August 6, 2015

OPINIONS

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LGBT SCHOLARSHIP

RIDERS STRUGGLE

LOCAL CRIME

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SPORTS

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NEWS

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August 6, 2015

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Your University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912.

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U OF S TALENT SHOWCASED AT THE FRINGE CULTURE 5

NEWS

LGBT scholarship creates opportunity for law students Staff Writer

For the first time in its history, the University of Saskatchewan will offer a scholarship recognizing the contributions of LGBT students and allies that work towards LGBT activism.

The Brad Berg and Brian Rolfes LGBT Rights Scholarship, worth $25,000 over four years, will be given to a student in the College of Law who works for the advancement of LGBT rights through academic research or community involvement.

Brad Berg and his partner Brian Rolfes, both graduates of the U of S College of Law, created this scholarship to bring awareness to LGBT issues. Now living and working as lawyers in Toronto, the pair participates in various charitable activities.

“We’ve been involved with a number of charities over the years … so we’ve been in the ‘giving’ frame of mind for a while,” Berg said. However, the couple are looking to create something that will have a lasting impact.

Upon graduating from the U of S College of Law, Berg and Rolfes continued their educations at a number of different universities. Berg holds a masters of law from the University of Toronto,

of this kind would have been unimaginable.

“When we were coming through university in the 80s, there weren’t a lot of role models around us. There were a couple of people in Saskatchewan that were known to be gay or lesbian.

Some of them were quite out; some were more closeted, but more often than not when you would hear about sexual orientation, or gay or lesbian issues, it was often in a negative light or some controversy around it,” Berg said.

Beth Bilson, interim dean of the College of Law, gave a positive response to the donation of the scholarship.

“We were delighted. We have — both Brad and Brian — we’ve been watching

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Board of Directors: Paul Hansen, Anna-Lilja Dawson, Katherine Fedoroff, Tab Rahman, Madison Taylor, Liam Richards Cover Photo: Caitlin Taylor Advertising 306.966.8688 Editorial 306.966.8689

The Sheaf is a non-profit, incorporated and student-body funded partially by way of a direct levy paid by all part and full-time undergraduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). The remainder of the revenue is generated through advertising. The financial affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, most of whom are students. Membership in the Society is open to undergraduate students at the U of S who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Opinions expressed in the Sheaf do not necessarily reflect those of the Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. The Sheaf reserves the right to refuse to accept or print any material deemed unfit for publication, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, the Editor-in-Chief will decide if the article or artwork would be of interest to a significant portion of the Society and benefit the welfare of Sheaf readers. The Sheaf will not publish any racist, sexist, homophobic or libelous material. The Sheaf is published weekly during the academic year and monthly from May through August.

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Reading & Signing page as bone – ink as blood Monday, August 17, 7 pm

••• Shawn Sanford BecK Launching Christian Animism

Thursday, August 20, 7 pm

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Copy Editor: Larissa Kurz, copy@thesheaf.com

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stitution,” Bilson said.

Berg also recognizes the importance of role models and public activism. He encourages LGBT students to consider openness.

“If there’s one thing I would say, its if you are comfortable enough and ready to do it, you should be out.

Even now with all the changes in the law and popular culture and everything else, there still is, in many places, a stigma to being gay,” Berg said. “The more that people can come out and be visible and be themselves, be authentic, I think the happier they’ll be, but the more it will benefit those around them.”

Despite his time away from Saskatchewan, Berg hasn’t forgotten his prairie roots.

“Go Riders!” Berg said.

“We’re still very much Saskatchewan boys living in Toronto, and so I would just say we are very proud to be from Saskatchewan.”

Jónína Kirton

Photography Editor: Caitlin Taylor, photo@thesheaf.com

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their careers with interest.

They’ve both done very interesting things. They’ve been very successful, and they were very memorable students,” Bilson said. “It’s wonderful that they would make this gesture for the college and I think we were really pleased that they feel connected to the college.”

