March 22, 2018

MARCH 22, 2018

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Jessica Klaassen-Wright

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The USSU is advocating for instructors to adopt blind grading in first- and second-year courses.

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Blind grading an attempt to reduce marking bias

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In an attempt to decrease discrimination and marking bias, Jessica Quan, outgoing vice-president academic affairs of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union, has been working with colleges across campus to bring attention to blind grading as an assessment practice.

The practice of blind grading can significantly decrease the amount of academic appeals made by students, as it circumvents the chance for any racial, personal or gender biases from the instructor, according to Quan. While blind grading can benefit students in many circumstances, there are exceptions depending on the class size and type that can impede this practice.

Quan notes that she is not advocating for the universal adoption of this practice, as some courses assess students based on their participation in class discussions.

“If you are [in] seminars, there [tends] to be more oneon-one [discussion] with the instructors. The instructors will know who you are, so that is kind of an instance where blind grading wouldn’t work,” Quan said. “But, if you look at a paper, for example, there’s room for bias that could play a role influencing the marker’s perceptions on … your paper or your assignment.”

Blind grading requires instructors to be unaware of students’ names and credentials while grading exams and assignments. The Col-

lege of Law has mandated this practice for several years, but some instructors in other colleges have also undertaken blind grading in their courses.

Quan has already promoted this practice at the President’s Breakfast, the Deans’ Council and the Association of Constituency Presidents meetings, and she has received significant support from Nancy Turner, the director of teaching and learning enhancement at the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Turner explains that blind grading is a necessary element of appropriate, equitable and fair assessment practices, which the GMCTL strives towards.

“We would be looking at things like how [instructors] design assessment [and] determine what type of assessment aligns most with learning outcomes,” Turner said. “Then, we also do have sessions and provide support on marking practices, so we wouldn’t necessarily be trying to direct instructors to undertake blind marking. However, it might be an option that we would present for them.”

Quan explains that blind grading should not be a daunting practice, because instructors can implement it independently, perhaps even without any financial cost.

“It’s simply a practice that can be adopted by instructors… I think the first step for the university to take is to have instructors … begin to be aware of blind grading as a practice and how they could

introduce it into [lower-level] classrooms,” Quan said.

Turner explains that some instructors might be unwilling to implement this system of grading if it is less compatible with their teaching approach. However, she has mostly encountered positive responses from instructors.

“As with any kind of teaching and learning practice shift, there will be people who would be more and less receptive to it,” Turner said.

“For some people, it would be something they would be really interested in pursuing, and for some, either because it’s not appropriate or because they don’t see it fitting with their particular approach, … they wouldn’t be interested in pursuing it.”

Turner notes that she will continue to work with instructors to improve assessment practices and support student learning. Meanwhile, as her term in office comes to an end, Quan hopes that the next vice-president academic affairs will continue her work on blind grading, which she believes will reduce the number of student grievances submitted for discrimination.

“Blind grading would be helpful, because it would actually prevent these types of appeals from being made in the first place,” Quan said.

“Because, with students trying to appeal their mark on a paper on the grounds that their instructor is being discriminatory, if we had blind grading to begin with, … that could hopefully maybe prevent that from happening.”

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Louis’ Loft employees dissatisfied with management Concerns from employees about Louis’ Loft management vary from health and safety issues to the general management of the café.

NYKOLE KING NEWS EDITOR

Employees at Louis’ Loft are disappointed that management has not adequately responded to their health and safety concerns after months of complaints. The employees are concerned that some cooking appliances are producing excess smoke and reducing air quality.

Beyond the main concern of ventilation, employees say that poor management has led to a decrease in their morale and worsened the work environment. The employees interviewed note that, after approaching the assistant manager of the café and both the general manager and the facilities manager of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union, they feel as though they are considered insignificant to the union.

Terrance Smith*, an employee at the Loft, has had difficulty with the panini grill and convection oven, as he says they both produce enough heat and smoke to cause momentary breathing and eyesight issues.

“If you’re the person on food, and you’re constantly opening the oven — because it’s a convection oven and it has all these fans — when you open the oven, you can see a huge plume of smoke being spewed at your face and your eyes are watering and you’re crying — you can’t breath. It’s terrible,” Smith said.

Smith says that he and a few of his fellow employees have informed Matt Fehr, assistant manager of Louis’ Loft, of their concerns a number of times since fall 2017. He says that, in December 2017, management responded to the complaints by asking for the appliances to be cleaned. When asked about the situation, the general manager of the USSU said that additional ventilation is unnecessary, as the appliances do not require it.

The smoke from the appliances has continued to persist even after more frequent cleaning, according to Justin Hayes*, a former employee at the Loft.

On March 8, the USSU approved the purchase of a new panini maker in the 2018-19 budget, as the lid of the current machine does not close fully.

“We complained to [Fehr], but basically, that didn’t get us anywhere. He said just to clean it more, but cleaning it more

Gabbie Torres The USSU recently completed cosmetic improvements to the Memorial Union Building, but employees continue to be concerned about ventilation.

meant cleaning it in the first place,” Hayes said. “The root of the issue is ventilation. It doesn’t matter if you get a new panini grill — it’s still going to have smoke.”

Jason Ventnor, the communications and marketing manager of the USSU, responded by stating that Louis’ has been made aware of the employees’ concerns and has taken action to resolve the issue.

“Management determined that the concern was a maintenance/cleaning issue, and it has been addressed. The equipment in question does not require ventilation per the manufacturer’s design, and all information was communicated to the employees by Louis’ management,” Ventnor said, in an email to the Sheaf.

Lisa Reimer*, a former employee of the Loft, believes that more frequent cleaning

of the appliances could reduce the production of smoke. She notes that the former manager was more thorough with cleaning duties, so new management may have contributed to decreased maintenance of the appliances.

Hayes notes that, after talking to Loft management, he was not directed to any resources for filing an official health and safety complaint.

However, he was directed to speak with Caroline Cottrell, the general manager of the USSU, and Stefanie Ewen, the facilities manager of the USSU. “Customers … sitting half way down Louis’ Loft with asthma have complained about the smoke. Your employees are complaining. There’s employees that can’t breathe, that have the eye issues, that are getting dizzy, and they keep saying, ‘Well, we don’t really have the

money right now,’” Hayes said.

Smith notes his disappointment that the union has pursued renovations in the Memorial Union Building, yet additional ventilation is considered unessential.

Former employee Reanne Sereda suggests that the Loft should change the type of menu items served to cold sandwiches and soups to avoid using appliances that can cause smoke.

“When I initially brought this to [Fehr’s] attention, he informed me that, when they designed this space, they had not intended to use it for these purposes, and they were aware that there was a problem, but unfortunately, there is nothing they can do,” Sereda said. “How about changing the menu if the building isn’t designed for it?”

Reanne now works in occupational health and safety, and

she notes that the Loft has neglected to adequately address workers’ concerns, which contradicts Section 12 of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. However, Ventnor maintains that the USSU has upheld these regulations.

“The USSU operates under The Saskatchewan Employment Act, and our Occupational Health and Safety Committee representatives meet regularly and work together with management in identifying and resolving any health and safety concerns. As restaurants, Louis’ and [the] Loft must comply with The Food Safety Regulations and are subject to regular public health inspections. We address any concerns to the satisfaction of the Saskatchewan Public Health Officers.” *To respect the privacy of the individuals interviewed, their names have been changed.

