FEBRUARY 08, 2018
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Students reflect on Islamophobia
New exhibit highlights hockey’s cultural impact
Students face risks hosting events
Yea or nay to downtown arena?
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The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Jessica Klaassen-Wright
editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR
CULTURE EDITOR
Nykole King
Tanner Bayne
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SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR
OPINIONS EDITOR
Emily Migchels
Jack Thompson
Computer science program looks to increase enrollment Due to high demand, the administration is working to accommodate more students with a premium computer science program.
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Mission // 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, it provides unique insight into university issues through a student perspective. The staff of editors, photographers and artists collaborate with volunteers as student journalists to create a product relevant to students on the University of Saskatchewan campus. Legal // The Sheaf, published weekly during the academic year and periodically from May through August, is an incorporated non-profit that is, in part, student-body funded by way of a direct levy paid by all partand full-time undergraduate students at the 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 Sheaf Publishing Society is open to all undergraduate students at the U of S, who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Absolutely no experience is required! The 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 libellous material.
As students are focusing on their academic responsibilities, the University of Saskatchewan has begun to plan its budget for the 2018-19 academic year and is considering changes to the computer science program. The administration is evaluating whether or not to promote the computer science degree program to premium status, which would increase enrollment rates for the program and provide more funding through an increase in tuition revenue. This potential change in status is based on the high demand of students applying to the program and the high demand for tech-savvy employees in the job market. Peta Bonham-Smith, dean of the College of Arts and Science, explains that there is currently a waiting list for enrollment into the computer science program, because it is already at capacity for both classroom and laboratory space. She says that the upgrade does not imply that the program is inherently better than any other degree program. “By premium, it’s not putting it on a level, as a degree, above any other program. It’s premium, because there’s no room in it for students,” Bonham-Smith said. “It’s a premium program, because more students want to be in it than can get into it, at the moment, and that’s very
much like programs like medicine [and] like dentistry.” Bonham-Smith currently cannot say how much the costs of this specific program will increase with premium status, as the tuition prices for the 201819 academic year will be reviewed in March by the U of S Board of Governors. She explains that the College of Arts and Science is still consulting with the department and the student body on the upgrade and no specific details have been determined yet. In March 2017, the Government of Saskatchewan reduced base funding for provincial post-secondary institutions, leaving the U of S to reassess funding for operating costs. Bonham-Smith notes that the provincial budget has been a constraint on allocating resources to the computer science program, but that the increase in tuition price will be beneficial. “Whatever we do will have ramifications on everything else within the college,” Bonham Smith said. “What we’re gathering is information, so that we can come up with a good rationale as to what … we [should] do with our resources, and part of our resources is tuition revenue.” Peggy Anderson, a fourthyear computer science student and the president of the Computer Science Students’ Society, explains that the computer science program is facing a large
influx of students, which has been noticeable. “The classes are currently designed for small classes. I believe that changing the classes to be able to handle larger amounts of students will be extremely beneficial. As an example, our databases class had, from what I understand, … a fairly large waitlist, even after increasing the class size,” Anderson said, in an email to the Sheaf. “[Premium status] will definitely benefit students.” Bonham-Smith encourages students to come forward to the department of computer science or the CSSS with feedback on the potential changes. Already, student-consultation meetings have been held with the CSSS and the Arts and Science Students’ Union, says Bonham-Smith. Computer science graduates often have great success upon entering the workforce, because of the demand for workers in the booming technology sector, Bonham-Smith explains, which is likely why more students are choosing this field of study. “Every graduate out of computer science with a degree in computer science … pretty much gets a job, and what we’re hearing from the tech industry here in Saskatoon is that there are jobs waiting for graduates. So, one of the ways of trying to fill that job market is to increase some of those seats in computer science,” Bonham-Smith said. “It’s a resource issue.”
Land Acknowledgement // The Sheaf acknowledges that our office is built on Treaty Six Territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and affirm both the importance of our relationship with Indigenous peoples and students at the U of S and our commitment to recognize and remain accountable for our collective history.
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Students reflect on anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting In a public vigil at the end of January, students and community members met at the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan to express solidarity in a demonstration against Islamophobia.
J.C. Balicanta Narag / Photo Editor Roses were donated anonymously to the organizers, and then they were distributed to those who attended, as a token of gratitude.
J.C. BALICANTA NARAG PHOTO EDITOR
On Jan. 29, two University of Saskatchewan students organized a vigil on the first anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting to commemorate the tragedy, which took the lives of six people and injured 19 more. The vigil was held at the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan, and there were approximately 60 people in attendance. On the one-year anniversary of the attack, U of S students discuss how this tragedy impacted them and the Muslim community in Saskatoon. For Arisha Nazir, a health studies student and one of the organizers who was also the master of ceremonies at the event, it was an emotional moment when she named the six deceased men, as their pictures were shown on a screen before the audience. She explains that she felt the full impact of the tragedy as she spoke. “In that moment, I remember I was reading… I was looking at the pictures, and I looked up
and I saw my dad in the audience,” Nazir said. “Then, that’s when it started happening. I just felt really vulnerable.” The mass shooting occurred a year ago, on Jan. 29, 2017, at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec during the evening prayers at the mosque. Laval University student Alexandre Bissonnette perpetrated the attack on the worshippers in the mosque, leaving Canadians across the country in shock reaching as far as the Muslim community in Saskatoon, whose members also felt vulnerable and targeted. The meaning of the vigil may be interpreted differently from person to person, but to Kota Kimura, a U of S alumnus and member of the Anti-Racist Organizing Committee, the vigil was a symbol of fighting against bigotry and fascism. “I fully stand in solidarity with the Muslim communities and other people who face the oppression of white supremacy and colonialism and imperialism,” Kimura said. “We are seeing [a] resurgence of fascism, … which the perpetrator of the
shooting represented. I think it is important for us to unite and fight back against this resurgence together.” At the vigil, Nazir mentioned that the Canadian Muslim community has asked the federal government to designate Jan. 29 as a national day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia. In an interview after the memorial service, Mayor Charlie Clark noted that he was previously unaware of this petition, but that he and the City of Saskatoon would be willing to consider acting on such a request. “Given the number of people in our community that this impacts and the show of support beyond the Muslim community, I think it’s something that we would welcome to see at City Council for consideration,” Clark said. Anum Mehdi, a final-year student in kinesiology, notes that she once believed that Canada promotes inclusivity between different groups of people, but after the shooting last year, her view has changed. “As much as we enjoy to boast
about how inclusive and accepting Canada is, events such as this make you realize that maybe you are not so safe after all,” Mehdi said, in an email to the Sheaf. Balsam Arwini, a first-year medical education student, says she wishes there were more safe spaces available for marginalized groups of people. “I don’t feel secure, in the sense that I — along with many of my Muslim friends — often try to find the quietest places in Health Sciences, with the least amount of foot traffic, in order to complete our prayers,” Arwini said, in an email to the Sheaf. “I don’t think safe spaces for different subgroups of people in the student body are as wellknown [or] advertised as they should be.” Amani Khelifa, a fifth-year history student and the other organizer of the event along with Nazir, says that the vigil was meant to commemorate the Quebec City mosque shooting and also serve as a day to remember that Islamophobia and xenophobia still exist in society. She discusses how the U of S is
very welcoming to all students of various faith groups, but that there have been moments where she felt unaided. “I love the U of S — I love my experience here. I think our campus community is really diverse and really welcoming. But, it’s just one or two times. Things pop up once in a while that sort of remind you that ‘Oh, this is a problem, actually,’ and that Islamophobia does exist,” Khelifa said. Both Khelifa and Nazir consider Canada to be an accepting society, and in light of the mass shooting, their perspectives remain unchanged. Khelifa explains that the vigil held last year, which took place outside of City Hall, was an example of how united the Saskatoon community is, despite differing religious affiliations. “As terrible as this [violent] event was, I think that there are lots of things that we don’t see that are very beautiful and very captivating,” Khelifa said. “[The vigil] was also a moment [to say] ‘This is our potential…’ And, we owe it to ourselves to reach that potential.”
