November 8, 2018

NOVEMBER 08, 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

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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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Pausing to Remember

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UP IN SMOKE page 7 & 14

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U of S Fine Arts alumna presents new art show

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WUSC looks to secure Security through sex work funding for refugee students

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Emily Migchels

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

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NEWS

USSU Help Centre to offer naloxone training sessions So far in 2018, 29 people died from accidental opioid overdoses in Saskatchewan.

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Tanner Bayne

Cole Chretien

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Supplied / Jeff Anderson A naloxone injection device.

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Later this month, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union Help Centre is giving 30 students the opportunity to partake in training sessions to learn about administering naloxone.

This event aims to promote proactive harm reduction regarding opioid use.

On Nov. 29, the USSU Help Centre — with sponsorship from AIDS Saskatoon, the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy and the Saskatchewan Health Authority — is hosting three half-hour-long sessions to train students in administering naloxone, a drug that can reverse the body’s response to an opioid overdose.

The free-of-charge sessions will be led by an addictions counsellor and a nurse from the SHA and will inform students on the nature of naloxone while teaching them to identify the signs of an opioid overdose. Participants will be able to practise administration of the drug on fruit. At the end of the session, participants will receive a take-home naloxone kit of their own.

Elizabeth Plishka, fifth-year health studies student and co-ordinator of the USSU Help Centre, is an organizer of the training sessions. Plishka says that she spearheaded the event in response to student demand and to inform students on proactive approaches to handling opioid overdoses.

“We’ve seen that the D.A.R.E. approach to drugs doesn’t work.

Just saying ‘no’ is not realistic.

Harm reduction is a proven way and a pragmatic approach to respond to drug use,” Plishka said.

“Even for students who aren’t using illicit substances, it’s useful for them to learn about harm reduction… It’s important for everyone to know about and engage in harm reduction.”

In October, the Saskatchewan Coroners Service updated their data on deaths due to drug toxicity between January 2010 and September 2018. This year, there have been 29 accidental deaths from opioid overdose, a number that has gone down from previous years, with 65 reported deaths in 2017, 77 in 2016 and 80 in 2015, the highest of the years examined.

Data for 2016, 2017 and 2018 may change, however, as the investigations are still on going.

For Plishka, this statistical drop in overall deaths due to drug toxicity in the province is a result of more people talking about safe drug use and harm reduction.

“Fentanyl hasn’t stopped. The reduced deaths aren’t because there are less harmful drugs out there,” Plishka said. “I think it is because we have seen a lot of discussion around naloxone training — there is naloxone training available, and so, that reduction in death is partly because of that.”

Currently, naloxone is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning that pharmacists make the call on whether or not they sell a nalox-

one kit. The Mayfair Clinic is the only place in Saskatoon that provides naloxone kits free of charge to individuals who have gone through overdose prevention, recognition and response training through the province-wide Take Home Naloxone program.

Although there are no vacant spots for the training sessions, Plishka says that students should register for the waiting list, as a spot may open up and such interest will inform the USSU Help Centre if there should be future sessions.

For Plishka, opioid use among students and non-students is a common occurrence and practices in harm reduction are necessary to address this reality.

“It’s important that we recognize that elicit substance use happens and that students engage with various substances,” Plishka said. “This training is for everyone. If someone has a grandma who is on a strong painkiller that’s an opiate, there’s still a risk there to overdose on prescription opioid medications. We all know someone who uses opiates, whether it’s a prescription or not, even if we think that we don’t.”

Students who wish to learn more about harm reduction regarding opioid use are encouraged to go to the USSU Help Centre, where there is information about identifying the signs of overdose. Additionally, the Help Centre has a naloxone kit on site in case of an on-campus opioid overdose.

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Reaffirming relationships: U of S department of archeology and anthropology apologizes for historical wrongdoings A fourth-year anthropology honours student says the apology can begin to “heal” relationships.

SAM CAMPLING

On Oct. 24, the department of archeology and anthropology released a statement on reconciliation during an event held at the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre. This statement follows the department’s 50th anniversary at the University of Saskatchewan.

As part of the department’s 50th anniversary lecture series, the statement of apology was created in consultation with Indigenous leaders and Elders and is said to follow the path of the university’s plans for reconciliation.

In the statement, the department apologizes for a lack of respect shown towards Indigenous people in the early years of the field.

James Waldram, an archeology professor at the U of S, drafted the statement and says that it was important for the department of archeology and anthropology to address their historical wrongdoings.

“We felt that we had a moral obligation to look at the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and figure out how can we do something meaningful,” Waldram said. “We thought, ‘Why don’t we fashion a statement that acknowledges the wrongdoings of the past and articulates how we do the work today and why we do the work in this particular way as part of a disciplinary process of reconciliation?’”

Jamie Lafleur, a fourth-year anthropology honours student, spoke at the event wherein the statement was delivered. She says

that the statement can help to repair the relationship between researchers in the department and wronged Indigenous communities.

“A statement of reconciliation along with a course of action is what we all need in order to heal and improve these once strained relationships between researchers and our communities,” Lafleur said.

Lafleur says that Indigenous people now have more space and acknowledgement in academic research than ever and that participation and information sharing is valued.

“I want Indigenous people to know that our voices will now be actually heard,” Lafleur said. “We are now active participants in research rather than subjects, as we were once referred to in the past.”

For Lafleur, the statement from the department of archeology and anthropology is indicative of improvement in reconciliation conversations.

“For decades, all of our disparities — whether it is within health care or the educational system — due to colonialism have always been known as an ‘Indian problem’ and that we as Indigenous people are supposed to fix it all on our own. This isn’t what reconciliation is, and I think our department is what will help

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor The interior of the Gordon Oaks Red Bear Student Centre at the U of S.

forge our path to better qualities of life by working together,” Lafleur said.

Lafleur believes that her experience as an Indigenous student who studies anthropology attests to the progress that the department has made.

“I have found a home as an Indigenous student in the department,” Lafleur said. “I have never felt more supported and more valued as an academic than I have here, and I think that says a lot about how far [the department] has come in terms of

nurturing relationships between the department and Indigenous people,” Lafleur said.

Although an important step to reaffirm relationships, Waldram says that the statement is just the beginning of the department’s efforts for reconciliation.

“That statement would bind the department to future actions.

This will not just be a one-off thing,” Waldram said. “We have started our conversation on what the next things will be.”

The department of archeology and anthropology is hosting five

lectures in a series entitled 50th Anniversary Lecture Series 201819: Archeology and Anthropology in an Era of Engagement and Reconciliation. The next lecture in this series will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in Arts 102 and will be delivered

by U of S Professor Clinton Westman.

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WUSC U of S looks for funding to continue sponsorship of Syrian refugee students One student who has benefited from this sponsorship says it has impacted his life.

