November 9, 2017 (Science & Tech issue)

NOVEMBER 09, 2017

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YOUR UNI VE R S I T Y O F SAS K ATC H E WA N ST UDE NT NE WS PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 2

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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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SCIENCE& TECH issue

CORNER OF AVE B + 22ND 306.244.7813 (IN THE HEART OF RIVERSDALE)

ARE YOU READY?

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Defining science fictions and its subgenre

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Disability Services for How food interacts Students takes new name with your genes

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Jessica Klaassen-Wright

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

CULTURE EDITOR

Nykole King

Tanner Bayne

news@thesheaf.com

culture@thesheaf.com

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

Emily Migchels

Jack Thompson

opinions@thesheaf.com

sportshealth@thesheaf.com

STAFF WRITER

Lyndsay Afseth staffwriter@thesheaf.com COPY EDITOR

| Amanda Slinger

copy@thesheaf.com LAYOUT MANAGER

| Laura Underwood

layout@thesheaf.com PHOTO EDITOR

| J.C. Balicanta Narag

photo@thesheaf.com GRAPHICS EDITOR

| Lesia Karalash

graphics@thesheaf.com WEB EDITOR

| Jeremy Britz

web@thesheaf.com OUTREACH DIRECTOR

| Victoria Becker

outreach@thesheaf.com AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

J.C. Balicanta Narag / Photo Editor Despite the below-freezing temperatures, teams wear costumes and jump into cold water.

Campus jumps to participate in Chillin’ for Charity Edwards JDC West and other students raise over $10,000 in funds for Habitat for Humanity housing projects in Saskatoon.

| Shantelle Hrytsak

ads@thesheaf.com

NYKOLE KING NEWS EDITOR

COVER IMAGE

J.C. Balicanta Narag BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kyra Mazer Brent Kobes Emily Klatt Hasith Andrahennadi Momo Tanaka Liam Richards

ADVERTISING (306) 966 8688 EDITORIAL (306) 966 8689

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.

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.

corrections

In our Nov. 2 issue, the article “Documentary screening shines light on the Sixties Scoop” incorrectly implied that the Sixties Scoop took place throughout the 1960s and 1980s, exclusively. The article should have stated that the Sixties Scoop took place “from the beginning of the 1960s until the end of the 1980s” to include the 1970s.

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

2 / NEWS

On Nov. 2, students and campus community members bore cold outdoor temperatures and took a plunge into an outdoor pool for Chillin’ for Charity, an annual fundraiser for the Saskatoon Habitat for Humanity non-profit that is focused on affordable housing.

The event was hosted by Edwards JDC West, the University of Saskatchewan team that participates in the JDC West annual conference, a business competition in which students from western Canadian universities compete against each other in academic and non-academic categories. This year, the student group challenged Keith Willoughby, the dean of the Edwards School of Business, to take the plunge if they reached a fundraising goal of $7,500, which they surpassed on Oct. 30.

Meghan Johnson, a fourthyear human resources student and the vice-president charity of Edwards JDC West, explains that, this year, the event was held on campus in front of the Edwards School of Business, where an above-ground pool was filled with cold water from a fire hydrant.

“Now, we are almost past $10,000. Everybody on our team, every portfolio, dresses up in a costume and picks a song and jumps into the pool, and we get the fire truck to fill

[the pool] up for us, so the Saskatoon Fire Department [helps out], which is great,” Johnson said.

Every external team that participates in Chillin’ for Charity is required to raise $100 dollars.

Among those who participated are the Edwards Business Students’ Society and the U of S Students’ Union president, David D’Eon, who also jumped into the pool. All proceeds from Chillin’ for Charity will be donated to future housing developments in Saskatoon through Habitat for Humanity.

Along with a strong emphasis on charitable activities, JDC West hosts a yearly business competition conference between university teams that focuses on academic, athletic, debate and social achievements. Johnson shares that, besides Habitat for Humanity, their student group also volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House, the Friendship Inn and the Royal University Hospital, among other organizations.

“From June to December, we get as many charity hours as we can and raise as much as we can,” Johnson said. “This is just another way we can give back to the community and give back to [Habitat for Humanity], because they are obviously a great organization… We are helping them with their gala next week as well.”

The Habitat for Humanity gala will be held at 6 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Delta Bessborough

Hotel. Johnson explains that Edwards JDC West also competes with other universities for community­-involvement hours, and she believes that they will surpass their goal of 1,500 hours before December.

Last year, the event was held in front of Habitat for Humanity’s office downtown, but Johnson believes that holding the event on campus has improved university involvement, and she is thankful to ESB for their support with the event.

“Because we’re having it on campus this year, we’re having a lot more spectators and student involvement, which is great to see — having people out there [to] watch, and not just having our own team, … and having a DJ in the loop and spectators is awesome,” Johnson said.

Johnson explains that the other JDC West teams also host Chillin’ for Charity events and that some university teams use dunk tanks instead of pools.

She also explains that the U of S team is typically one of the last JDC West teams to host Chillin’ for Charity, as they intentionally pick a date later in the fall.

“We have to do [the event] before December, and then it’s just finding [out] when works best. Because we are from Saskatchewan, we push it as late as possible,” Johnson said.

“Some of the other teams do it in September, when it’s a little warmer, [but] we’re from Saskatchewan — we should do it when it’s a little colder.”

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NEWS

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Disability Services for Campus briefs Students renamed to include wider scope of barriers NYKOLE KING NEWS EDITOR

DSS employees believe a name change to “Access and Equity Services” will better reflect the services they provide to students.

Refugee-student law scholarship On Nov. 6, the College of Law announced that a specific scholarship has been created for students who have claimed or are claiming refugee status in Canada and are pursuing a three-year Juris Doctor degree. The scholarship will cover the complete costs of tuition, student fees and textbooks for the duration of the three-year degree.

Eligible students can apply for the scholarship if they are accepted into the JD program for Sept. 2018, after which an appointed committee will select the recipient.

The College of Law is encouraging donors to contribute to this fund. Students in the Law Students’ Association have supported the initiative by pledging to contribute $5 towards the fund from the proceeds of every First-Year Formal ticket that is purchased.

Student council bylaw amendments At the University Students’ Council meeting on Nov. 2 in the Roy Romanow Council Chambers, the USC discussed the proposed amendments to the bylaws. These amendments will be voted on during the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union annual general meeting at 6 p.m. on Nov. 23 in Room 146 of the Arts Building. The proposed amendments are as follows: • •

Kate Locsin Support services based on religion, family status and gender identity will be recognized in the renaming of the DSS unit.

