September 27, 2018 by The Sheaf

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

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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

The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

Nuit Blanche partners with U of S

The hidden damage of charitable trips

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Saskatoon house shows

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Huskies seeking to lead the pack

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Campus goes Medieval page 4

NEWS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Emily Migchels

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

CULTURE EDITOR

Tanner Bayne

Cole Chretien

news@thesheaf.com

culture@thesheaf.com

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

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NEWS

A vinyl exchange: U of S alumnus purchases Saskatoon’s seminal record store The Sheaf speaks with Adam Harrison, the new proprietor of the Vinyl Exchange in Saskatoon.

Erin Matthews

Jack Thompson

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STAFF WRITER

Ana Cristina Camacho staffwriter@thesheaf.com COPY EDITOR

| Amanda Slinger

copy@thesheaf.com LAYOUT MANAGER

| Kaitlin Wong

layout@thesheaf.com PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

| Riley Deacon

photo@thesheaf.com GRAPHICS EDITOR

| Jaymie Stachyruk

graphics@thesheaf.com WEB EDITOR

| Nykole King

web@thesheaf.com OUTREACH DIRECTOR

| J.C. Balicanta Narag

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| Shantelle Hrytsak

ads@thesheaf.com Riley Deacon / Photo Editor

COVER IMAGE

Riley Deacon & Jaymie Stachyruk BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeremy Britz Lyndsay Afseth Matthew Taylor Kayle Neis Emily Klatt Heywood Yu

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Mission // The mission of the Sheaf is to inform and entertain students by addressing those issues that are relevant to life on campus, in the city or in the province. The newspaper serves as a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students, by students, it provides unique insight into university issues through a student perspective. The staff of editors, photographers and artists collaborate with volunteers as student journalists to create a product relevant to students on the University of Saskatchewan campus. Legal // The Sheaf, published weekly during the academic year and periodically from May through August, is an incorporated non-profit that is, in part, student-body funded by way of a direct levy paid by all partand full-time undergraduate students at the U of S. The remainder of the revenue is generated through advertising. The financial affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, most of whom are students. Membership in the Sheaf Publishing Society is open to all undergraduate students at the U of S, who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Absolutely no experience is required! The opinions expressed in the Sheaf do not necessarily reflect those of the Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. The Sheaf reserves the right to refuse to accept or print any material deemed unfit for publication, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, the Editor-in-Chief will decide if the article or artwork would be of interest to a significant portion of the Society and benefit the welfare of Sheaf readers. The Sheaf will not publish any racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous material. 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

The cover image on the Sept. 20 issue of the Sheaf was incorrectly attributed to Riley Deacon. The cover graphic was actually created by Jaymie Stachyruk. We apologize for this error. If you spot any errors in this issue, please email them to copy@thesheaf.com for correction.

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Adam Harrison sifts through a rack of records at the Vinyl Exchange in Saskatoon, posed.

CARLEE SNOW

This month, one University of Saskatchewan alumnus became the new proprietor of Saskatoon’s distinguished downtown record shop, the Vinyl Exchange, just two years after convoking from Edwards School of Business. For 25 years, the Vinyl Exchange has been a staple shop for purchasing records, CDs and music memorabilia in Saskatoon. On Sept. 15, Adam Harrison, a Vinyl Exchange employee since 2016, bought the business from the store’s founding owner, Mike Spindloe. Harrison says that he has been a loyal customer to the Vinyl Exchange since moving to Saskatoon from Moosomin in 2011. Unsure of what he wanted to do after convoking with a Bachelor’s of Commerce in 2016, Harrison applied for a job at the Vinyl Exchange. When Spindloe decided that he wanted to sell the store in 2017, Harrison was presented with an opportunity he could not pass up. For Harrison, the decision to buy the Vinyl Exchange

was a natural progression. “It was an opportunity — I’m always the type of person to take life as it comes,” Harrison said. “It was too good of an offer to pass up. I know how [the store] works.” Although Harrison’s acquisition of the Vinyl Exchange is the first change of ownership since the store’s opening in 1993, he hopes that customers don’t feel any differences under his lead. “Honestly, I don’t want people to notice that it’s changed at all,” Harrison said. “It’s been open for 25 years, and if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? I’m sure, as things come along, I’ll make changes as I see fit.” For some sceptics, buying a record store in 2018 — when music streaming is so popular — may seem like a precarious venture. Harrison, however, believes that record stores and music streaming services can have a mutually beneficial relationship. “I think the two go hand in hand. With things like Spotify and Apple Music, it’s just a click away to have access to all of that artist’s music and albums,” Harrison said. “If you become familiar with some-

thing, that might inspire you to own the album physically. Honestly, I think streaming platforms have helped out with vinyl interest and people wanting to make a collection.” For Harrison, the local vinyl industry and the continuing interest in the Vinyl Exchange is indicative that record stores will continue to stay open in Saskatoon. “I’ve noticed lots of teenage kids and kids in their early 20s are buying vinyl now, and as long as those people continue buying vinyl as they get older — and I keep those customers — we should be okay,” Harrison said. “It’s steady with customers in here.” While Harrison’s new role as owner of the Vinyl Exchange may be inspiring to any prospective business owners and U of S students, as an alumnus, he is hesitant to dole out advice as he acknowledges how serendipitous his situation has been. “I wouldn’t take my advice,” Harrison said. “I would definitely be a little more proactive than I was — everything just seemed to work out for me. I would say, find something you’re really passionate about and go after it.”

NEWS

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S E P T E M B E R 27, 2 0 1 8

AlertUS not activated following campus threat to give ‘best chance’ of apprehending man responsible The Sheaf speaks to Protective Services about the protocol for campus threats. TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR

On Sept. 20, the Saskatoon Police Service worked with the University of Saskatchewan Protective Services department to arrest a man who made threats online concerning violence and relating to the U of S main campus. The arrest followed a series of Facebook posts made by the 24-year-old man the previous evening, wherein he encouraged ISIS supporters on campus to riot and loot, as well as execute an unspecified number of Saudi Arabian leaders in the Bowl. On the day of the arrest, university staff were notified of the potential threat to campus safety at 11:00 a.m. Students, however, were not made aware of the threats until Protective Services released a notification at 12:20 p.m., following the individual’s apprehension. Protective Services says that the individual posed no immediate danger to those on campus.