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USSU candidates field questions on sexual violence, parking Some of the USSU candidates were at a loss when asked what they would do to address sexual assault on campus during last week’s forum.

LYNDSAY AFSETH STAFF WRITER

With elections for the new University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union executive coming up, the four uncontested candidates tried to answer the most pressing questions that students had for them during two recent campus forums.

The first forum took place in the Engineering Building on March 13, and the second took place the next day in Louis’ Pub. Both forums gave students the opportunity to ask the USSU candidates questions on the issues that matter to them. Some of the topics that were discussed include transportation, sustainability, Indigenization, government funding for students and the lack of candidates this year.

Jessica Quan, outgoing vice-president academic affairs, brought up the issue of sexual assault on campus and in residence and asked each candidate what they will do to prevent rape culture and reduce the incidence of sexual assault at the university. Presidential candidate Coden Nikbakht, a fourth-year international studies student, said that he believes that the problem can be solved on an individual level.

“When something comes up — like a joke, maybe — geared towards a sexual matter, I stand up against it. I stand up for what I believe is right, and I think that all of us, as students here, can do that,” Nikbakht said. “We need to be bold, we can’t be shy, we need to show our true character and show we

believe that this is wrong and really be leaders.”

Vice-president operations and finance candidate Brent Kobes, a fourth-year political studies student, emphasized the importance of listening to students about issues such as sexual assault on campus.

“Unfortunately, sometimes, with this situation, you just need to listen and then move forward having learned the honest opinions and the honest truth about the situation, and I think [that] something I will bring to this position is an open ear to what needs to be done,” Kobes said.

Vice-president academic affairs candidate Sheldon Moellenbeck, a fifth-year psychology student, expressed similar sentiments as Kobes, saying that it is important to listen to the voices of the female students who are proposing solutions to the problem.

Only vice-president student affairs candidate Rose Wu, a fourth-year psychology student, proposed any concrete steps to take action towards reducing sexual violence on campus.

“I have talked to Peer Health employees about this, and I do want to advocate for more self-defence workshops and bringing in the bystander workshop,” Wu said. “I think, when more students are participating in those workshops, it can be the next small step to hopefully, one day, decrease the problem.”

Beyond sexual violence, the question of gender representation was also brought up during the forums, although none of the candidates could

David Hartman Sheldon Moellenbeck, Coden Nikbakht, Rose Wu and Brent Kobes address questions posed by students in the audience.

provide concrete steps to address the issue.

At both forums, Crystal Lau, the outgoing vice­ -president student affairs, brought up the issue of parking, which has been a central part of Nikbakht’s campaign. In his introduction, Nikbakht spoke about reinvesting revenue from parking tickets back into parking infrastructure.

“They are taking a lot of money from us on parking tickets. That’s on the back of our almost 20,000 students,” Nikbakht said. “Where is that money going? That’s my question… We need to get that money, and we need to reinvest it back into our students.”

As Lau pointed out, revenue from parking tickets currently goes to Culinary Services in residence, and Parking Services donated $7,500 to the USSU in December 2017, which was al-

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David Hartman Rose Wu answers questions about sexual violence and gender representation.

located to the Food Centre to combat student food insecurity. In response, Nikbakht stated that he does not believe that parking issues have been adequately addressed.

“As far as I’m concerned, … [the parking issue] hasn’t been resolved and the actions taken aren’t efficient,” Nikbakht said.

“I would like to reform this in a way where the money comes directly to the USSU on a consistent basis, on an agreement with us and the university, so that a specific portion of [the profits] generated from those parking tickets comes directly to us and we can invest it back into our students.”

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SPORTS&HEALTH

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SPORTS&HEALTH

Nutrition Spotlight:

Vitamin C AMANDA SLINGER COPY EDITOR

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps your body heal wounds, absorb iron, form collagen and maintain your bones, muscles and blood vessels. But, have you ever wondered if taking vitamin C for a cold actually works?

It turns out it might.

According to a meta-analysis published in 2013, highly active individuals such as athletes can actually cut their risk of catching a cold in half by taking 200 mg of vitamin C per day.

Unfortunately, the benefits of vitamin C supplementation are negligible for the general population. Taking daily vitamin C does not reduce the average person’s risk of catching a cold.

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

A project arising from ENVS 401: Sustainability in Action is hoping to revive what was once a city-wide initiative here on campus. The group project, dubbed Freedom Fridge, is intended to start a movement by bringing a community fridge to the Agriculture Building.

Zach Rychlo, an arts and science student who is set to graduate with an environment and society degree, is part of the group that is working to bring this initiative to campus.

Rychlo explains the history of community fridges in Saskatoon and the general idea of the project.

“This project originated before our class, and [the fridges] originated around the city. Basically, the project is to install a mini fridge in an area where the community can use it [and] take and leave food as they please for free.

It’s a self-sustaining grassroots idea where we can reduce food waste and increase food security,” Rychlo said.

Before the project came to campus, the onus of maintaining a fridge’s cleanliness and quality of food fell upon the business that hosted the fridge.

With other structures in play on the campus level, the project has run into one major roadblock, as Rychlo explains.

“There really has been one barrier that has stayed with us the whole time — and that’s just the barrier of liability and risk. We’ve spoken with the [Saskatchewan Health Authority], and we’ve emailed back and forth with the agriculture and bioresources dean, and their biggest issue is risk and liability,” Rychlo said.

Expanding on the nature of this roadblock, Rychlo provides the reasoning behind this concern as well as the group’s own feelings on the subject.

“Malicious intent — so somebody coming in and putting bad food in the fridge — or just food getting contaminated and us being at risk of liability,” Rychlo said. “We have personal opinions on this liability and risk, mainly because the whole project has been supported by The Donation of Food Act of 1995.”

This act protects those who donate or distribute food donations from being liable for their donations, with a few exceptions — including if the food is adulterated, rotten or otherwise unfit for human consumption and if the food was donated with malicious

intent or reckless disregard for the safety of potential consumers.

Rychlo explains some of the measures the project would take in order to ensure that they avoid either of these conditions.

“We have come up with a plan to basically take food in before it goes into the fridge.

We have Environmental and Bioresources Students Association volunteers in place that have agreed to do this — to look at the food before it goes in the fridge, put a stamp on it or a sticker or something, and then label it before it goes into the fridge,” Rychlo said.

In addition to these precautions, Rychlo states that the group also would not accept high-risk foods — like raw meat, fish and open dairy — and would caution those with allergies against using the fridge and make it known that the fridge should be used at one’s own risk.

Rychlo explains that the success of the project could circumvent a major issue in attempts to increase food security — the fact that many feel embarrassed to access food programs.

“It’s for everyone, and we would love for everyone to use it.”

Remember to eat the rainbow! Dietary sources of vitamin C include green vegetables, like broccoli and brussels sprouts; red fruits, like strawberries and tomatoes; and citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruits.

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JACK THOMPSON

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The idea is simple: put up a fridge and any food within is there for the taking — but there are a few catches that the student project has run into.

Although the benefits are modest, people at high risk of catching colds may still want to consider taking a 200mg supplement every day. For the rest of us, Health Canada recommends a daily intake of just 60 mg, which means you can get more than enough vitamin C by eating the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

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Proposed campus community-fridge program faces possible liability

And, while a daily dose of 200 mg can reduce the length of a cold by about 14 per cent in children and 8 per cent in adults, there’s a catch: you have to take it every single day to reap this benefit. Taking vitamin C just on the days you feel ill doesn’t actually work!

