Jan. 19. 2017

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Your University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912.

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SPORTS pg. 5

HER CAMPUS MAGAZINE

SASK HEALTH CHANGES

IT'S WINTERRUPTION

JONI MITCHELL

NEWS

FEATURE

CULTURE

OPINIONS

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ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR SKI OR SNOWBOARD TRIP?

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Student Counselling Services overloaded with clients NYKOLE KING The University of Saskatchewan Student Counselling Services is a resource designed to aid students who are in need of mental health resources, but word reached the Sheaf that some students were recently denied access to counselling.

Student Counselling Services offers clinical services, educational programs and consultation for faculty and staff. All interested clients must seek consultation by fill-

"Demand has exceeded resources in most counselling centres, including here at the U of S. It becomes very diff icult to meet the needs of all our students."

- Terrie Fitzpatrick, SCS manager ing out an information form and booking a phone intake appointment with staff to assess the client’s needs and concerns.

When first-year arts

and science student Dee* sought out counselling services, she was told she was not eligible. Although she was provided with no specific reasons for her ineligibility, SCS staff explained that they receive a high volume of clients.

“This rejection made me feel even more worthless and stupid. Advisors, peer mentors and career counsellors at the university had recommended I seek out counselling services. And then, for them to reject me made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of their services. I was very upset after the intake call. I wanted to see a counsellor to talk about my wo r t h l e s s n e s s and I left the call feeling way more worthless than before,” Dee said.

In order for a student to be eligible for the counselling service, they must be registered at the university, currently enrolled in classes and must not be receiving counselling services from anywhere else. In addition, if they are seeking couple counselling, they must have a partner currently enrolled in classes.

However, as SCS manager Terrie Fitzpatrick explains, high-risk situations are prioritized and

staff attempt to recognize the needs of clients and direct them to other resources, such as online therapists.

“Unfortunately, given high levels of requests for services, not all students will be referred to a clinician at Student Counsel-

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

ling. We also recommend other types of resources and suggest referrals. For example, if the primary issue is addictions, we would refer the student to Mental Health and Addiction Services,” Fitzpatrick said, in an email to the Sheaf.

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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Brittany*, first-year arts and science student, was also dismissed from clinical services and was encouraged to use her father’s health plan for off-campus counselling.

“I haven’t tried other counsellors yet because I’m not even sure where to start. But I think I definitely would in the near future if I don’t get in here [at SCS] again,” Brittany said.

There is no fee for the clinical services provided by Student Counselling Services. In comparison, if students seek off-campus clinical services, and if they are subscribed to the U of S Students’ Union health plan, they will have 80 per cent coverage on appointments, with up to $750 per policy year.

According to Fitzpatrick, the demand for counselling services has grown substantially in recent years.

“Increasingly severe mental health concerns, including higher reported rates of anxiety, depression and suicidality, have led to unprecedented requests for service at university counselling centers across North America,” Fitzpatrick said.

Board of Directors: Ata Merat, Katherine Fedoroff, Kyra Mazer, Chennoa Tracey, Hasith Andrahennadi Cover Photo: Jeremy Britz, Photo 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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She also explains that SCS wants to support students and that they are currently deciding how to increase the capacity of their services.

“Demand has exceeded resources in most counselling centres, including here at the U of S. It becomes very difficult to meet the needs of all our students. The staff at SCS want to help our students succeed and wish we had the resources to meet the needs of more of our students right here on campus,” Fitzpatrick said.

Although resources are tight, Brittany encourages students to seek out counselling.

“I think that even if there is a possibility that you won’t get in [for clinical services], that you should keep trying because it is worth it if you do get in,” Brittany said.

Dee adds that she understands that clinical services are highly sought after, but she feels it is unfortunate that many students are not able to access this resource.

“It is not right that this is happening. So many students are probably slipping through the cracks and that makes me really sad. Student counselling services is a service that every single student deserves.” *To respect the privacy of the individuals interviewed, their names have been changed.

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

If you would like to contribute to the Sheaf, email editor@thesheaf.com for more information.

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

If you spot any errors in this issue, please email them to: copy@thesheaf.com

jan 19, 2017

PAGENEWS TYPE

Tuition hikes: U of S to increase cost of education EMILY MIGCHELS The University of Saskatchewan has released tuition rates for the 2017-18 year, following the Board of Governor’s decision in December, creating new challenges for students in both undergraduate and graduate programs.

Tuition each year is determined after consultation with all colleges and it reflects the annual budget of the government of Saskatchewan. Tuition this year is expected to rise between zero and five per cent across undergraduate and graduate programs. The College of Arts and Science, which currently enrolls about 45 per cent of U of S students, is expected to see a raise in tuition of 2.5 per cent, compared to last year’s 2.8 per cent.

Emmanauel Barker, U of S Students’ Union vicepresident operations and finance, explains that the upcoming increases will be matched with efforts by the USSU to prevent further impediments on students.

“The USSU has reached out to media, the university, University Student Council and the Minister of Advanced Education regarding our position of post-secondary, and there are issues that should

be addressed to keep tuition affordable for students in Saskatchewan,” Barker said.

These issues include asking the government of Saskatchewan to commit to minimum funding increases, as projected by the Saskatchewan Consumer Price Index put forward yearly by Statistics Canada, as well as implementing a system by which students can project the full costs of specific degrees on a yearly basis.

According to Barker, the continued increase of tuition results from the decisions of the provincial government.

“Everything comes down to how much the province is investing in post-secondary,” Barker said.

Despite this road block, Barker says that efforts are underway to minimize the strain this will put on students.

“Tuition increases are lower this year than last year by

The Board of Governors consists of the chancellor — newly appointed Roy Romanow — university president Peter Stoicheff, five members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor-inCouncil, two Senate-elected members, one student — USSU president Kehan Fu — and one faculty member.

Tuition is first evaluated by each individual college following yearly provincial budget announcements.

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

The impending average increase in tuition of 2.3 per cent is comparable to the 2016-17 change of 2.5 per cent. Students in the Colleges of Nutrition, Law and Education can expect the highest increases in tuition costs, with nutrition students facing a five per cent increase and both law and education students facing three per cent increases.

0.2 per cent, despite having a much worse economy and a relatively smaller provincial contribution,” Barker said.

He explains that, regarding tuition, the Board of Governors is the ultimate deciding power. “[They] make the decision to approve tuition rates. The full weight of every final decision rests on the Board of Governors,” Barker said.

“Colleges themselves make their recommendations for tuition. The colleges do not usually change their recommendations. However, the provincial budget can change drastically, as it did this year,” Barker said.

Recent efforts by some students to further unionize the U of S under the Canadian Federation of Students has also impacted the tui-

tion conversation, although the USSU was not involved in this initiative. The CFS, a national organization that aims to ease the strains put on students in Canada by promoting universal access to post-secondary education, has been facing accusations of mismanaging funds since as early as 2013.

Barker and the USSU do not believe a partnership with the CFS would be beneficial to the university and have been working to distance themselves from the national group.

“We at the USSU believe that the CFS does not act in the interest of students, and as an organization, we are not affiliated with them,” he said.

Barker emphasizes that deciding parties are actively trying not to put a disproportionate burden on students, even though the institution is receiving less support than last year. He reminds students that there is always a place for them to speak out against these changes at USSU council meetings or one-on-one with the executive.

“As always, if students have an interest in getting involved with current issues or want to make their voices heard, the USSU is here to provide support and information.”

Online magazine Her Campus to open chapter at U of S LYNDSAY AFSETH Creative expression can help students have a more meaningful university experience, but it is often missing from students’ busy lives.