“The safety of our campus community and visitors to campus is our top priority in these situations. Following our joint investigation with the … SPS, it was determined that there was no immediate threat to the campus community,” Protective Services said in an email to the Sheaf. Under certain circumstances, Protective Services has the capability to alert U of S students and staff of potential danger. Protective Services states that this mechanism was not deemed necessary in this case as the threats did not require immediate action. “The decision to not issue an AlertUS message was made to give SPS and Protective Services the best chance to apprehend the individual without incident,” Protective Services said. “Many options were considered in the moment to ensure the safety of our campus community. Because of the effective process followed by SPS and our safety team, these options were not required. Our notification system

is only activated in situations that require immediate action.” Although no alert was sent about the incident, Protective Services says that there was an increased security presence on campus once they became aware of the online threats. “From the time we were alerted, all officers on shift were working with SPS with the goal of locating the suspect,” Protective Services said in an email to the Sheaf. “The Bowl was being closely monitored. SPS and Protective Services had about 20 officers, plain-clothed and uniformed, patrolling campus.” Protective Services revealed that there has been only one campus lockdown, when an individual carrying a bike seat was thought to be carrying a weapon. The Canadian Muslim Chaplain Organization and the U of S Muslim Students’ Association released a joint statement in the evening on Sept. 21, expressing their concerns that the threats were indicative of a growing Islamophobic sentiment on campus.

Nadia Ristau The Bowl at the University of Saskatchewan.

“Safety is a growing concern for [the] Campus Muslim Community,” the statement said. “The Campus Muslim Community and its representatives are still in shock from yesterday’s arrest of a 24-year-old man after public online threats were made from the individual’s Facebook profile, many of which were directed towards Muslims, Muslim-majority countries and their leaders.” The CMCO and MSA statement also states that the individual allegedly approached a female student on campus

before his arrest. “The Muslim Chaplain also received written concern from a female Muslim student who was approached by the alleged owner of these Facebook posts and harassed about her hijab in a threatening and demanding manner yesterday, shortly before the arrest was made,” the statement said. The individual has since been charged with uttering threats to cause death and breach of a court order. Saskatoon police have stated that the man is set to appear in court on Oct. 21 at 10:00 a.m.

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NEWS

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // S E P T E M B E R 27, 2 0 1 8

Campus of the ages: The Museum of Antiquities hosts sixth annual Prairie Paladin Medieval Market & Faire

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USSU opens nominations for by-election Voting for the USSU by-election will take place on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18. TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR

Fair-goers should expect combat demonstrations, musical acts and more. JONAH EGAN-PIMBLETT

Students can experience the Middle Ages this weekend at the sixth annual Prairie Paladin Medieval Market & Faire. Hosted by the Museum of Antiquities, the event will be held on Sept. 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Bowl and Convocation Hall. Helanna Gessner, the community outreach and engagement intern at the Museum of Antiquities, is organizing the fair this year, with help from the museum’s director Tracene Harvey and education and outreach co-ordinator Sarah Johnston. Gessner believes that there is something for everyone at the fair as the event is host to a number of attractions. “There will be combat demonstrations, musical performances, a medieval market, children’s activities, as well as booths set up by the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society, the natural sciences museum, the Nordhere Vikings and the Society for Creative Anachronism,” Gessner said. “We will also be raffling off a Viking helmet with display stand. We have Simply Grounded Coffee and Smoke’s Poutinerie joining us as well. There is something for everyone to enjoy.” Gessner states that, while the big draw to visiting the Prairie Paladin Medieval Market & Faire is the combat demonstrations, music will also be a central focus of the event. “The Nordhere Vikings and the Society for Creative Anachronism will be performing combat demonstrations throughout the day,” Gessner said. “You won’t want to miss the medieval music demonstrations by Weldon Gray and Kathi Lepage-Davis happening in the afternoon.” For Gessner, the Prairie Paladin Medieval Market & Faire will both enlighten

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Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

fair-goers about medieval life and showcase some contemporary culture in Saskatoon as well. “Our goal is to share the medieval culture that our museum encompasses and [to showcase] the cultural groups in the Saskatoon community that have made this fair possible year after year,” Gessner said. Johnston, the museum’s and outreach education co-ordinator, says that the fair offers events and activities for people of all ages, children included. “I have been involved with the Prairie Paladin Medieval Market & Faire for the last five years. I am once again in charge of the Fairy Garden, which is our children’s area. We will have lots of fun crafts and activities running all throughout the day,” Johnston said. Although organizing a medieval fair is no simple thing, Gessner reveals that the greatest hardship in planning the festival is the climate. “The most difficult part is

trying to work around our crazy Saskatchewan weather. The groups we work with are very supportive of the festival and are willing to do what it takes to make it successful,” Gessner said. Should the weather be too inclement, the fair will be moved into the Peter Mackinnon Building and the Physics Building, where the festivities will resume. For Gessner, the Prairie Paladin Medieval Market & Faire is a truly unique event for anyone in the Saskatoon area. “It’s something that people don’t get to experience every day, and I am honoured to help give them that opportunity,” Gessner said. For Johnston, the fair is an opportunity to engage with the broader community. “I really appreciate being … part of this festival because it is such a great community event,” Johnston said. “I look forward to dressing up every year and making sure that everyone has a great time.”

On Sept. 24, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union opened nominations for the Fall 2018 by-election. The by-election is intended to fill 11 vacant seats on student council as well as the position of USSU president. The by-election was slated to occur after the union’s regular election in March as there was a high number of vacant student council seats after the voting closed. On Sept. 4, then USSU President Coden Nikbakht departed the union, thus creating a vacancy on the USSU executive. Brent Kobes, vice-president operations and finances, has since been acting as interim president. On Oct. 2, USSU General Manager Caroline Cottrell will chair mandatory orientation meetings in the Roy Romanow Student Council Chamber in Place Riel for students interested in running for student council or for the executive position. The meetings will occur at 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. Students who intend to run in the election, whether for the vacant executive position or the student councils seats, are required to have their nomination forms submitted by Oct. 9 at 4:00 p.m. There is a $100.00 refundable deposit for those vying for the presidential position. From Oct. 10 to Oct. 12, the general manager designate will verify the academic standing of the nominees. Nominees can begin campaigning at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 15. In past years, campaigning has included postering and various forms of social media advertising. The USSU website states that all campaign materials must be taken down by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 18. Voting for the by-election begins at 9:00 a.m. on Oct. 17 and ends at 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 18. Election results will be announced in Place Riel as well as on the USSU website once the votes are counted. Additionally, any formal complaints against students running for office must be submitted to the USSU office by the same time.

