FREE.WEEKLY. VOLUME VOLUME 71 // ISSUE 25 // MAR 23 TimaTe n he art o i inG t f s lor hi s exp Ba k T r o i n dininG out with Golden key BudGet cut special diets p8 questions p15 quandary p18 The official s TudenT newspaper of The universiTy of winnipeg CDI_Winnipeg_Uniter_Feb2017_ACSW.pdf 1 2017-03-01 10:44 AM ASK ABOUT OUR EVENING CLASSES! The UniTer // March 23, 2017 3 on the cover emma Bedard began taking part in shibari when she moved from a northern Manitoba community less than a year ago. WHAT’S IN A JOB? an addictions & We’re hiring another position for the fall – and per- haps some of you are wondering, “Why does The Uniter hire so often? Is there some nasty secret here in the basement of the Bulman Centre that C community drives aspiring writers and journalists away?” M There is one specific reason why we seem Y services worker to hire more often (and have staff changing positions more often) than other news outlets. It CM all comes back to our role as a learning paper. MY We’re here to help build careers, not to CY TUITION SCHOLARSHIP* $3,000 sustain them for years upon years. We hold CMY professional standards and collaborate with each other to help meet them. But the end goal isn’t K Want to become an addictions support worker? CDI to have a super-experienced crew who can do perfect journalism, if such a thing even exists. College’s Winnipeg campus is offering a $3,000 tuition Our positions are created specifically so scholarship* for the Addictions & Community Services writers, editors and visual creatives can learn Worker program. Apply today! and grow in them. And of course, inevitably, that means that our best and brightest will also grow out of them and move on. And that’s okay, too. A few of our positions – like the managing editor and business manager – were created to lend some stability to the paper. We’re here all year, and then for another year, and another. But there’s a little bit more fluidity built into the rest of our staff. Each position has its own 1.800.675.4392 skill set and learning opportunities, and most STUDYACSW.CDICOLLEGE.CA apply far beyond the realm of news media. Right now, we’re hiring a volunteer coordi- Financial assistance may be available to qualified applicants. | *Certain restrictions apply. Contact campus for more info. nator. It’s an opportunity to mentor new writers, but it's also a great way to hone and develop leadership skills and to practice working with volunteers, which is a pretty awesome thing to have on a resume. If this intrigues you, check out uniter.ca/jobs for more info. The secret to what we do here in the basement of the Bulman Centre – and in homes and coffee shops across Winnipeg – is that it’s a labour of love and a place to grow. We each get what we put into these roles, and after seeing the work that this year’s team has put into The Uniter, I’m pretty confident that we’ve all gained a lot. $5 after 5 – Anastasia Chipelski #AtCMHR follow us Get engaged with Canada’s ongoing on social media human rights story. Right now, that might be just what we all need. @ThEUniter @ThEUniter fAcEbOOk.cOM/ $5 admission from 5 – 9 pm Theuniter on paid Wednesdays. laura garinger was voted in as the new UWSA president for 2017-18. photo By keeley Braunstein-Black humanrights.ca UNITER STAFF cOnTRIbutors cOnTAcT us SUbmissionS MAnAgIng Editor STAFF PHOTOgRAPHER VOlUnTEER WRITERS gEneral Inquiries Submissions of articles, letters, graphics anastasia chipelski » [email protected] callie Morris » [email protected] Murat ates 204.988.7579 and photos are encouraged, however BUSIness MAnAgER STAFF PHOTOgRAPHER Jesse doerksen [email protected] all new contributors (with the exception charmagne de Veer » [email protected] keeley Braunstein-Black » [email protected] denise Macdonald www.uniter.ca of letters to the editor) must attend sam swanson a 45-minute volunteer orientation Creative director STAFF Illustrator Advertising workshop to ensure that the volunteer Bryce creasy » [email protected] Gabrielle funk » [email protected] volUnteer Illustrators 204.786.9790 understands all of the publication’s basic ARTS & CUlTURE EDITOR Features REPORTER Matthew dyck Room ORM14 guidelines. Volunteer workshops take place Meg crane » [email protected] thomas pashko » [email protected] Bram keast University of Winnipeg Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1:20 in room 515 Portage Avenue ORM14. Please email [email protected] for CITy EDITOR Arts Reporter more details. Deadline for advertisements alana trachenko » [email protected] Melanie dahling » [email protected] Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 is noon Friday, six days prior