Valentines in Isolation

Valentines in Isolation

By Moses Aisida

“There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. — George Sand, French novelist and memoirist”

A season of love between two or more people set in a time of isolation seems like the perfect irony, right? Well, given how the last year has gone, the irony now stares us in the face as reality. With many major cities in the world locked down – even with Manitoba recently easing its restrictions a bit, it is nowhere near what a normal-February in the world would be. The absence of gatherings of love, romantic dinner dates, proposals at bars, etc., might put a dampener on the annual celebration of love. As this year’s Valentine draws near, it would be interesting to see how creatively people will navigate the obstacles of the pandemic, and still express affection to their loved ones.

Virtual Love

Most large gatherings, meetings, conferences, hangouts, etc., have moved to virtual platforms. Due to restrictions, people have gotten so creative in connecting with their dearest ones through virtual meetings, video calls, and even audio calls. February 14th will not be any different. A lot of people will have to resort to these virtual platforms to connect with their loved ones. Virtual dinner dates, music-sharing dates, Netflix movie parties, etc., are some innovative ways to stay connected with our loved ones on Valentine.

Gift of Love

One of the core concepts of Valentine is professing love through gifting. Even a global pandemic cannot stop people from sharing gifts with their loved ones. From buying flowers, perfumes, giving money, to even a love card, an effort to purchase gifts for someone would make the season enjoyable and keep the fire of love burning. Even if you cannot afford any of these things, loving someone and letting them know is as important a gift as any of these material things.

The Essence of Love

Isolation might keep us from physically being with other people, but we have to remember that love transcends the physical. We must acknowledge that love comes from the heart and that there are several genuine ways to display it. So, this Valentine’s day, pick up your phone and call that friend who lives in the next province, send an email to that brother who lives overseas.  Write a letter to that lover who lives two streets away, order a box of donuts for your neighbor, send lovely texts to your coworkers, host a virtual party with your family, or do anything that extends love to others. 

Even in a pandemic, there is still enough room to show love, and once we have that, we are never in isolation.

DATING IN A PANDEMIC

By Moses Aisida 

DATING IN A PANDEMIC

If you do not already know, we are in a global pandemic. The world has somehow managed to wear a post-apocalyptic look, and everyone has been forced indoors. For a species that places so much value on interactions, we have struggled in this pandemic. And like every other thing, dating in these times has also taken a different turn.

Blessing in Disguise

Perhaps, the fact that we are a digital generation with heads planted in social media platforms and quick fingers replacing our voices makes the first step towards finding love easy. Online dating platforms saw a global boost of 82% in the early weeks of the pandemic (Dating.com). Most of these platforms rolled out several features to help their users take a chance at love, and it worked – at least for the first few months.

Chat Loop

Humanity's insatiability - soon, people got tangled in the loop of chatting, and the natural crave for more began to manifest. People who were great at conversations lasted longer, while people who didn’t excel at this got bored. Dating platforms began to see a gradual decline in the number of subscribers and revenue. Another blow for genuine seekers of love.

Focus on the Positives

One thing is certain, there are lots of positives to draw this new form of dating. Virtual conversations allow you to get to know a potential partner in the safety of your personal space. The comfortability, calmness, and safety that one derives from this new format encourages choice – safe choice. Another positive is that it affords one the ability to thoroughly acquaint themselves with potential partners without the complexity that sex throws into new relationships. It becomes easier to know each person’s intentions without the mind-clouding that sexual activities present. Lastly, dating online serves to reduce or eliminate the costs that arise from physical dates. With sex and money absent, it becomes easier for genuine relationships to thrive.

Some Creative Tips

So how do you balance the boring aspect of online dating with the restrictions on meeting people? Here are a few tips that one can use to spice up the quest for love.

1. Be intentional about what you want.

2. If truly true love is what you seek, then you must commit to knowing your potential partner as best.

3. Spice up your conversations with movie dates through Netflix movie sharing, music date through Spotify, virtual dates with Zoom, or other video calling platforms.

4. Try to be romantic. Send letters through the mail, order lunch for that person, send gifts, make a playlist for them, etc. Just do fun stuff that shows your affection.

5. Pay attention to the laws put in place, and depending on the ease of restrictions, plan physical dates.

6. Do not compromise your core values for the sake of love. If someone is not on the same page as you, leave.

7. Lastly, stay safe.

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in" — Morrie Schwartz, from Tuesdays with Morrie

Biden’s First Week as President

Biden’s First Week as President

By: Cedric Bell

Photo Source: Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP 

Joe Biden’s inauguration and subsequent first week as president have been thankfully pretty quiet. After the attack on the capitol building two weeks prior, a relatively routine political turnover has been a much needed break for the U.S. That being said, his first week hasn’t been completely uneventful. Biden has taken a number of steps forwards in his first weeks in terms of policy changes. These changes follow a couple of themes, such as undoing past decisions from the former U.S President Donald Trump, environmental and social policy changes, and a new Covid plan.

Some of Joe Biden’s first decisions as president have been undoing choices made by the former President, Donald Trump. Ironically enough, this is also the same approach that Trump used in his first few days as President in repealing some of Obama’s policies. The two most notable policies that Biden has reversed are the U.S’s stance on The Paris Agreement, and on the travel ban. Namely, Biden has reentered the U.S into the Paris agreement, which has been an expected move considering his stance on the environment, and has repealed the travel ban which restricted travel into the U.S from a number of other countries. There are several others as well, but these stand out as the most significant.

In terms of environmental and social policy, Biden’s first week has been very productive. So far, he has signed three different executive orders that focus on environmental research and infrastructure support. Controversially, he has also halted the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. While this is good news for the environment, it is economically harmful, especially for Canadians. Whether the good outweighs the bad here remains to be seen as the government weighs climate change activism against the economy.

