The Sheaf - Feb 13, 2014

Are hunters really polar bears’ number one enemy?

NEWS 2

THE sheaf

13 February, 2014 • The University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912

Hit the slopes this February Break in Saskatchewan and beyond.

SPORTS 6

Travelling play Downstream debuts at the U of S on Feb. 21.

CULTURE 12

Justin Trudeau reforms the Senate.

OPINIONS 13

Huskies grapple for Canada West glory KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor The best wrestlers in the Canada West division will descend on Saskatoon on Feb. 14 and 15 to fight for a spot in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship.

The Canada West championships will take place in the Education gym with the top three finishers in each division advancing to nationals. The Huskies will host teams from the University of Alberta, the University of Regina, the University of Calgary and the University of Winnipeg.

Unlike other CIS wrestling events, the Canada West championship will have a dual format. Teams compete directly against one another with one member from each weight class going head-tohead against a member from the other squad. The format is more fan-friendly as spectators are easily able to follow the action.

“Dual format is a completely different experience when you watch wrestling. You can feel the momentum shift with every match and it’s the best way to watch it,” said Huskies wrestling interim-head coach Daniel Olver. “It’s dynamic. The team atmosphere is there, you can see everyone that you want to wrestle all at once within an hour time frame. It’s electric.”

Heading into the competition, Olver is optimistic about the team’s chances.

“I always have high hopes,” he said.

“They always train for championship titles, so I expect them to compete for it, but anything can happen.”

Annie Monteith will take to the mat this weekend with the aim of advancing to the national championships. Monteith has been excelling this season, medaling at both the Cougar Open and Golden Bear Open. After overcoming a recent bout of the flu, she’s ready to grapple for gold.

“This week I’m feeling perfect and

The Huskies are hard at work preparing for the Canada West championship. ready to compete,” she said.

Hosting the event is adding to Monteith’s and the rest of the team’s desire to bring their best to the mat.

“I think the fact that we’re hosting it makes it a lot more exciting and everyone is driven to do well,” she said. “We have a really strong team, so I think that we’re going to perform really well this year.”

Since the championship is a dual event, fourth-year wrestler Theo Dow knows they can’t depend on one person or one

event if they want to place amongst the top teams in the country.

“I think it’ll depend on how we come together,” he said. “We want a strong top three finish in the Canada West division.”

But when it comes to personal goals Dow is heading into the weekend with only one in mind.

“I want to win,” he said. “I’ve came second and third, and this year’s my last year competing. I’ve been thinking about it all week, and I want to win.”

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

Olver hopes that fans and students will take advantage of such a large competition being held in their own backyard and come cheer on their local athletes.

“It gives our community an opportunity to come out and support wrestling, and take in all the excitement of CanWest,” he said.

Action starts at 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 and 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 15 in the Education gym.

2

NEWS

Melting ice polar bears’ real enemy, not hunters

THE sheaf

TAYLOR BOROWETZ

Editor-in-Chief: HenryTye Glazebrook, editor@thesheaf.com Production Manager: Samantha Braun, layout@thesheaf.com Senior News Editor: Anna-Lilja Dawson, news@thesheaf.com Associate News Editor: Scott Davidson, associatenews@thesheaf.com Photography Editor: Jordan Dumba, photo@thesheaf.com Graphics Editor: Cody Schumacher, graphics@thesheaf.com Culture Editor: Naomi Zurevinski, arts@thesheaf.com Sports Editor: Kim Hartwig, sports@thesheaf.com

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The Sheaf is non-profit, incorporated and studentbody funded by way of a direct levy paid by all partand full-time undergraduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). Membership in the Society is open to undergraduate students at the U of S, but all members of the U of S community 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 Sheaf is published weekly during the academic year and monthly from May through August. The Editor-inChief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, he/she 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.

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Douglas Clark, a professor in the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment and Sustainability, has found that humans are doing more harm than good to polar bears in trying to ban hunting the animals.

He is part of an international team called the Arctic Resilience Report — a group tasked with seeing how vulnerable the Arctic is to sudden shocks and changes to its ecosystem and how humans are affected. The team discovered that these changes to the Arctic ecosystem are not in fact approaching but actually have been underway for quite some time.

“This is no longer a future prospect. The future arrived a while ago,” Clark said.

In 2007, the Arctic sea ice extent — the total area covered by ice — suddenly decreased by one-third over the long-term average and reached a new low in 2012 at 4.1 million square kilometres.

“We are all invested in causing this and to change course has huge consequences.

“It’s very far from clear that we can still fix this,” Clark said. “It’s very, very likely that we are past the point of being able to save the Arctic in the state that it is right now.”

Polar bears making their home on the Arctic ice are being greatly affected by the increasing temperatures. They will not likely disappear as the ice continues to melt, but it is unknown how they will adapt to the disappearance of their natural habitat.

“We are in the middle of a very, very big change in the Arctic and we don’t know what it means,” Clark said.

Despite the concerns of melting Arctic ice, a focus on polar bear hunting overshadows their loss of habitat. Those who condemn and oppose hunting polar bears may have good intentions,

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Polar bears might be out of a home soon if sea ice continues to melt at increasing rates.

but are really bringing light away from the true problem of climate change, Clark said.

Of the five nations that allow polar bear hunting — including the United States, Norway, Russia and Denmark — Canada is the only one that allows tags for polar bear sport hunting on top of hunting permits for Indigenous residents.

The process has been debated and fought and Clark says it is often portrayed as a “lucrative, commercial hunt, which has all kinds of different connotations. It is certainly not that.”

Every community in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories annually negotiates a quota with the territorial governments to determine the number of polar bears that can be hunted.

This quota is set based on the current polar bear population and is not influenced by market prices or demand for polar bear, but rather the amount that is sustainable. Communities then decide if they want to sell their tags to sport hunters.

“No community has ever chosen to sell all its tags,” Clark said, adding that groups usually sell about 22 per cent of their tags.

Clark said the results from this economizing are huge even though only about one in five tags are redeemed. With temperatures around -60 C, hunters need clothing crafted from animal skins

by local women, who also prepare the hide if the hunter gets a bear.

Polar bear hunts are also highly regulated — it is illegal to hunt with any sort of motorized vehicle: boats, aircraft or land transport, including snowmobiles.

“The hunter and the guide have to travel by dogsled,” Clark said. The hunters are usually wealthy — some arriving in their own jets — and they can afford to be selective in their prey.

He said that if the hunters don’t find a big enough bear, they won’t shoot one and their tag will be cancelled.

“Having sport hunting, actually, counterintuitively, means that fewer polar bears end up getting killed,” Clark said.

The Inuit can fill a tag if they have one.

However, they may hunt as they see fit under their land claim though they may not be as concerned about getting a trophy bear.

The complexity of this issue makes it difficult for people to understand what is really going on.

Clark said polar bear hunting in Canada is “very tightly regulated, only conducted by Aboriginal people and they’re the ones making the decisions about whether they sell any of their tags to sport hunters or not.”

Negative media coverage of polar bear hunting takes away the focus from the immediate and drastic effects of global warming and climate change. Saying that stopping the hunt will save the bears is entirely inaccurate, Clark said.

“Campaigns like this are not in the best interest of either the species or the people whose livelihoods depend on them,” Clark said. “Local voices tend to get marginalized in national and international decisions around polar bears.”

The U of S Office of Sustainability is preparing for International Polar Bear Day on Feb. 27, when the public is encouraged to adjust their thermostat to reduce carbon emissions.

Global studies certificate looks to introduce students to global community SCOTT DAVIDSON Associate News Editor

©

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

A new program at the University of Saskatchewan will allow students to attach a certificate in global studies to any degree.

The certificate in global studies — administered by the department of political studies — is aimed at introducing students to the increasingly globalized world. The program is also part of the university’s effort to become a “more international” institution.

“Our university is becoming increasingly internationalized as a result of the attraction of international students and I think there was a sense that we have the responsibility to ensure that our own students understand the international realities and cultures and values and the developments that are happening around the world,” said Joe Garcea, a professor in the department of political studies.

The program has three required courses in international studies, including a non-credit requisite called Global Experiential and Cultural Learning which can be fulfilled by either a 60-hour internship with an organization in Saskatoon dedicated to international issues or through previous experience in a study abroad program.

Students will also be required to take three credit units in a language or demonstrate competency in a language other than English.

Garcea said the political studies department is still deciding the exact protocol for determining language competency but added they are hoping to work with the Language Center in the future.

The final requirement for the certificate says that students must complete nine credit units from four clusters of courses ranging from

2/4/2014 11:41:26 AM

languages to area and sectoral studies. The clusters are made up of courses from a variety of disciplines including history, nutrition, drama and law. These credits can be taken as part of another degree program.

Garcea said that in designing the program, they hoped to create something accessible to students across the university.

“We essentially have three core courses that students have to do regardless of what their background or degree programs are, but we’re also willing to recognize a whole range of courses related to globalization and global citizenship,” Garcea said. “The objective was to produce something that wasn’t for one type of student in one college; this was designed as a program to be accessible by any type of student in any college.”

The department of political studies wanted to ensure the certificate program would not create too much of a burden on students who are already focused on their degree program.

“We also didn’t want to make the global studies certificate unduly cumbersome so students couldn’t do it in conjunction with one of their degree programs. We tried to keep the core requirements to a minimum to allow them to get credit from courses from within their degrees with an international dimension,” Garcea said.

The program began in September 2013 after the department consulted with colleges and departments to gain their support.

“I think the university and other departments are very positive about it,” Garcea said.

“Everybody understands and values the fact that internationalization is a central mission of the university and that we’re looking at all kinds of ways to increase the internationalization of the” U of S.

MIKE TREMBLAY

Another focus of the certificate in global studies program is attracting international students. Garcea said he hopes that the program will give international students an even broader perspective on the world as a whole.

The intent of the program is to bring Canadian and international students together to share their perspectives on the broader world and to foster a sense of community.

“I think one objective was to understand that as much as the international students can learn from Canadian students, Canadian students can also learn from international students,” Garcea said.

Students wishing to pursue a certificate in global studies can contact the undergraduate office in their college or department as the department of political studies is still having some problems with registration. Anyone looking for more information can contact Joe Garcea directly at joe.garcea@usask.ca or find further details on the U of S online course catalogue.

NEWS

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

3

Student starts refugee program in Libya over winter break

ANDREW COOPER

Upon arriving in Benghazi, Libya in December 2013 and expecting to start working, Ahmed Gargoum found himself starting up his own organization for refugee children instead.

Gargoum is a fourth-year physiology and pharmacology student at the University of Saskatchewan. He flew to Libya on Dec. 23, hoping to start volunteering immediately but had to create his own program with the help of Volunteer Libya— a group dedicated to restoring the country’s prosperity and wealth — when he found the group he was to work with was not yet organized.

