OCTOBER 04, 2018
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The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.
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The importance of science in A step forward in society maternal health
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Doping infraction improves Huskies standings
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Emily Migchels
editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR
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NEWS
FSIN youth representatives call for restructuring after police called to head office In addition to the youth representatives, two chiefs have expressed concern over a disagreement in the FSIN office.
CULTURE EDITOR
Tanner Bayne
Cole Chretien
news@thesheaf.com
culture@thesheaf.com
SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR
OPINIONS EDITOR
Jack Thompson sportshealth@thesheaf.com
Erin Matthews opinions@thesheaf.com
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 outreach@thesheaf.com AD & BUSINESS MANAGER | Shantelle Hrytsak ads@thesheaf.com
David Hartman Rollin Baldhead, FSIN youth representative, poses for a photograph in the Gordon Oaks Building on the U of S campus on Oct. 1.
ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER
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Riley Deacon 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.
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There were no errors brought to our attention in our last issue. If you spot any errors in this issue, please email them to copy@thesheaf.com for correction.
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On Sept. 24, police were called to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations’ office in Saskatoon during the start of their executive election cycle. To chiefs and youth representatives, the event highlighted the increasing focus of the FSIN on internal politics over collaborative governance. Shortly before noon on Sept. 23, FSIN First Vice-Chief Kim Jonathan announced via email that she would not be up for re-election in the upcoming election period, stating her intention to assume the role of interim chief. To sustain her claim, she cited a section of the FSIN Executive Act that states that the first vice-chief is to take the position of interim chief whenever the position of chief becomes vacant, until the position is filled. FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron had resigned earlier the same day, according to the federation’s protocol for members of the executive seeking re-election. The controversy started when FSIN Executive Operating Officer Dawn Walker responded to Jonathan’s email expressing the decision to place Fourth ViceChief Heather Bear as interim chief, citing a different section of the Executive Act that states that duties of an executive member
are to be given to another member whose position is not open for election. Jonathan’s position is open for election this period — Bear’s is not. Pasqua First Nation Chief Matthew Peigan and Sakimay First Nation Chief Lynn Acoose supported Jonathan’s claim in separate interviews with the StarPhoenix on Sept. 25, according to law and precedent. Peigan believes the federation’s actions are a product of internal conflict within the executive. “I believe it’s consumed with internal politics and trying to satisfy the internal goings-on rather than focusing on the bigger issues,” Peigan said in the StarPhoenix interview. Peigan further suggests that the federation has become “ineffective in terms of focusing on the real needs of our communities.” In addition, Acoose questions the federation’s effectiveness in promoting self-governance. “We say that we believe in our own traditional laws and our own system of values as Indigenous people — and I think we’ve strayed so far from that,” Acoose said in the StarPhoenix interview. Not long after Heather Bear was appointed interim chief, police were reportedly called to the FSIN office to remove Jonathan, who stayed in the office. A spokeswoman for the Saskatoon police stated that no charges were laid and that the officers were called to “keep the
peace in an internal dispute.” Following word of Saskatoon police mediation, two FSIN youth representatives, Darian Lonechild, fourth-year Indigenous studies student, and Rollin Baldhead, fourth-year Indian Teacher Education Program student, released an open letter to the federation on Sept. 26 expressing their concern. Lonechild and Baldhead state in the letter that there is a need for inclusivity and collaboration within the FSIN in order to assert their self-governance in the face of hostile legislation. “[It] must be inclusive of elders, youth, Chiefs, community members and leaders to come together to enforce our nationhood despite the impending implementation of the Recognition of Rights Legal Framework the Canadian government has introduced to determine our rights as Indigenous peoples,” the letter said. “We must ensure our leaders work together, no matter the indifference, for the sake of our youth and for future generations.” After an emergency meeting held on Sept. 25, the FSIN removed Bear from the interim chief position, choosing to leave it empty. Dawn Walker is operating as the top administrative staff member until Oct. 25, when a new chief will be elected. The candidates for the position are Bobby Cameron and Thunderchild First Nation Chief Delbert Wapass.
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A new Soul Foods Conscious Grocer initiative provides access to affordable food One Riversdale grocer aims to increase food accessibility by implementing a pay-what-you-can shelf. LAUREN KLASSEN
Riversdale’s Soul Foods Conscious Grocer is in the process of establishing a pay-what-you-can shelf for community members, with goals to give better access to affordable and healthy food options and to bridge the gap of high food prices within the core neighbourhood. Located on the corner of 20th Street and Avenue D, Soul Foods Conscious Grocer has provided fresh produce from local and organic suppliers since opening its doors in 2017. On Sept. 23, Soul Foods announced a pay-what-you-can option for an array of frozen meals. For Mallory Guenther, co-owner of Soul Foods Conscious Grocer, this option addresses some of the barriers that prevent access to healthy food in Riversdale. “We definitely understand that not everyone — especially in this area — can have access to and afford these higher priced organic food items. The price point of some of these foods is often a barrier to health,” Guenther said. Riversdale lies in a notable food desert, which is an urban area where it is difficult to have access to affordable, nutritious food. A 2016 resource completed by an urban agriculture research study at the Univer-
sity of Saskatchewan called Food by Ward found that, in Saskatoon’s Ward 2, where Riverdale is, there are no supermarkets and little access to fresh produce. In Ward 6, there are as many as eight supermarkets. The pay-what-you-can shelf was born from the store’s Full Circle initiative, which aims to reduce food packaging and provide Saskatonians with fresh food from local and organic providers. Under this plan, produce at Soul Foods is available for a few days and then it is preserved by fermentation and freezing to minimize food waste. Currently, these frozen meals on the pay-what-you-can shelf include soups, stews and bone broths. The meals are available for purchase by anyone and can be a healthy option for students on a budget. Soul Foods is also hoping to extend this paywhat-you-can option to include fresh produce and salads. Guenther believes that the frozen shelf is an opportunity to make a difference in the Riversdale community by creating a more transparent relationship between food providers and consumers. “We believe in transparency around our food systems. We’re really trying to reclaim that honesty and that transparency around where our food comes from and how it creates an impact on our
Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
overall state of well-being,” Guenther said. Since the start of the pay-what-you-can shelf, Guenther says that people both inside and outside of Saskatoon have reached out in support of the initiative. “We’ve had such a generous outpour of support from people in the community, people
OUR UNIVERSITY. OUR FUTURE. OUR PLAN.
in the city and people that don’t even live in the city,” Guenther said. “[People have been] reaching out to us through our social media and through our email, saying that they want to donate directly to the program.” While the pay-what-you-can shelf is a new initiative, Guenther believes that it is one that
will stay, and ultimately, one that is emblematic of Soul Food values. “It’s about creating sustainability for ourselves that isn’t just something we’re offering for a month but something we can [have] here for a sustainable period of time and really anchor into the community,” Guenther said.
Public Launch of the University Plan 2025 Wednesday, Oct. 10 at noon Upper Place Riel Refreshments to be served Livestream available at usask.ca Throughout our history, we have been building towards becoming the university the world needs. The launch of our new university plan brings us closer to fulfilling that vision.