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In focus:

ESB students take the plunge during Chillin’ for Charity event This year’s charity event raised $14,505 for United Way of Saskatoon and Area.

RILEY DEACON PHOTO EDITOR

Supplied / WUSC WUSC U of S members pose for a photograph in the Saskatoon Diefenbaker Airport.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

An agreement between the University of Saskatchewan President’s Office and the World University Service of Canada U of S is soon coming to an end. The funding from this agreement allowed WUSC to sponsor the studies of one new Syrian refugee student per year.

All undergraduate students at the U of S pay a five-dollar sum every term in their student fees that goes toward facilitating the sponsorship of refugee students. This student levy allows WUSC to fund the first year of education of three new students every year.

In 2016, the President’s Office committed to sponsoring one additional refugee student of Syrian origin every year, over a three year period, in response to the escalating Syrian civil war.

Eliza Acode, WUSC cochair and third-year horticulture student, says the group is looking for ways to extend or renew this funding for future Syrian students.

“We are hoping to meet with other deans to see if it’s something they’d be interested in supporting,” Acode said. “We are not asking them to commit forever, but it could be something that aligns with their colleges’ initiatives.”

WUSC is currently looking into a partnership with Peta Bonham-Smith, dean of the College of Arts and Science,

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although the specifics haven’t been set.

Manaf Barghash, first-year arts and science student, is the last Syrian student to be sponsored by WUSC’s agreement with the President’s Office. Barghash says his studies were interrupted by the Syrian conflict and that he lived at a refugee camp in Jordan for five years and four months before coming to the U of S. “We were assaulted by an armed, masked gang and forced to get out of Syria, [and] I was forced to halt my studies,” Barghash said. “I was studying at Damascus University… I should have graduated three years ago, but I’m starting over as a freshman again.”

Students sponsored by WUSC receive everything from permanent resident status to ongoing peer-to-peer support. Barghash says that he is thankful for the support that WUSC has provided him.

“There are so many challenges, but I’m doing great.

They make sure I’m good, and they will keep in contact with me for the first year — after, too, as friends,” Barghash said.

“WUSC gave me a chance and a life that I wouldn’t even dream about — its benefits will certainly affect me and my family.”

Abdullah Olewi, one recipient of WUSC’s sponsorship for the 2017-2018 year, is completing his last term of a master’s program in teaching English for speakers of other languages. Before coming to Canada, he was living in a

Lebanese refugee camp. For Olewi, WUSC’s sponsorship has meant an opportunity to realize his potential.

“It has given me a chance to continue a career and a future that I thought I had lost,” Olewi said. “In Lebanon, I was working as a teacher, but I wasn’t reaching my full potential. In Canada, I am re-discovering and implementing my career with the academic support of the U of S, which wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for WUSC.” Acode believes that greater student support and recognition can also help the group to grow and offer more opportunities for study at the U of S, as student interest can translate to higher levies and more funding from administration.

“I feel like U of S [students] should be more outspoken about having this program,” Acode said. “In the Ontario and Quebec area, they are so proud to have it, and students support it. People in the administration department see it as an indication of the value of the program.”

Acode believes that WUSC’s tagline, “Education Changes the World,” applies to both the refugee students and the volunteers.

“Being one of the first people these new students coming into Canada can go to if they need anything changes your outlook in life,” Acode said.

“I wish more students were active about this initiative because it’s something to be proud of.”

On Nov. 1, members of the Edwards School of Business Jeux du Commerce West team gathered near the Commerce Loop, facing single-digit November temperatures to jump off a diving board into a cold pool in support of their Chillin’ for Charity event.

The annual fundraiser was hosted by ESB students participating in JDC West, a competition for business students from universities across western Canada. Since 2006, JDC West has been held in a number of different cities across the country. In 2017, teams participating in the business competition raised $304,772 and logged nearly 10,000 hours for Canadian charities.

In 2019, JDC West will be held in Burnaby, B.C., from Jan. 11 to 13 and will feature academic, debate, athletic and social competitions. The business competition is expected to see participation from over 600 students from 12 Canadian universities.

Carly Spooner, third-year marketing student, vice-president charity of the Edwards JDC West team and organizer of Chillin’ for Charity, says that the money raised exceeded their goals for the event.

“Chillin’ for Charity was fantastic this year,” Spooner said.

“We were able to surpass our goal of $10,000 to reach a grand total of $14,505 for United Way of Saskatoon and Area.”

The Edwards JDC West team has also committed to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity Saskatoon, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Parkinson Canada, in addition to the United Way of Saskatoon and Area, for the 2019 business competition.

J.C Balicanta Narag / Outreach Director ESB student participants prepare their swim suits before jumping into cold water in support of Chillin’ for Charity.

J.C Balicanta Narag / Outreach Director Students attempt to draw a person with a Sharpie in their mouths while partially submerged in the cold water.

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SPORTS&HEALTH Cross-country teams have high hopes for the national championship The Huskies are seeing success in cross country as they make strides towards nationals.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

After top performances at the Cougar Trot, Sled Dog Open and Stewart Cup, the Huskies cross-country team looks ahead to the U Sports championship with optimism. The race is set to happen on Nov. 10 in Kingston, Ont. The Huskies will send a women’s team and three runners from the men’s team to the U Sports championship.

In Kingston, all eyes will be on Courtney Hufsmith. The third-year marketing student and star of the women’s team has won all three season races that she has competed in so far. According to Head Coach Jason Reindl, this puts her in a position to win the U Sports title.

“She will be racing to win and be the best woman in the country,” Reindl said. “We are very confident that she will be able to challenge for a national title.”

Hufsmith has had her sights set on the title from the start — she pointed to this in a September interview with the Sheaf.

Now close to reaching her goal, she feels as confident as ever.

“I’m feeling really good,” Hufsmith said. “Nobody can put on more pressure than I already have on myself. Right now, it’s a matter of making sure I stay that motivated throughout this next week.”

The competing women’s team is made up of Hufsmith, Courtney Moffat, Hillary Mehlhorn, Natalia Bidulka and Huskies rookies Sydney Neufeld and Dezeray Wapass. The women’s team has already finished second in two major races against Canada West competitors. Reindl hopes they will improve on last year’s results at the U Sports championship, where they finished 20th.

“As a female team, we are looking to be top twelve in the country,” Reindl said.

“It’s going to be a tough battle, but we could also get top

SPORTS&HEALTH

HOPE N.S. JEFFERY

This week’s workout will focus on strengthening our legs. No props or equipment — aside from a wall, which everyone should have handy — will be necessary in order to complete this workout. During the second exercise, remember that your movements should be slow and controlled and that the pose should be held for a few seconds. For the final exercise, your knees should always be above your toes so as to make sure that your legs are straight.