With the launching of online magazine Her Campus, students at the University of Saskatchewan will have a new platform to share their stories and ideas creatively.

The student-run online magazine Her Campus, which was started as a business project by two students at Harvard University, has chapters at over 300 college and university campuses across nine countries. On Jan. 24, the magazine will open its new chapter at the U of S. The magazine will focus on university women and will include articles about beauty, love, health, career advice, news and plenty of other topics.

Aisha Oredegbe, third-year physiology and pharmacology major, is the organizer of the U of S chapter of Her Campus. jan 19, 2017

She spoke to the Sheaf about how the magazine came to the U of S. “I run my own personal blog and I have been running it for the past two or three years and it’s been pretty successful, so it was through there that I got contacted by [Her Campus] and they basically said, ‘You’re a female college student, you’re a blogger so this is not something necessarily new to you, you like to write and you go to the U of S, where we don’t have a chapter. Would you be interested in starting one?’” Oredegbe said.

At first, Oredegbe was not sure that she would go through with starting the magazine, but she quickly changed her mind after speaking to her classmates about it.

“I started talking to a couple people, and I saw that there was a real desire. People love to share their stories. For me, the joy has been finding that I seek solace in writing and expressing myself through writing, so to have the oppor-

tunity to provide a platform to everyone in the U of S to be able to do so is rewarding,” Oredegbe said.

The magazine receives article submissions from students who want to have their voices heard. Articles can be submitted through the Facebook page for Her Campus Usask or by email to usask@hercampus.com. Oredegbe is hoping to explore a variety of different perspectives through the articles she will publish.

“Our content generally focuses on targeting the female audience at the U of S; however, we do not discriminate by gender or race, sexuality or orientation, for publishing the work of individuals,” she said.

“We want to hear particularly from the college students, because this is an online magazine that is going to be read by college students themselves.”

The content itself is so varied that there is something there for everyone. While a lot of the articles are fun and entertaining, Oredegbe believes there is a balance with important issues as well.

Aisha Oredegbe / Supplied Student blogger Aisha Oredegbe hopes that Her Campus will bring students together.

“It can be a bit serious.

Some of the articles that are going to be going up target issues that are underlying or apparent at our university campus,” she said. “There was an article written about social media and how it is changing the way we’re interacting with each other. It’s really interesting and it’s definitely a perspective that we don’t all think about.”

Oredegbe believes that this kind of platform will bring different kinds of students together and create an understanding among students that she feels has been lacking.

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“I think it’s especially important in the U of S because there is a diversity at the U of S among students that is not necessarily highlighted in the news, and I feel like that’s part of the issue with a lot of prejudice and lack of understanding that we have amongst each other,” Oredegbe said.

“I think that through writing and creative content we can see each other for what we do rather than what we look like or who we associate with. It’s a good way to unify all of us and I think that is something that we don’t have at the U of S.”

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FLAC educates students on legal processes and justice in Canada GABRIEL SIRIANY LINARES Most people will need access to legal services at some point in their life. For students at the University of Saskatchewan outside of the College of Law, the legal system can be mystifying, but one group of student volunteers is working to change that.

The Family Legal Assistance Clinic at the U of S is a volunteer group of law students who provide legal assistance and information about family law and justice issues, particularly in Saskatchewan. FLAC offers various law education presentations throughout the year and helps run a drop-in clinic every Tuesday. Their next presentations will take place on Jan. 26 at Frances Morrison Central Library and the Cliff Wright Branch, and on Jan. 27 at the Law Society Library at the Court of Queen’s Bench.

Ashley Falk and Margaret Sproule, co-ordinators of FLAC and third-year law students, emphasize the group’s role in helping unrepresented family law

litigants know how to get started and how to work their way through the court process.

“We are associated with Pro Bono Students Canada ... and our main goal is to provide family legal services to people who need them.

There’s a large access-tojustice problem here in Saskatoon, and in Canada in general, and we are hoping to help purge that gap and help people who need legal services,” Sproule said.

Many U of S students are single parents, international students or immigrants, and many have low incomes.

FLAC seeks to assist these groups especially in their search for legal services, including child support, custody and access and division of family property.

During the drop-in clinics and presentations, FLAC answers questions about the legal services Saskatchewan offers and provides an overview of how to go to court and how to begin the process.

Falk and Sproule agree that the court process can be very daunting and intimidating and that is the main

reason FLAC has been created: to help students with legal assistance.

“We really focus on providing further resources because a lot of people just don’t know where to start.

There are a lot of government services and other non-profit organizations in place, so we can direct people where they can find out more,” Falk said.

Sproule explains that FLAC has two main branches.

“We do public legal education presentations at different organizations around the city and the other part is a family drop-in clinic that we’ve created in association with the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan, downtown here in Saskatoon; and that’s two hours a week people can come in. We have a lawyer there that can help with legal assistance and the students are there to help as well,” Sproule said.

According to Falk, most services that FLAC offers are open to the public. Although some presentations are open only to members of specific organizations,

both the PLEA sessions and the public library presentations are open to all students and members of the community.

“There’s no income testing and you don’t have to register. You can just show up and we will sit with you and help you. It does kind of run on a first-come firstserved basis, but we usually have time to sit with everyone that comes,” Falk said.

FLAC also works in partnership with the International Women’s Society and the Global Gathering Place at the Open Door Society to inform international students and recent immigrants about Canadian federal and provincial laws.

“The issues we are dealing with are very relevant

because [they relate to] concerns about custody and access, child support, which are even more emphasized when you are coming from a different country and you are dealing with things like possible deportation and not knowing how the system works here,” Falk said.

“We are dealing with the protection of a lot of the women and children that come to us … We can help them work through how [the laws] apply to their circumstances.”

FLAC does not provide legal advice; it only provides legal assistance. To know more about upcoming sessions and events, follow them on facebook.com/FLACSaskatoon or send them an email at flac. pbsc@gmail.com.

Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor FLAC co-ordinators Margaret Sproule and Ashley Falk help students navigate the law.

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Steve PatterSon at the broadway theatre

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SPORTSPAGE & HEALTH TYPE

Jordon Cooke wins gold at the Spengler Cup CURTIS FONTAINE University of Saskatchewan hockey goaltender Jordon Cooke was speechless when he was asked to join the roster for Team Canada at the 90th Spengler Cup. Cooke was in Montreal playing with the U Sports All-Stars against Canada’s World Junior exhibition roster when he found out Hockey Canada was interested.

“I was pulled aside by Hockey Canada, actually Scott Salmond, [vicepresident of hockey

operations with Hockey Canada], brought up the Spengler Cup and how they needed another goalie and how they were very interested in me,” Cooke said.

The Spengler Cup is often regarded as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world, dating back to 1923. It was created to encourage friendly competition between nations who fought on opposing sides during the First World War. The traditional tournament is hosted each year

by Swiss team HC Davos in Davos, Switzerland, be-

tween Christmas and lNew Year’s Day. This year’s tournament was made of up teams from Russia, Switzerland, Belarus, Czech Republic and Canada.

Cooke was the first Canada West player to participate in the tournament in decades. He was selected as the third goalie for Team Canada, alongside Zachary Fucale and Drew MacIntyre.

Even though Cooke didn’t spend any time on the ice, his overall experience was still something he will never forget. “[It was] unbelievable.

Just being over there and

Caitlin Taylor Jordon Cooke makes a save while tending goal for the Huskies.

seeing the culture behind the sport — all the excitement that the fans put into the game, it’s a lot different than North America. To be named to the roster, and get that experience to go over and take part in the prestigious tournament, is something I’ll never forget,” Cooke said.