While a lot has changed over the last few decades, Bilson acknowledges that there is still progress to be made.

“I think we haven’t thought particularly hard about LGBT students and the kind of exclusion they may be feeling, and I think that it’s important for anybody to be able to recognize themselves in the institution and to feel that they have a value to the in-

UPCOMING EVENTS

EMILY KLATT

and Rolfes earned a masters in public administration from Carleton University as well as law degrees from both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

They could have chosen to donate to any of these institutions but it is their special connection to the U of S that prompted them to invest here.

“It’s our home province,” Berg said. “We really loved our time there and we stay quite connected to the province because our families are still there, and we got married in Saskatoon at St. Andrew’s [Chapel] on the university campus in 1998, so once we looked at it that way it was easy for us to decide.”

When Berg and Rolfes were in university, a scholarship

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sheaf 2015.indd 1 inform and7/29/2015 10:50:13 AM The mission ofaug the6, Sheaf is to entertain students by addressing those issues that are relevant to life on campus, in the city, or in the province. The newspaper serves as a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students by students, the staff of editors, photographers, and artists collaborate with volunteers as studentjournalists to produce a product with relevance to the university community. With each composition, the Sheaf stays in touch with students on the U of S campus. It provides unique insight to university issues through a student perspective.

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corrections There were no errors brought to our attention in our last issue.

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august 6, 2015

NEWS

Muslim Students’ Association makes history, wins national recognition KEIGHLAGH DONOVAN News Editor

In front of a crowd of approximately 1000 attendees, the University of Saskatchewan Ahmadiyya Muslim Students' Association made Western Canadian history this July when they won the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association’s National Award of Excellence for 2014-15.

Founded in 1938, Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association is a youth group that works with young Muslim males around the country. The international organization serves as a support network for youth of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and includes over 30 sects across Canada. U of S AMSA is a student extension of the organization and works to support the cause through various on-campus, studentled initiatives.

At this year’s 28th National Ijtema (Ijtema is an Islamic term for convention) Rashid Ahmed, U of S AMSA president, accepted the honour on behalf of the university.

“Most of the time the award

goes to Eastern Canada because there are more population and more volunteers who are working, but we created history for the first time in U of S,” Ahmed said. “This is due to the efforts of the volunteers. They worked hard day and night; they were motivated.”

According to Ahmed, AMSA’s role at the university is to give guidance to students regarding social, cultural, academic or religious issues and it proudly operates under the mission statement, “Love for all, hatred for none.” The group’s ability to raise awareness and connect multicultural communities is what ultimately won them the National Award of Excellence.

Over the course of 201415, AMSA participated in events such as Meet a Muslim Family whereby Saskatonians could register to dine at the home of a Muslim family in effort to break down negative perceptions and stereotypes.

Another event, StopthecrISIS, worked to decrease prejudice and turned out to be the most successful event in U of S AMSA history with approximately 300 people taking part.

“The emphasis on that event was to remove radicalization

Zain Malik Rashid Ahmed, U of S AMSA president, recieves the National Award of Excellence.

in society. To give the guidance to the students of what actually is Islam. And what the prophet Mohammed says and what others are doing, this is not actually Islam. We got a really good response and feedback from everywhere, whether it was from other student associations or communities,” Ahmed said.

Despite the organization’s specific focus toward male Muslim youth, Ahmed insists that U of S AMSA aims to demonstrate that the vast majority of Muslims around the world are peaceful, simply misunderstood by Western society and welcoming of all genders, cultures and religions.

“AMSA is a student association and most of the time we get the question like ‘AMSA is only for men? Or women too?’ and I want students to know that AMSA is for men and women as well, and we are always taking part in events and working as a team. AMSA is always helping students at the U of S regarding their academic issues or if they want to ask any questions, they are most welcome to come to us,” Ahmed said. “AMSA is here for the students and always happy to help anyone from any community.”

Looking to the year ahead, Ahmed hopes to maintain and improve upon the group’s current success and he recognizes that it is not something they can accomplish on their own.