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by DSS include exam and academic accommodations, lecture‑note sharing, advocacy for student accessibility, mediation between students and instructors and a variety of assistive technologies for reading and writing. DSS provides resources to students who also may encounter discrimination based on disability, as outlined in the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.

Maxine Kinakin, manager and associate registrar of accommodation at DSS, believes that updating the name to AES will be more inclusive for the students, who have various reasons for registering with the unit. “[AES] better reflects the supports and accommodations that we can provide, when necessary, to students who identify in the protected areas of the SHRC. This includes assisting students requiring accommodations based on disability, religion, family status — including pregnancy — and gender identity,” Kinakin said, in an email to the Sheaf.

Kinakin explains that, although students will notice the name change on all of the official documents and communications, the services that are provided and the students who are registered with the unit will

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KAY-LYNNE COLLIER

On Nov. 15, Disability Services for Students will be changing its name to Access and Equity Services to more accurately reflect the variety of support services offered to students at the University of Saskatchewan.

Over 1,800 students use DSS for advocacy, services and accommodations to help them during their time in university. DSS works with students to alleviate the barriers they may face during their academic program, including those that are related to a physical or mental disability and those that are not related to disability.

Christopher Slater-Lunsford, a third-year psychology student registered with DSS, believes that the change to AES accurately reflects the wide scope of services offered by the unit to him and other students who are registered for accommodations and services.

“They do their best to make it so all students have the ability to succeed here at [the] U of S, regardless of whatever additional challenges we may face. They’ve been great about addressing any issues I have,” Slater‑Lunsford said, in an email to the Sheaf.

Some of the services offered

not be affected by this change.

“I hope that the name change makes more sense for students who are needing support with requesting academic accommodations for reasons that are not related to disability. That said, the vast majority of students we assist are accommodated based on disability, and that will not change,” Kinakin said.

Kinakin notes that renaming DSS to AES is a huge undertaking but that her unit is working diligently to update all documents and resources to reflect the upcoming name change.

In Slater-Lunsford’s experience, navigating through campus can be difficult in certain spaces, because he uses a wheelchair for mobility. In one of his courses, which is situated in Room 143 in the Arts Building, he says that he is unable to access a spot at the front of the classroom, but the accommodations provided by DSS helped him overcome the accessibility barriers that he faces.

“They’ve helped ensure that I’m able to take final exams [and] get note-takers for various classes, and [they] work with me and my instructors on accessing classrooms,” SlaterLunsford said. “The situation is still challenging, but it’s certainly more accessible and equitable thanks to DSS and my instructor.”

to allow 10 more days before members of Students’ Council need to submit proposed bylaw amendments in advance of meetings to remove the requirement of USSU executives to register in classes during the regular academic year to change the date by which the USSU is required to hold by-elections for vacant executive or MSC positions to Oct. 31 rather than Dec. 1 to remove the requirement to immediately hold a runoff election before Mar. 31 if a candidate fails to get elected by a majority vote, resulting in a vacancy

Remembrance Day ceremonies On Nov. 11, the U of S will host a wreath-laying ceremony at 1:30 p.m. at the Memorial Gates in front of the Royal University Hospital. Protective Services will lay the wreaths at the monument in remembrance of the lives lost in service since World War I. Following the gathering, the USSU will host a reception at Louis’ Loft in the Memorial Union Building. Light refreshments will be provided, and all are welcome to attend.

Protective Services briefs*

Bicycle reunited with owner: On Oct. 26, Protective Services located a bicycle nearby Stadium Crescent. The bicycle’s serial number matched a stolen-property report. The bike was then returned to its owner.

Residence skirmish: On Oct. 27, Protective Services received a report of a fight outside of Aspen Hall, and upon arrival, the gathering of at least 40 people dispersed. Protective Services encourages anyone with information about this incident to contact them and reference file #ACT-2017-013574.

Bear spray: On Nov. 2, a geology student released a canister of bear spray in Room 136 of the Geology Building. No other individuals were in the room, and no injuries were reported.

The incident was accidental, and precautions were taken to ensure that the room was vacated and cleaned afterwards.

Suspicious persons: During the week of Oct. 30, Protective Services received reports of suspicious individuals loitering on campus around drug-storage areas, but no thefts have been reported. Protective Services encourages the public to be mindful of their surroundings when in areas of drug storage and to contact Protective Services if they notice anything suspicious. *Briefs provided by Protective Services.

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SPORTS&HEALTH

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Sheaf workout: Simple light workout for a healthy body KIMIA BAYATTORK No time to hit the gym? Heavy loads of studying stopping you from heading to the nearest fitness centre? Don’t worry, you can do this workout routine at home and still be in shape.

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SPORTS&HEALTH Professional boxing returns to SaskTel Centre Gary “Hocus Pocus” Kopas will fight his first match in his hometown, Saskatoon, later in November.

Complete twice Time: 14 minutes

LYNDSAY AFSETH

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Ab bikes: 50 reps (25 per side)

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Straight-leg situp and twist: 20 reps (10 per side)

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Raised-leg sit-up and twist: 30 reps (15 per side)

Graphics by Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

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his opponent never showed up for the match.

Similarly, in 2016, he was scheduled to fight Frank White for the CPBC interim cruiserweight title, but White failed his medical exam and could not fight.

Now 38 years old, Kopas hopes that the fight against Sall later this month will go forward without any problems and that he will finally fight his first hometown match.

Thunder on the Prairies will feature eight bouts with two Saskatoon-based boxers on the ballot. The organizers of the event made sure that there will be a mix of local and international fighters, as well as female fighters to provide the audience with variety.

Also featured at this event will be Saskatoon-based boxer Wayne Smith matched against Jorge Castro and Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation boxer Ian Abbott matched against Cesar Cardenas. Winnipeg’s Rawleigh Clements-Willis, Montana’s Shawna Anderson and Winnipeg’s Julio Escoria are also on the bill.

Smith, a 28-year-old Saskatoon-based boxer, debuted his career in late 2013.

He will be fighting Jorge Castro,

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Bent leg jackknives: 15 reps

It was an unseasonably warm May night when Donovan “Razor” Ruddock claimed the Canadian Heavyweight Championship title in 1988 at Saskatoon Place, now the SaskTel Centre. This was not Ruddock’s last championship title, but it was the last match he fought in the City of Bridges.

Twenty-nine years later, Saskatoon boxer Gary “Hocus Pocus” Kopas will fight in his hometown for the first time.

This will be the first professional boxing fight to take place at what is now the SaskTel Centre since 1988. Dubbed “Thunder on the Prairies,” the event’s feature fight will be Kopas against Saidou Sall of France in a 10-round international championship fight.

