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4, July 2013 | The University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912
Take a trip to India
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Safe needle exchanges needed in Saskatchewan
CULTURE 5
OPINIONS 6
NEWS
University of Saskatchewan to honor commitment to Aboriginal education SCOTT DAVIDSON Associate News Editor
Construction on the longawaited Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre is finally underway. The project officially kicked off with a sod turning ceremony at the centre’s future site on June 21. The centre will be connected to the Arts Tunnel through a separate tunnel running to the D-wing of the Health Sciences Building. Although the sod turning ceremony marked the official beginning of the project, actual construction on the centre began June 23 and is expected to finish late 2014. When completed, the Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre will be home to both the Indigenous Students’ Council and the Aboriginal Students’ Centre. It will also include additional space for ceremonial activities. The centre is intended to improve Aboriginal education at the University of Saskatchewan.
Promoting the unique elements and needs associated with being an Aboriginal student is one of the primary goals of the completed project. “This building is a visual sign of our commitment to being culturally respectful and to honor a very important part of our past and future,” said U of S President Ilene Busch-Vishniac. U of S Students’ Union President Max Fineday has made Aboriginal education a centrepiece of his executive term. At the sod turning ceremony, Fineday praised university administration for finally moving forward with the project. “Every year, we wait and we talk about it and we pass down the legend [of an Aboriginal students’ centre] to the new students,” said Fineday in a speech during the ceremony “And now it’s here and it’s great to see.” The Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre will be located at Wiggin’s court — the green space between the Arts Building and
jordan dumba/photo editor
Irene Oakes speaks on behalf of her family at the sod turning ceremony for the centre named in honour of her father.
the Murray Library near Wiggins Road. The site was chosen was to establish an Aboriginal presence in the core campus. Other factors
that led to the site decision include proximity to the bowl and visibility to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. There were 14 other site options
as part of the U of S’ Core Area Master Plan in 2003. The decision was made in conjunction with the Indigenous Students’ Council.
OPINION
Naming Saskatoon’s new bridge
Zachary Tennent With hopefully only a short while until Saskatoon’s newest bridge opens, the city is buzzing with name suggestions for it. Every man, woman and child is thrilled at the idea of a naming contest — an opportunity to own the title “bridge namer,” and partake in the event of the summer. In actuality no one really seems to care that much, and I think it’s a real shame. The new bridge is the first in 30 years and will probably be the last for a while. We should welcome the opportunity to christen it. We can’t dismissively name this Saskatonian landmark. But where to even start? How does one pick an appropriate name for the latest addition to our fine city’s infrastructure? Naming the bridge after a person seems logical, but
jordan dumba/photo editor
The latest addition to the Bridge City.
it needs to be somebody spectacular. And if we do name the bridge after someone, what criteria should be used in
determining who receives the distinction? Searching for a person who deserves to have a bridge named
after them is troublesome. Even if we could find someone to fit the bill, I question if anyone really deserves the honor of
having such a structure named after him or her? But who in Saskatoon has really done enough to deserve to be in league with Sid Buckwold? One might think of Don Atchison as a good pick, but I’m not sure he’s well-liked enough for the honour. As I keep searching for amazing people from the Saskatoon area, I can’t help but feel they already have things named after them: John Lake, Louis Riel, John Diefenbaker. So does that mean we should just name it after a big celebrity who has done bigger and better things? If we go that route, we should have no trouble. Joni Mitchell, Leslie Nielsen, Brent Butt and Kim Coates are all viable options.
Bridge naming
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NEWS
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Prof. researches the effects of stress on memory with rats ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Senior News Editor John Howland, a psychology professor at the University of Saskatchewan, is researching the effects of stress on memory and cognitive functions by placing rats
The goal is to be able to say that these exact cells changed their activity at this exact time while this pattern of behaviour was going on John Howland Professor
in boxes with touch screens. Howland’s experiment places a rat in a box where it learns to touch one of the two images shown on the touch screen in order to receive a food reward. Then the rat is put into a small tube for 30 minutes, where it is stressed by its inability to move. Once back in the box, the rat is expected to learn and respond to a different image in order to win the food reward. The boxes record how long it takes the rat to choose an image, which image it chooses and where it moves within the box. Howland has found that the rats’ reaction time improves with stress, and it learns the new rewarding image much faster. Howland, who specializes in behavioral neuroscience, has recorded the effects of stress on rats’ behavior over the past five years. He has also done similar
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John Howland tests the effects stress has on rats’ ability to learn and make decisions by using touch screens.