“Initially when I went to Libya during the winter break, I just wanted to help them in any way,” Gargoum said. “I had some organizations that could set something up with me, but when I got there, they bailed on me and I was panicking [and] kind of frustrated.”

Gargoum contacted Volunteer Libya who told him that if he was still invested in helping he could start his own program in Benghazi.

“I was only there for about two weeks,” Gargoum said, “But I did start a five-week educational program that’s going on right now for the kids there.”

Gift of Learning, Gargoum’s program, focuses on giving refugee children aged six to 10 an education unavailable in many of the refugee camps in Benghazi.

Previously, Volunteer Libya had a similar program for orphans in the capital city of Tripoli.

Gargoum and a group of other volunteers began the program with two classes: English and art. There were additional subsections on health, physical education and music as well as lessons on gun and

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

Ahmed Gargoum started a volunteer program in Libya called Gift of Learning to give refugee children an education. explosives safety. Gargoum worked with five to six volunteers, whom he said were willing to help him after meeting for only one day.

“I was really surprised how willing the people were there to come out and help,” Gargoum said. “They literally knew me for like one day, but they were willing to come out to this camp ... and be committed to the program for another five weeks.

“It was a really nice surprise to have.

It speaks a lot to the hospitality of the Libyan people. They were willing to help me out so much, like you were a long-time friend of theirs or a family member.”

Gargoum wanted to volunteer in Libya to help internally-displaced refugees who fled or were forced from their homes during and after the civil war. Many were

supporters of Muammar Gaddafi — the fascist dictator of Libya for 42 years who was killed during the 2011 revolution — and have been living in refugee camps for as long as three years.

The refugees that Gargoum worked with were from from Tawergha, a town in northern Libya 38 kilometers south of Misrata. The Tawerghans were forced to leave their town in August of 2011 right before the peak of the revolution because the majority their population were Gaddafi supporters.

“When you typically think of refugees,” Gargoum said. “You think that they’re from a different country ... I decided to help them because I identify as a Misrati person. My grandparents and my parents are from Misrata.”

After an extended period of widespread dissent, Libya was in civil war from February to October 2011. Though the conflict between the Gaddafi government and the uprising came to an official end on Oct. 23, 2011, the effects of the revolution are still apparent. Volunteer programs in the country that seek to help both sides affected by the war are often started with difficulty due to the rifts created in the communities by factors preceding the civil war.

“It’s hard, because there’s just such opposition from both sides of the spectrum,” Gargoum said. “For example, my cousin, he told me not to volunteer and start this program for [the children], because he fought in Misrata and some of his friends and family died. It’s a heartbreaking deal having your best friend go up to you and tell you, ‘Don’t do this, don’t do this.’”

Gargoum felt similar opposition from other groups during his time in Libya because his last name is commonly found in Misrata. He was advised not to use it to avoid any negative impacts on his program’s success.

Gift of Learning will see its first class — with approximately 40 children — graduate over the Feb. 15 weekend.

Gargoum attributes the success of Gift of Learning to the community being able to set aside tribal affiliations. He said he hopes to see the program expand to accommodate all the children of the Tawergha camp.

“There are other camps in the city and I want all of them to have their own Gift of Learning program and their own educational program,” he said.

Gargoum returned to Canada on Jan. 11, though he has remained a counsellor and an organizer for Gift of Learning.

U of O profs stress confidentiality in criminal investigation

ADAM FEIBEL The Fulcrum (University of Ottawa)

OTTAWA — The two University of Ottawa professors who conducted a research study that included an interview with accused killer Luka Magnotta have won their legal bid to quash a Montreal police warrant for the video.

Professors Christine Bruckert and Colette Parent took the matter to court in March 2013 in order to challenge the seizure of a video interview with Magnotta, under the alias Jimmy. The interview was conducted six years earlier for a study called “Sex Work and Intimacy: Escorts and Their Clients” that took place between 2004 and 2008. Magnotta was one of the three groups of 20 male escorts, 20 female escorts and 20 clients who agreed to participate in the study under the promise of confidentiality.

Magnotta, 31, is charged with the murder and dismemberment of 33-yearold Concordia University student Lin Jun in 2012, among other related charges.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Sophie Bourque ruled in favour of the professors after finding that the importance of preserving the relationship between the researcher and the subject outweighed the video’s usefulness to police.

“The evidence demonstrates that the public interest in respecting the promise of confidentiality is high,” the decision stated. “On the other hand, the interest of society in the investigation of serious crimes such as the one (contemplated) in this case is high, but the probative value, if any, of the Confidential Interview in the pursuit of that interest is, at best, minimal and marginal both theoretically and factually.”

Bourque made it clear that similar

decisions would be made on a caseby-case basis, in which a judge would determine whether research materials better serve the public good by remaining confidential or by contributing to criminal investigations, public safety or national security.

“As far as we are concerned, it’s difficult to see cases where the data would be necessary to fight crime,” Parent said.

The court used a Wigmore test, a fourstep process to evaluate privilege. The test stipulates that confidentiality must be promised, the research must be necessary and relevant to society, and the court must weigh the public interest versus private interest.

Upon privately examining the content of the interview, the court concluded that “the potential relevance of the Confidential Interview is minimal at most and marginal” to the investigation and that police “could obtain that type of evidence by other means.”

Magnotta’s trial is set to begin in September. He has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including the first-degree murder of Lin. The warrant for Magnotta’s interview was granted in June 2012, shortly after U of O graduate Adam McLeod informed Montreal police of the interview he conducted with Magnotta in 2007.

McLeod was a fourth-year student when he assisted the professors with their study by gathering data and conducting a number of interviews on their behalf.

Bruckert said the takeaway from the case is that researchers need to develop their protocols with “a clear eye for protecting confidentiality” and to recognize the potential threat of a search warrant.

“The decision is a good one,” she said.

“It doesn’t give researchers a blanket —

ADAM FEIBEL/THE FULCRUM

Professors Christine Bruckert and Colette Parent are wary of future breaches in confidentiality agreements in research materials due to police warrants. we’re not priests or doctors where there’s a blanket confidentiality — but what we’ve established is that … there’s a process through which the courts will go and that we can challenge the police seizing our data. So that’s all really, really positive.

“But it also means that there are limits,” she said. “Essentially it means we have to be very, very careful to prevent the police from even seizing our data.”

The university issued an official statement that recognized the “significance of the issues” raised in the proceedings.

“The university welcomes the Quebec Superior Court’s decision and it is pleased that the court has recognized the importance of academic research and the duty to uphold the promise of confidentiality made to research

participants,” the statement read.

The criminologists were represented by the Canadian Association of University Teachers. James Turk, the organization’s executive director, said it was an “enormously important” case that could have tarnished the ability for academics to conduct research on illicit behaviour in order to gain knowledge on a particular subject and serve the public good.

“You’re asking people to give you information that could be used to put them in jeopardy in the criminal justice system, and so you have to promise them confidentiality,” said Turk. “If they don’t have a sense that that confidentiality will be respected by courts, they’re not going to talk to you.”

With files from Sofia Hashi.

4

NEWS

Undergrad cleans water with UV light RAINER KOCSIS

A University of Saskatchewan student is researching a process that could make purifying water efficient and sustainable.

Anurag Dalai, a fourth-year physiology and pharmacology student, has discovered a particle that kills waterborne bacteria more effectively than bleach or alcohol. These nanoparticles emit a specific type of ultraviolet light that damages harmful bacterial cells like E. coli.

“Essentially, we wanted to see if we could create a novel way of cleaning water that is sustainable and efficient. We specifically looked at UV light because UV light is known to kill bacteria and this technology is used in [developing] countries for cleaning both air and water,” Dalai said, adding that UV technology is expensive to buy, install and maintain.

Dalai’s method is trying to solve issues with the current water UV purification methods where the light penetrates the water from outside. Issues arise if the water is dirty to a certain threshold, since the light then cannot penetrate it as easily and the method becomes less efficient.

“We wanted to see if we could create a way for that same UV light to be emitted within the water itself, thus eliminating that problem,” Dalai said.

In the electromagnetic spectrum, UV light ranges from 100 nanometers to 400 nanometers.

Light in this range can interact with and damage bacterial DNA — a process that is well documented. Dalai uses an X-ray machine to

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

excite calcium fluoride nanoparticles causing them to emit UV light that kills bacteria.

Specifically, calcium fluoride emits UVB light which is what E. coli cells are most vulnerable to.

He uses calcium fluoride because it is insoluble in water and can be filtered out easily.

In lab trials, Dalai used a technique called spectroscopy to measure the wavelength of light emitted from the nanoparticles. If the particles emitted the correct wavelength they were tested to see if they could kill bacterial cells. Dalai put crucibles containing E. coli bacteria and calcium fluoride inside an X-ray machine and exposed the samples for variable lengths of time.

Dalai found that the longer the samples were exposed to the X-rays, the more bacteria were killed. He stained the samples with a fluorescent dye and examined them under a specialized microscope to count the living and dead cells.

The goal of Dalai’s project was to show that UV light emitted from nanoparticles can be harnessed to kill E. coli cells more effectively than bleach or alcohol and he came out with positive results.

“We essentially completed the first phase of the project where the primary goal was to show that this technology can work and does work,” Dalai said.

Dalai also experimented with gamma radiation but it was ineffective.

Ideally, Dalai would like to see the UV purification method used on a larger scale to help villages in developing countries where “it will

go a long way in preventing people getting sick from water contamination.” Urban populations could also benefit by making existing water treatment methods more efficient with UV light.

The next step of the project is to create a nanoparticle that doesn’t require energy excitation from an outside source like an X-ray.

Dalai said the final product may be a system where UV emitting nanoparticles pass through

The framework “to me is a really positive thing. That’s a fairly recent development but it recognizes that [advocacy’s] not an extra; it’s part of what a physician is supposed to be,” Meili said.

“A role that I think is very important and probably not one that we really have a handle on is teaching well or helping physicians to understand well how to integrate into their practice,” Meili said. He later said the most common complaint he hears regarding advocacy is that doctors recognize when there are public health issues but are unsure of how to address them.

The U of S currently has a number of courses, such as the emergency medicine residency program, that have students complete an advocacy research project. However, increasing advocacy in medical students’ education at the U of S is an area that Meili

said requires attention — specifically in other residency programs when there is a heavy focus on clinical skills.

However, Dr. Lee Green, professor and chair of the department of family medicine at the University of Alberta, wrote in an email to the Canadian University Press that whether or not physicians should be advocates is a debatable issue.

“Some believe strongly we should be, others quite the opposite. I don’t think there’s a right answer there. Med students do get some formal preparation for advocacy, largely in the form of quality and safety teaching, but it’s something far less than the entire class takes advantage of,” Green wrote.