“We want to bridge gaps among the communities and we want to involve everyone from every society because AMSA is not a separate group; it is for everyone in the university,” Ahmed said.

“I want to congratulate all of the students at the U of S for this achievement because this is not only an achievement of AMSA but it is the achievement of all of us.”

campus chat

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august 6, 2015

Deep fried pickles.

Sour cucumber.

Silong Zhang

• The Casualties with Me The Guts at Amigos • The Global Leadership Summit at Ebenezer Baptist Church • Hedley at the SaskTel Grandstand at Prairieland Park

T hursday

friday

s aturday

sunday

• Taking Back Sunday at Ballpark Village • Zeljko Bilandzic at Prairie Ink Restaurant • Bears in Hazenmore with Bombargo and Quiltin Heavens at Amigos • Malcolm Holcombe at Village Guitar & Amp Co.

• Final day of Parkville Manor & Antique Auto Club Show & Shine at the Park Town Hotel • Final day of Laurel Schenstead-Smith and Marilyn Hurst exhibit at the Collector’s Choice Art Gallery • Final day of PotashCorp Fringe Festival

• Final day of Saskatoon Exhibition at Prairieland Park • Closing night of Chickens: A Musical Barnyard Comedy at the Station Arts Centre • Sons of the Pioneers at the SaskTel Grandstand at Prairieland Park

• Final day of the Baseball Canada Cup at Cairns Field and Lakos Field

monday

• Opening night of Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash at Persephone Theatre • Walking Tour Tuesday at the Meewasin Valley Centre • Old Man Luedecke at Village Guitar & Amp Co.

tuesday

What is your dream Saskatoon Exhibition food?

Bacon wrapped macaroni.

Thomas Saganace

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upcoming events

Chengzhen Li

• Readings by the River at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan • Spring with the Faps at Underground Cafe • Saskatchewan Summer Star Party at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

wednesday

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SPORTS

U of S basketball coach takes home gold at Pan Am Games AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor

It’s already been quite the summer for University of Saskatchewan women’s basketball coach Lisa Thomaidis and if all goes according to plan, it’s only going to get better.

The 2015 Pan American Games took place in Toronto

from July 10 – 26 and Canada fared well, taking home 217 medals — 78 of them being gold — which put them in second place overall in the medal count.

The Pan Am Games occur every four years, only include summer sports and feature 14 countries from North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean Islands.

One of the most notable gold-winning performances was that of the Canadian women’s basketball team as

Supplied / Lisa Thomaidis Lisa Thomaidis (bottom row, second from right) and Team Canada pose with their gold medals.

they knocked off the Americans by a score of 81–73 in the championship game.

With Thomaidis at the helm, the team was well prepared and earned its first ever basketball gold, for men or women, at the Pan Am Games.

Thomaidis was thrilled with the way her team played, but knows the work isn’t over yet.

“I thought we played our best game against the U.S. and we still have more to improve on; we haven’t played our best game, so I think they’re pretty focused on that,” Thomaidis said.

“They all know they’re capable of better, so they are very motivated and driven to get back at it.”

Following the win, the team was treated like local celebrities with huge crowds wanting autographs and pictures with the inaugural gold medal-winning basketball team. Media appearances were abundant the following day, but none of the women minded.

Player Lizanne Murphy, who has been with the team for eight years, summed it up perfectly.

“Playing for your country, winning at home with this crowd, it’s like no other feeling. We want everyone in Canada to know about us, get on board, to love basketball as much as we do,” Murphy told the Toronto Star.

The win is a monumental one for Canadian basketball as they have long been inferior to their American counterparts, but not this time around. In the men’s tournament, Canada upset Team USA in an overtime thriller before ultimately claiming the silver medal. Both teams were ecstatic about their performances in Toronto, but the real test will come later in August.

There is only one Olympic qualifying spot up for grabs at the FIBA Americas Championship, which is what the team has been working toward the past few years.

