December 1, 2016

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Your University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912.

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TRANSGENDER VIGIL

THINKING ABOUT DRINKING

HOLIDAY GIFTS

PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY

NEWS

SPORTS

CULTURE

OPINIONS

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NEWSTYPE PAGE

International Women's Movement shares stories of sexual assault LAUREN HOPE Sexual assault is a pertinent issue on all university campuses, and the International Women’s Movement is working to raise awareness of this issue among students at the University of Saskatchewan.

From Nov. 21 to 25, the IWM put on an exhibit, entitled “Connecting Realities: An Exhibit on Gender-Based Sexual Violence,” in various locations on campus. With the exhibit, the IWM’s goal was to spread awareness about sexual violence and the negative effects of it. The exhibit presented anonymous submissions from survivors of sexual assault, their friends and others who have thoughts on the topic. The exhibit featured 50 submissions, including some from international sources in Mexico and China.

Jessica Quan, a fourthyear political studies major and president of the IWM, explains the reason the exhibit was created and why she believes it was important.

“The exhibit was [made] to highlight the impact which sexual abuse and violence has both on campus and internationally. Typically, victims and survivors of sexual assault have their voices silenced or they become stigmatized. Stories are a powerful medium for sending a message and by connecting these stories

together, I believe that we made an empowering impact,” Quan said, in an email to the Sheaf. “With the exhibit, we want to show that incidents of sexual assault are not isolated. By physically linking up these stories, you can see that these incidents stem from a larger, societally rooted issue.”

The IWM, founded in 2014 by students at the U of S, aspires to bring together women on campus.

In creating the exhibit, the IWM’s goal was to be all-encompassing and to include stories from people of diverse backgrounds.

Some of the stories were submitted by male victims, shedding light on the fact that sexual assault is not limited to gender.

Quan believes that the display was valuable, both for those who submitted stories and for those who visited the exhibit.

“It was empowering for students to both submit their stories and to read the display. The display sends an incredibly loud and strong message and it’s important to have voices, which have been traditionally silenced, heard by a large student body,” she said.

Aside from being a site of empowerment for student voices, many anonymous submitters drew attention to a prevalent issue at the U of S: the unsafe feeling they experience when walking home and the need to use the U of S

Students’ Union Safewalk program.

The submissions also built awareness of the after-effects of sexual assault, such as post traumatic stress disorder, night terrors and flashbacks. In addition, submitters noted that they are often stigmatized and treated differently after the sexual assault takes place.

According to Quan, many victims of sexual violence at the U of S do not report the incident, something she sees as a definite problem.

“Sexual assault continues to be a pressing issue at the U of S because there are still several incidents that go unreported and rape culture is still at large.

Myself included, and many women I know, have been victims of sexual assault, and we do not feel safe in many given circumstances when we are alone or are in a hostile environment,” Quan said.

She also highlights the behaviours that can normalize sexual assault, behaviours that must be recognized and changed if attitudes towards victims of sexual assault are going to improve.

“These incidents of sexual assault are extremely problematic and we also have to look at micro-aggressions, behaviour and language used towards women which have harmful connotations, such as rape

Photography Editor: Jeremy Britz, photo@thesheaf.com

Copy Editor: Larissa Kurz, copy@thesheaf.com

Graphics Editor: Lesia Karalash, graphics@thesheaf.com

Web Editor: Nicholas Kindrachuk, web@thesheaf.com

Editor-in-Chief: Naomi Zurevinski, editor@thesheaf.com

Culture Editor: Bridget Morrison, culture@thesheaf.com

Outreach Director: Sophie Kokott, outreach@thesheaf.com

Layout Manager: Laura Underwood, layout@thesheaf.com

Sports & Health Editor: Staff Writer: Emily Klatt, Jack Thompson, sportshealth@thesheaf.com staffwriter@thesheaf.com

News Editor: Jessica Klaassen-Wright, news@thesheaf.com

Opinions Editor: Zach Tennent, opinions@thesheaf.com

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Tamara Leyva / Supplied Students at the U of S shared their experiences of sexual violence at a public exhibit.

"Sexual assault continues to be a pressing issue at the U of S because there are still several incidents that go unreported and rape culture is still at large. Myself included, and many women I know, have been victims of sexual assault, and we do not feel safe in many given circumstances when we are alone or are in a hostile environment."

- Jessica Quan, fourth-year political studies major and president of the IWM

jokes,” Quan said.

She hopes that the exhibit made students more aware of the issue of sexual assault.

“I hope that students become more conscious of the impact of sexual assault and take a more active [role] in both educating others and dismantling the patriarchal structures

Board of Directors: Ata Merat, Katherine Fedoroff, Kyra Mazer, Chennoa Tracey, Hasith Andrahennadi Cover Graphic: Lesia Karalash, Graphics Editor Advertising 306.966.8688 Editorial 306.966.8689

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

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

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which normalize rape culture. We want students to know that non-consensual sexual acts are absolutely unacceptable, and we also want individuals to be critical of the historical and traditional structures which have led to the normalization of these acts against women to begin with.”

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 serves as a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students by students, the staff of editors, photographers, and artists collaborate with volunteers as studentjournalists to produce a product with relevance to the university community. With each composition, the Sheaf stays in touch with students on the U of S campus. It provides unique insight to university issues through a student perspective.

@thesheaf1912 /thesheaf1912 @thesheaf1912

corrections In our Nov. 17 issue, we incorrectly noted that the time of the Ukrainian Student’s Society’s Candlelight Vigil was at 12 p.m., in the article “U of S students memorialize the Ukrainian famine.”

The vigil began at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 24.

In our Nov. 24 issue, we incorrectly spelled Xandrah’s name in the article “Saskatoon-based artist explores all genres with debut EP.” In relation, the artist’s website listed at the end of the article should read: xandrahofficial.com.

We apologize for these errors.

dec 1, 2016

PAGENEWS TYPE

Lest we forget our transgender brothers and sisters:

Pride Centre hosts transgender vigil GABRIEL SIRIANY LINARES On Nov. 21, a Transgender Day of Remembrance was held at the University of Saskatchewan by the Pride Centre and its volunteers. During this candlelight vigil, students, staff and members of the community gathered to remember those who lost their lives as a consequence of transphobia. This year, 295 names were included on the list of victims.

After Rita Hester, a transgender woman, was murdered in Massachusetts in 1998, American activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith launched the Remembering Our Dead web project, which led to the very first TDOR in Boston and San Francisco in 1999. Since then, other countries have adopted this ceremony to show solidarity with the global transgender community.

At the vigil on campus, Maaya Hitomi, master’s student in applied social psychology and speaker at the event, brought attention to the problems faced by transgender women of colour.

“Transgender people face a higher rate of poverty than a large part of the populations. Mental issues are very high in transpopulation. Suicide rates are high. Homelessness is high,” Hitomi said. “When we throw racism into the equation, it becomes exponentially worse.”

According to Hitomi, positive spaces for transgender people can become centered on the experiences of white individuals, interfering with the help transgender people of colour can receive.

Hitomi further explained that trans-people face many challenges, including verbal violence such as crude jokes.

“Jokes are part of verbal violence and have an

dec 1, 2016

impact on self-esteem. As and see, somewhere to go, for them … If they need any trans-people, we feel them. somewhere safe,” Ethder help, let them know where They turned into physical said. to go. Let them know you violence,” Hitomi said.

Ethder shared that, in are there as a friend,” EthThe vigil, hosted by the order to make transgender der said. “I also recommend Pride Centre, was a way to people feel more welcome therapists — people who give a voice to all of those are of the LGBT communiwho have been silenced ty. I recommend talking to due to fear and hate. them and clients who Its main goal was to also experience this bring awareness sort of thing.” to students Similarly, about the Hitomi asked abuses that attendees to transgenpractice solder people idarity with suffer and everyone. how stu“Please, dents can take time help elimto coninate this nect with problem. those who A r a ve e n are like you Ethder, a and with transgender those who woman and aren’t like you, volunteer with because with OUTSaskatoon that we develop who spoke at the power,” Hitomi said. vigil, described the obAnother attendee stacles of growing up in a at the vigil, Elise Pallagi, small closed-minded compresented a poem titled Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor munity.

