November 30, 2017

NOVEMBER 30, 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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Students of Usask: Six student stories

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THEY’RE G O O D DOGS, USASK pet portrait fundraiser, page 4

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NEWS

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the sheaf

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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

| Amanda Slinger

Editor

COPY EDITOR

| Laura Underwood

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LAYOUT MANAGER

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copy@thesheaf.com

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| J.C. Balicanta Narag

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PHOTO EDITOR

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layout@thesheaf.com

photo@thesheaf.com GRAPHICS EDITOR

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| Lesia Karalash

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graphics@thesheaf.com WEB EDITOR

| Jeremy Britz

web@thesheaf.com OUTREACH DIRECTOR

| Victoria Becker

outreach@thesheaf.com AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

| Shantelle Hrytsak

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

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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.

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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

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

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

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Global Café aims to strengthen diversity at the U of S The political studies department encourages students to get together and talk about international interests.

LYNDSAY AFSETH STAFF WRITER

Diversity is increasing at the University of Saskatchewan, and with this increase come new initiatives with the goal of bringing students together. The Global Café, established this October, is one such initiative.

The department of political studies began organizing the Global Café to create a space where students from different backgrounds can get together to talk about international interests.

The Global Café meets in the last week of every month at Louis’ Loft, and they offer free coffee and snacks and good conversation.

There are over 130 student groups on campus, and many of them are concerned with and organized around international interests. Martin Gaal, a faculty member in the department of political studies, started the Global Café to bring all of these students together.

“It’s kind of a novel concept. Instead of having organized speakers or students coming together to discuss something in particular, it’s just meant to be a space for anybody with an international interest,” Gaal said.

The political studies department is working on several new international projects, including global-study certificates, which will allow students to demonstrate international competency in their area of study. However, in the midst of this internationalization at the U of S, Gaal still felt that something was missing.

“One of the things I noticed was that there wasn’t a place to bring together all these disparate groups that have an international focus but don’t really talk to each other,” Gaal said. “It would be lovely if the Latin American Women’s group talked to Amnesty International, which also talked to Intercordia, and they shared networks and alumni and contacts, kind of like an incubator.”

Gaal explains that he wants the Global Café to be a place in which students can discuss where they have been and what they want to do with their studies in the future.

“We want to draw on the experiences of our international students, people studying international studies, people who study abroad, people who want to spend time abroad and people who want to discuss options in their field for international activity,” Gaal said.

Every month, a different ratified student group sponsors the event. The upcoming event will be the second one held this year, and the organizers plan to have three more throughout the second term. If students are interested in getting involved, they can attend the events or email Gaal for more information.

Gaal believes that this kind of event gives students a broader view of the world, which is beneficial for both academic and personal life.

“I’ve felt very passionate about international affairs since my [undergraduate program],” Gaal said. “One of the most rewarding aspects of both my undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as my life in between, was just the experience [of] meeting other people and seeing a different way that the world works and challenging conceptions [that] we believe are true in Canada.”

The goal of the Global Café is to get students to broaden their horizons and challenge their perspectives about the world. Gaal believes that, especially in a place like Saskatchewan, this is an important part of education, and life in general.

“I think, not just students, but everybody kind of gets affirmed edges around their belief structures. We’re raised certain ways, we’re taught certain things, we’ve seen the world in particular ways, and bringing together people with different views and different ideas allows us to question what is and what should be.”

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USURJ publishes student research exploring life on Mars The U of S Undergraduate Research Journal continues to highlight student research for the fourth year in a row.

JALINE BROQUEZA

Not only is the University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Research Journal showcasing student research, but they are also encouraging first-year students to submit their work, following a first-year class project that will be published in the upcoming issue.

USURJ is celebrating the fourth volume of their publication and the diverse research that students are conducting across all colleges and disciplines on campus. One of the upcoming research papers, included in the forthcoming December issue, explores the possibility of living and producing food on Mars, a project that resulted from group research conducted in a first-year astronomy course.

Tara Chambers, a PhD student in the department of English and the graduate student editor-in-chief of USURJ, believes there are many benefits for students who submit their papers to USURJ, including scholarly communication.

“Undergraduates who submit their work are exposed to the publication process that

most scholarly journals follow and a majority of undergraduates never get to experience while learning how to write a professional publication for an expert audience,” Chambers said, in an email to the Sheaf.

USURJ is an online, peer­ reviewed scholarly journal that published its first issue in 2014.

USURJ publishes U of S undergraduate student research and review articles in various categories, such as health sciences, humanities and fine arts, natural sciences, social sciences and interdisciplinary fields.

Danielle Schlehahn, a firstyear veterinary medicine student, is one of six authors who worked on the group astronomy article titled “Can a Greenhouse Be Established on Mars?” that will be in the upcoming issue. She explains the positive experience of being a published writer with USURJ. “I was not familiar with the USURJ or the publishing process, but they were excellent in helping step by step and simplifying the process. When it was all finished, it was a really great feeling to have something published showcasing our hard work,” Schlehahn said, in an email to the Sheaf.

The article was a group project conducted for the class Astronomy 104: Astronomy of Planets, an elective Schlehahn took for her undergraduate degree. Schlehahn explains that she was asked to research a planet of her own choosing, along with Braden Barber, Brette Langman, Braden Kowalchuk, Jason Worobec and Alyssa Boudreau, and the group decided to write on establishing a greenhouse on Mars.

“Our project … explains the environmental conditions of Mars and how we could potentially alter these conditions to grow food for a hypothetical colonization of the planet.

Some of our group members chose to take our background in agriculture and adapt it to Mars conditions,” Schlehahn said.

U of S alumni are also eligible to publish their work in the journal but only if they submit their undergraduate research within two years of graduating. Both current students and alumni can submit their work through the USURJ website to be considered for publication.

Schlehahn discusses her experience of working with the journal and recommends that

other students submit their work.

“Publishing our paper was a great feeling of accomplishment. It was a surprisingly manageable process, [and] I would highly recommend it to any students thinking about starting the submission process,” Schlehan said.

USURJ will host a public reception to celebrate the December 2017 issue in the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery at 4 p.m. on Dec. 4. USURJ publishes one issue at the end of each

NEWS academic term, and then, at the end of the academic year, the best papers from both issues are awarded cash prizes.

Chambers explains that, with three published volumes and a forthcoming issue, USURJ is committed to showing the world the culture of undergraduate research on campus.

“Interdisciplinarity and strong working relationships between faculty and students [are] vital to the success of [the] U of S as an institution, and USURJ has been and will continue to be a champion of both.”

Jaline Broqueza Danielle Schlehahn with fellow authors Brette Langman, Braden Kowalchuk and Jason Worobec, pictured from left to right.

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lpwhitehead New jerseys 2.0 Aboriginal Joes HC got some new jerseys thanks to the Aboriginal Students’ Centre and Mr. Graeme Joseph! #aboriginaljoeshockeyclub #gavemyselftheletter #assistantcaptain #lastjerseypostiswear #campusrecuofs #getRECognized #usask

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Global Vets gets creative with seasonal pet fundraiser Veterinary students raise money to fund international volunteer trips with professional photos of people and their pets.