Late in 2000, the city council of Saskatoon repealed the boxing commission, which put professional boxing events on hiatus in the city until February 2016. Boxing events in Saskatoon have been at Prairieland Park ever since 1988.

Kopas started his boxing career in 2000, when he was 21 years old. He currently holds the Canada Professional Boxing Council cruiserweight champion title and is fighting for the international cruiserweight title against Sall later this month. Kopas has had a total of 21 fights in his career so far and has been on a winning streak for his last four fights.

This is the third time that he has been scheduled to fight in his hometown. The first time, in 2000, he was meant to debut his boxing career, but

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a Mexican-born boxer who started his career in 2015 and sits at a 3-1-1 record going into the fight.

Tw e n t y - f o u r - y e a r - o l d Ian Abbott is based out of Prince Albert and lives in Debden, Sask. In Abbott’s fourth professional fight, he will be facing off against Cesar Cardenas of Mexico.

This is only Abbott’s second year as a professional boxer, and his skills have yet to be demonstrated fully.

Thunder on the Prairies will take place at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25, and tickets are now available at all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket prices range from $31.50 to $52.50 before service charges.

The organizers of the event hope that having boxing matches in Saskatoon will increase the fan base for Saskatoon fighters. Having a bigger venue will make the fights more exciting and will hopefully engage the audience in a way that will put Saskatoon on the map for more professional boxing matches in the future.

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SPORTS&HEALTH

You are what you eat:

U of S research on food and genes

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Current research conducted at the U of S is revealing how our bodies interpret food — including the anti-aging effects of red wine.

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ERIN MATTHEWS

With so much information out there, it can be hard to navigate the murky waters of how your diet influences your body.

Everyone’s seen internet claims with various nutrients suggested as the key to a healthy life, but only scientific research can actually tell us what’s truly best for us.

Nutrigenomics takes a hard-science look at food’s role in regulating genes by analyzing how the various series of chemical reactions, called metabolic pathways, that happen within your cells are turned on or off. By understanding this, we can gain better control of our health through nutrients.

Nutrigenomics starts at the genome and builds its way out of the cell. Re-

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searchers analyze the movement of compounds through biological environments and the interactions that occur between them.

Right now, a complex interaction of tiny things is working to create your body. From your DNA replicating to your synapses firing away, these microscopic occurrences shape you. You are one thousand whispers of a billion biomolecules.

In a very real way, you are your genes.

You contain a blueprint of DNA that is tightly intertwined with proteins.

These proteins interact with thousands of chemical markers that tell your genes to be active or inactive. This is a dynamic process that is influenced by everything around you, from the light emanating from your phone to the food you eat.

Chris Eskiw, assistant professor in the

College of Agriculture and Bioresources, is interested in how an individual’s genes interpret their diet. His research looks at the delicate interaction between our cells and what we eat.

Eskiw emphases taking the approach of moderation, when it comes to diet and lifestyle, as a way to maximize disease prevention and healthy aging rather than focusing on particular fad diets.

“I get asked all the time, ‘What should I be eating? Is gluten out to get me?’ No, it’s not,” Eskiw said.

Eskiw specifically looks at the way certain compounds in food help to minimize the diseases that occur as we age. However, when asked if what he is searching for could be referred to as a “fountain of youth,” Eskiw stated that this isn’t necessarily his goal.

“We may refer to it as the ‘molecular fountain of youth,’ but we are not actually interested in immortality,” Eskiw said.

“We are interested in living healthier [and] longer.”

Take red wine, for example. We’ve all heard that red wine has health benefits.

Turns out there may be merit to this urban legend, and it has a lot to do with a specific chemical found in grapes called resveratrol.

Eskiw explains that research shows resveratrol may help our cells clean up their “cellular junk.” Cleaning up cellular junk — known as free radicals — makes for healthier cells, which makes for a healthier you. However, while the research shows lifespan extension in animal studies, this doesn’t necessarily translate to humans.

So, is red wine the Holy Grail of antiaging? No, not necessarily, but it does open a window through which to observe

how the compounds that we ingest are stimulating our genes.

Red wine is not alone in potentially influencing our genes in a positive way.

Metformin, a common diabetes drug, appears to have the surprising side effect of lowering incidences of cancers. According to Eskiw, how metformin achieves this effect is still a mystery to be unravelled.

“What we do know about metformin is [that] it tends to cause the cells to not recognize the nutrients in their environment,” Eskiw said.

Essentially, metformin tricks the cells into being content with the amount of fat and protein that they already have. Only the glucose that is necessary to the cell is used, and the rest is discarded — something Eskiw refers to as the cells “cleaning house.”

So, what exactly do a drug like metformin and a drink like red wine have in common? Strangely enough, it seems they may mimic a calorie-restricted diet through the way they influence cellular signals.

A diet lower in calories may decrease the occurrence of age-related diseases — like cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Compounds like the ones described above give the benefits of a calorie-restricted diet without modifying caloric intake.

The science behind healthy aging and disease prevention is complex, but thankfully, researchers like Eskiw are charting the mysterious seas of biomolecules and nutrient interaction. One day, their research may offer personalized preventative medicine to the rest of us, making the aging process a healthier and more fulfilling experience.

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CULTURE

EVENTS T H U R S

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QUEER NIGHT @ USSU PRIDE CENTRE, 6:30 P.M.

THE GLORIOUS SONS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

WOMEN IN POLITICS NIGHT @ U OF S UNIVERSITY CLUB, 7:30 P.M.

LAILA BIALI @ THE BASSMENT, 8:00 P.M.

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LAST SHOES OPEN HOUSE @ 318 AVENUE C SOUTH, 7:00 P.M.

MAUNO WITH THE AVULSIONS AND RAEBURN @ VANGELIS, 9:00 P.M.

THE RECKLESS FAMOUS WITH JUNKYARD BALLROOM @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M. RIDE TIL DAWN WITH THE WINDOWS UP ABOVE @ AMIGOS, 10:00 P.M.

Jaymie Stachyruk

S A T

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REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE AND PARADE @ SASKTEL CENTRE, 9:00 A.M.

REMEMBER TO GIVE FEAT. THE PISTOL WHIPS WITH GUESTS @ O’BRIANS EVENT CENTRE, 8:00 P.M.

GUNNER AND SMITH WITH ALL MIGHTY VOICE AND THE ASHLEY HUNDRED @ AMIGOS, 10:00 P.M.

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ALASDAIR RETURNS TO TONIGHT IT’S POETRY @ AMIGOS, 8:00 P.M.

From Star Trek to Stranger Things, science fiction is at the forefront of pop culture — read on to learn more about this illustrious intergalactic genre.