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Interfaith event aims to promote constructive dialogue among students On Feb. 2, two students at the University of Saskatchewan shared what they have learned from years of constructive conversation, hoping to foster a culture of interfaith dialogues and learning on campus. Brandon Bellows, a thirdyear statistics and philosophy student, and Ix Lahiji, a fourthyear computer science student, recognized that constructive dialogue is a challenging area for many students. Bellows and Lahiji, a Christian and an atheist, respectively, are good friends from high school who created an event to teach students how to have constructive conversations with those who have a different understanding of faith than their own. Bellows notes that the ability to create a dialogue that can forward mutual understanding is an important skill for university students to have, which is why he put on this event with the Christian student group Power to Change Ministries. “People often have really good reasons for why they believe what they believe, so I think that this event is maybe helpful, because it helps us learn how to engage with other people well. And, when there’s all this thinking going on and people have these different views, learning how to communicate [your views] well is an important skill to have,” Bellows said.
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The event, titled How to Talk to People of Faith, was held on Feb. 2. Every month, Power to Change hosts an event on a Friday where they bring in speakers to cover a variety of topics related to Christianity. Lahiji believes university students have the opportunity to strengthen their beliefs or adopt new beliefs through dialogues with one another. “University is supposed to be about looking at different views, and it is a place of learning. The world is full of a lot of toxicity right now, on a lot of levels,” Lahiji said. “If you want people to understand your point of view in the world, promoting a learning culture in the way you speak is just good.” The event covered a number of tips for students to have meaningful interfaith conversations, and Bellows believes the main takeaway is to go into conversations with the desire to walk away with a mutual understanding, instead of hoping to change the other person’s mind. “The foundation is evaluating what your mindset is in a conversation, and what the other person’s mindset is, too,” Bellows said. “If you’re going into a conversation and you’re so confident in your beliefs that you think ‘this person has nothing to offer me,’ then you’re going to try to have a one-sided conversation, where you just want to talk and the other person doesn’t listen.” Some other tips that Bellows and Lahiji shared are the
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U of S students organized and led an event to teach others how to have conversations with those of various faith communities.
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importance of maintaining a clear focus, not getting too off topic and not trying to purposefully stump the other person. Bellows also believes that an important part of discussing different beliefs is knowing when to say “I don’t know.” “Speaking from within the Christian community, I know that there’s a bit of pressure that can be felt, when you’re talking to an atheist, to have all the answers,” Bellows said.
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“It’s really about getting a dialogue started, so that if you’re faced with something that you haven’t encountered before, it’s okay to say ‘I don’t know’ [and] start a dialogue about it, think about it or do some research.” Bellows hopes the students who attended the event internalized that a productive conversation is not a competition and that it is important to have an open mind when talking to
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someone, because that is how beliefs are formed. “It’s really out of dialogue that a person really has an opportunity to come to a choice in what they believe,” Bellows said. “If they understand what you’re saying, that gives them the ability to say ‘I actually agree with these things, so maybe I should evaluate it and look towards believing.’ And of course, the other way, too — hopefully, you can learn from the other person.”
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Recipe:
One-pan Preventing another Nassar: chicken and Why young athletes may veggie meal be vulnerable to abuse preparation In the wake of the USA Gymnastics sex-abuse scandal, it may be time to think about the environment that highly competitive sports can create. GEORGE-PAUL O’BYRNE
Since the first public statements against Dr. Larry Nassar were made in late 2016, the world has been shocked by the horrific extent of the abuse he carried out during his two-decade span as the USA Gymnastics team doctor. As of Feb. 2, the number of Nassar’s victims is up to 256 — making him one of the most prolific sexual predators in history. If we direct our attention away from the deflated orange figure on the news, the case raises some important social questions — perhaps the most obvious being how someone was able to do this for so long without being caught. In order to prevent this kind of abuse, we need to understand the factors that allowed it to occur. Despite the uncomfortable nature of the case, athletes, coaches and medical professionals around the world have been participating in a discussion about just that — a discourse focusing on trust and accountability in the unique environment of sports medicine. The U of S has been no exception. Dr. Liz Harrison — sports physiotherapist, professor and associate dean of the School of Rehabilitation Science at the U of S — talks about some of the precipitating factors that can lead to cases like that of Nassar. “When I first heard [about Nassar] on the news, I was taken aback — I thought things were so much better. We ’ v e
made some great inroads over the years, but there are still problems,” Harrison said. Harrison has practiced for over 40 years in the field of sports physiotherapy and has worked for a variety of institutions over her career. She has also had the opportunity to work closely with local, provincial and Olympic athletes. As a former physiotherapist for Canada’s synchronized swimming and gymnastics teams, Harrison is able to offer a unique perspective on the case. “I am consistently amazed at how much stress is placed on young athletes — even at local, high school and provincial levels,” Harrison said. “Gymnasts are often younger females, and it can be hard for young athletes to cope, physically as well as emotionally. There are significant stresses.” The sport of gymnastics straddles the balance beam between athleticism and artistic performance — it’s incredibly demanding and fiercely competitive in nature. The amount of dedication required to reach the Olympic level is nothing short of heroic.
“Stress-factors, combined with the physical demands of the sport, lead to more injuries — and thus, more exposure to health professionals,” Harrison explained. It was in this environment that Nassar was able to earn the trust of his patients, before taking advantage of them. The pressures of high-level competition clearly signal the need for high standards of professionalism in sports medicine, with an emphasis on consent and understanding. According to Harrison, this is a commonly held belief. “I’ve, to my knowledge, only worked with ethical professionals who understood that we’re privileged to be in a position of such trust. With that trust comes a huge responsibility,” Harrison said. When Harrison practiced sports physiotherapy, she often did so as part of a large healthcare team — a system which provides built-in accountability, increasing the patient’s safety. This approach is considered common practice, but Harrison came across a number of exceptions in her career, including situations where only one or two physicians were solely responsible for a team. “Generally, these were smaller teams, limited by money or a lack of available physicians,” Harrison said. The vast majority of medical professionals are clearly devoted, compassionate people, but every so often, someone like Nassar can slip through the system. The pain present in the testimonies of the USA Gymnastics team members is undeniable, but just as evident is the role that competitive sport has played in fashioning these determined and incredibly brave young women, survivors of abuse that no one should ever have to endure.