Medical students are being exposed to advocacy earlier than before through organized events such as the Canadian Federation of

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

Anurag Dalai can purify water with light.

water as it flows through a pipe.

Dalai started the project in the summer of 2011, after completing the first year of his degree. He contacted Ramaswami Sammynaiken, manager of the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre and got to have his pick of a few projects.

“I chose to do this specific project because of its potentially positive impact on people’s lives and the original idea seemed interesting. Also, it was an interdisciplinary project where I could learn about chemistry, biology and physics as well as learn how to operate various pieces of equipment,” Dalai said.

Dalai spent the next two summers working on the project under the supervision of Sammynaiken.

“He helped me at every step of the way by providing the lab, materials and helping design experiments,” he said.

Dalai also worked with Jian Yang, an associate professor from the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. His co-researchers included Abdalla Karoyo and Angela Dong, a PhD student in chemistry and a graduate student in pharmacy, respectively.

“In general, learning all the procedures, techniques, and reading up on all the science behind the experiments was a challenge. But I learned a great deal and the entire process was greatly beneficial,” Dalai said.

Dalai is confident that the project will continue going forward but he is unsure if he will be involved with the next stages.

Medical students in need of advocacy training

ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Prairies and Northern Bureau Chief

SASKATOON (CUP) — Advocacy is becoming more prominent in medical classrooms as working physicians are advocating for their patients at increasing rates.

Dr. Ryan Meili, an associate professor from the department of community health and epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, said that advocacy is becoming an increasingly important aspect of being a physician as it has recently been recognized in the CanMEDS Physician Competency Framework.

The framework outlines physicians as medical experts foremost but should also have defined roles as communicators, collaborators, managers, scholars, professionals and health advocates.

The federal Lobby Day day on Feb. 3 had med students convene on Parliament Hill to meet with MPs.

JARRETT E HATHER/FLICKR

Medical Students’ annual Lobby Day. The CFMS’Lobby Day gives medical students across Canada an opportunity to try their hand at advocating for health issues, helping to prepare them to be practicing physicians.

Melanie Bechard, the chair of the government affairs and advocacy committee for the CFMS, said the annual event has two purposes — to communicate health-care issues to policy makers and to educate medical students about advocacy.

“There is an increasingly greater move towards training medical students as advocates but we think that Lobby Day helps enhance their education,” Bechard said. She added that students who participate get a full day of training in preparation for the event that includes speakers who are experienced in healthcare advocacy.

“We have speakers from across the country who have done wonderful advocacy in health care come and speak to our students to inspire them and also teach them how to advocate effectively.”

Lobby Day 2014 took place on Feb. 3 where medical students met with 65 senators and members of Parliament to lobby for continued support for affordable housing programs and relief of federal medical student debt during residency.

Samuel Fineblit, a medical student from the University of Manitoba, said although his program offers population and public health courses, students should receive more education pertaining to their roles as advocates while being physicians.

The CFMS Lobby Day gives medical students a chance to be exposed to advocacy, Fineblit said.

Fineblit also sits on the government affairs and advocacy committee for the CFMS. Lindsay Bowthorpe, a second year medical student at U of A, agrees that it is difficult to teach students everything they need to know before becoming doctors.

However, Bowthorpe said she has learned about physicians roles as advocates by attending the federal lobby day twice and having organized the provincial lobby day this year.

“Speaking from the Alberta perspective, there are a lot of opportunities to get involved and I think it’s just a fantastic way to realize that you can make a difference in another form that can influence the health of Canadians,” Bowthorpe said.

SPORTS

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

5

Picker’s Cup skates into Bruno, Sask.

KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor

Music and hockey lovers will come together in Bruno, Sask. on Feb. 15-17 for the Picker’s Cup. The event combines a music festival and a pond hockey tournament into one chilly winter celebration for the province’s original tournival.

Kristen Berkel, artistic director and planner of the event, came up with the idea to combine music and a hockey tournament last year.

Berkel found continuity between the shared closeness that occurs when playing sports with teammates and attending music festivals with friends, and decided to bring the two together.

“My hope is to create some long lasting memories that engender all those great feelings of doing something new together and experiencing something as part of a greater community,” she said.

This is the inaugural Picker’s Cup and if everything goes well Berkel is hoping to bring back the event in coming years.

“We would like to be able to offer something for people in Saskatchewan and beyond … and offer a unique Family Day experience for people,” she said.

The music lineup features three bands from Saskatchewan — Andy Shauf, Blake Berglund and The Vultures, and The Dead South — among the many other talented Canadian acts set to take the stage. The local flavour and

Blake Berglund and The Vultures is one of three Saskatchewan bands set to perform at the Picker’s Cup. venue is something that will lend a distinctive feel to the event. With a strong sense of support for music and sport already an ingrained part of the community, Bruno provides the perfect background for the festival.

“There’s not too many opportunities to see this many people in a small setting. These are acts that you probably won’t have a chance to see again like that,” she said.

Berkel’s husband Jonas will be running the

hockey portion of the festival. The tournament will have a 3-on-3 format split into adult mixed and youth mixed divisions. Attendees will be able to wander from one event to the other during the day with the music running alongside the tournament. The headlining acts will be featured during the evening after play has ended.

In addition to being a great time, the event also aims to bring together the community

JORDAN REIMER

to celebrate music, art, sport and create longlasting ties. After months spent battling the bitter cold, the Picker’s Cup may be the perfect winter pick-me-up — a chance to hit the ice and warm up listening to some great music.

“We’re hoping that this is the kind of experience that you’re going to keep with you for the rest of your life,” Berkel said. “We’re just hoping that this can be a fun, playful weekend with some high-quality music to boot”.

Preview: Men’s hockey face Cougars to end season KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor The Huskies will split hosting duties with the University of Regina Cougars to round out the Canada West hockey season. The Dogs host the Cougars on Feb. 14 before travelling to Regina to square off on Feb. 15.

The matchup won’t mean much for the Huskies in terms of points as the Dogs are assured a third place finish in the division behind the University of Alberta Golden Bears and the University of Calgary Dinos.

The Cougars could finish anywhere from fourth to seventh depending on the weekend’s outcome.

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

The Huskies are sitting pretty in the standings heading into their final games.

The two teams met earlier this season on Nov. 20 and 21 with the Cougars winning both games. The Huskies have already booked a

Canada West Standings Men’s Volleyball 1. Trinity Western 2. UBC 3. Alberta 4. Thompson Rivers 5. Saskatchewan 6. Calgary 7. Brandon 8. Manitoba 9. Mount Royal 10. Winnipeg 11. Regina 12. UBC Okanagan

Men’s Hockey GP-W-L 22-20-2 22-15-7 22-15-7 22-13-9 22-11-11 22-11-11 22-10-12 22-10-12 22-10-12 22-9-13 22-4-18 22-4-18

*Top seven teams from each division qualify for playoffs

Women’s Volleyball 1. UBC 2. Brandon 3. Trinity Western 4. Manitoba 5. Alberta 6. Regina 7. UBC Okanagan 8. Saskatchewan 9. Winnipeg 10. Mount Royal 11. Calgary 12. Thompson Rivers

GP-W-L 22-18-4 22-17-5 22-17-5 22-14-8 22-13-9 22-12-10 22-12-10 22-9-13 22-8-14 22-7-15 22-5-17 22-0-22

*Top seven teams from each division qualify for playoffs

1. Alberta 2. Calgary 3. Saskatchewan 4. Manitoba 5. Mount Royal 5. Regina 7. UBC 8. Lethbridge

1. Alberta 2. Saskatchewan 3. UBC 4. Manitoba 5. Regina 6. Calgary 7. Lethbridge 8. Mount Royal

GP-W-L-OTL 28-20-5-3 28-18-4-6 28-20-6-2 28-17-7-4 28-11-13-4 28-12-14-2 28-7-16-5 28-7-18-3

*All eight teams advance to playoffs

*All eight teams advance to playoffs

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Prairie Division 1. Alberta 2. Saskatchewan 3. Lethbridge 4. Winnipeg 5. Calgary 6. Brandon 6. Manitoba 8. Regina

GP-W-L 20-18-2 20-15-5 20-14-6 20-13-7 20-6-14 20-5-15 20-5-15 20-4-16

Prairie Division 1. Alberta 1. Regina 3. Saskatchewan 4. Calgary 4. Winnipeg 6. Brandon 6. Lethbridge 8. Manitoba

GP-W-L 20-18-2 20-18-2 20-17-2 20-11-9 20-11-9 20-6-14 20-6-14 20-4-16

Pacific Division 1. Victoria 2. UFV 3. Thompson Rivers 4. UBC 5. Trinity Western 6. Mount Royal 7. UNBC 8. UBC Okanagan

GP-W-L 20-17-3 20-15-5 20-12-8 20-11-9 20-10-10 20-8-12 20-4-16 20-3-17

Pacific Division 1. UBC 1. UFV 3. Victoria 4. Thompson Rivers 5. Trinity Western 6. UNBC 7. UBC Okanagan 8. Mount Royal

GP-W-L 20-15-5 20-15-5 20-14-6 20-11-9 20-5-15 20-4-16 20-3-17 20-2-18

*Top four teams from each division qualify for crossover playoffs

Cougars are only 5-6-2 when playing on their own ice. The Cougars have a slight edge away with a 6-5 record while the Dogs are only 5-7.

The Huskies will look to Derek Hulak and Kenton Dulle to lead the offence while the Cougars will rely on Liam Brennan and Cody Fowlie.

Following this weekend’s series, the next time the Huskies take the ice it will be to contest the Canada West quarter-final. The Huskies host the first round of the postseason on Feb. 21 with their opponent yet to be determined.

Puck drops at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14.

Upcoming Huskies Games Women’s Hockey

GP-W-L-OTL 26-23-2-1 26-21-2-3 26-15-10-1 26-11-11-4 26-11-13-2 26-11-13-2 26-10-14-2 26-2-21-3

spot in both the Canada West championships and the University Cup so the Cougars, who are still fighting for a playoff berth, may be the hungrier team come game time.

Heading into the final two games of the season the Huskies have a 15-10-1 record while the Cougars are sitting at 11-13-2.

The Dogs saved their best until the end of the season, going on a five game win-streak until the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds defeated the Huskies in their last game. The Cougars have been up-anddown all season and are coming off two losses against the Golden Bears.

Home ice advantage should favour the Dogs, who are 10-2-1 at home while the

*Top four teams from each division qualify for crossover playoffs

Men’s Basketball • Feb. 14 in Edmonton vs.

University of Alberta Golden Bears at 8:00 p.m.

• Feb. 15 in Edmonton vs.

University of Alberta Golden Bears at 7:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball • Feb. 14 in Edmonton vs.

University of Alberta Golden Bears at 6:00 p.m.

• Feb. 15 in Edmonton vs.