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

SPORTS&HEALTH

Cross-country Huskies: A team that trains together wins together The cross-country Huskies credit their success at the annual Cougar Trot to team support. ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

The University of Saskatchewan’s cross-country team started the 2018-19 season strong on Sept. 15 against their provincial rivals the Regina Cougars. The Huskies team showed strong individual performances as well as an improved group dynamic, with the majority of the team finishing within seconds of each other. Courtney Hufsmith, a thirdyear marketing student, was the first to cross the finish line in the women’s 6 km race at the Regina meet. Hufsmith had a successful 2017-18 season, finishing third in Canada West and 11th in

U Sports. To Hufsmith, the support of the team is necessary in performing well at the meets. “It’s always good to have someone pushing you. As a teammate, if you are pushing each other, you are probably going to end up being better,” Hufsmith said. “I’m feeling really good about this season — I think the team is looking really good this year. We have a lot of new faces, which is really nice.” Among these new faces is Dezeray Wapass, a first-year kinesiology student and Huskies rookie. The Regina meet was her first race at the university level. The new recruit from Big River First Nation placed ninth at the Cougar Trot. Wapass says that her support system played a big

part in her early success. “It went really well. Having the team and my family there as well made me more confident and more comfortable, less intimidated,” Wapass said. “Everyone’s so nice. It’s great to be on a team that shares the same passion and love of running.” Jared Welsh, a fifth-year regional and urban planning student, also believes that team support is important for every runner to improve. Welsh placed eighth in the men’s 8 km race, the first of the men’s team to cross the finish line in Regina. “In the workouts, we work well together, and we are able to keep each other motivated and make sure that nobody’s slacking off — that shows in the races. In

Supplied by Courtney Hufsmith Courtney Hufsmith leads a group of cross-country runners.

the middle of the races, if we are running near to each other, we encourage each other to do our best,” Welsh said. “It’s easier to work together as a team than individually.” This season, both the men’s and women’s teams aim to improve. Welsh discusses his personal and team goals for the year. “My personal goal is to run a personal best time in the 10 km [race],” Welsh said. “As a team, hopefully, we have better results than in previous years and gradually improve.” Hufsmith is also looking to build on last season’s success and

aim higher this year. “Personally, I’m running for the title this year at U Sports — I think I have the support system to do so, under best circumstances,” Hufsmith said. “As a team, we all set a goal of improving at least five spots at nationals, so if we end up sending a team to nationals, that would be the ultimate goal.” With group morale running high and a shared determination for improvement, the cross-country Huskies are looking ahead to the new season with optimism. The cross-country Huskies’ next race is the Sled Dog Open, happening on Sept. 29 at Victoria Park.

Yoga accessories: The must-haves and must-not-haves While, theoretically, you only need your body to do yoga, there are folks who will try to sell you a variety of accessories — are any of them worth it? HOPE N.S. JEFFERY

As yoga has become more popular across all ages in recent years, more and more accessories have become available for purchase. Let’s take a look and see which of these will actually benefit your next yoga session and which are just an attempt to get your money. First, yoga socks — these are intended to allow people to have more stability while doing yoga exercises since they have grip pads on the soles. They can be helpful to keep your feet warm on those cold winter days. These are also great for when you are practicing yoga without a mat — on a hardwood floor or in an outdoor yoga class. The next product that some might choose is a yoga towel, placed over a yoga mat. Many people use these to protect themselves from touching shared yoga mats as they’re often great bacterial breeding grounds. If you are properly cleaning off your mat after each yoga session, do you really need a yoga towel? Maybe not. I would say that if you are using a mat that is not your own

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

at a yoga studio, then it is an option worth looking into. If you’d rather just invest in your own mat, you probably don’t need one. Yoga blocks are essential to many people’s yoga routines because of their versatility. They are intended as tools to assist in stretching, balance and strength exercises.

Blocks can be all-around helpful and seem to be a very multi-functional accessory to use while practicing yoga. They can also be purchased at a very low price, so if you are looking to add one to your yoga routine, you can purchase them for as little as $4.83 on Amazon. Next up, we have the yoga

wheel. This is an unusual looking tool that many yoga-lovers enjoy. These are great for improving flexibility while stretching and doing difficult poses. Yoga wheels can be somewhat more helpful than a yoga block because of their ability to roll, which makes it easier to transfer from one pose to the next or move

into a deeper stretch without having to get up and adjust your positioning. Finally, what about yoga mat carriers? These are very helpful for transporting your yoga mat from point A to point B without it unrolling. Another option, however, is just to purchase a yoga bag that you can fit your mat into. Neither is truly necessary for transporting your yoga mat, but they are helpful. If you purchase a mat carrier, then you will have to carry that and your clothes, accessories and water bottle separately. If you purchase a bag that can hold your yoga mat, it is less of a hassle to transport your items, but you must also take into consideration that the bag will be larger. This one is completely up to personal preference. People have done yoga for centuries, without all of these accessories, but many of these items have proven to be effective in helping you enrich your yoga experience. Accessories are always an optional thing to add to your yoga routine, but if you’re looking to broaden your repertoire, I am sure you will find one that works for you.

SPORTS & HEALTH / 5

SPORTS&HEALTH

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // S E P T E M B E R 27, 2 0 1 8

Fitness class review: Boxercise In a continuing series of fitness class reviews, I step into the ring of Boxercise.

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Sheaf workout: Classic cardio JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Opinions on cardio can be very divisive — people either love it or absolutely hate it. Regardless of your feelings toward it, however, cardio is an important part of any healthy workout routine. This workout is a good way to inject some light cardio into your day without taking up too much of your precious time. Kick off this workout with some high knees followed by mountain climbers to get those legs warmed up. Give it your all for some wind sprints, and then jog it out to give yourself a break. Repeat two or three times, increasing or decreasing repetitions according to your ability.

1. High knees: 1 minute

2. Mountain climbers: 1 minute Heywood Yu The author participates in a Boxercise class at the PAC.

JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Over the summer, as an addition to the other fitness classes offered at the PAC, Boxercise became available to students for free. As this review will explain and explore, this class will feel comfortable for most students who have been in a fitness class before. As with many of the other classes offered at the PAC, Boxercise is structured around an instructor with a microphone at the front of class, and participants mirror their movements as the class goes along. Fitness classes are often set to music, and Boxercise is no different. During the class, remixed pop songs set the tempo of the exercise. Each week, the tracklist stays pretty much the same, with tracks getting swapped in and out as the weeks progress. This means that — if you stick to the class — you can memorize the moves and start to get even more comfortable with the routine. For me, the class itself was surprisingly similar to the Zumba class that is also offered at the PAC. The ses-

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sion I attended had the same instructor — which is likely a part of the reason why the two felt so similar. For a quick and easy comparison, I would describe Boxercise as Zumba with the dance moves exchanged for punches and kicks. Boxercise is offered twice a week, once on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. — which is the session I attended — and, again at 4:30 p.m. on Sundays. Prior to attending this class, I was coming off a fairly long and arduous day, and I was worried that I would have difficulty completing the class or that the class would leave me feeling even more exhausted than I was going into it. However, quite the opposite happened. The class was just intense enough so as to not be easy but also not a gruelling experience either. The sets focused on certain movements and consisted of a repeating cycle of punches, kicks and other moves mixed in as well. While none of the punches or kicks would connect with anything other than air, they did serve to significantly alter the feel of the class. I found that, when comparing Zumba and Boxercise,

the biggest difference is that, while I spent most of Zumba laughing at my own inability to dance, Boxercise was a little more of an anger-driven experience. In five-minute bursts, the entire class would be moving in one direction or another, and the sets were separated by short breaks, during which participants could leave the room to go get water or cool down a little before moving on. After the second set, I had already started to sweat and — with each set getting a little bit harder — the workout only got more intense. One thing that I personally found surprising was the degree to which the class was an arm workout. I had expected my legs to be sore because of all the squats and constant movement, but I was not expecting my arms to be as tired as they were from doing shadow-boxing moves. Boxercise is truly a fullbody workout that had me sore for the next two days or so — though this may be more due to the fact that I’m a little out of shape. Overall, I would definitely recommend this class for its balance between intensity and approachability for differing skill levels.

