Daniel Conway, an athlete with the Bisons football team until 2025, has now transitioned into a football commentator for the Bisons football games.
However, football was not Conway’s first passion. A picture of Kobe Bryant guarding Michael Jordan on his bedroom wall hints at his soft spot for basketball.
“Basketball was kind of like my first love.”
Conway revealed that he imagined himself playing basketball at a U Sports level, but that never came to fruition. Realizing that, Conway shifted his focus to playing football and luckily, he was invited to the tryout, making his way onto the roster.
When Conway was about four years old, his older brother, who was a New England Patriots fan, introduced him to football.
His brothers, Nick and Stefan Conway, were also athletes for the Bisons football team.
Throughout Conway’s time with the herd, the locker room experience is something he cherishes.
“[There is] amazing team culture, playing football, it’s just the most fun.” He expanded on the locker room culture by saying that it is where the athletes spend most of their time during the school year doing homework, studying or just hanging out.
According to Conway, the environment churns out “real connections” with other players.
Conway last played for the Bisons in December 2025 against the Regina Rams, but he has since hung up his jersey. Despite leaving the team as a player, Conway could not hold back his enthusiasm for the season that the team is having.
Conway shared that as a commentator he tries to be both authentic and professional. “In certain circumstances, if you were to watch my broadcast, you can definitely tell how excited I’m getting for certain players,” he said. “One of the things I do a lot is try and emulate commentators who do professional games […] It’s fine to be authentic, but you also want to be professional.”
Conway shared that as a commentator, he cannot yet always predict what plays the Bisons are making in the game. However, he focuses primarily on describing the actions as they take place.
In the 2026 season, Maya Turner became the first woman captain in the history of the Bisons’ football program.
As a former teammate, Conway has nothing but praise for Turner. “She’s been one of the integral parts of the team for the past four, five years,” Conway said.
“I think she came in 2022 […] I had already known about her.”
According to Conway, Turner has been dedicated to the sport and always put in the work. He added that she had proved a lot of people wrong who had doubted her with the homecoming game in 2023, when the herd won due to her game-winning kick in overtime. Since then, Turner has been a trailblazer.
Referring to the 2024 season, when Turner was the first woman in U Sports history to be a Canada West Football All-Star, Conway said, “If you’re being unbiased about it, the best kicker in the Canada West for an entire season […] You can see why she has been named captain.”
The Bisons football team is expected to play the Saskatchewan Huskies on Oct. 16, having faced them already this season where the Bisons won 40-22. The next home game scheduled for Bisons football is on Oct. 31, at the Princess Auto Stadium.
It is not every day you meet a 22-year-old composer and concert pianist on campus, but Ari Hooker is exactly that.
Now in the last semester of his degree in piano performance at U of M, Hooker has already composed dozens of pieces, even performing his own piano concerto with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO). In 2025, CBC named him as one of the 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
“I’ve always just believed in being dedicated to the things you love and working hard, not accepting laziness, and just always trying to become a better version of yourself and grow as a human in all aspects of your life,” the pensive phenom told the Manitoban.
It can be said Hooker’s musical journey started before he was even born. Born to Yuri Hooker — the principal cellist at WSO for 25 years — and conductor and pianist Michelle Mourre, music was ingrained into his family. Hooker started playing piano at age three and cello at four, initially taught by his parents before moving onto other teachers.
“Music was always a value in our home from a very young age, and it was a discipline that we had growing up,” he commented.
Unexpectedly, one of Hooker’s early forays in music was playing keyboard with the four-piece indie band Training Wheels, which he started with a high school friend. The band debuted with the single “Me and You” in December of 2021, wrote and released several singles and an EP and performed shows before going dormant due to the band members’ diverging schedules.
“It was super different from anything I’d experienced in the classical world because obviously, the energy of a classical concert is completely different to that of a rock show,” he said. “It was a super fun time.”
Hooker started to compose more prolifically at the end of high school, which is when he recognized his zeal for composing.