If the selection to Team Canada wasn’t enough, Cooke got to raise the Spengler Cup trophy as Team Canada defended its title, defeating HC Lugano 5-2 on Dec. 31. “[My most memorable experience] was when we won. We were a guest team.

We played against a Swiss team. All the fans stayed and watched and didn’t leave until we left the ice,” Cooke said.

Winning the Spengler Cup is another accolade to add to his name, which includes last year’s U Sports Goalie of the Year and the 2016 CanWest championship with the Huskies.

Many U Sports players often see university hockey as an end to their career. This is not the case for Cooke, who aspires to pursue a professional career following his time with the Hus-

kies. The invitation to the Spengler Cup, made up of teams with professional rosters — including some former NHL players — is inspiring for Cooke.

“I think that gave me another perspective that someone’s always watching and I hope it opens up a door down the road. First, I want to finish up my degree here and win a national title,” Cooke said.

Cooke is having a stellar year in net with the Huskies. He ranks second among CanWest goalies with a 0.933 save percentage, while leading the league with four shutouts and 19 wins.

The commerce major returns to a Huskies hockey team that has won six straight games, all against top teams in the CanWest division. With the second half of the season underway, the Huskies sit atop the CanWest standings and are ranked second in the country.

The next chance to catch the Huskies in action on home ice is against the University of Regina Cougars on Friday, Jan. 27. Puck drops at 7 p.m. at Rutherford Arena.

Huskies Play for a Cure in upcoming charity game JACK THOMPSON Staff Writer

For the ninth year in a row, the University of Saskatchewan women’s hockey team will be hosting their annual Play For a Cure game that is devoted to raising money for cancer research. The event has close personal ties for many team members.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. on Jan. 20 as the Huskies take on the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at Rutherford Arena.

However, this game will not be just about the love of the sport, but rather it will include support for loved ones that are battling or have lost their lives to cancer.

One way the team is supporting the cause is through fundraising opportunities throughout the game. The players get special jerseys for the occasion, coloured jan 19, 2017

yellow to show support for all types of cancer, which they auction off to fundraise for cancer research.

Kennedy Harris, a fourthyear kinesiology student and forward for the team, said that the jerseys create an aura of excitement.

“Everyone is excited to get to the rink to see the jerseys because we usually don’t show them on either the night before or that day. We try and get as many people out as possible. I told the girls they need to bring at least five friends to this one,” Harris said.

A raffle and silent auction are also opportunities for patrons to show their support during the game and the jerseys like many aspects of the Play For a Cure game, have a deeper emotional connection.

Robin Ulrich, interim head coach of the team, explained that this year the initials of both Cody Smuk and Hailey Woytowich, a friend to several members of the team, will be featured on patches on their

special jerseys.

Woytowich has been battling a rare type of cancer over the past year and will be present to drop the puck during the ceremonial faceoff and throughout the game, as the team plays in support of her and others affected by cancer.

In fact, the focus of this event has been on personal connections from it’s very onset. “[It is the] ninth year that we’ve been doing this.

It came out of a desire to do something. One of our players that was on the team at the time had lost her mom to breast cancer a few years before joining the team,” Harris said.

This event comes with a deeply personal connection for Harris, who has been affected by cancer throughout her life.

“It’s important to me because, just like probably any player on our team, I’ve had friends and family members that were affected by cancer. I played with a bit in my minor hockey, and

was friends with Maddie Schwartz, a girl who played at Yale University and had leukemia and passed away a number of years ago,” Harris said.

For Harris this game also has a deep family connection as well, having experienced a family member’s battle with cancer.

“My grandmother had breast cancer at a fairly young age and she survived it, which I’m very thankful for because I was able to actually grow up and meet her. She actually had a relapse this year so for me, that’s a really important

thing and it hits home very closely when it’s somebody that you love,” Harris said.

Harris’ grandmother survived the relapse, and it is these personal connections that drive the Play For a Cure event.

Ulrich stated that personal ties are also her reason for her involvement in the event. “[I] came in my first year and found out they did this game and I was really excited about it. I lost my grandma [in] April 2014, so I wanted to take the reins of it and this game is kind of my baby now,” Ulrich said.

Liam Delparte Women’s hockey players take their love of the game and put it towards a good cause.

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SPORTS & HEALTH PAGE TYPE

Huskies track and field team kicks off season with Sled Dog Open EMILY KLATT Sports & Health Editor

The weather outside might still be chilly, but that hasn’t stopped the University of Saskatchewan track and field team from beginning a new season. The Huskies kicked off 2017 by hosting the 48th annual Downtown Lions Sled Dog Open Track & Field Meet on Jan. 13 and 14.

The Sled Dog Open is an indoor track and field meet put on in co-operation between the U of S Huskies and the Saskatoon Downtown Lions Club. The event is the first track and field event of 2017 for the Canada West athletics division, as well as a community fundraiser for Huskies Athletics.

Along with the Huskies, athletes from the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Regina competed in a wide variety of track and field events.

Joanne McTaggart, the head coach of the Huskies track and field team, had nothing but good things to

say about the team she’s already spent months coaching. Because of its indoor/ outdoor status, track and field athletes begin training in September for the upcoming year.

“Basically, we’re off to a good start. We got a lot of medals, a lot of personal bests, probably 15-20 personal bests over the weekend, so we did really well,” McTaggart said.

Highlights from the weekend include firsts in the senior men’s 60-metre dash, the senior men’s 4x200-metre relay, the senior men’s weight throw, and both the senior women’s 600-metre and 1000-metre races.

Julianne Labach, thirdyear commerce student, is the athlete that won those last two races.

“It was great. The first one was pretty — well, it was a lot slower than I was hoping for, like it was 12 seconds off of the personal best I ran last year, so that’s pretty significant, but a win's a win. I’m super competitive so I really just love the race,” Labach said.

Labach is not just a high performance track athlete.

She also plays for the Hus-

kies women’s soccer team as well.

“I was just so happy to get it out of the way. I was super nervous coming into it,” Labach said. “Because we had a really successful soccer season — we went to nationals for the first time ever — it pushed back my training for track by a couple weeks, so I have been feeling kind of behind and a little bit out of shape, so I was feeling pretty nervous.”

Astrid Nyame was another Huskies athlete that performed well at the Sled Dog

Open, taking home first in the women’s 60-metre hurdles and second in the women’s 60-metre dash and long jump.

Even with her successes, Nyame is already looking forward to the rest of the season.

“Moving forward, I would like to improve on my time from last year. So right now, for the Huskie all-time [record], I’m sitting at second and I would really like to steal that first place spot!”

Nyame said.

Despite numerous wins

Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor The Huskies track and field team jumps into the new year.

and personal bests, both Labach and Nyame cite the welcoming team environment as their favourite part of being a Huskies athlete.

“I think Huskies track and field is really great at bringing that team aspect into a sport like this,” Nyame said. “In a track and field sport like this, a lot of people are obviously competing on [their] own.

It’s very individual based. So my favourite part of Huskie track and field is that there is that team aspect, which is something that is missing from a sport like this.”

Jeremy Britz / Photo Editor

Unexpected songs for your workout playlist EMILY KLATT Sports & Health Editor

For me, a good workout playlist can sometimes mean the difference between actually getting some exercise and staying home to take a nap instead. Even if I don’t necessarily want to go for a run that day, I’ll still drag myself out so I have an excuse to listen to my favourite music uninterrupted.