3. Wind sprints: 2 minutes

4. Jogging: 2 minutes

All graphics by Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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CULTURE

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

CULTURE EVENTS Silent Classics Series brings an unforgettable 27 showing of L’Inferno T H U R S

DEAR ROUGE WITH MODERN SPACE @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

COMEDY LAB

@ CRAZY CACTUS, 7:30 P.M.

CFCR FM-PHASIS: BEETLEJUICE SCREENING & COSTUME PARTY @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 8:00 P.M.

THE FAPS WITH TWIN VOICES AND THE SIPS @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

The Roxy Theatre’s presentation of L’Inferno — with an original live soundtrack — is a hellish delight for film buffs and music fans alike.

F R I

ROSA BARBA ARTIST’S TALK @ REMAI MODERN, 7:00 P.M.

ROCK AGAINST RACISM SASKATOON @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:00 P.M.

QUEERAPALOOZA DRAGPOCALYPSE DRAG SHOW @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:30 P.M.

CFCR FM-PHASIS: THE PISTOLWHIPS, ZELDA BELLADONNA AND SITCOM @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB,10:00 P.M.

S A T

PRAIRIE PALADIN MEDIEVAL MARKET & FAIRE @ UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN, 11:00 A.M.

NUIT BLANCHE @ DOWNTOWN, BROADWAY AND RIVERSDALE DISTRICTS, 7:00 P.M.

CFCR FM-PHASIS: STEPH CAMERON WITH TAYLOR JADE @ THE BASSMENT, 8:00 P.M.

KEN MODE, SHALLOW NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUL MATES @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

S U N

TONIGHT IT’S POETRY: SEPTEMBER SLAM @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:00 P.M.

UPSIDE DOWN & BACKWARDS: A MISCAST CABARET KARAOKE

A still frame from L’Inferno from 1911.

On Sept. 21, as part of the Riversdale Silent Classics series, the Roxy Theatre presented a unique audiovisual experience based on one of the Western canon’s longest-lasting and most haunting works. L’inferno, the 1911 adaptation of the third part of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, in which the reader embarks on an odyssey through the nine circles of Hell alongside Dante himself and his guide Virgil, is the first full-length Italian feature film ever made. A decade of film dominated by spandex-clad CGI superheroes flailing around on screen proves that the comic book will march into the foreseeable future as the go-to source for blockbuster Hollywood narratives. Yet, pulling off a satisfactory adaptation of a literary masterpiece still remains the ever-elusive white unicorn of the film industry. To sate one’s appetite for a blockbuster crossover of the literary and the visual on the big screen, it appears that the answer may lie in looking back-

@ REMAI MODERN, 10:00 A.M.

@ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 8:00 P.M.

Public Domain

JAMES MORIN

RAWLCO RADIO FREE ADMISSION DAY

@ FLINT SALOON, 9:00 P.M.

wards — to something that has already stood the test of time. Last Thursday, nearly a hundred Saskatonians were lucky enough to share in viewing such a work. For the entirety of its 68-minute running time, L’inferno is an endless barrage of experiments with perspective and light that is mind-bogglingly avant-garde for its time and place of origin in pre-fascist Italy. Despite the religiosity of its subject-matter, the film is a grotesquerie in every way — most especially in its treatment of light. The frame is often negatively polarized, thus inverting the saturated colour-scape of the image on the screen and subverting the viewer’s expectations and sense of spatial orientation. There are often half-formed prosthetic monsters and slithering bodies popping in and out of oblivion. In the final circle of Hell, a giant Lucifer — a magic-trick of perspective — gnaws on the head of Judas Iscariot, whose back is bloody, raked and flayed. As part of the Riversdale Silent Film Series, movie-goers were also privy to a live-soundtrack treatment of L’Inferno by key-

boardist Maurizio Guarini of the Italian progressive-rock band Goblin, a group which has achieved international recognition for their soundtrack work on such films as Suspiria and Shaun of the Dead. The eerie trancing and droning of Guarini’s keyboard, as unsettling as the fantastical and disturbing landscapes, lulls the viewer into a place of dreadful torment — the dissonant notes absorbing them in a Hell of sound and image. The imagination seems to leap out of the mind and into the world being projected on screen. Film doesn’t need fancy CGI green-screen scenescapes, nor is its essence manufactured in a room where an audiovisual engineer spends 18 dark months animating a scene with the latest and greatest software. Film needs two things: light and perspective, and L’inferno is the only case study needed in order to understand why. The hellish analog visuals of the original film, updated with a dissonant new electronic soundtrack, make for an unforgettable experience. Dante Alighieri said it best: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”

M O N

01 T U E S

GAMES NIGHT @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

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Sound structures:

A look into Saskatoon’s house-show scene The DIY scene in Saskatoon has embraced house shows as a way of building community among fans and artists. COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

For independent artists and their fans, traditional commercial venues can often be cost prohibitive, with expensive fees for performers and annoying cover charges for audiences. Through house shows, indie scenes across the country have taken the focus away from profits and redirected it towards art and community. Concerts hosted in people’s homes have recently seen a rise in popularity in Saskatoon, with non-commercial venues like Witch Mansion frequently hosting local and out-of-town artists. Inspired by the more established local home venues, others have begun turning their living rooms and basements into pop-up performance spaces. There’s something inexplicable about the sense of community felt at a house show. There’s a feeling that everyone involved — from the organizers to the audience to even the artists — is a fan of the local music scene above all else. The usual hierarchy of the bar or arena show, where bands and fans are separated by an invisible wall, seems to disappear. I was fortunate enough to attend a house-show fundraiser this summer for Take Something and Run, a local non-profit organization that looks to expand the music scene in Saskatoon — bringing up the next generation of artists by funding monthly all-ages showcases. TSAR put on a marathon-session concert, verging on the five-hour mark. Local songwriters — almost all of whom were either University of Saskatchewan students or young people who live and work in Saskatoon — crafted sets from original songs, covers and half-finished material. The experience completely sold me on house shows, and I’ve been hooked ever since. House shows aren’t a recent phenomenon. The history of the house show and the rise of independent music are inextricably linked. In the pre-Grunge era of independent music, the support of a larger community and the do-it-yourself

