march 26, 2015

26 March, 2015 - Your University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912.

Stressing over school? Consider the consequences of giving up too much for a grade. pg. 12

News - 2

Sports - 5

Culture - 10

Opinions - 13

USSU announces balanced budget for 2015–16.

Will the Northern 8 benefit the CIS?

Coram Boy flaunts young actors’ talent.

Does the U of S need a men’s centre?

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March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

USSU passes balanced budget for 2015–16

THE SHEAF Editor-in-Chief: Anna-Lilja Dawson, editor@thesheaf.com

Opinions Editor: Naomi Zurevinski opinions@thesheaf.com

Production Manager: Cody Schumacher, layout@thesheaf.com

Copy Editor: Tab Rahman, copy@thesheaf.com

Senior News Editor: HenryTye Glazebrook, news@thesheaf.com

Web Editor: Nicholas Kindrachuk web@thesheaf.com

Associate News Editor: Rainer Kocsis, associatenews@thesheaf.com

Ad & Business Manager: Shantelle Hrytsak, ads@thesheaf.com

Photography Editor: Katherine Fedoroff, photo@thesheaf.com

Board of Directors: Alexander Quon, Julia Wagner, Tyler Spink, Nicholas Kindrachuk, Jordan Bulgis, Aralia Maxwell, Liam Richards

Graphics Editor: Stephanie Mah, graphics@thesheaf.com Culture Editor: Madison Taylor, culture@thesheaf.com

Cover Photo: Caitlin Taylor

Sports Editor: Austin Arvay, sports@thesheaf.com

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The Sheaf is a non-profit, incorporated and student-body funded partially by way of a direct levy paid by all part- and full-time undergraduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). The remainder of the revenue is generated through advertising. The financial affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, all of whom are students. Membership in the Society is open to undergraduate students at the U of S who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Opinions expressed in the Sheaf do not necessarily reflect those of the Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. The Sheaf reserves the right to refuse to accept or print any material deemed unfit for publication, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-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. The Sheaf is published weekly during the academic year and monthly from May through August.

The mission of the Sheaf is to inform and entertain students by addressing those issues that are relevant to life on campus, in the city, or in the province. The newspaper is also meant to be a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students by students, most of the staff (editors, photographers, artists) are student-journalists. With this composition, the Sheaf tries to stay in touch with students on the U of S campus. It offers unique insight to university issues through a student perspective. /thesheaf1912

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JEREMY BRITZ

RAINER KOCSIS Associate News Editor On March 19, members of University Students’ Council voted unanimously to pass the 2015–16 University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union budget, the first to fall to the black since the 2006–07 year.

This year’s operating budget will run a surplus of $108,717 including depreciation. USSU vice-president operations and finance Elias Nelson was responsible for preparing the historic budget.

Nelson attributes the surplus to the completion of the Place Riel renovation. “This is pretty special,� Nelson said at the March 12 students’ council meeting. “When the Place Riel renovations happened, the operating side took a hit. Our administrators said that we would have a balanced budget within five years and, lo and behold, this is the fifth year and we have one.�

The capital budget ran a deficit of $86,547. However, Nelson explained this is simply the nature of capital budgets. “A capital budget allows you to purchase capital instead of accounting for it on your operating budget, which is problematic,� Nelson said.

In 2014–15 the USSU ran deficit budgets for operations and capital to the order of $87,757 and $63,884, respectively.

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Corrections In last week’s issue, we incorrectly credited the photo in “Saddleback hopes to encourage discussion...� to Katherine Fedoroff. The photo was taken by Emily Sutherland. We apologize for this error.

If you spot any errors in this week’s issue, email them to copy@thesheaf.com

Student fees continue to bear the brunt of USSU funding needs. The budget expects $1,223,459 in student fees, an increase from last year’s line of $1,170,031.

Excluding asset depreciation costs, the USSU budget is running a surplus of $226,782. Depreciation is the decline in value of assets over time due to use.

Lower Place Riel continues to be a financial powerhouse, with collected rent from tenants amounting to $343,562 over 2014–15. “Facilities is a really big line, a net contributor,� said Nelson. “It’s a real bread winner on our budget.�

The USSU centres saw virtually no changes to operations funding. The Information Centre continues to run a positive balance due to U-Pass payments and revenue from table rentals.

XL Print and Design saw a slight decrease in profit, from $60,699 to $52,475. Although XL’s business increased substantially, this was offset by the hiring of full-time staff.

Louis’ experienced a complete turnaround in profits, from running a deficit of $76,515 last year to a projected surplus of comparable value, $77,774, in 2015–16. Nelson said this is likely due to the success of Louis’ Loft.

The student governance line is projecting a deficit of $226,141. This line covers costs associated with the USC, the USSU executive and elections.

Also included in the budget is a $5,000 grant towards the creation of Campus Legal Services, a student advocacy group not unlike the Community Legal Assistance Services for Saskatoon’s Inner City (CLASSIC). The

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amendment was proposed by member of student council for the College of Law Taylor Andreas during the March 12 council meeting. “It’s kind of a gap in the services that we offer to students,� said Andreas. “CLASSIC’s legal services focus on inner-city issues and they’re turning students away.�

The $5,000 student grant will be used to finance bar insurance for two full-time lawyers. USSU vice-president academic affairs DesirĂŠe Steele endorsed the project during the meeting, stating that the academic affairs portfolio would benefit substantially from the provision of this type of service. “Given that the budget is moving into the black this year, I think this is an auspicious time to be making this investment,â€? Steele said. “There are a lot of students slipping through the cracks, either because they don’t know about their right to an advocate or because they simply don’t know how to find one.â€?

Overall, Nelson said he is pleased with the 2015–16 budget. “I hope this instills a lot of confidence that our full-time permanent staff are managing the resources of students really well and have our best interest in mind, because they’ve kept our financial house in order quite well,� said Nelson. “When you think about doing a $25-million renovation and then say that you’re going to go back to balance in five years, that’s pretty impressive. “I’m very happy with it and I’m actually honoured to be a part of it.�

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March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

Sask. budget brings change for students, universities ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Editor-in-Chief

University of Saskatchewan and its students were left feeling disappointed with the Saskatchewan government’s March 18 announcement of the 2015–16 provincial budget.

The U of S received a one per cent increase to its operating grant and was asked to provide a onetime holdback of $20 million from the grant. Students were equally displeased with changes to the graduate retention program.

The graduate retention program, while originally providing Saskatchewan post-secondary graduates with $20,000 in refundable tax credit over seven years, had been changed to a non-refundable tax credit to be used over 10 years.

In its initial form, the graduate retention program put cash in students’ hands that they could use for groceries, childcare and other living expenses while making the transition out of student life, said U of S Students’ Union president Max FineDay. “Students are looking for real support right now,” FineDay said.

“The students that I’m hearing from

say that they need to benefit from this initiative right now, not when they’re in their mid-life.”

FineDay said the changes to the graduate retention plan came out of nowhere with no opportunity for the USSU to lobby the provincial government.

“Had the USSU been given this opportunity,” FineDay said. “We would have spoken with students not only at the U of S, but we would have partnered with students from across the province and really made the case for this program.”

However, looking at the one per cent increase to the university’s provincial operating grant, FineDay said the U of S not only foresaw the small increase, but should have been prepared. The province’s dropping oil revenues have reached losses of upwards of $661 million in the current fiscal year.

“The university, I’d say, is well prepared. We have those reserves in place in case of financial need. I don’t think the university was too taken aback. I think every public sector in the province was expecting a tight budget and certainly they were right to,” FineDay said.

Despite asking for a two per cent increase to its provincial operating grant, the U of S received an increase of one per cent which brought the grant up to $330 million. In addition to the small increase, the provincial government asked the U of S to hold back $20 million of their grant and

to supplement the monies from its reserve funds.

“The government did request that we provide those funds for this year,” university vice-president finance and resources Greg Fowler said, adding that the U of S had prepared the $20-million holdback but was unaware of the one per cent increase.

There are college specific and central reserve funds at the U of S, with the latter providing the university with a security net in the event of unforeseen costs or dips in revenue.

The college specific reserves come from money allocated for special projects that have not being entirely used, as is the case with the College of Medicine not using all of the funds provided for its restructuring.