For social policy, not much has been acted upon yet, however Biden has two plans in motions that could be a big deal. Firstly, he is intending to increase the minimum wage to 15$ an hour, which would be extremely helpful in lessening the disparity in income in the U.S. His other big plan is to push a “Buy American” policy that would encourage the U.S to focus on stimulating its own economy. Once again, while helpful to them, this could prove to be problematic for Canada, as our economy is heavily reliant on our relationship with them.

His proactive approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic is a welcome change of pace, as in his first week he has made three major steps towards handling it. Firstly, he has put forwards a mandate that requires federal workers to wear masks while on federal lands, i.e. while working. Secondly, he has put a Covid board together that will focus on how covid has disproportionately affected certain minority groups, rapid testing, tracing, and communication with the public. Lastly, his plan in dealing with Covid is currently being examined, and is apparently generally receiving support.

Biden’s first week as president hasn’t been catching headline after headline, but has been focused and productive. After undoing many of Trumps’ controversial and backwards decisions, Biden has focused on putting forward legislation to support the environment, guide the U.S through Covid, and stimulate their economy. While this is good news after how destabilised the U.S has been over the past few years, these decisions are going to have a huge impact on Canada, in both negative and positive ways.

White Supremacy at Capitol Hill

White Supremacy at Capitol Hill 

By: Mallory Johnson 

On Wednesday, January 6th, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. They did this because United States President Donald Trump tweeted to his thousands of supporters that he did not support the results of the runoff election that was held the day before in Georgia. Trump and his supporters still believed that he won the election, even though Joe Biden won fair and square. 

           At this violent white supremacist protest, most of the attendees were not wearing masks. Five people died, including a police officer. Items were stolen from inside the Capitol building, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s laptop. Some arrests were made. There was a huge difference in the reaction from the police at this protest than the Black Lives Matter protests that happened in 2020. The only police officer seen defending the Capitol building was a black man. 

           This attack was premeditated; Trump tweeted, “JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC.” Also, there were attendees wearing shirts that said, “Civil War: January 6, 2021” and a Tik Tok video posted by a Trump supporter before the protest that said, “Wait till liberals find out about Jan 6th.” This changes the charges that the attendees would get (if they are charged at all). 

           There was also a major lack to call the violence what it is, which is terrorism, and this might be related to the fact that the attendees were majority white people with Nazi flags and Nazi shirts on. This was the first time a confederate flag had ever been in the Capitol building. 

           Many attendees traveled from across the country during the current COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in them being put on no-fly lists, because of their potential COVID-19 exposure and their terrorist actions. 

           Trump inciting this violence resulted in him and his ideologies getting banned from many social media websites and apps. These include Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Shopify, Spotify, Pinterest, Google, Reddit, Twitch/Discord, and YouTube. Also, a few White House staffers resigned following the violence. There were calls to impeach Trump, and Democratic politicians are currently in the process of impeachment. Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20th, 2021.

Covid-19 and Death Rates Decreasing

Covid-19 and Death Rates Decreasing

By Mary Okorie

Last year was quite terrible and many of our daily activities were disrupted by the appearance of Covid-19. There were a lot of cases and death rates kept increasing. People lost friends, family, and loved ones due to this virus. 

Research lab scientists and pharmaceutical companies tried very hard to come up with vaccines so that the world can slowly go back to the way they were. Toward the ending of last year and the beginning of this year, vaccines have been produced and distributed. This has given us quite some hope on going back to our life. The vaccine has been shipped to Canada and has been distributed among provinces so that health personnel and other residents can take the vaccine. So far there has not been any bad news about the vaccine, instead, there have been reports of death rates reducing. Here in Manitoba where many health workers have gotten the vaccine, our death rates have reduced, and slowly we are moving from code red to a much safer code. By the end of this year, the government plans to vaccinate as many people as they can and also curb the spread of the virus.

This is like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, giving us hope that one day we might be able to go to class and connect with our fellow classmates and professors and for other people to go back to their former daily activities. We have to keep safe until Covid-19 is under control.

Two More Weeks at Home: Code Red Restrictions Extended

Two More Weeks at Home: 

Code Red Restrictions Extended

By: Maria Garcia Manzano, AEIC of The Quill 

Manitobans patiently awaited the scheduled January 8th 12:30 pm conference call held by Dr. Roussin. During this conference call Manitobans would learn whether the code red restrictions first put in place back in mid November of 2020 would be extended further. As we came to learn the code red restrictions have been extended for an additional two-week period and are set to expire on January 22nd. The restrictions were extended as a result of the unknown impact the holiday season will have on the test positivity rate. 

In case you have forgotten what the code red restrictions entail here is a reminder. During the code red phase, gatherings outside one’s household are not permitted with the exception of individuals who live alone and are allowed to have one designated visitor. All nonessential businesses are closed, and all nonessential items cannot be purchased in store. Thus, meaning that everything deemed nonessential by the province must be purchased online and shipped or arranged for curbside pickup. These will all remain in place until the 22nd, however just as during the holiday season a few changes were made in order to accommodate for the Christmas spirit, there were a couple of changes to the restrictions to accommodate hockey fans and hockey parents. Hockey practices and games will be allowed to take place. This received mixed emotions with many individuals complaining and becoming angry at the unfairness of the restrictions and the favouritism the province placed on hockey. Many complained that small businesses could not afford to be closed for another two weeks as they risk going under and that province was making a mistake by considering hockey as an essential. The anger and disappointment felt by individuals is understandable however this anger will not get us anywhere and we must not let our impatience and anger get the best of us. 

While we cannot partake in any indoor activities nor can we visit any friends or family there are a variety of outdoor COVID-19 friendly activities we can do. Ice rinks have opened, and sledding hills have also become available for public use. Furthermore, dog parks have now opened to allow our fur friends to interact with other dogs as this is much needed. Another outdoor activity that we can do is hiking at the Brandon Hills, the weather has been beautiful throughout this first week of January and a nice hike through the Brandon Hills will prove to be beneficial to your health. 

