November 22, 2018

NOVEMBER 22, 2018

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YOUR UNI VE R S I T Y O F SAS K ATC H E WA N ST UDE NT NE WS PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 2 The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

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Huskies drop playoff game Canadian pop-artist Ralph Health & wellness after successful season talks about latest album

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EcoHack event looks for green thinkers

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Emily Migchels

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

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NEWS

You Sask Confessions officially rebrands due to dispute with U of S over term “Usask” The page formerly known as “USask Confessions” changes their name to “You Sask Confessions” following a series of emails from the university.

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 COVER IMAGE

Riley Deacon BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeremy Britz Lyndsay Afseth Matthew Taylor Kayle Neis Emily Klatt

ADVERTISING (306) 966 8688 EDITORIAL (306) 966 8689

Mission // The mission of the Sheaf is to inform and entertain students by addressing those issues that are relevant to life on campus, in the city or in the province. The newspaper serves as a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students, by students, it provides unique insight into university issues through a student perspective. The staff of editors, photographers and artists collaborate with volunteers as student journalists to create a product relevant to students on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

Legal // The Sheaf, published weekly during the academic year and periodically from May through August, is an incorporated non-profit that is, in part, student-body funded by way of a direct levy paid by all partand full-time undergraduate students at the U of S. The remainder of the revenue is generated through advertising. The financial affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, most of whom are students. Membership in the Sheaf Publishing Society is open to all undergraduate students at the U of S, who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Absolutely no experience is required!

The opinions expressed in the Sheaf do not necessarily reflect those of the Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. The Sheaf reserves the right to refuse to accept or print any material deemed unfit for publication, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, the Editor-in-Chief will decide if the article or artwork would be of interest to a significant portion of the Society and benefit the welfare of Sheaf readers. The Sheaf will not publish any racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous material.

Land Acknowledgement // The Sheaf acknowledges that our office is built on Treaty Six Territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and affirm both the importance of our relationship with Indigenous peoples and students at the U of S and our commitment to recognize and remain accountable for our collective history. corrections

In the Nov. 8 issue of the Sheaf, the article “USSU Help Centre to offer naloxone training sessions” incorrectly stated that naloxone is a Schedule II drug. Naloxone has actually been an unscheduled drug in Saskatchewan since May 2018.

In the same issue, the article “Reaffirming relationships: U of S department of archeology and anthropology apologizes for historical wrongdoings” incorrectly referred to James Waldram as an archaeology professor. He is actually an anthropology professor.

We apologize for these errors. If you spot any errors in this issue, please email them to copy@thesheaf.com for correction.

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Riley Deacon / Photo Editor The Administration Building on the U of S campus.

J.C. BALICANTA NARAG OUTREACH DIRECTOR

After months of pressure from campus administration, the University of Saskatchewan’s favourite grapevine, USask Confessions, has officially removed references to the university from their Facebook page. Now known as “You Sask Confessions,” the page’s administrator has since released a statement concerning the dispute.

Established in 2013 for students to anonymously post about their opinions, crushes and confessions, the page has operated as a communication platform of sorts for students at the U of S as well as for those not on campus. The page has more than 33,000 followers.

On Nov. 7, the current administrator of the page made a post saying that the name change is due to a trademark claim made by the U of S over the term “Usask,” which was allegedly trademarked in 2016. The post was made in response to an email from Kris Foster, university communications director, who said that the term “Usask” was legally protected and that the confessions page had no connection to the university.

In the post, the You Sask Confessions administrator also alleged that this is not the first time the university

has filed a trademark claim against a group.

“They have a history of swallowing trademarks and using trademark disputes to shut down groups that have a history of active protest against policies, … which we sure do!” the post said.

The post referenced a 2011 trademark claim where a group called University of Saskatchewan Senators Working to Revive Democracy was given a cease and desist letter for their use of the university trademark term “University of Saskatchewan.” Formed in 2011, USSWORD protested the alleged ties of the U of S to CAMECO as they believed corporate interests were dictating the university rather than research.

In addition to changing the name of the Facebook page, the You Sask Confessions page administrator deleted the affiliated USask help pages. These six help pages were dedicated to helping students who seeking academic advice.

In an email to the Sheaf, Gord Hunchak, associate vice-president, strategic communications and chief communications officer of the university, said that the university owns several trademarks and they cannot be used without written permission from the university.

“The University of Sas-

katchewan is the exclusive owner of several trademarks, including its logos and the word ‘Usask.’ No one is allowed to use these marks without written permission from the university, especially if the use suggests an association or approval from the university,” Hunchak said.

Additionally, Hunchak said that it was important to separate the confessions page from the university as the page did bring in its own revenue.

“Further, because [the] ‘Usask Confessions’ Facebook page sells advertising and earns revenue, it was necessary for it to be made clear that there is no connection between the university and the page, and certainly no endorsement of paid advertisements,” Hunchak said.

Ultimately, Hunchak says the naming dispute is due to the fact that You Sask Confessions has nothing to do with the U of S. “As ‘Usask Confessions’ has no connection to the University of Saskatchewan, we requested that the word ‘Usask’ and any related university logos and trademarks be removed from the Facebook page and the name ‘Usask Confessions’ be either changed or discontinued.”

You Sask Confessions declined to provide further comment on this issue to the Sheaf.

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NEWS

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

USSU executive unveils privacy policy draft to University Students’ Council If adopted, the new privacy policy will outline how the USSU deals with personal information.

TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR

Earlier this month, members of the University Students’ Council were presented with a draft of a privacy policy that, if accepted, will determine how the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union obtains, uses and protects the personal information of students and employees alike.

Brent Kobes, USSU vice-president operations and finance, presented the policy to the University Students’ Council on Nov. 8. Kobes started working on the policy in late July and consulted with Rayelle Johnston, the U of S access and privacy officer, and Capilano University.

The policy aims to formally codify the USSU’s mission to protect personal information.

The document states that the USSU shall apply appropriate security measures, work to prevent unauthorized access and keep private information only as long as is required by the organization’s business and legal needs.

For Kobes, collecting such private information is typical for an organization like the USSU, as it is both the governing body for all U of S undergraduates and as an employer on campus.

“Any effective programming

that is done requires a lot of personal information to be processed — in order to have an effective organization — and you need to make sure there is no fraudulent activity,” Kobes said.

“As a large organization, we do collect private information… I receive lots [of] student numbers and complaints from students regarding different student groups.”

Kobes says that his access to the personal information of undergraduate students as a USSU executive is quite limited, as he only has access to what students provide him with and he only deals with private information in the purview of his position.

Additionally, the other USSU executives each have access to such personal information as it pertains to their respective positions.

Kobes says that specific mechanisms to protect personal information will differ for each of the union’s departments.

“It will depend on the department, as every department deals with their information in their own way… I receive [the] NSIDs and student numbers of all these individuals, and I protect this information by shredding it and [deleting] the document from my computer,” Kobes said.

“Depending on how each department is dealing with [infor-

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Students wait for the bus in Place Riel.

mation], they will have to follow similar mechanisms. It all just depends on individual circumstances and what procedure they think is best.”

Although this policy would outline the USSU’s aim to protect private information, it does little in its current state to specifically dictate exactly how the organization will go about it. Kobes says that there is currently no rule that dictates how the USSU executives manage any digital information that they have within their email accounts.

“It is up to the purview of the

executive that leaves office to what extent they want to clear up their email box or clean up any documentation before they leave on April 30,” Kobes said.

“There’s advice that is given by senior managers [at] the end of the term about how to go about erasing that digital footprint, but there is nothing that has been codified around that [at] this point in time.”

However, Kobes adds that, after he became interim president following the departure of former president Coden Nikbakht this August, he took it upon

Nine proposed bylaw amendments on the table at USSU Annual General Meeting NEWS EDITOR

The University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union is gearing up for their annual general meeting on the evening of Nov. 22. The meeting will see the organization accept the financial statement of the previous year and vote for amendments to the USSU Bylaw.