With only one appearance at the Summer Olympics since 2000 — an eighth place finish in 2012 — the team is looking to build off of their historic win.

“We’ve talked about this for so long, that Pan Ams were going to be fantastic, but the most important

tournament is the one coming up, so everyone is well aware of that,“ Thomaidis said. “The timing was great, having some time to celebrate the victory and be in the media eye and do the appearances and relish all that was the Pan Am gold, and then have the appropriate time to get back and focus.”

The Olympic qualifier will officially get under way on Aug. 9 in Edmonton, with 10 teams vying for the lone bid to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It’s a hectic schedule with Canada scheduled to play four games in five days to open the tournament. They will need to finish in the top two in their pool to advance to the playoffs, with the semifinals and finals set for Aug. 15 and 16, respectively. Canada will be in a tough pool with Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

You can catch all of Team Canada’s games live on TSN when the tournament begins on Aug. 9. The men’s games will also be televised as they play in Mexico City, which gets underway in a few weeks time on Aug. 30.

What’s wrong in Riderville?

AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor

After a tough 0–5 start out of the gate, the Green and White continued their abysmal play to start the season with a 30–5 drubbing at the hands of the Edmonton Eskimos on July 30.

Without any real option at the starting quarterback position and a defence that at times hasn’t been able to stop a nosebleed, the panic button has officially been pressed in RiderNation.

With starting pivot Darian Durant lost for the year and Kevin Glenn on the shelf for at least six weeks, it’s an all too familiar scene for Rider fans as the third string quarterback has been called into action. After limping across the finish line by winning just twice in last season’s final nine games, the Riders appear to be headed down the same dark and hellish path.

The team’s last win came on

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Nov. 8, 2014 against the Eskimos, a lengthy span of 265 days without a victory.

The new starting quarterback — Brett Smith, who was signed this offseason to replace the ineffective Tino Sunseri — mustered up a whopping 132 yards passing to go along with two interceptions. All this while only scoring a measly five points, a score hardly good enough to win a baseball game. That means in Smith’s five quarters of action, he has led the offence to just five points, for an average of one point per quarter. You don’t have to be a genius to know that that kind of production isn’t going to win you a football game.

The offence has far too many weapons to ever be this ineffective. Between Jerome Messam, Anthony Allen, Weston Dressler, Ryan Smith, Chris Getzlaf and Nic Demski, just give one of them the ball and let them go to work.

The job of the quarterback is

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to run the offence smoothly and distribute the ball to your playmakers, which is obviously something Brett Smith has struggled with in his limited action at the CFL level.

Realistically, what other options does coach Corey Chamblin have? After Smith, on the depth chart is the heavily scrutinized Sunseri — who was actually released

Jeremy Britz / Graphics Editor

at the beginning of the year, only to be resigned when Durant went down with injury.

Behind Sunseri is Keith Price and Blake Sims, both of whom excelled at the National Collegiate Athletics Association level, but have a grand total of zero CFL experience. So it appears to be Smith’s team for the foreseeable future.

The rocky start can’t solely be blamed on the offence however, as the team has blown fourth quarter leads in the first five games of the season. Injuries have piled up on both sides of the ball, as many defensive starters are also being forced to miss time with various injuries. The returns of Shea Emry, Weldon Brown and Mark LeGree will all help bolster the seventh ranked defence in the league.

With the strength of the defence seemingly in their front four, an effective pass rush has been non-existent to start the campaign, after a year ago leading the league in sacks by a wide margin.

The defence’s inability to create turnovers has also raised some concern, with just two turnovers forced in six games. To put that in comparison, the Riders committed three turnovers in their last game alone.

It’s been 36 years since the Roughriders started 0–6 and things better turn around soon before this season is a write-off by Labour Day. In the upcoming weeks, the Riders take on the 4–1 Toronto Argonauts, followed by the bye week, then the always-tough Calgary Stampeders and lastly the surprising Ottawa RedBlacks.

All three of those games will be hard fought as the Riders look for any sort of spark to get them back into the win column.