We hoped the restrictions would be taken down and we would be able to see friends and gather outside of our household however due to the irresponsibility and foolishness of those who have disobeyed the orders and visited friends, family and significant others throughout the holiday season have essentially ruined it for the rest of us. However, anger will get us nowhere and all we can do is hope that in two weeks our numbers have decreased significantly in order for those of us who have waited to see our family and friends. 

Brandon University did not extend the winter break

Brandon University did not extend the winter break

BU Student

2020 was a year unlike any other, and the first semester (virtual term) was a difficult challenge for all students, staff and professors. University is stressful as is but when online schooling was added to the mix, the stress level of university drastically increased. Many of us had to learn to use new tools and deal with the stress of online testing and examination. Finding the motivation to wake up and turn on our computers to attend classes and hand in assignments was a struggle and took a big toll on our mental health. Many universities like the University of Toronto, University of Manitoba, Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier and others extended winter holidays by 1-2 weeks because they understood that the students, staff and professors needed extra time to recuperate. Other universities like University of Saskatchewan and Macmaster extended their winter holiday break by 1 week after the students at the universities successfully petitioned.  

So, what about Brandon University? 

Brandon University held a senate meeting back in October to discuss the potential of extending the winter break, but it was decided against due to a clash with deadlines at the end of second term (virtual term two). They were unable to come up with a plan to extend the break and meet the deadlines. 

A Brandon University student started a petition in hopes that the university would listen to the students. The petition quickly gained popularity and amassed over 700 signatures, which is roughly 25-30 percent of the population of Brandon University, the same percent of students that signed the Macmaster petition (which got approved). The following is one of the many comments on the petition, David Winter wrote: “As a faculty member on sabbatical, I stand in solidarity with my colleagues in the teaching trenches and students who are enervated and exhausted. Please extend the holiday break during these unprecedented times.” This just goes to show that not only are the students in need of a break but so are the staff members and the professors. According to students there was a rumour going around that the petition was brought up in a senate meeting but according to the BUSU president in a Facebook comment “it was discussed earlier in October and was decided against as it would not benefit all students and faculty in the greater context. No more discussions have taken place at senate since the decision in October.” 

In the defence of Brandon University, the extended break would’ve caused delayed graduations, delayed grades and given the professors a shorter term to fit their material by 1 week, roughly 2 classes. Online classes were an unforeseen situation that no one could’ve been prepared for, but Brandon University could’ve worked out a plan to work out these issues. 

 I due realize that this article is a bit late and that nothing can be done now, I just wanted to inform you of the disregard Brandon University had on the petition, them not bringing it up in the senate meeting held in December goes to show how much they cared about the petition [students]. There isn’t anything we can do now, but these decisions are made by the people that we elect for BUSU and the senate. This goes to show how important voting is. 

I wish you all a good luck for 2021 and second term. 

Stay safe and healthy.

Long Distance Learning Continues

Long Distance Learning Continues

By Mary Okorie

The holiday is coming to an end and another online semester starts. Many students are not eager to start school because of how lonely learning online can be but there is not much of a choice. We all have to look for what works for us and move forward. Some of the students attending this winter session are not even in Canada because of denied visa or their visa is still in the process. They have to study in their country in the midst their family members and distractions. With nothing we can do about the current situation, we have to make this semester a success. Students should be prepared for this semester, make sure the have a working electronic device for learning and Wi-fi. They should have also seen where they performed poorly in the last semester and identified the cause and look for a possible solution so that they can perform better this semester. Students should also try their best to look for ways to make this long-distance learning fun, create groups with other students and find solutions together. They should also make sure to attend their classes no matter what and avoid distractions. We should all try not to be stressed out and do our best to keep healthy, both physically and mentally. It is really hard to study without knowing fellow classmates and few to no friends. We hope for a better year and that things can slowly start going back to the way they were. Happy new year!! And I wish everyone a wonderful semester.

What the COVID-19 Vaccine Means for Canada

What the COVID-19 Vaccine Means for Canada

By: Cedric Bell

Photo Credit: sciencemag.org

With news of the recent authorization and purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, it seems like the Government of Canada is taking a proactive approach to bringing Canada out of the pandemic. With that being said, there is still a lot of speculation surrounding the topic, and a lot of different information to understand about it. So here’s a breakdown of some of the most important facts about the vaccine, its progress, and what it means for Canada.

The Situation

As of right now, Justin Trudeau and the federal Government of Canada have purchased and authorized the use of a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is being made by the Pfizer/BioNTech companies and has shown promising results. The vaccine was approved by Health Canada on December 9th and is being bought in bulk and brought to Canada. This is following a similar decision made by the UK about a week beforehand. 

The Plan

Once the vaccines are in Canada, they are going to be administered across the provinces to varying degrees. The primary focus for vaccinations right now is to target at risk groups of people, such as healthcare workers, long term care residents and staff, and senior citizens. The idea behind vaccinating these groups first is that it would protect those who face the most significant threat from the pandemic; this means those working closely with it, those who stand to spread it the most, and those in groups that COVID-19 has the highest mortality rate in. The vaccinations are also being distributed more heavily in the provinces with higher populations and concentrations of people.

The Timeline

The first vaccines are set to be administered as soon as next Tuesday in some provinces, with most set to start immunizing people sometime next week. The exact details of when and how the vaccines are set to be used varies from province to province but follow the same relative trends; the first round of vaccinations are set to be distributed from January to March, focusing on at risk groups first. Most provinces are expected to start giving the vaccine to the general populace around April.

The Limitations

The production of the vaccine is facing several problems right now which are impeding the speed of its delivery. For one thing, a successful vaccination requires two doses, meaning that we can only vaccinate half as many people as the amount of vaccines we have. Another is that the contents of the vaccine have to stay in extreme cold, so they have to be administered wherever they’re in storage, and not from facilities. The last is that manufacturing them takes time, and even at their fastest pace, trying to provide enough for Canada as well as the rest of the world will take time. Finally, there is the possibility that the vaccines can cause allergic reactions in certain people. The UK recently faced this issue, as two people seemed to have had bad reactions to the vaccine, but whether or not this will be an extensive issue or not is still being investigated.