There are nine proposed amendments that have been put forward for the 2018 AGM; implementation is decided by a vote. This year’s amendments propose that: 1: USSU executives should be required to take a minimum

of three credit units and a maximum of six credit units for the fall and winter terms. This amendment would reverse the amendment made during the 2017 AGM, which permitted the USSU executive to take no classes in the fall and winter terms.

2: Executive members may face removal from their position if they are not registered in the aforementioned appropriate number of credit units.

3: Colleges, schools or institutions at the U of S should not be immediately entitled to membership within the USSU after being ratified with the union.

4: Petitions to remove a USSU executive member or member of council should require signatures

from 5 per cent of the undergraduate student body, lowering the current requirement from 7.5 per cent.

5: University Students’ Council should not be required to meet in April or December.

6: As it pertains to the winner of an election, a majority of “yes” votes will be understood to mean more “yes” votes than “no” votes.

7: Instead of the president, the chair of University Students’ Council — or whoever is designated — should be the chair of the Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Tribunal.

8: No office holder should attend a meeting under the influence of alcohol, cannabis or any other intoxicating substance.

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the launch of One-Way Ticket by Robert Currie and a special presentation recognizing Geoffrey Ursell Thursday, November 22, 7 pm

Undergraduate students are encouraged to attend the annual general meeting and vote on the prospective amendments.

TANNER BAYNE

himself to clear out Nikbakht’s inbox as he deemed it inappropriate to have access to such information.

Voting on whether or not to accept and implement the privacy policy will take place on Nov. 29, during the USC meeting.

Current wording limits this to “intoxication.”

9: The USSU executive should have the ability to remove office holders if they have been absent from two consecutive council meetings or absent from any three of five consecutive meetings. Current wording states that removal of office is determined by a council vote.

The USSU Bylaw stipulates that 50 members of the organization — comprised of the executive, councillors and undergraduate students at the meeting — must attend or else quorum is not met.

More information about the bylaw amendments and the USSU AGM can be found at ussu.ca.

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Sustainable solutions: U of S to host inaugural EcoHack event Students of various disciplines are able to take part in solving Saskatoon’s sustainability issues.

JONAH EGAN-PIMBLETT

Environmentally driven students will soon be able to present their ideas for sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan’s first-ever EcoHack event, which aims to provide an innovative approach to solving Saskatoon’s ecological and sustainability issues.

EcoHack is a hackathon-styled initiative organized by four U of S groups: the Office of Sustainability, the Undergraduate Environmental Programs Office, the College of Engineering and the School of Environment and Sustainability.

From Nov. 23 to 25 in Louis’ Loft, the event will see undergraduate students work

in teams to find solutions for problems presented by Saskatoon-based organizations. At the end of the event, teams will pitch their solutions to a panel of judges.

Liz Kuley, the undergraduate environmental programs co-ordinator, is the lead organizer for EcoHack and conceived of the idea for the event when she started her job in 2017. For Kuley, part of the inspiration for EcoHack came from similar events in other fields.

“I graduated as an engineer from the U of S and was familiar with similar hackathon-style events such as ‘MedHack,’” Kuley said in an email to the Sheaf. “The environmental community is super engaged and passionate in Saskatoon, which made

EcoHack an easy sell. We also expanded the concept of a hackathon, to include problem solving of any kind from students in any discipline on campus.”

Kuley says that students and administration alike at the U of S demonstrate knowledge of the importance of sustainability and environmentally minded practices.

“Sustainability is important to all of us. Our students are leading the way at the U of S, and it is important that the rest of us listen. Thankfully, our senior leadership on campus is investing in future generations and young people by making ‘sustainability’ one of the pillars of our University plan,” Kuley said.

Community partners like the City of Saskatoon and

BECOME A RADIATION THERAPY STUDENT The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency invites you to consider a career in radiation therapy. Radiation therapists are an important member of the health care team in treating cancer. They plan, deliver and provide care and education to people receiving radiation therapy.

If you are interested in building a career that combines patient focused care with leading-edge technology, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency invites you to apply to become a part of this exciting and rewarding field.

The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency is a clinical site for the University of Toronto/Michener Radiation Therapy Degree Program and offers selected candidates’ sponsorship to attend the academic portion of the program in Toronto and clinical experience in Regina and Saskatoon.

Minimum requirements include:

• 30 credits of undergraduate university classes with a minimum 3.0 (75%) GPA. • Regardless of the level of education attained candidates must have three credit hours in the following subjects: human biology, calculus based mathematics, physics and a social science.

• Applicants whom English is an additional language must meet the University of Toronto English language assessment requirements.

Successful applicants will have a good background in the sciences, strong technical skills and the ability to work with care and precision. Patience, tolerance as well as strong interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills are important to have.

If you are interested in applying for this unique educational opportunity please visit www.saskcancer.ca/RT or contact rtschoolinfo@saskcancer.ca to request an application.

Application deadline is 4:00 pm December 7, 2018.

For further information contact the radiation therapy department at 306-766-2288.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those individuals to be interviewed will be contacted.

4 / NEWS

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

the Saskatchewan Environmental Society are bringing potential sustainability challenges to the event. Such challenges seek to solve Saskatoon’s issues with green building, environmentally friendly food packaging and plastic bag use. For Kuley, EcoHack has received a good amount of support from these local partners.

“Part of what makes this event special is the unabashed excitement that we have received from our community members. These local representatives and organizations are investing their time and energy because they believe — as I do — that students have the ability to make a difference,” Kuley said.

Kuley says that the problems the teams will tackle are purposefully multidisciplinary in nature.

“The challenges posed are intentionally broad and can

be attacked multiple ways, including through marketing [and] communications, software and mechanical solutions,” Kuley said.

A key element of EcoHack is student engagement, and Kuley says she hopes students that attend are aware of the opportunities that are available to them.

“When I talk to young people about their career path, they are often unaware of the challenging, fulfilling and diverse careers that they can chase in the environmental sector,” Kuley said. “I hope that any student who is interested in environmental work feels confident in pursuing studies at the U of S. EcoHack is an excellent window into the environmental community in the city.”

Tickets for EcoHack are $10, and sponsored tickets are available for students that cannot afford the fee.

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

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SPORTS&HEALTH

A record season of Huskies football comes to a close Although the season ended without a championship, it was the closest the team has gotten in nearly a decade.

CAMI KAYTOR

The Huskies’ football season came to a close late last week, and for the first time in nearly a decade, the team made it all the way to the semi final for the Vanier Cup. With a 5-3 record in regular season, the team fought their way through playoffs to the Canada West final and became the 2018 winners of the Hardy Cup for the first time since 2006.

On Nov. 10, the team defeated the previously perfect-record-holding University of Calgary Dinos. They then faced the Western Uni-

versity Mustangs on Saturday, Nov. 17, as contenders for the Mitchell Bowl. Although both teams were tied at halftime at 17-17, the Huskies’ sole touchdown in the fourth quarter wasn’t enough to carry them to victory once again. The Mustangs will play Université Laval in Quebec on Saturday, Nov. 24.

The team’s success this year did not come as a stroke of luck and wasn’t the result of any major coaching changes.

Head Coach Scott Flory says that the team benefitted from a particular practice methodology.

“Our off-season had a big

part in it — when we get into January when the guys committed to improving — and other than that, we’re pretty consistent in our approach,” Flory said. “[Next season], we’re going to continue development and expand our off-season strength and conditioning program. We’re pretty lucky with our coach, Joel Lipinski, and the excellent work he does with our team.”

The head coach also says that the players’ behaviour and overall mood going into each game had a positive effect on the outcome of the season.