Kyler Tesch Eric Wong plays tenor sax and Justice Der plays guitar while performing at a NOM outdoor house show.

spirit of punk music were the reasons that many legendary bands were able to continue touring through tough financial situations. Michael Azerrad’s genealogy of the ’80s punk scene, Our Band Could Be Your Life, follows bands including Mission of Burma, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth through their indie-label years. Azerrad’s history of the scene is one of dingy tour vans, basement lodgings in strange cities, fan-made zines and all-ages venues. In his book, Azerrad argues that community is the driving force of creativity. It’s hard to imagine the bands that Azerrad writes about being able to follow their creative ambitions if not for a vast network of supports built around a love of music. House shows, as they currently exist, are rooted in this tradition of shared experience and appreciation of art. Classic post-hardcore band Fugazi created an entire ethos around unconventional venues. The band built their career on five-dollar shows held in empty car parks, school gymnasiums, com-

munity centres, churches, punk clubs and anywhere else that would accommodate them. One of those venues included Saskatoon’s own infamous punk dive Sid’s Garage. As cited in Azerrad’s book, Fugazi frontman Guy Picciotto sums up the philosophy behind the modern house show perfectly: “You find the Elks Lodge, you find the guy who’s got a space in the back of his pizzeria, you find the guy who has a gallery. Kids will do that stuff because they want to make stuff happen.” Saskatoon’s now legendary grindcore scene was presumably influenced by Fugazi’s DIY ethic, turning rental spaces like the upper Memorial Union Building — which currently houses Louis’ Loft — and Le Relais — an event space facilitated by the Fédération des Francophones de Saskatoon — into mosh pits. The end of Saskatoon’s punk golden age saw the city’s independent scene push further underground, shifting its focus to house venues. This created a tightly knit DIY scene in Saskatoon.

Mackenzie Paradzik, a fifth-year arts and science student who has attended house shows in the past, speaks fondly about the first DIY show she attended. “This was probably like 2015 or 2016, but it was in a house on Cumberland, and I just ended up there. I didn’t plan to end up there — I was out with friends, and I got dragged to what ended up being a house show,” Paradzik said. Paradzik doesn’t remember the name of the band that played that night, but she says, “They played their music off of Nintendos, and they all wore these grass masks, and they had this weird lightshow in the basement — I just remember walking downstairs and being so confused because I didn’t even know that house shows were even a thing.” The band in question was Saskatoon’s own electronic-music enigmas 3 Ninjasks who recently released their full-length album Zoams through the Toronto-based record label Adhesive Sounds. In the past year, the band has become a touring act and opened for

“I hope that the scene will continue to develop, to build community between musicians and fans.” - Duncan Pickard, house-show host

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FEATURE

Kyler Tesch Justice Der plays guitar and Eric Wong plays tenor sax while performing at a NOM outdoor house show.

electronic-pop artist Chad Valley at Amigos Cantina. In the case of the Ninjasks and many other local artists, house shows have become a much-needed incubator for emerging talent. House shows offer an inexpensive venue and a safe environment where musicians can learn from failure without judgement, hone their stage presence and workshop new songs. House shows may offer a lot for artists, but for those interested in running a venue in their home, there are many challenges associated with hosting house shows to keep in mind. Duncan Pickard, who runs Witch Mansion and plays in the dream-pop band Shirley & The Pyramids identifies some of the obstacles associated with running a DIY venue. “There are lots of challenges in hosting house shows. The obvious one is keeping noise at a reasonable level, so that you don’t bug the neighbours. The hardest part about that is keeping people quiet when they are outside,” Pickard said, in an email to the Sheaf. “Another challenge is making sure that people feel safe and comfortable… We try to make sure everyone is being respectful.” When it comes to the legality of house shows, Pickard says, “Currently, [house shows are] a bit of a grey area. The legality of the shows depends on a range of factors, including if the show is public or private and if you charge cover or collect donations.” As to whether or not the lack of regulation associated with DIY venues is something for attendees to be concerned about, Paradzik says she would be no

more worried about the safety of house shows than she would be about the safety of any other venue. “Personally, I’ve felt safer and more comfortable at house shows than I’ve probably felt at most shows I’ve been to at bars,” Paradzik said. “I feel like there’s a lot of focus on making house shows safe.” With regards to the costs associated with running a venue like Witch Mansion, Pickard cites property damage as the main source of financial loss. “Every so often, things go missing or get damaged, and it can really add up,” Pickard said. Despite all of the costs and challenges that come with hosting live music in your living space, Pickard believes in the communal experience the scene evokes. “DIY venues are more likely to be [run] for the love of music, and I think that is something that is felt by bands and fans. Being in a setting that isn’t a bar [means] less pressure for people to spend money throughout the night.” Pickard is optimistic about the future of the scene as well. “There is a shift going on across the country towards more house shows. It is hard to predict the future, but I hope that the scene will continue to develop, to build community between musicians and fans, young and old,” Pickard said. Recently, DIY shows in Saskatoon have been instrumental in growing the local indie-music scene by creating a network of inexpensive and independent venues. The presence of this fascinating alternative to commercial venues is allowing fans and artists to build a community together.

Ahren Klassen-Wright The band Human Music, from Winnipeg, performs at a house show.

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Nuit Blanche lights up its fifth year in Saskatoon On Sept. 29, Riversdale, Downtown and Broadway neighbourhoods will host Nuit Blanche Saskatoon. GABRIELA PÉREZ

Cities are rich in poetic and marvelous subjects, said Charles Baudelaire, but we do not always notice it. Saskatoon is no exception, and Nuit Blanche, now in its fifth iteration, is set to entice people to engage with the city once again. Nuit Blanche Saskatoon is an annual, nighttime, outdoor arts festival that began in 2014. The event usually takes place on the last Saturday of September, coinciding with Culture Days weekend, a national initiative bringing different art and cultural projects to cities throughout the country. Last year, we saw the festival expand to Broadway and Downtown, in addition to its original location, Riversdale. This year, the three neighbourhoods will feature 22 projects from more than 40 artists. According to Michael Peterson, who has been involved with the festival since its third year, “Nuit Blanche develops projects that help people explore the city or see the city differently.” These projects not only take place outdoors in a shared public space but also invite people to visit areas they might not otherwise explore at night, like back alleys or parks. According to Peterson, this encourages people to think about the city, how we use public spaces and how we would like to live through experiencing the city itself. Additionally, as it continues to expand into more areas of

the city, Nuit Blanche partnered with the University of Saskatchewan for a preview night on Sept. 22. Andreas Buchwaldt, a graduate student working with robotics art, exhibited Celestial Mundane at the university’s observatory. In a video, Buchwaldt shows all of his possessions floating in space. The project, explains Peterson, “looks at consumption and waste through the lens of astronomy.” For Peterson, the goal is to bring attention to the observatory, and at the same time, extend the festival another day by adding a preview night, so more people can take part in the festival. The partnership between Nuit Blanche and the U of S is expected to continue next year, involving the galleries on campus and the department of art and art history as well as the department of computer science. In Peterson’s words, the idea is “combining science and art and seeing how different disciplines can inform each other.” Next year will presumably see a larger Nuit Blanche preview night on campus, allowing more work from the university into the festival. The Canadian Light Source is another of the festival’s partners. Every year, they sponsor a project for Nuit Blanche. Last year, they worked with Jean-Sébastian Gauthier, who used synchrotron radiation-imaging techniques to develop X-rays of zebrafish, which he turned into 3D models for use in a video installation. “It is really interesting looking not just [at] what art can