LYNDSAY AFSETH STAFF WRITER

A student group from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine has organized a fundraiser where students can get a holiday picture taken with their pets to help fund veterinary-student volunteer trips overseas.

Global Vets is a student-run initiative and club that has been well-established in the WCVM since 2002. Every summer, they send second-year veterinary students to countries in Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania to volunteer with various animal-health-care organizations abroad. This summer, 18 students will go on volunteer trips, and they will be holding their pet-photo fundraiser on Dec. 2.

Claudia Schlueter, a secondyear veterinary student, is one of the 18 volunteers who will participate in a volunteer trip

next summer. Schlueter explains that Global Vets tries to avoid “voluntourism,” which is when people do local volunteer work while on vacation, a practice that can often have negative consequences on the host country. “[Global Vets has] been around for a long time, and we’re a group of students that are really passionate about international travel, and learning about new cultures and communities, but also using this experience to give back to the communities. [We’re] really against voluntourism and more [about] giving back and also learning while we’re there,” Schlueter said.

Global Vets is college-endorsed program that fundraises throughout the year to help support their trips financially.

In one summer, students can volunteer in several different countries and organizations, Schlueter explains.

“My group is going to an organization in South Africa called

Champion Wildlife. They’re a wildlife clinic, and they use the clinic to promote conservation,” Schlueter said. “The next place we’re going to is called Zanzibar Animals Affection Society, and they do a lot of shelter medicine and sterilization programs to minimize the feral dog and cat populations on the island.”

Students volunteer for established organizations at whichever locations they travel to, and students must take the initiative themselves by contacting organizations and planning the trips. Schlueter believes that it is important to make sure that students will contribute something of value by volunteering.

“We decide where in the world we want to go, and within each group, we have subgroups.

There’s lots of places that have been established already and have been really great to go to, and then [there are] some people paving new pathways,” Schlueter said. “The students contact the organizations and ask if they

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Gabbie Torres The Global Vets photoshoot will have a holiday theme for pet owners.

would like volunteer students and talk about what they would let students do and how it would be helpful for them.”

Global Vets hosts a number of fundraisers throughout the year to subsidize the costs of their international trips. For example, they organized a Halloween pub crawl, and they will be hosting a flip-cup tournament in January.

The holiday themed pet photo shoot, taking place for the second year in a row, will be held on Dec. 2 at the WCVM. Schlueter explains how the fundraiser came about.

“The president of our group has an amazing friend who is a professional photographer and she’s volunteered to spend the day doing this for us,” Schlueter said. “We have 10-minute slots.

We’re going to get people to

come in and bring their pets.

We’ll get photos taken of them, [and] we’ll have a little set-up with a Christmas tree and decorations and stuff.”

Photos will cost $15 but only $10 if you bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Saskatoon Food Bank. To book a photo session, email the Global Vets president, Caitlin Shaw, at cas207@mail.usask.ca.

There will also be a table with refreshments for sale.

Although the majority of pets will be cats and dogs, Schlueter encourages everyone, including those with different kinds of pets, to schedule a photo session.

“We have one girl in our class who has a parrot, so she’s bringing that. No horses or cows, but anything reasonable you can bring.”

Campus briefs JESSICA KLAASSEN-WRIGHT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

U of S soil researcher receives $1.65 million

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, or NSERC, has awarded U of S toxicology professor Steven Siciliano $1.65 million to train a new team of graduate students in the environmentally sustainable distribution of fertilizer. The awarded program, titled Sustainable Applied Fertilizer Environment Remediation, or SAFER, will give 29 master’s and 13 PhD students from Western Canada and Europe the opportunity to learn both at home and overseas.

Protective Services briefs*

Come to Choices @ STM Wednesday, December 6th (10:30 -2:00pm)

(across from Place Riel main doors)

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stmcollege.ca

Thefts: Protective Services received several reports of petty theft from offices in the Peter MacKinnon Building on Nov. 22. No suspect was identified. Individuals are advised to contact Protective Services if possessions were stolen and/ or if they have information.

Fights outside residence: Two fights were reported outside the College Quarter residences on Nov. 24. Protective Services assisted several intoxicated individuals to return safely to their residences. Individuals with information regarding these altercations are encouraged to call Protective Services at 306-966-5555. *Briefs provided by Protective Services.

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SPORTS&HEALTH Huskies men’s and women’s basketball head in opposite directions With eight games down, the Huskies women’s basketball team has eight wins, while the men have been slow out of the gates this season.

MATTHEW JOHNSON

The Huskies women’s basketball team started out the 2017-18 season on fire, as they’re currently sitting at first place in the Canada West Conference, with an undefeated 8-0 record. They have dominated league play so far, outscoring opponents 683 to 438 over their eight regular-season games.

Huskies Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lisa Thomaidis has been pleased with what she’s seen from her team so far this season.

“What I’ve liked is that we’ve had lots of contributions from several different players to start the year. We’ve shared the ball well, and as a result, are getting some high-quality shots most of the time. We’ve been focused on playing with more pace on offence, and I think we’re starting to see the result of that,” Thomaidis said.

The Huskies women are led by second-year forward Summer Masikewich, who has been exceptional so far this season. Masikewich is averaging 17.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 65.4 per cent from the field. She is currently sitting at fourth in points per game and first in field-goal percentage in the conference. “[Masikewich] has been outstanding so far this season. She’s really become a dominant force for us, which really should be no surprise, given the outstanding season she had as a rookie,” Thomaidis said.

According to Thomaidis, Masikewich — who represented Canada at the 2017 U19 World Cup over the summer — has become a valuable player after a busy off-season.

“She’s improved every single part of her game from last season, as well as her strength, speed and athleticism, so that’s been exciting for me to see,” Thomaidis said.

The Huskies women’s team is chasing their third straight Canada West Conference championship and will look to make that dream a reality this coming March.

On the men’s side of things, the basketball team is in quite a different position. The Huskies currently sit in the basement of the Canada West Conference with a 2-6 record.

The Huskies men’s team has been involved in some tight games, but they’ve been unable to pull out victories. With such a young team, the Huskies have struggled to get production from their bench.

While the team has struggled as a whole, fourth-year guard Lawrence Moore has certainly not. Moore, who is in his second season with the program, has stuffed the stat sheet. The Chicago native is averaging 20.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists over eight games and is currently sitting at second place in the conference in steals with 27.

Alongside Moore, the Huskies have received excellent production from a quartet of local athletes. Four Saskatoon-born players — Alex Unruh, Joseph Barker, Emmanuel Akintunde and Addison Dewar — have started in all eight regular-season games so far.

SPORTS&HEALTH

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Unruh, a fifth-year graduate of Evan Hardy Collegiate is thriving in his final year with the Huskies. The guard is averaging 13.6 points per game, which is on pace to smash his career high of eight points per game from the 2015-16 season.

Unruh will be counted on as the leader of this inexperienced Huskies team, as they aim to rebuild the men’s basketball program.

The Huskies basketball teams will host the University of Calgary Dinos next weekend at the Physical Activity Complex, with games on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. The women’s team will tip off at 6:15 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m.

Sheaf Workout: Baby got back JENNA LEUNG Building a strong back requires an overall body balance and a combination of exercises. Training should incorporate a workout that targets distinct back-muscle groups — such as the latissimus dorsi, trapezius and erector spinae — to maintain a levelled and even back.

