

In the early days, before they evolved and spread to their current importance within our society, trolls were happy with the minor mischief they caused. What must be understood about troll physiology is that they thrive in technologically developed ecosystems, and they are quick to exploit any new development in that field. It wasn’t long after the invention of the telephone that the trolls call could be heard in every home. This call began with a shrill ring and was then followed by a “is your refrigerator running?” amongst all of nature’s beasts, birds, squirrels and crickets, the trolls call has certainly caused the most annoyance to humans. With the invention of the internet the troll experienced a great expansion to its natural hunting grounds. Numerous victims were claimed by the Rick Roll, and fed the gluttonous trolls in the comment sections of youtube videos.

All of this was but a precursor to the greatest success of the troll, domestication. As the wolf has benefitted from being tamed by the Ice Age hunter, so to did the troll by being domesticated by political organizations and governments. One has but to look at Russia and the vast troll farms that were set up there. In numerous facilities across the land trolls are kept in pens provided with the basic necessities for a troll to feed itself, a computer and internet access. What the troll farmers harvest is political clout. Many believe that Russian farms are so productive that, with the influence harvested, they are able to sway international elections and prevent ugly truths from ever seeing the light.

While the domesticated troll will likely become more and more prevalent it is important that steps are taken to ensure wild specimens do not die out. You can do your part. The next time you encounter trolling on the internet do not just gloss over it, make sure to leave a reply that will enable the troll to grow.   

New Restuarants

Recently the Brandon Shoppers Mall parking lot has been dominated by construction fences and machines as new buildings began to take shape, and it seems Brandon’s closer than ever to welcoming the new businesses.

Earlier this year, Harvey’s and Swiss Chalet held career days in which they filled their ranks with everything from waiters to cashiers. The last couple of weeks found the buildings sporting new signs in bright print. It seems as though the finalizing touches are being dealt with as their Facebook page in filled with commentary hinting at a quickly approaching opening day.

Their page has offered brief glimpses into the interior of the buildings revealing built counters seeming’s missing little but the cosmetics. While no official release date has been stated, in a post urging people to enter a contest for a chance to win Quarter Chicken Dinner for a year they mention in a hashtag “opening soon”.

Rumours of the official opening date has varied from the postponement till an April opening, but the consensus has it lying sometime in March, either earlier or more towards the middle. Regardless the restaurant’s social media accounts appear to be the surest way to find out when they finally open their doors.

Harvey’s online menu boasts everything from chicken to hot dogs to snacks. Swiss Chalet keeps things in a more restaurant theme as opposed to fast food, with ribs, pasta, and various other items. Both companies promise to provide some variety to Brandon’s palate. Hopefully both serve their veggie burger options as seen on line- Brandon’s vegetarian fast food selection leaves something to be desired.

Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s aren’t the only one’s promising to introduce new food for Brandon residents. The Wheat City Bar and Grill, which has taken over what was Brown’s Social House. On a post on eBrandon, Spike, the owner of Wheat City Bar and Grill acknowledges complaints that customers have had in regards to their a la carte menu, specifically that it tends to run high cost, and states that they have “made a new menu which we will be launching within the next few weeks or so”. 

Mihelakis Book Reading

The new month found Dr. Eftihia Mihelakis celebrating the publication of her new book La Virginité en question, ou les jeunes filles sans âgé, which translated reads “The question of virginity, or the power of ageless girls.” Dr. Eftihia Mihelakis is an assistant professor at Brandon University in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Gender and Women’s Studies. La Virginité en question, ou les jeunes filles sans âgé was previously published in Montreal but just recently launched in Brandon.

The seats ended up filled with a mixture of faculty, students, and others as Dr. Mihelakis and Dr. Bouliane sat at the front. An apology about the sun which was seemingly determined to blind the audience was offered before the discussion began. 

The discussion began with Dr. Bouliane asking as to the current importance or state of virginity. In response Dr. Mihelakis emphasised the cultural significance that virginity hold “There’s a question in how, what is it that makes virginity true. What is it that makes virginity make us believe in it constantly. What is it that makes us believe that there is something true behind it (11:00).” She then went on to describe how she found herself amongst medical journals which play a part in her studies, and she pointed how they were unable to determine a binary of before and after of virginity. She summarizes that “Yet it is rather that it has cultural implications still today.”