However, I can easily get tired of listening to the same 20 songs over and over again. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting music to add to my exercise routine.

If you’re like me and find yourself bored with the usual Top 40 hits, check out some of these tunes for your next workout playlist.

It’s an eclectic mix of artists, genres and styles, and hopefully includes a song or two that you’ve never heard before.

1. “Pump It Up” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Although British New Wave musician Elvis Costello isn’t the first name you might think of when it comes to workout music, “Pump It Up” is, in fact, a great way to pump yourself to start your workout. With a steady beat and punk rock vibes, I guarantee you’ll feel cooler just for listening.

2. “What’s It Gonna Be?” by Shura: Is lesbian-80s-synth-pop a genre of music? It really should be, and Shura’s “What’s it Gonna Be?” is the first song that should make your playlist. From her 2016 album Nothing’s Real, “What’s It Gonna Be?” is a throwback jam with all the joy and exuberance that you feel for your first love — even if you don’t feel that way about running laps.

3. “Here It Goes Again”

by OK Go: Best known for their elaborate and quirky music videos, OK Go

serves up a song that’s just as good in real life as it is on screen. Catchy as ever, hopefully “Here It Goes Again” will convince you to go again — to the gym, that is.

4. “Alaska” by Maggie Rogers: “Alaska” was hands down one of the smoothest jams of 2016.

The only track so far from newcomer Maggie Rogers, the song became somewhat of a hit after Rogers played it for producer Pharrell Williams. “Alaska” is an upbeat take on walking away from your past, and you’ll want to keep walking anyway when you hear it.

5. “Let’s Run” by Le Tigre: Bring out your inner riot grrrl and rock out to “Let’s Run,” from Kathleen Hanna’s post-Bikini-Kill band Le Tigre. Crushing the patriarchy while also crushing your workout — it’s a win-win situation.

6. “My Shot featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Or-

6 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

tiz, and Nate Ruess, Rise Up Remix” by The Roots, from The Hamilton Mixtape: If you haven’t heard of Hamilton: An American Musical by now, you’ve either been living under a rock or just really aren’t a fan of Broadway musicals.

Either way, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton is a verifiable pop culture hit, with a modern score full of rap and hip-hop influences.

This remix of “My Shot” makes it even more palpable to regular listeners and totally worthy of a place on your workout playlist next to Drake and Rihanna.

7. “Revolution Radio”

by Green Day: If you didn’t spend most of high school driving around listening to pop-punk music and thinking about how much you hated your town, were you really even a teenager in the 2010s? Youth angst staple Green Day are back with Revolution Radio, an album whose title track is just as great the pop-punk

hits of yesteryear.

8. “Stop Desire” by Tegan and Sara: Canadian indie darlings Tegan and Sara returned in 2016 with Love You to Death, a continuation of the pop success they found with Heartthrob. “Stop Desire” is possibly the catchiest song on an impossibly catchy album and will leave you with no desire to stop your workout anytime soon.

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

jan 19, 2017

PAGE TYPE CULTURE

A decade in review with Said The Whale TANNER BAYNE Most bands have a coherent conception of themselves within the first couple years of playing together. At nearly 10 years old, Vancouver-bred indie rockers Said the Whale are still trying to figure that out.

Despite having secured a solid presence in the Canadian indie scene through four fun, poppy and very Canadian records, a forthcoming album seems to re-imagine what type of band they are and where they stand in the greater Canadian music echelon.

Earlier in January 2017 on Facebook, Said the Whale announced their fifth album, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide — slated to be released on Mar. 31— by dropping a synth-heavy single entitled “Step Into The Darkness,” and most notably, by revealing a lineup change.

Slimming down from a quintet to a trio for the new album, Said the Whale is saying farewell to found-

jan 19, 2017

ing member and drummer be. The result is their new That’s essentially the senSpencer Schoening and album, As Long As Your Eyes timent behind the album’s long-time bassist Nathan Are Wide. ambiguous title: as long as Shaw.

“There is a spacey and you keep your eyes wide and Tyler Bancroft — the gui- synth-y kind of vibe to the your ears open, you can take tarist, vocalist and one half album; it’s all new to us,” what’s hurtled at you and of Said the Whale’s song Bancroft said. see it as an opportunity. writing core — shed some While time will tell Despite now being a light on this switch up. whether or not this sonic three-piece, the band un“The new lineup arose transformation was a fruit- fortunately passes on the through tuopportunity to multuous past determine who two years,” in the group is Bancroft said.

Pepe — in his Bancroft exglory days, Dat plained that Boi and Kermit. during this “I think it’s time, Shoening a good thing and Shaw beI don’t know gan to distance what those themselves are,” Bancroft from Said the said. “I need Toby Cheng / Supplied to spend more Whale to focus on their own Said the Whale is set to play Louis’ Pub on Jan. 21. time on the Inrespective projects. He as- ful one, Bancroft explains ternet.” serts that everyone was am- that it was completely necIn a way, As Long As Your icable about the separation, essary.

Eyes Are Wide is a departure despite the change of focus.

“With the new lineup we from what Said The Whale However, Bancroft does ad- found that we had to flex has been for the last decade, mit that in losing Shoening new muscles to create a re- but this isn’t to say that the and Shaw, he didn’t know if cord that still sounded like a band is completely disreSaid The Whale would con- full body sound. I only play garding the last 10 years — tinue to make music. guitar and we have keys, in fact, it’s the opposite.

Instead of folding, how- so we tried out some new Bancroft wholeheartedly ever, the now-trio decided things and that’s how the attributes Said The Whale’s to reimagine what kind of album happened,” Bancroft longevity to the ceaseless band Said The Whale could said. support from fans.

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“If it wasn’t for their support and them telling us how much our music meant to them, I don’t think we would have made it to 10,” Bancroft said.

Despite the evident support, lasting a decade was still a trial for the band. “[The last 10 years] felt like we were flying by the seat of our pants. It was pretty fuckin’ hectic,” Bancroft said.

Fans can rest assured that as long as they keep on going to their shows, Said The Whale’s future looks pretty good.

If you want to catch a sneak peek of Said The Whale’s new album, you can hear them at Louis’ Pub on Saturday, Jan. 21.

“Said The Whale loves coming to Saskatoon. Especially in the winter. When the lights are on and there is snow everywhere, it’s like a scene from a movie. It’s great,” Bancroft said.

Take that, Regina. What’s more, they even knew that Louis’ Pub is named after the West’s beloved freedom fighter. Pretty good for some Vancouverites, eh?

∙ the sheaf publishing society 7

FEATURE

One health:

Saskatchewan to transition to single Provincial Health Authority

“The key argument for the panel was the quality of care and the ability to better co-ordinate and integrate care from a more centralized way.”

- Tom McIntosh, head of the department of politics and international studies at the University of Regina

EMILY KLATT

Sports & Health Editor

Although many of us have interacted with the Saskatchewan health care system as patients or employees, most of us probably do not contemplate the ways in which it is organized. However, this hidden aspect of the provincial health system is about to undergo a major shift — one that will affect the people of Saskatchewan in a variety of ways.

On Jan. 4 Health Minister Jim Reiter announced that the province would move to consolidate the 12 existing Regional Health Authorities into a single Provincial Health Authority by the fall of 2017. This transition is based

8 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

upon recommendations issued by the Saskatchewan Advisory Panel on Health System Structure.

The goal of this move is to improve patient services across the province as well as improve administrative efficiencies.

For Tom McIntosh, head of the department of politics and international studies at the University of Regina, the move to a singular health authority came as a bit of a surprise. “[The advisory panel] had a clear mandate to make a recommendation to reduce the number [of health regions]. My own thought was that they would come back with maybe three or four, not including the one in the far north,” McIntosh said.