University of Alberta Golden Bears at 5:00 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball • Feb. 13-15 in Kamloops, B.C. at Canada West quarter-final vs. Thompson Rivers University WolfPack

Men’s Hockey Feb. 14 vs. University of Regina Cougars at 7:00 p.m.

• Feb. 15 in Regina vs.

University of Regina Cougars at 7:00 p.m.

• Feb. 21-23 at Canada West quarter-final Women’s Hockey Feb. 21-23 at Canada West semi-final vs. TBA Track and Field • Feb. 21 and 22 in Edmonton at Canada West championships Wrestling Feb. 14 and 15 at Canada West Championship

Home Game

6

SPORTS

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Reading week snow and ski guide SCOTT DAVIDSON Associate News Editor

For some students, February break is a chance to flee the Canadian winter for warmer temperatures and sandy beaches.

For others, the winter break is about the search for powder and handrails to snowboard and ski on.

Whether making the trip to Alberta or British Columbia, taking a day trip to one of Saskatchewan’s ski hills or even staying in Saskatoon, there are ample opportunities for snowboarders and skiers of every skill level to have fun.

Making the pilgrimage to the Canadian Rockies is no small task but it is entirely worth it for those seeking the best snowboarding and skiing experience.

Perhaps the biggest reservation students may have about making this road trip is cost. However, if done right, this can become a relatively small factor.

Banff, Alta. is a great option for those looking to make the trip to the Rockies.

There are several hostels in the town, a good number of food options for any budget and a booming nightlife for those wanting to have some fun off the hill.

Banff also serves as a launching point for three nearby resorts: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Mount Norquay.

Sunshine Village often offers great weather and a good variety of terrain for both beginners and experts. Goat’s Eye Mountain — one of Sunshine Village’s three mountains — is limited to mostly advanced runs but is perhaps the resort’s best area. Sunshine Village’s freestyle terrain park is also one of the best in Canada.

In terms of sheer size, no resort in

MCMORTY GREEN/FLICKR

February Break is a chance to leave the books behing and escape to the mountains. the Alberta Rockies can compete with Lake Louise Ski Area. Lake Louise has something for everyone. The front side of the mountain is great for beginners, while the back side has more challenging terrain.

The Larch Area is tucked off to the side of the main mountain and offers a similar variety of terrain, including the Rock Gardens — which may be the mountain’s single best run.

An easy way to minimize travel costs is to get a big enough group of people together and spread the cost of fuel across everyone to minimize the individual burden. Next, look into staying in hostels rather than hotels. A hotel room in a mountain resort town is guaranteed to cost over $100 per night. By contrast, a bed in

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a hostel can cost as little as $20 to $30 daily.

Another great way to reduce costs is to buy food in Saskatoon or on the way West.

The price of food on resorts and in tourist towns can be grossly inflated and as a result could eat up a big portion of your trip’s budget. Often, hostels offer kitchen facilities that can be used by those staying there.

For those who want to stay a bit closer to home or simply can’t afford to make the trip the Rockies, there are a number of ski hills within Saskatchewan. These hills can’t compete with the variety, majesty or snow conditions of the resorts in the Rockies, but can still make for a fun day trip.

Just outside of North Battleford, Sask., Table Mountain Regional Park is about an hour and a half’s drive from Saskatoon and has recently upgraded to include a second chairlift. Despite being small, Table Mountain offers a decent freestyle terrain park and is a good place for those looking to learn how to snowboard or ski.

Other options include Little Red River Park in Prince Albert which hosts one of the best freestyle terrain parks in the province. Mission Ridge Winter Park in Fort Qu’Appelle is a longer trip, but is viable option as well.

For those with their own equipment there are even opportunities to ski or snowboard within the city of Saskatoon.

Taking a hint from skateboarders, freestyle skiers and snowboarders have been sliding down handrails, across ledges and just about anything imaginable in cities across the world for years.

Urban snowboarding and skiing takes a bit more creativity and bravery than riding down a hill or mountain. Riders can gain speed by using portable ramps or a Banshee Bungee — a long, bungee cord with a handle on one end that can be attached to stationary objects. An easier way of gaining speed is finding a spot with a natural or manmade incline.

There are plenty of spots in Saskatoon that are waiting for snowboarders and skiers to practice their craft on. Grab some friends, head out and start looking.

Again, just be creative! Several big-name professional snowboarders — including Dan Brisse and Dylan Thompson — filmed video parts in Saskatoon last year and showcased the city’s potential.

Moncton to host U-20 FIFA World Cup ALEX BATES The Argosy (Mount Allison University)

SACKVILLE (CUP) — The bright lights of international soccer tournaments will be shining on Canada in the summers of 2014 and 2015 and Moncton, N.B. is ready for the spotlight.

Moncton will co-host the FIFA Under-20 women’s World Cup in 2014 and the FIFA 2015 women’s World Cup. The city has hosted a multitude of sporting events in the last few years including three Canadian Football League games, the 2010 World Junior Championship in Athletics and a women’s international friendly in 2012 between the Canadian and Chinese women’s national teams.

The goal of the tournament is to “truly host an event from coast to coast for the first time,” said Stephane Delisle, venue general manager for Moncton. “Moncton did a great job of submitting a compelling story as to why they should be involved.”

The tournaments could prove to have lasting effects for Moncton’s reputation.

The city will continue to build their strong showing of hosting international events in the Atlantic provinces.

“We’re going to play the 2015 tournament on an artificial turf,” Delisle confirmed. “Another requirement of the city was to have a surface with artificial turf as a training field. Indirectly related to our work, the city, together with the province, came together to finish the work late in 2012 on two artificial turf surfaces at local schools. We can proudly say, even before the tournament starts, they have been lasting legacies on the city.”

A draw determining where each fixture will take place will be held in March, but Canada’s round robin schedule has already been pre-determined because they are hosts. Canada’s fixtures will be played

SUPPLIED BY THE ARGOSY

Moncton continues to hold high-profile sporting events.

at BMO Field in Toronto and Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Moncton will host the semi-final matches in the U-20 championship, which could feature the U-20 women’s national team.

“Canada is the host nation [and] has been seeded A1, so the group stage has been predetermined for Canada. Should we be fortunate enough to have Canada play in Moncton in 2014, I really think that it’s going to bring a new level of attention to the region,” said Delisle.

“I’m quite confident that if people haven’t been interested by the [semifinal match], that on Wednesday, Aug. 20, even more people are going to be paying attention to women’s soccer in Moncton that day.”

Delisle is reassuring that the spotlight will be shining brightly on the “hub of the Maritimes.”

In a five-year period, the city of Moncton will be able to say that they have hosted half a dozen nationally televised events. The city has spent a considerable amount of money to make sure that athletics has become an integral part of their entertainment venues, which will allow them to host future international events at their facilities.

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Dog Watch: Evan Ostertag KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor

For the second time in his sporting career, Evan Ostertag received an award in honour of deceased Huskies men’s basketball player Brennan Jarrett. Ostertag was presented with the Brennan Jarrett memorial award on Feb. 1, an honour he was happy to accept.

“It was really cool,” he said. “I actually won the same type of award in high school. They have an award at Holy Cross for Brennan Jarrett as well. To be able to get this one as well, it was really cool to be able to represent him.”

Ostertag grew up involved in many sports as a kid but he was always most interested in basketball. After playing for the Holy Cross Crusaders, he suited up to take the court with the Huskies.

“I tried a lot of sports,” he said. “I just kind of gravitated over to basketball.”

With two years of eligibility left, Ostertag plans to remain with the team for as long as he can. Combining a full playing and training schedule with school is difficult, but Ostertag gets a break from his hectic schedule when the team travels to California each winter — an opportunity he takes to recharge.

“It’s always really fun and it’s really good for team bonding,” he said. “It really brings the team together and helps us get re-focused after exams.”

The relaxation that comes during the break is a welcome relief after the long days Ostertag puts in with the team both on and off the court during the first half

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

of the year. The Huskies’ success during the season is a product of the effort all the team members put in, especially in the offseason.

“The month of September is always a huge grind,” he said. “We’re waking up 6:30 every single morning for workouts and then practicing for two hours every evening and of course going to class in between that. It’s super tough but it’s always super rewarding.”

Thanks to strong play the Huskies have already clinched a playoff spot but will continue to fight for wins during the final games of the season with playoff seeding

still on the line.

“We could finish anywhere from first to fourth depending on how these last few games go,” Ostertag said. “That could make a really big difference for us as far as positioning for the playoffs.”

Ostertag and the rest of the team are hoping to bring home a few more championship banners to the Huskies’ collection but are well aware they will have to face stiff competition in order to do so.

“We’re definitely shooting for a Canada West championship and a trip to nationals to represent our school,” he said. “We’re just taking it one step at a time.”

Ostertag doesn’t have any game-day superstitions but has recently began looking to a different source to help him perform better in games.

“What I’ve been doing this year is reading about sports psychology,” he said.

“I’ve found it’s helped me be more focused and get less nervous before games.

“I think a huge part that’s improved from last year to this year for me is my confidence and composure on the court, not getting too worked up or too down on myself. I think that’s really helped me.”

Instead of focusing on personal goals, Ostertag’s main focus is on the success of the squad and seeing that his team earns the win. It’s no surprise then that Ostertag’s favourite part of playing with the Huskies is being part of a team and lending a hand to their success.

“I want to go in every game and help contribute to my team in whatever way I can,” he said.

SPORTS

7

Men’s volleyball advances, women’s season ends KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor Both the men’s and the women’s volleyball teams were fighting for playoff spots when they took to the court on Feb. 7 and 8 for the last games of the regular season. Only one was able to advance.

The men’s volleyball team secured a playoff berth after splitting two games with the Mount Royal University Cougars.

Heading into the series the Huskies needed a win to finish within the top seven teams and were able to sneak out the victory on Saturday night 3-1.

The men’s team finished the season in fifth place with an even 11-11 record and will face the Trinity Western University Spartans in Kamloops, B.C. for a best-ofthree quarter-final matchup during Feb. 13-15.

The women’s volleyball team had a slight chance of making it to the postseason but were stopped short. The Huskies took the first match 3-2 over the visiting Cougars but were not able to win the second night as they fell 1-3.

The Dogs ended the season with a 9-13 record — the team’s best finish since the 2001-02 season.

In her final Canadian Interuniversity Sport match fifth-year Candace Hueser set a new Huskie Athletics all-time career kill record with 1,028. The previous record was 1,011 set by Lindsay Bothner during the 1998-2002 seasons.

8

FEATURE

OPINION

“like” to love me: te impact on relatio FATUMA ADAR

Even though technology has helped us in many ways it does hinder us from having truly meaningful human relationships.

With Valentine’s Day coming up I’ve decided to give you all some great romantic date ideas that will blow your partner’s mind faster than you can say “relationship status” on Facebook.