Fowler said the holdback is guaranteed to be a one-time arrangement and that the funds will be needed for the College of Medicine’s restructuring in the future.

“We have the expectation that [the provincial government will] support us as we move forward with our restructuring.”

The decision to use a combination of the university’s central reserves and the College of Medicine’s reserves will have to be brought to the Board of Governors before it is carried out.

Accounted for in the $14.17 billion of expenses in Saskatchewan’s 2015–16 budget are $46.6 million for post-secondary capital projects,

$7.9 million in targeted funding for the Health Sciences Building at the U of S and $661.2 million in operating grants and targeted funding for post-secondary institutions.

In addition to the operating grant, $2.2 million has been earmarked to increase the number of medical training, residency and nurse practitioner seats at the U of S.

The U of S received approximately $13 million for its preventative maintenance grant and $7.9 million in targeted funding to complete the renovation of the B-Wing of the Health Sciences Building. A request of $5 million for RenewUS, a campus-wide project to renew the university’s aging buildings, was not fulfilled.

KATHERINE FEDOROFF / PHOTO EDITOR

Vice-president finances and resources Greg Fowler said relocation of med. school funds is temporary.

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March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

End of an era for USSU president Max FineDay KEIGHLAGH DONOVAN As Max FineDay sees out his term as the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union president, his accomplishments through the year will have a lasting effect on students’ lives.

FineDay has served two terms as the USSU president and has been involved in student politics for four years, including serving as a member at large on the External Affairs Committee and a member of University Students’ Council representative for the College of Arts and Science.

Having run on a platform focused on establishing the childcare centre, focusing on mental health and sustainability initiatives and getting a tuition waiver for students exiting the foster care system, FineDay is confident he has accomplished much of what he set out to do when he first ran as president.

“One thing I am deeply passionate about is expanding who is able to come to university, because we are missing a lot of voices here at the table today, and I am happy that we have been able to do that,” FineDay said. “Certainly there is a lot more work to do, but I hope that in my time here things have gotten a little bit better than when I had first sat in the president’s office.”

FineDay has been an advocate for equality in educational opportunities and has focused on involving more voices and diversity around the council table, including

students from the inner city, low-income backgrounds, indigenous students, international students and students from foster care.

“I’m always going to be grateful to students for giving me the chance to serve them. We’ve made a lot of gains together in the past few years. It’s time to pass the role onto someone else,” FineDay said.

“I’m hopeful whoever comes next remains dedicated to keeping the USSU a nationally recognized leader in student advocacy and doesn’t forget about the many students who are still struggling to be here.”

FineDay admits there have been several great moments throughout his presidency, but his interactions with students have been by and large the best part.

“The highlight of my job is speaking with students from across campus, about issues that matter to them. Each time folks from education, nursing, arts or other colleges come up and talk about their ideas for the USSU or the university has left me more passionate about my job, a little more eager to change the university for the better.”

As with most positions of

authority, the job has not come without its challenges and some have been far more difficult than others.

“Most people don’t realize this, but every time a student passes away, I write to the family to express condolences on behalf of the USSU. We offer to donate the amount of student fees the student paid to a charity of their choice,” FineDay said. “I’ve had to write too many of those letters during my term. Hearing back and speaking to the families is equally uplifting and heartbreaking. They’ll often tell

CAITLIN TAYLOR

Max FineDay is seeing out his second and final term as a member of the USSU executive.

me about how dedicated the student was to their studies and their involvement in clubs and activities.

Those conversations are hard.”

Despite these unexpected struggles, FineDay still encourages prospective candidates to put themselves out there, win or lose.

“You are making an impact on not only the USSU but also the campus community. Maybe it’s somebody from first year who is really drawn to your ideas and maybe your campaign will inspire them to run in a year or two,” FineDay said. “Whether the candidates win or they lose, they have contributed something and that’s something they should be very proud of.”

With the USSU election polls opening March 25 – 26, FineDay encourages all students to get out and vote.

“This is a partnership with your USSU executive,” FineDay said.

“Find out who you want your partner to be, who you want to work with this next year and then cast your vote for that person.”

FineDay hopes to continue affecting positive change looking forward, but he’s setting his sights higher than the university campus.

“I’ve always been an activist. I’ve always been involved in community organizing... I look forward to returning to that,” FineDay said. “I am deeply passionate about Saskatoon and about our community, about the university and about moving our province forward in a way so that everyone can benefit.”

Students make waves with Brain Awareness Week RAINER KOCSIS Associate News Editor From March 16–22, students at the University of Saskatchewan traveled to elementary school classrooms to teach children about brain research.

Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign launched in 1995 by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and the Society for Neuroscience, presents an opportunity to bring attention to brain science advances and advocate for science funding.

Lisa Poon, a fourth-year psychology and anatomy major, was this year’s U of S coordinator.

“We go to elementary schools, Grade 4 to 6 classrooms around the city, and we just do fun, interactive presentations with them,” Poon said.

“We also focus on teaching injury prevention regarding the head and brain.”

The week-long event culminated on March 22 with Brain Blast at the Saskatoon City Hospital atrium. Brain Blast featured a series

of activities including a mock MRI machine, mock neuroscience lab, a Jeopardy-style neurology trivia game, Jell-O brains and other interactive stations.

“It’s a fun and simple way to help us get across the idea of just how interesting the brain is,” said ducation and prevention coordinator Julie Gerwing in a press release.

There are 55 countries involved in Brain Awareness Week, with more than 860 events held globally every year.

Generally, Brain Blast attracts around 300 students but due to poor weather conditions was only attended by 150 people this year.

On May 9, the U of S will also host Saskatchewan’s first ever Brain Bee, a trivia competition for high school students modeled after a spelling bee.

“Brain Bees test your knowledge on a wide variety of topics, from memory, sleep and sensations, to things like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, stroke, schizophrenia, epilepsy, depression, addiction and brain research in general,” said Poon. “We’re going to be the first ones in Saskatchewan to do it.”

The Saskatchewan Brain Bee will take place in the Health Sciences Building and the winner will be

invited to attend the national Brain Bee on May 30 at McMaster University. The national champion will receive a trip to the International Brain Bee in Cairns, Australia from Aug. 23–27, $1,500 and a chance to work as a summer intern at a neuroscience laboratory.

The International Brain Bee was founded in 1999 by the Society for Neuroscience and is supported by

the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Australasian Neuroscience Society, the International Society for Neurochemistry and the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry, among others. To date, the competition has more than 150 branches in over 30 nations.

A team of around 30 volunteers makes the Saskatchewan Brain Awareness Week possible. Poon

volunteered for two years before being hired as the U of S coordinator in 2014.

Brain Awareness Week and Brain Blast are organized by the Saskatoon Health Region in partnership with the Saskatchewan Neuroscience Network, Parachute Canada and the Acquired Brain Injury Outreach Team at the Saskatoon City Hospital.

KATHERINE FEDOROFF / PHOTO EDITOR

Left to right: Lisa Poon, Julia Gerwing and Katherina Lebedeva on-hand as Brain Day coordinators.

Sports 5

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

Northern 8 is the way to go KADE GATES From a Canadian Interuniversity Sport football fan’s point of view, the Northern 8 seems like an obvious change that needs to be made to help foster the sport nationwide.

Would you like to spend a Friday night watching the Huskies football team battle the defending national champion Université de Montréal Carabins? How about the Université de Laval Rouge et Or or the McMaster University Marauders? Any of those games could have been on the Huskies schedule if all four conferences had agreed to the proposed Northern 8 Football Conference.

The Northern 8 would have involved eight teams: two from the Canada West (University of Calgary and either the University of Manitoba or Saskatchewan), two from the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (Laval and Montreal) and four from the Ontario University Athletics (McMaster, University of Guelph, Western University and the University of Ottawa). Saskatoonbased businessman David Dubé and Vancouver-based broadcaster Jim Mullin started the idea.

The purpose behind the Northern 8 is to build university football as a whole in Canada. The plan involves putting the best teams in the country up against each other on national television. Dubé is ready to invest the money to fully cover the cost of television production and the eight schools

would split the total costs of air travel for the year. The Northern 8 is a non-profit organization and if any profits are made, all non-participating members of the four CIS football conferences would split the profits.