Saskatchewan will face Toronto on Aug. 8 at 5 p.m. looking to record its first win of the season. The game will air on TSN as the Riders look to avoid their first 0–7 start since 1959. august 6, 2015

CULTURE

Fringe Festival offers opportunities to support U of S drama community

Stephanie Mah / Production Manager

TAB RAHMAN It’s that time of the year again, when it’s sweltering outside and you forget that taking the Broadway Bridge home means you will be sitting in traffic for practically an eternity. Luckily, the Fringe Festival is here to lift your mood! This year has lots to see, including street performances, food trucks and of course, the Fringe’s main attractions. The festival showcases theatre and performance art from both all over the world and our own backyard. Here are five plays involving members of your very own University of Saskatchewan community.

Displaced (Ages 13+) Displaced, co-written by Sue Mythen and U of S associate drama professor Natasha Martina, covers three parallel stories of immigrant women from three different places in three centuries. Mary comes to Canada to escape the Irish Potato Famine in 1847, Sofia to escape Second World War Germany in 1947 and Dara to escape war-torn Afghanistan in 2007. This story spans across centuries to show that although these three women come from diverse eras and backgrounds, their immigrant experiences include the same challenges of getting accustomed to an unfamiliar society. Equal parts uplifting and humbling, Displaced is a play with substance.

Mumbling at the Universe: A Love Letter to Carl Sagan Mumbling at the Universe is attractive for its unique subject matter alone — it’s not every day a play based on factoids about the famous Carl Sagan passes through town, and one involving U of S students and alumni to boot. The story revolves around 10-year-old genius Carla, whose ambition is to be Earth’s first ever intergalactic ambassador and discover alien life. When two men break into her home, she believes that she has done just that. It’s an unusual plotline that tackles interesting subject matter and the acting is top-notch. Certainly, it will leave the audience with food for thought.

The Loveseat (Mature audiences — sexual content) The Loveseat is a tale that is relatable for many couples. Its description in the Fringe program begins with the quote, “Why would you cross a street that you knew you only had a 50 per cent chance of surviving?”, which is something that many people have thought about getting married. Exploring the end of marriage between U of S drama students David (Kyle Kuchirka) and Anna (Kelly McTaggart), The Loveseat is a story everyone in the audience can enjoy no matter their relationship status, and see qualities of themselves reflected on stage. If nothing else, it will reassure you that, yes, everyone fights over really dumb things.

Look//See (Ages 13+) Written by U of S alumni Nathan Howe and Morgan Murray, Look//See is a psychological thriller in a one-act format. The story is based around four friends, portrayed by a mix of U of S drama students and alumni, and their experience with a ritual referred to as “The Three Kings,” which is basically an amateur spirit summoning. Don’t expect a ouija board, though — this is several levels of freaky higher. You don’t see many horror genre plays on the stage because they are hard to pull off, but Look//See is a hair-raising stand-out, utilizing special effects that blow the standard minimalist format for one-acts out of the water.

Love Sounds Bad: A Four-Part Musical Comedy (Ages 13+) Love Sounds Bad is exactly what it seems like in the title. Written and performed by Connor Brousseau and U of S acting veteran Jenna Berenbaum, the play is four short stories that are loosely based on the relationships that the creators have experienced in their lives. It’s unique blend of the comedy and sadness that permeates the end of a relationship makes this play the perfect bittersweet experience that shows off the creative talent that is thriving in Saskatoon.

The Fringe central box office is located in Victoria School on 11th Street East. For more information on venues and events, visit 25thstreettheatre.org

Magpie a dark and compelling narrative of troubled Saskatoon youth CHELSEA POWRIE

Culture Editor University of Saskatchewan English graduate Michael James has recently published his first novel, an intensely honest tale of youth alcoholism and mental illness set in Saskatoon.