This recent move is the latest in a long history of health region amalgamation within Saskatchewan. The number of RHAs was reduced to 12 in 2002 from an estimated 32 in 1992.

Saskatchewan is currently divided into 12 RHAs, each with its own regional governing board and administrative operations.

Additionally, Saskatchewan also includes the northern Athabasca Health Authority, which is administered jointly between the provincial and federal governments to serve the residents of the Athabasca Basin. Because of its unique status, the Athabasca Health Authority will not be included in the consolidation of RHAs. The Advisory Panel was formed in the summer of 2016 with the purpose of providing guidance to the provincial government on the restructuring of the health care system.

The Advisory Panel came back with a document titled Optimizing and Integrating Patient Centred Care. The doc-

ument outlined four main priorities or mandates for health care reform within Saskatchewan, as well as recommendations on how to achieve those priorities.

“The key argument for the panel was the quality of care and the ability to better co-ordinate and integrate care from a more centralized way,” McIntosh said.

McIntosh cited emergency ambulance service as an example of something that could be vastly improved with centralization. Currently, each RHA contracts its own emergency services, and it is the RHA that determines which ambulance attends an emergency, not distance.

“There may actually ambulances that are closer to you, but that won’t be the ambulance that comes to get you because between you and that closer ambulance is the border of a health region and their contract doesn’t go across that border,” McIntosh said.

“The hope is that without those borders, we can negotiate a series of contracts that would not allow that sort of thing to happen anymore, and that you would get the ambulance that is available and closest to you.”

jan 19, 2017

PAGE TYPE FEATURE

While the main benefits of consolidation cited by the Advisory Panel are related to the improvement of administration and the delivery of health-care services, monetary benefits were also mentioned.

According to the CBC, a spokeswoman from the Ministry of Health later announced that the new singular health authority could save the province nearly $10 to $20 million by the 2018-19 fiscal year. With the Saskatchewan government currently managing a nearly billion-dollar deficit, the province will be looking to save money anywhere that it can.

Despite these claims, McIntosh is

“One main theme was that the health region, however it’s configured, that the academic mandates of teaching and research are well embedded in the new health region [and] recognized by the health region.”

- Dr. Preston Smith, dean of the College of Medicine

skeptical about howl much consolidation will really save the province.

“When they announced this, the [advisory panel] didn’t talk about saving money. The Minister [of Health, Jim Reiter,] talked about saving money. I don’t think they’re going to save a penny,” McIntosh said.

jan 19, 2017

He cites the results of health region consolidation in other provinces as evidence to this claim.

“Alberta, when they went to one region, did not save any money. B.C. has reduced the number of regions, Nova Scotia has reduced the number of regions, New Brunswick has reduced the number of regions — none of them can point to significant savings,” McIntosh said.

Aside from fiscal issues, various groups have expressed other concerns with the consolidation of the 12 RHAs. Rural and northern communities are concerned with ensuring that they have adequate representation within a larger, less localized governing body. The CUPE, which represents nearly 13,000 health care employees within Saskatchewan, is concerned about potential job cuts or wage reductions. It is an issue that extends to every corner of the province — literally.

While these changes to Saskatchewan’s health care system undoubtedly affect students on an individual levels as citizens, but how do they affect us as a university?

The U of S is home to numerous academic health sciences programs, ranging from the College of Kinesiology to the College of Medicine. Most health sciences students will spend a portion of their program studying within the health care system and many will eventually find employment there as well.

With these ideas in mind, the U of S College of Medicine was among the many groups that were consulted by the Saskatchewan Advisory Panel on Health Systems Structure, providing both a written brief and an oral presentation.

For Dr. Preston Smith, dean of the College of Medicine, there were two

main priorities for the university in regards to Health Authority consolidation: academic mandate and physician leadership.

Smith emphasizes that a single Health Authority would help standardize practices and treatment of health sciences students and medical residents, creating a more streamlined environment for teaching and education.

“One main theme was that the health region, however it’s configured, that the academic mandates of teaching and research are well embedded in the new health region [and] recognized by the health region. Ideally, we would see an evolution of the health-care system to really be what’s called an ‘academic health sciences network,’” Smith said.

In regards to physician leadership, Smith would like to see doctors take a greater role within the management and administration of health-care services, especially with students.

“In our case, we wanted the new model of physician leadership to integrate both the academic and the clinical leadership. So when a doctor in Saskatoon, or Estevan, or Regina or Prince Albert has got a student in front of [them] or a student issue to

deal with, [they] know whom to call, about who’s responsible from an academic perspective and who’s responsible from a clinical perspective,” Smith said.

Ideally, the health system will be able to address the needs and concerns of both students and patients, says Smith.

"So we really emphasize that need to have a strong physician leadership model that could bring about the change that the health-care system needs, and also integrate into that whole discussion the needs of our learners and the needs of our patients,” Smith said.

Overall, Smith is satisfied with the level of input that the U of S has been able to contribute to the transition of health-care services within Saskatchewan.

“One of my key messages, even last week in Regina when I was in the Ministry of Health talking about this transition, is that we need to pay attention to all of the details and we need to make sure that in no way does this transition negatively impact our learners,” Smith said. “I think they’ve heard the message, they’ve been listening and I’m confident they’ll make it happen.”

“Alberta, when they went to one region, did not save any money. B.C. has reduced the number of regions, Nova Scotia has reduced the number of regions, New Brunswick has reduced the number of regions — none of them can point to significant savings."

- Tom McIntosh

All Infographics by: Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

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∙ the sheaf publishing society 9

CULTURE

A Sheaf guide to Winterruption 2017 JACK THOMPSON Staff Writer

This year marks the second iteration of the Broadway Theatre’s Winterruption, which features several shows throughout various venues in Saskatoon. This guide will serve to lay out all of the 17 shows and seven venues hosting them.

Day 1: Thursday, Jan. 19 The Broadway Theatre will be kickstarting Winterruption with a screening of the cult classic Spinal Tap. To follow, Heat

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Rüb will be playing their renditions of songs from the movie. Tickets for this duo event are going for the excellent price of $16.50.

The Bassment will be hosting Cross Canada Fiddle Fest as part of the first day of Winterruption.

Costing $26.50 a ticket, this event will play host to some of the best fiddle players around, including Troy MacGillivray and Stephanie Lepine.

Day 2: Friday, Jan. 20 Comedian Steve Patterson will be taking the stage at the Broadway Theatre for an evening of Canadian humour. Patterson has been in Canadian show business for 20 years, which he is celebrating with a national tour that covers personal stories, social commentary and more. Tickets for this show are $41.50.

With tickets going for $29.50, another event happening at 8 p.m. is musician Emma Ruth Rundle’s show at the The Refinery.

Atmospheric and thoughtful, Rundle’s music draws on deep emotions of loss to bring somber feelings to life in her music.

Members of news site and podcast centre Canadaland will be at the Cosmo Senior’s Centre for a show hosted by Jesse Brown, co-founder of Bitstrips and winner of the National Magazine Award for Humour. Tickets for this event are priced at $29.50.

At 9 p.m., the Bassment will be setting the stage for musician and acclaimed lyricist Danny Michel, for a ticket price of $32.50. Conscious and often pertaining to world issues, Michel’s lyrics bring the big questions of the world to the forefront.