SARAH BAINS
Recipe from www.buzzfeed.com Serves: 4 Time: 40 minutes
Mary Sarcauga
½ sweet potato ½ lb. (250 g) Brussels sprouts 1 carrot ½ head of broccoli 1½ lb. (750 g) chicken breasts Olive oil, to taste 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped 2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste To begin, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the vegetables, keeping them separate, and season them with some of the olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Place each type of veggies in a separate corner of a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Next, season both sides of the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper and the remaining rosemary, thyme and garlic over a second sheet of parchment paper. Seal the parchment paper around the chicken to keep it moist, and place the package in the centre of the baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and veggies are done to your liking. Separate the chicken and veggies into small food-storage containers in equal portions. If using plastic containers, allow food to cool down first. This meal works great with brown rice, so feel free to add some to your meal preparation as well. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for up to four days!
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Diefenbaker Centre welcomes new exhibit in celebration of hockey Hockey exhibit demonstrates just how important the icy sport is to Canadian culture. LYNDSAY AFSETH STAFF WRITER
Hockey is an important part of Canadian culture that has been bringing people together for years, and an exhibit at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre demonstrates just how special hockey has been to this country. The exhibit, titled Hockey: A Common Goal, was created by the Canadian Museum of History and is meant to celebrate the history of hockey in Canada, to examine how the sport has influenced pop culture and to highlight the players who have had key roles in making hockey what it is to Canadians. Adrienne Briggs, a museum curator at the DCC, explains that the exhibit will be of interest to all Canadians, whether they play hockey or not. “Hockey just connects [us] on so many different levels,” Briggs said. “You have the pro-
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fessional league, and then you have backyard rinks, and you have indoor and outdoor, boys and girls — not to mention different types and styles — so everyone can connect to it, [whether] you play it or don’t.” The exhibit might even be able to teach avid hockey fans something they did not know about the history and culture of the sport. Christian Pollock, a fourth-year political studies student and museum docent with the DCC, explains why the centre wanted to display the hockey exhibit. “When this exhibit was coming around, we were looking for one that would connect to different people and be popular, so obviously, having something like hockey is really interesting. And, people know a lot about professional hockey, but maybe the actual history and sociology of hockey is still a little unfamiliar to some people,” Pollock said. According to the exhibit, hockey evolved in Canada from Indigenous and European ball-and-stick games, and it has been played widely since leagues began forming in the late 1800s. Pollock discusses why hockey is such an integral part of Canadian culture. “[Hockey] is very unique to Canada — how it became pop-
Michaela DeMong Items from the storied history of hockey, like these skates, will be on display at the DCC until April 22.
ular because of our climate, and the certain people that came to Canada who played ball-and-stick games, and mixing that with our weather was a very quintessential Canadian sport that wasn’t really popularized anywhere else,” Pollock said. “It was a truly Canadian origin, in that sense.” Some things that you will see at the exhibit are memorabilia of all kinds, biographies of key Canadian players — such as Maurice “Rocket” Richard — and moments from pop culture — like Shania Twain’s Montreal Canadiens-inspired Juno Awards outfit in 2003. Pollock describes one of the
most popular parts of the exhibit. “Along with all the panels, the CMH also sent some TV screens, and one TV screen has three very famous goals from the history of hockey. And, you can put on a headset and actually call out the game — like what the announcers said — and then, you can listen back to yourself,” Pollock said. “It’s hard and embarrassing, but it’s really fun.” Hockey: A Common Goal will be at the DCC until April 22, displaying the impact that hockey has had on all Canadians and creating a history of the Canadian culture sur-
rounding the sport that unites many in this country. Briggs discusses what it is about the display that captures a part of what it means to be Canadian. “It’s a very visual exhibit. There’s lots of big pictures and lots of colour, and while there’s a couple lines of text to compliment [the visuals], it’s mainly about the images,” Briggs said. “When you go and look at pictures of hockey, you don’t need to read the description — you know exactly what you’re looking at, because they’re such iconic moments. That speaks to the testament of hockey.”
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Michaela DeMong The exhibit features a wide variety of hockey artifacts, like this Montreal Canadiens uniform.
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Book by U of S graduate highlights the intersection of finance and sport While commonly overlooked, the cost and policy associations with sport are at the centre of any league, stadium or team. MATTHEW JOHNSON
A new book authored by University of Saskatchewan graduate Justin Bedi is making waves in the sports world. Sports Are Worth How Much!? And Other Questions In Pro Sports Answered (Kind Of) explores some of the defining issues of professional sports in Canada and the United States. Bedi attended the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the U of S and believes his degree aided him during the creation of his book. “Writing the book was an awesome experience. It was so great to just hammer it out in seven months or so and do all the research and writing. I would definitely [attribute] a lot of my skill set that I used to write the book [to] the U of S,” Bedi said. Originally from British Columbia, Bedi notes that he enjoyed his time spent in Saskatchewan. “It was great being on campus — there’s a great sports culture there. I think that played a part
in developing my passion for sports, and coupling that with gaining a lot of skills from my master’s program there, it had a really good impact on the book,” Bedi said. In his book, Bedi dives into a wide array of topics in the world of sports, such as fantasy sports, ticket prices and why hockey is so important to Canada, looking at these issues from the perspective of economics and business. One main concept that Bedi tackles is the payment of collegiate athletes. While the issue has been widely discussed south of the border, concerning National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes, it has lacked traction in Canada, with U Sport athletes. However, while the principles are the same, Bedi believes that, even if an agreement were reached in America, it wouldn’t necessarily transfer over to Canada. “I would love to say that it would have a huge impact here, but to be honest with you, rightly or wrongly, it’s not as big of an issue in Canada. You don’t really ever hear about it from Canadian media outlets. You don’t hear
about it from students as much — they’re less vocal here. It’s not as big of a deal, [but] it should be,” Bedi said. Another significant topic that Bedi covers at length in the book is the concept of international expansion. He believes international expansion is inevitable and views the move as potentially the most significant shift in the sports industry that will take place in the next 25 years. Bedi dedicates a chapter to international expansion in Canadian and American leagues, and — accounting for population, fan interest and economic indicators — lists ideal cities for the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, stating that an an obvious location for the NBA is overseas in Beijing. “Basketball is extremely popular over there, and my research analysis tells me Chinese government and Chinese businesses, as well as the NBA, would be very open to starting something over there,” Bedi said. The book is one of the first of its kind, and Bedi believes readers will enjoy it, especially those looking for niche information
Justin Bedi / Supplied Justin Bedi’s new book looks at sports through a unique lens.
about the sports world. “I think people should check out the book. I think it’s really new, and I tackle a lot of different [and] unique topics that I think a lot of people have never even discussed before,” Bedi said. Bedi also takes up the task of making economics appealing by focussing on keeping his book entertaining. “I think I do my best to make
a subject like sports economics as exciting as possible, and there’s a lot of really bad jokes throughout the book, and I try to keep it light and fun,” Bedi said. “I would encourage people to check it out, and I think they’d like it.” Sports Are Worth How Much!? And Other Questions In Pro Sports Answered (Kind Of) is available for purchase on amazon.com for 15.99 USD.
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charlieclarkyxe Thank you to the @ussuexec for the opportunity to speak yesterday evening with an engaged and thoughtful group of student leaders at @usask. They demonstrated compassion, an understanding of the complex nature of city-building, and a desire to engage with the issues that cities are at the forefront of dealing with in society #yxe #usask #ussu
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Ankara Wave: Threading together campus cultures The Sheaf talks to a Ankara Wave co-ordinator about clothing, culture and getting to know Usask students.