Be sure not to round your spine in exercises such as the barbell deadlift, landmine row and rope lat pulldown, as this technique is incorrect and may lead to injuries. Follow these exercises for a complete back workout.

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Barbell deadlift

Landmine row

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J.C. Balicanta Narag / Photo Editor Women’s baskteball sits undefeated with a record of 8-0.

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Rope lat pulldown

Alternating front raises

J.C. Balicanta Narag / Photo Editor The women will look to beat the Dinos to stay undefeated.

Graphics by Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

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Fitness class review: PiYo This week, in my series of fitness class reviews, I take a look at the blended exercise called PiYo. JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

PiYo is a music-driven mashup between Pilates and yoga designed to strengthen, stretch and firm up the core in a challenging, but generally low-impact workout, as I discovered for myself.

PiYo is one of the few classes that the University of Saskatchewan Fit Centre offers once a week, so the only time you can experience the class for yourself is at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays.

The scheduled time for this class brings up a common problem that I have with fitness classes at the Physical Activity Centre: many are scheduled at and around common meal times.

For PiYo, the mealtime conflict wasn’t an issue, but the classes offered at lunch aren’t an option for me.

Scheduling qualms aside, however, PiYo was an alright class.

Basically, the physical structure of the class involved yoga movements done to the pace of high-beats-per-minute music.

For much of the class, this made for a decent workout. However, I have a number of issues with the class.

One of the warm-up sets was a transformed version of a sun salutation that tested my ability to maintain balance and composure, as I tried to keep up with the rest of the class. While this was a challenge, and had me sweating early on in the class, it was by no means an uncomfortable feat to pull off.

However, later on in the class, I found some of the movements more challenging — for all the wrong reasons. One exercise involved a lot of weird footwork, coupled with complicated upper body movements.

Not only was this hard to accomplish without tripping, but the repeated leg crossing eventually made my ankles quite achy.

While my ankles do tend to get sore during certain exercises, I don’t think this was an issue isolated to my own experience. For comparison purposes, I had no such problems with the athletic step class that I took for this

Huskies men’s wrestling team has room to improve

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

After earning second place in Canada West in 201617, the Huskies look to reclaim the title, chasing after their second Canada West Championship in three years.

MATTHEW JOHNSON

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s wrestling team has been busy throughout the first half of their campaign, competing in events at Simon Fraser University, the University of Regina, the University of Calgary and on their home turf.

Wrestling Head Coach Daniel Olver has been pleased with

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what he’s seen from his group so far but acknowledges there is still a lot of room for improvement.

“We have had a decent start to the season thus far, but as a whole, there are many areas [that] we need to work on in order to meet our individual and team goals for the year,” Olver said, in an email to the Sheaf.

The team also recently took a trip south of the border to compete in the Jimmie Open

Jaymie Stachyruk

series earlier this month, despite the fact that it was centred around footwork.

This wasn’t my only painrelated issue, as I found that another set brought pain to my lower back from repetitious torso twisting. However, I am especially prone to this sort of irritation after a high-schoolfootball injury, so this obstacle

may not apply to everyone.

These problems aside, the class was a good workout and had me sweating profusely throughout much of the hour-long time slot.

While I managed to continue through the movements that made my ankles sore, I did have to take a break when my back started to hurt.

After completing the class,

I now recognize that I would prefer to do regular yoga, because I like the aspect of relaxation that many yoga classes offer — something that PiYo lacks. Despite this, I do have to say that PiYo was much more demanding than yoga, so if you want to sweat, it could be a good option for you.

at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. Olver says the trip provided challenges for the team, as American wrestlers compete under folkstyle rules — while in Canada, freestyle is the style of choice.

“The Jimmie Open is always a breath of fresh air. The athletes we compete against are brand new to us, so that is positive in terms of wrestling different styles. The men were forced out of their comfort [zones], because they had to learn the American style of wrestling, which can have its challenges,” Olver said.

While the results weren’t optimal, Olver notes that the trip was a learning experience for the team.

“This was positive, from a coaching perspective, because the message was to minimize mistakes and get to our offence if we wanted to be successful wrestling the Americans,” Olver said.

Returning to the Huskies for his fourth year with the program is Josh Bodnarchuk, an education student. Bodnarchuk will enter the 2017-18 season chasing his fourth straight gold medal at the U Sports National Championships, which would

set a new program record in U of S history for most national titles by a wrestler.

The men’s wrestling team also features a fresh crop of young talent. Hunter Lee is a firstyear education student who has been an immediate contributor for the Huskies, winning the Clansmen event at SFU. Olver speaks to the significance of the win for a rookie wrestler.

“Hunter [is] a rookie [who has] stepped up so far. He just recently won a senior-level competition in Vancouver. We have not had a male win that [event] in a while, and for him to do that as a rookie is impressive,” Olver said.

Another freshman standout is Julian Klinger, a first-year student with the Edwards School of Business, who competed for Saskatchewan at the 2017 Canada Summer Games. Olver says he has been impressed with Klinger’s performance in his first year with the Huskies.

“What I have liked about [Klinger] so far this season is that he really wants to go out there and win. It could be the simplest of things — like [a] warmup, game or … match.

He is all in. That’s definitely something you want to see as a coach,” Olver said.

Klinger, who is fresh off a second-place finish in the 82-kilogram event at the Cougar Invitational, hopes to improve as he takes on the challenge at the U Sports level.

“University-level wrestling is way more competitive than high school. Guys are just a lot quicker and their technique is more sound. The amount of competitions we’ve had is also something I’m not used to. I like it, though, because you definitely learn what works and what doesn’t on the mats,” Klinger said, in online correspondence with the Sheaf.

Although Klinger is still adapting to the U Sports level, he’s pleased with how the season has gone so far.

“My first season wrestling with the Huskies has been a great experience,” Klinger said.

“I have a lot of talented and competitive teammates that help me improve every practice.”

The Huskies will resume their game schedule on Jan. 12, when they travel to Edmonton to compete in the Golden Bear Open at the University of Alberta.

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CULTURE

WWW.T H E S H E A F.COM // @ U SAS KS H E A F

EVENTS

CULTURE

T H U R S

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QUEER NIGHT @ USSU PRIDE CENTRE, 6:30 P.M. ASSU PRESENTS: ARTS & CRAFTS @ THE UNDERGROUND CAFÉ, 8:00 P.M.

A TRIBE CALLED RED WITH SMALLTOWN DJS @ O’BRIANS EVENT CENTRE, 8:00 P.M.

MICHAEL BERNARD FITZGERALD WITH THE MIDDLE COAST @ THE BASSMENT, 8:00 P.M.

F R I

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FLOCK AND GATHER’S WINTER WONDERS HANDMADE MARKET @ SAINT JOSEPH PARISH HALL, 4:30 P.M.

THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE WITH YUKON BLONDE @ O’BRIANS EVENT CENTRE, 7:00 P.M.

THE WRONG JOHNSONS WITH MALICK @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:00 P.M.

Vanessa Heins / Supplied Yukon Blonde has been playing together for nearly 10 years.

Highlighting the best of touring, recording and growing up with Yukon Blonde The Sheaf catches up with guitarist Brandon Scott on Yukon Blonde’s transnational tour.