“I think guys were focused,

SPORTS&HEALTH energized and absolutely Flory stresses the importance ready to play… We did our of recognizing the efforts put best job as coaches to prepare forth by the all senior players them, and they were focused this season. and locked into the game,” “There was sometime about Flory said. “There were plenty halfway through the season of moments throughout the — when we had the break, I season that were pretty in- challenged them to be our dicative about our character. best players. And they absoThere were games against Re- lutely responded, with their gina and Calgary … where our leadership and taking control, guys got penalties and kept they definitely had a positive fighting back, both offensively effect on the team,” Flory said. and defensively.”

“They also inspired the other Although this year was an guys to do their best as well. exciting one for fans, Flory Generally, in team sports, it’s says that each victory came leadership that brings you with celebration and also a success, and that’s exactly recognition of the next bigger what they did.” game ahead of them.

The success the Huskies “We enjoyed the moment found this season seems to be but also didn’t get lost in it — a combination of hard work we enjoyed and appreciated it and commitment from the but were also focused on the players paired with good, contask at hand and knew what sistent coaching and an allwe had to do,” Flory said. around well-tempered team.

Many players, especially Although the season was cut those who had been with the shorter than the team would team for many years, had very have liked, it was was definitesuccessful seasons. Although ly one to remember — and some players stand out, like one that will hopefully serve Kyle Siemens, who threw 256 as a benchmark for the team yards in the final game, Coach in years to come.

Supplied / David Moll A U of S Huskies player carries the ball down field past a U of C Dinos player at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alta. on Nov. 10.

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Izsak and Mercier named to join the Canada West all-rookie team The two women’s soccer players look back at their strong performances in what has been a learning season for the team.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

Midfielders Payton Izsak and Haley Mercier have received the Canada West nod in recognition of their outstanding first season playing for the Huskies. The two rookies were part of the nine additions to the team this fall.

Back when the additions to the women’s soccer 20182019 team were first announced, Head Coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton stated that it was “one of the most impressive recruiting classes” ever. Izsak and Mercier’s success prove him right, along with strong contributions from the rookies all around.

After a season full of highs and lows, the team rallied to finish their Canada West run in the same place as last year, falling in a quarter-final against the University of Calgary Dinos.

The team had a slow start this year, achieving their first win almost a month into the season. Mercier, a first-year agriculture and bioresources student, was a standout player in the season opener, when she dominated the midfield for all 90 minutes of the game.

Despite her early success, she says it took her some time to

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Heywood Yu / Supplied

Heywood Yu / Supplied

Payton Izsak prepares to kick the soccer ball down field for the U of S Huskies.

Haley Mercier dribbles the soccer ball down field for the U of S Huskies.

adjust to the new team.

“I knew that the opposition was going to be playing at a higher pace, considering most of them are older,” Mercier said. “We had a lot of rookies playing, and especially at the beginning of the year, it took us some time to get used to the pace of the game.”

The team rallied in the second half of the season after a back-to-back win against the University of Regina Rams on Oct. 6 and 7. Izsak, a first-year kinesiology student, was a top points-earner this year, scoring four goals in the regular season and two in playoffs.

ahead with the aim to improve.

Mercier hopes the team keeps the focus that they showed in the second half of this season.

“As a team, staying mentally in the game for the whole 90 minutes in one of the biggest things that we need to work on going into next year,” Mercier said. “The second half of the season, we got better at that.”

Both Izsak and Mercier are excited about their futures with the Huskies and hope to build on their successful first season, stating that the all-star team is their next goal.

“It was really exciting to

Izsak says the team started to realize their potential midseason, after getting over that initial adjustment period.

“Every year is a learning year — and we thought that this was going to be a big learning year because we are so young — but as the season went on, our mindset definitely switched,” Izsak said. “After my first year, my confidence is so much higher than it was at the beginning of the year. I hope to build off of that next year.”

With their promising team back on track, the Huskies look toward the off-season

find out [about the all-rookie team]. I think it puts me in a good position, going into next year, and I’m really excited about that,” Mercier said.

Reflecting on being named to the Canada West team, Izsak credits her teammates for their support.

“When I found out, I was surprised because I was scoring the goals, but a lot of my goals had really good buildup from my team,” Izsak said.

“Being recognized as that player that puts the ball in the back of the net was great — finding out was an unbelievable feeling.”

SPORTS&HEALTH

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Rest and digest: Recipe: Understanding the science of self-care

One week meal prep — Chicken and spaghetti squash

The need to relax is rooted in biology.

JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

SHILOH NAOMI

Cook time: 1 hour Ingredients: 1-2 spaghetti squash(es) 1 tray of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 lb.)

1 clove garlic, or more if you prefer 1 tbsp. brown sugar Seasoning salt Optional: Thai chili peppers Mini potatoes

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founder of the Arizona Centre for Integrative Medicine, suggests a simple breathing technique called 4-7-8. Sitting in a relaxed position with good posture, exhale completely and press your tongue to the roof of your mouth, just behind your top teeth.

Quietly inhale through your nose to the count of four. Hold that breath to the count of seven.

With your tongue still pressed behind your upper teeth, exhale to the count of eight through your mouth, making a whooshing sound. Repeat the cycle again three more times, for a total of four breaths.

We are what we eat, literally.

Fill your diet with more plantbased foods. Eat more colours and more spices, and add more variety. Eat less sugar — and yes, that means ease up on the booze. Eat less processed foods and add more fibre — trust me, healthy bowel movements are the ultimate self-care.

Hydration is key. Set alarms or schedule appointments on your calendar to remind yourself to drink water consistently throughout the day. Maintaining proper hydration is also

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helpful for health bowel movements and other bodily processes.

Getting enough sleep is also essential for your health. Finding a way to establish a consistent sleep-wake schedule, in spite of the excitement and demanding expectations of university, will assist your brain and nervous system in the critical rest-and-digest process.

Get connected. Connect to something bigger than yourself.

Maybe it’s spirituality or nature or volunteer work. Loneliness is a form of stress — a threat — and that doesn’t just mean being alone. Loneliness is disconnectedness. Connect to a purpose.

What is your why? Maybe your fire feels more like a small candle right now, but something is still lighting it — connect to that something.

Surround yourself with people that empower you, inspire you, encourage you and hold you accountable. Connect to those people who get you — who accept you, support you and make you laugh. Creating community and connecting to purpose is vital in order to not merely survive but to thrive.

Next, start prepping your chicken by oiling each breast thoroughly. Using a garlic press, or a knife and your own sheer strength of will, mince some garlic according to taste, and spread it onto the chicken along with some seasoning salt and brown sugar. Brown sugar as a rub will keep your chicken from getting dry — I swear it works.

If you’re feeling spicy, chop up some chili peppers, to taste, and spread them across the chicken as well — just know that some ambient flavours will likely spread to your squash — which can be a fun way to change things up.

Once your timer goes off, it’s time to put the chicken in to cook with the squash. If you want, you can also put in mini potatoes for some extra carbs. Leave the chicken in for 15 minutes. Flip and repeat before checking to make sure your chicken is done — each piece should be white throughout. The squash and chicken should finish cooking at the same time.

Ed ito r

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First, prep your spaghetti squash by chopping it into quarters and placing it onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Have your oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, set the squash in, and set a timer for 30 minutes.

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Understanding the symptoms of stress and anxiety in our bodies is crucial in defining and personalizing self-care. To understand these symptoms, you’ll need to understand the systems that govern them — specifically, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Together, these two systems control human internal body processes — like heart rate, breathing, digestion and metabolism, to name a few. This regulatory system, known as the autonomic nervous system, determines whether we will simply survive or if we will thrive.

Survival mode, often referred to as fight-or-flight, is controlled by our sympathetic nervous system. When the SNS is in charge, heart rate spikes, digestion slows, pupils dilate and adrenaline is released. This is the body’s way of preparing us for a potential threat. The problem is that our bodies can’t distinguish the difference between the stress of being chased by a bear and the stress of writing an exam.