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SASKATOON SUMMER PLAYERS: BROADWAY GOES TO THE MOVIES @ THE BASSMENT, 2:00 P.M. THE NOISE PRESENTS: BLACK LABEL SOCIETY WITH CORROSION OF CONFORMITY @ O’BRIANS EVENT CENTRE, 6:30 P.M.
PUPPET SLAM @ THE REFINERY ARTS AND SPIRIT CENTRE, 8:00 P.M.
Emily Sutherland Members of the Nigerian Students’ Association advertise for Ankara Wave in the Arts Tunnel.
SUNDAY NIGHT ACOUSTIC JAM @ BUDS ON BROADWAY, 8:00 P.M.
TANNER BAYNE M O N
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DRAG QUEEN BINGO: VALENTINES EDITION NEHIYAWAK SONGS & STORIES @ CARLYLE KING BRANCH LIBRARY, 6:30 P.M.
VIDEO GAME MONDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.
LADYBITS IMPROV COMEDY COLLECTIVE @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 7:30 P.M.
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SASKATCHEWAN INDIGENOUS STORYTELLING FEAT. RANDY MORIN @ SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC, 11:30 A.M. CANDLEMAKING @ OUTSASKATOON, 7:00 P.M.
TOONIE TUESDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.
SASKATOON PRIDE FESTIVAL COMMUNITY MEETING @ DRIFT SIDEWALK CAFÉ & VISTA LOUNGE, 8:00 P.M.
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THE ANTI-VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION AT WINSTON’S! @ WINSTON’S ENGLISH PUB, 11:00 A.M. WING WEDNESDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 5:00 P.M.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD WITH BREAKING BENJAMIN AND BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE @ SASKTEL CENTRE, 6:00 P.M. VALENTINE’S DAY AT THE CAPITOL WITH THE RAY ELLIOT BAND @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 6:00 P.M.
FEB. 8-10
USASK IMPROV PRESENTS: THE SECOND GOOD VIBES IMPROV FESTIVAL @ QUANCE THEATRE
UNTIL FEB. 9
INDIGENOUS ACHIEVEMENT WEEK @ UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN CAMPUS
UNTIL FEB. 17
CULTURE EDITOR
@ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 6:00 P.M.
THE BEAUX’ STRATAGEM @ GREYSTONE THEATRE
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The Nigerian Students’ Association is weaving together a night of cultural appreciation for their latest event, Ankara Wave. Set to run at Louis’ Pub on Feb. 17, Ankara Wave hopes to thread together all cultures on campus. Ankara Wave boasts a full program from 8 to 11 p.m., featuring speeches, musical acts and cultural dances that primarily showcase Nigerian culture. After 11, DJ Daniel and DJ Lanks will take the stage for a pub-wide party. On top of it all, the NSA is encouraging all attendees to dress up in their cultural garments. For Ankara Wave coordinator Femi Yusuf — who is also the president of the NSA and a seventh-year geology student — the event has a special emphasis on clothing, as he believes it powerfully conveys one’s culture through non-verbal means. “It’s unique in a sense. You don’t have to say anything, you don’t have to express it vocally, but you can find out something about a person — to a certain extent, not fully — from their fashion and garments that they
are wearing,” Yusuf said. “You can associate lots from clothing — it’s expressive. Everyone else can see it. It’s not like language, where I can say something and you have to decipher it.” However, the significance of clothing to Ankara Wave doesn’t stop there. Yusuf reveals that the collaborative and world-stretching aspects of attire-making are what thread the entire event together — even down to the name Ankara Wave itself. “Ankara is a term that is used to describe a type of clothing in Nigeria and West Africa — all of Africa really. It’s a fabric [or] a print that it signifies,” Yusuf said. “It signifies the relationship we all share. That’s why we decided to use its name. Ankara encompasses everything — the fabric is made elsewhere, many Africans wear it, and we all understand it.” For Yusuf, the primary aim of Ankara Wave is to share and celebrate the different aspects of Nigerian culture with the University of Saskatchewan’s student body. However, he hopes that attendees also feel like they can come to Ankara Wave to share their own cultures, too. “We have Black History Month every February that’s
a time for people to connect and learn about Black culture and African culture. The social aspect is to get people to come together and see that by wearing their traditional outfits,” Yusuf said. “We want to see people dress up. You get to see Nigerian culture — we want to see everyone’s culture.” Ultimately, Yusuf believes that Ankara Wave will provide a necessary cultural outlet for all students at the U of S. “Individuals are always connected to where they’re from. Associating culture with identity is something that is kind of lost, as students, as we come to school and group ourselves into different colleges,” Yusuf said. “Our culture is innate in us — it represents our true identities. I feel like everybody should be able to share that identity with everyone else. [Ankara Wave] is about showing people who you are.” Yusuf recommends that all Ankara Wave attendees dress to the nines — he promises a big prize for the best dressed guest. Ankara Wave hits Louis’ Pub on Feb. 17. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in the Arts Tunnel. For more information, check out Ankara Wave and the Nigerian Students’ Association on Facebook.
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Magnificent Lore adds splash of colour to campus art gallery Master of fine arts graduate George Gingras presents his culturally charged thesis exhibition to the U of S campus.
David Hartman
Promancy Transfiguration Wolf Roogaroos, acrylic and oil on canvas, 2017.
LAUREN KLASSEN
The Gordon Snelgrove Gallery’s latest show, Magnificent Lore, illustrates powerful stories of the heritage and personal experience of master of fine arts graduate George Gingras. Magnificent Lore is on display in the Snelgrove Gallery on campus from Jan. 29 until Feb. 9. Gingras created the exhibition as part of his MFA program — something that usually takes five years, but which Gingras finished in two. The exhibition is a striking visual representation of stories that the artist was influenced by while growing up. At the show’s reception on Feb. 3, Gingras described his artwork as imaginative realism. The exhibition is an oasis of vibrant colours, depicting an array of folklore-inspired animals and humans, with media ranging from graphite illustrations to acrylic to oil on canvas. One of the central elements of the exhibit is based on Gingras’s Métis heritage. For Gingras, the cultural stories and teachings he was told as a youth have influenced the
direction of his artwork and have given him the desire to portray these personal messages to his audience. “These clutches of knowledge are coming from my heritage, which is quite a Heinz 57 mix. They stem from French and Métis, Ukrainian, Polish and German from the other side. There’s a way of borrowing knowledges in order to teach perhaps new generations,” Gingras said. Despite these cultural influences, there is no specific theme to the exhibit, and members of the audience are encouraged to interpret the works themselves. Gingras does not want his audience to be restricted to the sole interpretation of whether the pieces reflect French lore or Métis lore, but instead, he hopes people will leave with diverse viewing experiences. “When we tell those stories that are rooted in tricks and riddles, then the interpretation from those teachings [becomes] very wide open, and those wide-open teachings allow you to discover who you are and move to self-actualization,” Gingras said. During his MFA, Gingras also studied neurolinguistic programing to learn skills he could apply to his work to com-
municate the ups and downs of academia to his audience. For Gingras, there are many factors involved in the creative process that always aren’t taken into account or explored. When Gingras finished his undergraduate degree, he was heavily in debt — a situation that is far too familiar for university students. This debt led him to study finances, which gave him the skills to help him invest as an artist and to be successful in the industry. Gingras explains how studying finances has supported his artistic career. “I think artists don’t just create art — they have to know the business. When I’m leaving this MFA program, I want to be debt free,” Gingras said. Despite the high cost of education, Gingras has remained ambitious to learn and to create his art. “I was never discouraged from creating my work,” Gingras said. “I knew success wasn’t going to be instant.” Magnificent Lore will be featured at the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery until Feb. 9. You can also view Gingras’s artwork, purchase prints and keep up to date on his artistic endeavours on his website, georgegingrasart. ca/pages/about.