CanWest approved the idea at their winter meetings on Feb. 2. The main opposition was the OUA, led by CEO Gord Grace.

"It's impossible. We've already approved our schedule. We have to get on with things," Grace said in an interview with TSN. Football fans could have seen some amazing matchups: Laval versus McMaster rematch from the 2011 and 2012 Vanier Cups, a Montreal-Manitoba rematch from last year’s Uteck Bowl or a 2012 Mitchell Bowl rematch with Calgary and McMaster. Some national television matchups that jump out from the 2015 sample schedule include McMaster at Calgary for week two, Laval at McMaster for week six and Ottawa against Montreal for week eight.

A great side effect of the Northern 8 would be closer games across the CIS. No more squash games where Laval beats down McGill University 70–3 and weaker schools like the University of Waterloo won’t have to go up against a CIS top five powerhouse like McMaster.

Developing programs would face each other more often, similar to how teams like the University of Northern British Columbia and MacEwan University compete in the Explorers Division in CanWest basketball.

Bottom-tier teams like York

University, Waterloo, McGill and the University of British Columbia will play easier opponents in conference, helping to give them a fighting chance in games which would hopefully keep fans in the stands. UBC’s schedule for next season would be home and homes with Manitoba, the University of Regina and the University of Alberta. They would still have to play against Calgary and Saskatchewan but only once each.

Teams would play a fourto-five game schedule against other Northern 8 opponents.

For example the Huskies would have played Western, Ottawa and

Calgary twice. Their other four opponents for the year would be Manitoba, UBC, Alberta and Regina so as to fulfill CanWest conference play.

Several former and current CIS players have voiced their thoughts about the Northern 8 Conference on the change.org petition. Former Huskie and current Saskatchewan Roughrider Chad Rempel stated his opinion on the matter in a comment on the petition.

“As a Canadian kid who once played in the CIS before embarking on a 10-year playing career in the CFL, I couldn't be more excited to hear about the Northern 8

initiative. The idea of interlocking games being televised nationally is a great opportunity to promote our great players, universities and unique Canadian game,” Rempel said.

This year was the first since the 1950s that the OUA wasn’t broadcast either regionally or nationally on television. This year’s Yates Cup and Mitchell Bowl suffered in the attendance category, when a few years ago they sold out.

It seems hard to believe that a company that spent $5.2 billion on the rights to NHL games can’t afford to put on decent coverage of our country’s own university athletics.

JEREMY BRITZ

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6 Sports

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

Which Huskie teams

made the grade?

Women’s hockey

AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor It was a terrific year for the majority of Huskie sports as the 2014–15 season saw some incredible performances.

Four teams represented the green and white at nationals amongst many individual wrestlers and track and field athletes, while one team won a Canada West title.

The Sheaf took a look back at the year and handed out grades to the nine university teams who competed this season. Grades were measured on regular season and playoff success, as well as how they measured up to the standard set by previous Huskies teams.

Men’s soccer

It was an unprecedented year for the men’s soccer team as the Dogs enjoyed the best season in school history. With a 9–1–3 record, the squad earned the top seed for the first time and with it, hosting duties for the CanWest Final Four. Led by Brett Levis and Jordian Farahani, the boys did not disappoint their home fans as they captured the first conference title in program history with a 4–2 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears, as well as qualified for nationals.

From there, they were beaten by the host University of Prince Edward Island Panthers in extra time and wound up seventh at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships. Levis led the CIS in scoring with 17 points in the regular season and goalkeeper Michal Bandula also led the country in wins with nine.

Women’s soccer

The season for the women’s soccer team was an undeniable success. Following a 7–2–3 record in the regular season, the Huskies hosted their first ever playoff game. Up against the MacEwan University Griffins in the quarter-finals, star striker Jennelle Zapski buried the winner and gave the team their first ever post-season victory.

From there they travelled to the CanWest Final Four where they earned a bronze medal, the first medal of any colour for the program. Zapski was a big part of the newfound success as she set Huskie records with 14 goals and 16 points this past season; both were tops in the CanWest conference.

The team had no players graduating and will keep its core intact next season as they continue to improve and establish the University of Saskatchewan as a prominent soccer school.

Men’s hockey After last year saw them fall just short of a national championship on home ice, it was a down year as far as the hockey program was concerned. They were the final team to qualify for the post-season in the tough CanWest with a 10–15–3 record and ended the year winning just one of their final nine games.

They took on the Mount Royal University Cougars in the quarter-finals and forced a winner-take-all game three, but they fell 3–0, ending their season. Saskatchewan will lose its leading scorer as Craig McCallum graduates, as well as starting goalie Ryan Holfeld. CIS wins leader Dave Adolph has his work cut out for him to get the Dogs to compete for the conference title again.

Following last season’s CIS bronze and CanWest gold, the women’s hockey team had high hopes for the new year. The team graduated its two leading scorers, but they definitely didn’t expect to take such a step back this season. They finished fifth with a 14–10–4 record and were swept at the hands of the University of Calgary Dinos in the first round of playoffs. A difficult stretch to begin 2015 saw the team drop seven straight contests and that kind of set the tone for the final two months of the season.

Forward Kaitlin Willoughby continued her solid career and led the team in scoring in her sophomore season.

The squad will graduate two players — Chelsey Sundby and Kandace Cook — but will keep star players Willoughby, captain Julia Flinton and goaltender Cassidy Hendricks.

Men’s basketball

After a tough start to the season, the men’s basketball team picked up steam and won 11 of their last 12 down the stretch to earn the top seed in the conference and the right to host the CanWest Final Four. In playoffs, they disposed of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds en route to the conference final, where they would meet the University of Victoria Vikes. On home court, the Dogs would fall short — losing by just three points.

They did however qualify for the CIS Final 8 and when the seeds were announced the Huskies seemingly drew the short end of the stick, winding up in eighth. That set up a first round tilt with the eventual national champion Carleton University Ravens, where the Huskies fell 90–50.

They won their two consolation games and wound up in fifth place in the country. The team will lose two of their key players as Ben Baker and Dadrian Collins have both used up their eligibility. Andrew Henry and Connor Burns will also graduate this year.

Women’s basketball The Huskies came into the new season as the defending conference champions and were poised for a repeat.

They ended the regular season on an absolute tear, winning 17 of their remaining 18 games. From there, they advanced on to the conference final and would lose to the UBC Thunderbirds by just a single point.

The group recovered from the emotional loss and knock off the Alberta Pandas at the national tournament, booking their trip to the semifinals. They would run into the powerhouse University of Windsor Lancers, who were on the road to a five-peat. A 75–61 loss set up a rematch with UBC in the bronze medal game, where the T-birds would once again get the best of the Dogs with a 73–61 win. With guards Riley Humbert and Kabree Howard the lone graduates, the team will be strong again next season and will look to improve off of their fourth place national finish.

Football Looking to return to the powerhouse they once were, the football team had a fairly strong season.

They finished the regular season with a 6–2 record and hosted a playoff game for the first time since 2011. It’s been seven years since the green and white advanced beyond the semifinals and the wait continues, following a heart wrenching 47–39 loss to the University of Manitoba Bisons in a game that saw the Huskies leading 37–18 in the third quarter. This will be added to the now long list of playoff failures the Dogs have had to endure in recent memory and will certainly be something they hope to avenge next season.

Only graduating a handful of players, the upward trend will hopefully continue next year for the Huskies. That being said, they do lose two important pieces in Academic All-Canadian safety Mark Ingram and receiver Kit Hillis.

Men’s volleyball It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish — which speaks volumes about the men’s volleyball season.

They battled injuries all year, with many starters missing extended time, and in the end it was too much to overcome to make the CanWest playoffs, as they missed by just a single game.

That was not the end of their season however, as the U of S was playing host to the CIS men’s volleyball championships. They drew the eighth and final seed for the tournament and put forth a gutsy effort in front of a packed house in their quarter-final matchup with the McMaster University Marauders. After a tough loss, the team rebounded impressively with a pair of wins over two good teams to finish fifth in the country.