Throughout the discussion Dr. Mihelakis described the existence of spaces, of a before and after virginity. She discussed her transition from the word virginity into hymen and the medical journals that surfaced with this word that dealt with “medical jurisprudence” which is the branch of law that deals with medicine and how it sought to create a bodily proof the virginity. She explained her transition into works back into antiquity where she found the figures of the harpies that occupied a liminal space in their perpetual virginity and being “childless children”.

After the discussion was over it ended with a questioning period in which the audience had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Mihelakis, a wine a cheese followed with the audience having the opportunity to have a book signed.

Dr. Mihelakis will be holding another talk on March 9th titled “From the Ethical Turn to the Scandalous in Late 20th Century French Literature” which will be held at 3:40PM in Clark Hall room 104.

Dance Club

If you recently attended the psychemology social (you can read all about it in another article of this issue, its some great writing by an amazing reporter) you may have realized that you were lacking in any sort of ability to boogie, jive, tango, and waltz. Or maybe you tore apart the dance floor. Regardless the newly established dance club at BU may just be the thing for you. As Chantel Lim, an instructor with the club, put it “The Dance Club offers free dance classes to all BU students regardless of whether they have dance experience or not. Our goal is to create a fun environment for people to learn new moves, stay active and share a love for dance”. If you are interested in performing in front of a crowd you are mad, but the club shares your lack of stage fright as they plan on holding public performances in the future.

So, what’s your style? Is it Bollywood dance? Then ask for Vrajna Patel, who says: “Indian classical dance has always been a big part of my life. I love expressing myself and representing my culture. I have been practicing Bollywood dance for the past 20 years and have had the pleasure of being classically trained in India for two of those years. I also have taught dance at Brandon School of Dance. What I love most about dance is that it allows you to express your emotions and true feeling. As the music starts whispering in your ears, as the beats take over you are catapulted into a different universe.”

Is ballet more up your alley? If so, then talk to Chantel Lim. “I have over 10 years of classical ballet training at the Brandon School of Dance. I have also taught ballet for three years. As a member of the Brandon Dance Ensemble, I’ve had the opportunity to perform in productions including The Nutcracker, Pinocchio, and Alice in Wonderland.  Over the years I have studied dance at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, International Music Camp and Arts Umbrella, in Vancouver. One of my favorite things about dancing is being able to tell a story through music and movement. I am very excited to share my passion for dance with others.”

If you favour afro-hip hop, then see Favor Edet: “Dancing for me is everything. It is the biggest part that defines my personality. I started dancing for fun when I was young and took to it professionally along the way. I am a self-trained Afrobeat and Hip-hop dancer. I have performed/competed at several shows in Ontario, CA and I also taught dance for about two to three years to a group I created in Toronto. Dancing is the one thing that fills my heart with complete joy, and I wanna be able to share that with people.”

As you can see there already exists quite a variety in options of dance type to choose from, and this will grow as the dance club gains traction.

Classes are for free and offered on Mondays 7:00 to 8:00pm and Thursdays 5:30-6:30pm in the Elephant Room of the Knowles Douglas Student Union Centre. Class schedules, dance videos and important updates will be posted to their Facebook page: “BU Dance Club”.

Winnipeg Comedy Fest PSA

It may be February, but soon enough April will be here harkening the beginning of the end as exams consume every waking moment and eliminate sleep. It’s inevitable really — but the Winnipeg Comedy Festival offers you an opportunity to forget your woes for a time and laugh like you didn’t hand in your souls along with your exam sheets!  Taking place from April 9th till the 15th and featuring more than sixty different comedians there’s bound to be a show that’ll have you laughing.

“Be prepared for some great new talent to win you over,” Winnipeg Comedy Festival Director Lara Rae promises, as the lineup boasts both renown and fresh comedians to showcase. April 9th for the Red Carpet Comedy Reception will feature Sirius Top Comic Derek Seguin, with the reception beginning at 7:00PM which has been hinted to be a definite don’t miss, with the show beginning at 8:30PM. 