Join us as we launch the new bold and inspirational plan for the University of Saskatchewan. Everyone welcome.
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U of S study predicts average weight gain for young adults aged 18-28 According to one U of S scholar, weight gain in early adulthood is dependent on diet, socio-economics and genetics.
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USSU Pride Centre hosts Dragpocalypse drag show The Sheaf speaks with the co-ordinator of the Pride Centre about Dragpocalypse, Queerapalooza and more. TANNER BAYNE
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A recent study at the University of Saskatchewan has found that the urban myth of the freshman 15, or the weight that people gain after high school, may be truer than students would like it to be. Erin Barbour-Tuck, a U of S scholar who completed her PhD in kinesiology in early September, along with her supervisor Adam Baxter-Jones, found that young adults, people aged 18 to 28, are likely to gain anywhere from 2 to 17 pounds for males and from 4 to 26 pounds for females. In an email to the Sheaf, Barbour-Tuck says that fat mass plays an important part in this study. “Fat mass gained from the years 18 to 28 is approximately one to eight kilograms [of] total body fat and one to five kilograms trunk — waist — fat,” Barbour-Tuck said. “During the years of 18 to 28, about 45 per cent of females and 30 per cent of males become overweight for the first time.” Beginning in 1991, one study that Barbour-Tuck and Baxter-Jones gained data from originally looked at changes in bone dimensions through maturation as it related to fractures. The study began with 250 participants, predominantly from white, middle-class families and still collects data from 130 of the original participants, over a quarter of a century later. Barbour-Tuck became part of the study in 2014 when she
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started her doctoral studies. Barbour-Tuck reveals that the weight gain in young adults has a high correlation to fat ratios in childhood. “In a nutshell, we found that the more fat mass … that you have as a child and adolescent, the more fat mass you will likely gain as a young adult, and that is even in kids that were considered to be ‘normal weight,’" Barbour-Tuck said. “Eighty-five per cent of overweight and obese adults were not overweight or obese as children.” Noting the overall changes in diet and physical activities since 1991, Barbour-Tuck reveals that children today may face even greater potential for weight gain than those found in the study. “Today, our kids likely have more fat at the same body mass index and a greater waist circumference for the same BMI,” Barbour-Tuck said. “This is a problem because fat mass is more closely linked with disease than BMI — waist circumference even more so.” Further, Barbour-Tuck says socio-economic standings today will play an important part in determining future average weight gains for young adults. “We are seeing a growing division between the socio-economic status groups… While overweight and obesity rates have plateaued overall, there are certain subgroups who are still experiencing increases in not just overweight and obesity [rates]
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but related diseases like diabetes,” Barbour-Tuck said. “Much of the elevated risk in these groups is linked to disparities in health and health-care information, healthy food, practitioners, opportunity and resources for sports.” Although diet and activity can change the outcome of the weight gained during early adulthood, Barbour-Tuck states that much of the equation is beyond an individual’s control, as genetics are also a determining factor. “Diet is certainly a stronger factor in fat mass and weight loss. However, both have implications for health — particularly heart health — beyond simply the kilograms on the scale,” Barbour-Tuck said. “Genetics is a major player. Somewhere between 40 and 70 per cent of our body composition is genetic or hereditary.” However, Barbour-Tuck states that the choices people make as young adults matter more than their fat mass as adolescents when it comes to weight gain, whether it be a freshman five or a freshman 15. “I hope [students] take away that they have the ability to change their trajectory of health from childhood — for good or bad,” Barbour-Tuck said. “The lifestyle choices you start making for yourself now have a greater likelihood to be permanent than those of adolescents. So choose movement over sitting still, choose more real food, eat more veggies, and get some sleep.”
On Sept. 28, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union Pride Centre hosted the Dragpocalypse Drag Show in Louis’ Pub as part of their annual week-long festival, Queerapalooza. The apocalypse-themed event included six performers and garnered approximately 175 attendees. For Jory Mckay, Pride Centre co-ordinator, the event was a success. “I am very pleased with how Dragpocalypse went this year. The Pride Centre is always looking to increase its visibility on campus, and the drag shows are a large part of that,” Mckay said in an email to the Sheaf. Mckay believes that Dragpocalypse was more accessible than previous USSU drag shows. “We were able to offer our show to a 16-plus audience this year, creating a more inclusive and diverse audience,” Mckay said. “Dragpocalypse was very different than the average glamorous themes you see elsewhere, which allowed for more creativity from our performers and more interest and excitement from attendees.” Although he was pleased with Queerapalooza 2018, Mckay says the Pride Centre is already looking forward to future iterations of the festival. “I think Queerapolooza went incredibly well, with a diverse set of events and great attendance. I’m excited about Queerapolooza’s future and the future of pride on campus,” Mckay said. “We’re always looking for new ideas, so I encourage everyone to come by the Pride Centre and see what we’re doing and share their ideas.”
Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A Queerapalooza Dragpocalypse participant performs at Louis’ Pub.
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SPORTS&HEALTH
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Recipe:
SPORTS&HEALTH
Huskies women’s hockey 2018-19 debut and new arena inauguration The first season in Merlis Belsher Place will start with the Women’s hockey team.
Chewy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars To-Go SARAH BAINS
Adapted from www.buzzfeed.com Serves: 8 Time: 75 minutes
Heywood Yu Merlis Belsher, founding donor of Merlis Belsher Place, poses for photo at the Merlis Belsher Spectator Arena on Oct. 1.
CAMI KAYTOR
The women’s Huskies hockey team kicks off their season on Oct. 5 with a home game facing the University of Alberta Golden Bears. The game will also be the Huskies first at the new Merlis Belsher Place, with the men’s team having their home opener later on Oct. 12. The arena, which cost a whopping $51 million, will replace the Rutherford Rink, originally built in 1929. The new facility is named after its largest donor, Merlis Belsher, who contributed $12.25 million to its construction. Although it was originally planned to open in January of 2019, the stadium was finished ahead of time and has been in use for practice and recreational teams for some time now. The stadium facilities contain two ice surfaces — one for practices and recreational use and a larger one with seating for up to 2,487 for bigger games and events. Steve Kook, head coach of the women’s hockey team, talks about his first impressions of the new stadium and the excitement he feels for the public. “It’s bright — the colours are vivid. You can tell its a Huskies rink just when you walk in,” Kook said. “You notice the how everything is clean and crisp, the colours pop, even the centre score clock is outstanding. I was
a little bit awestruck by that. This isn’t just a rink — it belongs here.” Steve also speaks to the stadium’s new facilities, with an area for athletes and training. “What stands out most to me is the space that we have for athletes to prepare and recover — medical space, private, away from [the] dressing room. It’s very important for us to recover in our sport… I think, if it’s possible, the public should try and find a way to tour down here to see what athletes need and do at an elite level,” Kook said. Rachel Lundberg, fourthyear player for the team, is excited for the new facility as she believes it will be a space where all athletes can come together. “I think it’s cool how it’s gonna bring together different sports — I think it’ll be a good place for Huskie athletes to interact with each other. And even the kids — it’s a great space for the community to come together and celebrate sport at any level,” Lundberg said. Despite their excitement, both players and coaches have good memories from the old stadium. For Kook, those memories include winning the 2004 Canada West championship. But most of all, it was the overall atmosphere that Steve cites as important to him in memory. “I remember coming out
from beneath the coaches’ area 45 [minutes] before the game, and the place was sold out. So it was that atmosphere and that environment that we’ll miss… We’ll miss how it feels — how close the fans were to the actions. You really shared the game with the fans,” Kook said. As for the future, the team will focus on their ever-present goal: winning the national championship. Both player and coach look forward to playing last year’s champion, the University of Manitoba, which Lundberg elaborates on. “University of Manitoba is always a big competitor — especially since we lost to them last year. I think everyone is hoping for a challenge and for us to get redemption,” Lundberg said. For Kook and the team, the new stadium is an improved space, allowing them to focus on the athletes’ needs for peak performance, as well as an exciting move for fans. Although moving on from the old stadium is bittersweet for players and fans alike, Kook says that he’s looking forward to making new memories in the new stadium. “I don’t how or when they’re gonna happen, but they’re gonna happen. I’m just looking forward to getting started. I think opening night will be the most memorable for us — the first of many memories — win or lose.”