What does it mean?

While progress is being made, it is important to note that the new acquisition of the vaccine isn’t a be all end all to the pandemic, at least not for now. There is still time to bide before they become widely available, which means that at the moment the pandemic is still something to contend with and will be for another couple of months, or more. Still, the fact that these vaccines are successful and starting to be rolled out is exciting news, the progress of which will be seen in the coming months.

Vaccines for COVID-19 in Development

Vaccines for COVID-19 in Development

By Kiersten Garbutt

Perhaps the most exciting news from this year is the possibility of an effective vaccine fir COVID-19 becoming available early in the new year. Canada has signed contracts with two companies. The first, Pfizer and BioNTech, stated that their tested vaccine is at a 95% effectiveness. The second company, Moderna, has stated similar results of 94.5% effectiveness. These vaccines are shown to be safe because they went through vigorous testing. Since the vaccine is new, it will still be monitored, but so far, the results from these vaccines have been positive. Dr. Brent Roussin stated that even with the vaccine, disruption of the vaccine will take a while; he stated that “early signs show that they’re safe and effective, but there’s certainly going to be low quantity at the beginning of next year. We’re going to be dealing with this virus for many, many more months, another year, but it’s certainly optimistic results that we’re seeing with these vaccines”.

 According to the Government of Manitoba, the vaccine will be free and hopefully will be available to anyone who wants to be vaccinated. It is stated, by Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, that all Canadians could be vaccinated by the end of 2021. Having a vaccine will lesson the stress on health care workers, limit the spread of Covid-19, and protect the health of immunocompromised individuals. However, even with a vaccine it is still important to stay home when sick, wash your hands regularly, and continue wearing masks. 

Getting Ready for Another Online Semester.

Getting Ready for Another Online Semester.

By Mary Uchechukwu Okorie

The end of the semester is around the corner and the Christmas break is fast approaching. Students are getting ready for their final exams while also preparing for Christmas. Some students are also curious and eager about how next semester online classes will be. This Christmas break should be used to prepare for next semester while also having some rest from the first term. 

Online learning may not be the best way to deliver education, but we do not have much choice given the unprecedented circumstances and next semester will be the same. To prepare for another term of online learning, students should acknowledge any strengths and/or weaknesses discovered during this first semester of online learning; they should reflect on their grades and determine where they need to perform better. Students also need to think about why they did not do well and what could be a possible solution to it, so that they can perform better next semester. The upcoming holiday should not just be about resting and celebrating. If possible, students should go over some materials before school resumes so that they have an idea of what they are about to learn. They should also make sure their laptops, or any electronic gadgets needed for online learning are working well and that their Wi-Fi plans will do the job. Students should also check their emails regularly during the holiday to make sure they are updated and do not lose out on information from the university communications committee or their professors.

Not many students were excited about having winter session online, but we have to keep moving. Making sure we are well prepared for another session of online learning will be to our advantage. We need to use our Christmas holiday wisely!

Big Day for Joe: Former VP Biden Declared 46th President of The United States

Big Day for Joe:

Former VP Biden Declared 46th

President of The United States

By Zach Roozendaal

If you’ve been following the US federal election like many people have been, one thing was for certain; this election wouldn’t be the typical elections we have come to know. Instead, COVID-19 drastically changed the way Americans are used to voting. While some liked to attend rallies without masks, not have any social distancing and blatantly disregard health and safety, there are those who decided to stay at home and show support from there.

            This year was going to be tough as Donald Trump is like Apollo Creed in Rocky II; Rocky needed a lot of help and preparation to overcome his greatest rival, and Joe Biden knew it was going to mean getting out there and being with the people when possible, and ‘training’ in his own way. He did just that it seems.

            While many may be quick to criticize Donald Trump’s decisions while in office, people make mistakes, and no one is perfect. However, Americans and people around the world are celebrating this big win for Biden. Dancing in the street occurred, so I guess the invitation from across the nation from Mick Jagger and David Bowie was finally accepted.

            People also lit fireworks, hoisted flags high and proud, and were finally rejoicing over the win of Biden. But not everyone was happy as Trump supporters believe that the Democrat’s victory is absolutely false, and that Joe Biden stole the election. Trump has also sued several states in what some are describing as a last-ditch effort to cling to power.

            For some, this might be the highlight of 2020, and for others, it’s a low point and a conspiracy. Say what you will, but just as the nation and the world had to come to terms that, like it or not, Donald Trump would be the President following the 2016 election, they’ll have to do the same about Joe Biden. Some wonder if Joe Biden plans on running for a second term as well, although given his age, I’d say likely not.

            Kamala Harris is also making history as the first female Vice President of the United States, and the first ethnic minority to hold that position as well. SNL didn’t pass up the opportunity to weigh in on the current state of affairs either, with Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump just as upset over the turn of events as the real President. Jim Carrey and Maya Rudolph were also back as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris respectively, and they were just as excited as everyone else. Sadly for Baldwin, it looks like his portrayal of the New York born billionaire is about to hit the road. Perhaps the biggest moment on the show came from host, Dave Chapelle who was hosting for the first time in over 4 years (he also hosted all the way back in 2016 following that election). Chapelle weighed in on how he felt and with this election things seem better in his opinion.

 Meanwhile, Donald Trump has seemed to have some difficulty coming to terms with the results of this election. It’s definitely a lot to process, and although he may only have a few months left before his successor takes office, it seems that Donald Trump will not give up without a fight. Watching this all unfold feels like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame because, just like the Avengers, tons of people expected Hillary Clinton to win, but then Donald came like Thanos, snapped his fingers, and half of America felt dead inside as their hearts turned to dust. Years later, Joe Biden with his team of democrats would try and collect all of the electoral votes and revive hope. Now it’s at the moment where Trump’s about to do the 2nd Thanos snap, and is telling us “I am inevitable” before finding out he’s actually not, and the only thing inevitable is him having to pack up his things as Biden sits there, like Iron Man, having given it all he’s got.