Louis’ Pub will also be home to a concert starting at 9 p.m., with Elliott Brood, accompanied

by Begonia, taking the stage. With a ticket price of $31.70, this show will feature songs focusing on the milestones of life in both a retrospective and forward-thinking manner, with topics such as first loves and losses.

Tuns will also be sharing the start time of 9 p.m.,

with Amigos being their venue. This band is the coming together of Chris Murphy of Sloan, Matt Murphy of Super Friendz and Flashing Lights and Mike O’Neill of the Inbreds. Tickets for this show are $29.50.

Day 3: Saturday, Jan. 21 Vande Vasudevam is a thematic production on the life of Krishna, which will be taking place at the Broadway Theatre at 6:30 p.m.. Performed in Kuchipudi, a major Indian classical dance, this dance show will consist of 12 artists spanning two hours and costs $29.50 to attend.

Stand-up comic Ali Hassan will be occupying the Bassment to bring a hilarious light to the current global climate while discussing topics such as religion and culture in his show, entitled “Muslim Interrupted.” Tickets to see this comedian cost $24.50.

Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids is an audience-based reading of writings from the past.

Attendees can sign up beforehand to participate in a show focused on reflection and entertainment. Held at the Cosmo Senior’s Centre at 8 p.m., tickets cost $26.50.

Recent returnees to the music scene, Holy Fuck, will be playing a show at Amigos at 9 p.m. This electronica band will be bringing their unique atmospheric beats and those looking to experience them live can attend for a ticket price of $29.50.

Vancouver-based indie rock band Said the Whale are bringing their upbeat tempo to Louis’ Pub for a show opened by singer, songwriter and guitarist Northcote. Tickets to this sure-to-be uplifting show cost $29.50.

Day 4: Sunday, Jan. 22 Closing Winterruption at Persephone Theatre is the family musician, Fred Penner, who is behind classics such as “The Cat Came Back” and more.

Tickets are $26.50 but can be upgraded to include a brunch catered by Calories at the theatre before the show.

go.athabascau.ca/online-courses open. online. everywhere.

10 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

jan 19, 2017

PAGE TYPE CULTURE

Catch up on the best books of last year BRIDGET MORRISON Culture Editor

After examining various “best books of 2016” lists online, I’ve compiled a collection of books that were both the most common and popular amongst the critics.

Before the term gets into full swing, catch up on the highest rated books of 2016!

Swing Time

by Zadie Smith British author Zadie Smith has released her fifth novel this past November, which has gained much critical acclaim. Like many of Smith’s novels, Swing Time revolves around the themes of race, gender and class.

This novel begins in the 1980s in London, United Kingdom, and follows the friendship of two young dancers. We see their friendship grow weak as they get older, while one becomes a professional dancer and the other goes to work for a famous pop star — but both discover the rich and diverse origins of dance along the way.

The Girls

by Emma Cline Becoming a New York Times Bestseller, Cline found immense success with her first novel The Girls. Inspired by true events about Charles Manson and his “girls,” this novel tells the story of Evie Boyd, a young girl who joins a Manson-like cult in the summer of 1969.

Cline has been celebrated by critics for the poetic style she uses in discussing a young girls’ anxieties and vulnerabilities, even though the content revolves around a dark and toxic cult.

The Underground Railroad

by Colson Whitehead Winner of the National Book Award, The Underground Railroad tells the story of a slave named Cora as she makes her way to freedom by way of the Underground Railroad — while also being wanted for murder.

This novel has been praised for its new and insightful examination of slavery and early American values, while telling an engaging and powerful story. jan 19, 2017

Homegoing

by Yaa Gyasi In Gyasi’s debut novel, we follow the lives of two African half-sisters: one who is sold into slavery and taken to America in the 18th century and one who remains in Ghana, is married to a slave owner and adopts a lavish lifestyle.

The novel spans over 300 years, from 18th century Ghana to modern day Harlem, New York, following the descendants of these two women. Gyasi was praised for her ability to create unique stories for each character, while also keeping their connection and their history alive.

When Breath Becomes Air

by Paul Kalanithi Written by the late neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi, this memoir reflects on life and death when Kalanithi was diagnosed with stagefour lung cancer at the age of 36. As he attempts to answer the questions of what makes life worth living, Kalanithi explores many topics from family to literature.

Although the obvious sad undertone, When Breath Becomes Air is said to provide an uplifting perspective on death and morality that engages and enlightens its readers.

The Vegetarian

by Han Kang The Vegetarian takes place in modern day South Korea and tells the story of Yeong-hye, who decides to become a vegetarian after experiencing nightmares filled with grotesque and bloody images.

Things begin to spiral for Yeong-hye and she delves deeper and deeper into a world of fantasy as she engages in life as a plant, stops eating altogether and feeds from the sun — which leads to devastating consequences for both herself and her family.

This novel has been praised for its exploration on the topics of obsession, choice and humanity’s attempt to understand one another.

The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone

by Olivia Laing Praised as humane and provocative, The Lonely City investigates what it means to be alone, the spaces between people and what can draw them together.

Laing retells her own experiences moving to New York City and also shares the stories of six other artists.

Through art, Laing examines loneliness, finding that art alone can bring strangers together.

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Thursday

friday

saturday

upcoming events • First day of Winterruption 2017 at various Saskatoon locations • Cross Canada Fiddle Fest at the Bassment • Karaoke! #tnwcyl x Winterruption featuring Ian Blurton at Amigos • Last day of USSU’s Women in Leadership Week • Too Soon Monsoon with Cidne Treen at the Capitol Music Club

• An Evening with Steve Patterson at the Broadway Theatre • Canadaland with Jesse Brown at Cosmo Senior’s Centre • Danny Michel at the Bassment • Elliott Brood with Begonia at Louis’ Pub • Emma Ruth Rundle at the Refinery • Mechanical Separation, Man Meat, A Ghost In Drag and Dour at Vangelis

• Ali Hassan “Muslim Interrupted” at at Bassment • DJ Night with Economics, Tefrondon and Malware at Vangelis • Firing At The Sky with Desert Island Classic at the Capitol Music Club • Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids at Cosmo Senior’s Centre • Holy F*ck with Ponteix at Amigos • Said the Whale with Northcote at Louis’ Pub

• Fred Penner at Persephone Theatre • Last day of Winterruption 2017 at various Saskatoon locations • SSO Chamber Series: Music of Mozart at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

sunday

• Kayla Luky with Ellen Froese at Village Guitar & Amp Co.

monday

• City Centre Food Co-operative Town Hall at the City Park Collegiate Library

tuesday

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

• Australia Day Party 2017 at The Thirsty Scholar • One time screening of Amadeus at the Roxy Theatre

wednesday

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∙ the sheaf publishing society 11

OPINIONS

Should university tuition be free for all students?

LYNDSAY AFSETH University tuition has been an important issue in Canada in recent years, starting with the 2012 Quebec student strike. Ever since the protests began, free tuition has been debated among students and taxpayers and discussed by politicians, but students in Saskatchewan have not seen any change.

Those in favour of free university tuition for all students argue that with consistently rising tuition, a university education is becoming harder to accomplish for far too many people. Tuition has nearly tripled since the 1990s, meaning that it is no longer possible for a student to work to pay for their tuition and as a result, student loan debt is higher than ever.

There are some obvious reasons why tuition is not already free in Canada, and many people don’t think that it should be. One concern is that the government simply can’t afford free tuition for everyone. There is also the concern that students who are not receiving professional degrees should not get free

tuition, since it is likely that they will be working at jobs that do not require a degree after they graduate.

There are plenty of countries that currently offer free university tuition for all of their residents. One of these countries is Norway, where public universities are completely tuition free. However, the cost of living in Norway is much higher than most other countries to cover the costs of free university tuition, as well as other social services.