Curious as to what this years Gala’s are themed? They begin on Thursday April 12th with Game On! Catered to those who love sports and those who don’t as the evening muses about our complicated relationship status with sports. Friday April 13th has Punching UP, in which no one no matter how important is spared, along with Just My Luck? In which pain about life is turned into laughter. April 14th also presents two line ups, with Everything’s Relative which’ll take a humorous spin on our families. Are you Canadian? Whether yes or no join Eh! Material on the 14th to explore the definition of a Canadian, by Canadians.

Living the true student experience with a few measly dollars in your bank account? (Or cents, I won’t judge.) The Laughter in Common show is being put on for free. No joke. Now you just have to find a free ride. Not as free highlights, but still notable include Dis’Ability which’ll be hosted by Laughs Homegrown Champion and triple amputee Courtney Gilmour, Gastrocomique features a father dangerous combination of food and laughter! (Chew and swallow with care.) Nubians Disciples of Comedy bring their act to the festival, featuring hilarious comedians of colour. Your Hood’s A Joke Local & International Editions places comedians in opposition as they determine the funnier city and country. CBC The Debaters features a serious of comedic debates.

Tickets and more information are available at www.winnipegcomedyfestival.com, and they can be purchased in person at the Box Office at the Gas Station Arts Center on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11:00AM-6:00PM.

This Week in Pop Culture

Did you know that you knew what this article was about? Did you understand what was meant by what was written in the title? Does it even exist, do you even exist, or is this all just a figment of your imagination?

This Week in Pop Culture what we will be deciphering is an article called “This Week In Pop Culture: The This Week In Pop Culture Weekly Article.” What exactly does this mean? What is this article trying to get at without being too confusing or losing its readers?

I want to be perfectly clear that I can neither be perfect nor clear when it comes to topics such as this one. An article that looks into itself without making mention of the issues with looking into an article that is made by itself is something that is just plain confusing. Therefore I deduce that confusing people must be the point of this article.

The purpose of the pop culture article is to help introduce university students to popular culture and topics. There are different things such as movies, games, music, habits, hobbies etc. These are all things that can be talked about at length and expressed through individual opinions. You think it would be easy to write these types of articles right? No! Its not! There is too much freedom.

The pop culture weekly article allows absolute freedom for the writer which turns out to be its greatest restraint. All options are available and everything is at your own opinion to share. People are judging your thoughts and quality of words based on a few paragraphs of any topic and pop culture ideas.

This pop culture article is about the concept of the pop culture articles that we produce. This article not only analyzes the why and how of this weekly section but makes reference to its usage.

Is this article a piece a pop culture? Is it appropriate that in the pop culture article we talk about itself as a cultural entity? In pop culture something needs to recognized as popular in order to be part of the popular culture. But if we are talking about a pop culture article which is worthy of mention, then is it not popular enough to be made reference to in a pop cultural weekly article?

Rocket Game Corner- February Recap

Remember how I did a really bad job of finishing games in January? I did slightly better in February -— I finished a total of two games, and got most of the way through another!

The first game I finished was my resolution game: Ham-Ham Heartbreak for the Gameboy Advance. I completed it in about 24 hours, as it is a game meant for children and I’ve played through it multiple times before. The game is really cute, with the player controlling the titular Hamtaro as he and his friend Bijou travel through five six worlds, healing all the love that the evil hamster Spat has destroyed. Some of the relationships repaired are romantic, but most are platonic or familial. Again, it’s a cute game and I’d recommend it to people who want a good time with minimal effort.

The second game I finished was Life is Strange: Before the Storm. My lovely Nerdboy purchased the second and third episodes for me for Chocolate Appreciation Day, and I immediately played through them. Each episode is the equivalent of about two or three hours of real time, and like the first game, the player’s choices shape the outcome of the story. You play as Chloe, a teenager who has had a pretty rough time over the past few years: her father died, her best friend moved away and ghosted on her, and her mom is dating a douche. Her only solace is her newfound friendship (or more?) with super popular, super fabulous Rachel Amber. For those who have played the original Life is Strange, you know how it ends. It’s a really wonderful and heartbreaking story. Go play!