“[Composing] was a completely new love for music than the piano had ever given me. Not that I don’t love the piano, but composing was just something totally new and something that I knew that I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” he said.
One of Hooker’s earliest works is a three-movement divertimento for string quintet, written in June 2021. As of now, the Gen Z composer has written 25 major compositions in total for piano, strings and symphony orchestra, each containing around 10 to 15 pieces.
Many of them have been recorded, with the latest release being The Sum of the Parts in 2026. For the album, he recorded his sonatas for violin, viola and cello and his piano quartet — compositions he considers his best works so far — with musicians from across Canada in only a week.
“A lot of the starts of pieces have been melodies or ideas that have popped into my head,” said Hooker, portraying his creative process as a combination between composing in his head and at the piano.
“I like to have everything all sorted out in my mind before I put it down on paper. I generally don’t revise very much in my works because I just like to have a clear idea of what I’m going to write before I write it down.”
“Once things are on paper, it’s just a matter of practicing it and of engraving it in music notation software, and then it’s ready to perform,” he explained. Hooker identified the 20th century, without a doubt, as his favourite musical period, characterizing it as an era where music “exploded” and became widely accessible, in addition to being shaped by different traditions. He named giants in classical music such as Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev and Sergei Rachmaninoff as his favourite composers.
“Ravel is probably my all-time favourite. I think he just had such a masterful understanding of harmony and orchestration and balance, truly a classical composer, but in a completely different harmonic setting,” the composer stated.
Credit: Zulkifl Rafah / The Manitoban.
His fondness for the classical composers is sometimes apparent in his earlier works, especially with titles such as “Le rêve de Ravel” or “Vocalise,” the latter perhaps a nod to Rachmaninoff’s song. However, with several years of experience under his belt, Hooker is steadily finding his compositional voice, describing his sound as rich tonal harmonies and memorable melodies on classical instruments.
“When I started out, I felt as though my pieces were still my own, but they were to a degree, I guess, imitations of other styles,” he added. “But the more I compose, the more things that influence me, and the more things that I absorb, the more they coalesce into one.” His latest composition is Scenes from Korea / 한국의장면들, Op. 16 for solo piano, composed in June and July of this year. The inspiration behind the suite was a trip to Korea with his girlfriend, which Hooker described as a “dream come true.” The recordings, alongside other recent works, will be released as an album soon.
“[The trip was] an amazing experience, super inspiring, both just as a human […] to experience a completely different culture from what you’re used to, but also as a composer to see so many new things,” he recounted.
“I just knew that I had to write a piece about it. I had to somehow express everything that I was seeing, and so I wrote a set of 16 pieces. We were there for 16 days, and I took one moment from each day that I was there and expressed it through music.”
Self-expression is at the core of Hooker’s composition, and he cited nature, other cultures and just experiencing the world as sources of inspiration. For example, the fifth piece from Scenes from Korea, “Beside A Merry Stream | 청계천옆에,” muses on the stream that traverses Seoul, writing in an Instagram post that he was so exuberant in that moment even the stream he was walking along seemed happy. Composing is his way of expressing what words and language cannot convey.
“I’ve always just really wanted people to experience the beauty and the joy that music can bring,” he said. “If my music can somehow inspire [other people], that would be success for me.”
Ari Hooker in Korea. Credit: Junie Na.
Hooker can spend eight to 10 hours a day composing or practicing, depending on the number of upcoming recitals. He tries to balance the two, though he admitted, with a laugh, to favouring and enjoying composing slightly more than practicing.
However, hard work pays off and Hooker is an illustrious performer. In 2024, he won the Aikins Memorial Trophy at the Winnipeg Music Festival, an award given to most outstanding performance by an instrumentalist in a competition at the diploma level.
He had the opportunity to perform a movement of a concerto with the WSO as part of the award, and naturally, he requested to play his own composition, Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 5. This is Hooker’s most memorable performance yet. Apart from it marking his debut with WSO, which his father was still a part of at the time, he said hearing his piece played by a live orchestra was “mind blowing.”