Wall squat: 1 minute

Stationary lunge: 15 repetitions per side

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Jared Welsh competes for the U of S Huskies during the 2018 Sled Dog Open.

three on Canada West.”

From the men’s team, the Huskies are sending runners Jared Welsh, Taryn Heidecker and Jon Fernandes to the championship. It won’t be enough athletes to make up a team, but Reindl says it’s an improvement.

“It’s three more than we had last year, and it’s been a huge step in terms of building a program and looking forward to the future,” Reindl said. “On the men’s side, we’d like to have three guys in the top 60 of the country.”

Welsh, a fifth-year regional and urban planning student, has been the top Huskie on the men’s side in all three races. He says the additions to the men’s side are behind the improved performance of the men’s team.

“Last year, I didn’t use eligibility — I was kind of injured — and Taryn [Heidecker] and Jon [Fernandes] weren’t on the Huskies,” Welsh said. “This year, we have five guys at practice, and having that company in the workouts and on long

runs is really helpful.”

Welsh hasn’t reached his season goal of running a personal best yet, but he is optimistic about his chances to reach it in the championship race.

“I’d still like to run a personal best,” Welsh said. “I feel like Kingston is a good course to do that at — I’ve run the course twice before.”

The cross-country team’s performance has been strong all throughout the season, and they intend to ride that momentum to the end. In better shape than last year, with well-performing rookies and their eyes on the prize from the beginning, the team’s chances are looking good.

Reindl points to the commitment of the runners as the reason behind this season’s success.

“We raised the bar pretty early this year in terms of competitiveness, training and performance,” Reindl said. “The athletes understood that, if they wanted to reach those big team goals, they needed to commit.”

Donkey kicks: 15 repetitions per side

Jumping squats: 10 repetitions

All graphics by Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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SPORTS&HEALTH

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Playoff victory against UBC sends the Huskies to Hardy Cup Championship game The football team’s overtime victory over the Thunderbirds sends them to a final match against the Dinos.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

For the first time in nine years, the Huskies are going to the Hardy Cup Championship game. The football team played against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds this weekend — a team who had defeated them in their previous three encounters — and finished the game victorious.

The game was played at the Vancouver Thunderbird Stadium — the T-Birds got the home playoff date after a victory against the Manitoba Bisons. UBC came into the playoff game with three back-to-back victories — the Huskies, with two. The two teams were well-matched with the game ending on a 31-28 score, with the winning field goal being scored in overtime by fifth-year kicker Sean Stenger.

The Huskies had faced the Thunderbirds previously in the season. On their Oct. 12 meeting at Thunderbird Stadium, the Huskies dropped the game at 10-20 — they struggled to get past the T-Birds’ defence and into the end zone. Head Coach Scott Flory says the team kept their past mistakes in mind during this weekend’s game, but they didn’t let them get in the way of their positive mentality.

“We focused a lot on protecting the football when we

got in the red zone — going into the game, the guys were prepared,” Flory said.

“We had good energy, and we were feeling good going in. We had some rain and ugly weather, but we fought through it.”

The team’s preparations paid off — the Huskies scored 21 points more than in October’s match. Defence also played an important part in their success. With just 51 seconds left to play, Bowan Lewis and Ben Whiting stopped what would have been UBC’s winning play and made it possible for Kyle Siemens to perform the drive that sent the game into overtime.

Flory says it is important that offence, defence and special teams work together.

“We want to play complementary football — make sure that our offence is complementing our defence, defence is complementing special teams and all the way back around,” Flory said. “A total team effort.”

Lewis was named one of the Canada West players of the week for reaching a conference season high of 10.5 tackles in the game.

His performance, along with Siemen’s crucial drive and Stenger’s winning goal, is testament to the continued success that fifth-year Huskies are having in their final season games. Flory says their performance over the

Supplied / Heywood Yu Huskies kicker Sean Stenger makes contact with the football in the third quarter against the Bisons on Oct. 20.

past few weeks has been indicative of their roles on the team.

“Our senior players are, and have to be, our best players,” Flory said. “They’ve shown this, for sure, these last few weeks.”

Before leaving, the fifthyears will play at the Hardy Cup Championship game for the first time in their Huskies careers. The team will be facing the University of Calgary

Dinos at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Nov. 10.

The Dinos got their spot in a 37-13 match against the University of Manitoba Bisons where they struggled in the first half and dominated in the second. If they win against the Huskies, they will achieve their third consecutive Canada West title.

Closer to the title than they have been in almost a decade, the Huskies have their eyes

on the prize. Flory is proud of the team’s performance this year but reminds them that the season is not over yet.

“I’m proud of the way the players fought and never quit. I think that they believe in themselves and what they are capable of — it’s just a matter of executing that,” Flory said. “Right after the game, I told them, ‘We still have work to do.’”

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SPORTS&HEALTH

Study from Health Canada reveals percentage of smokers in Saskatchewan

ra ph ic

The 2017 edition of Health Canada’s survey on substance use sheds light on the use of certain products across several demographics. The findings on smoking divide the data by age, sex and province, also separating e-cigarette use from conventional smoking.

Of particular note from this survey is the rate of smokers among the younger age categories. While the 15-to-19 age bracket sits at 7.9 per cent nationally, here in Saskatchewan, the rate is much higher — at around 22 per cent.

The number of smokers between the ages of 20 to 24 — where a large number of university students find themselves — sits just above their younger counterparts at around 23 per cent provincially, which is seven per cent higher than the national rate.

While 20- to 24-year-olds in Saskatchewan do not hold the highest rate nationally — 24 per cent of individuals in this age demographic smoke in Newfoundland and Labrador — Saskatchewan does have the highest smoking rate amongst 15- to 19-year-olds. Looking at the previous study conducted by Health Canada in 2015, it can be seen that smoking rates have

of cigarettes, these numbers are important to acquiring a better picture of public health and the effectiveness of the prohibitive measures put into place to prevent smoking.

Considering that the 15- to 19-year-old age group has the second highest tobacco use in the province and that a significant portion of this age range is unable to purchase tobacco for themselves legally, it could be inferred that the measures employed during this time were not enough.

In May 2018, the Canadian

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SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

gone up in a number of places, and in some areas, at an alarming rate.

In Saskatchewan, in only two years, the rate of youth smoking went up by roughly eight per cent.

The percentage of 20- to 24-yearolds who smoke has remained close to the same during this time, however. Additionally, the provincial average of smokers in Saskatchewan rose by about one per cent between 2015 and 2017.