Ingredients for bar: 1 cup almond butter ½ cup maple syrup ½ cup almond milk 1 tsp. vanilla 2½ cups rolled oats 1 cup brown rice cereal ½ cup slivered almonds ½ cup dried cranberries ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped Ingredients for drizzle: ¼ cup dark chocolate, melted Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients together, then add in all the remaining dry ingredients. Transfer the mixture into an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan lined with greased parchment paper. Firmly press down on the mixture until it is one smooth layer. If you grease your spatula as well, it will prevent the mixture from sticking to it. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle the top with melted dark chocolate, and chill for 30 minutes, or until dark chocolate is solid. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Wrap each bar in parchment paper or foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
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Ethical violations in the world of U Sports The results of the U Sports and Canada West women’s championship competitions were altered when Fraser Valley athlete Gonzalez tested positive for doping. KIMIA BAYATTOR
Sports and athletic competitions can be overwhelming and stressful, which can lead to unsportsmanlike behaviour. The use of banned athleticperformance-enhancing drugs — commonly referred to as doping — is an example of one such behaviour. The use of these substances is considered unethical and is prohibited by most international sports organizations. Not only can athletes harm themselves but also their competitors who competed clean for a fair win. Doping in sports is becoming more complex and harder to deal with, especially when these banned drugs are becoming more available to young athletes. Following the 2018 Canada West Women’s Wrestling Championship and the 2018 U Sports Wrestling Championship, competition results have been altered to account for an ethical violation involving the use of banned substances. A positive doping test from
Fraser Valley athlete Karla Godinez Gonzalez changed the women’s 55 kg results, along with the Canada West and U Sports team standings. These changes and the implications of this ethical violation were announced following the championships by Canada West and U Sports alongside the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports. The new standings place University of Saskatchewan athlete Laryssa Barry as the Canada West Women’s champion in the 55 kg division and as a bronze medalist in the U Sports women’s 55 kg division. Laryssa Barry was elevated to this new standing, and as part of these updates to the standings, the entire Huskies women’s team was also moved up to fifth in the U Sports team standings. Aside from how this has impacted the Huskies, there have also been other shifts in the standings — as is the norm in situations such as these. However, standings are not the only aspect to be impacted by these infractions, as the reputations and perceptions of athletes even outside of the
infraction can be affected. There are several hard-to-detect drugs that can bring a variety of outcomes for athletes. These include steroids, stimulants and human growth hormones. Anabolic steroids are natural or synthetic substances for building muscle mass, enabling hard training and quicker recovery. However, an excess of these substances can damage the health of the body. Other substances can improve the body’s natural processes — for example, by carrying more oxygen to your muscles. The practice of removing blood from the body and injecting it back in later to boost oxygen levels is known as blood doping. These forms of doping are hard to detect by out-of-competition blood tests and other specific tests currently used. In order to have fair and healthy sports competitions globally, we must take action to educate students and young athletes about the consequences and harmful repercussions of doping. That’s why there are organi-
Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
zations and programs that push to raise awareness within the community and educate athletes about the health risks of doping — such as the Canadian Anti-Doping Program, the national anti-doping program run by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. The Canadian Anti-Doping Program aims to protect the integrity of sports and the rights of clean athletes. The program is a set of rules adopted by international sports organizations. Athletes, athlete-support
personnel, organizations and coaches have accepted these rules as conditions to compete. Doping might give you a slight advantage when competing with other players, but it comes with risking your health and body as well as potentially harming your team. Being part of a sports organization is not just about winning or placing well — it is about appreciating the extraordinary and praising talented and gifted athletes for earning what they truly deserve.
SAD is coming The Sheaf presents five quick tips to combat the doom and gloom of seasonal affective disorder. ASHLYNN WEISBERG
Leaves are falling, pumpkin-spice lattes are brewing, and Blundstones and plaid circle scarfs abound — winter is coming, and along with it, so is seasonal affective disorder. SAD is a type of depression that severely affects roughly 3 per cent of Canadians and mildly impacts another 15 per cent. Studies have shown that SAD is most likely triggered by a lack of sunlight, which plagues the Prairies during the winter months. With shorter days, dormant flora and frigidly freezing temperatures present alongside the always augmenting workload of the mid-semester smackdown, University of Saskatchewan students are left vulnerable to seasonal affective disorder. How does one plan to tackle the impending lethargy, fatigue, sadness and irritability — amongst other common symptoms — caused by the blizzard blues? Well, here are a five simple
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yet potentially helpful tips. Take your vitamins! If you’re feeling the seasonal sadness, and you don’t happen to be one of the very few students who bike to school during the winter months, chances are you’re not getting outside enough. You have to substitute that lost sunshine somehow. Check out your local pharmacy, and pick up some vitamin D supplements to help your body process your winter woes. Additionally, vitamin B6 helps regulate several of the neurotransmitters that manage mood, stress and sleep. Omega-3 supplements can help with brain function and mood as well. It’s the rhythm, baby: Circadian rhythm Less sunlight and more darkness means it’s a heck of a lot harder to get out of bed. SAD, in combination with the seemingly eternal darkness of winter, can leave many people feeling fatigued. I have been using this free alarm clock app called Sleep
Cycle, which basically monitors sleep patterns and wakes you up in the lightest of sleep phases — leaving you feeling energized. Honestly, I have no idea if this app legitimately works, but either way, as someone who regularly misses 10:00 a.m. classes, the quality of my sleep and energy levels have drastically improved since I started using Sleep Cycle. Placebo or not, the extra boost is definitely worth it. Faux sunlight is so in right now SAD is driven by a lack of exposure to sunlight, and thankfully, there are some fabricated options other than the actual sun. A variety of products can be found on the market ranging from dawn-replicating alarm clocks to full-on sun lamps. While I fully recognize that this particular suggestion is not accessible to the majority of the student population — including myself — due to its high cost, light therapy has been proven to be a highly successful treatment for SAD. So, if you can, give it a go.
Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A posed snow sculpture on the morning of Oct.1, 2018.
Counselling is cool Honestly, counselling is always a good idea. Talking to a counsellor can’t guarantee the vanishment of SAD symptoms, but it can help you learn to recognize harmful patterns and develop tools to combat them. If you think that visiting a counsellor could be helpful to you, contact the Student Wellness Centre, as the U of S offers counselling services on campus that are covered by your student fees. Medications Let’s face it — the first three suggestions are quite miniscule in effect. SAD, like any other mental illness, impacts the
chemicals and neurotransmitters of the brain. If vitamin D and sleep apps just aren’t enough, talk to your doctor about the possibility of prescription medications. If you don’t have a doctor or are new to Saskatoon, contact the Student Wellness Centre for an appointment. SAD can trigger severe bouts of depression and is a serious mental-health issue. As someone who experiences SAD year after year, I know full well that these quick tips are not catch-all solutions that instantly cure seasonal affective disorder. However, if any of these suggestions make a fraction of a difference this upcoming winter season, I think they are worth a fair shot.
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CULTURE
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CULTURE
Remai Modern presents new cinematic exhibit by multimedia artist Rosa Barba
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KEETSAHNAK: OUR MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGE NOUS SISTERS BOOK LAUNCH @ GORDON OAKES RED BEAR STUDENT CENTRE, 11:30 A.M.
COMEDY LAB @ CRAZY CACTUS, 7:30 P.M.
LEAGUE OF WOLVES WITH THE PROUD SONS AND THE VELVET THREADS
Rosa Barba is currently exhibiting a striking series of meditations on film and the possibilities for cinema to extend beyond the screen.
@ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 8:30 P.M.
KARAOKE THURSDAY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.
COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR
The Remai Modern has opened up a new exhibit — and a multitude of other projects — from internationally renowned artist and filmmaker Rosa Barba. Barba is a German-Italian visual artist who uses film and its physical properties to create filmic sculptures. Part of Barba’s work is cinematic, but projectors, filmstock and light are used to expand the artwork beyond the screen and into the physical space of the gallery. In addition to filmic sculptures, Barba also creates experimental films and publications about cinema. The main focus of Barba’s collaboration at the Remai is a new exhibit entitled Send Me Sky. Currently being shown in the Feature Gallery on the third floor, the exhibit is presented in low light and consists of experiments — bringing the cinematic into contact with physical space. The centrepiece of Send Me Sky is the newly commissioned Send Me Sky, Henrietta, which consists of a projector displaying film inspired by the work of astronomer Henrietta S. Leavitt. The ribbons of filmstock are on display through a window in the base of the projector, mirroring the images being projected against the canvas and breaking the film into individual frames. The work of women in the sciences is one of the inspirations for Send Me Sky, Henrietta. Barba compares the work historically done by women in astronomy to that done by an editor of a film. “I filmed the astronomical photographic plates that were shot with the great refractor at Harvard more than a hundred years ago and then examined by these women that were hired by Harvard to work as computers — they even called them computers,” said Barba. “They worked almost like editors — really just focused on understanding slight differences in light.” Barba intends the sculpture
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TURN OUT: OLIVIA BLOCK WITH TIM OLIVE AND DOREEN GIRARD @ REMAI MODERN, 7:00 P.M.
BROKEN EARTH FUNDRAISER @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M.
EARTHLESS WITH HEAVY TRIP, THE SWITCHING YARD AND MAD ALCHEMY LIGHT @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.
WORDBURGLAR SASKATOON @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.
Olena Malko “Sight Enables us to Appreciate Distance” by Rosa Barba, displayed at the Remai Modern on Sept. 28.
to pay tribute to Leavitt’s contributions to the sciences, with a specific focus on her discovery of variable stars — stars that vary intermittently in their brightness. “This piece is specifically based on the discovery [by] one of these astronomers called Henrietta Swan Leavitt, who actually discovered that there are stars that are flickering. These flickering stars were used as measuring sticks to measure the universe, and suddenly, the universe was so much larger than everybody [thought] before,” said Barba. Barba also sees parallels between her own work and the science of astronomy. As an artist, she hopes to expand on what we already know about film and the language of cinema. “We don’t have a lot of knowledge about it. As an astronomy student, you basically learn already in the first year the full percent of knowledge that we have, and everything else is speculation and research. For me, I like to look at my cinematic research in that way, too. I’m trying to break the status quo of this kind of classical cinema,” Barba said. Amongst the other pieces on display is the playful Language Infinity Sphere, which features a steel sphere covered in typewriter pieces and two canvas sheets which display ink prints created with the sculpture itself. The hypnotic Sight Enables Us to Appreciate Distance uses 70 mm film, motors and light to create a transfixing atmosphere. In addition to the exhibit, Barba also worked to bring her
White Museum series to Saskatoon. White Museum has previously been shown in New York and Brussels. The project uses light from a projector to highlight the surrounding space, transforming the landscape of the city itself into a cinematic experience. “When I got here in January, I was very intrigued, and I loved the building facing the river. I read and researched a bit about the history of the South Saskatchewan River, which is such a very layered historical force,” said Barba. “The idea [was] to make this piece here that illuminates part of the river and extends the cinematic space from the museum to the river.” Barba’s collaboration with the Remai continues beyond the gallery space and into the museum’s Sasktel Theatre. Patrons will be able to see Barba’s 2016 experimental film Disseminate and Hold. Barba’s long-form cinematic works are concerned with exploring how cities and city infrastructure tell cyclical stories. “The main protagonist [of the film] is the elevated highway Minhocão, which was built during the dictatorship in São Paulo, and is kind of, for me, treated as a storage medium, where all of this dictatorship and history is stored and then freed up again,” said Barba. For those with an interest in film who long to see the world outside the frame as a cinematic experience, Rosa Barba’s Send Me Sky is a can’t miss new showing from the Remai. The exhibit will remain open until January 13, 2019.
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STUDENT OPEN MIC @ SASKATOON ACADEMY OF MUSIC, 12:30 P.M.
48 HOUR MOVIE MAKING CHALLENGE SCREENING @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 1:00 P.M.
SOUNDS LIKE 8: BRIGITTE BARDON’T PRESENTS DRONE THERAPY LIVE @ THE UNDERGROUND CAFÉ, 4:00 P.M.
SUUNS WITH FRIGS @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.
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SOUNDS LIKE 8: ARTIST TALKS AND WORKSHOPS @ PAVED ARTS, 1:00 P.M.
FORTUNATE ONES WITH MO KENNEY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:00 P.M.
KARAOKE NIGHT @ FLINT SALOON, 9:00 P.M.
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THANKSGIVING DAY — UNIVERSITY CLOSED
DANIEL CHAMPAGNE @ THE BASSMENT, 3:00 P.M.