First, start by taking them to a nice dinner; if you’re not sure where to go spend about 15 minutes on Urbanspoon coming up with the right place to eat. I’m sure your date has some opinions but can they really compete with an 85 per cent “like” rating and the two dollar signs representing a decent deal? I think not.

Then it’s movie time. Compare reviews from IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes so that you don’t go wasting time and money. Make sure to book the tickets online so you don’t have to stand in a line for too long making meaningless small talk with your date.

If you find yourself on your phone a lot, just tell them that you’re tweeting about how much fun you’re having. Instagram a picture or two to prove it. Don’t forget clever hashtags like #datenight or #love. Then at the end of the night when it’s time to part ways you’ll easily tell from your date’s body language that you’re in the clear for that goodnight kiss — or are you?

Who are we kidding? At this rate you probably couldn’t tell if they wanted you to kiss them or kiss off. Where’s a winky face emoticon when you need it?

This scenario is all too common in our society’s current dating scene.

A couple of days ago I watched the Oscar nominated movie Her starring Joaquin Phoenix and the voice of Scarlett Johansson. The movie is about a lead character purchasing a voiced operating system similar to Siri for the iPhone and eventually falling in love with “Her.” I’m sure the concept seems somewhat far-fetched and exaggerated, but are our relationships with the digital world that much different?

Technology is part of every facet of our lives to the point where I have to ask: what is sacred?

What part of our lives can remain untouched by technology and the ramifications that come with the world now being so connected?

The movie Her plays with the idea that relationships between humans are something that can be simulated, processed and therefore duplicated. Although Scarlett Johansson’s character Samantha was an OS with a conscience, the movie simply proves that relationships are built on expectations and that when those expectations are failed the relationship dies.

Is this why we’ve all developed such a comfort in technology and technological relationships? Is it because we’ve developed a system that we fully understand and know how to act because of the rules we’ve developed through time?

This may sound abstract, but we all know the rules I’m talking about. How long do you wait until can you text someone back? Which pictures of your ex-partner on Instagram are you allowed to like? How long do you have to be dating until you can change your relationship status on social media?

We are bombarded with notifications and without fail we somehow let that alert coming from our phones take priority over whatever else is happening in the real world.

In the movie The Devil Wears Prada, the boyfriend of the work crazed main character says “the person whose calls you always

take, that’s the relationship you’re in.” Now the context might have been meant for the demanding boss that won’t stop calling, but this same concept can be applied to your phone.

Technology has even found its place in cliché movie moments. Like throwing your phone into some sort of body of water to validate your commitment, logging off a chat room, satisfyingly closing your laptop or getting a notification that the girl of your dreams has friend requested you online. These virtual actions ripple into our very real lives and blur the lines between what is genuine and what’s not.

Now I’m not suggesting we all regress and go back to the past of dial up and having to stop and ask for directions — as terrifying as that might seem to some. Instead I suggest for us all to remember exactly what that tech was meant for. Technology is meant to be a convenience, not a necessity.

As in, you really shouldn’t be having that panic attack every time you misplace your cell phone. You shouldn’t feel like you have to resort to an online algorithm of your personality to attract people. There really should not be a category called “Facebook Friends” somewhere between “friends” and “acquaintances.” The

term “social media” has become an oxymoron and we are the only ones to blame.

Honing in on the concept of romantic techbased relationships as portrayed in Her, I couldn’t help but notice that there are some things that Samantha the OS does better than some of us humans. She listens. I can’t stress hard enough the difference between “listening” and “responding.”

Because we have managed to almost entirely wipe out the once leisurely activity that was the common phone call — I am one of those people that does occasionally suffer from awkward phone silence stress — we have relied largely

9

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

echnology’s onships

PASCAL DIMNIK

on text-based mediums to communicate. That means that we have become familiarized with words and not actions.

Now being someone who does truly believe in the power of the word, I doubt eloquent and vivid rhetoric is what we are thinking of when we finger babble with people for hours on end.

Samantha the OS may be a computer but she notices things like voice tremors and hesitations that can help deduce what Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) might be feeling. When we try to deduce emotions through text — well I’m sure this has gone horribly wrong for everyone at least once.

When we receive text messages our first thought is what are we going to say next. I’m definitely guilty as someone who thinks that they are funnier via text than in person, but it’s only been lately that I’ve truly understood why.

We are given the gracious opportunity to think before we text, and it gives us the chance to sound wittier in what seems like an automatic response. Taking a minute to respond to a text and sound humorous is a lot easier than doing so in real life and appearing to have a couple screws loose.

Because we have made a game out of this banter, the person beyond the computer tends to be absolute. If you see their face the next day there’s a slight disconnection between them and their virtual selves. Heck, maybe you even like them better when they’re talking to you through a computer.

Technology has become a crutch for human contact. We can’t seem to get passed the screen and see it as a thin portal that can transport us to a world that we are already living in. Socializing has become a group of people that sit together and show each other cool things they found on the Internet.

One of the things that intrigued me about the movie Her was that, apart from the occasional scoffing and maybe a dirty look, no one really took notice of human beings falling in love with operating systems. This didn’t make any sense to me.

Where were the angry purists that should be disgusted by these quasi-couples? Where are the protesters holding up signs that say “It’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and C3PO!” But I then understood why no one was rioting. It’s because no one cares.

The message that we should all spend less time on our countless devices has piled under other cautious warnings like “drink a glass of milk before bed” or “give up your seat to an elderly or pregnant person on the bus.” Just because we know we should do it, doesn’t mean we all will. Instead we’ll stick with the consequences because our habits are comfortable and we’re too committed to change now.

I now pronounce you human and robot, to like, subscribe and follow for as long as you pay your Internet provider.

And if you think that this fetish with all things digital only relates to how you deal with other people, I’d appreciate you if you download this reality check.

We spend more time posting pictures than really remembering what we’re seeing. For years television technology has been trying to perfect a resolution that we were all born with — or if you’re me, can achieve with stylish glasses.

We upload pictures, tweet our thoughts, accept friend requests, all in hope that we can paint an accurate picture of who we are, or maybe who we want to be online.

But let’s think of a crazy scenario here.

Let’s say the screen is black. No notifications.

No virtual people trying to reach you. Let’s say you have to work a little harder to talk to your friends. Who would you put that effort in for? Who knows more about you than what your favorite filter is or your frequently used hashtags are? When was the last time you tried to make someone laugh in-person instead of a bunch of people saying “LOL” over text?

These in-person, human interactions are the relationships that matter. These are the links that don’t disappear. These are the people who don’t have to click anything to prove that they like you and want you in their lives.

10

CULTURE

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Little Bird Pâtisserie & Café earns its wings MADISON TAYLOR

With its vintage warehouse appearance and cozy, eclectic vibe, it would be completely excusable to confuse Little Bird Patisserie & Café with the loft apartment of a European artist — that is, if the artist also happened to specialize in the baking of mouth-watering French pastries.

Nestled outside the hub of downtown, Little Bird is the newest tenant in the historic Adilman building on the corner of 20th Street and Avenue B. Offering a glorious selection of teas, french press coffee and sinfully delicious baked goods, it is difficult to believe that this adorable café is only just shy of a month old.

Though it specializes in the finer — and French-er — things in life such as macarons and éclairs, Little Bird also offers a smorgasbord of unique sandwiches, soups and salads. The lunch menu is virtually a culinary wheel of fortune, rotating its choices from week to week to ensure that there will never be a dull moment for any palate.

After careful consideration of the menu and suppression of the desire to float away on an endless buttery sea of croissants, I settled on a pot of chai tea, a blood orange tart and one of the café’s signature macarons.

The first nibble of tart was all it took for me to develop a hopeless food-crush on Little Bird Café. Never before has the phrase “made with love” been so relevant. Even the simple flaky biscuit of the macaron was enough to justify a second — or tenth — helping. Last but certainly not least was the chai tea, an intoxicating blend of spices with infinitely more exotic kick to it than any run-of-the-mill bagged tea.

With its delightfully European vibe and charming atmosphere, Little Bird Pâtisserie & Café is the prime destination for group

MADISON TAYLOR

Little Bird offers a warm environment.

and solo outings alike. Considering Feb. 14 looming ominously on the horizon, Little Bird is definitely a location to put on your to-do list — because let’s be honest, there are few things more precious than a coffee and biscotti date.

Whether you are searching for a jolt to satisfy your caffeine fix, a source of artistic inspiration or a pit-stop during a shopping trip along the treasure-trove that is 20th Street, Little Bird Patisserie & Café is well worth a visit. Midterms are lurking just around the corner, after all. What better excuse is there for drowning your sorrows in cake?

Visit the Little Bird Café Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 258 Avenue B South.

Standing up for relationship abuse JANE GALBREATH

As part of the University of Saskatchewan’s Sex Week, the Peer Health Educator Group promoted healthy couplings and spread word of the warning signs of unhealthy relationships.

The campaign involved placing large red flags around campus, with each flag representing a warning sign of an unhealthy or abusive relationship. These red flags included Jealousy, Emotional Abuse & Victim Blaming, Coercion, Physical & Sexual Abuse, Isolation and Stalking.

Maryellen Gibson, sexual violence prevention educator at the PHEG, explained that just as the red flags are glaring at us on campus so too are the warning signs of unhealthy relationships.

A 2013 National College Health Assessment at the U of S reported students’ experiences between 2012-2013. The study indicated 4.7 per cent reported having been stalked at some point, 10.2 per cent experienced emotional abuse in an intimate relationship, 2.5 per cent experienced physical abuse in intimate relationships and 1.7 per cent experienced a sexually abusive intimate relationship. Gibson admits that due to underreporting, the rates of actual incidence are probably much higher.

Accompanying each flag around campus was a poster challenging students to “do something” if they see any of these “relationship red flags.”

Gibson emphasized the importance of the bystander, explaining that many of us see our peers in unhealthy relationships and highlighting the opportunity we have to speak up if we are concerned for a friend. Her recommendations included creating open dialogue while being supportive and understanding.

We have a responsibility to look out for our peers if we see them in abusive or harmful relationships, but can we recognize the same in our own life?

Heather Pocock at the Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre highlighted the difficulty in recognizing an unhealthy relationship when we are subject to the abusive behavior.

“Relationships are complex and relational abuse is perhaps even more complex. A first response to abusive actions by a partner may be met with denial, confusion, helplessness, privacy, shame and embarrassment. Sometimes

RHEA LONSDALE

people will excuse and even justify the aggressor’s behavior,” Pocock said. “Sometimes abusive behaviors become a normal part of some relationships and the longer it is perpetuated, the more difficult to address the abuse and remove oneself.”

Pockock explained that it is often hard for a person to acknowledge they’re being abused.