AMANDA SLINGER

COPY EDITOR

LITTLE MISS HIGGINS @ BROADWAY THEATRE, 8:00 P.M.

BROCK ZEMAN WITH BLAIR HOGAN @ THE BASSMENT, 8:00 P.M.

VIDEO GAME MONDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

CAPITOL OPEN STAGE @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M.

RORY LYNCH TRIO @ DRIFT SIDEWALK CAFÉ, 8:00 P.M.

STITCH AND BITCH @ USSU PRIDE CENTRE, 5:00 P.M.

TOONIE TUESDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

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WING WEDNESDAY

NOV. 9-12

SOUNDS LIKE VII: AN AUDIO FESTIVAL

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Science fiction explained: A survey of stellar sub-genres

@ LOUIS’ PUB, 5:00 P.M.

INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP: WORKSHOP WITH STEPHANIE KUSE @ PAVED ARTS, 7:00 P.M.

@ VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN SASKATOON

NOV. 8-11

SASKATOON SUMMER PLAYERS: LITTLE WOMEN @ BROADWAY THEATRE

NOV. 15-18

8TH ANNUAL SASKATOON FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL @ BROADWAY THEATRE

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Science fiction, or sci-fi, is a subcategory of speculative fiction — a broad genre that encompasses everything from superhero and fantasy narratives to horror stories and alternate histories. Speculative fiction constitutes imaginative, fantastical or futuristic conjecture designed to answer “what if ” questions.

So, if fantasy and sci-fi both qualify as speculative fiction, how can we differentiate one from the other?

Sometimes, there is very little separation between sub-genres, and indeed, there is a dedicated subcategory of speculative fiction called science-fiction fantasy, or simply “science fantasy,” that illustrates the potential crossover. However, the distinction can sometimes be useful.

While the line between sci-fi and fantasy can often be blurry, there are several distinguishing characteristics that point to a more scientific narrative. Firstly, sci-fi typically has a contemporary, futuristic or alien setting. Secondly, the sci-fi genre revolves around themes such as scientific or technological advancements, alternate or parallel realities, time or space travel and extraterrestrial lifeforms. And thirdly, unlike fantasy, sci-fi generally avoids supernatural and magical subject matter.

The genre is commonly split into “hard” and “soft” sci-fi — setting up a subjective binary wherein hard-science narratives focus on accurately depicting natural-science disciplines, like physics or chemistry, and soft-science stories focus on either unscientific or social-science themes, like superheroes or psychology.

Like all speculative fiction, sci-fi attempts to ask and answer hypothetical questions, which tend to explore the following predictive, cautionary or philosophical lines of inquiry: What does the future hold?

What does it mean to be human? Are we alone in the universe? What are the consequences of our actions?

There are also many different sub-genres within the sci-fi genre itself, including scientific romance, alien-invasion narratives, sci-fi horror and thrillers, biopunk and cyberpunk fiction, social-science fiction and stories set on parallel or alien worlds.

Scientific romance actually has little to do with romance. The term refers to classic sci-fi novels

written by 19th century Romantic authors such as H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley and Jules Verne. The best part about reading a scientific romance is that these books have all been released into the public domain — meaning they can be downloaded for free on smart phones and e-readers.

The alien-invasion sub-genre, however, is fairly self-explanatory. Some of the best sci-fi explores the first contact between human beings and extraterrestrial entities, including Illegal Alien by Canadian author Robert J. Sawyer and The Word for World is Forest by American author Ursula K. Le Guin.

Sci-fi horror and thriller novels include everything from classic scientific romances, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, to contemporary novels, like Michael Crichton’s celebrated Jurassic Park or his lesser-known biopunk novel Next. Biopunk narratives like the latter focus on human bioengineering, experimentation and cloning, exploiting the anxieties inherent in body horror and rapidly changing technology.

If you’d rather read about other worlds, check out Sawyer’s Neanderthal Parallax and Quintaglio Ascension trilogies, which primarily employ hard-science concepts. The former explores a parallel Earth on which Neanderthals became the dominant species of hominid, while the latter follows sentient Tyrannosaurs as they learn scientific concepts analogous to discoveries by Galileo, Copernicus, Darwin and Freud.

By contrast, social-science fiction explores topics such as human nature, society and culture. This subgenre is perhaps best represented by books like The Left Hand of Darkness and The Lathe of Heaven by Le Guin. Alternatively, read Philip K. Dick’s seminal cyberpunk story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to examine human consciousness, empathy and ethics via androids.

As you can see, sci-fi is a broad sub-genre of speculative fiction that spans all scientifically themed works of fiction from the 19th century to the present day. This complex and varied genre explores everything from outer space and alien cultures to alternate realities and futuristic robots. If you’re interested in learning more about science fiction, the English department at the University of Saskatchewan offers a 200-level speculative fiction course.

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Forget Star Wars: A starter guide to independent science-fiction films COLE CHRETIEN

Laura Underwood / Layout Manager

Coffee contraptions: The Sheaf’s guide to easy coffee-making You don’t have to spend loads of money or time to get your caffeine fix — there are a number of cheap ways to make coffee.

TANNER BAYNE CULTURE EDITOR

As the school term trudges on, many students will turn to coffee for respite. However, this increased consumption can put an economic strain on those who don’t have the time or equipment to make coffee at home — but it doesn’t have to be that way.

We are currently living in a coffee renaissance — no longer do you have to satiate your caffeine cravings with that barely functioning drip coffee maker in your cupboard or the burnt coffee you get from Tims. Here is a quick rundown of some of the easiest and most affordable coffee-making technologies available.

French press: After automatic-drip coffee makers, the french press is one of the more common methods to make coffee. This may be due to its simplicity — all you do is add your grounds to the cylindrical pot, pour hot water into it, wait 3-5 minutes for the coffee to brew and then plunge the grounds to the bottom.

The French-press method produces a luscious, viscous and flavourful cup of joe. Standard-sized pots usually yield 4-8 cups. However, French presses do leave some resid-

ual coffee grit in your cup, so watch out for that. The Bodum Brazil French Press is one of the best-rated coffee presses on Amazon and costs $23.99.

Percolator: If you’re itching to feel like you’re straight out of a steampunk story while you make your morning java, the percolator is your best bet.

Percolators are large-ish metal contraptions that use steam pressure created on your stovetop to make an espresso-style coffee shot. It takes around 5 minutes to to use. As with any espresso-like coffee, the taste is bitter and strong — so water it down if you need to. At $18.99, the Argon Tableware 6-Cup Italian Style percolator is one of the highest-rated percolators on Amazon.