FEMME SOUND SERIES PART 1: A SOUND INTRO WITH JILL MACK @ PAVED ARTS, 7:00 P.M.
100% TUESDAYS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:00 P.M.
OPEN STAGE @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M.
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ABORIGINAL STUDENTS’ CENTRE PRESENTS: FREE SCREENING OF INDIAN HORSE @ GORDON OAKES RED BEAR STUDENT CENTRE, 4:00 P.M.
CRASH TEST DUMMIES @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 8:00 P.M.
MACHINE HEAD @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 8:00 P.M.
CADENCE WEAPON WITH FAT TONY AND HUA LI @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.
OCT. 4-7 OCT. 10-20
SOUNDS LIKE 8: AN AUDIO FESTIVAL @ VARIOUS SASKATOON LOCATIONS
ARCADIA @GREYSTONE THEATRE
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Can we talk?
ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR
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anada’s fifth annual Science Literacy Week wrapped up on Sept. 23 after a short, and relatively quiet, attempt at convincing the public to think about science for a small, singular moment. During this age of information, why does science seem to fall to the wayside of public knowledge? The week is described as a celebration that aims to showcase diversity among Canadian scientists, while hopefully, getting the public excited about science in the process. There’s even a catchy hashtag: #SciLit — yet, despite strong efforts from many institutions from coast to coast to coast, Science Literacy Week seems to fall just out of the purview of the public. This year, Saskatchewan Polytechnic held engagement booths at the Saskatoon Public Library, with two events open to the public though minimally advertised: a promotion of women in trades and technology and the more ambiguous Makerspace gadgets exhibition, featuring a build-your-owncomputer kit called the Makey Makey. Strangely, for a city that is a scientific powerhouse on the Prairies, Saskatoon appeared to lag behind Regina’s events roster — which included both coding and robotics workshops. Science Literacy Week isn’t alone — Global Biotech Week followed behind with a wide range of events that hoped to inspire public enthusiasm, with festivities concluding on Sept. 30. Afterhours tours were held at the Canadian Light Source, and biotech trivia and Café Scientifique events were held in the basement of Winston’s pub. Dr. Julia Boughner — an associate professor in the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology department — has been organizing Café Scientifique, a recurring event that features a structured science talk over pints of beer, for the past six years and has seen attendance and enthusiasm increase. She believes in the effectiveness of these events. “It’s about having conversations about science with people you know,” Boughner said, when asked what the scientific community can do to change the public perception of science. Boughner is a believer in education and starting the quest to science literacy as young as possible. “If we can demystify science and humanize scientists to children, then hopefully, those kids grow up feeling that science is just
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Addressing the growing disconnect between science and society
We should be paying more attention to science literacy and science communication. something that we do,” Boughner said. Science is my beat — I could churn out four science articles a week and be content for the rest of my career. With science journalism growing as a field, I doubt that I’m alone in this feeling. This interest in science is reflected in newspapers operating out of some Canadian universities, such as University of Toronto’s The Varsity and Ryerson’s aptly named Ryersonian — both of which have engaging science sections. However, the Sheaf, like many other university news outlets, follows the standard four pillars of student journalism with our opinions, news, sports and health, and culture sections. My goal for this year is to change readers’ perceptions and show that science is welcome in the folds of this paper. While science is trying its very best to break onto the scene with admirable attempts at attracting sustained attention, it just hasn’t quite pushed its way into the mainstream. Science is still relegated to the fringes — like the weird guy in the dark corner of the party, showing you hidden secrets from deep within his lab coat. So, what does it mean to be science literate? Science literacy is defined simply as an understanding of scientific concepts and the processes of science. This is required for nearly everything — from personal decision making to policy making — yet, there seems to be a growing dissent toward science and a lack of understanding of some of the core concepts. Dr. Kyle Anderson is an assistant professor in the department of biochemistry, microbiology and immunology. Anderson has been teaching at the University of Saskatchewan for nine years and recently won the 2017-18 U of S Students’ Union teaching excellence award.
Anderson says that our biggest problem, perhaps, is not with science literacy but with information literacy. “We are drowning in information,” Anderson said. “And it’s hard for us to really understand what’s truthful.” It appears that we, as a society, have access to more information than ever before. In the apparent post-truth, alternative-facts reality that we currently inhabit, we are becoming increasingly terrible at separating the fiction from evidence-based fact. “Regardless of [what] your opinion is, you are able to find someone that is supportive of that,” Anderson said. His words bring to mind recent cases, such as that of a young boy from Alberta who died after his parents attempted to treat his bacterial meningitis with naturopathic remedies. “There are examples where people could get information that supported what they wanted to believe, even though that information was against their best interest,” Anderson said. What is to blame for this propagation of misinformation? To Boughner, these views appear to come in waves of both trust and mistrust, and the tides of public opinion may be generated by the political environments of the moment. It can be argued that these ebbs and flows of perception, and the lack of support from political parties, come from a lack of understanding of both the processes of science and the findings. Hot topics like vaccination, genetically modified organisms and climate change all appear to cause public recoil and doubt. With the rise in popularity of alternative health websites selling questionable health remedies — such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop — and the increasing number of unvaccinated children in the U.S., we appear to be witnessing the public denial of evidence-based science in favour of snake oil. This ignorance can have serious consequences. In just the first six months of 2018, there were over 41,000 cases of measles reported in Europe. This childhood illness is not harmless — in fact, it can be quite lethal. Serious nervous-system complications can occur in children, and incidences of miscarriages and stillborn births have been reported in pregnant women. It is a disease that should be a candidate for eradication, much like smallpox, and yet, it is
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making a roaring comeback. This all comes back to the waning public confidence in science. Individuals just don’t trust it, and perhaps, it is an internally created public-relations problem. For decades, science has been a gentleman’s club with an ivory-tower approach. Making science accessible, it appears, is a more recent movement — one that might have come too late. “It is hard for someone that doesn’t understand jargon to really be able to know the truth. Scientists speak in jargon… We aren’t trained to simplify things for public consumption,” Anderson said. And that’s where science communication comes in. Despite pioneers like Carl Sagan and the perhaps more familiar Bill Nye — of Bill Nye the Science Guy fame — science communication is a relatively new exercise, which aims to promote scientific literacy by the public promotion of scientific studies. More and more scientists, graduate students and educators are engaging in outreach. The end goal is to make science more digestible and increase public awareness. From social media to blogs to podcasts — science communicators are rolling out their soapboxes and unfolding their platforms in an effort to capture public attention and excitement. This creativecommunications approach makes science more accessible to people and brings the ideas and concepts
WWW.T H E S H E A F.COM // @ U SAS KS H E A F
into our homes and our daily conversations. Timothy Caulfield, health law and policy professor at the University of Alberta, has been debunking pseudo-science health claims for years, and he can now be found streaming on Netflix. Caulfield’s show, A User’s Guide to Cheating Death, takes a hands-on approach to debunking vampire facials and miracle smoothies. The show is careful to not make fun of anyone — except perhaps Caulfield himself — and instead attempts to help people understand how science works, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based health products. This idea was explored when I spoke with Boughner. “Demanding evidence to support ideas and theories is hugely protective for society because it makes it harder to manipulate people,” Boughner said.“We are very emotional creatures… It also means we might have knee-jerk or intuitive responses to things. Again, having that critical-thinking, evidence-based approach to things forces us to slow down and to be objective and to make decisions that are … well informed and socially just.”