Also important to note when considering the high percentage of smoking amongst youth is the the age at which they first tried cigarettes. While the age of first consumption for forms of tobacco aside from cigarettes and e-cigarettes is in the later teens or early twenties, the average age of first use of cigarettes was 16 among those who had smoked in the 30 days prior to the survey.

The data for e-cigarette use is rather different than that of conventional smoking. Data on vaping is only available at the national level and shows that 20- to 24-year-olds have the most experience with vaping — with 29.3 per cent reporting that they have tried an e-cigarette, 1.3 per cent reporting daily use and 4.7 per cent reporting occasional use.

In the youth category, 15to 19-year-olds are second in vaping rates, with 22.8 per cent saying they have tried an e-cigarette.

Due to the harmful nature

uk

JACK THOMPSON

sE dito r

Saskatchewan has some of the highest rates of youth smoking in Canada.

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government updated tobacco legislation to include vaping as well as introduce increased restrictions on cigarettes, while leaving the door open for further restric-

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r hy ac t S

tions — such as plain packaging.

While these changes could prove to be effective, more data won’t be available until after the data from 2019 is compiled.

fill a gap in your program Athabasca University has over 850 courses to choose from to meet your needs and courses start every month. AU has over 6,600 transfer agreements around the world (including with this institution).

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FEATURE

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Sexy sells:

Can students continue to capitalize on emerging forms of indirect sex work?

Rising tuition rates are often cited as a motivating factor for students who market sexual items and services.

EMILY MIGCHELS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Emerging forms of sexual labour are becoming more popular and available.

As the sex industry becomes even more accessible to enter into, it seems that the student demographic is one that could particularly benefit from its lucrative nature. Considering this current landscape, many might wonder: “Could participating in the grey areas of sex work be the next thing for me?”

Sex work is a broad term that can be used to denote a variety direct or indirect services, sales and performances that are intended for the sexual arousal or pleasure of the paying party — workers receiving commission in exchange for anything from direct sexual acts to the production of pornography to the marketing of worn garments and even some relationship agreements can all be considered forms of sex work.

Sex work is a term that lacks real specificity. This, along with certain ingrained perceptions and stigmas, is what makes it such a widely contentious one.

In Canada, sex work is paradoxically criminalized. Bill C-36, or the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, along with Canada’s Criminal Code, indicates that it is not an offence for any individual to privately solicit and sell their own sexual services. However, it is punishable to purchase, commission or publicly market many of these services.

The intent of this legislation, enacted federally on Dec. 6, 2014, is to combat sexual exploitation.

However, many industry advocates argue that Bill C-36 instead puts already vulnerable individuals at greater risk — the threat of punishment to the consumer, rather than the proprietor, can result in a depleted market yielding lower earnings, as well as the greater potential for violence as a means to silence workers who would report abusive clientele.

Generally, sex work is perceived as a means to provide for oneself in a desperate situation or to temporarily supplement income. Seldom is sex work regarded as legitimate labour, and even more rare is the recognition of sex work as a viable career option. Considering the diversity of opportunities available in this particular industry, however, it

8 / FEATURE

seems that this perception is misinformed.

More and more, jobs in the sex industry and the potential to market sexual goods and services are becoming appealing to young Canadians, with certain grey-market options for acquiring income rising in popularity.

Sugar daddies, worn-garment sales and online interactions are providing individuals with a means to secure or supplement their livelihood in an indirect, consensual and self-regulated way, and many post-secondary students are already capitalising on these lucrative markets in an effort to curb the debt incurred during their studies.

There are a number of reasons why students in particular might find indirect forms of sex work such as these to be advantageous.

High national tuition rates and underemployment are, arguably, the primary driving forces for individuals in the student demographic to enter into forms of sex work, as cites the popular dating website Seeking Arrangements, which pairs “successful” or “attractive” individuals who are interested in pursuing “mutually beneficial” relationships.

Seeking Arrangements takes care to note that individuals using their service can set as many boundaries as they are comfortable with, and the site does not advertise or endorse the exchange of sexual services for commission. Rather, it aims to facilitate mutual agreements and financially strategic relationships.

Noting this distinction, it should be recognized that camming, one-on-one text or audio conversation, and worn garment sales are more typically categorized as forms of sex work than the sugar-parent relationships that Seeking Arrangements, and other

such matchmaking forums, facilitates.

According to the company’s own statistics, more than 50 students at the U of S registered as “attractive” members in 2017, bringing the most current recorded total of students registered on the site to 447. Seeking Arrangements offers some extra features usually only available to paid subscribers free of cost to users who sign up using their university email accounts.

Other motivations for engaging in indirect forms of sex work might include personal empowerment — the individual entering the market might find value and satisfaction in the work or they’re just curious what it’s all about.

Camming allows individuals to have relatively flexible working conditions and the freedom to set their own terms. Through online chat rooms and web hosts, webcam models solicit payment in the form of tips for any range of interaction and activity not limited to the sexual.

Worn-garment sales and camming are often routes taken in tandem, or consecutively pursued, by individuals who are interested in indirect forms of sex work. Hosiery, bras and panties — once you’ve spent a day or more in them — retail in chat rooms, on subreddits, on social media and on hundreds of websites for prices ranging from, based on my own extensive observation, anywhere between $15 and $150.

The notion of turning a profit exponentially larger than the initial investment — a handful of thongs at Superstore would set me back about $5 each — piqued my own interest in the business after becoming aware of the opportunity along with so many others during the third season of Orange Is the New Black. With the intent to gain perspective, I decided to give the used-panty market a try.

Most popular web hosts offer users space in the digital marketplace where they can promote their products, share information and facilitate interactions with consumers. Some hosts require a paid membership — I wrote these ones off immediately — but others, like PantyDeal, offer base-level entry at no cost.

NOVE M B E R 0 8 , 2 0 1 8

Equipped with a no-personal-details-attached new email address, a PayPal account and a meager collection of workable, fairly non-identifiable nudes resulting from five consecutive hours of labour, I made an account. For good measure — though not expecting much success — I uploaded a couple of outtakes to a specific subreddit, using another fake name to create a Reddit account.

At this point, I had read countless threads and blog posts on the subject and was feeling confident, but I had already made two big mistakes.

Reddit, as many know, prominently displays the amount of time that has passed since a user created their account. Unfortunately, this feature does not bode well for panty sellers who prefer to use throwaway identities, such as myself. Reputation means quite a lot in panty selling. To make a sale quickly, I would need to seem as though I was already established in the market.

Realizing that my first big mistake was overestimating how much I could ask for very little, relatively speaking, I had to re-evaluate my options.

Without taking time to build up a clientele, shoot varied photosets or personally interact with users who came across my profile in order to solicit their business, I’d lose out on some earnings, and finalizing a sale would prove to be a waiting game.