Pour-over: Pour-over coffee makers employ the same mechanisms as typical drip machines to make your coffee.

The grounds sit in a chamber above the pot — usually in a paper filter, although metal filters are popular, too — and after you wet the grounds, gravity does the rest.

This results in a smooth and tasty cup of coffee, with little grit. What’s more, this method is the cheapest on this list, as the Hario V60 02 Plastic Coffee Dripper from — you guessed it — Amazon costs $10.60.

AeroPress: This is perhaps

the newest and trendiest coffee-making contraption on the list. The AeroPress has three components: a filter, a coffee basket and a brew chamber.

Similar to the French press, this method plunges hot water through the grounds to produce your coffee. It only takes 2 minutes to make a cup of coffee this way — so the AeroPress is perfect when you need that fix in a rush.

The Aerobie 83R01 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker runs for $37.95 on Amazon, making it the priciest option on this list. However, 40 bucks is about the amount that you would spend on just a week or two’s worth of Tims coffee, or like three lattes from Starbucks, so it’s worth it in the long run. And, unlike the other options listed, an AeroPress will fit nicely in your backpack, meaning that you can make a cup of coffee wherever you go.

With any of these methods, it’s crucial that you use good beans — beans, not grounds.

Grinding your own beans makes a world of difference when it comes to making coffee. I would recommend investing in a good coffee grinder as well. Krups Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder is a compact option that will only set you back $19.97. Cheers to a cheap cup of delicious coffee!

While many people are familiar with massive sciencefiction franchises like Blade Runner or The Matrix, fewer are acquainted with the genre’s low-budget gems. Indie sc i-fi classics — like the two in this article — prove you don’t need lots of money to tell interesting new stories in the genre.

Shane Carruth’s 2004 film, Primer, tells a story of two engineers who discover time travel as an unintended consequence of an electromagnetic experiment. The film’s uniqueness comes from it’s implementation of time travel, which is done through a convoluted — but intriguing — cloning process.

It’s a ridiculously complicated concept, and the film’s emphasis on authentic engineering jargon and experimental editing can make it disorienting. Primer is a puzzle box that only the most dedicated viewers will be able to make sense of.

However, it works as a commendable example of indie drama. As the characters develop differing ethical understandings of the technology, they grow to resent each other, creating an endless loop of murder and revenge in which neither of them is safe.

Another excellent indie sci-fi film to watch is Duncan Jones’s 2009 film, Moon. Produced with a relatively small $5-million budget, Moon is carried by photorealistic miniature work, an excellent score and a double performance by Sam Rockwell. The narrative follows Sam Bell, the only man living on the moon in 2035. However, when he discovers an unconscious astronaut — who looks exactly like him — he learns that he’s not as alone as he previously believed.

With interiors that surpass those in movies with 10 times the budget, Moon tells an emotionally ambitious story, while managing to look and sound better than most major studio films. The decision to use miniatures instead of CGI also pays off by giving the movie a unique analog feel.

Though most household names in the science-fiction genre are created in behemoth studios, Primer and Moon are great introductions to the exciting world of minimalist and independent science-fiction film.

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“COME ON”: Saskatoon campus Smash scene set to show their moves in new league JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

The competitive Super Smash Bros. scene in Saskatoon is an eclectic community that is poised to see growth.

I

n the genre of fighting games, the Super Smash Bros. — a fourth-year arts and science student at the U of S who has been franchise stands out. Health bars are replaced with per- organizing and running many of the Super Smash Bros. events on centage meters, and the gameplay is unlike anything else campus lately — speaks on the difference that a lack of online play that came before it. Alongside their game of choice, the makes to a gaming community. community around the game also stands out.

“The big difference is you gotta show up. You gotta interact with all The Super Smash Bros. series began on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and these people. You gotta talk to them. You have to sit next to them and has since released Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube in 2001, play for hours and hours, and it’s very personal, … which is cool, beSuper Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii in 2008, and most recently, Super cause it’s another added level of interaction and all that,” Reaney said.

Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U in 2014, which was dubbed Personal is the perfect word for the experience, which I discovered Smash 4 by the community in order to distinguish it from the first when I attended one of the weekly events that Reaney helped organize. installment.

These events entitled “Improving The game boasts a roster of Grounds” start at 3:30 p.m. and mainly Nintendo-owned characrun late into the evening every ters to chose from. Each character Wednesday in the International has their own set of attacks that, Student and Study Abroad Centre when used on an opponent, will located in Lower Place Riel. cause their damage percentage to The first portion of these sevincrease. Having a higher damage eral-hours-long events consists percentage means that the knockof friendly games — what some back of your opponent’s attacks might call “warm-ups.” Following -Dylan “Edge” Edgar, marketing and will affect your character more. these more casual games comes This knock-back effect is imsales representative and caster portant, too, because unlike in with SKL most other fighting games, the only way to take out your opponent in Smash is to knock them out of the stage boundaries. This mechanic creates excitement and tension, as it is possible to take out your opponent at any time in the game, using strategic attacks from your chosen character rather than having to deplete your opponent’s health bar to eliminate them.

It wasn’t until well into the internet age that Smash had online play, so the game’s following was built on basement couches with friends and rivals sitting side by side as they played. With many other popular e-sports, it’s long been possible to compete against players from all across the globe without leaving home, but this was not the case in the early days of the competitive Smash community.

The fact that all Smash tournaments require players to be physically present has certainly shaped the e-sport. Any competitor looking to climb the ranks will likely have to travel in order to attend tournaments — be it to the next town over, across the country or abroad for an international tournament.

The localizing effect of the game has also helped shape the Smash scene here at the University of Saskatchewan. John “Jcreans” Reaney

“We’re taking tournament organization in Western Canada to a whole new level.”

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FEATURE

a tournament-style bracket that takes up the remainder of the time.

Dylan “Pink” Voysey, a recent U of S student who attends the weekPlayers trickle in during the casual-play period, and by the time the ly Improving Grounds events, speaks about the community that he bracket comes around, the room is nearly full. sees forming around the latest Smash game.

With nothing but pride on the line at these weekly events, the com“The thing about Smash 4 is that it is so open to everyone. Our scene petition is fierce but not uncivil. Players are cordial to one another, — we have twelve-year-olds in our scene, and we have thirty-year-olds and most appear to be having fun. The majority of the set-ups play- in our scene. There’s just such a wide array of people across any specers bring are running Melee, be it trum [who play],” Voysey said. with the original GameCube verThe Smash 4 scene is about to sion or the Wii variant, but there expand, as SKL eSports recently are set-ups running the latest inannounced Smash Circuit, a se“We don’t like having stallments in the series as well. ries of recurring events meant to fun, so we turn items Watching players who are very bring a unified competitive Smash skilled and serious about the league to Saskatchewan. off. Then, another game compete at Smash Bros.