TANNER BAYNE CULTURE EDITOR

Few bands in the Canadian indie scene have put in the work like Yukon Blonde has. Between extensive touring and working to release a new record, Yukon Blonde continues to make waves.

In the band’s quest to bring their synthy, glamcharged sound to the forefront of the CanCon scene, the core team — Jeff Innes, vocals and guitar, Brandon Scott, guitar and vocals, and Graham Jones, drums and vocals — has recently brought in James Younger, bass and vocals, and Rebecca Gray, keys and vocals.

The Vancouver-based rockers have toured extensively in their near ten-year stint as Yukon Blonde, and they are now on tour again, supporting the Rural Alberta Advantage, as part of a near cross-continental tour.

The Sheaf caught up with Brandon Scott — a founding member of Yukon Blonde — to talk about the tour and the band’s upcoming album. For Scott, the differences between touring in Canada and in the U.S. are like night and day.

“We have Canadian radio — our team is based in Canada — everything is Canadian, so obviously, Canada is a little more intense, fan-wise. In the States, we have to work a little harder — it’s kind of like starting over,” Scott said. “America is a really crazy country but really accepting at the end of the shows.”

Despite these somewhat disheartening differences, Scott saw a silver lining to touring the States — the band could play a number of new tunes without disappointing fans who expect their hits.

Scott let on that this new material will be featured on Yukon Blonde’s upcoming album — the first fulllength release since On Blonde in 2015. He disclosed that Thomas D’Arcy of Taurus Recording is producing the album. D’Arcy has worked with the likes of Arkells, July Talk and the Sheepdogs. This is a first, of sorts, for the band, as they have done the majority

of the production on their previous albums themselves.

When asked about the specifics of Yukon Blonde’s forthcoming record, Scott was playfully reticent, declining to give the title of the album or a hard release date.

“I’ve got no answers for those questions. We’ve got a list of names. You want [the album’s name] to be good, so we’re being patient with it, but I won’t say anything yet,” Scott said. “As for a release, we’re hoping for a release early next year, because it would be nice to start touring.”

Though initially cryptic and secretive about the new album, Scott revealed that it will be more somber in tone than what fans have come to expect from a Yukon Blonde record.

“It’s definitely our most mature record — it’s quite heavy, emotionally, which is a little different for us.

I think we approached it, initially, as a dance record, but Jeff brought some upbeat songs in the beginning that didn’t make the cut,” Scott said. “I don’t want to call it a breakup record — but [Jeff] brought a lot of emotional depth to it.”

Ultimately, Scott said the album’s change in direction signals a more honed trajectory for the band.

“We’re in our early thirties — we’re not in our twenties, just trying to be rock stars now. After we travelled to all these places, we kind of finished the goal that we had when we started the band. Now, I think we really just want to record,” Scott said.

After nearly 10 years since the band first started, Scott states that Yukon Blonde has found where they want to be in the Canadian music scene.

“We’ve been learning as much as we can over the years, and I think we’re getting close. I think we just want to continue to make really good music that people would hopefully like, but also, that we really enjoy.”

Yukon Blonde will be playing with the Rural Alberta Advantage at O’Brians Event Centre on Dec. 1. Doors open at 7 p.m., and tickets are $25 on the O’Brians Event Centre website.

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NUTCRACKER MEETS DUKE ELLINGTON @ TCU PLACE, 7:30 P.M.

CHAMPION FULTON @ THE BASSMENT, 8:00 P.M.

SEAN KINGSTON WITH PETER JACKSON @ O’BRIANS EVENT CENTRE, 8:00 P.M.

THE CELTIC TENORS @THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 8:00 P.M.

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FAMILY DANCE PARTY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 1:00 P.M.

A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS WITH TREVOR WINGERTER & MARTIN JANOVSKY @ THE BASSMENT, 2:00 P.M.

BRODIE MONIKER AND TWIN VOICES @ THE RED ROOM HOUSE SHOW, 7:30 P.M.

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SASKATOON PRIDE FESTIVAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING @ OUTSASKATOON, 7:00 P.M. VIDEO GAME MONDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

ARYN EL HEFE AND TAYLOR JADE @ THE CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 7:30 P.M.

MIKE PLUME @ VILLAGE GUITAR & AMP CO., 8:00 P.M.

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

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

VIEWPOINTS FEATURING PETER STOICHEFF @ REMAI MODERN, 7:00 P.M.

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

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WING WEDNESDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 5:00 P.M.

OPEN MIC AT VENN @ VENN COFFEE ROASTERS, 7:00 P.M.

WOMEN CRUSH WEDNESDAYS: AN OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT @ O’BRIANS EVENT CENTRE, 7:30 P.M.

DEC. 1-3 UNTIL DEC. 2 DEC. 4-8

SUNDOG ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FAIRE 2017 @ THE SASKTEL CENTRE THE FESTIVAL OF TREES: FAVOURITE THINGS @ THE WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM SILENCE! ANNUAL ART AUCTION @ GORDON SNELGROVE GALLERY

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Edition 5:

Representation, individuality and culture

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VICTORIA BECKER OUTREACH DIRECTOR

Canada, one of the most multicultural societies in the world, is made up of about 200 different nationalities — not including the 634 different Indigenous groups.

The University of Saskatchewan itself is home to many vibrant cultures, languages and traditions. To delve into some of the rich diversity we have here on campus — although we can only scratch the surface — the Sheaf discussed representation, culture and individuality with six Canadian students on campus.

Josie Conacher: Ghanian-Canadian

College of Arts and Science, second-year microbiology and immunology

“I was born here — in North Battleford to be exact. My parents met in Ghana, which is where my mom is from. Then, they came here and got married. My dad is from [Saskatchewan] — Turtleford, exactly. He’s been in small towns his whole life. They moved to the tiniest town in Saskatchewan: Mervin, population 400, [now about 200].

“It was really tough for my mom, because it was such a big culture shock. For her, coming here, it was tough. It was rough for the longest time, because she didn’t know anyone… My mom decided that we should move to Saskatoon, so she could continue her studies.

“She had studied to be a teacher in Ghana, but often, in developing countries, once you come to Canada, the education doesn’t transfer over. My mom started her studies when we were kids, and my dad was working… There’s way more opportunities here than there would be in Ghana, especially education-wise. That was why they moved here… It was more like ‘How can they better themselves and have a better future?’”

Regan Ratt-Misponas:

Nēhiyaw and member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, from Pinehouse Lake, SK College of Arts and Science, third-year Indigenous studies

“The community that I come from is Pinehouse — that’s where I grew up. That’s where my feet had first touched the ground. That’s what I know best… I look at my family — I have a lot of first and second cousins that normally wouldn’t be very tight knit, but that’s the case within our family. We’re very tight knit, like brothers and sisters.

“Traditionally, that’s how many Cree families [were] as well…

That’s something that I was taught here in university — from elders, being here in Saskatoon. I was never taught that at home. It was something that sort of happened — it was something that we lived and never really thought about.

“My dad always told me to never forget where I came from. That’s something I grew up with him telling me and always mentioning. He didn’t only mean from a community. He meant, ‘Don’t forget the stuff that you’ve been a part of in the past’ — the character you were raised with, the gifts that you were given. Don’t forget the people that you’ve been able to meet along the way and the journey that we’ve been given.”