Blue Jay and the Owl Flora, acylic and oil on canvas, 2017.
David Hartman
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Students may not realize the risks associated with hosting events, from pub crawls to potlucks.
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he presence of alcohol at university events can lead to safety risks for anyone involved, but student associations might be held responsible and even face punishment for hosting these types of events. The University of Saskatchewan’s non-academic misconduct policy has a wide scope, and with the upcoming alcohol policy, associations may need to re-evaluate the typical social events and fundraising strategies they pursue in order to accommodate these regulations. The Saskatchewan Pharmacy and Nutrition Students’ Society is currently navigating how to continue hosting social events while mitigating risks, explains Paige Wyatt, a third-year nutrition student and co-president, nutrition, of the SPNSS. “The thing we were concerned about is that we still wanted to be able to do the events, but we just wanted to be able to do them as safely as possible,” Wyatt said. “We want to minimize the risk as much as possible, while still giving [students] the autonomy to attend the events, … have fun and make their own decisions,” Wyatt said. It is not uncommon for associations to host social events, especially as a means to raise funds for professional-development opportunities for their members. At the Association of College Presidents meeting on Oct. 18, 2017, representatives from various colleges discussed their concerns on risk management, which led the U of S Students’ Union to increase event funding this year for AOCP groups by $17,000 overall to cover additional expenses. Deena Kapacila, vice-president operations and finance of the USSU, works with student associations to facilitate events and mitigate risks. Her biggest liability concern is pub crawls, as the students who sell tickets are liable if any incidents arise. “It’s challenging when I hear of bars in the city offering students these deals. They think that they’re getting this great thing, but if something goes wrong, your life is over, essentially,” Kapacila said. “Everything you had planned out for your future gets turned on its head just from organizing a pub crawl.” In the past, the St. Thomas More Students’ Union has hosted pub crawls, but this year, the STMSU executive has decided to move away from events that are exclusively focused on alcohol consumption, explains Jenna Casey, a fourth-year history student and the president of the STMSU. “I don’t think that any university group … should actively promote and host pub crawls, because those are gauged towards heavy drinking — so binge drinking, which is not something we want to support, and … even the name in itself — ‘pub crawl’ — you’re there to get drunk, and that’s a liability,” Casey said. The USSU can provide event insurance to associations for their events, which Kapacila says is a straightforward process. However, pub-crawl events and people on a pub crawl are not eligible for insurance.
“When it comes to pub crawls, … there’s no insurance. Their personalliability insurance they get through the USSU is void. You can’t get secondary insurance for pub crawls,” Kapacila said. Kapacila explains that if an incident occurs at any student event and a complaint is filed with the university, student organizers could be subjected to a U of S senate hearing for non-academic misconduct. She says that, often, student associations are subjected to nonacademic misconduct complaints, which are pub-crawl related. Shayan Shirazi, a second-year pharmacy student and co-president, pharmacy, of the SPNSS, also discusses that SPNSS has heavily depended on social events to fund professionaldevelopment activities for students. He notes that he is pleased to see the USSU providing extra funding for associations. “In the next couple of months, we
as specific club events like Beer Night, [which] created a revenue generator for us. Also, it enhances the student social-life experience,” Ortynsky said. Shirazi explains that, because of the rise in expenditures as well as the drop in general attendance at these events, the SPNSS is re-evaluating their funding strategies in hopes of maintaining their professional-development events. “It’s not like we weren’t liable for it before, so the policy makes you almost more cognizant that you are at risk and gives you an opportunity to prepare for that,” Shizari said. “Our budget is going to be restructured this year as well, … hopefully to accommodate these changes.” However, not all students may be supportive of these changes. Ortynsky explains that any constraints on alcoholrelated events would be circumvented by attendees and the act of mitigating that risk might create more stress for the organizers. “What, are you going to limit the amount of alcohol? [Students will] go
“We are one of the only business schools across Canada that does have a university that does not have a strict policy on alcohol-related events.” — Mikaila Ortynsky, second-year human resources, Edwards School of Business have things coming like mentorship night [and] many other professionaldevelopment events,” Shirazi said. “I think the university has almost recognized that. We talk to the faculty all the time — they recognize that the funds … don’t just go to other pub crawls. We use them for other learning opportunities.” With an alcohol policy on its way, some associations may struggle to supplement their annual budget, says Mikaila Ortynsky, a second-year human resources student in the Edwards School of Business. “We are one of the only business schools across Canada that does have a university that does not have a strict policy on alcohol-related events. I know the [Edwards Business Students’ Society] does not charge student fees, because of alcohol-related events like LB5Q, as well
around that,” Ortynsky said. “If there was that much risk, these people wouldn’t even be holding these events.” Wyatt also discusses that not all students have been receptive to the changes in campus culture, specifically when it comes to college traditions like the Bush Party for the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. “There was huge backlash against [cancelling the Bush Party], just because it had been a tradition in the college for a long time. It hadn’t always been what it had been in the last couple years. It used to be just a small event, … but it got bigger and bigger as we went on,” Wyatt said. “Lots of people still want us to have a bit of a bush party, but we know that it’s not an option for us anymore, for a variety of reasons.” Marlize Fourie is a fourth-year physiology and pharmacology student and
FEATURE student co-ordinator of the student initiative What’s Your Cap? at the U of S, which advocates for alcohol moderation. She notes that students often assume their peers are consuming more alcohol than they really are, leading students to feel pressured. “That’s also a problem in the media, where you see movies about college and it’s all about the parties. It’s not really about anything else,” Fourie said. “It’s [about] the perceived norms on campus and letting students know that isn’t actually what you have to do to have fun.” According to a university survey from 2016 on the What’s Your Cap? website, almost 25 per cent of students selfreported that they had not consumed alcohol for a month or even 12 months. For those who reported consuming alcohol, nearly half reported that they would not consume more than five drinks at a party. Because hosting alcohol-related events can be seen as beneficial for student associations due to the increase in attendance and in the amount of funds collected at an event, Kapacila is working to make risk management more approachable for associations. She discusses that she begins each riskmanagement session by talking about an innocuous subject, like potlucks, and then moves on to strategies that make social events safer for everyone. “A lot of that has do with duty of care [and] due diligence at events — understanding that the way you plan an event can mitigate sexual assault or actually increase the likelihood of sexual assault [and] trying to get students to understand that. There’s also a lot of funny things, too — like a potluck that’s free verses a potluck that isn’t has a lot of different risks involved,” Kapacila said. Fourie says What’s Your Cap? uses fun strategies to educate students on alcohol consumption. Their life-sized beer pong game is popular at student events, because each time someone scores, they receive beer goggles, which simulate a rise in blood-alcohol content, she says. “We really like to do that. We really like to be invited and try [to] make it fun [to] educate students on moderate alcohol consumption. We really like to collaborate with groups, and so, we’re always willing to help students out with their events to try [to] get more people to come in without using alcohol as an advertiser or as a pull,” Fourie said. Kapacila notes that associations can also alter their college traditions to host student events that are safer. One strategy she suggests is moving to an on-campus venue like Louis’ Pub, where the space is well lit, the bartenders are trained to recognize overconsumption and there are security personnel to monitor the crowd. Wyatt explains that she sees a trend toward students wanting to move away from large social events where the main focus is alcohol to safer events. “It’s really dawned on people in the past couple years that this is a rising issue in our society,” Wyatt said. “So, we have had to make some changes to accommodate that, and [we] just recognized the risk that’s involved for all our drinking events.”