Dylan “Edge” Edgar, the marcomponent of pro-play, made it seem like a whole differketing and sales representative ent game than the version that’s and a caster with SKL, discusses if you’re playing Melee, played casually between friends. the two types of events that their [is that] you want to Ryan “Short Hoppe” Hoppe, a circuit will consist of. fourth-year computer science ma“Basically, … an A-Tier event learn the tech skill.” jor, talks about the differences be… is going to provide points for tween casual play and competitive the SKL circuit, and those points play in Super Smash Bros. affect your standings at S-Tier -Ryan “Short Hoppe” Hoppe, fourth“First of all, I’d say the [biggest] events — or Smashfests,” Edgar year computer science major factor is you gotta play with the said. rule set. Casuals — a lot of people The first of these events is — just do free-for-all. [They] use Smashkatoon 23, an A-Tier event items and stuff like that,” Hoppe that will be the first opportunity said. “We don’t like having fun, so we turn items off. Then, another for Smash 4 players to gather points. The event is scheduled for Nov. component of pro-play, if you’re playing Melee, [is that] you want to 11 at the Sandman Hotel, and while only Smash 4 players will be able learn the tech skill.” to accrue SKL points, the event will also feature Melee and a commuNot using items may seem counterintuitive to some — they’re flashy nity-built mod of Brawl entitled Project M. and part of the game, so why not use them? Hoppe explains, however, “At the end of the day, it’s just the Smash community that we’re lookthat items can take away some of the skill-based aspects of the game. ing to grow. We’re hoping that this Smash Circuit allows the better “There’s a thing called ‘variance,’ basically, and items can add that players to travel to both events,” Edgar said. “So, we might have some random chance. They spawn randomly. They do different things. players travelling from Regina to Saskatoon a lot more often, because Some of them are really broken, and stuff like that, so it’s just for the they want those A-Tier points.” best to have no items,” Hoppe said.

While Edgar explains that their current focus is to create a league Another thing that may seem confusing to those outside the com- for Saskatchewan, they do have their eyes set on potentially expandpetitive scene is the persistence of Melee despite the fact that there ing this league to all of Western Canada. These moves by SKL rephave been two subsequent official releases in the franchise since Me- resent big changes for the Smash community in Saskatchewan, and lee’s release in 2001. Reaney explains that this phenomenon comes as Edgar says, SKL will be bringing a degree of polish to the events. from the amount of enthusiasm that the fan base has for this iteration “We provide services that aren’t seen anywhere else. We provide in the series. the professional casting — we dress up in “They love the game, and the reason they love the game is that it’s suits, and we have the professional very nuanced. Melee in particular has a lot of weird nuances that make equipment… We’re taking tournait very fast,” Reaney said. ment organization in Western Reaney notes that these speed-inducing nuances allow players to Canada to a whole new level.” pull off various actions that are mechanically difficult. However, this excitement for Melee has not totally eclipsed the rest of the series, as there is still a large fan base for the latest game.

All graphics by Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

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Hashtag history: Important socialmedia platforms of the past Join the Sheaf for a look into the platforms and websites that shaped the contemporary social media that we know and love.

TASNIM JAISEE

Michaela DeMong Social media platforms have been important networking tools since their beginnings.

College of Law Admissions Information Session Thursday, November 23, 2017 4:00 p.m.

Everyone Welcome!

The Chair of the Admissions Committee, Professor Doug Surtees will discuss the application and admissions process.

Following a general presentation, students are encouraged to ask questions and participate in further information sharing where their individual situations can be discussed with current students and members of the College of Law.

The Honourable Calvin F. Tallis Classroom, Room 64, College of Law

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In June, Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Facebook had reached two billion users — a new milestone for all socialmedia platforms. While this achievement indicates just how immense today’s mediascape is, such a feat wouldn’t have been possible without the many formative social-media platforms popular before Facebook.

There’s no denying that social-media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat have become key players in how information is disseminated — no matter if we’re sharing a groundbreaking discovery or a cat GIF. However, these platforms weren’t the first of their kind.

For example, SixDegrees. com was a foundational website for many social-networking platforms. Created in 1997, SixDegrees.com was predicated on Frigyes Karinthy’s theory of the same name, which states that two people anywhere on Earth are interconnected by six connections or less.

SixDegrees.com users could send messages to their first-, second- and third-degree connections — and invite those not on the website to join, a unique function for media platforms at the time. This focus on networking made SixDegrees. com the thematic predecessor to platforms like Myspace and even Facebook. The website eventually shut down in 2001.

Long before Tumblr became a major platform for angsty teenage blogging, Open Diary was the place for teens — and adults — to vent their frustrations online. Launched in 1998, Open Diary was just what its name indicates — an online diary where users could freely express their thoughts.

The logs could be posted to public, private or friends-only diaries, and those allowed to read someone’s diary could comment on their entries. The site was shut down in 2014.

Myspace is another Tumblr-like platform — and at one

time, it was one of the most popular social-media websites on the internet. In the past, Myspace allowed users to create unique usernames and customizable layouts, giving the platform an undeniably unique feel — which is very similar to the atmosphere on Tumblr today.

Moreover, Myspace facilitated the creation of online communities for different interests and hobbies, where users were able to discuss their ideas about various topics. What’s more, Myspace even had GIF-like animations back then. Few would deny the seminal impact that Myspace had on the social-networking mediascape.

DeviantArt launched in 2000 as one of the earliest and largest image-sharing sites for art lovers online. The website is still running, though it’s not as popular now as it once was. By 2008, there were at least 36 million visitors to the website annually. Since 2006, DeviantArt has allowed artists to submit their work under Creative Commons licences — setting a precedent for imagesharing sites yet to come.

Before Spotify and Apple Music allowed people to share music, there was Napster.

While not directly paving the way for our contemporary music-sharing services, Napster was the first real indication that music was meant to be shared and proliferated through the internet. The peer-to-peer sharing method that Napster employed is thought to have initiated the downfall of the album-centred approach to music, which led to the evolution of the music-streaming sites that we use today.

Websites and platforms like SixDegrees.com, Open Diary, DeviantArt and Napster paved the way to today’s social-media platforms. Just as some of these platforms have risen and fallen, the platforms that we use today will inevitably also lead to newer forms of social media.

Until then, we just need to stick to our trusty Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram accounts and wait for what’s to come next.