The virtuoso was also one of the winners in the U of M Concerto Competition in 2025, later performing as a soloist with the U of M Symphony Orchestra. He was awarded the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg scholarship in the same year.
“Both were absolutely an honour to be a part of and to be fortunate enough to win,” said Hooker. “It’s amazing that Manitoba has things like these to support young artists and support them in achieving their goals of becoming professional musicians.”
During his time at U of M, Hooker has studied under Juilliard graduate and pianist David Moroz, whom he described as “always very encouraging.”
“[Moroz] wanted me to play things that I loved, and I really appreciated that about his teaching,” he stated. “[The program] also just gave me a lot of freedom to learn what kind of person I wanted to become, what kind of musician I wanted to become, and it gave me the freedom to pursue my own interests as well.”
Outside of classical music, the U of M student is a Nintendo fan and video game music enthusiast. He has been transcribing the entire soundtrack of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the past year with the goal of eventually publishing the score.
Hooker looks forward to composing and performing full time after graduation. He is also considering graduate studies, possibly in Toronto or Montreal.
“I would love to continue to study composition, and continue just composing and producing more,” he said.
U of M Undergraduate Leaders in Healthcare and the U of M Dairy Club are hosting a lemonade stand with ice cream to raise funds for CancerCare Manitoba Foundation to support Manitobans with cancer. The stand will be outside of the Science Students’ Association lounge at 209E Armes on Oct. 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be four different ice cream flavours available — matcha, chocolate, vanilla and coffee.
UMMSA 36th Annual Conference
The U of M Muslim Students’ Association (UMMSA) is back with its 36th annual conference planned for Nov. 13 to 15. UMMSA will be expecting guest speakers from across Canada and the U.S. This three-day event will consist of networking sessions, workshops and Islamic lectures. UMMSA is also planning on launching their new merch as well as expanding their MSA cafe menu. Interested parties can find more information at @um.msa on Instagram.
UMSCAS Icebreaker
The U of M Sociology and Criminology Association of Students is hosting an icebreaker event for attendees to meet the executive team and make friends. The event is taking place on Oct. 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the faculty of arts lounge. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Interested parties can RSVP through the club’s Instagram page @umscas.
Mastani Diwali
The U of M Hindu Students’ Council and Laksh U of M are hosting Mastani Diwali on Nov. 6 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. in University Centre’s multi-purpose room. The event will celebrate the festival of lights with music, food, rangoli, performances and a DJ. Entry tickets are priced at $10 for U of M students and $20 for non-student attendees. More information is available on Instagram at @hsc.uofm or @laksh.umanitoba.
Women’s Heart Health Panel
The U of M Women’s Heart Health Club and UMSU Women’s Centre are organizing a panel for an evening of discussions with panelists in women’s research and heart health. The event is happening on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. in EITC E2 165 featuring panelists Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin — primary investigator at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Punam Mehta — a Rady faculty of health sciences instructor, Rhea Vaags-Olafson — Reh-Fit director of health and fitness and Noor Imran — a U of M medical student. More information can be found at @womenscentre_umsu or @umanitoba.whhc on Instagram.
In honour of Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day, the U of M Nigerian Students Association (UMNISA) organized a five-day event featuring activities celebrating Nigerian culture.
The week’s celebration, Naija on Campus, began on Sept. 28 with a display of traditional clothing called “Traditional Fusion.”
Joshua Okoye, UMNISA president, said “[the event] was positioned for the Nigerian students on campus to have fun with their fellow students and also be able to connect with the larger Nigerian students community.”
The celebration featured Nigerian music, cultural clothing, snacks, dance and sports. Nigerian vendors also displayed food, clothing and other products.
Balancing the event schedule with academic commitments presented challenges, Okoye shared.
Despite the hurdles, Okoye said the association’s executive and events teams collaborated to plan the week, with members sharing ideas, assigning responsibilities and coordinating activities.