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Humour, love and politics: Greystone Theatre presents The Beaux’ Stratagem The Sheaf speaks with director Julia Jamison about the Greystone Theatre’s latest production. BLAKE GRAHAM
This month, the Greystone Theatre showcases an immersive theatre experience with the restoration comedy The Beaux’ Stratagem. The play is full of charm, action, eloquence and wit, and it runs until Feb. 17. Produced in 1707 by Irish dramatist George Farquhar, The Beaux’ Stratagem follows two fortune hunters — Francis Archer and Thomas Aimwell — who seek to woo women and find rich wives throughout the English countryside. Although initially selfish, these men do eventually find love, and the mischief caused along the way makes their journey all the more entertaining. Julia Jamison — director of The Beaux’ Stratagem and assistant professor in the University of Saskatchewan’s drama department — has a love for the playfulness and wit of the restoration-comedy genre. She first introduced The Beaux’ Stratagem as part of an acting class, and the students loved reading it so much that they suggested it be included in the Greystone season. “This play is a joyful, buoyant play,” Jamison said. “It’s a perfect play for Valentine’s Day, because it’s about people falling in love despite themselves.” Restoration comedy is a unique type of drama that was popular in London in the latter
J.C. Balicanta Narag / Photo Editor The Beaux’ Stratagem is primarily a student-involved production.
J.C. Balicanta Narag / Photo Editor Julia Jamison believes The Beaux’ Stratagem is a great Valentine’s day play.
half of the 17th century characterized by anti-Puritan subject matter. While this dramatic tradition may at first seem dated, The Beaux’ Stratagem was actually adapted for the modern audience, a project that began with Thornton Wilder in 1939 and came to fruition in 2006 with the help Ken Ludwig. For Jamison, the renewal of the play allows it to reach contemporary audiences. “This particular adaptation gives the women quite a bit of
power,” Jamison said. “What Wilder and Ludwig have done to it has made it more accessible. It has the feel of a restoration comedy, but it’s still easy to take in what’s being said. It’s easy to follow the storyline.” This production is set on a thrust stage, which puts the audience on three sides of the actors — so people can be right in the action. If you have never been to a live theatre performance or are bored by seeing the same format of live theatre
again and again, this is a unique take on the traditional style of performance. Jamison says she believes the play will reach many audiences. “The costumes are works of art in themselves. There’s sword fighting, courtly dance and contemporary actors learning to carry themselves in an elegant way,” Jamison said. The Beaux’ Stratagem provides a unique take on classic comedy and drama, while also allowing students to support the U of S drama department and its students. The entire cast is comprised of students, from second to fourth year, who are currently enrolled in classes in the drama department. A majority of the crew is also comprised of students, who are involved in lighting, sound, live music, set design and all other aspects of the play. For Jamison, this stu-
dent involvement can breathe life into a 300-year-old play. “What I love about directing students is the open-hearted curiosity and joy from having these new experiences. It makes coming to rehearsal, frankly, a privilege,” Jamison said. If you are interested in supporting the arts at the U of S, then buy yourself a ticket to The Beaux’ Stratagem. The witty jokes, the mischievous heroes and villains, and the lively discourse — on marriage, politics and many other subjects, which lend themselves easily to cynic comedy — will provide a unique and enjoyable experience. To buy tickets or find out more about upcoming productions, visit the Greystone Theatre’s website or call the box office at 306-966-5188. Tickets are $19 at regular price, $16 for seniors and $13 for students.
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New Netflix Cold War thriller is an unnerving success The Sheaf’s resident Netflix reviewer is back with a look at the documentary thriller Wormwood. COLE CHRETIEN
A new Netflix documentary series called Wormwood mixes Cold War intrigue with experimental filmmaking techniques to create a master class in paranoia. The series is based on the highly publicized case of Frank Olson, a CIA scientist who was found dead after participating in Project MKUltra. In the series, director Errol Morris uses storytelling techniques, including documentary interviews with Frank Olson’s son Eric, as well as cinematic reenactments featuring Peter Sarsgaard as Frank Olson. After 65 years and no new compelling evidence, Morris’s motives for returning to this story are questionable, but by focusing on Eric Olson’s quest for truth, the series attempts to weave meaning into an otherwise meaningless event. The event at the core of Wormwood — the death of Frank Olson — occurred in 1953, and the show questions the nature of his death with help from journalist Seymour Hersh. Project MKUltra — officially sanctioned from 1953 to 1973 — consisted of a series of trials designed to study various methods of psychological torture for use in the Cold War. Through Eric, Morris begins to dis-
cover patterns in the story and mines them for visual motifs and allusions. Much of the look of the documentary is based on Eric’s master’s thesis in psychology on collage. Morris has a knack for taking the little things his subjects care about and giving them importance within the larger context of the story, such as how Frank’s fascination with religious reformer Martin Luther begins to mirror his own conflict with his CIA superiors. Potentially better suited to a filmlength work — not much happens between the first and last episodes — Wormwood runs over four hours in length. It relishes the repetition of events, the painstaking analysis of every possible “what if ” and the slow reveal of each new piece of information. These stylistic choices are meant to reflect Eric’s lifelong search for closure, as the series uses this pacing to place the viewer in the mind space of the subject. By focusing on Eric rather than Project MKUltra, Morris makes the story worth returning to, giving the narrative a human element and making thematic parallels between the two Olson’s separate crusades against the American Deep State. By the end of the series, legendary journalist Seymour Hersh also plays a
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greater role — giving a fascinating interview that is sure to frustrate some, while opening up new areas of speculation for others. Hersh’s interview is perhaps the most interesting part of the show, as he clearly knows the details of Frank’s death but is unable to share them without putting his source within the CIA in danger. His presence provides just enough detail that it’s easy to reach some con-
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clusions about who exactly Frank Olson was, and Hersh’s delight in the lack of a real ending to the investigation is haunting. All in all, Wormwood approaches a seemingly impersonal story of Deep State, Cold War drug trials and wisely focuses on the human beings at the centre of the story — a decision that makes the series worth watching.