I had hoped my PantyDeal shop would earn me at least a couple extra bucks. While the offers trickled in over the first few days after my initial posts, it soon became clear that, in order to maintain my — arguably also too high — asking prices, I’d have to start interacting with the buyers on the platform more directly.

The thought of engaging with my audience in

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this capacity, specifically, made me a little bit uncomfortable — there are still real risks when using services like these, despite how removed from reality they may seem. Because I didn’t feel confident in my own ability to protect my safety in cases where a buyer might threaten it, I didn’t approach any sale with the intention to develop any sort of relationship with the buyer.

My Reddit post, in the whole three days that I kept it active, yielded enough virtual attention and written approval to sufficiently bolster my own self-image, but no financial gain was incurred.

The undoing of my panty sale endeavours was my initial decision to use PayPal to facilitate payment between myself and whoever was willing to buy my drawers. PayPal is notorious for blocking, banning and redistributing funds of individuals suspected of participating in sex work, but unlike Canadian legislation, that penalty usually falls on the proprietor.

At the time of print, my Paypal account has been suspended, and I will, most likely, never see the $50 plus shipping that I eventually negotiated as payment for a pair of “sexy blue peek-a-boo panties, lace,” which I had worn for a couple days prior to my period — an ideal timeframe in which to produce worn panties for sale, according to consumer forums.

Forms of indirect sex work — such as some sugar-parent partnerships, camming and worn-garment sales — differ from direct or plainly classified forms of sex work — like stripping,

FEATURE pornographic acting and performing sexual acts on a client — in that they operate somewhat outside of the scope of legislative regulation. These opportunities for income are appealing to students, as they offer the freedom to define one’s own boundaries and work schedule.

While it’s important to note that these indirect forms of sex work are not the get-rich-quick type of transactions that they may appear to be as it takes time to build the trust of a client base, once trust is established, workers can set their prices higher.

Through my own experience, it seems that, before you can really start selling a sexual product at any rate, some level of interaction — suggestive messages, private photos or even phone calls — is usually necessary. While this may deter some from entering into similar routes, this type of performance is not necessarily negatively impacting.

Running my own little shop of perversions made me feel a little bolder and more powerful — in charge of my sexuality and my own use of it.

For whatever reasons that people might choose to enter into the sex industry, be it through direct or indirect forms of labour, whether for a little extra cash on the side or to finance their entire livelihood, this experience has made me even more firm in the belief that sex work is real work. So would you give it a try?

All graphics by Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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EVENTS T H U R S

08

OLD TIME MÉTIS DINNER AND DANCE @ GORDON OAKES RED BEAR STUDENT CENTRE, 4:30 P.M.

KORPIKLAANI @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 7:00 P.M.

AMIGOS 30TH ANNIVERSARY TRIVIA NIGHT @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:00 P.M.

THE SMALL GLORIES

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

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CULTURE

Flint hosts art show by U of S alumna Emily Zdunich Emily Zdunich’s blue portrait series examines emotional turmoil and masculinity.

@ VILLAGE GUITAR AND AMP CO., 8:00 P.M.

F R I

09

NEWS FROM HOME @ REMAI MODERN, 7:00 P.M.

PHILOSOPHY IN THE COMMUNITY: THE STOIC WAY TO INNER RESILIENCE, PEACE AND HARMONIOUS LIVING @ THE REFINERY, 7:00 P.M.

BOMBARGO @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 8:00 P.M.

URBAN CULTURE FT. KHANVICT @ LOUIS’ PUB, 9:00 P.M.

S A T

10

TAYLOR JADE @ THE ROOK & RAVEN PUB, 1:00 P.M.

WE WILL REMEMBER WITH STÉPHANE TÉTREAULT @ TCU PLACE, 7:30 P.M.

HATTIE ALBUM RELEASE WITH RAEBURN AND GUESTS @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

THE SADIES WITH WALRUS @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.

S U N

11

SUNDAY NIGHT JAM @ BUDS ON BROADWAY, 8:00 P.M

TONIGHT IT’S POETRY: COMMUNITY STAGE FT. NISHA PATEL @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:00 P.M.

OPEN MIC @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

12 T U E S

13

UNIVERSITY CLOSED IN HONOUR OF REMEMBRANCE DAY RUSSELL PETERS @ SASKTEL CENTRE, 8:00 P.M. REIGNWOLF WITH GUESTS CROWN LANDS @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 9:00 P.M.

100% TUESDAYS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:00 P.M.

HARRY POTTER TRIVIA NIGHT @ FIONN MACCOOL’S, 8:00 P.M.

THE COMEDY GRID @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:30 P.M.

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

W E D

14

Emily Zdunich poses for photo in front of blue No.1 (left) and blue No.3 (right) at Flint Saloon on Nov. 1 in Saskatoon.

MAX WALLIS

KARAOKE NIGHT @ FLINT SALOON, 9:00 P.M.

M O N

Supplied / Heywood Yu

WRITER/ARTIST JAM @ AMAZING STORIES, 6:30 P.M.

WRITE ON WEDNESDAYS @ FRANCES MORRISON LIBRARY, 6:30 P.M.

WOODS’ PUB QUIZ NIGHT @ THE WOODS ALE HOUSE, 8:00 P.M.

THE ROYAL FOUNDRY WITH GUESTS @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.

NOV. 1-10

A SOLDIER’S WAR

NOV. 9-11

THAT NEVER HAPPENED: CANADA’S FIRST NATIONAL INTERNMENT OPERATIONS @ THE ROXY THEATRE

NOV. 10-30

MULTI MEDIA MÉLANGE ART SHOW

NOV. 14-18

9TH ANNUAL SASKATOON FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL

@ THE REFINERY

@ J & S PICTURE FRAME WAREHOUSE

@ THE BROADWAY THEATRE

10 / CULTURE

Flint Saloon is now displaying a series of painted portraits titled blue by local visual artist Emily Zdunich, who recently completed her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree at the University of Saskatchewan. The blue series consists of five portraits of men attempting to mask feelings of sadness behind facades of other emotions.

The colour scheme of each painting is dominated by cool blues, which signal the feelings of pain and sadness expressed by the subjects. The abstract backgrounds and surreal elements of the portraits give them the feeling of a memory that has been altered by the emotions surrounding it. In the paintings, the expressions of the subjects do not immediately convey their underlying emotions.

The subjects look tired, bored, lost in thought or maybe even a bit angry, but as the viewer scans the paintings, small details begin to emerge that hint at the emotions buried beneath. It is often the eyes that betray the subjects’ true feelings — each individual gaze has a softness that shows their hidden vulnerability.

In blue No. 2, the subject looks bored and almost arrogant at first glance. His lips are a pale blue that makes him

seem cold, and his eyes seem to stare not at the viewer but through them. At the bottom of the painting, there is the short message: “And So I said Goodbye.”