experiments. His other research interests include animal models of schizophrenia, epilepsy and synaptic plasticity. Despite extensive work being done on how stress affects behaviour, Howland said that little is known about what occurs in a rats’ brain that leads to changes in its behaviour. Howland said he hopes to start researching the effects stress has on individual neurons in the rats’ brain once he receives new boxes that record the rat’s brain activity. His timeline is about one year. The new boxes are provided by the $70,000 grant Howland received from the National
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to continue his research. Howland has previously done research on the changes in rats’ brain activity due to stress. During these experiments the rats were anesthetized because it was too difficult to record their brain activity while they were able to move. Their brains were artificially stimulated in a manner that would be similar to what would happen if they were actually doing the task in the box. Howland can now study behavioral changes and brain activity simultaneously. “The goal is to be able to say
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that these exact cells changed their activity at this exact time while this pattern of behaviour was going on,” Howland said. Eventually, Howland hopes to apply his rat experiment to how the human brain functions. Although human brains are more complex, Howland said we share similarities with rats. The area of the brain that learns how to make decisions is especially alike. “We’re trying to look at common mechanisms and really just get a sense of what brain areas are doing to [other] brain areas,” Howland said.
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$44.5 million: one year after U of S deficit announced SHALOM OGOH One year after the University of Saskatchewan announced a looming deficit of $44.5 million for 2016, a total of $15.5 million has been trimmed from the shortfall. The 2012-13 budget was expected to dip $15.5 million into the red if no action was taken. Since that budget was released in March 2012, provost and vice-president academic, Brett Fairbairn, and vice-president finance and resources, Greg Fowler, have teamed with a steering committee and working groups to achieve a balanced budget once again. “Our goal in budget adjustment is to ensure by 2016 that we have continued financial sustainability in a changing post secondary environment,” Fairbairn said. The budget steering committee and working groups have developed a plan to address the required changes and to find
funding for the transition. All areas of the university that could be used to save money are considered. The university cut down the 2012-13 deficit to $6 million by immediately deferring the massive campus renovations of RenewUS to 2014. They also cut $2.5 million from salary and benefit investments and from the Health Sciences D-wing operating costs. Funds from the university operating reserve made financing available to keep the university operating budget balanced as changes are being carried out to 2016. Two-thirds of the transition funding is set aside for intermediary support for the workforce planning program, while the remaining third will be used for university renovations and technology. Seven programs have been created to organize the current and future work on budget adjustment, three of which are program prioritization through
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Brett Fairbairn
TransformUS, workforce planning and enhancement of the value of university spending. In Sept. 2012, the steering committee announced 10 guiding principles — including transparency, accountability and sustainability for the budget adjustment. Fowler met with various colleges, departments and services across campus to review
and discuss the reallocation of the accumulated contingency balances. The steering community and working groups decided in Nov. 2012 to suspend operations at the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus from 2012-16 in order to avoid spending more than $3 million on capital improvements. Announced in Jan. 2013, TransformUS targets a $20-25 million reduction in the operating budget and will reallocate $5 million to the university’s top priorities. These priorities include knowledge creation, culture and community, Aboriginal engagement and innovation in academic programs and service. It will be subject the recommendations set out by TransformUS. At a financial town hall meeting on June 13, Fairbairn said that the university will not consider across the board cuts, hiring freezes or tuition increases to balance the budget. The 2012-13 budget now has a
small surplus of 0.05 per cent. The surplus is primarily a result of onetime savings such as a $3 million increase in tuition revenue from enrolment increases and another $3 million were saved by lowering spending and increased investment income. The 2013-14 operating budget expenses are targeted to be $471 million with a deficit of $3.3 million if no action is taken. Fairbairn and Fowler asserted their confidence at the June town hall meeting that the university will succeed in alleviating the $44.5 million deficit. “By 2016 we will be sustainable in terms of all of our resources, financial and otherwise,” Fairbairn said.
The Sheaf news briefs ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Senior News Editor
No word on College of Medicine’s accreditation
University receives Milne collection
Lou Qualtiere, acting dean of the College of Medicine, issued a statement on June 3 that discussions of the college’s accreditation status have been delayed until the fall. The Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools informed the college on May 31 that its accreditation is scheduled to be discussed at the next meeting in late September. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, that was also expected to discuss the college’s accreditation that week, will not discuss the medical school’s accreditation until the CACMS does. Qualtiere stated that the campus community will be informed of the CACMS and LCME’s decision once it has been made. In 2011, accreditors warned the College of Medicine of losing its accreditation if the 10 areas of under-performance were not resolved within 12 to 15 months. Since then, faculty, students and administrators have been working on a plan to restructure the college.