Women’s volleyball

It was a tough year all around for the women’s volleyball team. They wound up second last in the conference with a disappointing record of 5–19 and won just once in their final 11 games. To make matters worse, an internal controversy came to light in January and led to the suspension of fourth-year head coach Jason Grieve. The team responded positively following the news and beat the Manitoba Bisons 3–0 in what would turn out to be their final victory of the season.

Outside hitter Emily Humbert was a bright spot for the team, as her consistent play all season gave the Huskies some traction. The team has no graduating players and will look to be a more experienced and competitive group in 2015–16.

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Sports 7

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

Huskies award top dogs at annual banquet

KATHERINE FEDOROFF / PHOTO EDITOR

Left to right: Kabree Howard, Mark Ingram, Annie Monteith and Matthew Busse pose with their awards from the Huskie Salute.

AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor On March 20 at TCU Place, over 300 athletes, friends, family, fans and alumni gathered to honour the best of Huskies Athletics in the 2014–15 year.

At the annual celebration, eight awards are presented: the male and female athletes of the year, the male and female rookies of the year, the best all-around male and female athletes, the top coach and the best trainer.

Mark Ingram claimed the E. Kent Phillips Trophy for Male Athlete of the Year with an impressive season on the gridiron. The fifth-year safety was named Canada West Defensive Player of the Year and finished the 2014 season with 48.5 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four knockdowns and six interceptions.

The other nominees were Ben Baker (basketball), Graham Black (track and field), Dylan Bray (wrestling) and Brett Levis (soccer).

The Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy for Female Athlete of the Year went to Annie Monteith, who earned a gold at the Canada West championships without giving up a point before heading on to nationals where she earned silver.

She finished no lower than fourth at any meet this season and was also honoured with CanWest Most Outstanding Female Wrestler and a CIS second team Academic All-Canadian.

Also nominated for the award was Dalyce Emmerson (basketball), Olena Olenick (track and field) and Jenelle Zapski (soccer).

Josh Bodnarchuk was awarded the Howard Nixon Trophy for Male Rookie of the Year after he burst onto the wrestling scene. The Saskatoon native won gold at the CanWest and CIS championships in the 54-kilogram weight class. Bodnarchuk also won CanWest and CIS Rookie of the Year. Also considered for the award was Colin Fraser (volleyball), Kieran

Johnston (football, track and field) and Michael Sofillas (hockey).

The wrestling domination continued as Megan Nelthorpe won the Patricia Lawson Trophy for Female Rookie of the Year. Nelthorpe beat out Tia Baker (track and field) for the award after a stellar wrestling campaign that saw her worst finish being fifth all season. She also picked up a CanWest bronze medal and finished fourth at nationals.

Basketball guard Kabree Howard took home the Valerie Girsberger Trophy, which is given to an upper-year Female All-Round Athlete. A two-time CanWest champion and a CIS silver medalist, Howard has been a key piece to the women’s basketball team over the past five seasons.

An All-Academic in all years of her career, Howard has coached a Junior Huskie team since 2011 and also coaches at St. Joseph High School.

She has been actively involved in the Saskatoon community, volunteering for events such as clothing drives, KidSport, KinSpin and cancer research events.

Matthew Busse won the men’s version of the trophy, the Rusty MacDonald Cup, for his contributions on and off the volleyball court. An All-Academic in all seasons with the Huskies, the right side has also been a leader off the court. Busse has volunteered with his team for various events such as Tim Horton’s Camp Day, the Christmas Hamper Project and the University Cup. Men’s soccer head coach Bryce Chapman won the Colb McEwon Trophy for Coach of the Year after he guided the team to a historic season.

The squad had the best record in program history and won the CanWest title for the first time ever.

Huskie Athletics also handed out the Dr. Walter Hader Student Trainer of the Year Award to men’s hockey trainer Garrett Saxton. The trophy is given to a student trainer who displays dedicated volunteer service to Huskie Athletics and promise in the field of sports medicine.

Along with the major award winners, CanWest and CIS All-Stars, All-Canadians and fifth-year athletes were also honoured at the event.

THE SHEAF

Visit us online @ thesheaf.com

8

Adderall use at the Univ A rising e ALEXANDER QUON Deadlines are approaching and finals are on the horizon. Some students at the University of Saskatchewan are not just reaching for textbooks to study, but for pills to help cope with the workload.

For the cost of a latte, students are now able to purchase drugs that can help them study longer and harder.

The most popular of these is Adderall, which has the ability to provide everything that a struggling student needs.

A two-month investigation from the Sheaf has dug into the growing drug culture that surrounds the use of Adderall on the U of S campus. We spoke to nine students from a diverse range of colleges, all of whom had

used Adderall or similar drugs in an attempt to increase their academic performance. All of the students in this article have had their names changed in order to protect their privacy.

In addition to those individuals, the Sheaf talked to 10 other students who admitted that they had used Adderall but did not want to go on the record for an interview.

Adderall and most drugs that fall into the broader category of study drugs, are classified as stimulants. They are a controlled substance and not available as over the counter medicine.

Dr. Alfred Rémillard, associate dean of research and graduate affairs for the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, identified two medical reasons for the use of stimulants.

“Really, the only official use of stimulants, of

which Adderall is, is a thing called narcolepsy,” Rémillard said. “The other is obviously attention deficit disorder.”

Across Canada, a common use of Adderall on campuses is not to help with sleep or concentration, but instead to stay alert, to study and to improve academic performance.

“I use it to help me study and concentrate,” said Olivia. The fourth-year student did not indicate whether she had a medical condition that would require her to take Adderall.

“When I use it, it’s because I’m at a point where I really sort of need the extra help,” Olivia said, before revealing that she didn’t seek the drug out.

Adderall was offered to her during her finals for the 2011 winter semester. A friend, recognizing how stressful finals were for Olivia, provided her with access to Adderall. Olivia didn’t know what the pill was when she was given it.

“She was just like, ‘here, this might help’ and just gave me one,” she said.

“And it did help.” As a result, Olivia now uses Adderall sporadically during finals in order to give herself a boost.

“There are actually rankings of it, the hardest to find would be Adderall. The easiest to find would be Ritalin or Concerta,” said Liam, a third-year arts and science student who infrequently uses what he calls study drugs.

He first heard about study drugs in high school, after one of his friends was prescribed Adderall. He began to use it in his first semester of university.

“First year was one of those years where I was a big procrastinator, so I would leave everything to the end,” Liam said in late January. “It helped me a lot in that first year but I did, if anything, abuse it the most first year.”

Over a two week period in that first year, Liam used the drug extensively, taking what he

described as a dose that time period, Lia fered from insomn 15 pounds.

Rémillard says t not uncommon for u Appetite suppressio side effect.

“Even for the us used appropriately appetite suppressio pharmacology of th For Olivia, the sid as — if not more — ed that her side effe palpitations, swea that lasted for days Other possible effects can include insomnia, fatigue pressure or incre while depression i effect. Rémill many of the dose dep controlle superv How witho vision may b gerous.

“It’s the fine ba know if they would mine [the correct do No one would be a for them because th for a therapeutic u “I’m not going to sa going to be a drug going to be out on t tain point it can be will be a breaking p Due to the string surro

9

versity of Saskatchewan: epidemic?

e once a day. During am says that he sufnia and lost close to

that weight loss is users of stimulants. on is also a common

se of ADHD, when y, [weight loss and on] is just part of the he drug.” de effects were just severe. She indicatects included heart ating and insomnia s at a time. e short-term side a euphoric feeling, e, increased blood eased heart rate, is a long-term side lard stressed that ese side effects are pendent and can be ed when under the vision of a doctor. wever, when used out a doctor’s supern, these side effects become more dan-

alance and I don’t d be able to deterosage] on their own. able to determine it hey are not using it use,” said Rémillard. ay to you that you’re g addict and you’re the streets; at a cere helpful but there point.” gent guidelines that ound the prescription of Adderall, Rémillard theorized that the source of illicit Adderall on campus comes from individuals who have a valid prescription.

No longer needing their dose, these individuals instead sell it for profit.

The Sheaf’s investigation

matched up with Rémillard’s assessment. Most students interviewed had no prescription, noting that they purchased it from friends or acquaintances that did.