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FEATURE

Nykole King: Ukrainian-Canadian

St. Thomas More College, fifth-year international studies “I was born in Saskatoon… My great-grandparents were both immigrants from Ukraine. I was, very much so, raised by my grandparents. I think they talked to me in Ukrainian when I was a very young kid, so I’m sure I understood Ukrainian.

“Ukrainian culture kind of blended in with English culture sometimes, but there were some things that stuck out. I don’t know if it’s just my family, or all Ukrainian culture in general, but they were very much a ‘work your hands to the bone’ kind of people. That’s probably just a very immigrant thing to do. When I talk to other [Ukrainian] people, their parents were the same way — you work hard for every single thing you have.

“I spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a kid, and so I remember doing Ukrainian cultural things and traditions. After they passed away, I think I lost some of that… Getting into university was when I took the Ukrainian language courses here.

That helped a lot — I gained back that language and learned a lot about my culture.”

Yol Piok: South Sudanese-Canadian College of Arts and Science, third-year psychology

“We’re a pretty big, tight-knit family — nine people: seven boys and two girls. We’re all from South Sudan. That’s where we’re officially from. We moved here in 2000. My youngest brother wasn’t even born yet — he’s our family’s first-generation [Canadian].

“Both of my parents grew up [in South Sudan], and my dad used to be a financial advisor… It’s kind of funny how you can go from being a financial advisor in one city — a big job — to being a cab driver in Canada. It’s a big cultural difference.

“Whenever I go home, everything I eat is from our cultural background, and that’s how [my mother] keeps [our culture] there. She always talks in our native language with all her friends and my dad. They don’t necessarily push it upon us, but they would jokingly add snippets of what they would actually be doing back home.

“She still keeps it alive in us and lets us know we’re South Sudanese… We still do the traditional [Canadian] culture, but we add our own flare — switching it up and making it our own thing.”

Raluca Marincas: Romanian-Canadian Edwards School of Business, second-year marketing

“My name is Raluca Mihaela Marincas. I’m from Romania — I was born there… We moved to Canada back in ’98 — I was just over a year old. It was very challenging there…

The economy was very poor in Romania, and there was a lot of corruption within the political parties — it just wasn’t a safe place to be.

“I know the only reason my parents came to Canada was because of me and my sister.

They were well off in Romania. My dad had a house attached to the church — he was priest of the orthodox community [there] and is in Saskatoon as well. Everything was fine for my parents. Moving to Canada was for our sake.

“In order for us to advance and be productive in the future, my parents came to Canada, the land of a different type of opportunity. You have more help and railings to get to the steps you need [to succeed]. Opportunity is easier here… But, I always felt like I had to choose between being either Romanian or Canadian instead of learning that I could be both, without having to let people define what was better for me.”

Darian Lonechild: Nēhiyaw, from Wapi Maskwa, SK College of Arts and Science, third-year Indigenous studies

“My home is in southeast Saskatchewan, in a community called Wapi Maskwa — [or] White Bear — [in] Treaty 4 Territory. However, I have grown up in Saskatoon. There is absolutely Indigenous representation on campus, especially with the Gordon Oakes building and all of the activities that take place there. The Indigenous Students’ Council is in place to push [for] more representation on campus in decision-making … as well as events.

“How I represent my culture on campus is simply [by] being in attendance to my classes, as well as bringing my own personal experiences and knowledge as an Indigenous woman to class discussions. The representation of my culture is easily recognizable through my skin colour and long hair, on the exterior, and it represents my Cree and Saulteaux blood.

“I don’t think I need to go beyond that to represent my culture, because it is not entertainment for other people. I do acknowledge that, not long ago, Indigenous peoples had been punished for representing [their] culture. Indigenous students are representations of the resilience and love that is deeply embedded within their culture. I am proud to represent that.”

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I’m an INTJ — what’s your Myers-Briggs personality type?

The Sheaf talks with U of S psychologist Tracey Carr about the potential and peril of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

CLEO NGUYEN

At this time of the year, many students turn to personality tests for some necessary procrastinating. While we will always have Buzzfeed quizzes, few of their tests are as popular as the MyersBriggs Type Indicator.

The MBTI was created in 1944 by mother-daughter team Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, based on the work of Carl Jung. Originally, the test was designed to help women know their personal preferences better, as this would help them determine which wartime jobs were best suited for them. The tool sought to identify an individual’s basic inclinations towards four dichotomous indicators, resulting in one of 16 personality types.

Building off the work of Myers, Briggs and Jung, the wildly popular 16personalities.com provides another iteration of the Myers-Briggs personality test — this time with five personality aspects: mind, energy, nature, tactics and identity. What’s more, they provide a great deal of information to help contextualize your type.

For example, I’m an INTJ-T, which the 16 Personality quiz dubs “The Architect.” This means that my mind aspect is more introverted than extraverted, my energy is more intuitive than

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

observant, my nature is more thinking than feeling, my tactics are more judging than prospecting and my identity is more turbulent than assertive. My results were spot on, painting me as both a starry-eyed idealist and a bitter cynic.

Though fun to take, many people might not know the limits of MBTIrelated tests. So, I emailed Tracey Carr — a lecturer on personality psychology at St. Thomas More College — to learn more about MBTI-based quizzes, like 16personalities.com.

First off, Carr usually recommends that students take MBTI tests, if they have access to them, but that they shouldn’t believe their results wholeheartedly.

“It is likely somewhat helpful to know

your preferences for the [four MBTI dichotomies] if you don’t know already,” Carr said. “In some ways, it’s more helpful to know your friends’ and family’s preferences. I’m not sure I’d tell them to base important life decisions on their MBTI type.”

Though the MBTI has a dwindling presence in contemporary research psychology, Carr notes that it’s still prevalent within the workplace and in popular media. Carr attributes the MBTI’s success to its assimilation into popular culture. “[The MBTI] has been popularized by [its] application to everything from Star Wars characters to the Minions,” Carr said. “In other words, most psychological tests do not enter the mainstream

in such a significant fashion. It’s either enjoyed mass promotion or has some appeal on a personal level — or both.”

It’s easy to find the MBTI type of just about anyone by doing a quick web search. Even fictional characters from various TV series, books and movies have been given MBTI scores. For example, Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs, Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones and Professor James Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes are fictional INTJs. Despite the test’s versatile usage, Carr asserts that the MBTI does have some serious limitations.

“Can it predict what an ENFJ or ISTP will do in a given situation? Likely not. It also tends to provide more sugar-coated portraits of each personality type in a similar way [to how] horoscopes might,” Carr said. “A complete personality assessment would provide someone with a full picture of their personality — from virtue to vice.”

If you haven’t already done so, consider taking an MBTI-like test. Not only are these quizzes a load of fun, tests like 16personalities.com are free!

What’s more, you may find yourself surprised by the results. At the end of the day, it’s entirely up to you to decide if the results hold any significance in your life or not. Give it a go, and find out your Myers-Briggs type!

Review: Greystone Theatre’s latest, Season’s Greetings, is delightfully dysfunctional Season’s Greetings hits home by showing the less happy side of family get-togethers.