“The right man for the “When I wanted to go and accepted, students at job,” which highlights the out to visit some friends, the U of S and members of disconnect between the I wasn’t allowed to have the Saskatoon community reality transgender people friends.

If I live and the were to go out, image that my own grandHollywood mother would creates. In the call me a fag,” poem, Pallagi Ethder said. “It addresses the would be nufrustration merous things, caused to transsomething that individuals would stick with by actors who me and make me portray the lives feel so bad about of transgender myself that after women but I left her house, I have no was so afraid.” understanding After the vigil, of the hardships in an interview they have with the Sheaf, endured. Much Ethder explained of the poem that Saskatoon - Maaya Hitomi, master's student in applied social was presented is friendlier in a sarcastic for trans- psychology tone. individuals than “Such an aumany small thentic portraycommunities. should practice tolerance. al of the lives of trans-wom“Since Saskatoon is a big“The thing I look for in en … and a well-deserved ger community … there is the community is tolerance Oscar for the right man for a lot more to go to, more and acceptance between the job,” Pallagi read from events, more people to those who are different. Let the poem. “Our story lies in talk to, more people to go them know you are there the lids of trade sex workers

"Transgender people face a higher rate of poverty than a large part of the population.

Mental issues are very high in trans-populations. Suicide rates are high. Homelessness is high. When we throw racism into the equation, it becomes exponentially worse."

www.thesheaf.com

murdered in the streets of ignorance, silenced by men.

I guess they hired the right man for the job.”

Alex Wilson, professor in the department of educational foundations and director of the Aboriginal Research Education Centre at the U of S, discussed the importance of coming together to commemorate the lives of the victims and of creating a sincere connection between people and communities. Wilson explained how sage smudging, which took place at the event, can help create that connection.

“A smudge is a way to recognize that there is continuity between us and those who have come before us and the continuity between this generation and the generations to come. When we smudge, we come to a place to think why we are together here as a group,” Wilson said.

She emphasized that everyone is part of the same community, regardless of sexual identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion.

“We do have a place within the universe and we do have a place right here, right now, and by us coming together, we are energizing that force. In the high spiritual level, there is not such a thing as gender.

The universe is love,” Wilson said.

The main message of the event was that of acceptance, tolerance and education about transgender issues, a message captured by the words of Kris Foster, a transgender man and vigil attendee.

“Love and understanding can fix anything … Love can overpower hate,” Foster said. “If I have to fight, I will fight with love. I will fight with nothing but love and peace and understanding for everyone, even if they still may dislike everything about me, I will still love them back.”

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NEWSTYPE PAGE

Muslim and Catholic women: STM hosts interfaith dialogue JESSICA KLAASSENWRIGHT News Editor

In the wake of the recent United States election, many students at the University of Saskatchewan are concerned about the rise of Islamophobia and intolerance toward visible minorities. In an effort to build understanding, St. Thomas More College and the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan held their first public event.

The panel, titled “Muslim and Catholic Women in Conversation: People of Faith Asking and Answering Questions,” took place on Nov. 22 at STM. The panel featured three Muslim women and three Catholic women who each gave a short presentation about what it is like to be a woman of faith in Saskatoon, followed a question period.

Sarah Bardouh, first-year kinesiology student and one of the three Muslim women on the panel, describes the atmosphere of the event.

“It was very welcoming. I felt like everyone was just happy to be there and to share their ideas and … it was easy to talk to everyone and just get the ideas out there and no one was offended by anything,” Bardouh said.

The event provides a connection between two significant student demographics at the U of S. While STM is

home to many Catholic students, the U of S campus also features two Muslim student groups, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Students’ Association and the Muslim Students’ Association.

According to Christopher Hrynkow, STM professor and co-organizer of the panel along with Hanan Elbardouh of the IAS, the event arose from a continued dialogue between the two institutions, which have met twice a term for two years to share a meal and to discuss a text or digital lecture.

Bardouh believes that events like this are important because they represent the lived experience of real women.

“I want people to be educated,” Bardouh said.

“When some people hear things from the media and it’s not a primary source, they don’t know how it feels like to live the life of a Muslim or Catholic woman, and they make up their own story or own side of what they think the religion is without actually experiencing it.”

Desirée Steele, secondyear law student and one of the Catholic panelists, was excited to take part in the panel because it provided an opportunity to learn.

“I see it as an opportunity to build understanding and I think that, just on a most basic level as people living in a pluralistic and diverse society, … we have an obligation to extend ourselves to try to understand each other,” Steele said.

Bardouh explains that many of the questions asked

of the panelists focused on the hijab, a head covering and a religious practice that many Muslim women observe. In her elementary school, Bardouh was the first student to wear hijab, a decision she made as a statement of selfhood and pride in her religious background.

“I didn’t feel like I fit in because [other students] didn’t know why I covered my hair and I didn’t really know how to explain it to them … As I grew older, I realized that it’s not only … a way to identify as a Muslim person, but it’s also [a way] to connect to my God. I don’t have to wear it or not wear it to impress people with my hair or fit in. I felt like wearing it was a way to express myself in saying that, ‘Yes, I’m a Muslim and I don’t have to hide it.’”

Although following the event, Steele feels hope for the future of religion, she recognizes that there is still a lot of work to be done.

“Speaking specifically from a perspective of faith, I think so many of the world conflicts today have some sort of faith background wrapped up in them and, as much as all the world religions preach peace, I can only assume that there are incredibly grave misconceptions that are at the root of these conflicts … The more that we as individuals can come to an understanding of … what does actually draw us together, I think the more we can be able to understand and hopefully fight those battles when they come to our doorstep.”

Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor

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dec 1, 2016

PAGENEWS TYPE

Just like an open book: Campaign increases knowledge of open textbooks JACK THOMPSON Staff Writer

University students incur large expenses in pursuit of a degree, and one of the major costs is textbooks. However, numerous groups at the University of Saskatchewan continue to combat this expense with an open textbook campaign.

The open textbooks initiative seeks to lower costs for students and to increase the flexibility of learning materials in the classroom. The campaign, running until the end of the term and led by the U of S Students’ Union, the Campus Bookstore and the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness, is promoting open textbooks as a valuable resource for both teachers and students alike, while saving students money along the way.

Brooke Malinoski, vice-president academic affairs of the USSU, is one of the major leaders involved in the campaign.

“Open textbooks is something that I ran on — it was

one of my campaign points during last year’s election.

It’s something I just think is really important as far as a way to alleviate costs for students,” Malinoski said.

For Malinoski, a key benefit of open textbooks is that they allow students to save money and that they provide access to those who can not afford textbooks otherwise.

This information format saves money because open textbooks cannot be sold for profit.

Generally, the only charge associated with open textbooks is the cost needed to transfer the textbook from a digital to a physical platform, such as when the Campus Bookstore prints copies.

Heather Ross, educational developer at the Gwenna Moss Centre, shares what open textbooks have already done for U of S students.

“We have been [working on open textbooks] for about three years. Over those three years we have saved students, through this

initiative, about $400,000.

There is around 2,700 students at the university this year using open textbooks and I suspect there is going to be more next term. We’ll see probably another big jump for the next academic year,” Ross said.

Ross also delved into the

have copyright restrictions on them, they can be adapted to meet the needs of local programs [and] local institutions,” Ross said.

According to Ross, one college at the U of S has already added to the open textbook database by creating their own adaptation of a textbook.

“The Edwards School of Business completed an adaptation this summer of a book out of the U.S., an open textbook that they are using in one of their first-year courses.

They were able to customize it, they made it Canadian [and] they made Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor it specific to the pros and cons of open text- course they needed, and books, stating that there are now it’s benefitting this year many positive aspects asso- about 450 students just in ciated with them.

Edwards,” Ross said.

“First of all, the thing She explains that, with a that students seem to care flexible resource like open the most about is the cost textbooks, large scale adapsavings. Open textbooks tations can easily be made are free for students and and errors can be corrected for anybody to access. The quickly. However, she says other big thing about them that there are some downis that, because they don’t sides to this resource.

“The downside is, any time that an instructor changes textbooks for a course, there is a time commitment to that because they need to update their course notes. They may need to update their assessments they made to create new slides [and] other resources for class,” Ross said.