            Democracy is divided, but nothing is beautiful because it’s perfect, it’s beautiful because we can see past the imperfections and appreciate what we have anyways.

Thank you all for reading and stay safe out there. Wash and sanitize your hands often, stay at home unless it’s absolutely necessary for you to go out, don’t hold gatherings, take care of each other, social distance and wear a mask in public, and hold out hope that tomorrow things will be brighter.

Until then, this is Zach Roozendaal, signing off. Goodbye for now!

Who is the Most Affected by Natural Disasters?

Who is the Most Affected by Natural Disasters?

We live in a society where social class shapes the life of the individual. Our destinies are based on the income we have and the efforts we put to maintaining our sum of wealth. Social class also frames our experiences with natural disasters. The position one occupies in the social ladder could influence if we survive or die during a crisis. Of course, this varies depending on where one lives, considering geographical locations affected as well the intensity of the disaster. Areas such as Haiti have been severely devastated after an earthquake in 2010. Consequently, places that are poor are severely more devastated by natural disasters and often take longer to recover. For Haiti, their weak state institutions made them less likely to recover economically and socially. However, in the United States, hurricane Katrina emphasizes that social class and race influence the experience of disasters. During Katrina, poor Afro-American communities were the most affected. The experience of Katrina may tell us that being poor and belonging to a minority group decreased the chances of being rescued; according to Barbara Lee USA representative of California 13th congressional district, “the disparities in which different communities, and neighborhoods, and individuals experienced the effects of Katrina were driven by a history of racism and inequality in the region”. Similarly, a catastrophe like the Chicago heat wave that killed many low-income seniors during an intense heat wave in 1994 reflected a similar situation where many poor African American seniors died. Eric Klinenberg stated, “a key reason that African Americans had the highest death rates in the Chicago heat wave is that they are the only group in the city segregated and ghettoized in community areas with high levels of abandoned housing”. In both situations government failure to respond efficiently and income inequality reduced the chances of African Americans surviving the crisis. In 2020 Covid-19 has not been the exception; even here in Canada our experiences of the pandemic are shaped by the social class to which we belong.  

When Covid-19 started, celebrities tweeted about their experiences being in quarantine and a group of them made a video singing “Imagine” by John Lennon. They tried to symbolize global unity and that “we are all in this together”. However, they communicated solidarity through their social media from their expensive houses. Of course, quarantine may be experienced differently living in a luxurious mansion comparing to many of us living in small houses or tiny one to two-bedroom apartments. Many of us with little space to move around may not have felt joyful being in lock down for weeks and many working people lost their jobs or were laid off with no savings, hoping to receive government assistance. The wealthy have more advantages to contain the virus. They can sustain themselves financially and have more traveling and shopping options, therefore avoiding possible contact with the virus. Those that are not wealthy become more dependable on government aids for their survival. Our experiences with Covid-19 may be different depending where one is located and the income one possesses. Therefore, being aware of our position in the social ladder gives us an insight that, during this global health crisis we are not in this together; at least not all in the same way. Based on social class the pandemic experiences are not the same for everyone.   

By Eder Leonel Torres 

Code Red

Code Red 

By: Kiersten Garbutt 

With the increased number of positive Covid cases in Manitoba, we should take some time to remind ourselves about proper social distancing methods. We know that all of Manitoba has entered code red and we all need to be extra careful. Remember that code red entails mandatory masks in all public places and your ‘bubble’ should only consist of people living in your household. Remember that going out is not a need. 

Masks are a crucial step in lowering your chances of spreading the virus. Remember that the mask will not necessarily keep you safe from others that do not wear a mask, but they will protect others around you! Do not be selfish and protect the community! You never know who is more prone to getting the virus so it’s better to be safer than sorry. Plus, you can get a mask anywhere nowadays and you can find lots of different fun patterns. 

A little reminder to stay six feet away from people that have not been in your bubble. The only way we are going to get through this virus is by being kind and working together as a community. Your decisions do affect others drastically. 

Also, it is important to note that if you are a potential Covid case, you have been told to stay home by public health officials, you go over the limit for public gatherings, or refuse to wear a mask you can get fined up to $1296. So stay safe and stay home!

MEDIA RELEASE: Canadian Mental Health Association expands BounceBack® across Manitoba Funding from Bell Let’s Talk supports increased access

MEDIA RELEASE: 

Canadian Mental Health Association expands BounceBack® across Manitoba

Funding from Bell Let’s Talk supports increased access

Winnipeg, November 18, 2020 – Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Manitoba and Winnipeg today announced the expansion of CMHA’s BounceBack® program, thanks to a donation from Bell Let’s Talk. BounceBack is currently offered in select areas with support from the Interlake-Eastern Health Region, the Winnipeg Health Region and grants from RBC Foundation and the Winnipeg Foundation. The additional donation from Bell Let’s Talk will provide access to this evidence-based program for more Manitobans throughout the province.

“CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg is pleased to expand this service when so many people are struggling with their mental health. COVID-19 is here now, but the mental health impacts will last long after the pandemic is over. We know from experience that BounceBack can unlock the door to new skills and a better quality of life,” said Marion Cooper, Executive Director, CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg.

BounceBack is a free, guided self-help program effective in helping adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry. Through telephone coaching and a selection of skill-building workbooks to choose from, participants can customize their own program, learn ways to overcome their symptoms and improve their mental well-being now and in future.

“Bell Let’s Talk is proud to help CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg offer the BounceBack program to more Manitobans as the demand for virtual mental health supports increases as a result of COVID-19,” said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “Through the expansion of the BounceBack program across the province, CMHA is supporting Manitobans now in this time of crisis and uncertainty in communities across the province and into the future.”