“Many people we work with haven’t clearly identified that they are being abused, partly due to stereotypic images of violence — especially sexual violence — and abuse,” she said, noting further challenges in getting help are due to many individuals’ concerns about the attitudes of others, how they may be portrayed and if they will be believed.

Being assaulted by a stranger is something many of us fear but the PHEG and SSAIC make an important point: the majority of people are abused or attacked by someone they know.

“People ignore the red flags because they don’t want to believe that someone they care about would do this to them,” Pocock said.

Considering the risk and courage needed to address abuse, it is understandable why many people don’t speak up, but members of the PHEG and SSAIC hope to change that.

Perhaps concerns for a friend have been raised while reading this article. As the Relationship Red Flag campaign highlighted, it is important that you speak to that person in a supportive and caring manner.

If you suspect that a relationship you are in is unhealthy or abusive, speak with someone trained to help. The SSAIC has a 24-hour crisis line you can call at 306-244-2224 and you can access support on campus at the Student Health, Pride or Women’s Centres.

CULTURE

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

After Dark shows sexual positivity is a dish best served hot MADISON TAYLOR

A candlelit tribute to all things carnal, After Dark steamed up the windows of Louis’ Loft on Feb. 7. As the cherry on top of the University of Saskatchewan’s second sensational Sex Week, the event’s title does not do it justice as merely an evening of art and poetry.

A delightfully witty banter between the emotional and the physical, After Dark tackled every topic along the spectrum of sexuality from issues of gender identity to lost love. Featuring the talented voices of local poets Ryan Bradshaw, Danielle Altrogge, Themis Ewert, Brendan Flaherty and Sara Waldbillig, the spoken word portion of the evening consisted of a brilliantly balanced mixture of wistful odes and dirty limericks.

The event quickly transformed from a room filled with strangers to an intimate gathering as the poets divulged accounts of their own escapades, ranging from hysterically awkward encounters to steamy erotica that would put even Fifty Shades of Grey to shame.

Though it consisted of everything from an X-rated remix of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham to a cautionary tale of Snapchat nudes gone hilariously wrong, the overall theme of the writing was one of sexual positivity and acceptance. The artists encouraged the audience to strip down the concept of sex and examine it with a critical yet optimistic eye.

A picture says a thousand words however, and the art featured at After Dark spoke volumes. Thanks to the talented work of local artists Avery Cochlan, Sara Hoiseth, Natasha Kooy, Andie Palynchuk, Joanna Speed and Tyler Wruck, nearly every form

Written by Ian Nelson and directed by Denis Rouleau, The White Room (presented in French as La Chambre Blanche) is a story about home, family and how they define us — both by ourselves and those who would use such things as guilt by association.

A French play in two parts, it provides an important look at a reality that is unthinkable to some and inevitable to others. For those who cannot speak French, subtitles are provided on most days for everyone to enjoy.

The White Room stars Daniel Rasul Hassan (Paul Fruteau de Laclos), a Canadian citizen detained after causing a scene at the consulate in his attempt to return home.

Held in the titular room, Daniel meets his interrogator (Bruce McKay) and finds out that he is on the no-fly list and will be questioned until the authorities find out what they need to know.

As the two talk, more is learned about Daniel’s situation as well as background, and the interrogator is even revealed to have a few secrets of his own. But as the hours

Upcoming Events Thursday Feb. 13 • For Love & Sport in the Bowl • Latin Dance Night at Louis’ • Motorsports Spectacular at Credit Union Centre (first night)

Friday Feb. 14

A knitted uterus art on display as part of After Dark’s art exhibit.

MADISON TAYLOR

of artwork was on display — including painted canvases, collages, drawings, and even a knitted replica of a uterus. The pieces beautifully represented the event’s promotion of sexual positivity, using the tools of creativity to tear up the idea of sex as a conversational taboo.

In addition to art and poetry, After Dark showcased a snippet of the upcoming play Stop Kiss by Diana Son, which will begin showing in Saskatoon in late March. True to the spirit of Sex Week, Stop Kiss details the love story of two women that meet in New York City. If a night of laughter and creative inspiration interests you, be sure to add Stop Kiss to your agenda.

A delightfully saucey and unflinchingly

honest look at sex and love, After Dark is likely to become a fixture in Sex Week for years to come. Through the combined effort of the U of S Students’ Union Help Centre, Pride Centre and Women’s Centre, the evening invited the student body to celebrate sexual positivity and diversity in the greatest way possible — with wine, beer, art and dirty poetry.

After Dark is made for a perfect figurative post-bliss cigarette after another incredible Sex Week.

Stop Kiss will be showing from March 27-30 and April 3-6 at the Refinery at 609 Dufferin Avenue. Visit livefive.ca for more ticket information.

become days and then months, one question remains unanswered: if Daniel is truly innocent, why would he be in such a hurry to go back to Canada?

The White Room is inspired by a 2004 news story about a Canadian citizen who found his return flight canceled and his name put on a no-fly list. He was then forced to spend five years in exile — including one year living in the Canadian embassy — as the Canadian government refused to issue him a temporary passport and let him return home.

Using this premise as a starting point, Nelson chose to look at the human element in this story and how someone’s biases or background can shape the outcome of such a situation.

The stage is sparse, the only setting being Daniel’s holding chamber, but the actors use the space to great effect. As most of the dialogue is French, subtitles are displayed at the top of the stage, but did not feel obtrusive or take away from the cast’s actions. The fact that there were only two actors likely helped this situation. Any more may have been confusing to follow, but with only two

characters it was easy to connect the text with the lines being spoken.

The play itself was engaging and for the most part enjoyable, though the scenes did occasionally drag on. This was perhaps intentional — after all, the idea is to emphasize Daniel being stuck inside the consulate for months — but it does mean that the actors have to work harder to keep the interest of the audience.

Fortunately, Laclos and McKay manage to deliver in that regard, up to and including the most psychologically intense bouts of checkers and paper airplane-throwing you’ll see in theater, but whether this could hold up with a different cast and director is doubtful.

There are some harsh scenes in the play. Nothing is explicit beyond some foul language, but the treatment of Daniel might make viewers uncomfortable — especially in the first act.

It is not a happy story, but The White Room isn’t afraid to discuss the themes of racism, bias and bureaucracy that many Canadians face every day. It presents the underlying human nature to assume and judge. While understanding can eventually be reached through communication, this play does not pretend that it can dismantle prejudice on an institutionalized scale. At least not immediately.

The White Room is a fascinating character study that manages to tackle some important themes, especially the difference in how Canadians view themselves regarding equality and what actually takes place.

While it may have served better if some of the scenes were condensed, no moment is without purpose and the strength of the acting and emotion presented will make up for any shortcomings.

Presented at Studio 914, The White Room will continue to play Feb. 13-15 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. The February 13, 14, and 16 showings feature English subtitles, and on February 15 there will be a chance to meet with the cast and crew after the show.

The White Room discusses the harsh truth of racism within Canada KATLYNN BALDERSTONE

11

Laclos and McKay star in the production of The White Room.

SUPPLIED

• 50 Cups of Coffee: Enchantment Under the Sea at Louis’ • Bass Invaders with guests at Vangelis Tavern • Half Chance Heroes with Nodding Donkey and friends at Rock Bottom • Passa Passa Valentine’s Day at O’Brians Event Centre • We Were Lovers with Economics at Amigos Cantina

Saturday Feb. 15 • Brett Balon and the Something Else Quintet at The Bassment • Dusty Tucker with Thrillhouse at Rock Bottom • Motorsports Spectacular at Credit Union Centre (last night) • Pandas in Japan, Lords Kitchner and The Triplophonics at Amigos Cantina • Zhro, Cpt Pickard, Daniel Ether and Waverace at Vangelis Tavern

Sunday Feb. 16 • Dr Zeus with Zora Randhawa at O’Brians Event Centre

Monday Feb. 17 • Scene Slam at Louis’

Tuesday Feb. 18 • Toonie Tuesday at Louis’

Wednesday Feb. 19 • A Tribe Called Red at O’Brians Event Centre • Northcote with David Hause at Vangelis Tavern

12

CULTURE

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

U of S play Downstream tours the prairies WILLIAM LOUISON Written by the University of Saskatchewan drama department’s playwright in residence, Kenneth T. Williams, Downstream will be making four stops as it tours across the prairies during February.

It will start its run with a performance as part of Forum Theatre: Performing Perspectives in the Saskatchewan River Basin on Feb. 21 in Convocation Hall at the U of S. While the final version of the script has only been in the hands of the actors for a few weeks, the origins of Downstream go back much farther.

Graham Strickert, who received a PhD in complex systems from Lincoln University and now works at the U of S, started conducting research and surveys on water safety and security in 2011. He specifically aimed to provide an answer to what water security meant to a wide variety of people — whom he identifies as stakeholders — in the Saskatchewan River Basin.

Strickert identified five common themes on how people define water security: reliability, limited resources, social and environmental justice as well as both idealistic and pragmatic sustainability.

In order to avoid what Downstream assistant director Chris Donlevy called “death by PowerPoint,” Strickert began thinking of other methods to disseminate his results in a way that would be more engaging.

Working with partner Lori Bradford, Strickert came up with the idea of turning his findings into a play. As a playwright, Williams was more than happy to hear Strickert out.

After Strickert presented Williams with the research results, the production started to take shape.

The two “took some of the statements that were distinguishing between the perspectives and put them into dramatized discussion,” Strickert said. “Many issues were discussed and we created characters to line up with these groups of stakeholders coming together to discuss water crises.”

Strickert eventually proposed his idea to the director of drama Greg Marion, who played a pivotal role in the birth of the play. Working together, they discussed the nature of the production — which would take place as a type of forum theatre.

“Ken had experience doing [forum theatre],”

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

Downstream combines research and drama for a unique experience.

Strickert said. “There are many different views in the basin, both individual and professional.

We wanted a play that represented these views, but was very open to the audience.”

The goal of the play is to promote discussion with the audience about differing issues and allow each of the distinct audiences to shape the way the play turns out, coming to their own understanding and opinions on water security.

“It’s like guided improv,” Donlevy said of the forum style. “We have to react with the audience and interact with them.”

“This collaboration has been such a great opportunity because we get to learn while others get to learn and I think that’s a major part of it,” said Kashtin Moen, a fourth-year drama student who plays the role of a game show host called the Timekeeper.

Strickert knew that the play would need to be

travelling, simply because water security issues and the opinions of the stakeholders vary with geographic location.

Marion and Strickert turned to Doug Clark, centennial chair and assistant professor for the U of S’ School of Environment and Sustainability, for advice on how to put together a travelling show. Clark suggested they try for a connections grant.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council eventually awarded Strickert the grant, which was what made the entire project possible.

With the necessary funding in place, things were turned over to director Natasha Martinez and a small but reliable troupe of just over a dozen actors and crew. Strickert was still very active in helping the actors understand the major points of his research and has been involved in the entire process from research to play.