These responsibilities normally would be handled by publishing companies, but relying on publishing companies increases expenses for students. Ross explains that most open textbooks available now are for large, first-year classes, but that the availability will expand as more work is put into creating the resource.

Malinoski also details how students can access the open textbooks that are currently available.

“There’s actually a website, it’s open.usask.ca, … and it tells you what is open, open textbooks that are available at the university, the classes that are using them. I’m hoping that by educating themselves, [students] can start the conversations, be it with faculty members [or] be it with their fellow classmates.”

Are smaller class sizes important to you?

St. Thomas More College(STM) offers you an engaging learning environment with award winning faculty, smaller class sizes and a community atmosphere.

Choose from classes offered in Economics, English, History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Catholic Studies, Sociology, Languages (French, Spanish, Ukrainian), Psychology, Philosophy, Political Studies, Classical, Medieval & Renaissance studies and more!

STM also offers many courses with a Community Service-Learning component – valuable experience for your future career choices, along with international travel opportunities and social justice initiatives to help you make the most of your university experience.

Get more info at 306-966-8900 Register Additional through Scholarships PAWS & bursaries available!

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SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE TYPE

A YEAR IN SPORTS

2016 was a year that produced a number of unlikely events. From Brexit, to the deaths of many beloved celebrities to Donald Trump becoming president-elect of the

United States, it was a year to remember. The sports world was equally as exciting. In a year of highs, lows and controversies, here are my top sports moments of 2016.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS BLOW A 3-1 LEAD “Anything can happen” is a cliché phrase, but this year showed that some games can be indeed unpredictable. In an NBA final that featured the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, most people had their money on the fan-favorite Warriors.

Led by MVP Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors ended the regular season with 73 wins and nine losses out of 82 games. This broke the previous record for most wins in a season held by Michael Jordan and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, with 72 wins and 10 losses. The Warriors only needed to win one more game to become the greatest team in NBA history

and it seemed destined to happen when they held a 3-1 lead against the Cavaliers in a best of seven final series.

No team had ever lost the finals after going up 3-1, but LeBron James had other plans. The Ohio-native delivered on his promise to win the city of Cleveland its first major championship since 1964, as he scored 41 points in back-to-back games to force game seven.

James stayed on the block in the final game, and Kyrie Irving hit the memorable game-winning 3-point jump shot over Curry to shock the sports world and win the Larry O’Brien trophy.

WOMEN’S HUSKIES BASKETBALL WIN FIRST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

For the first time in the history of the program, the University of Saskatchewan women’s basketball team won the CIS national championship. The well-coached team defeated the Ryerson University Rams

85-71 in an impressive final display.

The team was lead by head coach Lisa Thomaidis. Huskie Athletics’ last basketball championship came in 2009 when the men’s basketball team achieved a similar feat.

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CHICAGO CUBS WIN THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE FIRST

Like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ben Zobrist and the Chicago Cubs came back from 3-1 down against the Cleveland Indians to win the Cubs’ first championship since 1948. Chicago led the league for wins in the regular season but ended up on the

other side of a 3-1 lead before they rallied to force a game seven.

Game seven was a thriller, and both teams were so equally matched that an extra inning was needed to separate the teams. That 10th inning 8-7 win is one for the record books.

CONNOR MCGREGOR MAKES UFC DEBUT It was a breakthrough year for Connor McGregor, the UFC fighter who is as well-known for his trash talking as he is for his skills in the Octagon. McGregor started out 2016 by losing his first ever UFC fight in a welterweight match against Nate Diaz at UFC 196.

Instead of wallowing in de-

feat, McGregor used his charisma as a shield and won his next two fights, one of which was a rematch against Nate Diaz. He is arguably the most successful UFC fighter ever, and after introducing himself to the world in 2016, he doesn’t seem to be backing down anytime soon.

LEICESTER CITY WON THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Do you believe in miracles? It was a memorable season for English soccer as relegation-bound Leicester City upset 5000-1 odds on the way to being crowned champions of England’s Premier League.

Ousting Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, Leicester only lost three of 38 games and completed what some refer to as the most unlikely triumph in the history of team sports.

They won the league with a game left to play. The defensively sound team, which thrived off the brilliance of Jamie Vardy and league MVP Riyad Mahrez, gave soccer fans a season to remember for a long time.

Although 2016 is nearly over, it’s certainly a year sports fans won’t be forgetting anytime soon. If 2017 is even half as exciting, we have a lot to look forward to in the New Year!

Dog Watch: Lauren Zary EMILY KLATT Sports & Health Editor

This may be Lauren Zary’s first term as captain of the Huskies women’s hockey team, but she’s already well ahead of the pack when it comes to fulfilling her role.

As team leader, she brings both dedication and enthusiasm to the job.

So far this year, Zary has already led the Huskies to victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds — the only team to do so this season. She has been named a Canada West third star athlete and Huskie Athlete of the Week.

Despite these honours, Zary still cites being named captain by her fellow players as her best achievement in 2016.

“To be pointed out by a bunch of girls and that they put faith in you as a leader — that was — it definitely tugged some heartstrings there. I hope I’m doing a

good job. I try and lead by example, on and off the ice,” Zary said.

Currently in her third year of a mechanical engineering degree, Zary has been playing hockey since she was four years old. She credits her family for inspiring her initial love of the game.

“My whole life it’s pretty much been hockey,” Zary said, “I just fell in love with the game. My dad would always make a rink in our backyard, you know, kind of flood everything and paint professional blue lines and stuff. My brother was a goalie, so I’d go and shoot on him. I grew up playing hockey with the boys.”

After graduating high school in Saskatoon, Zary spent two years playing hockey at Brown University in Providence, RI. Although her time there was valuable, she says that it also caused her to lose some of her initial passion for the sport.

“The environment with my old team at Brown — it wasn’t the same as here and I definitely think I lost a lot of that passion for the game,

and then I kind of took a year off and didn’t really think I was ever going to play hockey again,” Zary said.

However, it wasn’t long before she noticed that without the thrill of competition, something significant was absent from her life.

“I think that was just a big thing that was missing from my life — just the competition of the sport, and just getting fired up for every game and even every practice, and just getting to challenge yourself and challenge everyone else around you and make people better,” Zary said.

Although the 2016-17 season is already half over, there’s still plenty ahead for the women’s hockey team.

Currently, the team has its sights set on the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s hockey championship being held this spring at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. “That’s definitely our number one goal. I know we had our team meeting at the start of the year [and] they

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Josh Schaefer / Supplied Lauren Zary is captain of the women’s hockey team this year.

had a picture of the rink [in Kingston] up there just to keep it in the back of our minds that that’s our end goal. That’s where we want to be, and that’s where we hope to be,” Zary said.

There are many reasons why Zary loves hockey besides the competition — she is also proud of her ability to be a positive role model for other young women.

She recounts a story about two young girls that recently came to see a Huskies’ game.

“I guess the whole background of the story was their aunt had to bring them because they didn’t believe

that girls actually played hockey. They didn’t believe it was real. They’d see [female players] on TV and think that it’s fake. So [she] brought them to the game to show them that girls’ hockey was real indeed,” Zary said. “I guess [one of the girls] had said … ‘I want to be a boy because boys can do more than girls.’”

However, if Zary’s success is any indication, the next generation of female hockey players won’t have much to worry about. Until then, Zary is happy to continue smashing expectations with the same determination she uses to play her sport. dec 1, 2016

TYPE SPORTSPAGE & HEALTH

Why a dry January should be a 2017 resolution for you ALEXANDRIA PAVELICH January is is a time when many students consider setting resolutions for the new year. Often, these resolutions are focused on improving one’s health and fitness. This year, one campus group is encouraging students to put some thought into their alcohol consumption.

Thinking About My Drinking is a project led by What’s Your Cap? and Peer Health Mentors at the University of Saskatchewan.

Starting on Jan. 1, WYC is challenging students to abstain from alcohol for the entire month. Participants are encouraged to reflect on the sobering experience and to attend meetings where they can discuss how alcohol relates to their personal spending habits, academic performance, social interactions and overall confidence levels.

WYC is a student-led initiative that was born out of a class project assigned by sociology professor Colleen Dell. In 2011, Dell asked her students to propose ideas and strategies that could be used to help prevent binge-drinking behaviour on campus.