All statistics collected from U of S students who participated in an online poll conducted by the Sheaf.
FEATURE
And that’s the deeper message to understanding science. Science is everywhere — it’s part of everything that we experience and everything we create. A deeper understanding of science makes us more well rounded and helps bring us together. “Being able to understand basic-level science is going to help you figure out what you should know, what is actually important and what makes us, as a society, a little more unified,” Anderson said. Boughner, too, echoes Anderson’s sentiments. “Science makes us [a] kinder, more exciting and imaginative society,” Boughner said. “[It] makes us a happier society.” Science is a human activity. It emphasises all the facets that make us who we are — our curiosity, our creativity, our thirst for knowledge and our understanding of the world around us. Science is merely a vehicle with which to explore our humanity.
All Graphics by Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
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CFCR looks to keep local Saskatoon talent booming with FM-Phasis fundraiser CFCR’s FM-Phasis fundraiser offers live shows and on-air content to support local radio and artists. JAMEN WILLIS
To help keep Saskatoon’s community radio station thriving, the annual FM-Phasis fundraising drive is back in action. Not even radio stations are exempt from the daunting toll of bills, and with the need to update ever-evolving technology, CFCR staff say that each donation counts. FM-Phasis runs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 and makes up for
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around 20 per cent of the station’s annual operating budget. This year, the funds raised will be put towards improving production equipment as well as getting more server space and possibly a new board for the on-air studio. Neil Bergen, CFCR station manager, explains that the methods used to get the community involved with FM-Phasis are far reaching. Bergen says that the station uses every medium that they can.
“We do TV interviews and are very active on social media to help spread the word,” Bergen says. The FM-Phasis fundraiser supplements other fundraising events, such as the Chinese New Year’s supper and a membership drive. “We generally have different things going on, but this is by far the biggest one where we are trying to raise the most money. In the past, we’ve tried to raise $70,000, and we’ve been fortunate enough to reach that,” Bergen said. Bergen says that all donations are appreciated and explains that there’s an extra incentive of prizes to be won — giving $25 allows you to win gift certificates or physical prizes including a VIA Rail Canada travel voucher, a Doug’s Spoke ’N Sport shopping spree and a Yamaha REVSTAR electric guitar. “The radio station has been around for 27 years. We are trying to raise $80,000 this year, which is going to be a challenge. We try to make it as easy as possible, so you can go to the website and there’s a PayPal [option],” said Bergen. “You can come down to the station. We also issue tax receipts.” In addition to the prize
Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
draw, there is a series of fundraising shows taking place, which are hosted in partnership with community-partner venues. From a screening of Beetlejuice and costume party to events with DJs, there are lots of things to check out and partake in. The distinctiveness of CFCR is showcased by just how many homegrown artists are involved. As Bergen points out, there are over a 100 volunteers that come in to the station each week to be on the radio, and many of them are artists themselves. “The one thing that makes
radio different than Spotify or any other music-playing app is that we have actual people here,” Bergen said. The most prevalent quality of CFCR is the abundance of music that is played on air that is created by artists from within the area. “This is basically not done by anyone else except us. We’re the station that plays all the local bands. It takes some organization to keep it going, but we definitely have a very tight tie to the city,” Bergen said. For a complete list of FM-Phasis-affiliated events, check out cfcr.ca.
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Fall forms: A musical map to midterm madness and cuffing season The Sheaf returns with an array of autumnal arrangements for your aural pleasure.
I don’t have to tell you that summer has sung its siren song — gone are the warm, sepia-toned days of the syllabus month. With the changing of the seasons, there are a few things we can expect to see.
Fall signals the beginning of two key happenings: midterm madness and cuffing season. Between papers, labs and midterms, every seasoned student knows that October and beyond is a hectic time. What’s more, at this time of year, it seems like everyone else is dropping the summer-fling mentality and
settling into comfortable, if somewhat forced, romantic arrangements. It’s a lot to manage. So, here’s a carefully crafted playlist that will hopefully help you get through midterms, seeing your friends get coupled up and whatever else autumn might throw your way.
Four Desires by Ought
Untitled by Rex Orange County
How Can I Love You? by Yellow Days
TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR
COMING EVENTS follow us
©
Keith thor Carlson
& loCal Contributors Launching
Towards a New Ethnohistory
Wednesday, October 10, 7 pm
Canadian Federation of University Women Saskatoon Inc
Mammoth Book Sale
Wednesday, 17th October 21October - 23, 2014 & Thursday, 9:00 am -October 8:00 pm18th 9am to 8pm both days German Cultural Centre (formerly Concordia Club) Cartwright Street and Lorne Ave. For more information contact Alverta @ 360-652-7708
Sponsored by:
Kendal netmaKer Launching
Driven to Succeed Thursday, October 11, 7 pm
the party music request show singalong drink dance fun times Every week a new show 8:30 - 11pm $10 cover at the door Grosvenor Park Shopping Centre 2105 8th Street East 306-270-9387
sheaf oct 4 to oct 10, 2018.indd 1
9/25/2018 10:12:55 AM
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OPINIONS A safe space for women’s health: Sanctum 1.5 opens in Saskatoon Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Sanctum 1.5, Sanctum Care Group’s hospice with respite and supportive care for people affected by HIV and AIDS.