In order to do its job properly, the brain needs our nervous system to calm down — this responsibility falls to the parasympathetic nervous system.

The PNS lowers our blood pressure, promotes digestion and eliminates waste from our bodies. This is known as restand-digest mode. With more time resting and digesting, our brains can better learn to distinguish regular life stress from life-threatening stress.

So now that we know some of the sciency lingo, how do we define self-care? Bubble baths, dark chocolate and man caves are all well and good — but are they truly addressing the real issue? The Oxford Living Dictionary defines self-care as “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.” This would suggest that self-care is really more like health care.

Adding five minutes of mindful breathing to your daily routine is a small step with a big benefit. Dr. Andrew Weil,

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CULTURE

EVENTS T H U R S

22

WORKING IN CANADA SERIES: INTERVIEW SKILLS @ ARTS 153, 2:30 P.M.

THURSDAY NIGHT ART MARKET

23

CHASTITY WITH CAVES

POETRY SLAM AND COMMUNITY STAGE FEATURING JOLISSA SIMON REMINISCENCES OF A JOURNEY TO LITHUANIA @ REMAI MODERN, 7:00 P.M.

@ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:30 P.M.

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THE CAT’S MEOW @ BRIDGES ART MOVEMENT, 1:00 P.M.

HUNGER FOR TRUTH: THE RHEA CLYMAN STORY @ SASKATOON PUBLIC LIBRARY, 2:00 P.M.

TOP DRAWER COLLECTIVE PRESENTS SWERVE: NEW AGE RETRO BASS NIGHT @ COSMOPOLITAN SENIORS CENTRE, 8:30 P.M.

AMIGOS 30TH ANNIVERSARY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.

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CONSENSUS DECISION MAKING WORKSHOP @ THE STAND, 1:00 P.M.

SUPERMAN 40TH ANNIVERSARY @ THE ROXY THEATRE, 7:00 P.M.

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

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

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THE LUNCH SPECIAL: MITCH GRIER @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 12:00 P.M.

USSU PAINT NIGHT @ LOUIS’ LOFT, 5:30 P.M.

GAMES NIGHT @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

T U E S

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HEADSTONES: THE PICTURE OF HEALTH TOUR @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 7:00 P.M.

100% TUESDAYS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:00 P.M.

GREY RECORDS PRESENTS: HOT GARBAGE WITH WAITRESS @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M. OPEN STAGE @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M.

W E D

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LITERATURE MATTERS: HOW TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND A MEDIEVAL BOOK @ GRACE-WESTMINSTER UNITED CHURCH SOCIAL HALL, 7:30 P.M.

THE WOODS SIMPSONS TRIVIA EXTRAVAGANZA VOL. V @ THE WOODS ALE HOUSE, 8:00 P.M. PUNK ROCK BINGO @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M. KARAOKE THURSDAY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.

NOV. 10-30 NOV. 21DEC. 1

CULTURE

Ralph’s debut album A Good Girl explores the grey areas in relationships The Sheaf talks to Canadian singer Ralph about her debut album, ahead of her Nov. 21 performance at Louis’.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

@ AKA ARTIST-RUN CENTRE, 6:30 P.M.

THE DEEP DARK WOODS WITH KACY & CLAYTON

S A T

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@ SASKATOON FARMERS’ MARKET, 5:00 P.M.

@ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.

F R I

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MULTI MEDIA MÉLANGE ART SHOW @ J & S PICTURE FRAME WAREHOUSE

HENRY V @ GREYSTONE THEATRE

NOV. 23-25

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NOV. 24-25

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@ PRAIRIELAND PARK

@ LOUIS’ LOFT

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Canadian pop artist Ralph has been growing in popularity since her first single was released in 2015. The artist released her debut album, A Good Girl, this past September — ten songs of catchy synthpop with disco and R&B influences examining all kinds and all sides of relationships.

Ralph has been consistent in both style and theme since her self-titled EP, but she says the question of how to talk about “the same thing everyone’s talked about a million times over” is constantly on her mind. While the EP focuses on her perspective as a victim in relationships, Ralph says the album takes a more complex outlook, as is reflected in its title.

“Everyone is guilty of hurting others, and that’s what makes us human — I wanted to explore the part of relationships that people don’t want to talk about,” Ralph said. “That’s the point of the album name A Good Girl. It’s tongue-in-cheek because no one is good or bad — we are too complex to be one or the other.”

Ralph sees this added complexity as beneficial for the album’s universality — everyone has done both good and bad things. One of her goals is to make her songs relatable, in everything from the themes employed to the pronouns she uses.

“I try to write narratives that feel close to life, that we’ve all been through. I don’t want anyone listening to feel like they can’t relate to the song,” Ralph said. “For instance, in “Bedroom Eyes” I don’t use any [gendered] pronouns, because I want the song to be about anybody — any two people in the world who just want to dance.”

Relatability sometimes comes at the expense of authenticity. To prevent this, Ralph says she follows her instincts.

She received negative feedback, however, for “Cereal,” the last song on the album — the song revolves around the image of her crying into her morning cereal, which is perhaps not a

Supplied / Wednesday Management Musical artist Ralph.

very universal experience.

Ralph says she stands by her lyrics — this highly personal level of specificity is what makes her able to capture an overall mood rather than an experience.

“It’s more about when you are heartbroken and you are trying to do those things you do every day, and all of a sudden, that routine is interrupted by this random outburst of emotion — that’s more what I’m trying to target,” Ralph said. “Maybe it’s too specific, but isn’t that what makes a song interesting? There’s a fine line that I’m still trying to find — following my gut but not being confusing.”

The album follows a clear narrative, another constant in her work. Ralph says these ten songs show the development of a relationship, from start to finish. The first song — a tune about self-love and being enough for yourself — might seem out of place within the album’s thematic narrative, but Ralph says that it’s a bit like a disclaimer — a statement before the rest of the record plays out.

“I wanted to start off the album with “For Yourself ” to say that, even though a lot of the songs are about love, the best and most important love is with yourself,” Ralph said. “I love being alone, and I love being independent — I’ve always encouraged others to explore that.”

The album then goes on to explore long-distance relationships, power dynamics, desire and mental illness, among other topics, before ending — both the album and the relationship it’s about — on “Cereal.” It’s a

seemingly bitter ending, but Ralph doesn’t see it that way. “‘Cereal,’ to me, is a song that isn’t devastating. It’s raw, but it’s open-ended,” Ralph said. “You know when a season in a TV series ends with a ‘what’s gonna happen next’? I wanted ‘Cereal’ to be like that. It’s the end of season one — what will happen in season two?”

What’s next for Ralph? After touring extensively, both within and outside of Canada, she says that she is looking forward to her next album.

“All of a sudden, I’ve been writing song ideas down. I can’t stop these lyrics from coming out,” Ralph said. “When you write an album, towards the end of it, you start feeling like you’ve spent so many months in a studio, exhausted, but when you’ve been out of the studio for a while, you miss it.”

Before going back to recording, Ralph has a tour to finish. Her Saskatoon show at Louis’ Pub was part of her Canada-wide tour and featured accompanying pop singer Ria Mae and EDM band Neon Dreams. The tour will come to an end on Dec 15 in Kingston, ON. Ralph says touring has been good for her songwriting — she’ll tackle her next album with excitement and new ideas.

“Both [Mae and Neon Dreams] are really good at catchy hooks, and they’ve inspired me to pick more universal lines — see how to create a Ralph song that still feels Ralph but also feels like it could be a big radio hit,” Ralph said.

“Maybe that’s why I’ve been writing so many songs — because I’m around people who are excited about music.”

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

CULTURE

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

Saskatchewan-born documentarian working to develop a film based on the man behind CBC’s Mr. Dressup Keith Hoffart hopes to crowdfund a film based on the beloved CBC children’s show Mr. Dressup.

COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

A Saskatchewan-born film maker who grew up watching Ernie Coombs, the creator and performer behind Mr. Dressup, is working to produce a documentary that tells the story of the man who portrayed the celebrated children’s character.

Keith Hoffart grew up around the Rosetown and Kindersley area before moving to Medicine Hat, Alta., to study new technology and fine arts. In this program, he learned the classical arts like painting and sculpting in addition to web design, animation and video editing. He currently resides in Kelowna, B.C., where he works as a web designer.

Hoffart conceived of the idea to make a documentary based on Ernie Coombs earlier this year after becoming aware of plans for two separate movies based on Coombs’ American contemporary, Fred Rogers.

“I was talking with my friends and family, [saying], ‘Somebody should tell our story as Canadians.’ It’s great hearing the American story of Mr. Rogers, but a lot of us grew up with Mr. Dressup,” Hoffart said.

Motivated to see the proj-

ect through, Hoffart began to reach out to the friends and family of the late performer, contacting Coombs’ son and daughter as well as Canadian children’s musician Fred Penner. Like many Canadians who grew up with the long-running children’s show, Hoffart’s connection to the source material is both personal and nostalgic.

“Being from Rosetown, we had something called ‘farmervision,’ which was two channels, so if you didn’t want to watch figure skating, you would watch Mr. Dressup,” Hoffart said. “I really loved how [Mr. Dressup] had the arts and crafts segment of the show… I’d be running around trying to find all these things, and then you would make something with him.”

Hoffart credits this element of the show, as well as the drawing segment, with helping to foster his creative talents at a young age.

“You could copy what he was doing, and you could learn how to draw a cartoon.

For me, it really resonated, and as an artist, he really brought that out of me,” Hoffart said.

For Hoffart, the behindthe-scenes story of Mr. Dressup is best told through the medium of documentary film. For filmmakers like

Hoffart, documentaries allow for a deeper exploration of the material and the chance to dig up some overlooked historical details.

“When you’re dealing with a movie, you have to tell the story. There’s a beginning, middle and end. There’s a plot.

There isn’t necessarily a plot with a documentary,” Hoffart said.

“Documentary is more about what happened that maybe people don’t know and telling a story that maybe no one has heard.”

As for what kind of new details on the life of Ernie Coombs viewers can expect from the documentary, Hoffart is trying to keep the details of his research under wraps. However, he says he has found that the Mr. Dressup cast had a surprisingly progressive streak when it came to social issues.

“Judith Lawrence, the puppeteer for Casey and Finnegan, she made Casey gender neutral. Meaning that, over 50 years ago, she knew that half the kids watching would be boys and half would be girls,” Hoffart said.

Mỹ Anh Phan

Hoffart also cites Coombs as an early advocate for gender-based equal pay in the entertainment industry.

“Over 50 years ago, Mr. Dressup knew that Judith was playing as much of a part in the show as he was. So he demanded to CBC that they got paid equally, even though he was on the camera more and she was hiding behind a treehouse holding a puppet,” Hoffart said.

As part of the project, Hoffart is working with alumni and students from the

Kelowna-based Centre for Art and Technology, both on the initial Kickstarter trailer and the end product. He speculates that the finished film will be sold to either Netflix Canada or CBC. “If my job is to make a documentary that I want the most people to see, then it’s hard to argue against Netflix, but CBC made the show, and it seems fitting,” Hoffart said.

A Kickstarter campaign for Keith Hoffart’s untitled documentary project is running until Dec. 16, 2018.

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www.sundoghandcraftfaire.com CULTURE / 9

FEATURE

Health in the age of wellness 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 2 2 , 2 0 1 8

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With so many products and promotions, health and wellness trends can be a quagmire of conflicting information.

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

H

ealth and wellness are topics that have transcended their conventional meanings to become a trend — a commodity — where it is imperative that we seek out the best possible way to maintain our well-being.

Every day is punctuated by messages about optimal health with a steady barrage of promises and products in the media. There are hundreds of blogs and social influencers promoting the best possible wellness tips and tricks that are accessible to any reader who might be hungry to optimize their health. From diets to lasers, there are promises of healing in a myriad of methodologies.

On Nov. 7, the Sheaf conducted a weeklong poll about health and wellness attitudes among students at the University of Saskatchewan. The results of this poll showed that 56.8 per cent of participants say that they highly value physical and mental wellness. Attitudes towards vaccines were also positive, with 60.5 per cent of participants stating that they intend to roll up their sleeves for influenza immunization.

When it came to complementary and alternative health services, a small 7.5 per cent of participants reported visiting a naturopath for treatment. Additionally, 37 per cent reported using chiropractors, 58 per cent reported that they have taken supplements and 55.7 per cent said that they believe acupuncture to be effective.

Complementary and alternative medicine is an umbrella term used to describe health services that are typically not considered part of conventional medicine.

There has been a move within the CAM community to merge the two — complementary and mainstream treatments — in a marriage of health and wellness.

The alternative label of CAM has been mostly replaced with the terms like integrative medicine, which promotes the idea that these treatments can be used safely and effectively alongside an individual’s conventional treatments.

To get a better understanding of what CAM means, the Sheaf reached out to several members of the College of Medicine’s Centre for Integrative Medicine, who appear to promote integrating complementary health practices. Unfortunately, at time of publication, they had not responded to interview requests.

A quick Google search of “health and

10 / FEATURE

wellness in Saskatoon” yields a long list of businesses, practitioners and products. At first glance, one might be unable to distinguish the difference between complementary and conventional health services. With many health-care centres moving in similar directions with their marketing strategies and business titles, it can be confusing to navigate all of the options available.

One thing that is important to know is that complementary and conventional treatments are neither created nor covered equally. A Guide to Health Services in Saskatchewan outlines a list of options that are covered by your health card. Naturopathic, osteopathic, homeopathic and chiropractic services — all falling under the CAM umbrella — will cost you out of pocket, unless your personal health insurance happens to cover these alternative services.

The Fraser Institute has been tracking trends of CAM use in Canada for the last few decades. Their 2016 survey found that 79 per cent of Canadians have used at least one CAM service during their lifetime. It also found that

CAM costs a lot of coin.

According to the institute, Canadians dropped around $8.8 billion on CAM products between the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. Practitioners of CAM were handed $6.5 billion for their services, while the remaining $2.3 billion was burned through to pay for vitamins, supplements, special diets and books.

That’s a massive business, on par with other billion-dollar industries in Canada like banks and transportation. However, it’s difficult to compare CAM to these sectors because CAM profits are hard to quantify. Canadians could be shelling out money to their naturopathic doctor or chiropractor — practitioners who have a regulatory body — or they could be paying a holistic nutritionist they came across on Instagram for diet and lifestyle guidance.

Acupuncture, naturopathic medicine and chiropractor treatments are among the mainstream CAM services, but the term can expand to include yoga, massage therapy, holistic nutrition and supplementation.

Perhaps, it may surprise you to learn

that some of these services are included in this category, as they have become so integrated into our health culture.

Most CAM practices use scientific and biological language to describe their processes. The surrounding dialogues often imply a more spiritual or holistic narrative — a secret that mainstream services can’t provide. Oftentimes, what emerges are scientific-sounding practices that are rife with misinformation and little-to-no real evidence.

The increasingly popular BodyTalk System is an example of one of these substanceless services — its official website uses a lot of words to explain very little.

The BodyTalk System claims that every cell in your body is in constant communication and that stress can affect this communication — something that speaks true to cellular signaling. The science all falls apart, however, when they add in factors with very little physiological evidence like electromagnetic fields and meridian lines.

Just because something packages itself in the guise of scientific talk doesn’t mean it has any empirically tested method of success or evidence to back up the toogood-to-be-true health claims.

Back in October, a peculiar bulletin popped up on PAWS advertising free Access Bars sessions to staff and students of the U of S. Access Bars, according to Synergy in Motion, “are 32 bars of energy that run through and around your head” connecting to aspects of your life.