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Panties on their heads: A beginner’s guide to roller derby

Roller derby has become much more than its endurance-race beginnings — but it’s not all fishnets and angst either.

Gabbie Torres

EMILY MIGCHELS OPINIONS EDITOR

Since its resurgence in 2007, the Saskatoon Roller Derby League has been facilitating scrimmages, national tournaments, community outreach and teambuilding, among other impressive initiatives — challenging the sport’s underground, rough-and-tumble aesthetic with explicit inclusivity.

The modern sport of roller derby has established itself as legitimate and continues to maintain popularity locally. Its evolution from endurance race to full-contact battle-royale on wheels continues, as teams develop to compete internationally. As the SRDL prepares for their annual recruitment weekend and season-opener, it’s easy to see the appeal.

Mackenzie Stewart, a firstyear student in the College of Law, started doing derby in April 2017 at the SRDL Fresh Meat Recruitment event — though the prospect had already been on her mind. Upon entering, she was surprised to find the atmosphere less intimidating than expected.

“You think it’s going to be these crazy, rough-and-tough, smokin’ women, but there’s, like, nurses and [one participant] runs the Children’s [Discovery] Museum. There’s lawyers — there’s nurses, teachers, artists — there’s a lot of nurses,” Stewart said.

Since her first foray with derby, Stewart says she’s surpassed her own prior expectations and has started to hone her strengths competitively. In the off-season, Stewart has been practising, to assert herself be-

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yond rookie status, and playing in tiering matches where her performance is assessed to determine her rank within the league.

“There’s different teams.

There’s the Mind Fox — they go across the country and play real hard-core travel derby, and they’re composed of basically the best skaters of the league,” Stewart said. “Then, there’s the Killer Bees, and they’re sort of a developmental team. They travel as well, but it’s just more focused on learning skills and actually building up people’s abilities.”

Stewart characterizes the game as uniquely team-focused — despite the fact that there are only two scoring players, called jammers, on the track per match.

“You know how, in other sports, everyone can score on a goal? Not in roller derby — only the jammers can score, and they wear these little covers on their helmets that have stars on the side — we call [the covers] panties,” Stewart said.

Jammers rely on four other teammates, called blockers, to shield them as they lap the track, and for every member of the opposing team that a jammer passes, a point is scored.

“The jammer that gets out in front of the pack first is the lead jammer, so we’re all lined up — it’s like a clusterfuck — and each jammer is trying to get ahead of the opposing team’s blockers,” Stewart said.

Once the lead jammer establishes themselves, they may call off the round — also known as a jam — whenever they choose.

Though, typically, a jam won’t last longer than two minutes. “[Ending a jam] might be for strategy purposes — [they]

might get five points, and then, before the other jammer can get through to score any points, [they’ll] just call it off — sucks to be you,” Stewart said.

Over time, the roller-derby dress code has evolved beyond the bad-girl accessories you might have seen depicted in movies, but self-expression is still encouraged among players.

“It really hurts to fall with fishnets on — people have to pick that out of their skin. It’s not that we don’t want to look

cool, it’s just that we want to protect our [bodies],” Stewart said.

The 2018 SRDL Fresh Meat Recruitment event will take place at the Cosmo Civic Centre on April 14 and 15 and is free to attend with no prior experience required.

“You just come, you skate, you wear all these things, and [you] decide if you even like being on roller skates. For Fresh Meat, all the equipment is provided — you can have

like two or three months to try it out,” Stewart said.

One thing to keep in mind is that progress can be slow, but Stewart says that people learn at different speeds and likely don’t share the same strengths.

A strong team, Stewart argues, will find ways to balance each member’s talents.

“When you’re just beginning, you end up staying in the same position for a long time, because everybody’s new and everybody sucks.”

Gabbie Torres A pivot and an opposing jammer square off during a scrimmage at the SaskTel Sports Centre in University Heights.

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Huskies hockey teams fall in bronze-medal games at U Sports national championships The best hockey programs in the country gathered to fight for the title of national champions.

MATTHEW JOHNSON

The Huskies were well represented at the hockey national championships from March 15 to 18, with both teams heading east — the men to the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, N.B., and the women to Western University in London, Ont. The tournament got off to a bright start for the men’s and women’s teams, as both thrived in underdog roles and defeated higher-seeded programs.

The women opened up as the seventh seed and were clearly motivated by the committee’s lack of belief in the team, as they made a bold statement by taking down the Atlantic University Sports champions from Saint Mary’s University in a thrilling 3-2 quarter-final.

Saskatchewan got goals from Kaitlin Willoughby, Abby Shirley and Kennedy Harris, while Canada West Player of the Year Jessica Vance made 29 saves for the win.

The victory advanced the women’s squad into the semifinals and guaranteed the team a berth in a medal game.

However, the Dogs were unable to capitalize on this position when they ran into the Western Mustangs, the Ontario University Athletics

champions, allowing in two unanswered second-period goals and falling 2-1.

The Huskies still entered Sunday morning with a chance to bring home a medal, but the team was unable to get the job done, falling to the Concordia Stingers 4-0 in the bronze-medal game.

Women’s head coach Steve Kook made it clear that, while it was a privilege to compete at a national championship, next season begins now.

“When you are in a one-anddone event, you need timely goals, and we didn’t get those in the semifinal game. I thought we played some very good hockey with the seven best teams in the country. Tuesday will be day one of working to get back to nationals,” Kook said, in an email to the Sheaf.

Meanwhile, on the men’s side, the Huskies entered as a dark horse after getting swept by the Alberta Golden Bears in the Canada West Championship.

While the team had to play without star goaltender Jordon Cooke, Josh Roach, the team’s leading goal scorer and 201617 Canada West first-team allstar, returned to the roster after an injury.

Roach, a fifth-year forward, slid back into the Huskies lineup seamlessly, getting on

Caroline Mercier / Supplied Third-year Mackenzie Johnston defends his goalie, Taran Kozun against the UNB Varsity Reds.

the score sheet early and assisting on Michael Sofillas’s power-play goal. Sofillas got Saskatchewan on the board in the U Sports University Cup, helping kick-start the Huskies offence, and led them to a 4-1 victory over the third-seeded McGill Redmen.

Next, the Huskies matched up with their rival in the semifinal, taking to the ice against the Alberta Golden Bears. The momentum from the team’s upset win over McGill appeared to carry over, as the Huskies jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with goals from Parker Thomas and Alex Forsberg.

However, the wheels fell off from there, as an undisciplined third period allowed Alberta to

respond with two late markers, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

The Bears didn’t waste any breath early in the extra frame — Trevor Cox snuck one past Taran Kozun, ending the Huskies’ hopes of returning to the national-championship game for the second straight year.

In the bronze-medal game, the Huskies matched up with their hosts, the UNB Varsity Reds, but Saskatchewan failed to finish on the podium, as they fell in a heartbreaking fashion, losing 5-4 in overtime.

Although the men’s team couldn’t take home a metal this year, men’s head coach Dave Adolph was proud of his group.

“I can’t tell you how lucky I usask thue200j

am to be employed at the University of Saskatchewan and to be a part of this great group of students, who are also elite athletes. The responsibilities of combining school and athletic expectations are huge [for] these young men, and year after year, they represent the U of S in amazing ways,” Adolph said, in an email to the Sheaf.