RAQUEL ALVARADO
In October 2018, Saskatoon will see the opening of Sanctum 1.5, the province’s first affordable care home for pregnant women living with HIV. Sanctum 1.5 promises to be transformative for health care in the province by offering access to positive pregnancy support. According to the HIV Prevention and Control Report 2017 released by the Government of Saskatchewan, the rate of HIV diagnoses in the province is 15.1 per 100,000 individuals. Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights notes that a quarter of the people living with HIV in Canada are women and the fastest growing group, in terms of HIV infections, are women of childbearing age. Located in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood, Sanctum 1.5 is
a 10-unit housing project developed to provide compassionate, harm-reduction care to pregnant women who live with HIV and/ or struggle with substance use. Sanctum’s approach is harm reduction, with continuous preand post-natal care and a focus on nurturing parental skills. The home also offers a communal kitchen, addiction services and counselling support. Pregnant women face enough daily stress caring for themselves and their pregnancies, and women living with HIV face additional stress in terms of accessing de-stigmatized health care, affordable housing and counselling services. Furthermore, women of colour, Indigenous women and women who are economically vulnerable who are living with HIV must also navigate the racial and class discrimination that intersects with HIV-stigma in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan’s first affordable care home for pregnant women living with HIV is a positive step forward for Canadian health care. Navigating the health-care system without support is an enormous burden to place upon pregnant women living with HIV. This compounded anxiety contributes significant stress to these women at a time when a healthy environment is critical for mothers and their children. Sanctum 1.5 recognizes these realities and provides an opportunity to increase positive outcomes for mothers by offering a supportive home before and after childbirth. According to Action Canada, mothers living with HIV often report experiencing care focused primarily on their babies rather than themselves — contributing to feelings that the health-care system is dehumanizing. Instead, supportive health-care models need to be implemented emphasizing that mothers deserve and require care as well. Discussions around HIV in Saskatchewan are heavily stig-
matized, which inevitably contributes to women’s experiences during pregnancy. Dr. Arline Geronimus describes the chronic impact of racial discrimination on women’s bodies as “weathering.” Stress deteriorates the body and can lead to poor pregnancy outcomes, including infant mortality. One cannot overestimate the negative impact that discrimination and social stigma can have on the body, and the problem is only heightened when they intersect. Every person has a right to make positive changes in their life and should be given equitable access to the resources needed to provide the best possible outcomes for their children. Every mother deserves to be supported and reminded that she is courageous for seeking care for herself and her baby in a system that is not always welcoming. The experience must change from one of shame to one of celebration.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Saskatchewan government to address systemic barriers present in every aspect of life, so everyone’s health outcomes improve. In the future, Saskatchewan’s health-care system should focus on the experiences of its most vulnerable populations. Pregnancy and motherhood must be de-institutionalized, with more funding made available for community spaces focused on healing. Health-care workers and the public must be properly educated on the realities of social discrimination and the stigma of living with HIV. When stigma and discrimination decrease, all women will have healthier environments to thrive in. Hopefully, Sanctum 1.5 will become a successful living example — one that will help community-based health programs with continued support across rural, remote and urban areas in all of Canada.
Making a modern hero through bystander-intervention training The importance of this ongoing Peer Health initiative to the prevention of assault is understated. RYCHEL SMITH
Being a hero doesn’t have to be hard. We know that doing the right thing isn’t limited to putting on a costume and beating up drug dealers and criminal kingpins. All you need to do is start small, and you can learn how right here on campus. Bystander-intervention training consists of courses developed to teach individuals how to prevent, respond to and react to incidents of sexual violence, harassment and assault. The University of Saskatchewan has offered some version of bystander-intervention training for several years now. However, it was only last year that the Peer Health Centre transitioned it from a student-run workshop to a licensed program called Bringing in the Bystander. Bringing in the Bystander is an evidence-based course developed by Prevention Innovations Research Center. It was originally designed to address issues of sexual assault at the University of New Hampshire. Since then, it
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has been licensed by universities across North America. Sabrina Materie, who has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the U of S, works part-time with the Peer Health Centre on campus. Materie is one of about 20 people chosen to receive training on how to facilitate the course. She has since led nine workshops where she shares what she has learned with students and staff. Materie appreciates the course because it expands beyond reacting to an assault in progress and works towards targeting the elements of campus culture that might lead to an assault. “The program is introduced with a discussion about what a bystander is,” Materie said. “We have pretty strong perceptions that a bystander is someone who witnesses a criminal event, or a situation that might lead to a criminal event, and through their position, they have either the option to do nothing, to intervene and de-escalate the situation or to contribute to the negative behaviour.” The course seeks to provide participants with the knowledge
and confidence necessary to recognize hazardous situations and intervene as prosocial bystanders — by knowing exactly what to say in order to prevent a situation from getting worse. “It starts with scenarios of assaults that happened on campuses that have quite a high public profile, where we can report enough of the facts to tell a story, and then, the participants are invited to identify all the points in the story where a bystander could have intervened,” Materie said. It seems that, in many cases, sexual violence, harassment and assaults could have been stopped by any number of preventative measures. “You can’t predict that your friend is going to get raped if they walk home from a party alone, but if you take that basic step, you could prevent it without ever knowing that you did,” Materie said. Another useful skill offered through the course is how to effectively handle disclosures of sexual violence, harassment and assault. The facilitators teach you how to be an effective bystander
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by just being there for someone, empathetically, if they are disclosing to you. “There has been research that shows [that] the way that someone responds to a survivor when they’re giving their first disclosure really impacts the trajectory of their healing and the way that they process that experience,” Materie said. Materie offers some reassurance for survivors of sexual assault. “Things are changing…I know this university has had a problem with sexual assault, and the response to sexual assault, on cam-
pus,” Materie said. “For survivors, there is support out there for you, it was never your fault, and we’re working to make as much change as we can, so that this stops happening on campus.” The Peer Health Centre will be offering this training, which is completely free for students, in the form of a two-hour workshop occurring approximately twice a month. Completion of the program will result in a certificate and an attribution on your your co-curricular record. Upcoming dates include Oct. 9 and Oct. 25. To find more information or register for an upcoming course, visit usask.ca/consent.
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Ask an Agro: Glyphosate and cancer There is still not enough scientific evidence to link glyphosate to cancer, so why did a California jury say there is? AMY CARRUTHERS, ASHLY DYCK & RYNE KELLER
The world’s most widely used herbicide — glyphosate — has been a hot topic in North American news recently, after its maker, Monsanto, was found liable for the cancer of groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson. This is the first lawsuit of its kind to go to trial in the United States, with the company ordered to pay $289 million in damages by a San Francisco jury. This verdict has caused many to second guess the safety of the substance. Glyphosate is a key ingredient in over 750 herbicides worldwide, including Roundup. Developed by Monsanto in 1974, it is now approved for over 100 different crops and used in 130 countries. It acts on a plant’s EPSPS enzyme, causing a protein shortage in the plant that leads to its death. Roundup must be diluted with water before it is applied. For each acre sprayed, only 360 grams of glyphosate is actually present — less than one third of a drop of water per square foot. Glyphosate is a highly valued tool for farmers as it makes many efficient, sustainable farming practices possible. As a broad-spectrum herbicide,
glyphosate works on grasses, broadleaf weeds and woody plants and is used to kill weeds in a field before seeding. The development of herbicide-tolerant crops, like Roundup Ready canola, allows farmers to spray Roundup onto the actual crop. This treatment will kill any remaining weeds and ensure precious soil resources are used only by the crop. Farmers’ ability to control weeds with glyphosate has allowed them to abandon destructive farming practices, like tillage, in favour of more environmentally friendly notill cropping. By discontinuing these old techniques, farmers are able to contribute to building soil health. Healthy soil reduces topsoil erosion and sequesters carbon from the air into the soil. Glyphosate has been linked to cancer ever since a 2015 decision by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which classed the substance as “probably carcinogenic” — categorizing it as a Group 2A carcinogen. The report was widely criticized for
being incomplete and biased. It was later contradicted by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency in 2015 and by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2017 — both organizations found glyphosate to be “unlikely to pose a human cancer risk.” Yet, the IARC’s report was still used in the cornerstone argument posed by Johnson’s legal team, and they won their case. How is this possible? IARC classifications are assigned by a panel of experts based on the amount of scientific evidence demonstrating a substance’s cancer risk to humans. The Group 2A “probable” classification means there is sufficient evidence in animal tests but limited evidence from actual human trials — this is important because humans and animals can react differently to the same substances. In other words, further research is still required. Group 1, by contrast, categorizes substances for which there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and includes cigarettes, asbestos and processed meats like bacon and hot dogs. When the IARC classified processed meats as carcinogenic in 2015, consumers were quick to downplay the results and defend their fa-
Lauren Moses A crop sprayer drives across a field in Saskatchewan.