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Build it and they will come, maybe: Saskatoon’s arena dilemma In times of tightened budgets, a stadium for downtown Saskatoon is a big investment to consider. JORDAN STOVRA
The people of Saskatoon will soon embark on a discussion of whether or not the city should build a downtown arena. Without a major tenant that plays year-round, this may be a poor economic decision for City Hall. The possibility of an arena has been under consideration since 2016, when a study was proposed to analyze the costs and benefits of arena construction in downtown Saskatoon — as well as the future of the city’s entertainment, hospitality and conference centres, such as SaskTel Centre and TCU Place. Although the survey results have not yet been released, one helpful Saskatonian proposed two possible locations for the new arena on Twitter — the current location of Toys “R” Us,
near 20th Street East and 1st Avenue South, and one block north of Midtown Plaza, on Pacific Avenue and 22nd Street East. However, building in either of these locations would definitely reduce downtown parking options. A downtown arena would likely require funding from municipal, provincial and federal levels of government. Mosaic Stadium — which was completed in Regina in 2017 — was built with funding from both the City of Regina and the provincial government. Mosaic Stadium’s major tenant, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, also chipped in 25 million dollars — which was only about 9 per cent of the final cost. Saskatoon does not have a major tenant who could help pay for this development. The Saskatchewan Rush, while popular, only play nine regular-season games at home each
year, and the Saskatoon Blades are struggling to draw in fans on a consistent basis. Furthermore, both of these teams already have adequate facilities. So, unless the proposed arena comes with the promise of a team that would be able to draw in thousands of people to each game — like an NHL or NFL team — the venue would also have to rely on large events like concerts, which can be difficult to plan and promote, to bring in revenue. It seems that Saskatoon is often passed over by bigticket tours or else falls victim to early cancellations due to a perceived lack of sales. In January, David Byrne of Talking Heads cancelled his tour date in Saskatoon only weeks after announcing it. Another problem that might arise from the addition of a downtown arena is increased traffic. Adding possibly thou-
Heywood Yu Should we add a stadium to Saskatoon’s skyline?
sands of people, travelling in their own vehicles, to an arena in our current downtown area would create an unfortunate traffic gridlock. Saskatoon would have to restructure its downtown area or add shuttle locations to the existing transit system in our city, like Regina did for their new stadium. Despite all this, there are some potential positives. The construction of a downtown arena and the subsequent influx of people would likely benefit businesses in the downtown core. Consider the demographics of the people who would attend arena events — these patrons would greatly improve business for the existing downtown bars and latenight restaurants. Furthermore, when I voiced displeasure about the possibility of an arena in downtown Saskatoon on Twitter, a friend of mine reminded me that it
would probably be better to have 2,000 drunk people with access to public transit in our downtown area than 20 drunk drivers coming down Idylwyld Drive after an event at SaskTel Centre. I ended up agreeing with my friend — a downtown arena could certainly assist in decreasing the amount of drunk drivers who travel across the city when events go on at our current major arena. Selfishly, I would love a downtown arena here in Saskatoon. It would be more convenient to attend games there, and the arena would probably draw bigger concerts to our area. But, I just do not think it would be economically responsible for the city — or the province, which is currently going through a period of austerity budgets — to fund a stadium that, in the spectrum of possible ventures, is not important.
In response to “Academic language limits accessibility” Academic language is a result of greater understanding, not a barrier to achieving it. WYATT BERNIER
When discussing the merits of academia, we should be wary of dispelling the foundations of our current knowledge — doing away with difficult academic language would only limit future learners. An article published in the Sheaf in January argued that, often, learning how to read and write in a more academic manner is inaccessible to people, and therefore, should be disregarded in future post-secondary learning. But, wouldn’t removing these socalled language barriers also limit people from achieving greater knowledge? I was initially intrigued by the article, as I’ve been struggling to understand some difficult philosophy and English texts, and I hoped it would provide some suggestions or study tips to enhance my vocabulary and allow me to fully engage with the material. Instead, the author complained about the difficulty of university texts
without any consideration of our responsibility as students to at least try to comprehend the material. The purpose of academic writing is to present complex, higher-level topics — which require higher-level language to be discussed — in a way that is free from the presenter’s own biases, making the material more objective. Don’t get me wrong, I think that, to a certain extent, academic language should be more comprehensible. However, that should come down to requiring clearer explanations on the parts of some writers, not lowering the standard of language across the board. When push comes to shove, I would much rather challenge myself to read higher-level texts at an academic level than diminish my vocabulary and read more-biased papers written in slang or vulgarism. Learning to read academic papers opens up an entire world of knowledge — which in turn, makes us more successful students. How can we strive
Gabbie Torres Big words wouldn’t exist if we didn’t need to use them.
for excellence, when instead of rising to the high standards of academia, we expect the university to lower itself to our own poor standards? Excellence is among the University of Saskatchewan’s core values, but mediocrity is not. The harsh reality is that the subjects we discuss at university — such as nuclear physics, child psychology, ethical relativism and more — cannot be
discussed in any other way. Academic texts are written by professionals and experts in these fields, who are subject to very high academic standards. More importantly, the intended audience of these papers is other educated individuals, not everyday people at the bus station. It has little to do with exclusivity or being in a higher social class and has more to do with the higher level of under-
standing we expect to achieve in university. Academic writing is simply supposed to reflect the particular knowledge of the author, and thus, challenge student audiences to seek an understanding of the material. So, the next time an academic article seems too difficult to read, crack open a dictionary and rise to academia’s standards — don’t try to lower the university to yours.
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The Baron’s blunder: Don’t lose faith in student journalism Following a fiasco at The Baron, what we really need now is editorial responsibility. EMILY MIGCHELS OPINIONS EDITOR
Student journalism is only effective when it’s credible — when The Baron neglected its editorial responsibility, it weakened the trust of its readership and cast an ugly shadow on the continued struggle for legitimacy among student papers across the country. The Baron — an online student newspaper operating out of the University of New Brunswick’s campus in Saint John’s — is facing national critique after publishing 2,000 words of unedited editorial that was oppressive, racist and fundamentally not factual on Jan. 25. The editorial — titled “Sex, Love, and Tomahawks” — was published along with a question-and-answer interview with Michael Thurlow, the author of the piece and leader of the National Socialist Canadian Labour Revival Party, conducted by The Baron’s then editor-in-chief, Anna De Luca. It appears that Baron staff sought Thurlow’s perspective
after his group claimed to be responsible for a number of racist posters appearing on the UNB Fredericton campus. Following backlash regarding the publication of Thurlow’s commentary, De Luca published her own editorial in defence of the pieces on Jan. 28, stating that “dialogue is the only path to freedom, progress, and representation.” Though these articles have since been removed from the newspaper’s website, their lasting effect could spell doom for the future of student journalism. Student newspapers in Canada are usually funded, in part, by student fees. For the 201718 academic year, the Sheaf has collected $8.46 per full-time undergraduate student in both the fall and winter terms. As such, there’s an obligation for us to provide the best possible service to those who are paying for it. Unlike subscription-based publications, a student newspaper with a levy is uniquely situated, as it has an obligation to provide the best possible service to a small but varied — and often apathetic — audience.
Where then do we draw boundaries, when it comes to freedom of speech and responsible reporting? It is certainly important that newspapers such as The Baron and the Sheaf publish a variety of content that reflects the diversity of the opinions, experiences and perspectives of its readership, but who gets to decide what’s right and what’s wrong? How should student journalists balance their publication’s content to adequately allow for equal and fair distribution of all these wide-ranging voices? It’s difficult to know for sure, and I’ve personally struggled with this question throughout my term as the Sheaf’s opinions editor. Above getting the story, chasing down a fiery lead or giving voice to the unheard, it is in the best interests of all student newspapers to first attempt to ensure that our publications relay information that is fair, responsible and ethical. There are inherent political and social implications to each and every article that passes through our papers, and we ought to be held accountable to that.