“I know a lot of people who use Adderall,” said Mason, a second-year student hoping to transfer into Edwards School of Business. “I have friends who have prescriptions and I can just get it off of them.

“A good portion of my friends [use it] and then they always mention, because they know I have it, ‘Oh I know a lot of people who want to buy Adderall.’”

This was a common phrase heard during the course of our investigation. Almost every individual the Sheaf interviewed indicated that they knew numerous friends or acquaintances who wanted to use study drugs. While anecdotal, the testimonies stand in stark contrast to the data that the U of S is currently using.

The 2013 National College Health Assessment surveyed 34,039 individuals on 32 campuses across Canada.

Self-reported data indicates the general health of students across the country as well as what medications they may be using.

At the U of S, the survey was sent out to 4,500 randomly selected student emails. The survey had a 32 per cent response rate.

Documents obtained by the Sheaf, including information from those surveyed and a study by the NCHA, shows that only 2.2 per cent of U of S respondents indicated that they had used stimulants without having a prescription for the drug. The national sample responded at a rate of 3.7 percent.

There are plans to conduct the survey again in 2016.

Patti McDougall, vice-provost teaching and learning at the U of S, said that the university takes any new details into account when considering on-campus drug use.

“If we become aware of a growing problem then it absolutely warrants our attention,” McDougall said.

During the course of our correspondence, McDougall admitted that as a result of the Sheaf’s interest in the topic, she had already began the process of her own investigation into Adderall use on campus.

While the U of S has no explicit provision against Adderall usage — it is a legally permitted drug when you have

a prescription for it — McDougall indicated that anyone caught using drugs in an attempt to achieve better grades could face an academic misconduct penalty.

Section II (t) of the university’s Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct states that “using or attempting to use personal relationships, bribes, threats or illegal conduct to gain unearned grades or academic advantages” would meet the criteria of academic misconduct.

McDougall verified that in the two years she has been vice-provost of teaching and learning, no student has been charged with that provision in relation to study drugs.

In order for a student to be charged with academic misconduct, someone would first have to come forward with a complaint against a student.

There are two types of academic misconduct in the U of S student code of conduct: formal and informal.

Informal misconduct occurs when a student has acted out of misunderstanding or carelessness, while formal misconduct means that the issue is serious enough to require a panel hearing. If based upon the balance of probabilities the panel believes that the student has breached the academic code, they will be found guilty.

If found guilty of academic misconduct, students at the U of S can

expect to receive a punishment ranging from a zero on an assignment to expulsion, depending on the college and the severity of the offence.

Punishment can be more severe for those caught selling Adderall. In addition to facing charge of non-academic misconduct from the U of S, McDougall indicated that anyone who was caught selling Adderall would have their case referred to the police.

Adderall is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Anyone caught selling the drug faces up to seven years in prison or a fine of $2,000 and one year in prison.

Despite the risks, Liam indicated that he’s never felt bad about taking Adderall while studying. He compared it to how some students use coffee to stay awake and study for longer.

“I’ve known some people who don’t rely on caffeine and there [are] some people who use caffeine,” he said.

“The biggest risk is that it can easily be abused.”

Even though he doesn’t have a prescription for it, Liam indicated that he would still like to see Adderall remain a controlled substance. He chooses not to attempt to get a prescription because he believes that it may lead to him abusing it more.

There is still very little data on Adderall drug use on Canadian campuses. Rémillard said he may soon attempt to change that situation. He expressed interest in going on an administrative leave in order to study the use of psychiatric drugs among students. It would be in an attempt to find out how much and why they are taking them. Adderall would be included in the study.

Mason said even though he has used Adderall, he doesn’t think that the U of S should be more accepting of its use on campus, even if it is becoming more common.

“It happens a lot more than people know it does, but I don’t think they should be accepting of it because it still is technically a drug.

If you don’t need it, you shouldn’t be taking it.”

GRAPHIC: JEREMY BRITZ

10 Culture

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

Coram Boy a showcase for a rising star CHELSEA POWRIE As the University of Saskatchewan drama department’s mainstage production company, Greystone Theatre is showing off promising student talent in its season finale. This years’ Coram Boy lives up to this mandate, with the added bonus of several standout performances.

Set in 18th century England, Coram Boy explores the dark underside of the burgeoning class divide. At the time, the lower classes found themselves increasingly impoverished and unable to care for new additions to the family. As a result, charity institutions sprung up with the aim of fostering orphan children. Unfortunately, such desperation also attracted swindlers.

Many of these charities became the feeding grounds for men who purchased children under false pretenses of providing jobs or apprenticeships, while in reality exploiting them in the slave trade.

The play follows the deeds of Otis Gardiner, one such con man.

His actions affect the lives of two boys apprenticed in a choir, who over the course of the story come of age in a world where justice and privilege are heavily biased towards the wealthy.

The subject matter is gripping,

but the production is bumpy at times. The biggest issue was the gaps between scenes and lines that could be tightened to shorten the total running time. The sheer number of students on stage is also sometimes overwhelming with respect to its size. However, Jenna Berenbaum’s undeniable charisma and talent as the plucky choirboy Thomas Ledbury certainly makes up for these hiccups.

As Thomas, Berenbaum rises to the occasion of portraying a different gender, age and nationality with gusto. I caught myself with a grin on my face on several occasions during her scenes as Thomas came to life on stage. She also manages to be brilliant in scenes where she is not integral and manages to add to the story without stealing focus.

In the latter half of the show, Thomas ages into an adult and is portrayed by Mikael Steponchev.

Berenbaum retires to a role in the background chorus of young choir boys. Despite the fact that she has no dialogue, Berenbaum invests fully in her nameless character and every moment he is experiencing.

Since Thomas is male and comes from a lower class background, Berenbaum had to modify both her voice and physicality to create her performance. She explained a little about the cast's process of performing a show that required

diverse accents from different levels of society.

“I do a Gloucester dialect,” Berenbaum said. “We learn RP [Received Pronunciation, a standard United Kingdom accent] in third-year acting. With Gloucester, I had no idea.

We were lucky enough to get a dialect coach.”

Miranda Hughes, Berenbaum’s fellow fourth-year drama student, shares many scenes with her and plays an equally important role.

Hughes portrays the musically talented and socially privileged Alexander Ashbrook, who is on the cusp of puberty and struggles with family pressures to leave the world of music behind and take up his place as heir to much wealth and power.

Hughes and Berenbaum’s chemistry on stage effortlessly conveys moments of both comedy and tragedy as their characters quickly become friends. The two have been working together on the show since the beginning of the semester and their on and off-stage bond is charming.

Despite the large cast of characters, both Hughes and Berenbaum are double-cast in the production.

This means that every other night their counterparts Anna Mazurik and Caitlin Zacharias portray Thomas and Alexander. Neither actor is upset about this choice, however.

“The great thing about double casting is that you really learn a lot from your partner and you get to

DAVE STOBBE

Coram Boy tells the story of a group of orphan boys struggling against social class barriers.

discover the role together,” said Berenbaum.

The two actors agree that this bonding experience is just one example of the diverse and beneficial opportunities that U of S drama department offers.

“You meet really great people and people you can act with. You learn about design and stage management and technical aspects,” said Berenbaum.

“It affects all aspects of your artistry,” Hughes added. “It’s very comprehensive, and it’s focused on doing quality work. I would love to do film, I also love music and I think the great thing about this program is it enhances your ability to do any of those things.”

Berenbaum will convocate this spring — meaning Coram Boy is the last opportunity to see her perform as a U of S undergraduate — with Hughes following her in December. Another standout performance comes from Kyle Kuchirka, who is heart-wrenchingly sincere as Meshak, the neglected son of a man bent on exploiting profit from the desperate. These three actors alone are enough to make this show unmissable.

Coram Boy runs March 18 to 28 at the Greystone Theatre. Ticket purchases and further information may be found online at artsandscience.usask. ca/drama/greystone/tickets.php.