The University of Saskatchewan received a massive donation of Courtney Milne’s entire personal collection on June 11. The late Saskatchewan photographer’s collection was donated by Milne’s wife, Sherrill Miller. It includes: more than 550,000 original images in slides and digital format, 2,000 prints, audio and textual records and other visual media. Milne’s reference library and websites are also included. “The size, breadth of subject and quality makes this an extremely valuable collection to us,” Vicki Williamson, dean of the university library, said. This is the largest photographic collection that has ever been donated to the U of S. Milne was a lifelong resident of Saskatchewan and alumnus of the U of S. He became a world renowned photographer during the course of his career spanning from 1975 until his death in 2010. Known for his works on prairie landscapes and sacred sites, Milne travelled to all seven continents taking photographs.
International indigenous studies conference held on campus For three days, the U of S hosted the largest indigenous studies conference in North America. This was the first time the Native American Indigenous Studies Association’s conference was held in Canada since its creation in 2007. About 900 delegates from across the world were expected to have attended the NAISA conference held on campus. The conference opened with a pipe ceremony June 12 and closed with a traditional Métis ball June 15. Discussion panels were held on a number of topics including the Idle No More movement, the portrayal of gambling in First Nations’ culture and a variety of sessions regarding the effects of colonialism on indigenous communities around the world. Delegates had the opportunity to tour an urban reserve at Muskeg Cree Nation and take a day trip to Wanuskewin Heritage Park.
New mining options for College of Engineering
Cyclotron construction given the green-light
The University of Saskatchewan and the International Minerals Innovation Institute announced a $1.67 million funding agreement on June 21. The provincial government, the Saskatchewan mining industry and the College of Engineering will be working on the three-year agreement to provide three new faculty members to specialize in mining engineering and new programming. Five new mining courses and undergraduate mining options for mechanical, chemical and geological engineering will be created. Ernie Barber, dean of the College of Engineering, said he hopes to see the courses offered by the fall of 2014. The overall goal is to fill the growing need for mining professionals in the Saskatchewan while a side objective of the new programs is to see how graduates from the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Technology can enter into the mining engineering programs at the U of S.
The Board of Governors announced its approval of the construction of the Saskatchewan Center for Innovations in Cyclotron Science on June 6. The cyclotron and laboratory will be a multi-purpose facility used for research, training and the production of medical imaging agents used for the Royal University Hospital’s new PET-CT (Positron Emission TomographyComputed Tomography) scanner. The scanner is the most effective way to identify many types of cancer. The centre will provide research opportunities in medicine, material sciences and plant and animal science. The Western Economic Diversification Canada and the provincial government have provided $25.5 million in funding to cover the cost of equipment, construction and regulatory approvals, among other costs. The facility will be located on campus between the Canadian Light Source and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in the former animal research centre. The cyclotron facility is expected to be in operation for research purposes by 2015 and is slated for completion in 2016.
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SPORTS
| 4 July, 2013 | thesheaf.com |
Huskies share field with Riders KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor The Saskatchewan Roughriders began practicing June 2 at Griffith’s Stadium with a few familiar faces on the field. Current Huskies quarterback Drew Burko, former defensive lineman David Rybinski and other Huskies players took part in the training camp. Rybinski believes that his experience with the Huskies football program paved the way for his success in the professional league. “The Huskies program definitely prepared me well. A lot of the things that we do in our practices I see us doing out here,” he said. Rybinski believes the Huskies coaching staff are a large reason that he and other former Huskies have made an impact in the professional league. “Our coaches — I call them researchers — they’re always out trying to find new drills, new plays, new things to bring in,” Rybinski said. “They’ve gone out to schools in the states... and they’ve brought back stuff that has really helped with the transition for both Levi [Steinhauer] and myself.” Although Rybinski sees similarities between the two programs, playing with the Riders has been a step up. “Everything just happens a little
bit quicker. Guys are a little bit stronger, a little bit faster with their feet,” he said. Rybinski said it doesn’t matter which league he’s playing in, as long as he’s playing football he’s happy. Burko practiced with the Riders as part of the CFL non-import quarterback development program and will be returning to play with the Huskies for the upcoming season. This was Burko’s first time at a professional camp. He learned a lot from the experience and is looking forward to applying what he learned on field with the Huskies. “I got tips on my throwing motion that’ll help me out. Just a lot of little things that’ll help me out when I come back to the Huskies,” he said. Practicing with the Riders was a change in calibre which added to Burko’s perspective of how to play the game. The main difference he saw between the Riders and the Huskies was the work they put in off the field and their understanding of the intricacies of the game. “How they prepare, how much film they watch and how quick they understand what’s going on with the other team and with their own team,” Burko said. Burko felt supported by everyone around him at training camp.