The association also connected with Nigerian businesses in Winnipeg through vendor participation. Okoye said these connections supported UMNISA’s efforts to promote Nigerian culture and “helped make the celebration more engaging.”
He said seeing attendees engage with Nigerian music, food, fashion and sports was among the most memorable aspects of the celebration.
“An event like Naija on Campus helps bring people together, create friendships and build connections between students from different backgrounds,” Okoye expressed.
UMNISA plans to continue organizing cultural and social activities, and initiatives focused on networking, advocacy and student support.
“We hope that students and attendees were able to know that even if we are far from home, there’s also a home here,” Okoye said. “There’s always a community at the U of M that cares about the Nigerian students, their advocacy and their well-being.”
The final lap of the event was crowned with an Afropegga Night Out, which featured DJ ALTAY at Savana.
Nigeria gained its independence on Oct. 1, 1960 after nearly a century of British colonial influence and rule. In 1963, it became a federal republic, ending its constitutional relationship with the British monarchy.
For more updates about UMNISA’s future events, students can follow their Instagram page @_umnisa.
U of M Healthcare Outreach Program and Events (HOPE) is having a bake sale on Oct. 13 and 15 to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The bake sale will take place in front of the Science Students’ Association lounge at 209E Armes from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All proceeds will go to Helping Hands for Manitobans with Breast Cancer Inc.
Raeesa Hoque, HOPE events coordinator, said the bake sale will include an assortment of treats with ingredient lists available for students with dietary needs or restrictions.
Beyond fundraising, the bake sale also aims to raise awareness about local organizations supporting people affected with breast cancer. Hoque said brochures from Helping Hands for Manitobans with Breast Cancer Inc. will be available at the table, allowing students to learn more about the organization without having to make a purchase.
The event also provides an opportunity for students to discover ways to get involved in their community.
Fatin Shadab Talukder, UMSU director for HOPE, explained the idea behind the event. “Students are always in a rush […] A bake sale is really easy for students to purchase something,” he said. “A bake sale is a good way to provide them with that energy. It’s all homemade, right? It’s all made with care, love and good ingredients.”
HOPE is a student-led outreach and fundraising group that aims to educate and inspire students about healthcare careers. As a new club, they are hoping to reach more students with the bake sale.
“Take a piece of HOPE with you,” Hoque said.
Their outreach is offered both in English and French for accessibility and inclusivity across Manitoba’s bilingual community. HOPE also operates at the University of Saint-Boniface, connecting students to healthcare on both campuses.
HOPE’s outreach also includes high school visits. Their last visit was to Sisler High School for a fully French radiology outreach event. HOPE has participated in community initiatives such as Better Blankets for Babies, a collaborative project with the U of M Student-Organized Market Initiative involving fundraising and making blankets for mothers and babies in need.
HOPE plans to introduce students to lesser-known careers in healthcare. Talukder explained that the healthcare field extends beyond traditional professions such as medicine, pharmacy and dentistry.
“Healthcare is more than clinical care,” Hoque added. “It’s not just a one-way path.”
She explained that students pursuing careers in healthcare may sometimes feel discouraged when they do not achieve the academic results they expected. However, hope is not lost, as opportunities are plentiful in healthcare. Hoque recalled learning about medical illustration as a potential healthcare career, an opportunity that surprised her.
“I was like, wow, that’s different,” she said. “There are lots of opportunities.”
Looking ahead, HOPE plans to organize additional healthcare panels and outreach events. As the club continues to grow, Hoque hopes the bake sale will help connect more students with the organization while supporting the wider community.
UMSU’s board of directors approved a by-election through board appointment to fill two vacant executive positions at its Oct. 8 meeting.
The decision followed the failure of motions 0717 and 0718, which would have redistributed the responsibilities of the vacant positions among the remaining executives.
The governance committee was subsequently tasked “to develop a process, and procedure for conducting by-elections for the vice president external affairs (VPEA), and vice-president finance and operations (VPFO) vacancies.”