BLAKE GRAHAM

The Greystone Theatre’s latest production is about your average dysfunctional family during the Christmas holidays.

Directed by Pamela Haig Bartley, Season’s Greetings is an engaging play that will get you into the holiday mood.

Written by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn, Season’s Greetings centres on a family’s annual holiday tradition, revealing the less than pleasant side of such events. Drawing from the British tradition of black comedy, the play sees a family fall apart, depicting a relatable and humorous example of family drama.

Staying true to the source material, the Greystone actors take on a particularly challenging task by adopting British accents for the play — a feat

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that most of the actors pull off well. Specifically, James Mayo and Kaelee Dyck, who play the tepid owners of the house — Neville and Belinda, respectively — have clearly mastered their accents.

The entire cast works well together and they convincingly capture the dry humour and tone of British comedy — an accomplishment that a less competent company would struggle with.

Michael Martin performs superbly as the play’s pseudoantagonist — Harvey, the pessimistic, violence-obsessed uncle of the family. Martin has an accurate British accent and a grasp on comedic timing that really stands out.

He works flawlessly with the play’s humour style, constantly making snide remarks at the rest of his family’s expense.

Despite the dryness of

British comedy, the insults that the characters constantly hurl at each other feel all too familiar for those of us who have experienced this type of family dysfunction.

Another particularly striking element of Season’s Greetings is the excellent set design. The set is made up of a dining area, a sitting room, an entryway and a stairwell — all distinguished by unique flooring. This makes the set feel quite open, as it allows the audience to see each room at all times, something the actors use to full effect.

When a scene is situated in one room, the other rooms are occupied by other characters — who might be reading or napping, among other things.

It is more than just a gimmick, because this usage of space brings the audience closer to the family and the house.

Instead of just focusing on one

David Stobbe / Supplied Season’s Greetings is a witty and poignant play about fragmented families.

scene and one room at a time, the audience sees a more accurate portrayal of a family’s Christmas experience.

Lighting and sound are used appropriately throughout the play, and the necessary cues have little-to-no delay.

Christmas music plays during set changes, keeping the audience engaged when there are slightly longer waits between scenes.

The costumes are expertly designed — depicting a downto-earth look that suits the tone, setting and time of the play. Festive woollen sweaters

and long coats and scarves give the play a late-20th-century esthetic appropriate for wet British winters.

Overall, Greystone Theatre’s Season’s Greetings is an enjoyable play to watch. It has clear direction, competent actors, and evidently, a hard-working crew. I look forward to seeing what they will do with their forthcoming productions.

Season’s Greetings is playing until Dec. 2. Visit the Greystone Theatre box office or website for more information about upcoming productions and ticket prices.

WWW.T H E S H E A F.COM // @ U SAS KS H E A F

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Neither Wolf Nor Dog: A culturally sensitive success The Sheaf talks to Neither Wolf Nor Dog’s director Steven Lewis Simpson.

ISABELLE COOK

On Nov. 25, the Roxy Theatre screened the acclaimed 2016 film Neither Wolf Nor Dog. The film proved to be a powerful, important and timely movie about modern relationships between American colonizers and the colonized Lakota people.

Based on Kent Nerburn’s awardwinning semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, the film sees a Lakota elder, Dan — played by David Bald Eagle — invite Nerburn — played

by Christopher Sweeney — to his community to write a book.

Throughout the film, Nerburn struggles to write Dan’s book, as he does not have a meaningful connection to the community, but with Dan’s guidance and friendship, Nerburn succeeds in his task. While the film may be set in the U.S., its themes and content are relevant to all Canadian viewers, as we live in a country split between the pain of the past and the guilt of the present.

Impressively, Neither Wolf Nor Dog was filmed in just 18 days and was completed without much in the way of financial support — they even had to crowd-source funds for distribution

Steven Lewis Simpson / Supplied Neither Wolf Nor Dog shows that film’s don’t need a large budget to be culturally important.

once the film was finished.

However, film director Steven Lewis Simpson shared with the Sheaf, via email, that the low budget and breakneck speed of filming actually benefited the movie.

“The budget was tiny — as was the crew — but that worked in our favour in a way that was more important than what we were missing due to budget limitations,” Simpson said. “If there was a big film crew and film machinery — not just two crew members and the actors — then [the scenes] wouldn’t have the intimacy.”

One such intimate moment is the film’s climax when Dan, Nerburn and Grover — played by Richard Ray Whitman — arrive at Wounded Knee Creek, the site of the 1890 massacre where hundreds of

Lakota men, women and children were murdered.

Simpson reveals that he discarded the script during this scene and gave Bald Eagle the chance to talk, through the voice of his character, about how the Wounded Knee Massacre affected his people.

“The scene was more powerful than I could ever have dreamt,” Simpson said.

“At the end, Dave turned to Christopher Sweeney ... and said, ‘I’ve been holding that in for 95 years.’”

This actor-based approach was the cornerstone of the film for Simpson, as he hoped to portray each actor’s Indigenous heritage in a sensitive and appropriate way, instead of adhering to clichés.

“The big mistake made by Hollywood whenever they film Indigenous characters is they fail to set them up as individuals in the same way that any other character on screen would be,” Simpson said. “If I saw any of my characters through a cultural lens, I would be [thinking] too narrow. We have so many other aspects to our identity, too.”

Overall, Simpson notes that he is pleased with the film’s reception.

“I’ve continuously had amazing reports from a lot of Indigenous people who have seen the film. In addition to having greatly enjoyed the movie, they reported being very gratified by seeing that the white folks in the audience were rooted to their seats for a while after the lights came up after the end credits,” Simpson said.

More than anything, Simpson attributes Neither Wolf Nor Dog’s success to Bald Eagle’s stunning performance.

“For those 110 minutes, Dave Bald Eagle’s magic had opened [the audience’s] hearts deep enough that they perhaps listened in a way they had never done before,“ Simpson said.

“Empathy always opens doors and never closes them.”

HOW CAN WE BUILD A FUTURE TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR OUR CITY? Tell us what you think at #GrowYXE – we’re listening.

Complete a survey / learn more about BRT at: Saskatoon.ca/engage/transit-plan

saskatoon.ca/engage

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Why “not all men” is wrong, by someone who used to say it No one should have their abuse disregarded because someone’s ego can’t take a hit.

JORDAN STOVRA

As men in positions of power are outed as abusers, and with many people standing in solidarity with the #MeToo movement, some would argue that moving forward in these discussions requires the acknowledgement that not all men are to blame.

My personal experience with the phrase “not all men” began as one of naivety. I was sheltered after graduating high school and thought of the world as this place where, mathematically, saying “not all men” made sense to me. The issue, to me, was very black and white.

Over the years, I realized that the world is a tad more complicated. The phrase “not all men” is used to shift blame rather than find a solution to an issue, which statistically — according to the World Health Organization — affects one in three women.

This phrase is poorly thought out and does nothing to solve the issue of violence against women. It is the argumentative equivalent of saying, “I actually do not care about solving this problem, but because I am a man, I feel offended by being called a possible abuser.” Though I understand, to an extent, why men could be offended by blanket assumptions, I’d speculate that their opposition often boils down to fragile egos.

Men should remember that we are not the only people in the world who matter and that our inherent privilege in many social, professional and academic spheres means that our actions

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have the opportunity to affect others negatively.