Five years later, the sociology assignment

now operates as a fullyfunctioning campaign.

In conjunction with Peer Health Mentors through Student Health Services, WYC is actively involved with raising awareness about responsible alcohol consumption for students.

I caught up with WYC group facilitator Marlize Fourie to learn more about the event. She detailed how participating can be beneficial not only for health reasons, but for academic and financial reasons as well.

“Many students discovered that participating in this event really made them reflect on how prevalent alcohol was in society … how suddenly not being able to drink had a bigger impact on their life than expected,” Fourie said.

Fourie is actively encouraging students to sign up, although she warns it could be harder than many think to make it through the entire month.

“This event proves more challenging than I think participants initially anticipate, but those that stick it out find it to be a really rewarding and eye-opening experience,” Fourie said.

Many of the participants that do drop out of the challenge will do so in the

Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor

dec 1, 2016

first couple of weeks. WYC maintains that this is all the more reason for students to sign up, so participants are challenged to truly reflect on how alcohol or partying is affecting them.

Students are asked to blog weekly about their experiences and their entries are anonymously posted on the WYC Facebook page. For those who are curious, last year’s posts are still available for viewing.

Fourie added that she hopes that all participants will push through to the end.

“It would be a great start to their New Year!” she said.

Those participants who do make it through the month are invited to a reception that includes a free meal, guest speakers and a draw for an iPad Mini.

WYC is not explicitly an anti-alcohol group. They do not discourage drinking, but they do spend time promoting a culture of alcohol moderation around campus, sharing education about partying smart and the low-risk drinking guidelines for Canadians.

WYC is responsible for staging the annual car crash scene in front of Louis’ Pub each October to promote Party Smart Month. They also routinely partner up with the stress-relieving therapy dogs that appear at the campus libraries for PAWS Your Stress.

I plan on incorporating Thinking About My Drinking into my resolutions for 2017, and I have no doubt that signing up will give me a great start to the second term. If you are a student who wants to pledge, you can do so by emailing whats.ur. cap@usask.ca before Jan. 1, 2017.

WYC will be in the Arts Tunnel in the coming weeks to raise awareness about safe partying over the winter break. They will also be available to answer any questions people may have about participating for the month of January.

For more information about the event, and to read last year’s testimonials, visit whatsurcap.ca/ events/thinking-about-mydrinking/.

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42

SASKATCHEWAN’S

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∙ the sheaf publishing society 7

SPORTS & HEALTH

Healthy study snacks that pass the test BRONWYN CHHAY Soon, University of Saskatchewan students will be thrown into final

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

exams season. This is a place where anything goes — into your stomach, that is.

Often, students couple studying and snacking simply because it’s so convenient. Since we’re human, however, we can sometimes overdo it or munch on the wrong types of snacks.

Thankfully, the world of mankind has been blessed by the presence of gods, specifically the Goddess of Snacks.

Hailing from the University of Alberta, this dietetic intern — a good friend o f mine — has put together sweet and salty mixtures that are truly celestial.

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The appointed Goddess of Snacks has been an expert on snacking in my eyes for a few years now, so naturally she was consulted on this matter.

Typically on campus, there seems to be three main student narratives when it comes to food: the extremely busy student, the broke student and the unmotivated student. With this in mind, the Goddess of Snacks has a host of delicious healthy snacks that satisfy each of these types.

For the student who feels that there is never enough time in a day, or for the person who doesn’t feel like studying or perhaps for the student who seldom has quality alone time — try taking an hour or so at the beginning of your week to pack a few snacks. Items that are easily transported and require no re-heating score extra points.

Those who plan can really get creative when it comes to foods and snacks, as the prep time is already done so eating can happen as soon as hunger hits. Our favorite study snacks for this type of student are simple: leftovers turned into interesting sandwiches or wraps can be fast and travel well. Additionally, fresh fruits or vegetables and snack sized tuna cans are portable and under-rated.

We all know that one person who is a penny pincher. To cure this, we suggest studying with snacks that give the most bang for your buck. Some wallet-friendly basics are air popped popcorn, chickpeas and plain yogurt.

The Goddess of Snacks suggests yogurt dips for fruits, spiced and roasted chickpeas or homemade hummus as affordable and tasty alternatives.

Popcorn is arguably the Goddess’s favorite snack. She has tried everything to dress up her popcorn, and

her favorite flavor combos include salt and vinegar and dill and vinegar.

As a sweeter option, the Goddess suggests adding whipped peanut butter.

Mixing flavors of popcorn can be seen as an art form, and our dietetic snack Goddess encourages it.

Becoming the unmotivated academic seems inevitable for most students. Luckily, the Goddess of Snacks has the ability to boost motivational motility with the power of good snacks. This type of student should ideally shake up their traditional flavors. Spiced almonds and cashews are a good twist on a simple snack. Going to the bulk section to create your own trail mix can be a fun endeavoukr. A goddess favorite: fruits rolled into a whole-wheat wrap with peanut butter sliced into sushi-like rolls.

Snacking is important for academic success but the Goddess of Snacks warns that students need to find additional ways to cope with stress, and states that mindless eating while studying can get very out of control if a person thinks it’s “healthy.”

The answer to this problem is to try and control your portion size. Premeasuring or portioning foods can combat over-consumption.

Lets face it: we’re busy people. Our time is consumed by studying, crying, not showering and sleeping. We can multitask so well we should be paid.

Despite our superpowers, we are also hungry humans. Learning is hard work. All these things take energy and we need to constantly re-fuel to be able to keep up.

Sticking to these tips from the Goddess of Snacks can help us stay on track with our energy, but ultimately the achievement of studying is up to us. Good luck snackers!

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Tips and tricks for gift shopping on a budget SYDNEY BOULTON Buying expensive gifts for that special someone isn’t always an option if you’re working with a tight budget. With limited funds, it can be a daunting task to holiday shop, so the Sheaf is here to help!

If you are looking for ways to save money this holiday season, there are better ways of doing it than buying cheap and meaningless trinkets. Although less expensive gifts often involve a little more work, that only makes them even more special.

There is often a stigma around shopping at secondhand stores, however this can be one of the best ways to save money during the gift shopping season.

Stores such as Value Village and WorldServe Thrift Store sell assorted items and clothing for low prices.

A nice piece of pottery, a unique piece of wall art or even a cozy sweater can easily be found at thrift stores, cleaned up and made into a wonderful gift! If you are looking specifically for

clothing, Saskatoon also has an assortment of retailers that just sell secondhand clothing and accessories, like Plato’s Closet.

Don’t worry — as long as you don’t tell them, no one needs to know your gifts were purchased secondhand. Not to mention that in addition to being cheaper than buying new, shopping secondhand is significantly better for the environment, which is definitely something you can brag about!

If you are willing to put in a little work yourself, customizing or adapting something inexpensive can turn it into something really impressive. Shopping for gifts at a dollar store may sound extremely cheap, but a simple DIY upgrade can make it look and seem much more high end and also make it much more meaningful.

A plain set of white coffee mugs isn’t exactly a thrilling gift, but hand-painting them can make the collection fun and exciting! A metallic touch, some artistic expression or simple full colour transformation can turn something bland into

something fantastic!

This is also a great way to customize the gift specifically for the person you are giving it to. It gives you the chance to show them you really know who they are, what they like and that you care about them!

If DIY isn’t your thing, you can still get away with shopping at a dollar store — you just need a little more creativity! A themed basket full of small items can be a perfect gift for someone special, such as a movie night basket that could include microwave popcorn, candy and a couple of DVDs. A spa day basket could include nail polish, lotion and a face mask or two.

These gifts can be as elaborate or simple as you want, which also means the cost is very flexible!

However, if money is really tight and you simply don’t have any to spend on gifts, something sentimental from your heart is a perfect solution.

A letter, poem or song is a great way to tell someone exactly how much they mean to you and can be even better than the most

expensive gift. This kind of gift requires the most work on your part, but the best gifts always do. This is especially perfect for a close family member or friend.

It is important to remember that giving and receiving gifts is supposed to be fun! Don’t let financial

struggles turn gift shopping into something stressful.