At the meeting, board members considered two proposed election procedures. One was motion 0720, which proposed a by-election through board appointment, and the other was motion 0721, which proposed a regular by-election where eligible student voters elect the replacements.
Motion 0720 was approved and 0721 failed.
Before the vote, the chair of the governance committee, outlined the considerations behind the proposed procedures.
“We looked at UMSU’s previous procedures, how other student unions in the country have handled similar situations, and what would realistically be manageable in the middle of the academic year,” the committee chair said.
The approved process will determine replacements for Cameron Provost, the former VPFO, and Aiden Peters, the former VPEA. Both executives resigned from their positions.
The motion stated that “the executive by-elections shall take place at the board meeting starting at 6 p.m. on October 22.”
Interested candidates must submit a minimum of 50 valid signatures in support of their nominations. Nominations open Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. and close Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.
If no eligible candidate comes forward for either vacancy by the nomination deadline, that position will remain vacant and return to the board for consideration of next steps.
According to the motions, the appointment by-election is expected to cost approximately $5,230, about $4,770 less than a by-election by student vote.
The approved process also shortens the election timeline. The regular by-election option would have stretched the election process to Nov. 2 and 3.
However, the appointment process limits voting rights to eligible board members, meaning students will not directly elect the replacements through a union-wide vote.
A question period will be open to board members and students-at-large, although priority will be given to questions from board members. This differs from a regular election forum, where students can question candidates as part of the election process.
The committee chair said the governance committee developed the options for the board to consider, and that the committee did not “formally endorse either option.”
The approved procedure applies only to the two vacant executive positions at this time and does not permanently amend UMSU’s governing documents.
Interested and eligible students can review the nomination requirements by visiting umsu.ca/by-election.
Coming off the 2-1 loss against the MacEwan Griffins on Sept. 27, where the herd had chances of tying the game but failed to capitalize their opportunities, the Bisons soccer team decided to prove themselves against the Alberta Pandas whom they played against on Oct. 3 and 4 at home.
On Saturday, the Bisons won the game 3-2 and on Sunday, 4-1.
Reflecting upon the Bisons’ track record with the Pandas, since October 2024, the herd has managed to remain undefeated against them.
However, there was one instance that cannot be overlooked. At the 15-minute mark, the ball was rolling just outside the penalty box toward the Bisons goalkeeper, Kailey Johnston-Krulicki. There was a misunderstanding where the Bisons defender may not have been aware of the opponent and waited for the ball to go to Johnston-Krulicki.
Noticing the opponent player, Johnston-Krulicki ran toward the ball, however, finding herself outside the penalty box. Just then, the Pandas striker swooped in. The ball without a touch from the Pandas’ player went past the goalkeeper. Although Johnston-Krulicki dived, she could not grab the ball. Hence, it was a simple tap-in goal for Pandas’ Erin Hope, the first goal of the game, 0-1.
At the 26-minute mark, Malaya Fernandes gave a lofted pass that Bianca Cavalcanti received, setting the ball up beautifully for Sarina Mann to tap into the net – an equalizing goal for the Bisons.
Cavalcanti seemed not to be done. Three minutes later, the forward intercepted a pass from the Pandas’ defence just outside the opponent’s penalty box and placed it right into the corner of the goalpost, giving the Pandas’ goalkeeper no chance at saving. Suddenly, the Bisons were leading 2-1.
However, the first half ended with the score of 2-2.
In the second half, around the 57-minute mark, Mann brilliantly dribbled across the heavily guarded midfield and switched the play to the right side of the field. The ball eventually ended up with Lily Polet, who sprinted past the Pandas’ defender and shot it into bottom corner.
The Bisons were now back in the lead, 3-2.
Although this was the final score, the herd did not stop attacking. In the last 10 minutes of the game, they had three more shots on target.
Bisons soccer interim head coach Fabio Capone, said the season has had both “ups and downs,” but there were “more ups than downs.”
Capone commented, “In today’s game, as much possession that Alberta had, once we got an opportunity to get on the ball, we are very dangerous in our transition.”