There are some problems that Canada might face if they were to try to adopt the same model that Norway has in place. Canada has a much larger population than Norway, so it would be much more expensive to provide free education to everyone who wants it. Also, the cost of living is already too high for many people in Canada and it would be difficult to introduce tax raises to cover the expenses of introducing free university tuition.

Maybe university tuition shouldn’t even be free for all Canadians. One of the arguments for implementing free university tuition for all students is that it will make

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

A Sheaf guide

to moving to Saskatoon ZACH TENNENT

Opinions Editor

On Jan. 20, the United States will inaugurate a used diaper to the office of president. This impending doom is speculated to mean a boom in Canadian

immigration — especially among students — so I’d like to share some less-offered local wisdom to any future American-Saskatonians.

10. Saskatoon is not “exotic:” despite what the wonderful team at Vogue said in November 2016, Saskatoon is not an obscure or exotic place.

Apart from being a pretty problematic description, I

everyone equal, but this isn’t necessarily true.

One of the biggest indicators of whether a student will get a university degree is how much their family’s income is. According to Statistics Canada, 67 per cent of Canadians in the top 1 per cent income bracket attended university. However, only 21 per cent of all Canadians over 15 have attended university.

Further, the more highly educated a person is, the more likely they are to earn a higher income.

While it is possible for low-income students to get loans to attend university, it becomes much more stressful to earn a degree and also harder to get on your feet after graduating because of the debt that needs to be repaid.

So perhaps rather than providing free university tuition for all students, it would make more sense to provide free university tuition for students who otherwise can’t afford to attend university without going into debt. This approach would actually create more equality among students, and would also help to bridge the ever-increasing income gap.

Ontario has recently done studies to find that they could be a leading example in providing equal education for students. In 2016, the Ontario government announced a new policy of providing funding for students whose families’ net income is less than $50,000 per year, which will mean that tuition will be fully covered for these students and cost them nothing.

As well, they will have university education heavily subsidized for all students from families with a yearly income of $83,000 or less,

don’t even really understand what “vaguely exotic” is supposed to mean. We listen to Frank Ocean and have an Old Navy and everything — what’s exotic about that?

9. Canadians are not nice: it’s also important to dispel the harmful rumour that Saskatonians and all other Canadians are nice people. By and large, we’re very polite, but that doesn’t apply to all of us, and politeness and niceness do not go hand in hand — my coworkers and I are living proof. If you move to Saskatoon expecting that people will be kind to you, you’ll be in for a rude awakening as soon as you start dealing with SaskTel, so temper your expectations now.

8. You should absolutely never talk about the weather: it’s a cold city in a cold country and we’ve got no patience for anyone from anywhere else bringing it up like we’ve never noticed before.

This kind of subject matter is only the topic of acceptable conversation if the weather is worse in British Columbia that day.

7. You’re under no obligation to find any CBC TV shows funny: apart from a begrudging admiration for national “treasure” Red Green

and his delightful duct-taped ways, there is absolutely no mandate that anyone in Saskatoon has to relate to or enjoy shows like This Hour Has 22 Minutes. The CBC is an invaluable public resource in all other regards, but it’s important for future Saskatonians to know their rights against Shaun Majumder.

6. All-dressed chips aren’t good, but you’ll grow to accept them: this is a controversial but necessary truth to share. True to their name, all-dressed chips taste of all things under the yellow sun and they can be overwhelming. I might suggest you try eating them in the dark for the first couple times to avoid sensory overload, but you’ll come around eventually. We all do.

5. We have some kind of unearned superiority complex over Regina: that just about sums it up. Saskatoon is only slightly larger and doesn’t have a Burger Baron so I’m not entirely sure where our overconfidence comes from, but in any event, fuck Regina.

4. Lacrosse is huge here right now: time will have to tell on this one, but like a 15-year-old in the midst of their Sublime phase, Saska-

12 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

which means that they will only pay a fraction of tuition out of their own pocket.

They are able to do this by cancelling their previous educational tax credit programs, and re-allocating that money into these new government education grants.

Ontario will be implementing the new grant system for the 2017-18 school year, so maybe the best thing for Saskatchewan to do is to wait and see how it turns out for students and citizens in Ontario, before taking any further action.

quinnanya / Flickr Although free tuition would be nice, it might not be an option in Canada.

toon is just really into lacrosse right now. While this recent infatuation likely won’t last forever, lacrosse will likely stay a big deal for the next four years, and that’s the only timeframe we really have to worry about.

3. Milk doesn’t come in bags: this one requires some qualifying, as milk does come in bags in eastern Canada and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

That said, I find the whole concept to be utterly revolting and I will spare no time in denouncing it. In Saskatoon, milk has edges, damn it, and we like it that way.

2. We don’t have Flamin’ Hot Cheetos: I’m sorry if this is a deal-breaker for Americans but it’s important to be forthright about this sort of thing. To my knowledge, if you want to enjoy the robust zest of cheese and jalapenos, you’ll have to stay in the country with the Cheeto in charge.

1. Bunnyhug is a dumb name — get over it: look, we’re not idiots out here. We get that bunnyhug is a stupid name for a sweater. If we had a chance to do it all again I’m sure we would have but we’ve committed to this and we have to stick to our guns.

Please, give us a break and stop making fun. jan 19, 2017

PAGE TYPE OPINIONS

Paul C Babin / Supplied It has been decades since Joni Mitchell’s salad days in Saskatoon.

Leave Joni alone EMILY MIGCHELS A new effort to honour famed singer-songwriter and former resident of Saskatoon Joni Mitchell has recently been brought to city council. In light of past endeavours, this attempt

seems like a fool’s errand.

Maybe you took a computer science class with that one guy in town who’s in a band, or you’ve rubbed shoulders with a star, but you’re not going to run around telling everyone they’re your best friend.

Saskatoon resident Jan

Coleman wrote to Saskatoon city council requesting a sign be placed at city limits naming the city “Home of Joni Mitchell.”

Our city’s last attempt at celebrating the star was the harrowing attempt to construct a museum to honor Mitchell. Mitchell herself was gracious and helpful in this effort, which would have involved a public display of her old possessions. Then, we didn’t do anything. For years.

Roadblocks preventing the project from coming to fruition were frustrating and long drawn-out.

In 2013, Mitchell asked for her stuff back and — vis-à-vis — told us to screw off. The least we can do now is respect her autonomy.

So let’s just get one thing clear: Joni Mitchell isn’t and never will be ours to claim. Sure, she lived here during her teens and has spoken of the city as her hometown, but Joni Mitchell is not a rooted tree.

She was born in Fort Macleod, Alta. and moved from small prairie town to small prairie town as a child before stopping in the bridge city for a while.

Since then, she’s lived all over Canada and the Unit-

ed States. Who’s to say these other residences aren’t also the “Home of Joni Mitchell?”

Ultimately, it’s up to Mitchell to decide where she’s from, or if she’s from any particular place at all.

Let me explain this with a pop-culture reference, in case our city’s position with Mitchell hasn’t quite sunken in yet. Do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest explains how a young Elvis Presley lived with him when he was a boy and copied his bracedlegs dance moves? Imagine that Saskatoon is Forrest Gump and Joni Mitchell is our Elvis.

It already seems like a tall tale that she’s even from Saskatoon, and now we’re trying to say that in some way — even a small way — our city was responsible for her amazing life’s work? That’s a pretty big claim that we have no place in making.