Jiem Carlo Narag Eye on U is displayed in a parking lot during Nuit Blanche Saskatoon, 2017.

learn from science but how art can inform science,” said Peterson. This year, abstract artist Laura Payne developed a project with the Canadian Light Source, which will be projected at River Landing during the festival night, creating a spectacle by the river. Nuit Blanche is not a festival that revolves around one specific theme. However, given that it takes place at night, there is a focus on light. Peterson explains that they encourage artists from all media to incorporate light into their projects. “It’s that light that is going to attract people’s attention — if there is a project in a back alley, it will be the flashing light that will encourage them

to go in and explore a little further.” In this context, the partnership with the Canadian Light Source and the long-term plan to collaborate with the department of computer science are even more relevant, because as Peterson states, “when we are talking about light, there is a lot that artists can learn from scientists.” Besides illuminating the city at night, Nuit Blanche brightens up Saskatoon’s art scene and cultural life. According to Peterson, “one of the things that the festival does is provide opportunities for artists to make and exhibit their art.” Peterson goes on to explain that, when those opportunities are not present, those who

want to pursue a career in art move to another city with more opportunities available or they move into another career. Having festivals like Nuit Blanche that provide opportunities for artists emphasizes that Saskatoon has a growing and vibrant art scene in which artists can develop. Encouraging art is necessary, because as Peterson says, a focus on art “adds a lot, both to individuals in their lives [and] to the culture of our city.” For artists and poets alike, cities have long been a source of inspiration, and through events like Nuit Blanche, art can provide an opportunity for both artists and the public to reinterpret and reexperience our city.

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Jeremy Dutcher wins Polaris Music Prize, Saskatchewan’s Kacy & Clayton make long list The Polaris Music Prize dominates the discourse in Canadian independent music, but the annual gala is not without its critics. ADAM SWALM

Wrapping up another year in Canadian music, the 2018 Polaris Music Prize was awarded to New Brunswick-based Jeremy Dutcher for his debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. Dutcher’s independent release is a synthesis of classical composition and traditional songs in the Wolastoq language. The album was inspired by Dutcher’s academic research in musicology at Dalhousie and features samples of wax-cylinder recordings from the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Past Polaris Prize winners have included Lido Pimienta in 2017, Kaytranada in 2016, Buffy Sainte-Marie in 2015 and Tanya Tagaq in 2014. The Polaris Prize is selfdescribed as “a not-for-profit organization that annually honours and rewards artists who produce Canadian music albums of distinction.” Apparently, very few of these albums came from anywhere west of Ontario. The only

artist from Western Canada to make the shortlist in 2018 was the Snotty Nose Rez Kids, from Vancouver, with their LP The Average Savage — a political, thoughtful and proudly Indigenous collection of bangers. Another recognizable name on the shortlist was the Toronto-based indie-pop band Alvvays, who played Louis’ Pub at the University of Saskatchewan last spring while touring their sophomore LP Antisocialites. Their debut self-titled record was also shortlisted in 2015. Notably, Alvvays was unable to attend the gala this year and sent a young band from the Toronto Girls Rock organization in their place. The long list represented the West marginally better, including folk-duo Kacy & Clayton from Wood Mountain, Sask. The Siren’s Song is their third major release and represents a slight departure from their typically rootsy, pared-down instrumentation, featuring production work from Jeff Tweedy, of Wilco fame. Kacy & Clayton had this to

Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa

The Siren’s Song

say about their nomination: “We were very excited to be included on the long list. It seems like people in Canada are paying attention to us, which feels like a reward for our frequent touring.” Edmonton’s psych-indie outfit Faith Healer also made the long list on the back of their 2017 release Try ;-). Faith Healer played the Capitol Music Club in Saskatoon on Sept. 10, 2017. Nominations for the Polaris Prize are based on jury selection, and jurors are selected from the most well-known or acclaimed journalists and media personnel in Canada. This jury, or “203-headed Hydra,” as it was described by Globe and Mail writer Carly Lewis,

has been a subject of controversy in the past few years. In 2015, Canadaland published an article titled “I Was a Polaris Juror, and It Sucked,” which detailed juror Johnnie Regalado’s personal experiences as part of the selection process. These experiences included disrespectful online conduct, a minority of voices — mainly male — dominating the majority of discussion and a lack of diversity in both jury personnel and selection. “Beyond the toxic culture of the discussion, I think the fact that so many jurors come from music media outlets like CBC and Exclaim! skews the results to a white, male, Toronto indie-rock

sensibility,” Regalado wrote. The annual Polaris gala has also been subject to criticism, most notably — and harshly — by 2013 prize recipients Godspeed You! Black Emperor in a statement made through their record label: “Holding a gala during a time of austerity and normalized decline is a weird thing to do… If the point of this prize and party is acknowledging music-labor performed in the name of something other than quick money, well then maybe the next celebration should happen in a cruddier hall, without the corporate banners and culture overlords.” The band pledged their prize money towards a musiceducation and instrument-supply program for prison inmates in Quebec. For all its alleged shortcomings, the Polaris long list still recognizes and publicizes otherwise lesser-known artists and their work, which can only be a good thing — even if most of these artists unfortunately happen to be Torontonian indie boys.

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Voluntourism:

Good intentions bring about negative consequences Supplied / Wikimedia Commons Selfies while volunteering abroad raise ethical questions.