Current and former Huskies stepped up to the scrimmage line with Riders at training camp.
“All the quarterbacks helped me a lot. The quarterback coach Khari Jones helped me a lot. The whole group was a big help for me,” he said. Rather than being intimidated by taking the field with big-name players like Darian Durant, Geroy Simon and Weston Dressler, Burko says he tried to focus on the ball
and not who was out there with him. “I tried not to think about it too much I just tried to go out there and play, have some fun,” Burko said. Burko is looking forward to getting back on the field with the Huskies and is optimistic about their upcoming season.
jordan dumba/photo editor
“We’re going to have a great season. We’ve got a lot of returning guys coming back so I think we should be really good,” he said. The Huskies return to Griffiths Stadium August 23 to play the UBC Thunderbirds.
Huskies to enter Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor Huskies athletes, teams and builders will be inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame on November 2 at TCU Place. Two former Huskie athletes, Dave Ostertag and Donna Veale, will be inducted for their
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outstanding sporting careers. Dave Ostertag competed for the University of Saskatchewan as a track and field athlete on the 1987 Canadian university’s men’s championship team. During his time at the U of S, Ostertag also played defensive back with the Huskies football team for one season.
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Ostertag competed in the decathlon at the Canada Games and the Pan American junior track and field championships. At the 1985 Canada Games Ostertag won gold in the decathlon event and broke the Canada Games record with 7, 097 points in the event. Since retiring as an athlete, Ostertag has encouraged others to compete by coaching track and field, soccer and minor basketball. Donna Veale was also a multisport athlete at the U of S. She played on the basketball, field hockey and volleyball teams. Veale is among the top 10 alltime scorers of the U of S women’s basketball team. After competing for the Huskies, Veale went on to have an impressive career in softball. Veale played centre-fielder for the Saskatoon Harmonay Centre, who went on to win the Canadian senior women’s softball championship in 1978. She also played on the Canadian national softball team for 11 years, playing three Pan American Games and two International Softball Federation world championships. Veale is currently helping to develop softball athletes and the softball program in Canada. Sports massage therapist Al Bodnarchuk is also being inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame this year. As a massage therapist he has been to the Olympics five times, the Pan-Am Games, the Commonwealth Games
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Former Huskie athletes Ostertag (left) and Veale (right) will be inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame.
and the Universiade. Bodnarchuk worked with the U of S football and track and field teams, three different Vanier Cup winning football teams and two U of S women’s track and field teams. Currently, Bodnarchuk works with Olympic bobsledder Jaime Cruickshank and Olympic pole vaulter Kelsie Hendry in Saskatoon. Over the last 18 years, Bodnarchuk has also been sharing his knowledge by teaching massage therapy. The final inductees into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame are the U of S women’s track and field teams of 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
The women won consecutive team titles at the Canadian Interuniversity Sports championships with the help of impressive performances by many members of the team. Lyle Sanderson, who has led the Huskies to 10 Canadian university team titles in men and women’s track and field and cross-country running, coached the team. With the addition of these Huskie athletes, teams and builders into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame, the U of S continues to build on its reputation of producing world-class athletes.