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Nourish YXE and body positivity vs. weight neutrality EMILY MIGCHELS OPINIONS EDITOR

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CaNoRock helps students gain space-rocket experience A student who attended CaNoRock argues that the experience was worthwhile.

LYNDSAY AFSETH STAFF WRITER

The Canada-Norway Sounding Rocket student exchange program is a yearly program in which select students from universities in Canada and Norway spend a week at the Andøya Space Center in order to gain hands-on experience working with scientific rocket design.

The purpose is to get students engaged in space physics and atmospheric science. During the program, students work together to build a sounding rocket, which is a rocket that does not leave the atmosphere but instead collects data as it travels.

CaNoRock is an undergraduate program for students from the University of Saskatchewan — where it is counted as a three-credit course — as well as the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and numerous academic institutions in Norway, such as the University of Oslo. Twenty-two students in total participated in the program this year, including four students from the U of S — Connor Schentag, Liam Graham, Liam Gray and Simone Hagey.

Hagey, a third-year physics student with a specialization in astronomy, says she found the nine-day experience that took place in October valuable, because she believes there are not very many opportunities like this for students at the U of S. “It was really inspiring — we don’t have very many opportunities to get involved in that kind of science here in Saskatchewan,” Hagey said.

“We don’t have a rocket range where you can go [to] watch rockets, so it’s really cool for us to have [the] opportunity to go there.”

Hagey hopes to work in instrumental astrophysics when she finishes university, and she thinks that her experience at CaNoRock has given her the chance to see what it would be like to work in the field.

“It’s really inspiring for me, because I always wanted to be in this field, but I never knew if it was actually something I could do,” Hagey said.

“I always wanted to be involved in space missions but never really thought it would be possible, and then this trip made me realize how many different aspects there are to these kinds of missions.”

The Andøya Space Center, which is located in northern Norway, builds and launches sounding rockets while also creating a myriad of groundbased scientific instruments for international clients. This is a large space centre and an important place for scientific rocket design — and for space physics in general.

Hagey thinks that it is especially beneficial for students to get involved in programs like CaNoRock, because these initiatives will positively contribute to their university experiences.

“I’m in this kind of field, because I’m a curious person and I want to know more about how the world works, and this is an exciting way for me to do that. So, it’s important for people to get involved in these things, because expanding the frontier of what we know is important,” Hagey said.

Programs like these are integral to a student’s university experience — the more opportunities like this that they have, the more confident they will feel entering into their career and the more people they will be able to network with. With access to experiences like CaNoRock, students can learn in different environments and receive a more well-rounded education. That’s what university is about, after all.

On Nov. 17 and 18, Nourish YXE is back in Saskatoon, and it’s important that you know what it is. This conference aims to raise conversations about health and wellness in a safe and positive environment.

Nourish YXE started as a group of individuals with a goal to open a safe space for body-positive, accepting conversations.

Moving forward, they hope to challenge societal and social boundaries on our relationships with our bodies.

This year, Nourish YXE is challenging the flaws of body positivity with the notion of weight neutrality. Jessica BauerMcLure, a Nourish YXE committee member, says it’s important to change the conversation, because sometimes body positivity can have a regressive effect. “[Body positivity] exploded into this thing where now, in addition to feeling pressure from mainstream media to meet some sort of body ideal, we’re also feeling this pressure to ‘love your body,’” Bauer-McLure said. “We’re not about just adding another thing for people to fail at.”

In moving towards weight neutrality, Nourish YXE adopts the Association for Size Diversity and Health’s “Health at Every Size” principles, which focus their mission on weight inclusivity, health enhancement, respectful care, eating for well-being and life-enhancing movement.

“We’re looking at how we in society tend to moralize health.

How somebody treats their own body is ultimately their own choice. As much as we support people who are aiming for health in various ways, we want to really critically look at what health means — and why, so often, people feel as though they’re judged,” Bauer-McLure said.

Community initiatives like Nourish YXE are important and necessary. While Bauer-McLure says the conference will be of particular benefit to students in nutrition, kinesiology, sociology and health-related fields, it will be an inclusive and accessible space for all those interested.

What do you think about the trend of body positivity? Is it useful for developing healthy relationships with the self, or are we treading into judgemental territory? How can we work around our various body diversities within society and our communities?

Fostering a healthy relationship with our bodies might be the last thing on our minds as academics, but is there room in our busy lives to hear the discussions that Nourish YXE is bringing to the table?

What do you think? Drop a line at thesheaf.com, or tweet with the hashtag #sheafhottakes, and let’s talk.

The Nourish YXE conference will take place at Station 20 West. Registration is open until Nov. 10, and students are eligible for reduced pricing. You can learn more and get in touch with Nourish YXE at facebook.com/NourishStoon.

Krisjan Jude Photography / Supplied Nourish YXE committee members are opening dialogue on health.

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Misogyny in the music industry is not my jam Alice Glass shocked music fans when she revealed that she had been sexually, physically and psychologically abused by her producer and bandmate Ethan Kath.

MARIANNE HOLT

The abuse of musicians at the hands of their producers is commonplace in a music industry that is systemically sexist, and the inherent power dynamics in the producervocalist relationship are symptomatic of the misogyny

COMING EVENTS follow us

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SSO MuSic Talk

Eric Paetkau and Mark Turner will discuss the upcoming Masters Series Two concert Tuesday, November 14, 7 pM

ken DryDen

Saskatoon Launch

Game Change

Co-presented by the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association

Wednesday, November 15, 7 pM

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that pervades the music industry.

In 2014, Alice Glass, the singer of the electronic band Crystal Castles, announced she was departing from the band, citing professional and personal concerns. However, on Oct. 24, she revealed that her motivation for quitting the band arose due to more than a decade of abuse, which she suffered at the hands of her bandmate, that began when she was about 15 years old.

Glass’ statement was a heart-breaking and shocking revelation to fans, but the reality is that the abuse Glass suffered was not a one-off incident in the music industry. In 2016, coverage of artist Kesha’s legal battle with Dr. Luke saturated the news after she revealed that the producer had been abusing her since she was 18 years old.

Men like Kath and Dr. Luke are cretins, and it’s a sad truth that they occupy so much space in the music industry.

Kath’s weak defence in response to Glass’s statement was simple: “There are many witnesses who can and will confirm that I was never abusive to Alice.” There is no such thing as an omnipresent witness — that excuse is pathetic. Kath released a statement on Nov. 3 declaring that he is suing Glass for defamation. He’s chosen to blame Glass’s mental health rather than take responsibility for the allegations against him.