“In recent memory, this is the first time we’ve gone to Alberta with a touring show,” Donlevy said. “The topic is serious but it’s presented largely in a lighthearted way and people can expect an educational and entertaining play.

It’s written in a way that is easy to understand and easy to absorb the information, and you walk away feeling like you learnt a lot about the different opinions in water security.”

“I think that the point is really to open people’s eyes and open communication between those upstream and downstream,” Moen said.

Curtain raises for Downstream in Saskatoon on Feb. 21 before hitting the road for Calgary, Medicine Hat and Cumberland House. While tickets are free, the number of seats are limited and anyone interested in attending will need to register at the Global Institute for Water Security’s website.

Matt Andersen sells out Broadway Theatre SCOTT DAVIDSON Associate News Editor New Brunswick-based folk and blues musician Matt Andersen knows how to work a crowd.

On Feb. 11, Andersen played a sold-out show at Saskatoon’s Broadway Theatre as part of the tour to promote his new album, Weightless.

During his nearly two hour set, Andersen — who performed without a backing band — displayed his unique range of musical talents, ranging from Maritime flavored folk to blues-infused rock-and-roll. Andersen maintained a high energy level the entire time and had the crowd singing and clapping along with the set’s more rousing numbers.

The highlight of Andersen’s set list was undoubtedly his original blues songs.

Adding to a substantial songwriting ability, his soulful guitar playing and impressive vocal range made for a powerful experience. Andersen sings and plays the blues well enough that he may convince some people he sold his soul to the devil — ­ or so the old blues legend goes — for such talent.

During blues numbers, Andersen showcased his guitar chops through extended solos. Andersen proved that he can rock a room as well as anyone while playing mostly acoustic guitar. One such solo incorporated melodies from “Smoke on the Water” and “Duelling Banjos,” while another included the Pink Panther theme song.

Andersen’s folk songs were impressive in their own right. Despite their similar musical roots, folk and blues have diverged into unique genres and it’s a treat to see a single musician who excels in both. Eastern Canada has a long history of producing impressive folk musicians, including Stompin’ Tom Connors and Rita MacNeil, and Andersen is no exception.

“Alberta Gold,” a new song from Weightless, is an ode to Andersen’s friends — and the thousands of Easterners — who have moved from the Maritimes to western Canada in search of work. Andersen also performed with opening act David Myles, including “So Easy,” a heartfelt duet reflecting on the materialistic envy that is prevalent in modern society.

In addition to being a talented musician, Andersen is a substantial showman.

Having played over 200 live shows in 2013 alone, he’s had a lot of practice.

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

Anderson delivers strong musical talent.

Crowd participation was a big part of his live show especially when it came to the set’s encore, which was also performed with Myles.

Andersen had the women in the audience sing one vocal melody while the men sang another. At the same time, Andersen and Myles sang and played a gospel song that ended in the second standing ovation of the night.

Opening act Myles was impressive in his own right. Currently nominated for a Juno award for his song “Inner Ninja” with Nova Scotian rapper Classified, Myles showed that he has a diverse range of talents in his own right. Mixing 1950s-style rock-and-roll with folk, hip hop and hilarious personal anecdotes, Myles was a highlight as Andersen’s opener.

Overall, the evening was an impressive performance that bodes well for the East coast music scene in Canada. The fact that the crowd was full of people who had seen Andersen before and returned to see him again speaks volumes about his talent and showmanship.

Andersen is not a live show to be missed.

OPINIONS

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Intolerance cannot be tolerated

CHYNNA HOWARD/THE PHOENIX

BRANDON TAYLOR The Phoenix (University of British Columbia — Okanagan)

KELOWNA (CUP) — In early January 2014, York University accepted and endorsed gender intolerance for the sake of religious toleration.

A male student requested that he not have to work with women on a group project because it violated his religious beliefs. The professor disagreed and made the call that the student should not be able to make that demand. The dean, instead, believed that the appeal was valid and granted the student’s request.

York has become a case study of the delicate balance between equality and religious tolerance.

We exist in an era where multiculturalism is both commonplace and necessary. With multiculturalism comes the necessity for understanding and empathizing towards differing belief structures, social strata and diverse traditions. Canada is a place that celebrates differences and has nurtured a secular platform upon which our country is based.

As a society uneasy with our turbulent past, we are prone to please those we have wronged. This instinct is just and earnest but in this specific case we cannot accept the marginalization of women in favor of religious beliefs. Human rights are supposed to take precedent over everything else.

We have to accept that some social structures are a progressive improvement even though we have so closely tied liberal democracies to Western society and imperialism. Equality between gender and race is simply better. That value isn’t another form of colonialism; it’s simply respect for our own humanity.

As Canadians, we are privileged enough to be able to consider these issues in detail due to our insistence on public education to foster a stronger and more robust society.

If we are to follow York University’s precedent, should we accept and charter private schools that refuse to admit women or people of color? Furthermore, do we accept the prejudices of certain socially conservative sectors that feel the need to refuse rights to LGBT couples? Of course not; prejudice is prejudice, even if it is contained within specific — and sometimes idiosyncratic — religious beliefs.

On Jan. 17, 2014, The Globe and Mail quoted a former aide to Prime Minister Stephen Harper who said, “There’s a danger in a country that absorbs immigrants at the rate we do that if you don’t have a set of norms, a set of stories about yourself, the kind of myths and narratives that create a national identity, that you cease to be a nation.”

Putting extreme nationalism aside, let’s accept that part of our Canadian narrative is acceptance and empathy towards all shapes, sizes, colours, races or creeds — and in the case of York, we need to be firm about that.

Sometimes true equality requires a social and cultural force. Human rights are the foundation of our society, so we cannot allow intolerance to hollow out the core of compulsory tolerance.

Equality is not a natural state in our world — which is unfortunate — but that means it is a unifying and worthwhile value that must be vehemently defended.

13

Trudeau becomes new face of senate reform MATTHEW CHILLIAK On Jan. 29, 2014 Canadian politics took a sudden shift as federal Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced that he would be expelling all Liberal senators from his caucus.

While many critics may be right in dismissing the move as an inconsequential publicity stunt, the move has certainly turned up the heat on former Senate reform advocate, and current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper to finally act on his past promises of fixing Canada’s upper chamber.

Back when Harper was not in power, he loved to rally against the Senate as being a broken part of Canada’s governmental apparatus. And it was. In fact, it still is broken is many respects, appearing as an institution mostly filled with appointed partisan political lackeys — 59 of whom have been appointed since Harper took power.

While there are a few senators who do great work, there are also the likes of Pamela Wallin, Mike Duffy, Marc Harb and Patrick Brazeau.

These individuals had paid their dues in parroting their political party's talking points and were rewarded handsomely for doing so.

However Trudeau’s move does not necessarily mean he has fixed Canada’s senate problem.

While these senators have been expelled

from their caucus, it should be noted that they are still members of the federal Liberal Party and that they will likely still act and vote on legislation as such.

In fact, his move has actually broken the rules of his own party’s constitution which states that its federal caucus is to be comprised of all sitting MPs and senators.

Furthermore, Trudeau’s proposals on reforming how senators are chosen may not bring much to change the process and its inherent problem of lacking democratic oversight.

Trudeau’s proposal is that instead of having the Prime Minister appoint senators, an independent panel of experts would choose senators based on merit and without partisan bias.

While this does sound like an improvement, the issue remains that even this independent panel would have to be appointed by some elected official. Anything short of picking the independent panel randomly by lottery will involve some form of political involvement, and this would surely involve partisanship to some degree.

While some may think that an elected Senate may be the answer, I simply say this: do not go there.

Unless we want to have our Senate and House at each other’s throats and claiming to

DAVEHUEHN/FLICKR

Trudeau isn’t waisting time in making his mark upon Canadian politics.

represent "the people" like our neighbors to the south this is not a good idea.

So, why even bother with a Senate in the first place? While abolishing the Senate outright may be the product of the New Democratic Party’s dreams and constitutionalist nightmares, it is not something that should be disregarded.

Trudeau should be commended for doing something about the Senate though; it is after all much more action than Harper has ever done.

The Senate was originally meant to act as a “house of sober second thought” on the legislation passed in the House of Commons.

Instead we have rich political partisans enjoying power that they do not deserve.

Canadians should care about our foreign aid budget GRAEME MARK The greatest risk foreign aid faces today is the threat of abandoning the successes and progress we have made because they are wrongly thought of as failures.

The argument that foreign aid money spent on less visible long-term aid projects is wasted, ineffectively spent and supporting a broken system is made all too often. The bottom line is that Canada’s 2014 foreign aid budget needs protecting.

Recently the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation published their 2014 annual letter in which they address three myths that block progress for the less privileged: poor countries are doomed to stay that way, foreign aid is a big waste and saving lives leads to overpopulation.

Foreign aid is most commonly associated with money being spent on humanitarian relief efforts. This year alone there have been several very large humanitarian crises deserving of our funding — from the Syrian war to the damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Thus, foreign aid is not waste of money.

The Syrian civil war is the largest of these humanitarian crises, claiming the lives of over 130,000 people. According to the World Food Program, 2.9 million refugees have fled Syria and there are currently 6.5 million internally displaced people living within Syrian borders; 7 million Syrians are in need of food, medical

aid and other basic supplies.

Of Canada's $5 billion aid budget, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development has spent CDN$612 million helping the Syrian people over the past three years.

It is easy to justify spending money on these highly visible humanitarian crises. We should be providing financial aid during these situations and doing more in terms of physical work and labor to help the people in such disaster situations. However, disaster relief spending only makes up a small but very visible part of the foreign aid budget; much of the budget is spent on less visible projects aimed at breaking the cycle that leads to chronic poverty, famine and disease.

Foreign aid is effective and has made a large impact on the lives of billions, and there are metrics to prove it. According to the World Health Organization, the world's infant mortality rate has dropped from 63 deaths per 1000 births in 1990 to 35 deaths per 1000 births in 2012.

Absolute poverty — living on a $1.25 dollars a day or less, adjusted for inflation — is down worldwide with the United Nations saying it has decreased more in the past 50 years than it has in the past 500 years.

To put this into perspective, World Bank reported the number of people living in absolute poverty as down from 43 per cent of the world's

DFAT PHOTO LIBRARY/FLICKR

Foreign aid in poverty-stricken countries provides something such as clean water to residents.

population in 1990 to 20 per cent today in 2014.

In the past 10 years WHO has seen the mortality rate from malaria drop by 25 per cent.

In 2012 there were 223 newly reported cases of polio; this number is down more than 99 per cent from 25 years ago when there were 330,000 new cases of polio a year. People in almost every country in the world are more likely to live longer and less likely to be hungry than they were ten years ago.

These amazing successes have been made possible because of the investment nations like Canada have made in developing countries.