The phrase “not all men” inflates the egos of the men who use it. While they may not be abusers themselves, by using this phrase, they delegitimize the experiences of people who have been subjected to abuse by men.

In my personal experience, I used the phrase to signal that I am a nice guy — not like those other men who abuse people. I am ashamed of this, because I used the phrase to leverage trust in people. That’s disgusting, full stop.

Ultimately, what we have to remember is that actions often speak louder than words. Just running around blindly and saying the phrase “not all men” is not a good way to gain ground with people who, to begin with, likely don’t trust you.

You have to act like a better ally, before you can claim that you are different than men who are abusers. Do not rely on simple decency to gain favour or popularity, but instead, listen and be a real ally — because being a fake ally is even worse than blindly shouting “not all men.”

With the recent events that have surrounded the sexual harassment scandals in Hollywood and the #MeToo movement, it is obvious that a ton of people are affected by sexual assaults that occurred at the hands of men. Using the phrase “not all men” as a defence only adds to the delegitimization of these people and their experiences.

Discourse concerning violence against women should support and uplift survivors, not limit their voices.

Michaela DeMong OUTSaskatoon is located in the Riversdale neighbourhood.

Community initiative spotlight:

OUTSaskatoon Countering heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia — OUTSaskatoon is really something to get excited about.

MARIANNE HOLT

A vibrant and dynamic volunteer base is essential to the operation of the programs and events of OUTSaskatoon — so if you want to make a difference by volunteering for the community, look no further than this organization.

OUTSaskatoon got its start in 1991 as Gay & Lesbian Health Services. Its purpose then was to address the mental, emotional, physical and social health needs of gay men and lesbians in Saskatchewan. GLHS offered a peer-support phone line, educational information and resources, and facilitated support groups.

OUTSaskatoon continues to provide support and education, and the organization has flourished in recent years with the establishment of a plethora of social groups. From their support group for 10- to 14-year-olds to their safe space for older adults, OUTSaskatoon continues to strive to ensure inclusivity. Their current vision is to create a community that values and supports people of all gender identities, expressions and sexualities.

Contributions from volunteers are fundamental to the existence of OUTSaskatoon.

The Gens Hellquist Queer Sexual Health Clinic, opened by OUTSaskatoon in 2012, was Saskatchewan’s first clinic geared towards the sexual health of gay and bisexual people, as well as men who have sex with men. The clinic expanded to include services for lesbian and trans individuals in 2013 and is open to patients of all gender and sexual identities.

OUTSaskatoon’s Queer Sexual Health Clinic could not operate without the assistance of volunteers.

As well as the clinic, the organization runs countless events for the community. Drag shows and poetry nights enable LGBTQ2S+ people to socialize with fellow community members, and events such as the Scotiabank AIDS Walk and Transgender Awareness Week encourage education on issues that affect the queer and trans community. Without volunteers, these events also would not exist.

The establishment of OUTSaskatoon’s Pride Home earlier this year is perhaps the organization’s biggest achievement to date, given that it is the first long-term group home for LGBTQ2S+ youth in Canada.

OUTSaskatoon opened Pride Home, firstly, because a significant amount of queer and trans youth were being kicked out of their homes after coming out. Secondly, homeless LGBTQ2S+ youth faced barriers in available youth housing. Youth shelters do exist in Saskatoon — however, they are all gendered.

Prior to the Pride Home, many queer and trans youth were compelled to live as a member of a gender with which they did not identify.

A survey conducted by OUTSaskatoon found that 40 per cent of members in OUTSaskatoon’s youth group, Rainbow Coffee, had experienced homelessness or problems with housing at some point in their lives. A fundraising campaign for OUTSaskatoon’s Pride Home began in September, as the organization needs donations to ensure the safety of homeless queer and trans youth.

Whatever your skills or abilities, OUTSaskatoon would love for you to come out to the centre and put them to use. Check out www.outsaskatoon.ca/volunteer for more information on how to get involved.

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See you in court: Does Campus Legal Services measure up to other options?

As a student — when you’re in need of legal protection and aid — you’ve got options, and you should know about them.

EMILY MIGCHELS OPINIONS EDITOR

Chances are, if you’re faced with a legal issue, you’re not going to know what to do about it. Many post-secondary institutions offer free or reduced-cost legal services for students to make appeals and pursue or defend their rights.

At the University of Saskatchewan, Campus Legal Services exists as a means to aid and provide resources for students in legal disputes. The program has been slow to develop, and limited office hours and resources make it less efficient than third-party-provider counterparts in other post-secondary institutions across the country.

CLS is run by student volunteers and a supervising faculty lawyer. In partnership with the U of S Students’ Union, they offer students free — though conditional — support, information, assistance and representation for academic misconduct and appeals, non-criminal non-academic misconduct, landlord and tenant disputes, small-claims courts, automobile-accident insurance appeals, student-loan issues, and traffic and bylaw infractions.

Additionally, CLS is equipped to assist in Traffic Safety Court matters, non-complex Human Rights complaints, debtor-creditor issues and Automobile Accident Insurance Act appeals.

Located in the Arts Tunnel, CLS’s operating hours are sporadic. Through

Kate Locsin Campus Legal Services is a mutually advantageous initiative for students and facilitators.

term one, they’ve been open for a few hours on weekday afternoons. Students can go to the centre in person to pursue assistance or send email inquiries on their own time.

However, CLS isn’t the only option that students could have for legal advice.

StudentCare is a third-party company that manages the USSU Health and Dental Plan. StudentCare is employed by about 47 student governance bodies across Canada and represents over 800,000 students. As the largest network of students in the country, it is able to leverage better deals by negotiating on

behalf of students as a collective.

In addition to medical and dental coverage, StudentCare offers a Legal Protection plan, which the USSU is currently not a part of. The StudentCare Legal Protection plan offers similar services to CLS but in a more streamlined and efficient manner. Students would be able to access a 24-hour hotline for legal advice and would be represented by one of two professional Canadian law firms, should a case go to court.

Because CLS is funded by the USSU, its services come at no extra cost to U of S students. The StudentCare Legal

Protection plan would cost around $28 per student per year, which could either be added to the cost of the existing Health and Dental Plan or to the student fees by term.

So, should the U of S continue to develop its home-grown initiative or might we be better off enrolling in a third-party program that can provide more for students immediately? Abandoning CLS in favour of a third-party plan would mean more resources for students, should they need them, but there are benefits to the volunteer- and student-run option that currently exists.

CLS is an opportunity for professional development for students in the College of Law. CLS volunteers are credited in their — newly implemented — co-curricular records and receive hands-on experience assisting students in academic and legal disputes.

CLS functions similarly to the other USSU Centres, which gives it further protection and support from the students’ union itself. It is also important to note that, because CLS operates directly under the USSU, its policies and practices are closely monitored by the USSU governing body.

The StudentCare Legal Protection plan might be more appealing due to the breadth and accessibility of its services, but CLS is still growing. In time, and with continued effort on the part of the USSU, it could become more of a readily available resource for students. The question remains: is it worth the wait?

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OPINIONS

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // NOVE M B E R 3 0, 2 0 1 7

What’s the deal with meditation, anyway?