This painting seems to depict the familiar cliché of a man ending a relationship without showing empathy to the person he is leaving behind or acknowledging the damage he has caused. However, if the viewer notices the subtle tears running down his cheeks, everything is presented in a new light.

The subject’s arrogance and boredom can be seen as merely a mask he wishes to hide behind. His pale lips signify not a cold lack of empathy but an emotional numbness.

Zdunich was driven to create the blue series to challenge herself. Much of her earlier work had a lighter tone and was meant to be a playful critique of the art world, but her work began heading in a new direction after the unfortunate passing of her mother while she was completing her art degree.

Art, Zdunich says, became a way to explore her feelings and the concepts of life and death.

She feels she was using female subjects as blank canvases onto which she could project herself.

“Any women I painted would really just be me,” Zdunich said.

In the blue series, Zdunich painted exclusively men to see if, by using a male subject, she could project less and “allow them to be who they were.”

“I want to be able to understand pain through the male perspective because women are all viewed as emotional beings and men are less [so]… I kind of wanted to see it through their eyes — like see how they deal with it,” Zdunich said.

Zdunich hopes blue can help people reflect on how they hide their emotions and that it can let them know that they aren’t alone in feeling the way that they do. She hopes that, if people can see themselves in blue, then maybe it can help them process their emotions.

Flint is an ideal location for the exhibit, Zdunich says, because of its accessibility to both her as an artist and the general public. She feels it is easier for new artists to get a show at Flint than at a professional gallery and that the venue is less intimidating to many patrons than a gallery is.

Zdunich hopes that showing her work at Flint can help people see it as a legitimate venue for art shows, allowing the people of Saskatoon see what local artists are producing. Zdunich’s paintings for the blue series offer striking emotional realism and can be seen at Flint Saloon until Nov. 14.

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University of Saskatchewan alumni, the Rory Lynch Trio, prepare for upcoming café show Rory Lynch speaks about his creative process and the jazz scene in Saskatoon.

ADAM SWALM

There are some Saskatoon-based artists that can really rip, but to see some truly incredible local chops, look no further than Saskatoon’s jazz bands — especially homegrown University of Saskatchewan graduates the Rory Lynch Trio, who will be playing live at d’Lish

by Tish Cafe on Nov. 17.

Lynch’s musical roots are grounded in terrain familiar to most musicians — beginning with childhood piano lessons and an adolescent fascination with the guitar.

“That’s kind of when I really got into music and it became a really important part of my life.

After high school, I switched again to the saxophone and was just playing around town, jamming with people,” Lynch said.

Lynch completed a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music degree and a Certificate in Jazz in April, saying that he mostly focused on the jazz side of his education. His degree, he believes, has helped him find an artistic niche.

“I knew I wanted to get deeper into music, but past that, I didn’t really have a lot of direction. During the course of the degree, I was able to really focus into that and just happened to fall into the jazz thing,” Lynch said.

To dedicated musicians and listeners alike, there is something intoxicating about the raw improvisational vulnerability of jazz.

“In a live setting, the energy is totally different, and you can’t

capture that on a recording,” Lynch said. “Even just at the Bassment, over the years, getting to see bands come play and just blow your mind… There’s lots of good stuff happening there.”

Jazz is incredibly accessible in Saskatoon thanks to the Bassment on Fourth Avenue and the annual Sasktel Sakatchewan Jazz Festival.

“I go there a lot. It really inspires me — going and seeing a band and just thinking, ‘wow,’ and having something to chase after. And the Jazz festival — it’s a lot bigger than a lot of other festivals, especially for a city of our size. There’s lots of nice venues around,” Lynch said.

Lynch says that the diversity of opportunity for jazz musicians is one of the factors that sets the U of S apart from other jazz schools. “[There were] lots of opportunities for classes and stuff but also for gigs … through the [U of S Jazz Ensemble] and lots of university events around where they hire students to play background music — lots of opportunities to play and play with other people. I really liked that,” Lynch said.

However, given the landscape of jazz in Saskatoon, Lynch says there are certain pros and cons that come along with the tightknit community.

“On the one hand, a bigger city and a bigger jazz school would have more players, more venues, stuff like that, but at the same time, it might be more competitive and harder to break in. There’s lots of opportunities available here in Saskatoon, which I’m really

Supplied / Rory Lynch Rory Lynch (left) poses for a photograph with the Rory Lynch Trio.

grateful for,” Lynch said.

But Lynch also notes that, for those looking to participate in the wider Canadian jazz scene, this could be viewed as a limitation.

“You have to be careful not to get too passive, sitting on your laurels or something like that, because there’s lots going on in the broader context of the country, so it’s good to try and keep in touch with that. As long as you keep that perspective in mind, it’s great here,” Lynch said.

Overall, Lynch appreciates his

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experience at the U of S and says that one of these opportunities was the Rory Lynch Trio.

“It’s something I’ve been working at for a couple of years now. Sometimes, it’s a trio.

Sometimes, it’s a quartet — depending on the gig. It’s really an opportunity for us to play our original music. I write a lot of music for the band, and sometimes, the others have tunes they contribute as well. Having the band pushes me to write,” Lynch said.

Lynch says that writing has become more important in the contemporary jazz scene and that he enjoys the process.

“There’s a lot of jazz bands right now playing a lot of original music, so I think I naturally fell into that pattern. But I really like writing songs because you get to learn a lot about music,” Lynch said. “Writing a tune is almost like a vehicle for improvisation.”

Lynch views the writing process for jazz as existing somewhere between the technical and the improvisational, citing the importance of a solid melody but also acknowledging a collaborative aspect.

“It’s kind of a balancing act between getting a melody that you like and chord changes that you like and then also having it

being open enough that it’ll be a good song for the band,” Lynch said. “Jazz music, in general, is very collaborative, and that’s the way we play it, too. We try to leave it really open. We’re all sort of equally contributing.”

This openness is especially idiosyncratic of a bass, drums and horn trio like Lynch’s.

“It’s more freedom but also more responsibility. If there’s a piano player, they’re outlining the chords — the chord is there.

If there’s nobody doing that, there’s a little bit more responsibility to outline the harmony…

It does change the dynamic and opens things up a bit, which can be fun,” Lynch said.

With local bassist and U of S alumnus Nevin Buehler, Lynch says this responsibility is in good hands.

“Other times, [Buehler] plays with the Whiskey Jerks, and lately, with [the] Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra and tons of other groups,” Lynch said. “We’ve been playing together for a while now. He’s a really solid bass player. I really like getting to play with him.”

Lynch hopes to bring the trio into the studio to record and possibly tour in the future.