Magpie spans 24 hours through the eyes of Ben, a resident of a small town near Saskatoon. Ben is a troubled 17-year-old addict who is struggling with disillusionment about society and deep pain over the suicides of his mother and older brother. At the outset, Ben seems merely angst-ridden and rebellious, but the reader soon realizes that his problems go much deeper.

“There is a hole in Ben's life,” said James, in an email to the Sheaf. “All the people who could be his role models are august 6, 2015

absent, leaving him with few skills to handle life except for how to escape.”

Ben's escape is alcohol. He drinks constantly and compulsively, at times seemingly oblivious to his problem and at others accepting it as a slow form of suicide. He also struggles with mental illness, hearing the voices of his deceased family, and with denial over the end of his childhood. Ben engages in unsavory and dangerous acts, but seen through his eyes, they evoke pity, not disgust or fear.

On the morning that Magpie begins, Ben believes he hears his dead brother telling him to kill his old dealer. Ben takes his father's gun and a water bottle filled with vodka and sets out to find a way into the city to fulfill what he believes is his duty.

The writing is sparse and uncomplicated, which matches Ben's meandering, drunken thoughts. The book is a window into the mind of an addict, and is not light reading. It is a powerful and heartbreaking

portrayal of a young man out of control.

“Every character is made up of parts of me and my experiences,” James said, acknowledging the novel is semi-autobiographical. “Many of the conversations in the book have taken place in my life.”

James began writing Magpie as a 19-year-old first year student in the English department at the U of S. He wrote the first draft by hand while sitting in U of S libraries, often while skipping class. At the time, James was feeling lost, in a way that he imagines many first year students do but are afraid to admit.

“It wasn't hard to see everyone going from class to class saying in their heads 'Fuck me, I have no idea what I'm doing,'” James said.

The inspiration for the title came from a documentary that James saw on magpies and the way that they collect shiny things to impress and attract each other. It reminded him of the way his fellow students acted every day. The character

Ben becomes obsessed with the metaphor.

Magpie evolved from a “drawn out suicide note for the character” into a full narrative. Still, James didn't consider himself a writer and didn't think the book had publishing potential due to its off-beat, unpolished style and heavy themes.

Then, James met an editor from New York City's Thought Catalog, a publishing company with a reputation for including non-mainstream books on their roster. They agreed to publish Magpie as an e-book.

To James' surprise, the book has sold better than expected, and he has recently finished his second novel, also set in the Saskatoon area.

“I think stories flow organically from such a diverse city,” James said. “Saskatoon is a very unique place that has a lot of stories to tell.”

Saskatoon is vividly portrayed in Magpie, as is the U of S. Ben walks by the Little Stone Schoolhouse, visits Louis’ and stops at a library on www.thesheaf.com

campus. The places Ben goes and the people he meets will be familiar to anyone from the area, as will, James hopes, some of Ben's feelings and actions.

“I wanted to write an unkempt and twisted story with flawed characters that everyone might hate because they'd see pieces of themselves in it,” James said.

Magpie's brutal honesty certainly achieves this. Ben's story will stay with a reader and although it may be uncomfortable at times, it’s a story that deserves to be told.

Magpie is available for purchase in e-book format through amazon. ca.

Cover artwork from Magpie by Nik Kinling

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OPINIONS

Saskatoon actually kind of safe EMILY KLATT Staff Writer

If you’ve paid any attention to local matters lately, you’ve no doubt read the scandalous news about our dear city: according to Statistics Canada, Saskatoon is now the most dangerous city in the country.

The day before this data was released, I was thinking to myself how safe Saskatoon seems. I’d accidently left my car keys in the ignition, with my car unlocked, for about 45 minutes. After a brief moment of panic, I was relieved to discover that my keys were where I’d left them and so was my car. Coming from a smaller community in Saskatchewan — which is generally regarded as very safe — I was impressed. I felt safe and secure within my city.