Upcoming events Thursday March 26 Friday March 27 Anvil, Agony Spawn, Black Hell Oil and Wrathed at Louis’ Pub

Saturday March 28 Sunday March 29

Untimely Demise with Coram Boy at the guests at Amigos Greystone Theatre (last day) Bob Evans at the Bassment Harley Card Quintet The Department at the Bassment Heads and Frankie The Dead South at McQueen at Vangelis Capitol Music Club The Chickadees at Bon Temps Café Amelia Curran and The Backhomes with Ryan Boldt at Village Hush Pup and Foggy Eco-Bash 2015 at Guitar Notions at Vangelis Capitol Music Club

OK Go with White Arrows at Louis’ Pub Suicide Intervention Skills Training at the USSU Help Centre Blue Jam at Vangelis Newman Sounds Glee Club at the Broadway Theatre (last day)

Throwback Thursday BFA Reception at the Things We Never Did at Louis’ Pub Gordon Snelgrove at Vangelis Vigil at the Gallery Persephone Theatre (last day)

Monday March 30

Tuesday March 31

Wednesday April 1

Flag Raising: Trans Awareness Week at Convocation Hall

Three String Fretless at Bon Temps Café

Relic and Cquel at Vangelis

Open Mic Monday at Louis’ Pub Heidi Munroe Quartet at Bon Temps Café Sexual Assault Awareness Forum at the Neatby Timlin Theatre

West Coast Swing at Louis’ Loft

Culture 11

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

Saskatchewan artists create a home in hybrid theatre project KEIGHLAGH DONOVAN Breaking down the doors between spoken word poetry, theatre, visual art, dance and music, Our Four Walls brings together individuals from many artistic disciplines to create a unique and stimulating work.

As a poet, performer and organizer of Our Four Walls, Danielle Altrogge embodies the collaborative spirit of the original production, which was created and performed by women from across Saskatchewan.

The project is a joint effort between Thigh High Theatre and the newly formed Mud Collective, a group of collective artists involved in the production.

Mud came about last June when Altrogge and co-founder Lauren Holfeuer met for coffee.

They then approached actors and poets they wanted to collaborate with and met with a writing team comprised of Shayna Stock, Chelsea Martin and Shanda Stefanson to discuss the theme.

“We wanted to pick a topic that all of the writers would have a lot to say about. Eventually we landed on ‘home.’ Our Four Walls became the title that we mined from the poetry,” Altrogge said in an email to the Sheaf.

Since the idea of home can be interpreted in a large variety

of ways, the Mud Collective set out to try to define it based on their own unique perspectives and expressions. These women write home, perform home and attempt to understand where home ends and begins.

The show is completely written, performed, directed and created by women — something Altrogge argues was not entirely intentional.

“We picked our team because in our opinion, they are absolutely the best people for the job. They also happen to be women and that has been rewarding,” Altrogge said. “No matter how much people try to protest that gender representation is on par, there just isn't the data to back that up.

It's exciting to be part of a project that happens to adjust that data.”

Altrogge has competed at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and at Verses Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. As chair of the board for Saskatoon’s non-profit organization Tonight It’s Poetry and an active member of the spoken word community, as well as a chaperone for Saskatoon’s teenage Write Out Loud slam poetry team, Altrogge is no stranger to the inner workings of successful creative ventures. As an active participant in the arts, she insists Our Four Walls is a unique hybrid.

“This project is important because of its experimental,

multidisciplinary bones. As artists, we don't collaborate nearly as much as we could or should,” Altrogge said. “We can learn so much about our own creative disciplines by stretching ourselves beyond them. I knew that by working with all of these amazing women that I would become a better creator.”

Our Four Walls came together when AKA Gallery provided the performance space and Rowan Pantel signed on to design the set. The show went off without a

hitch, with performances expanding over 10 nights from March 5 to 15 exploring the people, the love and the expectations that home brings.

Lacey Jones, one of many attendees, gave the show a glowing review.

“I can't remember the last time I've ever been so moved by anything,” Jones wrote on the Facebook event page, adding that it was a “wonderful show, absolutely flawless in writing, conceptualization and execution.”

Altrogge has a promising future in the arts ahead of her. She is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan English department and will begin her master’s of fine arts program in the fall. Her work and that of other female Saskatchewan authors have made Mud Collective’s latest project a success.

Mud Collective will return to the stage next year, as they plan on making performances such as as Our Four Walls an annual project.

BRAD PROUDLOVE

From left to right: Alex Hartshorn, Christina Persson and Danielle Spilchen are three of the women who participated in the innovative art exhibition Our Four Walls.

Androgynous style challenges outmoded fashion norm CHARLYNN JELIER The Cascade (University of the Fraser Valley) ABBOTSFORD, B.C. (CUP) — Traditional fashion rules for both men and women are being broken. Androgynous fashion, which naturally incorporates elements from both male and female styles, is increasing in popularity and calling out outmoded perceptions of “gender-suitable” clothing.

Dressing androgynously is about being fashionable while being comfortable. “Less is more” is the motto of this minimalistic trend.

Take boyfriend jeans, a wardrobe staple, as an example. As the name suggests, you can casually throw on an old pair of your boyfriend’s jeans and adopt them for your own. Flannels are also easily swiped from your boyfriend or even brother’s closet.

The same goes for men. Skinny jeans are no longer restricted to women. Scarves, and even necklaces for the fashion-forward, are slowly working their way into the average male wardrobe.

For women taking on this approach for the first time, try adding one androgynous piece to an outfit. Oxford shoes, a blazer,

a hat or even a button-up shirt are versatile and can be worn on many different occasions. Adding a pair of skinny jeans to contrast with an oversized sweater keeps your outfit’s shape. Red lipstick or a statement necklace also keeps a more masculine outfit looking feminine.

For those who prefer their entire outfit to be androgynous, the key is playing with silhouettes. For a tuxedo suit, slimmer lapels draw attention away from the bust while a silky blouse keeps the look balanced. Denim tops or jackets tend to broaden the shoulders, while a boat-cut

neckline minimizes the bust. For bottoms, having a cropped hemline shows a bit of ankle and adds interest to the silhouette. Try to veer away from lighter colours: opt for pastels and darker shades of red, green and blue. As for accessories, a pair of earrings or a basic bracelet are simplistic

STATIC / FLICKR

Singer Janelle Monae discards typical fashion styles for androgynous ensembles, including unique takes on traditional men’s suits.

and don’t draw much attention.

For men, dressing androgynously can be slightly more challenging. While wearing dresses in the fashion world (Marc Jacobs, anyone?) is becoming more acceptable, it’s more difficult in everyday life. Dipping a toe into androgynous waters can seem scary but it’s surprisingly easy to break into it. Picking a shirt or a pair of pants in a colour that has been seen as more feminine in the past is an easy way to add style without sacrificing comfort.

Once again, it’s important to play with silhouettes. Adding a classic scarf creates definition in an outfit. A cross-body bag is fashionable and practical. For those who are slightly more daring try adding a long, flowy shirt or a pair of skinny jeans. Upgrade that classic scarf to a lighter wrap scarf.

To really push the envelope, a wrap skirt will do the trick.

Androgynous fashion is all about being comfortable while making a statement. Wearing what makes you feel good is the goal of every fashion trend and this one is no different. Play with different shapes and colours and styles. Push the boundaries and experiment until you find something that makes you feel fabulous — after all, fashion is all about having fun!

12 Opinions

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

Students sacrifice too much for school ZACH TENNENT Students and stress are an almost inseparable pairing. But when one’s mental health and well-being are on the line, we have an obligation to ourselves to let school take a back seat.

There’s no doubt — it’s stressful being a student. We all tend to joke about how stressed we are come midterms, essay season and finals, but behind the flippant way we talk about our anxieties lies a very serious truth: many of us are overstressed and unable to appropriately handle it.

Stress can be good for you to a degree. In simple terms, it gets the blood pumping. It lights a fire under your ass. It can be a valuable motivator. The problem is that we let it get out of control and end up harming ourselves because of it.

In July 2013, the Canadian Association of College & University Student Services released a report finding that among over 30,000 Canadian post-secondary students, 99.1 per cent admitted to feeling levels of stress, with 57.6 per cent identifying more than average to tremendous amounts. Similarly,

being exhausted and feeling overwhelmed came in at 51.2 and 52.1 per cent respectively.

To say these kinds of statistics suggest an unhealthy level of stress among students would be a considerable understatement.