It doesn’t matter if Elvis borrowed his dance moves from a little boy with metal all over his legs who would later grow up to be Tom Hanks. There are bigger things to worry about, and it doesn’t matter if the world knows that Mitchell is from Saskatoon — we’ve

got a lot of other great things going on that can be recognized.

While new plans for acknowledging the artist are much more scaled-back, it is inappropriate for any plans to move forward without the consent and support of Mitchell.

While being honoured by the city you spent your young life in sure sounds cool and special, if Mitchell doesn’t want this association, we shouldn’t force her hand. It seems pretty clear that she’s tired of dealing with Saskatoon’s misguided attempts at doing good.

Instead, let’s celebrate the people of Saskatoon who are working hard in our communities, creating amazing things and helping others right here at home. Mitchell is great and all, but if she doesn’t want the attention, we might as well direct it towards those outstanding individuals who are making a difference in our hometown.

Our now one-sided love affair with Mitchell is getting old, and it’s high time we stopped trying to get attention for our long-gone icon. Our mayor is friends with Zach Galifianakis — isn’t that enough?

2017 forecast optimistic, better than that horrid 2016 BODAN WOROBETZ Rumour has it that 2016 was one of the worst years in recent history. However, looking back further tells us a very different story about how horrible of a year we really had.

If I lump some of the bad stuff that happened last year together into one paragraph, then yeah, 2016 does sound like it really sucked. We saw countless acts of terrorism plague cities and nations across the globe, the oilsands hub of Fort McMurray was devastated by forest fire, war in the Middle East killed many and forced hundreds of thousands to leave the region, a wacky TV celebrity and real estate tycoon was elected leader of the United States and the entertainment industry lost some of its best talent.

These are only a few of many events that have been cited time and again for lending the title of “worst year ever” to 2016. The biggest problem I have with this claim, though, is that 2016 was not the worst year ever. jan 19, 2017

It wasn’t even remotely close.

While the above atrocities of the human world are no events to simply be brushed off and forgotten, it’s just not logical to relatively quantify 2016 as the “worst year ever.”

There are too many great reasons for this.

First of all, 2016 wasn’t 1962, when the Cold War was arguably at its peak and humankind nearly brought about its own destruction, resulting in schoolchildren regularly practising hiding under desks — shitting their pants with worry. It wasn’t 1939 or 1914 when world wars killed millions fighting to maintain democracy, as well as those fighting against it. It wasn’t any single year pre-1928 before Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming discovered the life-saving effects of penicillin.

It also wasn’t a time where running water, comfortable accommodation, access to health care and education, medical innovation, technological advancement and democracy for all were hard to come by or completely unheard of. Of course, all these

things still aren’t as accessible as they could be to people in every corner of the globe, but my point is clear. Life could be and actually was a lot worse for people in the past.

On another note, I’ll assume that the majority of the people who make the claim that 2016 was the “worst year ever” are either dangerously uneducated or just a bit naïve, having not experienced much in the way of societal negativity. In both cases, it’s forgivable.

It’s forgivable because human nature causes us to innately focus on the negative.

Studies have shown that people tend to place greater emphasis on and have stronger recollections of negative events.

Our brains are hardwired this way likely as a result of an evolutionary advantage.

More information is processed in the brain when experiencing a negative event in hopes of preventing or avoiding future calamities.

Cave men and women who could do this survived longer and went on to have teeny little cave babies, and so on and so forth. That being said, it’s human nature to think this way, but we now have the ability to think critically and learn, as modern humans.

Therefore, to quantify 2016 or any year as a bad year is understandable — but to call it

the “worst year ever” is a bit immature.

In sum, a lot of crazy stuff happened last year, some good, some bad and a lot not as bad as it could have been.

Bad things happen every year, sometimes more than others, but overall most people are still a lot better off than in years past.

This take-away applies to those who feel driven to make the comment that 2016 was oh-so-bad, as there is likely no known and comparable negative bad enough to warrant not making that comment.

That’s fine, but it’s important to learn a bit of historical knowledge and then apply that to the bigger picture.

The year 2016 might have subjectively sucked, but objectively, it did not. Do some research, check yourself before you wreck yourself and look forward to an optimisLaura Underwood / Layout Manager tic 2017.

www.thesheaf.com

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THROWBACK

Winter view of the campus in 1973.

University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, A-4904. Photographer: gibson.

Huskies men’s basketball team in 1946.

A mechanical engineering student works on a project in 1959.

University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, A-907

University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections , P hotograph Collection, A-1588

Seven women gathered in a residence room in 1915 in Saskatchewan Hall.

A professor and student at the Western College of Veterinary medicine in 1996.

University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections , Photograph Collection, J.E. Murray fonds, E.VII.5 image 3

University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, A-12227. Photo: Davs.

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jan 19, 2017

PAGE TYPE DISTRACTIONS

USSU to just keep all your money instead ROY ROMANOW STUDENT COUNCIL CHAMBER — In a highly uncontested vote, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union and members of Students’ Council voted on Jan. 18 to just hold on to all your money instead of spending it on dumb services no one uses. For USSU vicepresident operations and finance Miller Stephens, the initiative simply made sense.

“Do you have any idea

how much time and thought and money we’ve wasted on providing services that nobody takes advantage of?”

Stephens said. “Did you even know we offered a service where people would actually just write your paper for you? Of course you didn’t.

It’s Brunette Awareness Week right now and we’ve been putting on events that no one has showed up to. We fought to have elective cosmetic surgery covered under your student health plan and

still we get no thanks.”

Stephens seemed resolute that these lost services would not be missed.

“I’m going to come right out and be real with you — I went ahead and suspended all of this stuff like three months ago and no one has said anything yet,” Stephens said. “I’m sick of it.”

Upon further research, the Sheaf found that the Information Centre has been boarded up and that U-Passes have not worked since

late October 2016. When asked how the saved money will be spent, Stephens was hesitant to offer concrete answers.

“I really don’t care what we do with it, to be honest,” Stephens said, gesturing to a large garbage bag filled with cash. “There is no way we could spend it more irresponsibly than we’ve been doing for the past 108 years.

I won’t have to worry about rent for quite some time — I can tell you that much.”

WHITENINJACOMICS.NET

XKCD.COM

HARKAVAGRANT.COM

I See You

by The xx TANNER BAYNE I See You is the latest release from the English trio, The xx. The band’s emblematic spacey guitar riffs and husky harmonies return but this time, sounding more sophisticated and coherent than ever. If you liked how The xx sounded in 2009, then you’ll love how they sound in I See You — be sure to check out the song “A Violent Noise.”

Jeremy Britz

jan 19, 2017

photos of the week

photos of the week

Laura Underwood

www.thesheaf.com

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BACKPAGE PAGE TYPE

University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union

UNDERGRADUATE PROJECT

SYMPOSIUM January 26, 2017

North Concourse, Upper Place Riel For more information visit

www.ussu.ca

WANT TO BE INVOLVED ON CAMPUS?

PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT

VOLUNTEER AT ONE OF THE USSU CENTRES

ORIENTATION & TRAINING RETREAT January 21, 2017

Room 133, Arts • 10:00 am RSVP to help.centre@ussu.ca Attendance is mandatory for all volunteers

University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union

PrideCentre

Processes, Practices, Protocols: Ethical Approaches to Building Campus Community

Workshops with Marie Lovrod, Natalya Mason, and Zahra Ghoreishi

January 23, January 30, & February 6

4:00-5:30 pm in the Roy Romanow Student Council Chamber

16 the sheaf publishing society ∙ www.thesheaf.com

jan 19, 2017