The Rory Lynch Trio is playing at d’Lish by Tish Cafe at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. Admittance is “pay what you want.”

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OPINIONS

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NOVE M B E R 0 8 , 2 0 1 8

OPINIONS Supply management — what’s the big concern?

How are our food and farmers impacted by international policy?

Can you boost your immune system?

MIRIAM TER BORGH, JAMES PRIUM, LUKE JORGENSEN & ASHLY DYCK

We should all be aware of where our food comes from and how it arrives at its destination. The Canadian dairy, poultry and egg industries are regulated by a system called supply management that places limits — or quotas — on agricultural production to align it with consumer demand.

The intent of this system is to provide a constant supply of product to processors and to set a stable price for producers and consumers. Supply management has been a talking point among Canadians since before recent trade deals like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement.

Little is still known about how USMCA will affect Canadians, but a knowledge of the pros and cons of supply management may help consumers to weigh in on the issue.

Supply management was implemented first in the Canadian dairy industry in the 1960s after technological improvements led to oversupply and volatile prices. Canadian demand is limited by our population, and so are supply quotas. Limited quotas help promote smaller farms, higher animal-welfare standards and less waste.

Canadian farms have significantly fewer cows than our American counterparts, largely because American dairy farms are heavily subsidized, and can increase in size without having to purchase quotas.

American farmers also use a growth hormone called recombinant bovine somatotropin to increase milk production in their cattle, making that milk less expensive to produce. Health Canada has determined that this particular hormone does not pose a health risk to humans, but it can be detrimental to the cows’ well-being, and it is therefore not legal to use in Canada.

In most regions, the price that Canadians pay for milk

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

Supplied / Ella Wright A cow grazes in a field.

sits at the global average.

American’s do produce milk that is rBST-free, like ours, but pay more for it. On the other hand, the milk containing growth hormone is cheaper, but it is unclear whether it will be allowed for sale in Canada.

Why should we care about supply management? Elevated food prices in Canada can be attributed to this system, which can impact many Canadian consumers. By some estimates, Canadian families pay between $339 and $554 more per year for these products. However, it is very difficult to accurately assess the cost of supply management to consumers because of the many factors that influence grocery-store prices.

Another criticism of supply management is that quotas are very expensive, which makes it difficult to start a farm in supply-managed sectors. Quotas prevent farmers from producing more than Canadians will consume, and prospective farmers need to buy the right to produce for this limited market.

The amount that Canadian supply-managed farmers can produce is further reduced by new trade deals that let foreign products into the country.

Canada has opened a small portion of our supply-managed markets to incentivize international trade deals important for our export-dependent industries, like lumber, beef and auto-

making. USMCA and CPTPP have recently increased the open portion of our dairy market by almost 7 per cent.

The effect of this is that more of what Canadian consumers buy will originate from elsewhere in the world — these trade deals have had a similar effect on our poultry industry.

When our markets open to foreign imports under these new trade deals, the corresponding decrease in Canadian production and associated job loss could cost Canada’s economy $1.3 billion of GDP from the dairy industry alone. As a result, the industry has begun encouraging people to look for the “100 per cent Canadian” blue cow marker on its products in the hope that Canadians will choose local dairy.

Competition is widely recognized as a means to keep prices down and help industries innovate, and consumers have the right to shop for numerous options. But unless we want farms to rely on government subsidies and move towards less stringent animal-health laws to lower their costs of production, it will be difficult for our industries to compete with larger-scale farms like those in the United States.

These trade agreements will affect a great deal more than the price of our products, and consumers should keep this in mind when evaluating their new options at the store and when weighing in on new policy.

We are thoroughly entrenched in cold-and-flu season — it is the time of year when sniffles from those poor souls, helpless against the tide of mucus dripping from their noses, pierce the silence of the library. Is there any way we can shield ourselves from the onslaught of viral illnesses? The answer is complicated, much like the immune system itself.

The human immune system is a collection of complex cells, organs and tissues that use various defence mechanisms to protect against disease. It is a delicate, densely collected and beautifully interwoven ballet. Can supplementing with an extra dose of vitamin C, garlic or turmeric fortify this complicated system?

Well, the likely answer is no. If you are popping garlic capsules and throwing back copious amounts of vitamin C concoctions at the first sign of fatigue or the tiniest tickle at the back of your throat, unfortunately, you are already far too late to do anything but hope for the best.

If your immune system is in tip-top shape, little cells will come to your rescue and devour your enemies. If you have stressed your body to its maximum limits, you may have a harder time bouncing back from the onslaught — but the outcome will not change based upon the number of turmeric smoothies you consume in a frantic attempt to stop the siege.

We do need vitamins and minerals. They act as things called cofactors, which are necessary for the reactions that keep our body functioning — including those of our immune system. But if we aren’t already deficient, pumping more nutrients into our bodies is only going to result in pricey piss.

The point is, you can’t jump start your immune system, and you wouldn’t want to either. A hyper-responsive immune system is the source of terrifying autoimmune diseases like Lupus. In fact, you can even blame your immune system itself for the symptoms you suffer from — its attack response is what makes you feel sick.

You can maintain a healthy immune system by getting some sleep, putting down the beer, picking up some weights and working out every once while.

Last, but most definitely not least, wash your hands. The best way to avoid a commonly passedaround illness is with some hot water, soap and a little friction — not echinacea and coconut oil.

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OPINIONS

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Smoking scares: Do graphic warning labels deter smokers from lighting up?

Pictorial labels provoke emotions, but are warnings the way to get people to kick the habit?

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

Warning labels depicting gruesome images, such as a toilet filled with bloody urine or a skeletal woman ravaged by cancer, have graced cigarette packages in Canada for decades. The aim is to provide a smoker with a stark reminder of the risk they are taking every time they light up and inhale.

The effectiveness of these images has been the topic of numerous studies, most of which show an association between the content of these warnings and cessation attempts. It also appears to be a great public-health teaching tool, with those exposed to images reporting an increase in their smoking-related knowledge.

A 2018 study suggests that specific themes or visual features are more powerful when it comes to making individuals think twice

before they indulge in a cigarette.

A sample of 1,392 smokers rated a few different label sets on their perceived effectiveness, their ability to provoke negative emotion and if the labels deterred them from smoking.

It appears that the more graphic the image, the less likely smokers are to reach out for their pack of cigarettes. Unsurprisingly, diseased body parts and organs produced a high negative emotional response in this sample population.

Fear is a powerful motivator, and according to this study, the images that were the most fear-provoking were likely to correlate with quitting attempts.

Testimonials were also effective if they included the image of a person with a story about how cigarettes have affected their health.

Stuart McGeein, a recent graduate from the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan and an occasional smoker,

gives his opinion on graphic warning labels.