Now I’ve been told that

Saskatoon is a dangerous These numbers make the of the city. People often hear place to live. For a minute, I entire city seem riddled with stories about certain neighalmost even believed it. How- crime. But these numbers are bourhoods; they are warned ever, statistics and headlines also just an average for the not to walk alone there at can only tell us so much. entire city; different neigh- night. A high concentration While Saskatoon may have bourhoods tell different sto- of crime in one area affects the highest crime rate on pa- ries. the overall statistic for the per, the reality is a lot more Upon examining crime whole city, leading people to complicated than just a num- maps from the Saskatoon Po- believe that all of Saskatoon ber. To determine how dan- lice Service, it is revealed that is dangerous. gerous Saskatoon actually is, there is a higher concentraThere are plenty of areas of we must examine things on a tion of crime on the west side the city that are considered deeper level. very safe places to Much of this live. These neighdepends on which bourhoods are part of the city now suffering the you’re looking consequences of at. According to a bad reputation Statistics Canada, that they did not Saskatoon’s crime earn. rate is 8,229 It’s also worth crimes per 100,000 taking a closer people. The Crime look at the neighSeverity Index, bourhoods that which measures are considered crimes according dangerous. A stato the severity of tistic cannot tell punishment they the stories of the are given in court, is people who live 123.4 provincially, there. Even if an while the national Jeremy Britz / Graphics Editor area does have a average is only 66.7. Looks can be deceiving when it comes to Saskatoon crime. high crime rate,

that doesn’t mean it’s a horrible place to live or work.

There are always people who love their communities and want to make them better.

When looking for a solution to crime, it often comes down to how much people care about their communities. If the transformation of the Broadway area and the ongoing transition of Riversdale say anything, it’s clear that positive change is possible. It just takes time, hard work and the dedication of concerned citizens. This is what we should think about when we think about crime in Saskatoon: stories, not statistics.

Appearances can be deceiving. Just because a building is covered in graffiti doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable and just because a city has the highest crime rate in Canada doesn’t mean it isn’t a place worth living. In order to get the full picture, we must look beyond the surface and see what lies beneath.

What’s in a flag: U of S perspectives on the Confederate flag ZACH TENNENT

Opinions Editor

The Confederate flag has been a lightning rod for criticism in recent weeks and understandably so. However, the flag is far from the problem.

In the aftermath of the Charleston, S.C. church shooting on June 17, a debate has arisen over the modern usage and display of what is colloquially known as the Confederate flag — more accurately identified as the battle flag of the army of Northern Virginia from the American Civil War. The flag is still immensely popular, not only in southern United States but also in Western Canada where it has no true political or historical context.

In an email interview with the Sheaf, Lucas Richert — a sessional lecturer in American history at the University of Saskatchewan — suggests that the meaning of the flag is unambiguous, even if it’s perceived differently by

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those who fly it.

“The Confederate flag is tied to the Confederate cause and the Confederate cause was white supremacy. That’s the simplest way you can put it,” Richert said.

“These meanings cannot be negotiated or sanitized.”

Richert offered further insights into how the flag is likely interpreted by those who fly it in Western Canada.

“My guess is that the flag is used as an expression of rebellion, but more often than not detached from its historical context. Rebels are often considered ‘badass’ or tough or cool.”

Garrison Zellar, a fourth year economics major at the U of S who was born and raised in Huntsville, Texas, agrees that the use of the flag in Western Canada likely has more to do with rebellion and anti-government ideals than white supremacy.

“I don’t think its use here has much to do with history,” Zellar said in an email to the Sheaf. “For both Canadians and Americans it’s an antiauthority, anti-government symbol. I don’t believe most of them mean it as a symbol of white supremacy.”

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So where does this leave us? We have a flag that is seen by many to be innocuous and by many others to represent hatred, inequality and more. In our own backyard, people are alternatively vilifying the flag and jumping to its defense.

Last month, controversy erupted over those touting the flag at the Craven Country Jamboree, while a Regina man filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission over the flag’s recent treatment.

This current wave of criticism is no doubt vindicating for those who are against the flag and those who fly it. However, while the arrow of criticism is sharp, it still seems to be missing the target.