Focus on the person you are shopping for and all of the positive things that they bring to your life! If that person values you in their life as much as you value them, then it won’t matter if their gift cost $20 or $200.

Paige Sutherland

Fueling social change through music: Tom Jackson visits the U of S BRIDGET MORRISON Culture Editor

In its 29th year, the Huron Carole Benefit Concert Series and it’s founder — well-known actor, singer and activist — Tom Jackson, are returning to Saskatoon on Dec. 3 to raise money for the local food bank.

The Huron Carole first began in 1987 in Toronto when Jackson and friends noticed the local food bank was short of hampers in a needy area of the city. They decided to raise enough money to buy supplies and named the project Huron Carole, because they were in the traditional territory of the Huron people.

Jackson sat down with the Sheaf to discuss the history of the concert series and the impact it has on those across Canada.

Since its beginning, the Huron Carole has expanded and now, in 2016, the series will be traveling across Canada while raising money for a local food bank or centre in each place they perform.

“It mirrors a world that I am dec 1, 2016

familiar with — it tells us the story of this character, musically, where he travels from a centre that is designed to help others to a celebration and the course of events that created the Huron Carole itself are played out on the night,” Jackson said.

Jackson was born on the One Arrow reserve just outside of Saskatoon and is widelyknown for his work on CBC’s North of 60, playing Chief Peter Kenidi, and his feature role on Star Trek. Throughout his career, Jackson has always talked about the importance of the arts and how they can influence social change.

“We as artists are inherently sensitive to those who are in strife or in struggle and we have the most significant instrument of change in the history of mankind. The interesting thing about art is that it is honest, it is what it is, once it’s created it doesn’t change … it becomes very powerful in our history,” Jackson said.

The show consists of both music that students will be familiar and unfamiliar with, stories of reflection and passion and lots of laughs. Besides Jackson, the other artists involved in the show are Kristian

Alexandrov, Shannon Gaye and Beverly Mahood — all of whom have had successful histories as artists and who Jackson has known for years.

“This year, there is a group of artists that have a great history, that have been engaged with the Huron Carole for many years,” Jackson said.

Although Jackson has raised over $200 million in the 29 years of the Huron Carole, he remains humble and solely focused on its purpose.

“I myself had a need to improve my life and I felt it would improve my life if I could improve others, and that may sound holier than that; I don’t want this to be about me because it’s not about me,” Jackson said.

The Huron Carole is a great way for students to spend the evening of Dec. 3 — not only will you be helping to raise funds for the Saskatoon Food Bank, but you’ll also get to enjoy an amazing show right on

campus at Marquis Hall.

“If a flame has died, if a spark is needed, if you don’t quite understand what the Christmas spirit is, if it doesn’t define itself for you, it will if you come to this show. When you leave this show, I guarantee you’ll have a better understanding what the gift is — and the gift is always in the giving,” Jackson said.

Tickets are available for purchase at huroncarole.ca or saskatoonfoodbank.org and are $250 each.

Rafal Wegiel / Supplied The Huron Carole returns to the city on Dec. 3 to raise money for the Saskatoon Food Bank.

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∙ the sheaf publishing society 9

[Holidays fo FEATURE

JESSICA KLAASSENWRIGHT News Editor

As final exams draw strikingly near, anxiety at the University of Saskatchewan grows, and yet students can take heart in the fact that the holidays are just around the corner. While December

may loom large in everyone’s minds, important holidays take place year round. The university is home to a vibrant and diverse group of students, each with their own important traditions.

“I’m going to talk about Feb. 21, which has been declared as an international mother language day by UNESCO in 1999 … It’s a very important day for [Bengali people] because in 1952, Feb. 21, Bengali people fought to achieve the rights of their mother tongue … So our students from University of Dhaka … led that movement, that was the language movement they created …

In 1971, on the basis of that movement in 1952, we had our liberation war and we fought again to be independent from the oppression of Pakistan … So this Feb. 21 is a very very important holiday in Bangladesh, but it’s not a happy celebration. It’s a mourning day. It’s a very sad day. We use black colour of badge on everybody’s Jebunnessa Chapola: shoulder, the way you use here the poppy in your College of Arts and Science, third-year women's, gender and sexualities PhD program Remembrance Day. “From that language movement, I have learned how to fight for all the endangered languages and ethnic languages of this world … I have stolen that spirit from that movement that still I am carrying to fight for my rights today.”

Ewurabena Sackey-Forson: College of Arts and Science, fourth-year physiology and pharmacology

“There are many religions in Africa, so not everyone celebrates in the same way.

In Ghana, we really focus on New Years.

So, for me, every New Year, we get together … everyone brings their own dishes and we pray in the New Year … thanking God for what happened last year and asking for blessings and things like that for the upcoming year … The focus is on family, on food, on just getting together and … we don’t go home until super late … New Year’s Eve is the biggest thing. We don’t even say Merry Christmas. In my language — I’m Ghanaian — we say ‘afe hyia pa,’ the year has met us well, [answered by] ‘afe nko mbɔ tu hen,’ the year should go and come back to meet us.”

Navi Sohi:

“Every December, our family gets together. I’m from a Sikh family, so we have our own religion and our own holidays and stuff. But since we have moved to Canada and everything, we’ve acquired the Western culture as well. So we do celebrate Christmas, not to the extent of how other people do, but we do it our way. We always have family gatherings and then the biggest thing is, every New Year’s Eve, we get together at my grandparents’ house, and so that’s where all the cousins, aunties, uncles, nieces and nephews — they all get together and we celebrate New Years like that.”

College of Engineering, third-year mechanical engineering

“We have one festival from the east part of Malaysia and it’s called Gawai. It’s a harvesting festival to celebrate the day they harvest. They thank God for giving them the crops and all those things on that day.

And how they celebrate it is, the [Dayak people], they live in a longhouse — it’s a house that can fit about 100 families. So they all gather together and they will sit around in the house in open space and then they have food. They also have rice wine called tuak … I think the organizers will go one by one and ask you to drink the rice wine. The funny thing is that you have to … finish it in one off. And sometimes, they’ll just keep asking you to drink so you just keep going on.”

Aldous Nuelle Laparan: prospective nursing student, f irst-year

10 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

Yi Han Tung Eve: College of Agriculture and Bioresources, third-year food and bioproduct sciences

“For Filipinos, Christmas is something that you can’t really miss in my country because it’s too important that if you miss it, then you’re going to regret it for the rest of your year …

Everyone in our neighbourhood or everyone in my family has gift-changing or if you have a godmother or a godfather, then you have to go to them and say thank you and then they will give gifts to you … Speaking about the food, the tables will be all filled and it’s not going to be empty the whole time. And especially at Dec. 24 … everyone is still awake until 12 in the morning. We call it Noche Buena … After eating with the family, the leftover food should be shared with the neighbours [and] we stay outside the house on the streets partying or lighting up fireworks.”

dec 1, 2016

or the Heart] PAGE TYPE FEATURE

U of S students share their holiday traditions

Mhmoud Essalah: College of Medicine, f irst-year

“Eid ul-Azha is kind of the celebration of sacrifice. It’s one of the two holidays we have, the other being Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. But this one, [what] I particularly like is that, typically, if you’re able to afford it … you can go and you sacrifice an animal, like a sheep or something like that. And the meat that you get from that has to be shared amongst your family, amongst your neighbours and a third of it goes to the poor. And so that’s something I really like, particularly right now [when] we talk a lot about income inequality. In Islam, it’s if you have, you give.”

Dene Cree Robillard: College of Education, third-year Indian Teacher Education Program

May Jiao: Edwards School of Business, second-year marketing

“One thing I think that is important to Ukrainians at Christmas time, whether that be Dec. 25 or Jan. 7, is carolling. It can happen within a famSamara Sawchuk: ily or group of people, even our student College of Arts and Science, group does it, and it’s a way to spread fourth-year psychology the word of Christmas and it’s a way to welcome everybody in the community, make sure everybody feels like it’s Christmas. It’s a way to reconnect with people you haven’t seen. It’s a very social event where, of course, songs are sung and a lot of them do have religious imagery, but afterwards, everybody comes together in the home and they eat together and drink together, and it’s a big celebration together with everybody.”