Despite the end-of-term losses, it was an incredibly successful season for the women’s and men’s Huskie programs on the ice. Both teams ended their 2017-18 campaigns as Canada West Championship finalists and should be proud of their efforts all season long.

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Shaking up the system: Potential paths to Indigenous students’ self-governance

transit passes, academic representation and advocacy. Furthermore, with membership in the union established by undergraduate status, all those who receive these benefits have an equal say in determining these benefits through elected representation in the active students’ council.

we must abide by as an organization, for the good of all 17,000 students — Indigenous students, international students, trans students, every undergraduate student on this campus — and it’s a responsibility we take very seriously,” Cottrell said.

Should an independent representative organization emerge that will only include Indigenous students, it wouldn’t be first to sever ties with the USSU. The

stances, there is precedent for a distinct Indigenous students body at the University of Victoria. Formed in 1960, the Native Students’ Union functions semi-autonomously from the UVic Student Society, which was created in 1963.

At this time, however, best interests for Cottrell mean keeping a common structure across the board and not dividing membership.

“I would say that, if the ISC

USSU General Manager Caroline Cottrell says dividing or separating this unified membership would be difficult under The Non-profit Corporations Act, which requires the elected executive of the non-profit to act in the best interests of the organization.

“Positive duty is taken very seriously in law, and that’s what

Graduate Students’ Association began their separation from the union in 1980, and in 1979, the Sheaf Publishing Society was established under the Societies Act, making the newspaper an independent democratic collective with membership open to university students-at-large.

Comparatively, although formed under different circum-

wants to form their own student union, then they’re absolutely at liberty to do that, but that does not mean that Indigenous students will cease to be members of this organization,” Cottrell said. “These two do not necessarily stand in opposition to one another — we are still, and will continue to be, the umbrella group for all

A look into some steps toward an autonomous Indigenous Students’ Union at the U of S. EMILY MIGCHELS OPINIONS EDITOR

A

fter the Indigenous Students’ Council at the University of Saskatchewan called for the creation of an autonomous Indigenous Students’ Union, asking all Indigenous students to pull out of all conversations concerning Indigenization and reconciliation at the institution, one difficult question remains: how?

Since the release of the first ISC statement on Feb. 28, subsequent statements of support have emerged from numerous Indigenous and non-Indigenous student, faculty and administrative groups on campus. As of March 20, all but two Indigenous student groups have also withdrawn their ratification with the U of S Students’ Union.

The USSU currently serves as the governing body for all undergraduate students at the U of S, and its current iteration was established as a non-profit corporation in 1980. Currently, the university collects and distributes undergraduate-student fees to the USSU, and in turn, the USSU provides support, resources and services to students.

These supports, resources and services include health plans,

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undergraduate students.”

Under the current governance model of the USSU, Indigenous students are uniquely represented with two seats in the University Students’ Council, as Cottrell explains, although one seat has been vacant since Oct. 5, 2017.

“At the moment, we have representation from what we now call constituency groups, rather than colleges, because Indigenous students and international students were added, along with all other undergraduate colleges including St. Thomas More, which is a federated college,” Cottrell said.

Indigenous students elected to the USC are also entitled a seat on the USSU Indigenous Student Affairs Committee, which is chaired by the USSU president and includes the USSU vice-president student affairs, the president of the Indigenous Students’ Council and four self-declared Indigenous students-at-large.

To paint a picture of this hierarchy, the Indigenous Students’ Council was ratified as a student group under the USSU until March 9. Ratification gave them a set amount of funding and extended USSU insurance to the ISC’s events and space rentals. For all intents and purposes, prior to their request to deratify, the ISC was considered a USSU campus club.

“In some ways, the Indigenous students and the international

FEATURE

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“I would say that, if the Indigenous Students’ Council wants to form their own student union, then they’re absolutely at liberty to do that, but that does not mean that Indigenous students will cease to be members of this organization.”

— Caroline Cottrell, USSU general manager students hold a place that is unique, [but] in another sense, all the colleges and student groups all sort of exist in a different place — in terms of paying a ratification fee, getting insurance, they’re all equal. In that sense, there’s no difference between [a] flint knapping club and the ISC,” Cottrell said.

Are there ways to facilitate this seemingly impossible division of representation at the U of S? Beth Bilson, university secretary and professor in the College of Law, says that, although creating a new union is not an actionable cause for the university administration to pursue, there are options for Indigenous students to consider themselves. “[If] the ISC were to set itself up an independent non-profit corporation, … there are some things that the university would have to provide. If they wanted to run exactly as the USSU in terms of rerouting student fees, that would require a conversation and technical decisions about how feasible that is,” Bilson said.

University government operates in congruence with the USSU, Bilson explains, and its offices and constituency groups are determined by provincial

legislation. Though she believes steps have been taken to include Indigenous students at this level of institutional governance, she acknowledges that it would be difficult to establish new positions that are equal to those held by the USSU because of existing stipulations in The University of Saskatchewan Act. “[For example], there is a provision in The University of Saskatchewan Act for [the] representation of students on the governing bodies of the university, and in the case of the Board of Governors, that’s the president of the USSU. The student that sits on the Board of Governors is always the president of the USSU,” Bilson said.

Bilson argues that, in moving forward, the positive duty of the USSU’s directors to protect and maintain the membership of the organization is compounded with a responsibility to avoid circumstances of inequality.

“Whatever their personal views might be about whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, they have to look [at it] from the point of view of the interests of the corporation — it’s complicated by the fact that they also have a responsibility not to allow minorities to be oppressed

All infographics by Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

by the majority,” Bilson said.

Bilson also acknowledges that Indigenous students’ frustrations have been made known to the university administration.

“They question whether the university is serious about Indigenization and about creating a comfortable environment for them — and [while] there are a lot of people who are working to bring that vision about, you can understand that the experience of a lot of Indigenous students is difficult,” Bilson said.

Whatever the outcome of conversions that will follow, it is important for all players to recognize that there is an imbalance of power between the Indigenous student population at the U of S and the structures that govern them. While support and efforts to maintain a dialogue have been expressed by multiple parties, including settlers who are members of the faculty or part of the campus community, there is much which has yet to be understood.

The Sheaf reached out to the ISC with inquiries concerning their asks and subsequent steps to action after their statement of non-cooperation was released, but they could not provide comment. The ISC, Indigenous Graduate Students’ Council, Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program Student Council and Food Sovereignty Association will host a townhall discussion for Indigenous students to meet, organize and strategize on March 22.

“They also have a responsibility not to allow minorities to be oppressed by the majority.”

— Beth Bilson, university secretary and professor of law FEATURE / 9

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EVENTS T H U R S

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AN EVENING WITH FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA @ SASKTEL CENTRE, 7:00 P.M. WOMEN’S HEALING CIRCLE @ ESSENTIAL BRACELET, 7:00 P.M.

KARAOKE THURSDAY! @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.

PARAB POET AND THE HIP HOP HIPPIES WITH THE NEW GROOVEMENT @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M.

F R I

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ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY CAREERS: PEER NETWORKING SESSION, PANEL DISCUSSION AND PROFESSIONAL MIXER @ LOUIS’ LOFT, 3:30 P.M. ISOLATED LANDSCAPES @ PAVED ARTS, 7:00 P.M. WOODHAWK WITH LAVAGOAT AND CHRONOBOT @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

THE REAL MCKENZIES WITH RAYGUN COWBOYS AND XEMBRYOS @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:30 P.M. S A T

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MARCH ADOPTION DAY @ COWTOWN SASKATOON, 11:00 A.M.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE MÉTIS WHEN: A SYMPOSIUM ON MÉTIS IDENTITY @ ST. GEORGE’S SENIOR CENTRE, 12:00 P.M.