When these bars are stimulated by touch, it’s said that practitioners can tap into healing. The sessions are said to help individuals lose weight, sleep better and have amazing sex. The interesting thing about Access Bars is that it really doesn’t try to market itself as biologically based ­­­— it forgoes even the thinnest of scientific veils to dive right into some wildly magical thinking.

Naturopathic medicine is a fairly common route of care for many individuals, and there are several naturopathic clinics in Saskatoon, with a wide range of naturopathic practitioners ready to offer an array of services.

The philosophy behind it all sounds great ­— with opportunities to improve health, treat illness rather than just mitigating the symptoms, and value the patient as a unique person. It’s more companionate and humanistic in its approach, which is something conventional medicine sometimes lacks with its brisk appointments and cold, threadbare gowns.

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FEATURE

All graphics Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

The services offered at naturopathic clinics drastically differ from what is available in your family doctor’s office. There are the familiar CAM offers such as acupuncture and nutritional counselling, but it quickly turns into an à-la-carte of unproven and potentially dangerous services from homeopathy — which may be the most widely debunked alternative health treatment — to detoxification, colonics and IV therapy.

Evidence of the efficacy of these treatments is lacking. Most of these services rely on the power of anecdotal claims — this made me feel better, and I believe it can make you feel better, too. So what is exactly behind this type of testimonial reasoning, and why is it so seductive?

The placebo effect is a well-known phenomenon where a beneficial effect is reported from a sham treatment, an

effect that can only be attributed to a person’s belief in the treatment. One standard efficacy test for new pharmaceuticals is a double-blind clinical trial, measuring the drug’s effect against a placebo. In studies of CAM treatments, the placebo effect appears to be a contributing factor to the positive effects experienced by users.

But the power of the placebo effect is not something that we can just toss away without examination. A 2001 study showed how the placebo effect can influence individuals with Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease that affects levels of dopamine.

PD patients were told they were receiving L-DOPA — a medication that is converted into dopamine in the body. In reality, they were given a placebo. Yet, when observed with

an MRI, patients were found to have these services. Spain also wants to end increased activity of dopamine in the the training of practitioners and prebrain. The power of their belief ap- vent universities from awarding diplopeared to influence the production of mas with links to CAM practices. a neurotransmitter that their disease Making an informed decision is prevents them from producing on a critical when it comes to your health. day-to-day basis.

It is important to look at the evidence With studies analyzing the power of behind treatments and understand the placebo, it is easy to see how some- the possible consequences of them. one who believes in a CAM treatment The proliferation of misinformation is can report feeling better. However, ongoing in wellness spheres, and the there is danger in this false comfort. price of not doing your research can A recent study showed that indi- be high — with the possibility of more viduals who supplemented conven- than just your wallet taking a hit. tional cancer therapy with CAM had a higher likelihood of death — twice greater than their cohorts who didn’t seek out alternative treatment. Often, CAM treatments appear to delay or interfere with conventional medicine targets and timelines.

As of Nov. 15, the government of Spain has announced a push to remove CAM practices from health centres in an effort to avoid what they call the “potential harmful effects” of

FEATURE / 11

CULTURE

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 2 2 , 2 0 1 8

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Cold-weather classics A collection of tunes to warm up the winter season.

The Strokes Room on Fire RILEY DEACON

PHOTO EDITOR

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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This playlist is specifically curated for those frigid winter mornings when you are feeling emotionally burrowed in the dry Saskatchewan snow, unintentionally strengthening your calves due to the shuffle-walk you have to partake in when crossing long patches of ice — those patches sometimes hide under a thin, floating veneer of white fluff.

There is nothing quite like slipping and impacting hard on frozen concrete while the brooding voice of Leonard Cohen speaks of losing his wife and children.

Beautiful, beautiful despair. If you have never blown hot air into your bare, frost-bitten hands while the scattering, clunky 5/4 time signature of Radiohead’s “15 Step” whispers sweet nothings into your icy red ears, you have not truly lived.

Only when you are so numb that you cannot hear yourself think will you be able to immerse yourself into the dense, layered arrangements of Brian Wilson that will hopefully catapult you into the nostalgia of a warm summer evening. Stay warm out there with these perfect pairings.

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CULTURE

‘Game over, man’: A look at the history of video-game movies I watched a bunch of bad video-game movies to find out what makes them tick.

COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

Video games have historically been ill-suited towards film adaptations, but that hasn’t stopped studios from from trying to rework hastily written gaming plotlines into feature-length movies.

With recent interest around adaptations of franchises like Metal Gear Solid and Pokémon, it’s worth looking back at a few of these cinematic cast-offs.

I hoped, by taking a scattershot approach, I’d find something good among the wreckage — I was wrong. I chose to watch the Super Mario Bros. movie, Doom and Warcraft. Despite the variety of subject matter, each of these films has a common denominator — no one on these productions had any idea what to do with their respective source material.

In the case of the Super Mario Bros. movie, the lack of direction is understandable. Molding the surreal imagery of the original games into a discernible plot is a tall order, and the Blade Runner and Ghostbusters dystopian hybrid that the filmmakers stumbled upon is bold if nothing else.

Rather than set up a plot, the movie opens with perhaps the laziest exposition for a movie I’ve ever witnessed. In a series of escalating what-ifs, the narrator asks the viewer to imagine a world where the dinosaurs never went extinct and evolved

alongside humans in an alternate dimension. The title card drops, and the movie takes off from this bizarre premise.

The movie portrays the two brothers as crude ItalianAmerican stereotypes played

by Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, who make Tony Soprano and his friends look like upstanding examples positive representation. Rounding out the cast are post-Blue Velvet Dennis Hopper as King Koopa and a grotesque photo-realistic Yoshi.

This movie is a trainwreck, but it has its charms. Its attempts to ground the classic Nintendo mascot in reality are absurd, reimagining the title character as a surly Italian man who treats his job as a plumber as if he’s living by the Bushido code. It’s certainly dumb, but it’s hard to be mad about it as the source material is paper-thin to begin with.

Unlike the Mario movie, Doom does not contain any charm. This movie takes the over-the-top heavy metal cyberpunk aesthetic of the original game and waters it down into a reimagining of Alien starring a bunch of frat bros. The movie stars Dwayne Johnson, Karl Urban and Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike.

The Doom movie spends most of its runtime as a playedstraight horror B movie about demons in outer space. In the last twenty minutes, the perspective shifts to first-person for

some sleepy shooting-gallery antics that fail to capture the infamous speed of the original game before ending on a Dragon Ball Z style fight between two super soldiers. Just to tie everything together, a mid-period Nine Inch Nails song plays over the credits.

The spectre of Doom 3 — the 2004 flashlight management simulator that released a year prior to this film — looms large over the Doom film adaptation.

The cheesy Iron Maiden album cover aesthetics and fast-paced gameplay of the original are neglected in favour of dull survival horror.

Unlike the first two movies I watched, Warcraft actually has a fully formed universe to draw from. Director Duncan Jones adapts the orcs-versus-humans nonsense of the original Warcraft game and plays it completely straight. The adaptation might be a little too faithful, as it name drops characters as if the audience should already know who they are.

Warcraft alternates between state-of-the-art Hollywood effects and Syfy original-level costuming. Large chunks of this movie are completely rendered in CGI, which made me wonder why this wasn’t just an animated

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

feature in the first place.

Putting the cartoonish, candy-coloured world of Warcraft on the silver screen is ill-advised to begin with, but the movie tries its hardest to translate the aesthetic to film — impractically large shoulder pauldrons and all. The end result is kind of boring to look at but mostly just off-putting.

In the end, I think a lot of video-game adaptations fail because the storylines in games are usually just kind of bad. They occasionally work well within the context of a larger artistic work where the story is simply a way of grounding the gameplay, but often, they are unable to work independently.