CULTURE
| thesheaf.com | 4 July, 2013 |
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A visitors guide to India Nicole Barrington When it comes to bucket lists and traveling, experiencing a foreign culture is a popular pick. After studying the Hindu religion, and as an lover of hellishly spicy food, India seemed like an obvious choice for me. I recently had the opportunity to pursue an Indian adventure, and have come to a distinct realization: everyone should go to India at least once — just not in May or June, when temperatures hover around 40 degrees in Delhi and northern India. While I only explored the northern tip of India, I can attest to the vast diversity of its land and people. Some cities have a strong conservative Hindu atmosphere, like Pushkar, and near the Pakistan-India border, the Golden Temple has its Sikh devotees. Further north in the Himalayas, the city of Dharamsala is also home to many Tibetan Buddhists as well as the Dalai Lama. For tourists, it’s crucial to know that laws vary from state to state and, in some cases, from city to city. These different laws and social norms dictate the way citizens eat, drink and dress. While foreigners should be cognizant of these norms, there are also some unwritten rules to be aware of. Your journey is not going to be like Eat, Pray, Love at all, so surrender that notion now. You’re going to need Gravol, Immodium and at least one bar of soap. Although avoiding diarrhea in India is damn near impossible,
your overall travel experience will be a lot less shitty if you stay far away from street-vendor-food. Try and stick to sit-in restaurants and, if possible, choose meatless dishes — especially in the scorching summer months. There are plenty of amazing vegetarian dishes that use lentils and paneer, a curd cheese often mistaken for tofu, so you basically have no excuse to not be a vacation vegetarian.
Your journey is not going to be like Eat, Pray, Love
at all, so please surrender that notion now.
Literally millions of Indians are vegetarian for various reasons, so it’s pretty easy to find filling meatfree masalas, kormas and curries for under six dollars. Unlike Canada, most places in India do not have drinkable tap water or public fountains, so bottled water is your best option. Make sure to budget in about four dollars a day to stay hydrated, and be prepared to guzzle bottled water like you’re nursing a hangover. Another way to stay cool is to dress light and stick to cotton clothes or sweat-wicking fabrics.
The Taj Mahal, just one of India’s many beautiful sights.
Long cotton trousers and t-shirts are absolute essentials for both men and women, especially if you plan on visiting religious sites. When it comes to clothing, it should be noted that being
nicolebarrington/flickr
a woman in India and being a woman in Canada are two very different things. Even in the intense heat, Indian women generally do not wear shoulderbaring shirts or shorts that go
above the knee. For female tourists, especially those traveling without males, it’s best to follow in the common dress code. This brings me to my final point on cultural differences and human rights. While traveling through India, one will likely see and hear things that will make them uneasy. Although India is rich with jaw-dropping ancient brick and marble architecture, and intricate, colourful, religious ceremonies, it has some unmitigated poverty and pollution issues. Additionally, gender roles remains central to Indian culture. I was surprised to hear from my Jaipur-born tour guide that the majority of Indian marriages are still arranged and it is expected that wives adhere to the traditional role of staying at home, being financially dependent on their husband. These cultural values are things to keep in mind. And lastly, although some fearlessly traveling India alone, I strongly advise traveling with an established ecotourism company— at least for your first time. Not only is it safer to travel in a group, but also you will make new friends and get to experience hidden local gems like temples, shops and restaurants. Taking a yoga class with a local guru, listening to Hindu swamis speak on the Ganges and visiting a fair trade textile factory were all eye-opening experiences that I wouldn’t have had if I’d travelled alone.
New festival offers fresh take on graffiti Nicholas Kindrachuk Culture Editor Street Meet is a new festival coming to Saskatoon looking to prove that graffiti is much more than scribbles on a wall. Taking place from July 5-7, the festival plans to take over
Preparing for a casual day of yarn bombing.
downtown Saskatoon’s art scene with events at various venues like AKA Gallery, PAVED Arts and river landing. Street Meet’s first and foremost goal is to celebrate to celebrate the variety and beauty of graffiti art. Graffiti faces far more criticism than other art forms, often due to
the vandalism associated with it, but organizer Keeley Haftner is not interested in changing the artistic formula of street art to make it more socially acceptable. Rather, she hopes to shine new light on the art form by showing off its artistic value to the public. Looking to widen the appeal of
transcending-potash
the festival, Haftner has arranged a walking tour that shows off Saskatoon’s own artwork. Artist’s explanations of the pieces will also be included. The tour takes place on Sunday, July 7 and should not be missed by anyone interested in getting the inside scoop on the artistic process. Admirers wishing to do the walk at their own pace are welcome to do so as well. Haftner reached out to a plethora of artists for the festival. “It was nice because [the festival] was my baby and I could sort of toss emails into the wind with the hope that they might be so kind as to be interested,” she said. The artists are versed in a wide variety of styles and hail from all over Canada. Montreal’s Shelley Miller, who designs murals out of dessert icing, and Corner Brook’s Robyn Love, a Newfoundlander who specializes in yarn bombing, are just two examples of homegrown talent to be featured at the festival. Yarn bombing is when an artist layers knitted or crocheted yarn over publicly displayed objects, creating a colourful shell around the item akin to a candy coating. Given its intriguing style, Haftner has made plans for Regina artist Jen Keturakis to teach a class
during the festival so wannabe yarn bombers can get stitching. With roundtable discussions, and talks from keynote art history speaker Anna Waclawek, art junkies will find plenty to soak in as well. As one of the first art historians to document graffiti, Waclawek makes for an excellent source of insight on the artistic value of graffiti. . For more details on the schedule and artist info check out akagallery.org.