SING-A-LONG SOUND OF MUSIC @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 7:00 P.M.

FACTOR CHANDELIER WISDOM TEETH ALBUM RELEASE PARTY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M. S U N

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THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING — STEPHEN HAWKING TRIBUTE @ THE ROXY THEATRE, 4:00 P.M.

U OF S BLOOD DRIVE @ EDUCATION STUDENTS’ LOUNGE, 9:00 A.M.

UHEALTH: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH CONFERENCE @ LOUIS’ LOFT, 5:00 P.M. VIDEO GAME MONDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

BLACK CAT TRIVIA NIGHT @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 8:00 P.M.

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LUNCH+LEARN: HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ALLY WITH THE TRANS COMMUNITY @ OUTSASKATOON, 12:00 P.M. PLANT BASED COOKING AND EATING WITH FOOD 2 FIT @ THE LOCAL KITCHEN, 6:30 P.M.

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

DISNEY TRIVIA: HEROES AND VILLAINS @ HUDSONS SASKATOON, 7:30 P.M.

W E D

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

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

PREVENTING OVERDOSES @ FRANCIS MORRISON CENTRAL LIBRARY, 7:00 P.M.

PROTEST THE HERO FORTRESS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY TOUR @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

MARCH 26-29 UNTIL MARCH 31

TANNER BAYNE CULTURE EDITOR

BLACK CAT OPEN STAGE

@ FLINT SALOON, 9:00 P.M.

T U E S

From Vancouver’s Skookum to Montreal’s Osheaga, consider this your guide to some of the hottest music festivals in Canada.

@ NUTANA LEGION, 12:00 P.M.

KARAOKE NIGHT

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Getting your festival fix: A look at some of Canada’s top summer music festivals

RETRO GAME AND TOY FAIR

@ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 8:00 P.M.

M O N

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

YXE TRANS VISIBILITY WEEK @ VARIOUS SASKATOON LOCATIONS

SPIRIT WRESTLER BY GREG NELSON @ GREYSTONE THEATRE

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Forget the heat and the prospect of ditching your winter coat — summer means looking forward to music-festival season. There is no lack of festivals on Canadian soil, so here are some of the best to satiate your sonic cravings.

It would be irresponsible to talk about Canadian music festivals without talking about the big one: Osheaga. Like previous years, this year’s lineup is stellar and includes Travis Scott, Arctic Monkeys, Khalid, Florence and the Machine, the National, Post Malone and Tyler, the Creator, among a plethora of others. Simply put, Osheaga’s lineup has something for everyone.

Unfortunately, this stellar lineup means that the festival isn’t cheap. General admission passes are priced at $320, and that’s without transportation, lodgings and food. So, if you have a kidney to sell or you just inherited a fortune, then be sure to go. A word to the wise: if you’re not fond of big crowds, then you may want to avoid Montreal from Aug. 3 to 5.

The Winnipeg Folk Festival — occuring from July 5 to 8 — also looks worthwhile. Early-bird tickets for a full festival pass go for $204 and will allow you to see Real Estate, Whitney, Bahamas, Elle King, Sheryl Crow and others. With a lineup like this, you’ll have a legitimate

reason to travel to Winnipeg.

Although not technically in the summer, Vancouver’s Skookum is shaping up to be a festival for the books. Set in the heart of Stanley Park from Sept.

7 to 9 — when it will still feel like summer — the festival will feature musical acts the Killers, Metric, Father John Misty, St. Vincent and more, in addition to a great many food establishments and visual artists.

At $319, Skookum is on the pricier side. But, if Skookum sounds good to you, don’t hold out — tickets are selling out rapidly.

From June 20 to 24, Calgary’s seminal independent music festival Sled Island will showcase over 250 artists — including some big names like Dirty Projectors, Deerhoof and Cherry Glazerr — in nearly 40 venues across Cowtown. Sled Island is really the pinnacle for those interested in Canada’s eclectic sonic offerings.

Passes for Sled Island are on sale now and start at $214.

If you’re not up for buying a pass, Sled Island also has tickets available for individual shows.

If you’re looking for another festival not too far from Saskatoon, Interstellar Rodeo is for you. Put on by the Toronto-based record label Six Shooter Records and held in Edmonton from July 20 to 22, the festival boasts Feist, July Talk, Courtney Barnett, A Tribe Called Red and others for the price of $249. What’s more, saying that you’re going to an In-

terstellar Rodeo sounds really cool.

For those of you who don’t plan on leaving Saskatchewan to get your festival fix, you’re in luck. Nestled deep in the heart of Saskatchewan’s boreal forest, the incomparable Ness Creek Music Festival is happening from July 19 to 22. Little else beats listening to music in the middle of the forest with over 3,500 other festival attendees.

Although the main musical lineup has not yet been announced, you can expect to hear Ness Creek house band Crooked Creek, a trancey drum circle and several campfire jams at the festival. Tickets are on sale for $160, currently with a $25 early-bird rebate.

If you have reservations about camping in the woods with little to no plumping, there’s always the reliable Saskatchewan Jazz Festival here in Saskatoon. The festival’s showstoppers — so to speak — include City and Colour, Kamasi Washington, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, and the Flaming Lips.

The festival runs from June 22 to July 1, early-bird ticket prices range from $20 to $60 per show, and three or more shows can be bundled together for 15 per cent off — so the Sask Jazz Fest is an affordable way to make Bridge City boogie.

At the end of the day, if none of these options entice you or if you’re feeling craven about leaving the province, there’s always Country Thunder Saskatchewan. Enough said.

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Inkcredible bodies:

CULTURE

An inside look into the world of a tattoo apprentice The Sheaf learns how to secure an apprenticeship as a tattoo artist, straight from the source.

Stephanie Mah / Supplied U of S alumna Stephanie Mah uses line and stippling shading techniques to bring her work to a moving canvas.

COMING EVENTS

JESSICA KLAASSEN-WRIGHT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Celebrating Out Of Old SaSkatchewan kitchenS

a very special dinner event to celebrate 2018’s One Book, One Province pick

presented by Prairie Ink Restaurant & Bakery and McNally Robinson Booksellers, with the Saskatchewan Library Association and MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Thursday, March 29, 6 pm 306-955-3579 for reservations

sheaf mar 22, 2018.indd 1

Stephanie Mah, a recent graduate in studio art from the University of Saskatchewan, wasn’t sure what direction she wanted to take her work after graduation, but she always had body art in the back of her mind.

Mah, now living fairly close to Montreal’s Jean-Talon Market, has been an apprentice at Oly Anger Tattoo since November 2017. Even with her extensive background in painting and drawing, moving from canvas to body art has proven to be a challenge.

“If you draw something on paper, and it looks good, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to look good on a body, because your anatomy has curves and angles that paper doesn’t. So, things that look good on paper can look really stiff on bodies. I’m still trying to learn what [works] with the flow of muscles and joints,” Mah said.

She explains that the learning process is even more complicated, because there is no singular way to create a tattoo — everyone uses different tools

3/13/2018 3:24:53 PM

and techniques. Apprentices like Mah are often expected to learn as they go. Although it’s not always easy to find a good apprenticeship with a solid mentor, Mah says she was fortunate to get a spot at Oly Anger.