I think, if future video-game adaptations are to succeed, filmmakers should be looking at original movies that are structured like games: Kill Bill, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Snowpiercer and Dredd are all films that have “levels” and “boss fights.”

Without a structure similar to the source material, the plot of a game is left to do a lot of work that it was never meant to do.

Regardless of how these films have turned out, it looks as if these types of adaptations will continue into the foreseeable future. Hopefully, someone figures out a way to make a good gaming adaptation, especially if this continues as the latest Hollywood trend.

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CULTURE / 13

OPINIONS

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

Shifting how we talk about dieting will improve everyone’s health

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OPINIONS

The language and stereotypes around diets can have wide impacts.

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problems and actually gaining back more weight than you lost in the first place. Instead, researchers suggest making long-term changes and building healthy habits.

Eating more fruits and vegetables, replacing white bread with whole grain, quitting smoking and exercising more often are obvious and simple changes that can be done gradually to improve one’s weight, heart health and energy.

Fad diets and yo-yo weight loss also affect men, of course, but it’s often less talked about in the media. I once had a male friend who, in the interest of getting into shape, believed it was effective to fast for a few days and then eat two entire pizzas in one sitting.

He assured us that he’d seen many bodybuilders do it and refused to listen when he was sent multiple sources about how dangerous it was.

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It’s no secret that women experience many pressures to abide by certain body standards. It’s also no secret that women often resort to restrictive eating and dieting — and in extreme cases fall to eating disorders — in order to attain such standards.

Many diet foods, products and programs are marketed towards women to help them attain these goals. We all know the Jenny Craig ads or remember the classic Diet Pepsi commercial with Cindy Crawford where her consumption of the beverage somehow allows her to maintain the perfect figure to attract the male gaze.

I know many female family members who seem to be on a different diet every time I go home to visit. These often take the shape of fad diets — no carbs, special shakes, pills and powders added to their regular meals. They are very good at staying on the restrictive diets, but when they reach their goal, they revert to old habits and end up regaining most, if not all, of the weight.

Research has shown that diets are often ineffective in the long run. Worse yet, “yo-yo” dieting — or losing and regaining weight — has severe health repercussions, including gut issues, heart

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This was attributed to the fact that these sources pertain generally to women’s health, not men’s. It is often difficult for men to engage in things that have been feminized. Usually, this isn’t a big deal, but when it comes to diets, things can get dangerous.

Women’s diets are usually at least somewhat based in fact, cutting carbs and reducing portion sizes. Not wanting to seem like they’re being picky or eating “dainty” portions, men can sometimes resort to different, more extreme measures like my friend.

Worse, because eating disorders are often associated with women, men can find it more difficult to admit they

have eating disorders and seek help. Recently, companies have found a way to capitalize on diet culture without feminizing it with technology giving us new ways to think about diets.

Sequencing the genome allows people to find the most effective way to get their body into shape and keep it there.

Companies like 23andMe now offer programs that include workout and eating plans, focusing more on overall wellness than simply losing weight or gaining muscle.

Although the research on this technology is fairly new, the diets they prescribe do not seem to be radically more effective than any other fad diet.

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There’s no shame in wanting to change your body for the betterment of your health. We are all surrounded by media that’s constantly telling us we aren’t good enough, and that can take its toll. Convincing ourselves that skinny and toned always means healthy is wrong and often has the opposite effect.

With the advancement of technology, it’s becoming more and more possible to understand our bodies from a scientific perspective instead of understanding ourselves based on how the media defines us. More importantly, combining technology and diets allows us to remove the classic gender bias and have an objective and effective conversation about health.

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

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OPINIONS

Winter?

Snow thanks With the right clothes for the weather, you can survive this chilly season.

YASHICA BITHER

With the familiar outfit choices of winter, regular people transform into yetis with our bulky jackets, face-engulfing scarves, monstrous mittens and whatever other layers and accessories we can scavenge in order to keep warm.

But why should the cold keep us from looking the best we can? Here are a couple tips and tricks to still look like you’re living your best life this winter while still staying warm.

The most effective way to regulate body temperature is by layering your clothing. It may seem like a hassle, but layers can easily come off, and you can make them look great — putting on a long-sleeved shirt or even a turtleneck under a T-shirt or crop top is an excellent way to keep things fresh.

To even that look out, throw on some high-waisted pants to create an illusion of longer legs.

This applies to all gender expressions — don’t be afraid to experiment with clothing.

Legs a little chilly? It may seem bulky at first, but wearing long johns or even leggings un-

der your pants is a great way to temper that frigid wind blasting through your blue jeans.

For those of us who get too hot in class while wearing layers, investing in a longer jacket may be a more optimal comfort for you. You won’t need to worry about looking like a marshmallow. Instead, you can channel the cool demeanour of an arctic explorer. Check out the men’s section of any thrift store for generally cheaper options.

Frost-bitten feet got you down? When it comes to boots, it’s very difficult to find appropriate footwear that is aesthetically pleasing and also functional. Most of the warmest boots are often unappealing and don’t fit that hip vibe that Saskatoon is famous for. The simple fact of the matter is that they may all be too expensive for a meagre student budget.

Luckily, Walmart has some Timberland knockoffs that look like the real deal. They’re not the boots with the fur, but Walmart does have some other fuzzy-insoled options that can help keep your feet happy. It’s important to remember safety first in this 50-degrees-below-zero landscape. Preventing frostbite is key — so save your toes this hol-

Yashica Bither

iday season, and put away your flimsy canvas sneakers.

Lastly, you’ll want to throw something on your head and phalanges. When it comes to hats, mittens and scarves, wool is your best friend because it will keep you warmer compared to fleece and cotton materials.

Also, wool hats with pom-poms are great — they keep both your ears and head toasty while still

looking cute. Try to aim for waterproof gloves or wool mittens to keep your fingers happy, too.

There’s no greater cold-weather accessory than the tried-and-true knit scarf. If you haven’t got one already already, your best investment this year is the blanket scarf. They’re often made of wool and can easily be wrapped to cover your face, chest and neck all at once.

Hopefully, you’ve gained some tips and ideas to fortify your outfits this winter. We all need an upgrade from those thin bunnyhugs to something a little warmer and kinder to our skin. You don’t have to go full-out abominable snowman with your gear, but put aside your pride and opt for some practicality this season.

With a little planning, you can have a safe and stylish winter.

#Sheafgram

tongswatch

tongswatch Monday, October 29th. 12:41am. #TongsWatch Day 12 #livingyxe #usask #tongs are #sheafworthy

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OPINIONS

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Are modern unions still important, effective?

Unions are still continuing their long fight for worker rights.

CFCR Saskatoon Community Radio & CJTR Regina Community Radio Present

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A participant in the 2018 UFCW strike walks past the Attridge Drive Co-op location in Saskatoon.

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16 / OPINIONS

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Strong unions set standards for employee prosperity by improving wages and providing a body of regulations to defend the rights of workers. But can unions continue to play an active part in our modern economy?

Union advocacy around the world changed laws and set standards that workers continue to enjoy today. Even if you are not a member of a union, you have benefits that unions’ members have fought for. Historically, unions have fought for many rights that are now protected by labour law.

In Canada, the printers’ strike of 1872 made way for the federal legalization of union activity after workers argued for shorter work weeks, demanding the socalled luxury of 9-hour work days in Toronto. Other efforts fought to establish fair wages — where full-time work actually provides enough money to support a family — and secure unemployment insurance.

The right to safety in the workplace has also been championed by unions, with workers first lobbying against the Ontario government in the 1960s, which then led to Saskatchewan’s Occupational Health Act, which now also protects an individual’s right to refuse unsafe work.

Unions have also fought to provide workers with paid time off, like maternity leaves and other parental benefits — starting with 15 weeks of paid maternity leave in 1971 at 66 per cent of wages.

Later, in 1981, after 42 days of striking, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers won 17 weeks of

paid maternity leave.