vourite foods, yet consumers were far less measured in their reaction to the weaker 2A classification of glyphosate that same year. In health research, no single study can definitively prove that a single factor causes cancer. There are often many variables that coexist, each of which contributes to the risk of disease. The risk-to-disease association increases when there is evidence that can point to a correlation between the two. This has not been the case with glyphosate — many laboratory studies using rodents do not consider it carcinogenic, very few human studies exist, and those that do are not conclusive. So how was a non-expert jury able to find Monsanto
liable for Johnson’s cancer when even scientists cannot conclusively agree? Is it possible that jury members had an emotional reaction against the corporation and allowed that to govern their decision over the actual science? Monsanto said in a statement that it plans to appeal the decision. However, now that they have been found guilty, the onus is on them to provide compelling evidence that glyphosate is safe. Scientifically speaking, this is next to impossible. The benefits of glyphosate for farmers are undeniable, but even if further studies do somehow exonerate Monsanto, will consumers be able to get past their feelings and let science be the final judge?
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Posthumous profits on musical prophets?
I can’t recall if there was ever a time where we actually let celebrities pass away with dignity, or at least privacy, but “Falling Down,” the recent posthumous single from Lil Peep and XXXTentacion seems particularly disrespectful. The track was released on Sept. 19, 2018 and is billed as a collaboration between the two recently deceased rappers. The finished project functions more as a Frankensteinian mash-up with rapper and producer iLoveMakonnen failing to stitch the component parts — provided, posthumously by X and Peep — into something coherent. Lil Peep was a cult hero who mixed trap drums and pop-punk shout-alongs to create anthems about being sad in the club. His death, on Nov. 15, 2017, was caused by an overdose of the opioid fentanyl. XXXTentacion, on the other hand, established himself as a controversial figure from the outset, dogged by charges detailing horrific domestic abuse. He created hip-hop
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it’s hard to imagine this collaboration happening if either party were alive to consent to it. This isn’t just speculation on my part either — Peep’s family and friends have stepped in to decry the track. Lil Peep’s mother, Lisa Womack, claims that the track was Makonnen’s decision alone while collaborator Fish Narc alleges that Peep had no prior knowledge of the X verses that made it into the finished track. These statements are pretty damning to Makonnen’s narrative, but since neither Peep’s collaborators in the hip-hop collective GothBoiClique nor his family members own the rights to his music, their objections don’t have much of an impact. Columbia Records owns Peep’s unreleased catalogue and can legally do as they please with his unfinished material. “Falling Down” is part of a larger cultural trend that I’ve noticed. The demand for entertainment has reached a point where we are no longer willing to let our favourite artists die. After a celebrity death, we no longer grieve. Instead, we immediately begin anticipating a posthumous album,
St ac hy ru k/
CULTURE EDITOR
that sounded dangerous, despite its melodic nature, and achieved major success with his album ? He was shot and killed on June 18, 2018. It’s not surprising that the record industry would immediately scramble to cobble together some kind of release in the wake of the deaths of these two young artists. Both artists died shortly after releasing successful debuts and had overlapping fan bases. Despite the idea for the track being tasteless, the current media-consumption market practically necessitated its existence. “Falling Down” is a bad song, but it’s not unique in that regard. Hip-hop artists often release half-baked collaborations for easy hits. What makes “Falling Down” particularly egregious is the well-documented distaste that Peep had for X, which only solidified as X’s reputation worsened. Makonnen has remained adamant that the track was intended as a tribute to both artists and that it wasn’t his choice to release the song, but rather, it was a joint decision by the mothers of the deceased rappers. Despite Makonnen’s claims,
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COLE CHRETIEN
Gra phic s Editor
After a tone-deaf collaborative single by two recently deceased rappers, it’s worth asking: When is it too soon to start profiting off of an artist’s legacy?
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a CGI cameo in a summer blockbuster or a documentary capturing some planned career peak or troubled comeback. It signals a shift away from artistic output and toward the all-consuming algorithm of content production. “Falling Down” is nothing but the product of a simple calculation of potential profits — it’s a cynical attempt to cash in on the deaths of two young artists. It’s also a calculated move to rehabilitate the image of a known abus-
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er, which simultaneously devalues the hard stances both rappers took against each other. It’s a weird addendum to both artists’ careers — forcing them to collaborate in death — but I’m sure that we haven’t heard the last from either of them. They both have so much more to offer — live shows, entire unfinished albums and tinny samples playing in the background of Instagram livestreams. Did you really think we’d just let them die like that?
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DOG DAYS ARE OVER: U OF S ADMINISTRATION EUTHANIZES HOWLER FOLLOWING USSU PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION ADMINISTRATION BUILDING — Hearts are heavy on campus today, as Howler — beloved campus mascot — was put down at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Staff were notified via email of the euthanization at 9:00 a.m., while students found out later that afternoon via an Instagram post of Howler with the hashtag #lastwalk. The decision to euthanize Howler followed a Facebook poll that predicted the mascot as top dog in the USSU presidential election. A statement released by the U of S administration states that they had no other options.
#albumoftheweek:
Burnt Sugar By Gouge Away Cole Chretien
“It was clear that students wanted Howler as their USSU president — the other candidates only had a dog’s chance. Candidates need to be students, and Howler is a full-time U of S employee. Besides, he was getting mange,” the statement said. “Those grieving should know that past popes have, in fact, confirmed that all dogs go to heaven.” The university has not yet commented on the ethicality of euthanizing Howler, as the Sheaf determined earlier this year that the mascot was actually a man raised by wolves. Howler is succeeded — in family and occupa-
tion — by his half-brother, Growler. A vigil will be held for the dog-man in the Bowl on Oct. 9 at 9:00 p.m. Vigil-goers are encouraged to bring dog treats for Howler’s next of kin and the USask therapy dogs. Howling at the moon will begin at 9:30 p.m., sharp. Howler’s ashes will be interred outside of the Thorvaldson Building, next to the cube that encases the remains of Thorbergur Thorvaldson himself. Reportedly, a monument to the Huskie hero will be erected next to his favourite place for doing his business, near the Rink in the Bowl.
Hardcore bands are rarely praised for their range. Albums in the genre are usually a chore to listen to as the songs begin to blend together into one barrage of noise and fury. Some bands even forgo the album format altogether — opting for split EPs, promo tapes and live shows. With Burnt Sugar, Gouge Away proves that there’s still room to grow within the hardcore punk soundscape. Gouge Away’s focus on writing damaging but weirdly poppy riffs makes them an unlikely major label crossover. Raw vocals, punishing percussions and a healthy admiration for pop songwriting make for a killer second record by this young Fort Lauderdale band.
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