Based on cognitive behavioural therapy, BounceBack has been shown to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms by 50% at program completion. The donation from Bell Let’s Talk has enabled CMHA to leverage existing expertise in BC, Manitoba and Ontario where the program is already funded by governments and donors, to expand the impact of this evidence-based program to more Canadians.

Available to Manitobans in English and French, the program is free to all participants and will be delivered by coaches who are extensively trained and overseen by clinical psychologists. Participants can be referred by a primary care provider or choose to self-refer as long as they’re connected with a primary care provider, giving Canadians more choice in accessing support from home.

Bell Let’s Talk funding has supported the creation of a national website and toll-free number where Canadians can learn about BounceBack and find out whether it is right for them. For Manitoba residents interested in registering for the program, please visit cmha.ca/BounceBack.

About Bell Let’s Talk

Bell Let’s Talk promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let’s Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

About the Canadian Mental Health Association in Manitoba

Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada.  CMHA Manitoba was incorporated in 1952 and has a provincial presence with branches and offices in Thompson, Swan River, The Pas, Dauphin, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk and Winnipeg. CMHA provides rights protection and advocacy, diverse programs and resources that help prevent mental health problems and illnesses, support recovery and resilience, and enable all to flourish and thrive. We work to improve the lives of all Manitobans through leadership, collaboration, and continual pursuit of excellence in community-based mental health and addiction services. To learn more please visit mbwpg.cmha.ca

Winter Effect on COVID-19 Spread

Winter Effect on COVID-19 Spread

Written by Moses Aisida

About a year after the initial outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a drastic change in peoples' lives around the world. The initial spread rapidly moved across countries, cities, towns, and smaller communities. About 53.5 million people in the world have been infected with the virus, resulting in over 1.3 million deaths. In Canada, close to 300,000 infected persons have led to about 11,000 deaths. Manitoba, currently in Code Red level lockdown due to the rapid increase in cases, has had about 140 deaths and around 10,000 infected persons, making it one of the worst-hit provinces per capita. Early stages of the virus spread had resulted in lockdown or restriction procedures across the country and the world in general. Therefore, this effectively reduced the rate of infection worldwide over the summer periods, and some scientists attributed that drop in infection rates to the high summer temperatures. If this is true, it poses an interesting question - will the infection rates increase over winter, with an increase in cooler weather, making the pandemic worse?

Well, COVID-19 is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome, and its symptoms and mode of transmission are similar to influenza (commonly called the flu). The flu typically peaks in infection levels around the colder months of the year. And this can be due to a lot of factors, one of which is the adaptability of the virus. By forming a gel-like membrane around itself, the virus gets protected from the cold. Also, with low humidity in the winter time, the viral droplets stay longer in the air, increasing the risks of infection. The weakening of the immune system, due to low levels of Vitamin D in the winter time, plays a massive role in virus transmission. Due to the similarities between the flu and COVID-19, it is safe to assume that as we approach winter, COVID-19 infection rates will sky-rocket across countries of the world.

Evidence of this increase is becoming more visible daily as many countries and cities across the world are currently experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

This graph displays the number of active cases in Canada from March, 2020 to November, 2020. It is clear that there was a spike in the number of people infected as we approached fall, and this rapid increase is not slowing down as we hit the early stages of winter. Manitoba has already had to go on ‘Code Red’ in an attempt to control the alarming rate of infections in the province.

COVID-19 is a new and evolving virus that has swept across the world, causing a global pandemic. The behavioral patterns and evolution extent of the virus are still unclear, and scientists are still not able to accurately predict its weaknesses or limitations. However, if the similarities with influenza (flu) – as well as the recent surge in new cases in Canada – are anything to go by, the pandemic is set to get worse in the next few winter months. Can winter be any less inconvenient?

CODE RED FOR ALL OF MANITOBA: What does this mean?

CODE RED FOR ALL OF MANITOBA: What does this mean? 

By: Maria Garcia Manzano, Assistant Editor-in-Chief 

As of Thursday, November 12th, all of Manitoba was placed under Code Red of the Pandemic Response. This is a result of many Manitobans being unable to follow fundamental guidelines to limit the increase and spread of COVID-19 cases within the province. Dr. Roussin said in the November 10th news conference, due to Manitobans not listening, over 2,000 cases emerged during that week. Thus, further actions are needed to protect Manitobans and protect the health care system from being overwhelmed. The guidelines may seem extreme to some; however, this is the consequence of not listening to the more lenient guidelines. 

Yes, the new guideline list seems long and lonely. However, these precautions are being taken in order for schools and childcare centres to remain open safely, and while many parents may feel scared to send their children to school, it is ultimately providing children with a sense of normalcy amidst these unprecedented times. If parents feel their child is at risk under Code Red, some schools are willing to resort to remote learning for the families that require it. 

For the small to medium sized businesses that will close as a result of the new guidelines, the Pallister government will be providing some financial relief through the new Manitoba Bridge Grant. This grant will provide $5,000 before Christmas to businesses, Not-For-Profits, and charities that apply and qualify for it. An additional $5,000 will also be given in the New Year. Furthermore, there will be changes made to the pre-existing Manitoba Gap Protection Program -- instead of receiving conditional loans which are expected to be repaid by the business owners that applied for them, these will now become provincial grants instead. Thus, they will not have to repay the province if they have received Federal COVID-19 support. 

      For more information go to: https://manitoba.ca/covid19/programs/ 

The following are the Code Red guideline implementations that will last for the next two weeks, although Dr. Roussin admitted that it is more likely to be four weeks:

• Social gatherings are not permitted, and social contacts must be reduced to one’s household.

• Retail businesses listed as critical services, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, can continue to operate at 25 per cent capacity.

• All personal service businesses, including hair salons, barbers and sites offering esthetic services, must close.

• Religious and cultural gatherings must close or be provided virtually.

• Gyms and fitness centres will close.

• All recreational activities, sports facilities, casinos, museums, galleries, libraries, movie theatres and concert halls must close.