“Within the last few years on my dad’s side, out on our acreage we have a nice fire, like a big bonfire actually, on Christmas Eve. And so we have a big bonfire and at midnight we open all of our presents … That wasn’t a regular thing growing up, but in the last few years [we’ve been] opening all the presents right at midnight on Christmas Eve and the bonfire as well. I have to say that is, just because it’s so new, it’s probably my most favourite right now, so we’re keeping it going. We have a meal right at midnight as well, just more so appetizers not a whole dinner or anything.”

“I think Chinese New Year’s Day is very important for Chinese people … What people do for Chinese New Year Day, just two classical things: eat and drink. All family will get together and go to restaurants or maybe eat at home … Children will hang out, play around, and during the night, adults won’t sleep.

They don’t sleep because it’s kind of traditional, so they just want to pass this old year to a new year. So adults play Mahjong — it’s a Chinese traditional thing — during the night.

And the kids must wake up the next day very early because parents think if kids wake up in the morning, early, they won’t be lazy in the whole year.”

“Muslim people … we celebrate two Eids a year, so that is kind of, I would say, our Christmas. So two Eids, one is Eid ul-Fitr which marks the celebration at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan … The second Eid is Eid ul-Azha, so that’s a festival of sacrifice. My favourite would be Eid-ul-Fitr … most people [fast] and then it’s a hard time, Anika Mysha: Edwards School of Business, and here in Canada it’s fourth-year human resource management harder because the day is so long. It’s like 16 hours or 18 hours. After that big month when we all come together, we make good food and then we go to our friends and family’s house. It’s a happy day. Everyone’s happy.”

All graphics from Eggnag/Freepic.png All photos by: Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor

dec 1, 2016

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∙ the sheaf publishing society 11

CULTURE

01 02 03 04 05 06 07

upcoming events • A Tribe Called Red with guests at O’Brians Event Centre • Celtic Thunder at TCU Place • HIGHS w/ guests at the Capitol Music Club • Mike Plume at Village Guitar Amp & Co • Purchase with Purpose: Pop Up Shop in Upper Place Riel at the University of Saskatchewan

Thursday

friday

saturday

• Chad Reynolds presents the NOD at the Capitol Music Club • First day of the Sundog Arts & Entertainment Faire at the SaskTel Centre • Gunner & Smith with Altameda & Silent Sea at Amigos • Last day of the EUS Booksale and Hoorah in the Arts Building at the U of S • Winter Wonders Market at St. Joesph’s Parish Hall

• Duotang with The Garrys at Amigos • Ernesto Cervini and Turbopop at the Bassment • Huron Carole in Marquis Hall at the U of S • The 100th Meridian at the Capitol Music Club • Second Annual Santa Cycle at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market • Weird Candle with Cygnets and guests at Vangelis

• Last day of the Sundog Arts & Entertainment Faire at the SaskTel Centre • Natalie MacMaster with Donnell Leahy at TCU Place • The Air Out There at Diefenbaker Hill

sunday

• First day of USSU’s Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women display in Place Riel • Home fire: Ending the cycle of family violence in the Neatby-Timlin Theatre at the U of S

Mona to make their Saskatoon debut at Louis’ JONAH EGAN-PIMBLETT American rock band Mona will be stopping

by Saskatoon to play at Louis’ Pub on Dec. 6. The band is currently on tour across western Canada, after having recently released their latest EP In the Middle.

Mona is a group based out of Nashville, Tenn. as Nick Brown, their lead singer and guitar player, moved to Nashville to start his music career. He quickly formed the band Mona, named after his grandmother and it has been evolving ever since.

The group signed their first record deal in 2010 and has since released three albums. Their show will be the first time the group has ever played in Saskatoon and when asked to describe their music, Brown was hesitant to put a label on it.

“As far as genre, I try to steer clear. Obviously we are kind of indie/alternative rock,” Brown said.

Brown hopes their music provokes emotion — whatever emotion that is.

“I don’t necessarily want to tell them what to feel or tell them what to believe, but I do want people to feel things and

I do want people to believe in things. I think it’s good to have diversity and have all these different approaches and views to life, but I think music helps all of us come to our conclusions.”

In the Middle was released in late October 2016 and Brown describes himself as a driving force in their recording process.

“I have 40 acres in Nashville, my house is there, I built a studio there and I’ve always produced all of our stuff. It’s our rehearsal space, it’s our studio and it’s our headquarters. So you know, being the lead singer and the primary writer, I also take everything with a producer’s kind of approach because I want things to be great,” Brown said.

When describing their process of working as a group, Brown depicted it as a slow process that provides them with discretion and flexibility.

“It’s always just kind of us in the wood shop, kind of carving out different ideas and slowly putting them together. We don’t have a lot of filters in our life, we don’t have people telling us what to do so there's a lot of freedom.”

Brown is self-taught — whether he’s playing his

guitar, writing music or recording it, he’s taught himself everything from scratch, which motivates him and drives the group.

“I’m insanely stubborn and I’m not done yet …

I’m a good ally to have if you have ambition and you want to do music and you are in my group. I’m not slowing down or stopping so we just kind of always keep at it,” Brown said.

The title track of In the Middle has been in the works for years, but Brown described it as a process to be savoured.

After several variations of the song and changing the chorus multiple times, eventually the sound clicked.

“Sometimes you write songs in five minutes, and sometimes you write them in five years. And that was one of those five-year things where I always loved it, the melody and the energy of it but it just never felt right, so once we kind of got that ‘aha’ moment … not to quote its own lyrics but, ‘This feels alright.’”

Mona will be playing with July Talk at Louis’ at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6. Tickets are available for purchase on the Ticketmaster website for $25.

monday

• July Talk with Adam Baldwin and Mona at Louis’

tuesday

wednesday

• Face to Face with your USSU at Murray Library • Good Lovelies Christmas Show at the Broadway Theatre • Holiday Buzz paint nite at the Capitol Music Club

Joseph Llanes / Supplied Mona is set to play Louis’ Pub on Dec. 6 following the release of their new EP In the Middle.

12 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

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PAGE TYPE CULTURE

U of S alumni publishes first comic book JACK THOMPSON Staff Writer

University of Saskatchewan alumni Scott Boyce’s first comic book, Antique Books, is beautifully crafted and breathes eerie life into an expertly crafted horror story.

Boyce graduated from the U of S in 2000 with a degree in fine arts and while he has done some artistic work in the past, Antique Books is his first publication. He has spent the last two years working on the comic book, which included drawing the sketches, lines, colouring, putting the story together and doing the lettering — all of which he did by himself.

As far as the story goes, Boyce outlined the main premise of Antique Books without giving any main plot points away.

“It’s kind of an homage to the first Alien movie, set in the least Alien movie setting I could think of, which was an antique bookstore,” Boyce said.

In regards to writing Antique Books, Boyce spoke to the biggest challenge he faced, as

well as how he overcame it.

“Time, just the time to do it because everything takes time. Just always have a sketchbook on you or a notepad and just, even if it’s 10 minutes a day, just do something,” Boyce said.

One of the first things students will notice when picking up a copy of Antique Books is the artwork contained within its pages. “[It’s] too damn detailed; it took me too long. It’s stylized but sort of realistic,” Boyce said.

Lots of detail is an understatement — Antique Books is beautifully stylized yet chillingly realistic in ways. Everything from the use of colour to the formatting of each frame works towards creating an unsettling atmosphere of horror. The hours put into each and every frame are easily noticeable.

When citing his inspirations, Boyce certainly has an eclectic method of finding ideas for his work and gives attention to many things that he pulls inspiration from.

“Everything — movies, music. I have a backlog of stories and they’re just all over the place, like every genre, just start with one idea and start filling pages,” Boyce said.

Boyce also says that his degree in fine arts has helped to further his artistic ability.

“It makes you try things you wouldn’t necessarily try, and doing something like sculpture helps you draw because you get more of a sense of the form and all that stuff. Colour theory and all that, and art history is great just to see what’s all been done before,” Boyce said.

For students looking to pursue a career in the arts, Boyce has some words of advice and motivation.

“Just keep doing it. Just keep doing it every day, just

chip away at it. If you have a project, just do that project even if you’re not getting paid, because doing it will teach you stuff to make the next one better,” Boyce said.