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Dessert icing, the most delicious kind of graffiti.
OPINIONS
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| 4 July, 2013 | thesheaf.com |
Saskatchewan deserves safe injection sites MATT CHILLIAK Saskatchewan is currently the Human Immunodeficiency Virus capital of Canada. At about 20 HIV cases per 100,000 people in 2011, we more than doubled the national average of about eight per 100,000. This is unacceptable for a province with such a strong economic advantage. In Saskatchewan, it’s estimated that 75 per cent of cases occur due to needle sharing during drug use. While there are needle exchange programs, the reported 186 new cases of HIV suggest that more needs to be done to address this growing problem. Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab has made clear that a supervised injection facility for drug users is an unlikely option for Saskatchewan cities. This is despite the fact that facilities, such as Insite in Vancouver, have shown to prevent HIV cases and deaths. In 2009, Insite had 702 visits per day and handled 484 overdoses with zero deaths. In fact, Insite has not reported any deaths since opening. Beyond the benefits of human health improvements, the economic value of Insite has been
estimated to be $18 million over 10 years. There have been over 30 studies in academic journals regarding this issue. The Canadian Medical Association provides overwhelming support for the value of Insite. The benefits of Insite allow everyone to prevent the spread of HIV, reducing the number of needles discarded in public, and provides better access for addiction services to drug users. Vancouver’s experience has been successful and it’s a pity the Saskatchewan government continues to refuse safe and supervised injection facilities. While Dr. Shahab wants us to believe it’s a complex issue of rural and urban differences, this is a mere cover for electoral-political considerations trumping proven research. Polls have indicated that programs like Insite remain most unpopular among federal Conservative voters in Saskatchewan than among other provinces. If the provincial Saskatchewan Party government were to invest in a safe injection facility, they could risk upsetting a political base which is full
of federal Conservative voters. Instead, the Saskatchewan Party has pandered to the “tough on crime” elements within their ranks who clutch to the belief that the war on drugs is legitimate and can still be won. While there are obvious concerns regarding the proximity of an injection facility to homes,
schools and businesses, these concerns should not override the need for a facility like Insite. As long as it is placed where the demand is strongest, the benefits would be maximized. By working in cooperation with the HIV community, health care workers and the police, our province can do more to prevent
Needle exchange trucks, like this one, enable healthier living for all on and off the street.
the growth of Saskatchewan’s already high HIV rates. The Saskatchewan government’s disregard for the proven benefits of safe injection facilities is an unfortunate case of political considerations triumphing good policy. For some, it’s truly a case of life or death.
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There’s no Christ in convocate TRAVIS HOMENUK Opinions Editor
The University of Saskatchewan is not a religious institution, so isn’t it a bit odd that guests and graduates at convocation ceremonies are forced to sit through a prayer? Convocation is relatively boring in and of itself. Prior to each ceremony, graduates gather backstage, some dressed up while others arrive in jeans and sneakers to receive their $25,000 piece of paper. Graduates march into the auditorium and struggle to locate their family members amid a sea of proud grandparents, waving mothers and bitter siblings who’ve been dragged along for the day’s events. While graduates expect the regular speeches given by the university President, and a random assortment of professors, nothing prepares the black-robed graduates for the odd — and seemingly unnecessary — address to come. I believe the girl beside me whispered “what the fuck?” as the prayer began. Like many oblivious babies, I was baptized as a child. My parents weren’t overly religious,
Bridge naming
but my Ukrainian Catholic grandparents were — hence why I was dunked in a pool of water and dressed in a fancy white gown for all of my nearest and dearest to see. I’ve since discovered that gowns really aren’t my thing.