“These things do deter people from smoking and help people come to [the] decision to quit, but if you’re going to smoke, you’re going to smoke,” McGeein said.

McGeein admits that he barely notices the warnings on cigarettes. He says, after the initial impact of a graphic image, the effect wears off and he rationalizes his decision to smoke. McGeein doesn’t believe that the packages make a big enough impact, considering that the amount of time that you are visually exposed to the images is too limited.

“You can’t see the package any more in the stores because they are hidden behind a curtain, and you can’t have them out on a table in a bar or restaurant because you can’t smoke in those places, so they are always in your pocket,” McGeein said.

Another 2018 study found that

Prince Olubiyi

graphic warnings do not appear to produce a reduction of smoking behaviours or an increase in quitting attempts.

In fact, when assaulted with gruesome negative images, smokers may build up a psychological reactance to them. Reactance is a common response when people believe their right to choose is being threatened or their behavioural freedoms are being strangled by rules or regulations, which tends to cause people to double down on their beliefs.

This study did find some common ground when it came to testimonial labels. They, too, found that real people along with personal accounts of how their health has been impacted by smoking produced less of a reactance response — which, in

turn, would increase a smoker’s chances of quitting.

Reactance may be a large and somewhat overlooked obstacle when it comes to butting out a cigarette addiction. When people feel as if they are being personally attacked and having their freedoms stripped from them, they tend to dig their heels in a little harder. We humans are stubborn creatures.

On Oct. 31, 2018, Health Canada revealed a new warning label they plan to introduce to tobacco consumers: An individual text warning, such as “this causes cancer,” stamped on each individual cigarette as a reminder that you are burning away your health with each puff you take.

But will this authoritarian style of warning be effective in deterring users from lighting up?

The importance of remembering and the impact of the First World War on the U of S There’s value in learning the stories of those who went to war over a century ago.

ABBY VADEBONCOEUR

As we approach the centennial of the armistice that ended the First World War, people across Canada are pausing to reflect on the war that tore so many nations apart a century ago.

The battles of the First World War took place primarily on two fronts: the western front in France and Belgium and the eastern front near Russia and the now-defunct Ottoman Empire. It’s easy to imagine the First World War as something distant and isolated — something that happened somewhere else.

Geographically, the war did take place overseas. However, in another way, it also happened right here at the University of Saskatchewan. Those fighting and dying in the trenches weren’t faceless, nameless soldiers — rather, they were members of the campus community.

One of them was Charles Bayne, a civil engineering student who enlisted in his second year just two days after Christmas.

Another was John Fisher, a 19-year-old agriculture student,

14 / OPINIONS

and a third was faculty member Reginald Bateman, an English professor who enlisted in October 1914.

When analysing the impacts of the First World War a century later with no survivors left to tell their stories, it is easy to fall into a series of vague abstractions.

We repeat phrases like,“They died for us,” and “If we don’t learn history, we are doomed to repeat it.”

While these are certainly legitimate and valuable thoughts to have, I’ve always believed that one of the best ways to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of the First World War is to engage with the stories of those who fought and learn about them as real people not just statistics from a distant historical event.

The First World War was catastrophic for hundreds of communities around the world, Saskatchewan among them. The majority of recruits from southern Saskatchewan were part of the 46th Battalion, which fought at many of the war’s bloodiest and most devastating battles including the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Ypres and Passchendaele.

The 46th was even nicknamed the Suicide Battalion for their sickening casualty rate — 91.5 per cent between 1915 and 1918.

This was the grim reality for students of the U of S just over a century ago. Any man who could pass a physical was expected to enlist and do his part, while the rest of the community cheered them on and supported them from the home front.

Young men who had never left Saskatchewan were sent to a continent on the other side of the world to fight an enemy they didn’t know, and many of them never returned. Among these men was Charles Bayne, the civil engineering student who was killed in action on Oct. 26, 1917 — only five days before his birthday.

His body was never recovered, and he has no known grave, but his name is carved into the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium alongside more than 54,000 other soldiers who went missing on the Ypres Salient.

Agriculture student John Fisher was praised for his “very good” military character, which

Tony Walker Names of past soldiers engraved on the Memorial Gates on the U of S campus.

helped him rise to the rank of captain. He survived right until the armistice but suffered severe injuries in the war. John died on April 17, 1919 of injuries inflicted during the war. He was 23.

Professor Bateman was killed in action with the Suicide Battalion and has no known grave. He is commemorated

on the Vimy Memorial.

If you would like to commemorate the U of S casualties of the First World War, visit the Memorial Gates at the original entrance to campus near Royal University Hospital. All 68 student fatalities are commemorated, as well as Reginald Bateman, the sole U of S professor killed in action.

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DISTRACTIONS

Aries: March 21 - April 20

You will be tested physically as penance for your pizza-based diet in October.

Taurus: April 21 - May 20

Swiped away are all of your worries this month. It’s a trick, though — you’re actually just compartmentalizing subconsciously.

Gemini: May 21 - June 20 #albumoftheweek:

boygenius By boygenius Emily Migchels

Melancholic and soft, this debut release from songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus plays like a longing lullaby. The group’s moniker is intended as commentary on gendered themes and as a means to highlight their femme-focused ensemble.

Simple riffs and melting melodies compose each track, coming together to explore the typical tropes of love and loss from a place of introspection. At times, it’s nearly impossible to separate the three artists’ individual voices as they blend together almost seamlessly.

If you need some time in your own feelings, check out “Salt In The Wound” — a moody power ballad that starts off slow, building to an epically emotional breakdown.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Right and wrong are usually easy for you to identify, but until the end of Scorpio season, you’ll have a harder time reading the cues of your moral compass.

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

And when all is said and done, at least you can be proud to be one of the first 1000 to have liked Ariana’s charttopping subtweet.

Leo: July 23 - Aug. 22

Then is now — seize the opportunity to correct your past mistakes and grovel to the marker of your last midterm.

Virgo: Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Left turns are a no-go for you in all hallways and stairwells this month.

Libra: Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

“Me time” is only reserved for the people who get their shit done eventually.

Scorpio: Oct. 23 - Nov. 21

On Nov. 22, the full moon marking the end of your season will be a cleansing one — it’s time to wash those cups on the floor of your bedroom.

Sagittarius: Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

Read into things with extra zeal this month — surely you can drum up some controversy with what has been left unsaid.

Capricorn: Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Seriously critique your methods of self-care as the winter sets in — you don’t want to be left defenceless.

Aquarius: Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

What’s even the point anymore, honestly?

Pisces: Feb. 19 - March 20

Give somebody a chance to carry your emotional baggage for a day or two, either to offer a friend some new perspective or to deceptively crush an enemy.

Tony Walker

DISTRACTIONS / 15

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