• Schools remain open and operating under Code Orange guidelines.

For more information on Code Red visit: https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/system/red-critical.html 

Brandon residents may think, “We are part of PMH region, and our case numbers are not skyrocketing. Why should we be forced to endure Code Red regulations?” To answer your concerns, yes Brandon and the PMH region have done a good job in lowering our case numbers by following guidelines. However, we must fall in line with the new health restrictions because test positivity has increased across all jurisdictions, meaning that COVID activity is on the rise all across the province. A province wide approach is what is needed to succeed in lowering the number of cases across Manitoba. We have closed the province in this way before and saw success in declining case numbers, we have to do it again and we will once again see success.

WINNIPEG BECOMING CODE RED ON PANDEMIC RESPONSE

WINNIPEG BECOMING CODE RED ON PANDEMIC RESPONSE

By: Maria Garcia Manzano: AEIC of The Quill 

On Friday October 30th Manitoba announced a record of 480 new cases of COVID-19. Three new deaths were also added to the increasing death count in Manitoba and it now sits at 65. Of the 480 new cases the Winnipeg Region accounts for 309 of them, 10 of the 480 come from our region Prairie Mountain Health. Due to the increase in cases in Winnipeg, they will be moved to code red of the pandemic response system. Dr. Brent Roussin is hoping that the most restrictive level of the pandemic response will force Manitobans to drive the ever-growing curve of Covid-19. The rest of the province will also move to code orange as the province tries to decrease the number of cases. 

How did Winnipeg get to Code red and what does its implementation look like? What does this mean for Brandon? These may be questions you are asking yourself. To answer your questions, Winnipeg is on the code red pandemic response because:

1. There has been extensive community transmission of COVID-19 occurring and is not contained.

2. There are widespread outbreaks and new clusters that cannot be controlled through testing and contact tracing.

3. The virus is being transmitted at levels that public health and the health system deem concerning or critical.

*This was taken from the MB Pandemic Response website: https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/system/red-critical.html 

The Winnipeg Region has been reckless and as a result the uncontrollable spread of Covid-19 now roams throughout the city. Now at the most restricted level of the pandemic response Winnipeg will be force to go into lockdown. This means that they will see social gatherings being restricted to 5 people, restaurants and bars close their dine in services, retail spaces being reduced to 25% capacity, Sports and recreation programming being suspended, Gyms and fitness centers reduced to 25% capacity and mask wearing mandatory even while working out. These are just a few examples of the restrictions that will become fully effective November 2nd. 

Many more restrictions could take place and a complete list can be found at: https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/system/red-critical.html 

What does this mean for Brandon? As mentioned before the rest of the province will be implementing the orange code. Brandon has already been here, and although many individuals complained about the mask mandate imposed on all public indoor places, Brandon as a whole saw its implementation decrease the number of cases being reported. Thus, we can do it again. We will also see a reduced social gathering capacity and restaurants and retail spaces will reduce capacity to 50%. Furthermore, if the Winnipeg region does not get a handle on their surge of cases and their hospitals begin to run out of room in the ICU, they will begin to transfer patients to Brandon. In case you hadn’t notice our hospital is ill-equipped to handle the surge of new cases. 

Wear a mask, wash your hands, limit the times you go into stores and limit your circle of friends. If we do this, if we put more effort into driving the curve down, we will succeed. Our province used to be one of the few that had double digit case numbers, we had a single digit death count. Now, we have been careless and we must now face the consequences.

Photo Credits: Google Images

Halloween Costumes to Avoid in 2020 (and Why)

Halloween Costumes to Avoid in 2020 (and Why)

By: Mallory Johnson, Reporter

While there are many great costume ideas for Halloween this year, there are also many that are NOT so great. Before I go any further, I want to put in place a trigger warning for the mentions of racism, ableism, anti-Semitism, police brutality, animal cruelty, sexual harassment, body shaming, and eating disorders. I found these costumes through research and my own opinion. 

Starting off, please avoid any culturally insensitive costumes, including: First Nations costumes, ANY costume that includes blackface, or in general any costume that mimics another culture that is not your own. This is racist, because at the end of the day you can take off the costume and the makeup, but the people you are dressing up as cannot. 

Next, please avoid dressing up as a police officer, a prisoner/criminal, or anything related to the Black Lives Matter movement. This goes along with my previous point, at the end of the day you can take off the costume, but the people impacted by police brutality cannot. Also, the Black Lives Matter movement is not a trend. 

Moving on, please do not dress up as a Trump supporter, a terrorist, Harvey Weinstein, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a member of the KKK, any politicians, a Nazi, or Anne Frank. These people need to be taken seriously, as they have greatly impacted people’s lives, and should not be treated as some silly Halloween costume for one night. 

Please do not go as a sick person, a mentally ill person, a national tragedy, or the COVID-19 pandemic for Halloween this year. The pandemic has taken a serious toll on everyone, and it has killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, meaning that it must be taken very seriously. Also, it is ableist to make a joke of sick/disabled people in general. 

Finally, please avoid dressing in body shaming and objectifying costumes, as an eating disorder, animal cruelty, sexual harassment, as a homeless person, as a character from The Handmaid’s Tale, or a recently deceased celebrity. 

In general, please try to avoid any insensitive or offensive Halloween costumes this year. Your motivation to dress up as someone or something should not be as a joke or to make fun of that person or thing. Remember that if you are going out to celebrate Halloween, to wear a mask! 

Happy early Halloween!

Borat’s Back in New Sequel! But will the Comedic Kazakh Cause Problems?

Borat’s Back in New Sequel! But will the Comedic Kazakh Cause Problems? 

By Zach Roozendaal, Contributor

All the way back in 2007 a journalist from Kazakhstan with a lime green mankini, grey suit with a green striped shirt, beige tie, and thick black head of hair and moustache made his way over to the United States to film a documentary meant to showcase the lifestyles of Americans to help educate the people of his country.