Despite the injuries that have been plaguing the squad, the team went all-in on Saturday’s game, which was shown in their tougher physicality, an element that has been relatively absent this season.
Capone also addressed the player injuries, saying, “I guess there’s always going to be knocks.” He added, “We started the season with a smaller roster, only because it was about three or four girls with some really serious knocks, but I would say we’re about as healthy as we’re going to be with five games left in the season.”
“Everybody wants to be part of this story that we’re writing,” said Capone.
Compared to the previous week’s games against the Griffins, the Bisons switched from their strategy of attacking from the centre to attacking from the wings.
Talking about using the strategy of attacking from the wings, Capone explained, “[It] really started with our backline, so Elana, who was pulling out of the centre back, was skipping past a few players and felt more comfortable delivering on a right foot to that open side and then again player profiles, the girl that was on the second half on that wing is very quick.”
The Bisons are set to play the Mount Royal Cougars in Calgary, Alta. on Oct. 17 and 18.
Aquarius, the show Dancing with the Stars calls to you this week. You crave the drama and excitement, but perhaps we should leave the drama on the back burner, as it might cause problems in your future.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Pisces, if I were you, I might take off my party girl hat this week and hit the books. You are falling behind in your schoolwork, and it’s starting to stress you out. Do your lecture readings and stop dawdling.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
Stop reliving memories you may be better off forgetting. It’s hard for you to keep circling through the same memories because you feel guilty for past mistakes. Take this as a sign to let go.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Taurus, stop delegating choices to others. Make them for yourself. You are losing independence by letting other people choose for you. This is your sign to take back some control.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Gemini, you have been ignoring your health. Your lingering cough that you can’t seem to get rid of needs to be looked at. Health is serious, go to the doctor before that cough gets worse.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Cancers, I need you to know that it’s okay to show emotion. But sometimes you take out your bottled-up emotions on the people around you, and that’s not cool. Make sure you try to be more aware of what you are saying.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Leos, the $10 bills in your cash till at work are speaking to you. You need to rest. You have exhausted yourself by trying to do too much. Take my advice, call in sick to work and take a day to yourself.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Virgos, spend time with your family. You keep avoiding them, and it’s making you more isolated. Take a moment to breathe and go play Scrabble with your family instead of being on your phone.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Libras, I’m sorry to tell you this, but you may be the villain this week. You have not been taking responsibility for your actions hurting others. You need to shoulder some of the blame, it’s not always everyone else’s fault.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
Scorpios, I, for one, am tired of you taking up the entirety of a professor’s office hours. You don’t always need to be the centre of attention for everything — let someone else take the limelight.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
Sagittarius, you may be a little weird, but that’s what makes your personality so magnetic. If people find you off-putting, do not pay them any mind. Let the people who love you do the talking.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Capricorns, put down the fire extinguisher and let other people deal with the fire. You are not responsible for the messes that other people make. Let them deal with it themselves.
CAUTION: This article contains explicit language and discusses cases of sexual violence at Cornell University and the U of M.
As a woman, I am so angry.
I am exhausted of reading the handbook of How Not to Be Murdered 101.
Why am I anticipating a crime a man hasn’t yet committed? or anticipating being followed when alone and walking. “You are alone,” says many universities, for it will be your fault if you are assaulted, harassed and killed because we will make a man who says “Grab her by the pussy” the president of the United States before we believe women.
The system has failed, assaulted and driven over women when they have been kicked down, doubted and blamed women when men assault and kill women “because what in the world was she wearing?”
A bear would not invite 56 of his friends to assault someone, for if a bear were to kill me, he would kill me out of necessity, not for degradation and pleasure. People would believe me if I said I were attacked by a bear — they would euthanize the bear, not make the bear write an essay. In every lifetime I would choose to meet a bear in the forest before I met a man.
Cornell has failed Jane Doe; the system has punished Jane Doe, for they will allow a woman to be assaulted by seven fraternity brothers for seven hours and the punishment will be an essay. These are not the Cornell 7, these are the Cornell rapists. The glamorization of seven in the title turns them into a group of vigilantes — stop giving these men the opportunity to hide behind a showy name and headline. These men are rapists.