“I am lucky to be at a really big studio. I think Oly Anger is one of the biggest studios in Canada. We have like 15 artists right now that are resident, but we have room for more,” Mah said. “I have a lot of artists that are really experienced that I can learn from, which is awesome.”

Mah notes that she didn’t come about her apprenticeship in the usual way, as most would-be apprentices take their portfolio to a shop and seek out a mentor in person.

“Obviously, being in Saskatoon, I didn’t have any connections [in Montreal], but I had a portfolio from my years at the U of S, and I have a website, so I just emailed a bunch of studios,” Mah said. “I heard back from two… [Oly Anger] seemed like the most receptive to it, so I went in October to meet the owner of the shop, whose name is Oly, and then I moved for November.”

Mah explains that securing her apprenticeship involved no formal agreement or applica-

tion process but was more of an exercise in networking.

“There’s no contract. It’s really unconventional. Even when I moved out here, I was like, ‘Well, I hope this works out, because I literally have nothing,’” Mah said. “It’s just kind of like you trust the person that you’re working for that it’s going to work out and that they’re going to teach you what you need to know.”

Just as the job itself is unconventional, so are the earnings, as an apprentice tattoo artist doesn’t make money the way an employee in a service or desk job would. Oly Anger doesn’t pay Mah for her work — she has to set her own prices.

Most apprentices work for free at first and are often responsible for purchasing their own equipment.

“Yeah, so when you start out tattooing — like, I was doing free tattoos for a while. And then, as you gain your skill set, you can raise your prices. But, the first 15 or so I did were free.

You [also] front all your own costs. I bought my machines and everything. And, the studio that I’m at supplies some materials, but it’s mostly all me who pays for everything up front.”

Despite the challenges of

learning on the fly and paying for her own equipment, Mah says that one of the most difficult parts of tattoo art is that you can’t erase your mistakes.

“It’s just so different from what I’m used to,” Mah said.

“I’m a perfectionist, so I’ll rework, but with a tattoo, it’s like you put down a line and it’s there forever. So, if you do it wrong, you’re like, … ‘I might have messed up, but how am I going to make sure that it still looks good?’”

While working as a tattoo artist is fairly lucrative as creative jobs go, Mah recognizes that it’s not easy to find work as an artist after graduation, yet she encourages fine arts majors to make time for their art, even when they are working other jobs.

“I think, for art especially, it’s really easy to have a side job … and forget to do art, because you need to pay for bills… I would just say, continue to do art and prioritize your art practice, even if you have other things going on.”

Stephanie Mah will be back in Saskatoon for a guest spot in the first two weeks of October. If you want to book a tattoo with her, check out her Instagram @snmah or email her at snmahtattoo@gmail.com.

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Taking the world in a fortnight: The rise of a gaming giant Few battle-royale titles are enjoying success like Fortnite, now on a rocket ride into gaming history.

JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

With 45 million players globally as of mid-January, Fortnite by Epic Games has not only taken the gaming world by storm but is also set to become a cultural phenomenon in its own right — and the growth doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.

These player numbers are largely dedicated to the game’s battle-royale mode, a video-game genre that has become increasingly popular lately. The genre has been brewing since 2012 but was largely constrained to mods of other games until H1Z1 hit Steam’s early access program in 2015.

The first of these mods was inspired by the Hunger Games franchise and was developed for the game Minecraft. One of the genre’s pioneers Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene later created a series of battle-royale mods for the ARMA series and its stand-alone spinoff DayZ. Greene went on to consult for the first stand-alone battle-royale game, H1Z1, and then to eventually craft PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which saw a beta release in March 2017.

Fortnite Battle Royale, released in September 2017, builds on this history with its own installment of the battle-royale genre.

Fortnite was originally solely a player-versus-environment experience before expanding to include a free-to-play battle-royale mode.

The main concept of Fortnite Battle Royale is that 100 players drop down onto the map and parachute to various locations.

From there, players gather loot and resources, while attempting to eliminate other players in hopes of being the last one standing.

To force players into confrontations, a circle is marked as the safe zone shortly after the start of a match. The circle then shrinks in phases until a player wins. Any players outside of the safe zone will take damage until they either get into the safe area or run out of health.

Many like to compare PUBG and Fortnite, as they are currently dominating the battle-royale genre. In terms of concurrent players and total downloads, Fortnite has topped PUBG. However, the obvious argument to be made here is that a free-to-play game will outpace a paid game simply because the only barrier

to playing is owning a platform to run it on.

Add to this the fact that Fortnite has been released on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — while PUBG has only seen a full release on PC and a beta release on Xbox One — and it seems obvious that Fortnite is leading in numbers and influence.

However, I would argue that the draw to Fortnite isn’t that simple. The game has seen constant updates since its release, which have kept the game fresh, while PUBG is somewhat stagnant.

Add to this the smooth feel and general lack of game-breaking bugs and it becomes obvious why Fortnite is so popular.

Outside of the mechanical reasons for Fortnite’s popularity, one must also consider its aesthetic appeal. The purchasable skins and emotes are quite unique.

Additionally, there is a complete absence of loot boxes — a system that has become infamous.

The mechanics and aesthetics come together to form a very cohesive experience, where players can fly around on gliders, hide in bushes and blast other players in the face with shotguns. The popularity and appeal of the game are evident on the livestreaming

I can’t believe it’s not better: Talking USSU election woes with Tub of Margarine The Sheaf speaks with Tub of Margarine for USSU President about the elections, the impacts of satire and imitation-butter spreads.

J.C. Balicanta Narag / Photo Editor Tub of Margarine made an appearance at the USSU forum in Place Riel.

TANNER BAYNE CULTURE EDITOR

Election season for the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union executive positions never fails to garner conversation — and the 2018 election is no exception. This time around, one voice is spreading its concerns across campus and buttering down one particular executive candidate.

Tub of Margarine for USSU President is the flagship Facebook page in a wave of satirical Facebook pages that express dis-

12 / CULTURE

pleasure with USSU presidential candidate Coden Nikbakht. Two pages that have since appeared are Rufus 4 USSU President and Would Silly Gamer Boy Photo 314582765 Get More Votes Than Coden Nikbakht. At the time of publication, Tub of Margarine had 244 Facebook likes, while Nikbakht’s page had 147.

Joining the ranks of Tub of Margarine for Conservative Party Leader, Tub of Margarine for USSU President is part of a rise in imitation-butter spreads that run for public office. Tub of Margarine believes this increase in

spreadable candidates is a result of the times.

“I think that tubs of butter and margarine everywhere are finding their voices and honestly challenging the status quo of overconfident white guys,” Tub of Margarine said, in a Facebook conversation with the Sheaf.

Tub of Margarine believes that Nikbakht is unqualified for the position of USSU president, because they say his campaign promises don’t line up with real student needs and issues.

“Most students can’t afford vehicles, so making parking his main issue — when sexual assault, cost of tuition, food insecurity, heart disease and mental health are serious impediments to students’ success at the U of S — is frankly sad,” Tub of Margarine said. “[Nikbakht] seems to miss the mark with his comments about sexual-assault prevention, getting women elected,

Photographic illustration by Jeremy Britz / Web Editor

website Twitch, where Fortnite amasses hundreds of thousands of viewers.