Making matters worse, these feelings of anxiety cause — and are caused by — students doing things that are simply bad for them, both physically and mentally. This includes staying up all night

studying, not eating properly or regularly, not taking the time to socialize or even associating our grades with our value and worth as people.

The fact is that we’re putting our grades and “success” ahead of our very health and happiness, and that’s a serious problem. When school gets hairy, I’m certainly guilty of it — and when I remove myself from the situation long enough to consider the implications of such skewed priorities, I realize how truly

ridiculous and destructive that kind of behavior is.

I know what it’s like to be invested in your classes and to go all out to get the best possible mark. I know it’s rewarding and validating to view your grades as a positive attribute about yourself. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the truth of the matter.

When all is said and done, your marks and performance at school don’t change who you are as a person. They may say something about

KATHERINE FEDOROFF / PHOTO EDITOR

Students have to weigh their options when it comes to prioritizing between school and overall well-being.

the time or effort that you put forth, but even that isn’t a sure thing — sometimes your best preparation and efforts can still fall short of the mark — and that’s okay.

What does fundamentally change who you are is your mental well-being and happiness. That is what we’re sacrificing when we engage in these kinds of selfdestructive behaviors. Nothing is more satisfying than getting a good mark and considering it to be a representation of you, but that reasoning only sets you up to feel like a failure when and if you receive a poor grade.

It needs to be said that grades are an exceptionally hollow and subjective assessment. We might like to believe that they truly do speak to our greater intelligence, but that would be to admit that our evaluation of ourselves should be based on what other people have to say about us.

It’s important to live up to your potential and we should all aspire to do our best under the circumstances. But when our classes come into conflict with our health, we need to put our best interests over our grades.

Niqab ban is a slippery slope HUMA RAJA Mainstream media often labels Muslim women wearing a niqab as oppressed, but far more oppressive is the banning of a woman’s freedom to wear her niqab in a public space.

Niqabs are veils worn by many females in Islam that cover all but the eyes. In December 2011, former immigration minister Jason Kenney issued a policy manual for Canadian citizenship regulations, which included removing any kind of face covering when taking the public citizenship oath. The ban was part of a series of moves that attempted to strengthen Canadian citizenship policies.

In 2013, a Muslim woman from Pakistan named Zunera Ishaq was the first to challenge the ban in Canada after her husband had sponsored her to come to Canada in 2008.

Before Ishaq wrote her citizenship test, she removed her niqab in front of an official in private.

Ishaq passed her test, but was not granted citizenship as her religion dictates she cannot remove her niqab in public. She was unable to attend the public oath ceremony since participants were banned from wearing niqabs.

A court ruling in February struck down the ban, citing it as unlawful.

However, shortly after the court’s decision, the Canadian government decided it would make an appeal.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the niqab "anti-women,” against Canadian values of transparency and a roadblock for identification.

All these reasons are laughable.

Prior to the citizenship ceremony, the government knows an applicant’s residential history, work history and personal history. Biographical information of relatives is also collected. Clearly, applicants undergoing the citizenship process adhere to a high level of transparency.

As far as the niqab being

"anti-women" and oppressive, on March 16 Ishaq said to the Toronto Star that, "It’s precisely because I won’t listen to how other people want me to live my life that I wear a niqab. Some of my own family members have asked me to remove it. I have told them that I prefer to think for myself.” Ishaq made it clear that she wears the niqab proudly and by her own choice.

For those who claim the niqab ban is about identity verification, would-be citizens provide several proofs of identity before the final ceremonial oath and even after

that their signature is required to confirm they've taken the oath.

In the Toronto Star Ishaq also said, "I have taken my niqab off for security and identity reasons [...] such as when I have taken a driver’s licence photo or gone through airport security. I will take my niqab off again before the oath ceremony without protest so I can be properly identified."

Politicians and media race to manipulate the niqab, drawing upon ignorance, discrimination and Islamophobia to increase support for the ban. Sadly, this anti-Islamic

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

propaganda affects Muslim women.

As a Muslim, I feel offended when society constantly claims that I'm oppressed, insisting that I must be forced to cover my body.

This ridiculous suggestion — along with other media-enforced stereotypes and misinformation — make deep impressions on society.

Some people cannot meet a Muslim woman without associating her with negative media stories. When I meet a new person, my headscarf automatically does half the talking — but whether it says I’m oppressed or empowered might depend on the media opinion of the day.

If the niqab can't be worn at citizenship ceremonies, who's to say that ban won't one day extend to universities or other public areas?

Who's to say that it won't fuel discrimination and misunderstandings on Canadian campuses in the future? Banning the niqab will definitely have a domino effect that will trickle down to the student population.

The niqab ban is not for the sake of security, secularism or gender equality. I don't want to bare my body for the scrutiny and entertainment of men in order to prove that I'm equal. Who’s to say that one day, women won’t be forced to dress down even more because that’s the government’s way of upholding equality?

A niqab ban would embody the description niqab-opposers attach to the garment itself: anti-women, closed-minded and oppressive.

Opinions 13

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

’Til five years from now do us part SAMUEL RAFUSE Marriage should be forever, but with modern relationships evolving to include more openness and freedom, our current legal definitions of marriage seem irrelevant and should be redefined.

Véronique Laliberté, a law student at the University of Ottawa, is writing her master’s thesis on the idea of fixed-term marriages. According to her, marriage contracts should only last for five years, at which point the couple can renew their marriage or part ways without the legal tape of a messy divorce to sort through.

Statistically, marriages do not end well. The last year the divorce rate was measured in Canada was 2008 and Statistics Canada counted 70,226 divorces. Comparatively there were 147,848 new marriages in the same year, meaning that the divorce rate was half of the rate of marriage.

Therefore, our current definition of marriage is becoming outdated and we should redefine the way we approach legal relationships.

Laliberté thinks a fixed-term marriage could be romantic. It’s a way of opening up communication about marriage and relationships and could actually help us share happiness with the ones we love.

It’s a lot easier to take someone for granted when you figure you’re with them forever no matter what, but if you know you only have so much time with them, you might find it easier to appreciate your relationship and the other person.

After all, modern relationships have come a long way. While marriage used to be more akin to an exchange of property — and still is in many parts of the world — nowadays couples move in together, settle down and start families, all before tying the knot. Many of those relationships work out just fine without any marriage contract.

So why does the idea of a fixed-term marriage still feel slightly uncomfortable? There’s an intuitive negative reaction to the idea, but logically it makes sense. It could be because marriage is by definition a relationship for life — with exceptions. Infidelity has always been a justifiable

reason for divorce. If marriage is set up with an escape clause in it anyway, that kind of defeats the whole point of forever.

However, if marriage is only temporary, then wouldn’t we be losing the opportunity to make it through the difficult times to emerge stronger and with a deeper love for each other? Couples who take the easy way out and separate when their relationship hits a rough bump won’t have the chance to reconcile with each other and be able to say that they truly did stay together through thick and thin.

While this makes sense, I don’t think this experience is exclusive to happily-ever-after marriages. A temporary marriage agreement could make it easier to stay together through the difficult times since we know that they would also be temporary. It would in effect be like tempering a storm since you know it will end, as opposed to feeling trapped in a horrible relationship forever. Half of the time, the bad times are only bearable because we know they will come and go.

Of course, nobody is forcing

anyone to get a fixed-term marriage to begin with, which raises my final point. We have a tendency to appeal to tradition and ostracize anyone who tries to do things differently, especially if we feel like they are infringing on our territory.

But marriage as an institution doesn’t belong to anybody.

Nobody’s lifelong commitment is being undermined by someone else’s short-term commitment.

Realistically, fixed-term marriages sound like a very appealing option for our generation due to increasing rates of divorce and career-focused individuals, not to mention the money saved by not going through the process of divorce.

It really is a matter of individual preferences. People come in a variety of kinds and so do our relationships, and it only makes sense to update our legal processes as we go.

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Men’s centre not necessary for U of S MICHELLE MANABAT If the University of Saskatchewan is interested in promoting equality for all genders, shouldn’t there be a men’s centre on campus? Surprisingly, male students convinced me that a men’s centre at the U of S is not necessary.