AQSA HUSSAIN

Volunteering abroad has been described as a life-changing, eye-opening opportunity to directly help the less fortunate. If I was given the opportunity to travel and volunteer abroad three years ago, I would have jumped at the chance — but that was before I understood the impacts of voluntourism. Voluntourism is a complex industry that makes around $2 billion in revenue annually. It is advertised as a transformative experience, in which volunteers are told they can help the poor, save lives and make a difference. Voluntourism often appeals to university students and religious group members, the focus of the trip being more than just about helping people. It is marketed as an experience that allows visitors to feel good by being apart of and creating per-

ceived change. Volunteers are often given the chance to help build schools or dig wells. These volunteers, although full of good intentions, are unskilled when it comes to constructing these structures. Sometimes, this leads to undercover reconstruction to maintain the fantasy that these volunteers are making real change. Meanwhile, locals who could easily be trained and given wages to build such structures are pushed aside. This is due to the fact that volunteers are actually paying to do work, while on the other hand, hiring individuals to build their own local communities would require paying these workers. As the proverb goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” It’s a perfect example of the hidden consequences of voluntourism and many charities. To simply give money, schools and supplies

Does volunteering abroad do more harm than good? does not erase the cycle of poverty. If we truly want communities to improve, instead of giving free aid, we should volunteer our knowledge of sustainability and remove ourselves from their local economy. While schools do need to be built, the money tourists spend to travel across the world to volunteer could be better invested in improved training for teachers, doctors and community members, whose skills could then be used to sustain the individuals within the community. Despite the fact that globalization has helped spread awareness of global poverty, it has also resulted in paternalism between Western nations and developing countries. This is incredibly harmful when tied with voluntourism because it reinforces colonialist attitudes via the white-saviour complex. The white-saviour complex is the idea that white people are cru-

cial to helping non-white people. The concept, although coined in 2012, has existed since colonialism’s beginnings and is continuously depicted in Hollywood, literature and media across the globe. It has created the narrative of white heroism — the story that people of colour require a white hero to save them. Studies show that over one million people from the United States volunteer abroad annually, and 85 per cent of them are white. If you look at your social media, you will find voluntourism strengthening the white-savior complex with every photo of a white-faced hero amongst a group of coloured children. This selfie is tremendously damaging as it reinforces white heroism and informs onlookers to conclude that people of colour can not help themselves. The reality is that there are people struggling due to poverty — however, the solution to poverty is not as simple as donating

money and building schools. Voluntourism feeds off of the good intentions of wealthy individuals and perpetuates a cycle of poverty. Teju Cole, author of an essay called “The White-Saviour Industrial Complex,” explains that voluntourism is “not about justice.” But rather, “it is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.” If you truly want to help the less fortunate, you can support organizations who defend local economies and perhaps look to teach skills for sustainability. If you are skilled and qualified enough to travel across the world and truly help people, avoid the selfies and don’t reinforce white heroism. The intentions of voluntourists are good, but we need to evaluate how we are helping and why we are helping. We need to empower people and spread the hushed truth that people of colour can be their own heroes.

Not everybody likes a comeback story Why praising the return of sexual abusers is harmful and needs to be approached differently. CAMI KAYTOR

We are all aware of the Me Too movement and its continued impact in increasing reports of sexual violence, assault and harassment at the hands of many influential men across all domains in the media — from music to news, tv and film. While allegations cycle in this realm, we often see these abusers attempt to re-enter their social spheres — should they be accepted back? Although the key phrases were coined over a decade ago, the rise of social media and a growing awareness of sexual abuse have allowed for the spread of the movement — empowering many victims of sexual violence, assault and harassment to name their abusers and share their stories. Those being called out have experienced a downfall in public opinion, and for some, what may seem like an end to their careers.

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Supplied / Wikimedia Commons Louis CK performs stand up.

Recently, some of the influential personalities who were accused are slowly attempting to return to the public eye after a few months of staying hidden from view. Comedian Louis CK, for example, performed a surprise stand-up set in New York on Aug. 26 and received a standing ovation from fans who celebrated his comeback. More recently, former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi published an essay in the New York

Review of Books — a move which coincided with the editor of the publication’s resignation — in which Ghomeshi continues to deny allegations. The thing is, sexual abusers don’t deserve a comeback. A comeback narrative is usually applied to an underdog who has struggled to endure hardships thrown their way. In cases of assault, the abusers are the ones in power and the victims are the ones who suffer — both in the moment and when coming forward with accusations. A comeback also implies that the person in question has learned and grown in order to overcome the challenges they initially faced. Although the abusers may have lost a job or been cut from a TV show they starred in, they very rarely face legal punishment. The only struggle they are left to overcome is that of their tarnished image. Meanwhile, the victims who come forward are also subject to

scrutiny — faced with disbelief and often harassed by the public or blamed for the crime in question. Survivors of sexual violence, assault and harassment undoubtedly must work through physical, mental and emotional struggles, and yet, they are never given the same support. If those who come forward with allegations have to fight to recover their own public image after the fact, why should the accusers be granted the privilege of a platform? Sexual violence, assault and harassment are not an issue of sexuality but of power and dominance. Abusers have great influence over others who are not likely to speak out against abuse. Now, the Me Too movement has empowered victims, allowing them to come forward with their stories alongside many others — giving them strength in numbers. However, sexual violence, assault and harassment will not be properly addressed if we don’t

first take away power from those who abuse it in these ways. Holding people accountable for these crimes should mean stripping them of certain privileges and making sure they understand the consequences of their actions. It also means making sure that those they might have hurt are safe and on the path to being healed. Sure, people like Louis CK and Jian Ghomeshi can’t really be barred from the public eye, but they should not be given a chance at a comeback. The return should not be on the abuser’s own terms. Their return shouldn’t be celebrated but instead should serve as a sober reminder of the acts they have committed. It’s the survivors who should be kept in mind as they are the ones who were hurt first in these cases and then later scrutinized in the media while they continued to fight and speak out for themselves and others. That’s the real comeback story.

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Actions speak louder than mission statements: Does the U of S value sustainability? A first-hand recollection of the university administration’s treatment of sustainability. SYDNEY BOULTON

For the past 16 months, I have worked as an intern for the University of Saskatchewan’s Office of Sustainability. Throughout my time in this position, I have witnessed what I perceive as a lack of support and respect that the university administration shows for sustainability and for the people who are working to promote it. USOS is a group of dedicated staff members who strive to bring about positive change, not only at our university but throughout our community. USOS provides three major services — sustainability consultation, emissions measurement and management, and sustainability programming. In 2004, Margret Asmuss began leading the sustainability movement on campus in her role as the sustainability co-ordinator. As her team grew, it became known as USOS. The team changed suddenly, however, when Asmuss’s position was eliminated in June 2018. For those of us who still worked for USOS, this moment exposed what felt like a sense of apathy directed towards sustainability and those who support it, despite what the university has claimed in its mission statements and strategic plans. I began working at USOS in May 2017. In the months that followed, it appeared to me that we were being excluded from important conversations