Having worked on his drawing skills from a young age, persistence is something Boyce has in spades.

“Since I was a kid, I was the kid falling asleep under the table with a sketchbook …

I’ve tried putting it down but I just keep coming back,” Boyce said.

Childhood is also a time when interests are made that can impact the projects one

takes on later in life and Boyce listed off some of his favourite comic books as a kid.

“When I was younger it was probably X-Men and Swamp Thing. I was lucky enough to be in the late 1980s when all that was going on,” Boyce said.

Boyce’s dedication to the arts is unwavering and something that won’t be leaving him any time soon — and Antiques Book is a clear example of this.

Antiques Book can be found for purchase at both 8th Street Books & Comics and McNally Robinson.

Scott Boyce / Supplied Scott Boyce pairs stylized drawings with realism in his new comic book, Antique Books.

dec 1, 2016

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∙ the sheaf publishing society 13

OPINIONS

Psychedelic therapy a progressive field for U of S TRAVIS HEBERT Despite being used for spiritual and medical purposes for thousands of years, psychedelics have become almost entirely dismissed as a viable medicinal option in the last century. In recent years, however, public perceptions about these medicines have begun to change for the better.

There has been very little activity in research and testing for psychedelic drugs in Canada since the 1960s, but in recent years, there has been a significant uprising of interest in psychedelic medicine.

Being called a “psychedelic renaissance,” this modern day revisiting is gaining traction and regaining the ground lost during the last 40 years of the war on drugs.

Erika Dyck, a history professor at the University of Saskatchewan, is helping to stimulate conversation and educate people on psychedelic history. These conversations serve educational purposes about drugs themselves, but they also attempt to retract the myths that have led to the stigmatization of psychedelics.

With this education comes a call for more stringent and proper scientific testing and a more reasonable way forward in harnessing the effects of

psychedelics for both medicinal and spiritual purposes.

On Nov. 23, 2016, Dyck began this educational process by hosting An Evening Of Psychedelics at the Underground Café in Saskatoon. I walked in 15 minutes early to almost no available seating.

By the time the event began, the building was packed wall to wall, with people sitting on the ground and standing by the front door. On Nov. 25, I was lucky enough to sit down with Dyck for almost an hour to talk about the event.

An Evening of Psychedelics included four speakers, who each presented on a different aspect of psychedelics, ranging from mescaline research to the importance of setting, through to the history and legal aspects of psychedelic medicine.

“There really does seem to be a growing appetite for a series of conversations about this,” Dyck said.

While Kenneth Tupper of the University of British Columbia gave a presentation on a similar topic in Saskatoon in August 2016, An Evening of Psychedelics was one of the very first public panel discussions regarding psychedelics in recent memory and the first of this magnitude.

That growing appetite truly does exist. Completely filling a building with people look-

ing to get more educated and play a part in the new wave is a great indicator of the potential for psychedelic innovation in this city.

The public’s perception is really starting to change towards psychedelics. With all the discussions happening across the world, a new era of access to information and prominent writers publishing books and articles about the topics, people are starting to accept that psychedelic medicine is a viable treatment for things like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and addiction.

The psychedelic revolution of the 1960s was led by youth culture, and it seems that a new young generation is once again leading the charge. An Evening of Psychedelics primarily featured people under 30, many of whom had previously experienced the effects of psychedelics and seen firsthand the positive life-changing qualities they provide.

The importance of these conversations lies not only within psychedelic education, but furthermore, with how to appropriately and successfully move forward. The 1960s saw a movement of revolutionary proportions, which unfortunately only did more to stigmatize these drugs rather than harness their medicinal potential.

Conversations from both the scientific side and the spiritual side of the psychedelic spectrum need to take place and An Evening of Psychedelics did just that. Those two sides typically don’t interact with each other too much, but both play an important role in this renaissance. Policy implementations need to be put forth carefully — and backed with the hard science that ex-

ists — to prove that psychedelics have positive medicinal and spiritual benefits.

There is still a lot to learn and much discussion to be had about this topic. While growing in popularity, psychedelics still sit on the fringes of society, but with more events like this one, we could be due for a complete evolution of public perception towards psychedelic medicine.

Mike. T.

Universities aren’t at fault when their students are assholes ZACH TENNENT

Opinions Editor

Queen’s University is investigating a racist costume party held by students after photos from the event made the rounds of social media and news outlets. While this behavior warrants consequences, their university should not be the institution to deliver them.

The Nov. 9, 2016 party, held in an off-campus residential neighbourhood, hosted attendees dressed as various forms of offensive cultural stereotypes and gained notoriety after comedian Celeste Yim found and shared photos on Twitter to raise outcry.

Queen’s is currently investigating the incident and CBC reports that while the event happened off campus, students may be punished for violating their student code of conduct.

The aforementioned code

dictates that students are "expected to adhere to and promote the university's core values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and personal responsibility in all aspects of university life, academic and non-academic." It can also apply to offenses in which the university is not involved if they are perceived to be bad for its reputation.

I understand the reason universities have and need codes of conduct. Universities should be places where people understand they are safe and respected, and having a code of conduct that mandates this is a way of controlling how people behave at school.

That said, considering punishment for an offcampus incident seems like an overreach of authority.

While the party may in fact be outside of Queen’s’ jurisdiction, Toronto-based civil litigator Greg Ko suggests that schools essentially dictate how far they want their authority to extend in matters like this.

In my mind, the fact that a

bunch of university students chose to dress up in such tasteless costumes does not offer a reflection of their institution whatsoever. It just makes them looks stupid.

To use this party as one specific example, if you make it to university and don’t see a problem in dressing like the Viet Cong or Mexicans in orange jumpsuits, your upbringing — in my humble opinion — was partially a failure.

If you don’t have qualms about letting people take pictures of you in that kind of getup and posting them to Facebook, the scores of people who have lost their jobs due to social media gaffes have either not made an impression on you or flown right over your entitled head.

If it takes a comedian to explain to you that you did a bad thing, at the end of the day you’ll probably only feel bad that you got in trouble for it and not actually regret what you did.

Still, while Queen’s debates taking disciplinary action, I

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find myself wondering why they have any authority to do so. I hate to be the person saying this, but when compared to academic penalty or disciplinary action, I truly do believe the social media fall-out and shame these students have brought upon themselves is a more fitting and just punishment for what they did.

It’s not the school’s place to punish you because of that. When a school is trying to force a code of morals and ethics on kids outside of the classroom and campus, there’s a risk of the university becoming — and I hate using this word — tyrannical.

Calgary lawyer Timothy Boyle, who has successfully defended students against these kinds of university overreaches in the past, agrees, noting that as charter-free zones, “universities are free to do whatever they want. If they want to limit freedom, they can limit freedoms."

I won’t argue that postsecondary institutions set out in huge numbers to limit

the freedoms of students, nor would I argue that student should feel free to act the way the Queen’s students did without risk of negative consequences, but when universities try to overstep their boundaries and take disciplinary measures in matters outside of their control, they should be called out over it.

While I can’t predict what the outcome of this debacle will be, my only hope is that it's one in which Queen’s understands how little say it should have in the matter.

Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor Universities should not take off-campus matters into their own hands.

dec 1, 2016

PAGE TYPE OPINIONS

Getting bad grades in your first year: You’re not alone KAY-LYNNE COLLIER For some first-year students, getting a crappy grade can be a stressful and anxious experience.

However, getting a bad grade is a lot more common than you would think, and it may not be entirely your fault.

In fact, The Toronto Star reported in 2009 that 55 per cent of professors and librarians at universities felt first-year students were less prepared for the start of their academics than new students even three years earlier, so it’s declining quickly.

Professors and librarians that responded to this survey reported their reasoning behind the lack of preparation was that there is a “decline in students’ writing and numeric skills, an over-reliance on Internet resources, lower maturity levels and an expectation of success without requisite effort.”

I can definitely not only see that a lot of these things were true when I was a first-year student, but I see the trends in other students, as well. This is mostly because of the way

that high schools teach their students.

I was in the International Baccalaureate program when I was in high school, and I felt as though that program prepared me a lot more for what university would be like than regular high school classes. I am very grateful for the experience, but there are still a lot of differences between high school and university that I still ended up struggling with in my first year.