to publication. COMMEnTS EDITOR News Reporter Treaty One Territory The Uniter reserves the right to refuse to tim runtz » [email protected] talula schlegel » [email protected] Homeland of the Metis nation print material submitted by volunteers. The Uniter will not print submissions that COPy & STylE EDITOR CAMPUS REPORTER danielle doiron » [email protected] Justin luschinski » [email protected] are homophobic, misogynistic, racist or libellous. We also reserve the right to edit PHOTO EDITOR VOlUnTEER COORDInATOR MOUSElAnD Press Board OF Directors: kent davies (interim chair), anifat olawoyin, Jack for length/style. daniel crump » [email protected] stephanie Berrington » [email protected] walker, dylan chyz-lund, Victoria king and nikki riffel » For inquiries email: [email protected] 4 The UniTer // March 23, 2017 ARTS The UniTer // March 23, 2017 5 THIS TIME, IT’S PERSONAL whose FOR ALEXA DIRKS Songwriter confronts nerves and projects confidence with Begonia Murat ates @Wpgmurat house? volunteer staff photo By adaM kelly Alexa Dirks, the soulfully self-conscious After a Juno award-winning career as Alexa Dirks performs for Begonia's EP release on March 3 at the West End Cultural Centre. MALAIKAH’S singer at the heart of Begonia, is following part of Chic Gamine, Dirks says she feels a up her sold-out March 3 EP release by writ- heightened sense of vulnerability striking is the wrong word because, like, I remem- “Sometimes being lost, being almost HOUSE ing music for her first full-length album. out on her own. She recalls paralyzingly ber that feeling. It was fucking scary.” 30, that’s kind of confusing. Figuring She says she wants it to be as personal fierce anxiety striking her on the day of Similarly, when Dirks reflects on her yourself out and figuring out where you photos By callie Morris as possible. Begonia’s first rehearsal. sold-out EP release, she confides, “It just fit in as a woman in a society that’s pretty “When you’re honest about things and “I was so nervous, I was vomiting. And felt like the most personal – like I was patriarchal and tells you that you should other people see that, then they can be this is something that I’ve done a million walking on stage with no clothes on and be a certain way or look a certain way or thoMas Pashko @thomaspashko more honest with themselves. My goal is times. I’ve been to a rehearsal 10,000 just being like, ‘What’s up? Check it out! have children at a certain age or marry at just to be as myself as possible, so that times,” Dirks says. “I can’t even count on What do you think?’” a certain age … I don’t know. I just want features reporter people can relate to that.” all of the fingers and toes that I have how She laughs before adding, “And then women to feel good about themselves.” Dirks says that being herself means many times I’ve been in a rehearsal space. crying and running off stage, like ‘No! The next chance to see Begonia in It’s instantly clear when walking into accepting the awkward parts. It’s not like this is a new thing for me.” Don’t tell me anything! I don’t want to Manitoba will be this summer at the Malaikah Rang’inya’s home that she has “I know I’m not a cookie-cutter woman Dirks says if she felt uniquely afraid, it know!’” Winnipeg Folk Festival. a passion for décor. The writer and poet’s in the pop world. And I’m not trying to was because Begonia is uniquely import- Making music as Begonia is not all discover more from Begonia at hellobegonia.com. front door opens into a bright pink and tan- be. I just feel like I want to speak for the ant to her. about feeling naked and overcoming fear. gerine living room, populated with objects woman who maybe doesn’t always feel “I hold this project so closely … Like, Quite often, it is also about empowerment. and antiques that have been either selected comfortable with themselves but is pow- I want to project this confident person, “I feel a responsibility now – if I’m or repainted to fit the colour scheme. ering through … (and) trying to do good, but inside it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I felt going to contribute something, I want it “Each room in the apartment has its even if they feel awkward sometimes.” paralyzed, which now seems – laughable to mean something,” Dirks says. 1 2 3 own theme,” Rang’inya says. “I try to imbue each space with a type of energy. This room, for example, is my pastel pink room. I just think, ‘Would a twelve-year- old girl dressing up as a princess think it’s cool? Yes? It’s sparkly and has crazy colours? It belongs in this room.’” Rang’inya also says that her constant repainting and redecorating of the home serves a self-care purpose.