In fact, the game recently broke a record on Twitch when Tyler “Ninja” Blevins — one of Fortnite’s most celebrated streamers — teamed up with rappers Drake and Travis Scott and Pittsburgh Steelers receiver

JuJu Smith-Schuster. The stream broke the viewership record for an individual streamer, gathering almost 630,000 viewers at one time.

With the mobile version of Fortnite hitting iOS now, the game continues to evolve and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

and [in] his most recent forum, when he took quite a stumble talking about Indigenous students on campus.”

Tub of Margarine’s opinions and attitudes have not gone unnoticed by the USSU. On March 20, the USSU posted on the Tub of Margarine for USSU President Facebook page, citing their concerns with the page and drawing attention to Section 63 of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union Bylaw, “Interference

by Outside Parties.”

“We encourage a fair democratic process where differing views, critiques and debate [are] fostered. We are concerned about the premise of this page,” the USSU said. “[S]tudents that engage in actions that are likely to bring the electoral process into disrepute may be subject to sanctions, including but not limited to referring the matter to an outside person or body such as the University of Saskatchewan Standard of Student Conduct in Non-Academic Matters.”

In addition to responding to the USSU’s Facebook statement that the Facebook page is causing electoral disrepute by antagonizing Nikbakht, Tub of Margarine told the Sheaf that their page is a valid response to an unqualified candidate.

“I understand the criticism, but I also see the need to be vocal when someone problematic is running for a position of leadership on campus,” Tub of Margarine said. “If our campaign can raise awareness of the dangers of heart disease and also make [Nikbakht] rethink the way he approaches women and gender-minority issues, sexual assault, and Indigenous sovereignty, then I’ve done what I set out to do.

“He has to understand that simply saying he sometimes tells his friends that making rape jokes isn’t okay isn’t enough advocacy for the position of president.”

Tub of Margarine also does not believe that the popularity and proliferation of satirical Facebook pages will dissuade students from pursuing student politics for fear of ridicule.

“I think our campaign has actually brought more focus to the election and has made students realize that, when they don’t run for positions of leadership, … some guy who really has no idea will run and win,” Tub of Margarine said. “There’s tons of really competent student leaders on campus, and I hope our campaign has made them realize that they are more than qualified to run for office, comparatively.”

OPINIONS

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OPINIONS

Increasing access to naloxone one solution to growing opioid problem distribute them as well.

Dr. Peter Butt, a professor for the College of Medicine who specializes in opioid addiction, says the process of training someone to use naloxone is more than just preparing to react to an overdose. According to Butt, naloxone providers should also be interested in spreading awareness about addiction and mental health.

“Frequently, training is done in locations where it is also done as a form of community outreach,” Butt said. “You can discuss treatments or other harm-reduction methods with the people who attend these training sessions.”

At the University of Saskatchewan, students should be equipped to help prevent opioid-related deaths in our community. To make these resources more available, the

Ed i

Over the weekend of March 9 to 12, there were six drug overdoses in Saskatoon — three of which were fatal — because of fentanyl lacing in substances like cocaine. These fatal overdoses might have been avoided with better access to naloxone kits.

Naloxone is a medication used to counteract and temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses in humans.

When distributed, naloxone is a harm-reduction measure for people who suffer from addiction to drugs like oxycodone and other opioids. It is also effective at remedying accidental overdoses that happen when recreational drugs like cocaine are cut with opioids.

Available nationally without

a prescription, naloxone has been especially effective in the fight against opioid overdoses in cities like Vancouver — where it is distributed to the public and can be carried in an auto-injectable form, similar to an EpiPen, or as a nasal spray.

The government of British Columbia gave out over 16,500 naloxone kits in 2016.

Opioid-related deaths have been a persistent problem in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Coroner’s Office reported that 25 people died of accidental opioid overdoses in the province in 2017, excluding cases that are still under investigation. While naloxone kits are currently available through the Saskatchewan Health Authority and certain pharmacies, community organizations like AIDS Saskatoon are asking for the right to

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Naloxone helps prevent fatal opioid overdoses, and you should learn how to use it.

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Student Wellness Centre on campus should be provided with naloxone kits and could also host training sessions to educate people. The Mayfair Clinic in Saskatoon currently offers this service for free.

Additionally, I would argue that several faculty members in every department should be trained to use naloxone kits and equipped with them at all times. The fact is, our faculty members are not only leaders of our community here on

ap Gr / h las ara sia K

campus but also in the larger community of our city. The university could also install naloxone kits in key places on campus, just as automated external defibrillators are already present.

These deaths are preventable, but prevention requires action and responsibility. Taking one extra step to be prepared, especially if you use or know someone who uses recreational drugs, is necessary to stop this growing crisis.

Saskatoon cycles?

Exploring new development in the city that never pedals Local group aims to link community and transportation — but more can be done.

ERIN MATTHEWS

The perfect portrait of Saskatoon in the summer is that of a cyclist taking to the streets, dodging cars to the salute of a certain finger from those behind the wheel. So, is Saskatoon as bike-friendly as it pretends to be?

Close your eyes and picture this: It’s summer. The river before you reflects the blue sky above, and pelicans sore like ancient giants who betray the secret of their evolutionary journey. A breeze rushes against your face, bringing with it the scent of the city and the sound of vehicles whirling past you.

The gentle clicks and clacks and the low hum of tires against cement travel to your ears. This would be the perfect time to open your eyes. You are about to make the terrifying descent

down the University Bridge on a 10-speed, and you may want to be aware of your surroundings.

In recent years, Saskatoon has made admirable attempts to make the city more cyclist-friendly, but has any tangible improvement come from these efforts? With designated bike lanes, community groups like Saskatoon Cycles and those committed cyclists who continue their voyages during the frigid winter months, one would think this city has fully embraced cycling.

Cathy Watts, co-chair of Saskatoon Cycles, believes that the city is moving in the right direction with the sustainable transportation option, but political processes move slowly, and unfortunately, Saskatoon is just not keeping up with other cities when it comes to new initiatives.

“Cycling is a simple solution

Michaela DeMong Warmer temperatures will encourage more Saskatonians to use this two-wheeled transportation device.

to a complex problem,” Watts said.

Saskatoon Cycles is an organization actively working to get more people on bikes and involved with their community.

For Watts, cycling means more than health and getting to your destination in style — it’s about creating community.

“I am engaged with my community — if I was in a car I’d be nothing,” Watts said.

I must admit that I am not a cyclist. I resemble a baby deer riding a bike — if that baby deer had lost control of its cerebellum. In the past 10 years, I’ve been on a bike only a handful of times, and one of these occasions involved a BIXI rental on the mean streets of Montreal — which was exhilarating.

There, I was able to experience everything around me

in such detail that, three years later, I can still conjure up the sights in my mind. Watts agrees that cycling is an immersive mode of transportation.

“The [thing] that happens in your brain when you’re riding your bike long distance is just a wonderful feeling,” Watts said.

As Saskatoon grows, its development continues to push outwards to the periphery.

This suburban sprawl makes a cycling commute more complicated and time-consuming for those less-than-committed citizens. Watts finds that people often overestimate the time it will take to get somewhere on a bike, but she assures them that it’s often much less than they would think. “[With] our geography and our size, [the city] has so much potential,” Watts said.

Could the car culture of the Prairies be the culprit for the lack of a cycling community? I myself would rather purchase a motorcycle than a bicycle — does that make me part of the problem?