            That journalist caused quite a stir with his racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, and sexist antics. His name was Borat Sagdiyev, and he has returned for a second outing, despite the fact that times have changed and his antics may be a career ender in multiple ways.

            Now, Borat isn’t actually a real person, nor is he from Kazakhstan. He is a persona of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who first debuted on the British political criticism sketch comedy series “Da Ali G Show”. He was featured in the segment known as “Borat’s Guide to Britain” where he would try and document the lifestyles and culture of those from the UK. Eventually, the character was introduced to American audiences through a revived version of the series for HBO with all new segments of him in the USA. But he got the most attention when he gained a film of his own, titled “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” and it involved him traveling across America while filming a documentary with his ‘producer’, Azamat Bagatov (played brilliantly by comedian Ken Davitian). In the movie, Borat decides to go to America after seeing an episode of Baywatch in his New York hotel room and gets the idea to go to California in an attempt to marry one of the show’s lead actresses, Pamela Anderson.

            Multiple issues came with the film, with Borat being used as a tool to try and highlight the ridiculousness of all forms of prejudice, and that it’s fueled by both ignorance and indifference, according to Sacha Baron Cohen. The bumbling, socially awkward, but kind hearted reporter was retired shortly after his theatrical debut. Subsequent lawsuits followed from the comedic depictions of some of the individuals who appeared in the film, including a driving instructor and a few college students, as well as the Romanian village of Glod which was used for all the shots of “Kazakhstan” and whose citizens were featured and labeled as Kazakhs. The use of Glod was due to Cohen being issued a ban from Kazakhstan’s government leaving him unable to film there, although it was later lifted.

            Borat’s interactions were seemingly filled with an innocence despite the uncomfortable and awkward nature of his comments in everyday conversations. I’ll be leaving out some of the more R rated comments but some of his most mild ones are praising his hero, “Anti Jew Warrior Melvin Gibsons” (Mel Gibson), the Australian born Hollywood actor and director of “The Passion of the Christ”, and also Sagdiyev saying that he is a big fan of George W Bush and his “Strong father Barbara”, as well as his love of America and stating in most interviews that he needs to use the restroom despite already being on air. Also, if he is interviewed by a woman, Borat asked when the actual interviewer was going to arrive, before proceeding to act surprised that women can do interviews, and saying “In my country we say to let a woman be a journalist is like to let a monkey fly a plane, very dangerous, high five!”. He also frequently brings up his hatred of his deceased ex-wife and half-sister Oksana, with Sagdiyev even describing the following in an exchange with David Letterman:

David: Now you said you were married?

Borat: Yes, but my wife is dead.

David: Oh well I’m sorry to hear that.

Borat: HIGH FIVE!

            Borat expresses his love of taking photos in women’s restrooms, having a sister who works in the adult pleasure industry, as well as having a son named Huey Lewis and a daughter-in-law, along with a grandchild whom he hopes to sell to Madonna, and a mentally disabled brother which he refers to with a less politically correct phrase, who had a lobotomy/exorcism to remove a demon from his brain by inserting the tooth of a red haired woman, causing the demon to curse his brother Bilo with brain damage.

In the age of social media, where a single Tweet is all it can take to potentially get someone blacklisted from Hollywood, Cohen said in past interviews that it would be impossible to make a sequel to Borat, and because with the way technology and social media are and how recognizable the character is, trying to go undercover and surprise people the way he did on “Da Ali G Show” and in the movie wouldn’t work. It was widely considered that Cohen’s 2009 film “Bruno” about his gay Austrian fashion model persona of the same name, was intended to be at least a partial sequel to Borat, since both share similar elements of Cohen baiting unsuspecting people into interacting with his strange and offensive persona.

Borat has popped up a few times since then though, with him appearing on an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2015 to promote Cohen’s latest film at the time, “Brother’s Grimsby”, and then again during a 2018 segment to participate in “midterm election tampering” as Cohen was appearing on the show to promote his latest series “Who is America?”

Needless to say, it almost looked as though the character was going to be gone for a while, but almost 2 years after his last appearance, Cohen was spotted back at the end of August with a camera crew following him while in character as Borat, driving around Los Angeles in a yellow pickup truck. Allegedly, a sequel was filmed in secret during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On October 1st though, an official teaser for the film had been uploaded to YouTube and got over 1.4 million views in a span of only 10 hours. The trailer includes a small monologue by Borat Sagdiyev, stating that 14 years ago, he made a movie for his home country, but instead of educating them it just brought great shame to Kazakhstan, but now he has been sent back on a secret mission to make a new film and give an update on American culture and the state of politics and life, and what has changed since his last film.

The biggest issue seemed to be Borat being widely recognizable, as mentioned earlier. They do address this in the movie, and Borat attempts to deal with his fame the only way he feels fit: to disguise himself as an American and try to change his appearance to throw people off so he could avoid recognition. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kazakh and his daughter were able to have a blast across the USA with very great success!

The film has been titled “Borat Subsequent Movie film: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” and the film itself is set to be released on October 23rd and will feature Borat quarantining with rednecks, visiting a costume shop, having a fake wedding, learning how to play golf, crashing a speech from Mike Pence, and attempting to auction off his daughter for marriage to Donald Trump’s family, and lots more!

But until then, feel free to watch the original as it was good and, if anything, I hope that this sequel will truly live up to the standards the first film has set.

And now, before I bid you farewell, I’ll leave you all with my final thought. When a person from a foreign land visits another country, cultures may clash but who is wrong in those situations? The visitor for not understanding the customs, or the host for not being more sympathetic of the knowledge gaps and cultural differences?

Well, that’s all. Remember to sanitize or wash your hands when you are in an area with lots of high touch surfaces, wear a mask when required, social distance as much as possible, and stay home if you’re not feeling well because you aren’t doing anyone any favours if you don’t.

Until next time, stay safe out there, ladies and gentlemen. This is Zach Roozendaal, signing off. Goodbye for now!