and decisions. This would be a strange strategy, if true, as without the input from someone at USOS, any decision regarding sustainability would be ill-informed. The formation of the President’s Sustainability Council, something that should have been a show of support for sustainability on behalf of the university, proved only to reinforce our feelings of voicelessness. The council’s mandate seems unclear, and its organization appears unstructured, meaning members might not have enough guidance or practical experience to be effective. Instead, I would argue that the council’s existence creates a greater roadblock to senior leadership, often halting or slowing the progress of sustainability on campus. Earlier this year, a new energy and emissions officer — a USOS team position — was hired following the retirement of the previous officer in 2017. When the new officer started work in June, we were informed that he would not be sitting with the rest of our team in our collaborative office space. While we were glad that this position would continue to exist, the move away from the core office created a disconnect in the process of measuring, managing and reporting emissions on campus, which is a crucial part of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, or STARS. In January 2017, the university achieved a STARS silver

rating, but without an energy and emissions officer as an active part of our team, the hope of improving this rating was dismal. At this point, I and other members of USOS suspected that, with two of our three main services no longer functioning as they had been, Asmuss’s position wasn’t as secure as it once was. Upon arriving at work on a Monday towards the end of June, I learned from my supervisor that Asmuss no longer worked for USOS and was told that she had been escorted out of the building that morning. It appeared to me that, after almost 15 years of dedication and service to her campus and her commu-

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor The Office of Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan.

nity, she was treated with no more respect than a disgruntled intern caught stealing office supplies. With the shadow of fear for the security of my job and the perceived lack of support for sustainability from the universi-

ty administration, I left my onceloved position as an intern at the Office of Sustainability. With convocation on the horizon for me, I will be searching for an institution or organization that shows a greater understanding of the importance of sustainability.

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What we can learn about curiosity and storytelling from Anthony Bourdain Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown proves that a little bit of genuine curiosity can illuminate the hidden depths that lie within us and within others. ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

Nearly every minute of each day is spent in the presence of others — yet, we are often far removed from each other’s stories and perspectives. What happened to our curiosity and our inquisitiveness toward the nature of ourselves and others? On an evening in early June, Anthony Bourdain — chef, television host, author and essayist — decided it was time to close the door, flip up the chairs and turn out the light. A man who spent the last several years of his life alone in the harsh lamplight of unfamiliar hotel rooms seemed to have decided it was best to end the journey on his own terms. Bourdain’s death reverberated within the restaurant and journalism communities alike. Once a struggling chef with a ravaging heroin addiction, Bourdain broke from obscurity to celebrity after an op-ed he wrote appeared in The New Yorker in 1999. From there, he eventually left the kitchen behind for the road — making his mark as a writer and documentarian. While food may have been a love for Bourdain, it was writing and storytelling that were his true passions, kept alight by his insatiable curiosity. Storytelling moulded his career and kept him on the road 250 days a year. It was what gave his life meaning, and yet, perhaps, it also contributed to its end.

Bourdain was a food-andtravel writer, but if anyone were to sit down and watch a handful of episodes from his CNN series Parts Unknown, they would quickly realize that it wasn’t all about the food. Food was merely a vehicle for storytelling — it was what propelled the narrative forward and allowed him insight into the individuals he encountered. Bourdain used food as a conversation starter — often sharing meals with strangers in their houses and restaurants all over the world. It was his way of introducing the stories of the people on the other side of the plate. The familiar stories of love, loss, hardship and happiness were revealed over a bowl of noodles or in the flow of alcohol from a glass. Bourdain’s relationship with people and the places and spaces they inhabit is an example of the value to be found in taking a minute to engage with the world through the eyes of another. The danger of our affinity for confirmation bias leads us to a shallow, inverted world. When we become insulated inside our own beliefs and thoughts, we set ourselves up for disaster. Bourdain showed us that, in spite of differences of opinion, we can all sit down and learn from one another. We can experience the world of another, and perhaps, come back with a greater understanding of ourselves. Bourdain said that you can learn a lot about a per-

Supplied / Wikimedia Commons Anthony Bourdain, pictured in 2013, during his Peabody Award acceptance speech.

son when you share a meal with them. We should test his theory and make time to sit down with the people we know well or those we wish to know better.

Rather than continue on, ignorant to outside perspectives and stagnant in our own narratives, Bourdain taught us that there is so much to learn from one another. Let’s all take

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a closer look at our friends, old and new, through the quiet comfort of eating and drinking. We may discover things we would have had a hard time finding out otherwise.

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

S E P T E M B E R 27, 2 0 1 8

HOWLER FOR PRESIDENT: POLL PREDICTS TOP DOG IN STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTION PLACE RIEL — A Facebook poll, active since Sept. 21, has Howler the Huskie — the University of Saskatchewan’s official mascot — slated to be a frontrunner in the upcoming race to become president of the U of S Students’ Union. Though the USSU’s call for nominations did not occur until Sept. 24 and candidates will not be announced until Oct. 15, students and alumni alike have offered

#albumoftheweek:

Solo Piano III By Chilly Gonzales Tanner Bayne

plenty of support for the mascot online. Hashtags such as #prodigalpooch, #VoteHowler, #dogmypresident and #furryfury have emerged on multiple platforms — though it’s hard to say whether the latter is related to Howler’s potential bid for president or simply the mascot’s physical appeal. Supporters might be barking up the wrong tree, however. Earlier this year, the Sheaf confirmed reports

It’s been an interesting year for musical egos. From Kanye’s synapsedeteriorating return to Twitter this April, to Paul Simon dropping a tired album earlier this month, as though we’ve actually cared about his work since Graceland, songwriters appear to be as self-assured as they’ve ever been. Unlike Yeezy or Paul, however, Chilly Gonzales — the self-proclaimed musical genius — proves that his ego is warranted with his latest release, Solo Piano III. Like the two preceding records, Solo Piano III is a measured menagerie of musical styles, marrying poppy melodies with a carefully composed classical core, all serving to establish Gonzales as a bonafide Montrealian Mozart.

that Howler is, in fact, a man raised by wolves and employed by the university full-time. While the former does not necessarily disqualify him from the executive race, the latter would render his nomination impermissible under USSU by-law. Howler could not be reached for comment. It has been speculated that he still does not fully understand human forms of communication.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

David Lionel

xkcd.com

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T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // S E P T E M B E R 27, 2 0 1 8

BY-ELECTIONS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN STUDENTS’ UNION

USSU PRESIDENT

AGRICULTURE AND BIORESOURCES • ARTS & SCIENCE • DENTISTRY • EDWARDS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS INDIGENOUS STUDENTS (2) • INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS • KINESIOLOGY • NURSING • ST. THOMAS MORE (2)

LEAD YOUR UNION, SHAPE YOUR CAMPUS

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

USSU.CA/ELECTIONS

FEMINIST MEDIA STUDIES OCTOBER 4, 18 NOVEMBER 1, 29

USSU WOMEN’S CENTRE • 6:00 -7:00 PM MORE INFORMATION AT USSU.CA/EVENTS

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