Our climate may also play a large role in curtailing the cycling movement. Not all of us have the discipline or desire that is needed to plow through the snow on a metal and rubber stallion, but perhaps, we could ease into it.

Let’s try something new. This summer might be the perfect time to explore this beautiful city. Dust off that bike or find a rusty, orphaned machine from the depths of the internet and take a spin around Saskatoon.

Trust me, even if you look like an infantile woodland creature, it will be time well spent.

OPINIONS / 13

OPINIONS

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // MA R C H 2 2 , 2 0 1 8

Ode to term-paper season A humorous argument to abolish end-of-year essay obligations.

LAUREN KLASSEN

Writing term papers in March is less stimulating than having a dinner fork impale my pinky toe. Post-secondary institutions could not stoop to implement a more conventional, mundane task that writing a term paper.

Is there anything more clichéd? Writing term papers in March may be the university’s most unoriginal idea yet. Sure, students embraced the university’s idea of writing finals two days before Christmas, but writing term papers in March is undoubtedly the dullest proposition to the student body yet.

Despite the fact that term papers have been so overdone in the past half-century, the university continues to force us overworked, underpaid students to carry out the task at hand, so that our intelligence

can be evaluated on an academic level — lame.

Do the people in charge actually believe that, by researching established scholars’ findings and academic breakthroughs, students — who pay thousands of dollars in tuition just to breathe in the aromatic smell of Vanellis pizza and have justification to submit their opinions to USask Confessions — will be influenced or enlightened enough to one day have breakthroughs of their own?

Students could do so much with the one week

they have to finish five papers, putting their resources into projects that are undeniably more stimulating than academic prose in March.

This list includes but is not

limited to realigning chakras, taking a trip to the loo, engaging in a conversation about carbon tax with succulents, watching Netflix, contemplating how an institution that fosters education is still financially inaccessible to those under the poverty line, baking gluten-free avocados or counting all the paper planes lodged into the ceiling of the Airplane Room.

Frankly, students today are far too advanced and cultured to be writing term papers in March.

To spice up the life of the student body, why not add more to our miniscule plates? Balancing jobs, classes, extracurricular commitments, healthy sleep habits, healthy eating habits, a social life and family time is so easy, after all.

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

I SS UE 2 5 // VO L . 1 0 9

University students long for more responsibilities and challenges. Instead of writing term papers in March, how about students gather in the Bowl to have tag-team midterms, followed by chemistry exams on ice, instead?

Take me, for example. I have been assigned three term papers this March that I have known about for three months.

Somehow, even after studying at this institution for two whole years, I have not made any progress towards a PhD in time management.

No, I spent three weeks on my first term paper and five days on the second one. Now, with one term paper and four assignments left to do, I’ve taken on the extra responsibility of contributing to this student newspaper.

Writing term papers in March doesn’t stimulate my mind until I compare my grades, which were 10 percent higher last semester. And afterwards, I’ll purchase an Americano from the Starbucks in Murray Library, reassuring myself that grading is objective and that I am a failure.

So your summer job is shitty, huh?

One student’s experience with what she believes is the worst summer job.

LYNDSAY AFSETH STAFF WRITER

The clock is ticking as many students search for summer employment, but unfortunately, there are a limited number of good jobs available. Some students will have to take a lessthan-ideal job — whether that means it’s hard work for little pay or just not fun to do.

Over the years, I have had many summer jobs, including serving at a lake resort up north, being an office temp and dishwashing. While none of my summer jobs have been exceptionally stimulating, the worst by far was cleaning up dog poop.

While many students opt for a serving or landscaping job to provide seasonal livelihood, I decided to look outside the box last year. I was also applying late in the game, so the pickings were slim, and I was desperate.

I applied in a frenzy for all of the jobs that I was qualified for to start making money, as I had to pay rent.

After about a month of fruitless applications, I finally got a callback from a company that employs people to clean dog poop out of residential back-

14 / OPINIONS

yards. Although the job itself did not sound very fun, it paid nearly $30 an hour and allowed me to make my own schedule.

I was scared of dogs — which made me extra reluctant — but I needed the money, so I gave it a shot.

There were many bad parts of this job — my car always smelled like bleach, because I had to spray the bottom of my shoes in between houses. And, let me reiterate, I had to touch dog poop for several hours every day. When it rained, it was a whole other nightmare, as you can likely imagine.

Dog poop removal is not a booming industry. Because there were a limited number of backyards to clean every week, I soon found out that I’d never earn enough to pay my bills.

As a result, I had to get a second bad job: dishwashing at a restaurant in the evenings.

Cleaning dog poop in the morning and washing dishes at night for three months straight really takes a toll on a person, and I have never been happier to see the start of the school year.

To be fair, not all parts of the job were bad. A lot of my time was spent just driving from house to house, and the amount

of time spent actually touching dog poop was relatively little.

I also liked that I got to work independently. One thing I learned is that, if you do a gross thing enough times, it no longer seems as gross.

If you are the type of person who gets grossed out easily, you might do better in an office or retail setting. However, if you like dogs and like to spend a lot of time driving, cleaning up dog poop may not be the worst job for you to do to make a little bit of extra money.

Although you may want to avoid bad summer jobs like this, there is something to be said about spending months repeatedly doing a task that you hate. Everything that I’ve done since then has been easy in comparison, and I am glad to say that I am no longer scared of dogs.

Gabbie Torres You can learn a lot from your furry friends’ bowel movements.

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

MA R C H 2 2 , 2 0 1 8

DISTRACTIONS

WARM WEATHER REMINDS GRAD STUDENT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO FEEL HAPPY, FREE GRADUATE HOUSE — As temperatures continue to rise in Saskatchewan, one doctoral candidate is feeling especially optimistic, as evidenced by his joyful exclamation upon stepping outside Monday morning.

The Sheaf hit the streets to find out more.

Gregory Barker remembers waking up in a foul mood, dreading a day of research and fruitless peer-mentoring sessions. However — after the first light of morning touched his hollow, sunken face and

#albumoftheweek:

Bad Bonez

by Michael Seyer

Tanner Bayne

he noticed that the wind blowing past him was fragrant with the smell of wet pavement — Barker says he felt rejuvenated, prompting him to utter a positive exclamation.

Witnesses to Barker’s cry of joy gave mixed responses — one nearby pedestrian reported feeling dismayed and angered upon hearing Barker express himself.

“It’s the same thing every year, by gosh,” they said.

Another passerby shared that seeing Barker happy

made them feel happy, too.

“Hey, that’s really nice,” they said.

Barker has lived in Saskatchewan his entire life, and while he is no stranger to the province’s regular seasonal patterns, he expresses some disbelief on the subject.

“I had forgotten what it was like to really feel things — the winter is dark and hopeless,” Barker said. “I didn’t think I’d make it.”

Everyone knows one person who is seemingly good at everything they do — aren’t they infuriating? At 22, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Michael Seyer is shaping up to be that person — but without all the negative connotations.

Bad Bonez is Seyer’s latest album, and he wrote, produced, performed and mixed it almost entirely by himself. Fittingly received as a bedroom-pop record — as he recorded the album in his and his roommate’s bedroom — Bad Bonez is a hazy, thoughtful work that’s perfect for those hazy and thoughtful nights in bed.

If you’re a fan of Mac DeMarco or Yellow Days, you’ll feel right at home with Michael Seyer. To get started, check out the song “Weekend at Santa Cruz.”

xkcd.com

DISTRACTIONS / 15

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