The Canadian University Press Code of Ethics states that hate and prejudice against any marginalized group is absolutely not appropriate in these types of media outlets, but rather, that “an ethical publication will seek instead to publish material which helps disperse such prejudices in its readership.” When the former editor-inchief of The Baron claimed in her defence that she “would never censor, never correct or challenge,” she neglected to understand that, sometimes, it is an editor’s job to ensure that their publications are accurate and attempt to serve the public good. When De Luca further claimed that “empowerment is offering students the ability to decide what information to consume,” she neglected to own up to the paper’s responsibility to those students who would be further disempowered by the publication of oppressive commentaries like Thurlow’s on an internationally accessible platform. There is a difference between controversial and crap. A pub-
lication will never succeed in publishing thought-provoking opinions-editorial pieces that are unanimously accepted or agreed with. Rather, what’s important is for the publication to distinguish whether or not the messages of these pieces can spark valuable discussions. There is immeasurable value in student journalism. Not only do these publications provide relevant information to an often overlooked media demographic, they also facilitate opportunities for all students to learn and grow within the media industry. What’s more, they often serve as the only platform by which student governments, as well as university affairs and procedures, can be held accountable. The Baron messed up, and there will be lasting repercussions for both their credibility and their overall legitimacy as a student publication. What we need to do now is ensure it never happens again — anywhere. I will continue my term as the Sheaf’s opinions editor with this blunder in the forefront of my mind, and I hope others might learn from it, too.
Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor
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OPINIONS
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Leaving after a bad budget is not leadership s Ed
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Is fleeing the scene after making a mess leadership? Nope. Brad Wall saddled the province of Saskatchewan with an unfortunate budget in 2017, then left his post as the Jolly Roger crashed and burned on Regina’s mighty shore. In 2007, the Saskatchewan Party swept into the legislature just as the province’s economy was on route to a boom. It was morning in Saskatchewan, and for many years following, that illusion of morning in Saskatchewan was ever-present. Premier Wall and his government have had ample money and resources to play with. The revenue of the provincial government for the 201617 year was nearly $11 billion. In the last revenue year under the New Democratic Party government that preceded Wall, that number was about $8.6 billion. And yet, the debt of this province is higher today than it was in 2007 — or even in 1993, when Saskatchewan nearly went bankrupt. By the end of 2017, the province’s public debt was around $16.1 billion. That number is predicted to rise to $22.8 billion by 2021. How exactly does a government get handed a royal flush and still somehow lose the hand? But, enough with the boring — albeit important — fiscal evidence that Premier Wall’s government did not appropriately manage money. Let’s talk about leadership. It is my opinion that Premier Brad Wall was not a true leader after all. Yes, I have respect for the office that he held for over a decade, and I’ll admit it is true that he is the most popular conservative Saskatchewan premier in modern memory. And yes, I have met him — he is a very nice man who treated me with respect on the few occasions we had the chance to speak, despite knowing I was not on his team. However, I would argue that anyone, even a very nice man like Wall, can manage a prov-
ince when they are presiding over record high revenues. I cannot stress enough how integral the resource revenue boom from 2008 to 2015 was to Wall’s success. Wall’s Graduate Retention Program — which originally gave graduates up to $20,000 towards their student debt if they stayed and worked in the province — might not have been possible without that boom. And yet, beginning in 2012, the province’s debt — which was previously being paid off — started to rise rapidly. In fact, six out of 10 of Premier Wall’s budgets were deficit budgets. Which brings us to 2017 — arguably the worst budget in Wall’s time as premier. This dumpster fire of a budget contained a five per cent cut in base operational funding for provincial post-secondary institutions. Additionally, Saskatchewan’s health regions were amalgamated in what was likely a cost-saving measure, and the Provincial Sales Tax was raised from five to six percent and applied to everything from your datenight supper to the clothing kids wear. I placed a bet with my friends that Premier Wall would resign in January 2019. My rationale was that he would take at least two bad budgets, own them, and go out having gone through the true test of leadership — governing in bad times. I lost this bet. Less than five months into this very bad budget, Wall announced his retirement from politics near the end of summer — when no one was paying attention to the news — on Aug. 10, 2017. To me, leaving after delivering the worst budget in his history as premier is cowardly. He did not own his mess. Premier Wall and his government are responsible for the fiscal challenges that Saskatchewan is facing today. The plaque that Wall placed above the cabinet office as he left reads: “Did you leave things better than you found them?” He hasn’t.
sh
AUSTIN MACNALLY
itor
One student’s not-so-good goodbye to former Premier of Saskatchewan Brad Wall.
sia Le
l ra Ka
a
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THROWBACKS
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Construction of the Administration Building, now known as the Peter MacKinnon Building, in June 1910.
University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, A-15.
Thorbergur Thorvaldson examining concrete samples in a cement-testing lab in 1958.
University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, A-1640.
Residence dining-hall waiters outside a residence building in the 1920s.
University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, MG 85, E.R. Simpson fonds , Series 1, file B.2, folder 3, image 5.
Students in a School of Agriculture laboratory in 1959.
The Gold Lounge in the women’s accomodations in Athabasca Hall in the 1960s.
University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, A-1382.
University of Saskatchewan, University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, A-4086.
Backtalk: If you were the President of the U of S, what would you do?
The Sheaf , Vol . 84, I ssue 25, p. 3, February 18, 1993, University Archives & Special Collections.
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PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE ROOMMATE LOUDLY CLEANS KITCHEN FOR FIRST TIME IN WEEKS VARSITY VIEW — Obviously frustrated by a lack of clean cutlery with which to prepare breakfast, Mary Mitchell’s weird roommate from Kelvington finally decided to wash several of the dishes that Mitchell had been neglecting since mid-December, one source confirms.
#albumoftheweek:
Changing Colours by the Sheepdogs
Tanner Bayne
It was the morning of Feb. 5 when Mitchell woke to the sound of clattering pots and pans. “At first, I thought [my weird roommate from Kelvington] had someone sleep over — I’ve never once seen them turn on the kitchen tap,” Mitchell said. Mitchell decided to stay in her room
until she felt the coast was clear, unsure if she wanted to face the already audible level of anger that she sensed. She says she was just thankful that someone was dealing with the mess. “They were being really loud and muttering, but I still couldn’t quite make out who it was. I thought I shouldn’t get in
the way,” Mitchell said. Though Mitchell’s weird roommate from Kelvington could not be reached for comment, a friend of theirs spoke to the Sheaf in defence of their character: “[Mitchell’s weird roommate from Kelvington] has a lot of other good qualities, okay?” the friend said.
For many Saskatonians — lifelong or otherwise — there is a weird compulsion to dislike the Sheepdogs. Their band’s latest release, Changing Colours, proves that many of us need to re-evaluate our opinions on our biggest rock-and-roll export. After two rather tepid releases, Changing Colours is a breath of fresh air for the Sheepdogs. Stylistically, this album feels complete — from the album art to the harmonies to the honky-tonk-influenced arrangements, Changing Colours seems like it came straight out of the 70s. Check out “Let It Roll,” and you’ll know what I mean.
xkcd.com
#PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Lauren Klassen moonbeard.com
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