The unfinished game is, of course, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4. Because I’m trash.

QMAIL

Dear Quintilius,

I am feeling absolutely heartbroken. I don’t feel necessarily mad or upset, just lost. What are some ways to feel better?

Sincerely, Falling Apart

Dear Torn Down,

I feel for you, as I, too have felt the suffocation of depression. During my adolescence I was left behind on a battlefield in North Africa. I was alongside the infamous “hero” Scipio Africanus, as we fought Hannibal at Zama. It was a marvelous battle and a wicked strike of revenge for the battle of Cannae.

It was here that I was wounded, not physically but at my very essence. Scipio offered peace to our enemies, instead of finishing the job and razing the cities. You have heard the saying “a slap on the hand,” this was more like only taking one arm of an enemy opposed from decapitating him. It was not severe enough for the enemies of Rome to learn their lessons.

I stayed in North Africa feeling betrayed by my brothers. I would have to wait almost sixty years to feel whole again when we would come to the city of Carthage and salt the land.

Here is the advice I offer. Do not forgive, do not forget. Your time will come when you are able to “feel” again. It may be a week, six months or sixty years but you will find happiness and peace.

Let me note “peace” does not feel like “nothingness,” what I am referring to is the feeling of balance and satisfaction. Keep fighting, for the war in our-selves is never truly won, only held at bay by the strength and courage with which we approach each day.

All Salute The Eternal City,

Qunitilius of Rome

PSA- Book Reading

On March 1st from 5:00PM until 7:00PM Brandon University’s Dr. Eftihia Mihelakis, Assistant Professor in the Department of French and Languages and the Gender & Women’s Studies, will be celebrating and discussing her recent published work titled, La Virginité en question, ou les jeunes filles sans âge, translated as “The question of virginity, or the power of ageless girls.”

Dr. Mihelakis’ work takes a look at the faces of angelic victim, the sacred virgin, the viral sisters, and the unexplored image of the female kamikaze. Her work seeks to raise the question as whether or not literature can save virgins from a morbid and sacrificial destiny.

The evening will feature a discussion between Dr. Mihelakis and Dr. Claudia Bouliane in the form of a conversation with a question and answer opportunity to follow, the discussion and reception will be held in English and copies of the book will be available at the event. All attendees will be serves a collegial wine and cheese.

The event is organized by Brandon University and is free to attend. The location and will be taking place at the John E. Robbins Library in the Gathering Space. As always the University is dedicated to making events accessible, so if there are any accessibility concerns or inquiries can be addressed to communications@brandonu.ca.

New Electronic Voting System

Have you ever wanted to  vote for your Friendly Neighbourhood BUSU Council nominees, but were busy with work or class on the day of elections? BUSU has a solution! Starting this year, students will be able to use an app to vote from the comfort of their own pajamas via their smart phones!

On the morning of March 1st, a link will be sent to students’ BU email addresses by the wonderful BUSU team, and voting can be completed for each position on the docket.

Voting will begin at 9:00AM on Thursday and be open until 4:00PM on Friday. There will be no paper ballots to accompany the app.

Says Nataly Ore, BUSU General Manager, “This provides more accessibility for our off-campus students and even our on-campus students who would found it difficult to make it out to the in person voting polls in the Mingling Area. Since students can vote from the comfort of their mobile device or laptop, we hope that this encourages students to visit our website to learn about the candidates, the election, and just overall be more involved with the selection process of the BUSU council. Student Unions across Canada are using electronic ballots for their elections, and we figured it was about time we did it at BUSU!”

We at The Quill greatly anticipate reporting on the results of the first electronic voting, and hope to see a sharp increase in voter turn out thanks to this convenient new method!

Happy voting, BU!

March At The Evans

As we enter a new month, our delightful Evans Theatre has a host of new films to delight all audiences. The films start at 7:30PM, Friday through Sunday, and the admission is a super affordable $6 per seat.

March 2nd - 4th

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

This film is based on Peter Turner’s memoir, it follows the playful but passionate relationship between Turner and the eccentric Academy Award winning actress Gloria Grahame in 1978 Liverpool. What starts as a vibrant affair between a legendary femme fatale and her young lover quickly grows into a deeper relationship, with Turner being the person Gloria turns to for comfort. Their passion and lust for life is tested to the limits by events beyond their control.