Feminism is a lot more evident than ever before, especially within our generation. There exists countless movements and organizations made to support women. The U of S campus alone has different groups that are actively promoting equality and feminism. The biggest group on campus would probably be the U of S Students’ Union’s Women’s Centre; a place where women can feel safe and comfortable while seeking the help and support they might need.

When I asked male and female students at the U of S whether or not they thought we should have a men’s centre, the most common answer I received was, “If there’s a women’s centre, then yes, we should have a men’s centre too.”

Though it’s nice to hear that both men and women care about equality, saying there should be a men’s centre just because a women’s centre exists doesn’t seem so compelling. This kind of reasoning sounds childish, insincere and shallow. Having something for the sake of “getting even” is just not a good enough reason.

Rather, we should think about what reasons there would be for getting a men’s centre on campus.

Let’s consider this: if a men’s centre existed, what would its purpose be?

“It should be a rehabilitation centre for men mixed with leisure activities. When I say rehabilitation, I mean a place that helps men with mental health and issues concerning their well-being,” said Koko Kyaw, a

first-year student in the College of Arts and Science.

Basically, a men’s centre should be a place where men can hang out and study, while their problems can also be discussed and addressed. It sounds fair — men have problems too. A men’s centre isn’t a bad idea if this is the purpose it would serve. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that it would be a positive space, which is probably one of the reasons why we don’t have one.

“My answer is to anybody who believes that there is a need for a men's centre, should start one,” said Manny Barker, a fourth-year international studies student.

“There is nothing stopping anyone from doing that. But more often than not when the lack of a men's centre is brought up, it's being used to argue against feminism, or against what feminists want because it's not equality if the same institutions don't exist for men.”

JEREMY BRITZ

Therefore, wanting to create a men’s centre may be idealistic. The bigger problem that follows is the fact that there are lots of male-oriented problems that aren't talked about or are stigmatized as not being issues relevant to men, or the assumption that men don’t want to sit around and talk about these either.

Interestingly enough, some men still believe that they are not as disadvantaged as women are and therefore don’t need a support centre.

“I believe that organizations like the Help Centre, the Women’s Centre and the Pride Centre exist according to necessity. The Women's Centre and the Pride Centre don't exist just for people to hang out and be chill, they provide an environment that is guaranteed to be safe and considerate for a demographic that hasn't historically had access to one,” said Barker. “Men don't need that. We can just chill out anywhere.”

Centres are a place for people to meet others who have similar interests and to do so in an environment that is supportive.

Creating a men’s centre might take the spotlight away from groups who may actually need that attention or safe place.

Therefore, the general consensus seems to be that men don’t need a centre — it is simply not a necessity in the way that other USSU centres are.

14 Opinions

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM Elizabeth Arden (neé Florence Nightingale Graham), 1939 (b/w photo) / Creator(s): Fisher, Alan, photographer / [Public domain], via Library of Congress

Time for tenure to retire

LESIA KARALASH

BRANDON KOHLMAN Tenure at the University of Saskatchewan is outdated and serves no purpose as the threats to professors’ careers that made the system necessary no longer exist.

Everyone has had a professor who couldn’t teach to save their life. Chances are, if the professor has been at the university for a long time, they have tenure. The question to ask is, how did this professor — who is clearly incompetent at a large portion of their job — become tenured in the first place?

The tenure process was originally intended to reward professors for their commitment to the university, meaning that if professors were given security in their career, they would have no reason to leave.

However, if the university is adequately compensating a professor for their work, then it can be assumed that they would not leave to work elsewhere, other than for personal reasons. In fact, removing the tenure system would allow professors greater freedom later in their careers, accommodating for major life events and allowing a professor to leave the U of S if they so choose.

Tenure was also designed to allow academic freedom, meaning that a professor could have the right to inquire about any issue or situation without fear of termination for seeking discovery. In this way, tenure is a benefit to professors as it makes it more difficult to release the professor even if their research is morally questionable.

However, this is no longer needed with today’s world. In the age of information, students and professors alike are encouraged to seek new knowledge regularly.

Therefore when researching, professors today are able to explore freely without fear of termination for simply inventing new ideas.

One thing most people don’t realize is that tenured professors can still be fired with a valid cause. In the event of a professor’s research being deemed unethical or if their teaching skills are particularly bad, tenure will not protect them from potential discipline and termination. If tenure still allows

for professors to be released from the university, then why have the tenure system at all?

According to records on the U of S website, as of the 2011–12 school year 67 per cent of faculty at the U of S held tenure. What purpose does the tenure system serve if tenure is given out to just over two-thirds of the faculty at the university? If tenure is so prestigious, surely it would be reserved for a smaller portion of the U of S faculty.

To replace tenure, a new contract system could be put in place to benefit both the university and the professors it employs.

With this contract system, the university and a given professor could negotiate the terms of their employment, including items such as benefits, sabbatical, expected research outcomes and salary.

A contract may be offered for a term no shorter than two years and no longer than five, as this allows the university enough time to reasonably plan ahead while not binding it to the professor and vice versa.

After the contract has expired, the university weighs the professor’s contributions to the university and decides whether or not they are best serving it and its students.

If the professor in question is not fulfilling their responsibilities to students and the university, the institution simply has to wait for the contract to reach its end to release the ineffective professor. If done properly, the contract system could better benefit the university.

While this contract system would result in higher faculty turnover and more administrative work for the university, the best professors would still be rewarded for their good work and students would benefit greatly, resulting in more interest in the U of S among prospective students.

A new system may not be perfect but it would certainly be better than the system that is in place now, which so often leaves students without adequate professors to properly teach the material they will need in the years to come.

It is time for an updated process nevertheless. Tenure is no longer necessary and should be changed to suit the needs of both students and professors today.

“ Our only limitations are those which we set up in our own minds, or permit others to establish for us.” › Elizabeth Arden: Self-Made Maven In a time when women dare not wear make-up or run their own businesses, Elizabeth daringly did both. She was not a trained chemist, yet she pioneered the concept of scientifically formulating cosmetics. She was not a business graduate, yet she created a global empire. Curiosity and drive were her teachers; the world, her classroom.

We think Elizabeth would have simply adored AU, giving people all over the world the chance to make their mark, on their terms,in their time. Beautiful.

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March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

CAMPUS CHAT

If you could be a cartoon character, who would it be?

PHOTO BY: STEPHANIE MAH

Send your photo of the week submission to photo@thesheaf.com, and then check the next issue for a chance to see your photo!

Bugs Bunny.

Andrew Mareschal

Patrick Star from Spongebob.

Jo Arnott

Last week’s solution

Batman.

Michael Qin BUTTERSAFE.COM

HARKAVAGRANT.COM

Spongebob.

Niloufar Maktabi

SaSkatchewan Book awardS

UPCOMING EVENTS

©

Shortlist Reading II Featuring readings by Brenda Baker (Camp Outlook) and Suzanne North (Flying Time) and hosted by Wenda McArthur Sunday, March 29, 2 pm

••• ted

BiShop

Speaking & Signing The Social Life Of Ink Culture Wonder And Our Relationship With The Written Word

Monday, March 30, 7 pm

sheaf mar 26, 2015.indd 1

3/17/2015 9:07:48 AM

16 BAckpage

March 26, 2015 - THESHEAF.COM

ELECTIONS

For USSU Executive, Senate and Members of Student Council

VOTE!

Polls Open MARCH 25 - 9:00 a.m.

Polls Close MARCH 26 - 4:00 p.m.

ussu.ca/elections

HOUSE

P

ARTYX

3 Levels of Fun

APRIL 07/15

TOONIE TUESDAY ALL NIGHT +19 EVENT DOORS AT 7 P.M.

FLAG RAISING

MARCH 30

12:00 p.m.

Convocation Hall

COMMITMENT AND SOLIDARITY TO TRANS STUDENT RIGHTS ON CAMPUS AND ACROSS CANADA

TRANS AWARENESS WEEK MARCH 30 - APRIL 3, 2015 University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union

PrideCentre

TransSask

Support Services Inc.

HUNGRY?

USSU Food Centre can help.

EMERGENCY FOOD HAMPERS All you need is: • Valid Student Card • Health Card

Room 110, Upper Place Riel • ussu.ca/foodcentre