The biggest difference is that you don’t have the same level of support from your teachers and staff, in the way that they won’t chase after you if you are missing an assignment or didn’t show up for an exam. More than likely they won’t notice if you’re not doing well in the class

unless you talk to them first.

A lot of students aren’t used to making the first contact with a professor, but it’s extremely import-

When you get a bad grade or if you feel like you’re falling behind in class and need some direction, I would recommend speaking with an academic advisor. I wish I had seen them a lot more than I did in my first year.

Another important reason why first-year students can fall behind is because of declining mental health in university students. This can lead to higher rates of suicides. In fact, a 2013 report by the American College Health Association found that approximately one in 10 students had seriously entertained the idea of ending their own lives beLaura Underwood / Layout Manager cause of presant to reach out and get sure from university. the help when you need it An even higher majority — not just with your pro- of students have experifessors, either. enced being overwhelmed

by their studies — a whopping 89.3 per cent. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in Canada. This is a crisis that we need to address as a school and as a country.

There are already many good mental health initiatives that have arisen because of this crisis, including students being able to have access to Disability Services for Students on campus for things like anxiety, but it still clearly isn’t enough.

Before you dub yourself a failure because of one or two bad grades or even a failed class, remember that most first-year students are in the exact same position as you. Your education system, although much better than a lot of other countries, has failed you in preparing you for this journey.

However, if you reach out and find the right supports, as difficult as it may be to navigate, you will find your path and succeed in university. Remember, just because you get a bad grade doesn’t mean you’re any less deserving of compassion and love from yourself and from others.

I scream, you scream: We all scream for dank memes ZACH TENNENT

Opinions Editor

With essays, assignments and late term exams keeping students shut off from the rest of the world, when would be better to discuss the one thing that keeps us all interconnected in these troubling times? Of course I speak of the magic power of memes.

Around the University of Saskatchewan, memes have become one of the formative bonds of student culture. Every spring, the U of S Students’ Union elections roll out campaigns aiming to capitalize on the success of the latest memes, meme-inspired turns of phrase are thrown around academic and personal discussions alike, and student social medias are breeding grounds for people to share and tag their friends in Kermit the Frog’s latest moral dilemma.

In my observation, Internet memes still have a slightdec 1, 2016

ly unsavoury reputation in some circles. I can understand why — memes from the early 2010s will leave your bones chilled. Dramatic chipmunks, Viggo Mortensen, bad luck Brians and, of course, crudely drawn reaction faces were painfully unfunny and lacked any analytical depth.

Cut to 2016 and memes have become so much more than that. While meme templates — such as passing a friend an AUX cord, Joe Biden talking to Barack Obama and, most recently, evil Kermit — are still vital to the meme creation process, there has been such a quantum leap in quality and creativity.

One can barely check social media, receive a phone message or read the news without being barraged ad nauseum with the meme du jour.

Likewise, for today’s student, memes have come to be reflections of our communal heartaches and personal struggles — providing emotional blows that resonate all too much with student demographics and often allowing us to express our in-

ner feelings to others without mustering up the appropriate words ourselves.

For every moment of procrastination, embarrassing performance in a class or encounter with someone who doesn’t like the same music as we do, there’s a meme that speaks profoundly to the experience, helps us to find humour in it and encourages us to share these therapeutic effects with our friends.

Memes are now a modern day art form that exists not on paper, or canvas or film, but on phone screens. With the mass proliferation of smartphones in recent years, the ability to receive, create and share memes has become much more democratized. As a result, the ability to create and share this art amongst friends has never been easier.

Like any good art form, in memes we also find genres and styles blending together to create new fusions out of old parts — a process that has been dubbed “memeception”

by Urban Dictionary.

Through memes, a mirror is held up to society that in-

Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor

stantaneously shows how we the masses react to currents events, trends and fads.

Essentially, if you think from a 21st century Internet-era approach, memes have become the new political cartoons — single panel images with captions, often somewhat glib or sarcastic, that manage to provide commentary and criticism of current events, politics, pop culture and common emotion.

If there is a takeaway message from all of this, it is simply not to doubt the power and importance of memes.

While they may seem like fleeting or disposable enter-

www.thesheaf.com

tainment, we can hopefully now understand that nothing is further from the truth.

In memes, we can all naval gaze at the collective experiences of our generation, all while creating important cultural touchstones that will continue to resonate in decades to come.

The holidays are fast approaching and as students, our pocketbooks aren’t always bursting with disposable income to spend on our friends and family. So just remember, it doesn’t cost anything to treat someone to the quaint pleasure of a dank meme.

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CAMPUS LENS Upcoming Shows: JULY TALK - DECEMBER 6 PROTEST THE HERO - DECEMBER 12 IN RUINS - DECEMBER 17 THE PSYCHEDELIC CIRCUS - JANUARY 14

DRAGONETTE wit h Lowel l

All photos by: Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor

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dec 1, 2016

PAGE TYPE

dec 1, 2016

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∙ the sheaf publishing society 17

DISTRACTIONS

New study shows this probably won’t get any better SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH LABORATORIES — A recent study conducted at the University of Saskatchewan has delivered findings that are raising eyebrows.

The study’s report concludes that, in all likelihood, things are only going to get worse from here. Affan Keeler, the author of the report, explains that despite students’ tendency to calm down at the end of each term, there is actually nothing to calm down about.

“Basically, in layman’s terms, what we have concluded here is that today is

worse than yesterday and tomorrow will be worse than today, indefinitely,” Keeler said. “I was certainly surprised, as our team had previously theorized that the upcoming exam period might bring some occasional days of rest or even that things might take an upswing at some point, but we’ve unfortunately found the opposite. These results do not bode well for students, I’m afraid.”

The study was conducted through mood monitoring in a control group as well as through a review of me-

dian student grades going into the exam period. Keeler notes that these results are quite staggering in their implications.

“This really is a revolutionary conclusion to come to,” Keeler said. “This means that your first year will almost certainly be your best, if you can believe it. It also means that, all things considered, you’re likely having a great day compared to what’s in store for you next term. Given our findings, the best advice I could give would be to learn to sob as quietly as possible.”

Fake news highlights of 2016 1. Thick sweater placed in consideration for permanent replacement to bathing 2. Unsolicited “I love you” text message leaves area father scared shitless about son 3. Ninety per cent of USBs inserted upside down the first time, study shows 4. Decision to ingest burger from Harvey’s not sitting well with local colon 5. Attendance down in library stacks as students increasingly opt to have sex in cars

photos of the week Naomi Zurevinski

Katherine Fedoroff

http://www.alexandriaphotography.ca “The Buzzardline is one of my favorite bands to watch perform in the city. They’re a heavier blues trio who always look sharp and sound great.”

XKCD.COM

18 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

BUTTERSAFE.COM

dec 1, 2016

PAGE TYPE DISTRACTIONS An Odd Entrances

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RESTAURANT & bar

mary Harelkin bisHOp & Janice HOwden Reading & Signing

Featuring Canadian/American Cuisine, Fusion & Global Flair Specialties

All items are scratch made:

Mistasinîy: Buffalo Rubbing Stone & Rescued Thursday, December 1, 7 pm

appetizers salads sandwhiches gourmet burgers noodle bowls pastas steaks california pizzas and so much more!

Also featuring our own famous delectable desserts Straight-up Saskatchewan Goodness Daily Food & Bar Specials

Our HOliday HOurs saturday, december 24 9am to 5pm

cHristmas day Closed

mOnday, december 26 11am to 6pm

Happy Hour from 2pm

saturday, december 31

Across from campus on Cumberland at College

new year's day

open daily 11am till late

dec 1, 2016

•••

www.thesheaf.com

306-956-7777

9am to 5pm Closed

∙ the sheaf sheaf publishing society dec 1, 2016.indd 1 11/21/2016 19 3:53:35 PM

BACKPAGE PAGE TYPE

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAMS From the Executive and Staff of The USSU

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women To commemorate the lives of the 14 women killed on December 6th, 1989 in the École Polytechnique Massacre in Montréal and all women whose lives have been affected by gender-based violence

A display honouring the memory of these women, and all victims of gender-based violence, will be installed in North Concourse, Place Riel

December 5 to 9, 2016

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dec 1, 2016