We need more men to call out misogyny, bigotry and homophobia, even if it means losing a few friends, because silence is support. After all, not a single member of the 50-person group chat at Cornell reported the assault to police. NOT A SINGLE ONE.
These men were not only complicit in a crime but were invited to join, with the group chat stating, “free pussy upstairs” and asking, “Shop still open?” The definition of a good man cannot simply be not being a rapist.
What exhausts me the most is the collective amnesia. The world forgoes remembering Gisèle Pelicot, the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial which saw all five players acquitted, the Epstein files and the many news articles flashing missing and murdered Indigenous women across the screen of your television. We are sensationalizing male abusers, giving them a platform to degrade, prosecute and attack women. Every month the world is collectively reminded of how women are failed, and we behave as though it’s the very first time.
I have known Jane Doe, all women know a Jane Doe and have heard the stories of Jane Doe. Any woman could be Jane Doe if we chose a different route home, wore different clothes, didn’t guard our drink that night, overlooked carrying pepper spray, forgot to text a friend when we were leaving, forgot to lock our door or made them think “you were asking for it.”
Universities keep promoting the brand and image of community, such as “We are all Bisons,” until you are sexually assaulted.
The U of M continues to deny responsibility for the sexual assault of a female student in Arthur V. Mauro Student Residence, arguing in court the victim is partly to blame for failing to lock her door on the day of the attack on Oct. 25, 2024.
Failure to lock your door should not result in assault. Why should a woman who is a student on your campus have to read a handbook on how not to be assaulted in her own dorm room she pays to be safe in? Where and when did we forgo compassion and security for money making and university aesthetics? Because it doesn’t feel like it’s a big deal until it’s your daughter, your friend, your wife.
Protect your daughter– no, EDUCATE YOUR SON. It is not a woman’s job to avoid assault. It was never about what she was wearing but the inability to hold men accountable. Enough is enough. Not one more Jane Doe.
The first time I saw the Adidas x BAPE Ultraboost first Green Camo sneakers, I just knew I had to get them. After all, I was a naive teenager blown away by American hype culture in 2016. After begging my mother numerous times, I got my hands on a pair of Ultraboosts.
I wore them everywhere — school, soccer camps, weddings and even funerals. But ever since I started university, my preference for sneakers has changed from hype pieces to comfort. From looking at Instagram to tracking what sneakers Travis Scott, Kanye West or Pharrell were releasing, to visiting a podiatrist for recommendations has been quite the transition for me.
This transition was not easy, multiple occurrences of foot pain and being uncomfortable throughout the day in my Nike runners pushed me towards this decision. I can recall the times when I would go to bed and my foot pain would keep me up for an extended period of time.
Since I purchased my On Cloudrunner 3s back in May, I have walked almost 100 km in those shoes, and they are still holding up great, although they are due for a wash.
Given that my pair of Cloudrunners have seen everything but snow, I have been considering getting a second pair from Saucony or Brooks. One brand that I will be avoiding is HOKA — for no rational reason, I seem to despise them. Ironically, all these shoe brands are associated with the culture of “Disney Dad” shoes.
Despite wishing to get another pair of practical shoes, I would be lying if I did not acknowledge that I have been fascinated by a canvas shoe like the Maison Margiela GAT replica, or the Adidas BW Army if I wanted to stay within my budget. But the problem with canvas shoes is that they do not fit my wide, structured foot, so I am left only with the option of sizing up, which I dislike doing.
I like to go to the Running Room on Pembina Highway for new shoes, soon I will stop by and pick up another pair of shoes that would provide me with the same comfort and heel support as my Cloudrunners.
When I have another $250 to spare, I might finally pull the trigger and buy another pair.
Writing about all this just makes me reminisce about my youth, when I never felt physical pain and thought I was indestructible in my hypebeast shoes.