It’s easy to rail against people who feel that the display of the flag is acceptable, but this ease simply underscores the truth that criticizing and protesting the flag — or its devotees — is not the way to deal with the issue.

Instead, it would seem that the solution is much softer in approach, if not more time consuming. Rather than telling people that they can’t fly the flag, we need to create an

environment in which people recognize for themselves why they wouldn’t want to anyways.

This is especially important when considering that many of those who fly the flag in Saskatchewan are likely not supporting its most despicable traits, but rather its more romanticized ones.

We can do this not through the villainization or tabooing of a symbol, but through educating people who fail to understand what it is they’re passively supporting. Rather than being combative, the key lies in handling the issue openly and respectfully. Just because someone fails to see a problem doesn’t mean they

have to be ignorant about it.

“We shouldn’t attack people based on their views in general. One, because it isn’t nice and two, because it’s adversarial and that doesn’t convince people to change their mind,” Zellar said. “Instead, keeping an amicable dialogue open is the only way to change minds.”

Regarding the power and relevance of the flag itself, Zellar feels that it “isn’t a substantive issue. It’s a small result of the ever-looming issue: race in America ... A flag is an easy but worthless target; instead America should pull itself up by its bootstraps and discuss the hard and uncomfortable facts about race.”

Jeremy Britz / Graphics Editor

august 6, 2015

OPINIONS

The militarization of police needs to stop KAY-LYNNE COLLIER Frontline police in Saskatchewan will soon have access to high-powered, semi-automatic carbine rifles. While this move is aimed at increasing police safety, statistics suggest that the weapons will do more harm than good.

On July 16 of this year, the Saskatchewan government approved frontline officers in municipal departments to carry and use short barrelled heavy-duty carbine rifles. Police associations have been calling for these weapons as a result of police shootings and confrontations where suspects were better armed than police.

However, Statistics Canada reports that homicides against police officers have gone down in Canada exponential-

ly since the 1960s and even since 2005. Arming our police officers with these heavy-duty guns is not the best decision for our province.

One-third of all murdered officers in Canada were relatively new to the job, being an average age of 34-years-old at the time of death and having been with their present police service for five years or less.

Due to this, perhaps we should be focusing on providing better training for our police officers and using caution when sending someone relatively new to the line of duty into dangerous situations like armed robberies — where the majority of the homicides against police officers are reported to occur.

Statistics Canada also reports police officers have most commonly been killed with a firearm. Although this

is one of the reasons why police associations are advocating for arming officers with these carbine rifles, it fails to take into account that most police officers killed in the line of duty do not even have the opportunity to draw their weapon or defend themselves in any way. This means that more often than not, these shootings were unexpected attacks. Even if these officers were heavier armed, it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.

Arming our police officers with carbine rifles also directly affects students, as police organizations have historically had a rocky relationship with university populations.

Although, in a 2010 journal article by Henry Chow — professor of sociology and social studies at the University of Regina — it was reported that

the attitudes of university students towards police officers in Western Canada have been moderately positive in recent years.

However, Chow also stresses the importance of reducing adversarial interaction between young adults and the police by “avoiding overly aggressive enforcement and by treating young people with fairness and respect.” I highly doubt that arming our police officers with these large, intimidating guns is going to help with police-student relations.

I personally would feel more hesitant to approach a police officer if they were carrying this kind of weapon, as heavily armed officers tend to look more like soldiers than police.

This further militarization of our police officers is not going to help anything and

could even increase the cases of police brutality and civilian shootings.

I propose that the best course of action to take is to better protect our police officers, not with heavier weaponry but with better protective body armour and more widespread use of this equipment.

As reported by Statistics Canada, in all police homicides, nearly eight in 10 officers were not wearing protective body armor, such as bullet proof vests, at the time of the shooting. If we increased our education and training of officers and provided them with more protective equipment, we would have no need for these intimidating rifles that will ultimately do more harm than good.

Guns should never be the only option for protection.

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