According to Statistics Canada, unionization rates are dropping in Canada, falling from 37.6 per cent in 1981 to 28.8 per cent in 2014. One potential reason for this decline is that our economy has changed since the heyday of union activism. Many of the benefits that unions fought for are now protected under law.

Formerly union-strong industries like manufacturing have been moved overseas where labour is cheaper. This, in turn, means that workers now have less power to bargain and seek improvements in wages, benefits and working conditions. Businesses will always seek to lower costs to increase profits.

The minimum wage in Saskatchewan is $11.06 per hour.

Living Wage Canada suggests that, in Saskatoon, an hourly rate of of $16.19 would better cover the actual cost of living in the city.

According to their data, workers here are only making about twothirds of what they need to meet basic needs. Paying a living wage raises workers out of poverty and provides a better quality of life.

A living wage is said to benefit both the employer and the community, with healthier workers, lower absenteeism and less employee turnover. It would appear that strong unions are needed to advocate for workers more than ever.

Statistics Canada reports that, as of June, consumer prices are growing at their fastest rate in six years.

Unions still fight for wage equality, continually seeking equal pay for equal work for all employees. Recently, Saskatoon

Co-op employees have mobilized to take a stand against a twotiered wage structure that bars new employees from achieving the same wages as current staff.

These workers are fighting for the future, for workers who haven’t even been employed yet — its a moving example of solidarity.

The fight for equality is also part of the ongoing Canada Post worker strike, as they fight for equal wages for workers in rural centres. Urban letter carriers — mostly men — are paid by the hour, whereas rural letter carriers — mostly women — are paid based on route size. This means that women working in a rural setting employed by Canada Post generally earn less for the same work as men in urban settings.

Unions offer protection to workers, requiring justification for decisions to fire or discipline workers. Workers have a formal grievance process in place to resolve issues. Unions also have a long history of taking the government to court to protect workers’ rights.

Following changes to Saskatchewan labour laws in 2008, unions took the Saskatchewan government to the Supreme Court of Canada for violations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Supreme Court declared The Public Service Essential Services Act unconstitutional in 2015.

Without unions, we wouldn’t have the safety, comfort and benefits that we take for granted in the jobs we hold today. So the next time you are driving past workers walking the picket line, honk in solidarity or stop to walk with them to show your support as they fight for us all.

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OPINIONS

OPINIONS / 17

OPINIONS

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Got manners?

Etiquette isn’t dead, so let’s bring some decorum back to campus.

SHILOH NAOMI

Perhaps we can learn something about etiquette from the golden wisdom of a cultural figure — to quote Deadpool, “Shhh, my common sense is tingling.”

Can you define etiquette? Simply put, etiquette is manners, a simple code for polite behaviour.

Let’s take a look at some common-sense scenarios relatable to anyone’s university experience. I would argue that bettering any and all of these situations comes down to one thing — basically, we just need to exercise a little human decency.

Picture this, you just got out of class and you notice you’re not the only one. Crowds of students pour out of buildings, utterly oblivious to the vehicles stopping for them as they hurdle toward crosswalks without a second glance.

Please look up from your phone, or your friends, just long enough to notice that people in cars also need to get somewhere.

It only takes 30 seconds out of

your busy day to let one or two vehicles go by. And at least give them a courtesy wave when they fully stop to let you across.

Perhaps, you have an exciting life or there is something bothering you — something you just can’t wait to tell the person next to you. Maybe, Selena’s Insta is #goals, you’re very interested in the lecture, or Katy Perry swiped right on your Tinder profile.

Whatever the reason you are talking in class, please just stop.

As shocking as this sounds, some people actually come to class to hear the professor. As well, it’s important to remember that many of your peers are differently abled, and some might have more difficulty tuning out disruptions.

Sure, there’s probably a niche audience somewhere that would love to hear your woke philosophies on everything, but most of us literally cannot even.

When it comes to lecture etiquette, it doesn’t get more simple than shutting off your phone.

Seriously, just don’t use it. Why are you even coming to class?

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A half-empty Tim Hortons drink left on a ledge in Place Riel.

Stop texting, snapping, chatting, selfie-ing or whatever else you’re doing. It’s incredibly disrespectful to your professors, your peers, and yourself.

Another problem that crops up around campus is simple cleanliness. Maybe you like a large tea from Tim Hortons every day. That’s great — good for you — but after you’ve finished with your large tea from Tim Hortons — or your Starbucks coffee or your Aquafina or your Monster energy drink — please throw the container

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18 / OPINIONS

in the proper receptacle.

You ate lunch at a library table? Good for you. Self-care is important, and it’s great you took time to eat while cramming, but please wipe up your spills and crumbs.

What about the restrooms on campus? You splashed water all over the counter in the bathroom or you peed on the toilet seat?

No worries, we’ve all been there — wipe it up. Also, if you come out of a stall and there is no toilet paper left or there’s a plumbing situation, warn the next in line.

And while we’re on the subject of bathroom etiquette, for the love of Beyonce, wash your hands!

Lastly, say you find yourself walking through the Arts Tunnel and your phone buzzes. Maybe you have won the lottery and need to reply immediately or you forfeit the prize or you just got the notification of your dreams.

Congratulations, but please move over. With your eyes glued to your phone, your pace has significantly stalled, leaving the rest of us to shuffle painstakingly behind you. Just like on the road, pull off to the side when you need to text or read.

These are just a few simple suggestions to help improve the university experience for you and your fellow students — or even make the world a better place.

Manners are contagious. Chances are, if you take the time to notice and be considerate of others, you will find that others may become more considerate of you.

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DISTRACTIONS

COASTING STUDENT TAKES #FACEBOOKDOWN APPROACH TO TERM PAPERS MURRAY LIBRARY — Taking inspiration from a network event that took many Facebook users off guard earlier this week, one student at the University of Saskatchewan is planning to defer due dates this term with a similar “out of order” response to inquiries.

Most users who experienced a Facebook outage on Nov. 20 reported seeing an error message stating, “Sorry, something went wrong. We’re working on it, and we’ll get it fixed as soon as we can,” when they attempted to open the site.

Carmen Martins — a sixth-year international stud-

ies student who says that DegreeWorks posits that she is, at present, 54 per cent complete her four-year bachelor’s degree — has employed a similar technique to deter nagging professors as the fall academic term continues toward finals at the U of S. “Look, I’ve just got a lot going on — there’s not enough time in a day to get things done,” Martins said. “I figured I could buy myself some time with this, because at this point, I’m running out of family members to bury.”

Martins says that her default response to emails from professors is nearly word-for-word the same as

#albumoftheweek:

Spell #6 By Part Time

Emily Migchels

Facebook’s error message. She says that the socialmedia network’s outage provided her with more than just a viable delay tactic — she found a deeper meaning that she says has altered her own values.

“It’s like, sometimes things just can’t happen, and you have to get on and deal with it — nothing in this life is a guarantee,” Martins said.

Martins’ professors declined to comment in the interest of maintaining student privacy, but there is little evidence in any of her current class syllabi to suggest that her strategy might be effective in ensuring a passing grade.

David Loca’s sixth official release under the Part Time moniker is a testament to the efficacy of a well-developed tone and perspective. Looping rhythms carry familiar dreamscape-type vocals paired with, and sometimes buried by, synth sounds, and the album maintains a very mellow vibe throughout.

A collaboration between Part Time and Ariel Pink titled “I Can Treat You Better,” teased as a single in August, stands out on Spell #6. The album seems to build momentum, getting weirder as it goes — “The Boys That Make Her Cry” almost sounds like Ziggy Stardust.

For a truly immersive experience, try listening to Spell #6 while watching the “Classic Stars” screensaver by Microsoft — it’s sure to inspire a nicely nostalgic, even trance-like, sense of calmness.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

David Lionel

DISTRACTIONS / 19

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BUILD YOUR OWN SANDWICH

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NOVEMBER 23

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