The experiences of Kesha and Glass evidently highlight the capacity that producers in the industry have to abuse musicians. We need to call out the

11/1/2017 3:05:35 PM

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music industry as a whole for the way that women are treated, given that the exploitation of females in music is wide-spread.

Ask any girl who attends gigs about her experiences, and you’ll discover the depressing reality that, for some unknown reason, creepy men think a concert ticket also works as a licence to sexually assault women. Predators thrive in a gig environment — it promises them anonymity, and thus, the freedom to grope without facing repercussions.

Sadly, the concert experience is not a safe space for women — and it is not much safer on stage. I am a bit of a HAIM fan girl — I have been to four of their shows, and at every single one, the members of HAIM were verbally attacked with crude heckles.

Women have such a horrendous time in the music industry. Any woman who dares to engage with music has to battle against patriarchal forces that either try to exploit them or keep them on the periphery of the scene.

In 2015, the reaction of fans to the news that Florence + The Machine were to replace Foo Fighters as the Glastonbury Festival headliners was an archetypal example of how the talent of female musicians is continually undermined.

Many fans were furious at the announcement, claiming that Florence Welch was not a worthy replacement and not ready to headline the festival.

What a ridiculous reaction — Welch is one of the best vocalists in contemporary music

and a refreshing change from the generic, straight white male musicians who always saturate the festival circuit.

Beyoncé will headline Coachella in 2018 — which is the first time in 11 years that the festival has booked a female-identified individual for the top spot. Why was there a decade of masculine domination, when there are a plethora of female-identified individuals who are killing it in the industry? It is undeniable that women have to work much harder than their male counterparts in order to be taken seriously as musicians.

Sexism is undoubtedly an issue in the music industry, but we can remain optimistic about the progress that has been made. Women are no longer staying silent — the #MeToo social media movement has inspired Alice Glass and many other women to share their experiences.

Moving into the future, we need to call out sexual predators and make an example of the gig gropers who try to sexually assault people, and we need to give the women who continue to slay the music scene the recognition that they deserve.

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

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Online classes:

Losing out on learning Online classes offer students flexibility, agency and easy information at the expense of valuable discussion-based learning.

Gabbie Torres It’s best to think twice about online education.

EMILY MIGCHELS OPINIONS EDITOR

At the University of Saskatchewan, many courses are offered online, across all programs and disciplines, to replace regular

lectures. While this class format promises to be more accessible for students, there are obvious flaws in the delivery.

We’re enrolled in university to learn, and online classes simply cannot provide the same opportunities for growth and development found in the classroom environment.

I take issue with any initiative that automates and restricts my expression. Learning, as I see it, is an ongoing and multifaceted beast. We learn from our professors, from our peers and from ourselves sometimes, too.

The value of dialogue and inclass discussion is insurmountable.

The educational diversity of the classroom environment offers social development in line with course objectives, and quite often, that’s the biggest take-away. Online classes at the U of S rob students of this social development. Your experience, and often the quantification of your learning through grading, is affected by the interactions you have and the relationships — no matter how superficial — that you can cultivate in the classroom.

It’s a daunting thing, getting to know your professors, but finding connections with them when you can will provide a solid foundation for your academic experience and will ultimately benefit you.

Online classes are also easy to ignore — a back-burner type

OPINIONS of obligation for students to actively procrastinate — and we do. Personally, I find that guilt is a powerful motivator. Seeing my professors in class makes me more accountable. Maybe you’re the type of person who can actively schedule and organize your responsibilities, but I’m not, and I don’t think I’m an outlier.

Structure, whether we like it or not, is pretty integral to student sanity. While developing structure should be an individual ambition, the university experience is not often conducive to healthy and productive schedules. The way the U of S structures online classes can further remove the ability of students to take care of themselves and really do their best.

Moreover, taking a class online further opens the door to unhealthy behaviours like sleep deprivation. While online classes do offer more flexibility for students, allowing you to bring the classroom to your couch at three in the morning — is that conducive to forming healthy habits? Probably not.

It is a privilege to study at an institution like the U of S. We should be wary of choosing an online education over real-time learning when both options are available to us here. And, when they’re not, we should ask why.

$5 all you can eat wings

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AHREN KLAASSEN-WRIGHT

We all love to keep up with the latest trends, so what better way to combine the powder keg of American gun violence with mindless cultural fads than this? This meme depicts the painful descent of respectable Youtubers into clickbait titles and an unnecessary quest for relevance. It also touches on the expectation that humanity will be more advanced in the future — when in reality, the world still revolves around a shallow need for distraction.

This meme is a dead meme, as fidgetspinner jokes lost their relevance months ago. I give this meme a look of extreme disappointment and a loss of hope in humanity.

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

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PROFESSOR JUST REALLY FED UP WITH PROJECTOR REMOTE ARTS BUILDING — Monday morning, tensions mounted between one professor and the audiovisual system in Arts 206, resulting in the subsequent cancellation of the class.

Enraged with the intermittently dimming projection and “difficult buttons,” he spent a considerable portion of the class comparing the technology and its installation in the classroom to a Maoist dictatorship.

Students were initially confused about whether or not the lecturer’s rant was a part of the course but

quickly realized that the material presented through snivelling and tears would not be included on the final. One student*, who was not in class on the day of the incident but received lecture notes through Disability Services for Students, shared their insights.

“I was surprised by the notes from this lecture.

Normally [this professor*] covers a lot of material in class, but after four points on the assumptions of constructivism, the information really derailed,” the student said.

Other students came forward to share their notes

with the Sheaf on the incident. One excerpt read: “We are living in a surveillance state. There is no autonomy — Big Brother is watching us through this tiny red button.”

The professor will be taking a leave of absence for the remainder of the term and hopes that, upon his return, the University of Saskatchewan will have at least considered his request to remove all digital technology from campus. *The identities of the individuals involved in this incident have been concealed for their privacy. xkcd.com

#albumoftheweek:

Is Everything Okay in Your World?

by Yellow Days Tanner Bayne

George van den Broek — the man behind the Yellow Days moniker — discovers an infectious strain of neosoul with his first full-length release, Is Everything Okay in Your World? The album sees van den Broek employ jazzy Mac DeMarco-tinged instrumentation, King Krule-style vocals and the screaming spirit of Charles Bradley in a quest to diagnose the modern condition — an impressive feat considering that van den Broek is only 18. If you’re ailing for whatever reason, listen to “I’ve Been Thinking Too Hard” for your latest sonic prescription. moonbeard.com

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Remembrance Day on Campus

November 11, 2017 Multi-Faith Wreath Laying Service 1:30 p.m. Memorial Gates (College Drive entrance)

Reception to follow at Louis' Loft in the Memorial Union Building