Students can find relief from stress by practicing mindfulness, and it’s not as hard as you might think.

GEORGE-PAUL O’BYRNE

If you’ve logged in to PAWS recently, you’ve most likely seen a bulletin or two advertising drop-in mindfulness meditation sessions, a Student Wellness Centre initiative that happens every Monday at the St. Thomas More College Chapel.

If you’re anything like me, you didn’t even spare a second for that new-age bullshit, jerkily manoeuvring your cursor over to the Course Tools button instead — because holy balls, you have so many assignments due in so many classes at once and you haven’t started any of them.

We accept stress as just a normal part of student life at this point, hanging over our heads like the looming tidal wrath of some vengeful god. We know it’s gonna kill us — overabundance of the stress hormone cortisol has been shown to interfere

with the functioning of everything from the immune system to the menstrual cycle — but what are we supposed to do about it? Nothing.

We’ll keep on chugging down those sickly sweet double-doubles — fretting about deadline after deadline, until one day, due to a particularly powerful and surprisingly co-ordinated blood-pressure spike, we’ll all just explode in the street like a bunch of meaty fireworks.

There has to be some way we can avoid such a fate, right? Like any thriving young millennial would, I googled “help me too much stress” and clicked the first result without reading it. Mindfulness meditation is, apparently, the cure for everything.

What is mindfulness? Simply put, it’s the practice of paying attention to things.

Wow, what a revolutionary new concept. Advocates of mindfulness argue that, through focus-based meditation techniques, we can learn to become truly aware of our surroundings, as well as our own mental state, and we can use this awareness to better manage the stress of life.

Stop reading this for a second and try to concentrate on the voice of your thoughts. What does it sound like? What kind of words does it use? Are they positive words or negative words? The Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius once wrote,

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I SS UE 1 3 // VO L . 1 0 9

“Our perturbations come only from the opinion which is within.”

Basically, whenever the other philosophers at philosophy school would make fun of his dumb beard, Marcus would acknowledge the way he felt — instead of crying — not letting it rule his actions. This understanding is the core principle behind modern mental-health practices, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is used in the treatment of depression and other mood disorders. Next time you get worked up about something, ask yourself, “What kind of thoughts are these?”

So, how do we mindfully meditate? There’s really not much to it: sit somewhere quiet, set a timer for 10 minutes, close your eyes, and focus all your attention on your breathing. Whenever your attention wanders, take note of what it wanders to, then guide it back to your breath.

Research in the field of developmental neuroscience suggests that scraping together even a few k u yr measly minutes a ch a t ie S day to sit and breathe a ym

can lower cortisol levels in the blood, reducing the negative effects of stress on the body. Also, mindfulness can have profound effects on your brain’s executive functioning — put simply, your attention and ability to regulate emotions. Poor executive function is associated with increased onset of ADHD, depression and drug abuse.

Mindfulness and meditation are not new ideas. Though practised most famously in Buddhism, forms of meditation are also present in the spiritual traditions of Catholicism, Judaism and Stoicism — to name a few.

“But, wait!” I hear you cry, aghast. “Is it cultural appropriation?” Nah. Meditation is not inherently religious or spiritual, despite the fact that almost every major religion incorporates some form of it — like prayer, yoga or ritualistic animal sacrifice. I’m not advocating for ritualistic animal sacrifice, here, but if that’s your thing, I won’t judge you, man.

No matter what your personal beliefs may be, meditation has been practiced by a vast array of people and has been a staple of many different cultures for thousands of years. The simplest explanation for this is that it might actually work.

COMING EVENTS follow us

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Murray Howe Saskatoon Launch

Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father Sunday, December 3, 2 pM

photo by Colleen Howe

A UNIQUE JOB AN ICONIC LOCATION AN UNFORGETTABLE FORGETTABLE SUMMER

Sara williaMS & BoB BorS Become a PARLIAMENTARY GUIDE

Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens

Thursday, December 7, 7 pM

Applications due January 12, 2018 This summer, be part of the action at the Parliament of Canada.

Find out more and apply online at

lop.parl.ca/guides 14 / OPINIONS

sheaf nov 30, 2017.indd 1

11/21/2017 11:10:38 AM

DISTRACTIONS

WWW.T H E S H E A F.COM // @ U SAS KS H E A F

NOVE M B E R 3 0, 2 0 1 7

STUDENTS SUGGEST BOTTLE SENSOR ON LIBRARY FOUNTAIN ACTUALLY SENTIENT MURRAY LIBRARY — Research conducted by an unlicensed group of students at the University of Saskatchewan aims to prove that the waterbottle-filling station on the ground floor of the Murray Library is fully self-actualized.

Complaints about the particular Elkay EZH2O® Bottle Filling Station have been circulating since late 2016, and new reports indicate rising issues with other, similar filling-station devices around campus. Though little investigation has been conducted by the university, data collected by students who frequent the library is available online.

Suspicions about the machine intelligence of the bottle-filling station on the ground floor of the Murray Library mounted on Nov. 24. One hobbyist student-researcher, Terrence Lehrer — currently in his fourth year of study in the department of English — noticed an unusual discrepancy in the patterns he has been monitoring

in the device’s function for several months.

“Usually, the bottle-filling station is operational only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays between 2:30 and 2:55 p.m., excluding days of high humidity or if there is a full moon,” Lehrer said.

Lehrer notes that he spends at least 108 hours a week in the Murray Library. He is currently spearheading the student-research initiative but says that many of his other, frequent library-dwelling friends contribute regularly to his bottlefilling-station findings.

The students behind the ongoing research believe that the manufacturers of the bottle-filling station — whose headquarters are located in Oak Brook, Illinois — might have salvaged pieces from a storied cybernetics lab — which studied brain function to design analogous mechanical systems in the same state — that burned down in 2000. xkcd.com

AHREN KLAASSEN-WRIGHT

Do you dispense the toasty? No, you don’t. You are doing life wrong.

Why haven’t you surgically attached yourself to a toaster, huh? You’ll never amount to anything. Do you have six heat settings controlled by an easy-to-use dial? No — you just have poor circulation in your hands. This meme is a surreal meme. It features the face associated with many other surreal memes, as well as vaporwave. I give this meme a very well-done piece of toast, on a scale of bread slice to burnt toast.

#PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

#albumoftheweek: Polygondwanaland

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Tanner Bayne

At the typical record-release rate, musicians put out an album every couple of years. It’s an impressive feat when artists manage to put out albums yearly.

For Australian psych-rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, these conventions are merely suggestions — Polygondwanaland is the band’s latest album and their fourth full-length release this year.

Polygondwanaland is less cacophonous than King Gizzard’s previous works, amounting to more of a swirling psychedelic vortex.

Chock full of weird time signatures, eclectic melodies and nonsensical lyrics, Polygondwanaland will either give you an out-of-body experience or an aneurism — or both.

Kate Locsin

Jessica Klaassen-Wright

DISTRACTIONS / 15

BACKPAGE

Term 2 Stickers available December 4, 2017.

Stickers can be picked up or reactivated at the Information Centre in Upper Place Riel.

If you received a U-Pass sticker in the past you will be required to reactivate the sticker at the Information Centre.

Term 2 stickers will be valid January 1 to April 30, 2018.

For more information go to www.ussu.ca/upass