After hearing all this good news you might think the majority of the work is done and you can understand why the current Canadian government thinks it is reasonable to cut back spending on foreign aid. This is simply not the case.

The WHO reported that nine million children aged five or younger died in 2012 and 6.3 million of these children died from preventable ailments such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and measles — all of which were worsened by birth problems and inadequate nutrition. In addition, World Bank estimates that there are 2.4 billion people still living on less than $2 a day. These numbers are unacceptable.

In 2013 the Canadian government cut the aid budget by $370 million and by the end of the year another $290 million from the budget went unspent. By cutting Canada's aid budget we are risking the lives of millions living in abject poverty, tarnishing Canada’s reputation and reducing our country’s impact in ending the injustice of extreme poverty.

Development work has not been perfect.

There have been setbacks and there will continue to be more but today the money spent on foreign aid is being used more effectively, more efficiently and more transparently than ever before. The money Canada spends today on foreign aid is helping to build a more stable and peaceful world — but we need to keep doing this.

Canada’s 2014 federal budget was released on Feb. 11 and foreign aid was spared from this year’s round of budget cuts. This is excellent news, but we should still be concerned about the budgets to come.

The world expects Canada to lead, and so do we as Canadians. Be vocal with your Member of Parliament to ensure that Canada continues to help those who don’t have the means to help themselves.

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OPINIONS

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Knowing what to do when parents date TRAVIS HOMENUK Opinions Editor

There are five words that no child wants to hear from either of their parents: “I’m going on a date.” It’s a tough reality, but learning how to cope with these circumstances is important.

If you’re the child of a single parent or of parents who are swingers, you know all too well what I’m talking about — and trust me, you have my sympathies.

When my parents got divorced, I think I figured they would start dating other people at some point, but you’re never prepared for it no matter what age you are when it happens.

You could be 16-years-old or 26-yearsold when you get the “I’m not coming home tonight” phone call from your mom or dad.

If your parent is so bold as to be this honest with you, they might as well just say, “I’m having sex.”

No one wants to think of their parents getting all freaky with a new lover but it’s a reality many of us must face. So here are some tips for dealing with your parents once they venture into the dating world.

First of all, don’t play dumb. Ignoring the fact that your parents are beings who want love and companionship is going to get you nowhere fast. Unless your parents are dead set against finding love again, they will eventually seek out a new partner following a divorce or death — and they will probably be happier for doing so.

Personally, I’d rather have my mom or dad let me know where they’re going at night, just in case something happens.

“I’m off to get groceries” seems to be a bit of an odd thing to do on a Friday night, so don’t let your parents give you such lame excuses.

Be honest with them and hopefully they will be honest with you. If you do find yourself playing dumb, try to ask yourself why you’re not comfortable with your parent’s new love life. It might be that you’ve got some issues of your own that need to be dealt with.

This brings me to my next point: be communicative. Open these dating dialogues with your parents. Acknowledge to them — when you’re ready — that’s it’s okay for them to date.

We all want the best for our parents so we might as well talk about it — assuming

your parents are also willing to have that discussion.

After a divorce or death has taken place, it seems that everyone feels the need to dance around the reality of the situation. Talking about these things will only improve your life.

And if you don’t like your mom or dad’s new partner, tell them why. If you can’t articulate a reason, you’re probably just being an ass who needs to grow up.

When your parents do start dating, try to be positive. Not all stepmothers and stepfathers

are evil gremlins who will forbid you from going to the ball so don’t assume the worst.

It’s never going to be easy to accept someone new into your life, or your home for that matter, but having a positive attitude about it will only make things easier.

If your dad’s girlfriend has a lower back tattoo, don’t make an immediate judgment.

She might have been a party girl in her younger years, but has since tamed things down.

My point being, never make any conclusions right off the bat. Those negative sentiments might just stay with you and having a poor relationship with a potential stepparent is a terrible idea.

Once your parents do venture out into the dating world, talk to your friends about it. Discussing the dating lives of your parents will help you to develop a dynamic perspective of the situation at hand. An unbiased perspective is a good perspective.

Perhaps the most important part of parental dating is learning about prenuptial agreements.

Let’s face it, your single parents might even get remarried again. Don’t let your mom or dad make uninformed decisions.

Encouraging your parents to be wise about their financial matters and living situations are merely precautionary measures, should the worst occur. And really, that’s good advice for anyone in a serious relationship once finances start to be joined together.

Following these helpful hints will hopefully help you to deal with your parents once they emerge into the dating world. But if you ever do find yourself more wrapped up in your mom or dad’s dating lives than your own, you may want to check your priorities.

Slacktivism may do more harm than good JESSE COLAUTTI The Fulcrum (University of Ottawa)

OTTAWA (CUP) — Worldwide, we’d be wise to start actively participating in causes that we support as opposed to halfheartedly showing our support over social media.

As I poured over my news feed on Facebook during the holiday break, it was hard not to feel inadequate compared to the growing number of students engaged in humanitarian efforts. Links to documentaries focused on particular injustices, status updates liked by hundreds stating a startling fact about inequality, and cover photos graciously donated to the cause of climate change have seemingly become the new norm for activism.

But are such armchair efforts really doing that much to make the world a better place? Inquiry into this issue has suggested a resounding no. The fact is that much more good would come from students simply making more conscientious spending decisions.

You might recognize slacktivism in the online petitions asking for you to share or like a page, and while these efforts no doubt increase outreach for many issues facing the world today, research shows they do very little to benefit the causes themselves.

A study by the University of British Columbia suggests that slacktivism may actually result in fewer donations for causes.

“Our research shows that if people are able to declare support for a charity publicly in social media, it can actually make them less likely to donate to the cause later on,” said co-author Kirk Kristofferson in a statement to CTV News.

The Swedish division of the United Nations Children’s Fund shared such sentiment, running a campaign called “Likes Don’t Save

CODY SCHUMACHER/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Lives” earlier this year featuring an unnamed 10-year-old orphan speaking to the camera.

“Sometimes I worry that I will get sick, like my mom got sick. Then who will look after my brother?” the child said, captioned in English.

“But I think everything will be alright.

Today, UNICEF Sweden has 177,000 likes on Facebook. Maybe they will reach 200,000 by summer. Then we should be alright,” concluded the child.

So, what is a better way to address some of the world’s problems? One solution involves simply spending money. It’s called ethical consumerism.

Ethical consumerism isn’t a new concept.

The principle behind the idea — that you can promote change by supporting only companies that follow ethical practices — comes from the foundation of capitalism: supply and demand.

If enough consumers support companies that contribute beneficially to solving the world’s issues, then demand for those products will rise, as will the profits of companies who supply such ethical services and products. Such a process should, in theory, force unethical companies to adapt to more ethical standards or risk financial downfall.

A great example of this concept was presented in the 2008 documentary Food Inc. which showed how Stonyfield Farm was able to get its organic yogurt distributed in Walmarts all across North America.

For the most part, it seems Canadians have bought into such a version of activism.

According to a 2010 study by Abacus Data, an Ottawa public opinion and marketing research firm, fifty-eight per cent of Canadians consider themselves ethical spenders.

But according to the 2008 Statistics Canada General Social Survey, only 28 per cent of

Canadians aged 20 - 24 said they had chosen or boycotted a product for ethical reasons.

It seems that students, perhaps from a lack of disposable income, are not letting ethics affect their purchasing power.

I understand that at this point in our lives buying organic, free-range beef at the grocery store every time might not be realistic. But there are simple ways we could make more ethical consumer choices without breaking the bank.

Choosing to buy on-campus certified freetrade coffee choices is one way to make a statement on more ethical practices to coffee giants such as Starbucks and Tim Horton’s — neither of whose coffee, besides Starbucks’ dark Italian roast, is certified fair-trade.

Or perhaps next year we can continue to use reusable mugs during the holidays rather than leaving our environmentalism at home in favour of holiday-themed paper cups.

One of the best ways we can promote change is through choosing cell phones that are not only ethically produced, but also have a lifespan of more than one or two years.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, a huge portion of the 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste generated worldwide each year can be traced to mobile phones. In 2010 alone, the United States was responsible for the disposal

of 152 million mobile devices.

Resisting the urge to upgrade our phones each year might force cell phone companies to develop products that are promoted by their durability rather than the size of their screens.

Ethical consumerism is not the only solution to solving the world’s many ailments.

The best option remains to donate money to organizations that you believe in. Promoting causes on Facebook is not a bad thing, as long as you keep such efforts in perspective.

We need to start focusing less on expressing how offensive issues are to us and focus more on what we can do about them.

CODY SCHUMACHER/GRAPHICS EDITOR

HUMOUR

13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

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Campus Chat What is the one thing you hope not to do during the February Break?

I don’t want to get really sick.

Keaton Schmidt

We don’t want to study.

Sophie McBean & Emily Hooge

I really don’t want to get stopped at the border.

Scott Wood

I don’t want to get run over by a car...

Tamara Archer

Fake Love Advice

Dear Dr. Love,

I ran into my ex-boyfriend this past weekend. Everything seemed pretty normal until he let it slip that his new dog has the same name as me! I’m honestly pretty creeped out and don’t know what to do.

Help me!

Why are you wasting time emailing me when you could obviously be getting back together with him? Clearly this guy is a winner just waiting for you to run back into his life, but make sure you bring some treats to entreat his furry friend!

Also, buy a dog of your own and name it after him. Once you “accidentally” bump into him at the dog park, the two pooches will definitely hit it off and with any luck you’ll have puppies on your hands! I always wanted to get a pitbull named Roscoe.

Everyone knows the key to a strong relationship is something that ties it together. And with a family of hounds to look after, you two will be inseparable — forever! Or at least until the dogs die.

Dear Dr. Love,

MIKE T.

DAN

My girlfriend recently broke up with me, and I desperately want her back. I’ve tried calling and texting her, but I can’t seem to get through. She was the love of my life and I don’t know what to do!

Obviously, you should propose. Even if she still says no, you’ll be left with a rad new ring to show off. Boom, suddenly you’re the hottest new trendsetter on campus. You know who loves trendsetters?

Girls.

Dear Dr. Love,

I was in my girlfriend’s room the other day and, well I wasn’t exactly going through her things — but that’s beside the point. I found one of her toys and it’s… bigger than me. Drastically bigger. Now I’m terrified that she wants so much more than me. What do I do?

Oh my god, drastically? How big are we talking, here? Give me a hint; are we looking at your standard issue taco tickler or some kind of terrifying farmers market award winning behemoth?

I went to a harvest festival once that had a four-foot-long cob of corn! That farmer must have had been using chemicals to make his corn that big. Seems like no matter what I do my garden never grows anything larger than a baby carrot.

I’ll get you next year Jerry, you mega corn growing bastard. That golden haybale is mine!

SMBC-COMICS

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13 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com