My sister and I attended Sunday school as children and learned about the Bible, but as we got older church life became a thing of the past. Needless to say, I’m not exactly a religious person. But I’m not
trying to belittle those who are. I can see the validity in religious faiths of all kinds. But I still think it’s absolutely ridiculous that graduates are forced to sit through a prayer before convocating — especially when considering the multiculturalism at the University of Saskatchewan. We do, after all, have a Jewish president at the U of S. I could be mistaken, but the prayer felt pretty damn Christian to me. When the university was established in 1907, religion was more relevant to society than it is now, which is why prayers were included at convocation ceremonies in the first place. But times have changed, and convocation ceremonies need to change as well. Christianity is not the be all and end all of the western world. We can choose what religious faith we want to adhere to — if we choose any faith at all. Having to pray before convocating was a reminder to me that this institution upholds old-fashioned values that are not inclusive of or considerate to the beliefs of others. The motivation and sentiment for the prayer itself is valid: to acknowledge those in our
newest bridge is Rowdy Roddy Piper. And the crowd goes silent because no one knows who he is. Not only is he the World Wrestling Entertainment legend from Saskatoon, but he is also
greatly representative of our fair city’s large Scottish-Canadian constituency. To name the bridge after Piper would show Saskatoon to be a progressive city, one that can appreciate the achievements of
a pro-wrestler right along with those of artists, politicians and hockey players. Plus he wrestled Hulk Hogan, so he has that going for him. Once this contest gets off the ground, I heartily recommend
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lives who have made our accomplishments attainable — whether they are physical beings or metaphysical ones. But I’m quite sure we all don’t need to pray to be appreciative. The ceremony could include a speech of thanks to family members or other important people, as opposed to a prayer. If any kind of religiousness is going to take place at the convocation ceremonies, all faiths should be represented and acknowledged. Besides, God didn’t write our essays or study for our exams. We did those things. We as students do the hard work. If individual students gain guidance from higher powers, that’s awesome, but this isn’t the case for everyone. Religion can have an amazing impact on a person’s life, but there are certainly those who function without it. I don’t want to think about Jesus when I’m receiving my degree. However, I would reconsider my distaste for praying at convocation if God or Jesus or whomever decided to pay for my education. That would be something to be thankful for.
you give your vote to Rowdy Roddy Piper. Help the underdog prevail!
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But a bridge should have a name that’s a little more exciting and unique. I’m always one to root for the underdog. And so, without further delay, my official pick for the namesake of Saskatoon’s
HUMOUR
| thesheaf.com | 4 July, 2013 |
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Campus Chat If you had to evacuate your home, what’s the one thing you’d take?
My daughter.
Bunmi Adeguoyin
My blue blazer.
Max FineDay
My dog, not my husband.
Lacey Nadon.
A bag of cats.
Wesley Belanger -Osatchuk
FAKE NEWS
Mayor Atchison blows off Pride Week Saskatoon’s gay dating scene looks to have added its latest hot — and slightly curvy — member: Mayor Don “Bootylicious Betty” Atchison. It is well known that Atchison refuses to be involved in Saskatoon’s Pride Week. But he’s never given a reason for avoiding the glitter-covered celebration. Atchison threw a bag of cheese buns at his wife, Mardele, during a domestic dispute, which provoked her to inform the general public
why her husband ignores Pride Week. “I think he’s gay,” Mardele said, laughing and downing a cheese bun as she publicly ousted her husband. “I knew he was playing for the other team after I’d continuously catch him watching the sex scenes from Brokeback Mountain after City Council meetings,” she said. It’s reported that Mayor Don even owns assless chaps, which he refuses to wear for Mardele.
Atchison’s homophobia stems from deeply-rooted self-hatred. Growing up in strict Catholic home, Atchison was taught that homosexuality was sinful, and always suppressed his sexual desires towards men. While Mayor Don refused to comment on Mardele’s accusations, city employees have provided insight into the private life of this unhappy closeted man. Councillor Charlie Clark once caught Mayor Don in full drag
attire in his office. Atchison’s explanation was that he was involved in a remake of Hairspray, though the show was curiously never produced. Mardele Atchison plans to file for divorce, hoping to take Don for every penny he has. “I’ve always liked the title ‘divorcée’ because it sounds very sophisticated,” Mardele said. Mardele also confirmed rumours from city councillors that Mayor Don plans to launch a line of larger
fitting dresses at his men’s clothing store for males who are interested in crossdressing. “I doubt he’ll make a very pretty drag queen, but I’m sure it’ll be good for business — which will increase my alimony payments,” Mardele said.
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| 4 July, 2013 | thesheaf.com |