March 9th - 11th

The Disaster Artist

A delightful tribute to the joy and madness of making movies, The Disaster Artist follows the outrageous adventures of eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau and his best friend, actor Greg Sestero. These two endearing misfits move to L.A. and try to live the Hollywood dream by making their very own feature film but end up embarking on a wildly unpredictable and hilariously unforgettable production, leading to one of the most infamous, bizzare, and beloved midnight movies of all time, The Room.

March 30th - 31st

The Leisure Seeker

Directed by Paolo Virzi, winner of the 2017 David di Donatello Best Director Award, The Leisure Seeker stars Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren and two-time Golden Globe-winner Donald Sutherland as a runaway couple on an unforgettable journey in the faithful old RV they call the Leisure Seeker. The couple travels from Boston to The Ernest Hemingway Home in Key West, recapturing their passion for life and their love for each other on a road trip that provides revelation and surprise right up to the very end.

March 23rd - 25th

To be Confirmed, please check The Evans Theatre website for updates at EvansTheatre.ca

Faculty of Arts PSA

There is a new lecture coming up in the Brandon University Faculty of Arts Speaker Series. On March 9th at 3:40 p.m.  BU Assistant Professor Eftihia Mihelakis will present a lecture on late 20th century Literature. The lecture is titled From the Ethical Turn to the Scandalous in Late 20th Century French Literature. The lecture will be held in room 104 inside Clark Hall. All students and faculty are welcome to attend the lecture free of charge. Anyone who has any accessibility needs is advised to contact communications@brandonu.ca prior to the lecture to ensure that proper accommodations can be made. For more information on this particular lecture or the Faculty of Arts Speaker Series you can contact the Faculty of Arts office at 204-727-9790 or arts@brandonu.ca.

Digital Journalism OPED

I mentioned a few weeks ago that The Manitoban of the University of Manitoba was temporarily in a very real crisis position where it faced the possibility of shutting down the presses. That’s really had me thinking about the future of journalism, and of student journalism in particular.

There will always be a place for reporters in this world. This is an indisputable fact. There will always be a need for there to be someone to spread the word about politics, medical advancements, or judicial decrees. Not only are these educational articles, but they have become a source of entertainment for many. The question is: will this reporter need a degree from a J-School, or will this reporter just need to be tech savvy?

In this age, print papers are no longer a staple of a person’s morning commute. Why smudge your fingers with newsprint when you can just load up a news site on your smart phone? All major news providers offer online subscriptions, as do entertainment news sources. Many of the primary news sources offer audio programs as well, including but not limited to radio segments and podcasts.

It could be argued that it isn’t necessary to have graduated from a post-secondary institution like a J-School or even a traditional college or university with a degree in journalism to become a reporter. All you need is a willingness to ferret out sources and have a regularly updated web page. You don’t even need to pay for a domain name if you are strapped for cash when you’re starting out: there are so many free platforms accessible to anyone with an email address.

So back to the original question: what does this mean for student journalism? For me, personally, it means that I need to step up The Quill’s online game. We’ve had a rough year for change over, and unfortunately our online presence took a hit. My main goal is to get us back on track with our website, and to re-establish our presence on social media. For my successor, the impact of the digital world on student journalism will mean printing fewer physical editions per year and amping up our online presence even more, keeping our readers up to date as news happens rather than on specific days per week. I’d love to see The Quill starting a podcast to discuss Brandon University news, and perhaps partnering with the Bobcats to have a section or even a full weekly podcast dedicated to our favourite sports teams.

I am definitely of the opinion that the world of journalism is shifting to an increasingly online presence. The Quill will need to roll with the punches to maintain its status as one of the oldest publishing student run newspapers in Canada. I also hold the hope that The Quill will continue to print physical copies. Perhaps we’ll eventually go the way of many of our fellows throughout the country and begin to publish a monthly magazine while reporting relevant news stories online.

Time will tell, and I look forward to witnessing The Quill’s evolution.