January 10, 2018

JANUARY 10, 2018

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

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Youth Music Showcase at Winterruption

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Worried about the far right?

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Get active outoors this winter

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NEWS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Nykole King

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

CULTURE EDITOR

Tanner Bayne

Cole Chretien

news@thesheaf.com

culture@thesheaf.com

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

Jack Thompson sportshealth@thesheaf.com

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NEWS

Hackathon aims to make solutions applicable to real-world problems The participants in the Hackathon have six hours to come up with solutions to agricultural problems.

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 | TBD web@thesheaf.com

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Two teammates develop their business ideas at the 2018 Emerging Agriculture Hackathon held at Co.Labs in Saskatoon.

OUTREACH DIRECTOR | J.C. Balicanta Narag outreach@thesheaf.com ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO

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Riley Deacon BOARD OF DIRECTORS Matthew Taylor Mikaila Ortynsky Kayle Neis Emily Klatt

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STAFF WRITER

Some experts devote their life’s work to solving issues in their fields, but participants in the 2019 Emerging Agriculture Hackathon at the University of Saskatchewan later this month will be challenged to solve issues in the agriculture sector in just six hours.

The fifth annual hackathon will be held in the Edwards School of Business on Jan. 18 and 19. The event will have groups create solutions to agricultural issues, and then, the participants will present to a panel of industry experts at the end of the second day.

The hackathon presents opportunities to learn through practicing skills, receiving feedback and networking as participants, speakers and volunteer mentors will be able to speak at the event.

Coral Willness, third-year psychology student and president of Emerging Agriculture, says participants in the hackathon do not have to be experts in any of the targeted fields of study. Students majoring in computer science, engineering, agriculture and commerce are all encouraged to sign up; simply just being interested in agricultural issues is enough to contribute.

“We can assure that, regardless of knowledge or

experience, everyone has something to contribute to a team, whether it be a strong work ethic, enthusiasm, a good attitude [or] communication skills,” Willness said.

“We do not expect our participants to have a lot of knowledge or experience in any of these areas, which is another reason why the mentors are of great help.”

The hackathon is also attended by mentors and a keynote speaker. This year, the speaker is entrepreneur Warren Bills, manager of business development at xarvio Digital Farming Solutions. Willness says mentors and speakers provide a necessary networking opportunity.

“We are very fortunate to have many influential people.

This year, I will be making an effort to introduce all of the mentors and industry people in the room,” Willness said.

“The keynote speech is an opportunity for those with little exposure to agriculture to get an idea [of ] current developments in the field. We are excited to have Warren join us.”

According to Willness, whether or not the solutions that come out of hackathons are applicable to real-life problems is frequently a topic of conversation. She points to participants’ limited understanding of the challenges that farmers face as one of the possible limitations of such an event. In an online article,

Willness points out that “a lot of the hackathon ideas haven’t been implemented in the agricultural industry.”

This year, farmers are invited to attend the event and pitch ideas for participants to work on. Willness says this will result in more applicable solutions.

“This year, we replaced the panel discussion with project pitches. We are trying to identify real issues in the industry that the participants can work on, with the hope that [their solutions] can actually be implemented in the industry,” Willness said. “We aspire to address agricultural issues and propose solutions that are feasible, applicable and can bring value to the AgTech industry.”

Previous Emerging Agriculture Hackathons have been consistent with around 15 to 20 participants involved. Willness says that they are always looking for more attendees, particularly those with an interest in agriculture.

“We are trying to have more students with agricultural knowledge participate as our participants have been largely from computer science,” Willness said. “AgTech is definitely a developing area, which has a lot of interest right now, so that is awesome. Each year, we are reaching more people and companies.”

NEWS

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Executive decisions: Checking in with the USSU about their platform promises The USSU executives examine their campaign platform points near the end of their term.

REBECCA TWEIDT

With the start of the winter semester, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union executive has

just under four months to complete their platform promises. So the Sheaf checked in with your student leaders

to see what progress they have made on their electoral platforms.

Rollin Baldhead, president Campaign promises: An assessment of the USSU, increased student engagement and providing a holistic approach to mental-health services.

On the USSU assessment: “I was planning to show more transparency, but what it turned into was engaging students more for USSU. I didn’t know that much about it, so I was kind of coming into it like, ‘Hey, we need to be more transparent.’ But then, I realized that we have a budget on the USSU page, and we have our events going on [the website].”

On student engagement: “I book an hour off every day to literally just walk around campus and talk to students. I’ve been reaching out to the Indigenous community as well as trying to get out to engineering.

I meet a lot of new people every day, and that is what I learned to really love about this job. It makes the office work a little more bearable.”

David Hartman Rollin Baldhead, FSIN youth representative, poses for a photograph in the Gordon Oaks Red Bear Student Centre on the U of S campus on Oct. 1, 2018.

On a holistic mental-health plan: “So my plan was to bring in an Elder to help with one of the many steps to the university’s plan, which is reconciliation and Indigenization, but also bring an Elder in to bring that other perspective of learning within that realm, which is mental health. I thought bringing in an Elder with storytelling, but also experience, maybe even guidance — this could all help with mental health.”

CAMECO

SPECTRUM 2019

JANUARY 10TH - 13TH

explore science & engineering Join us at the College of Engineering at the U of S to see displays, interactive exhibits, workshops, and speakers that explain and showcase scientific concepts and technological innovations. Families, students, and science-curious people of all ages are invited to learn and have fun at Cameco Spectrum 2019!

Hours January 10 -10:00a-6:00p January 11 - 9:00a-6:00p January 12 - 9:00a-6:00p January 13 - 9:00a-5:00p

Featuring: Kilobots Combat Robots Virtual Reality Mars Rovers, Satellites, and Racecars Saskatchewan Science Centre Nutrien Children’s Museum

Tickets Available at the Doors Adults: $10.00 Students: $5.00 Children 5 and Under: Free

For more information, please visit our website: spectrum.usask.ca NEWS / 3

NEWS

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Campaign promises: Increased student engagement, promoting campus scholarships and improving the student experience through more experiential-learning opportunities and open textbooks.

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A U of S student works online at the first floor Murray Library computers on Jan. 8, 2018

Sheldon Moellenbeck, vice-president academic affairs

On increased student engagement: “I organized Face-to-Face with different college buildings, so we would get to talk to all of the students that maybe aren’t as familiar with the USSU. We visited most of the colleges, but we have a few more this semester. It’s been really good because we have been able to go out to the different colleges and hear what they are talking about and what their concerns are.

“It was interesting because we went to buildings like the Vet Med Building, and even in engineering, the students were surprised to see us. They had never really seen the executive there before.”

On promoting scholarships: “In some ways, it’s been hard… I have been promoting Campaign promises: Training student groups, consultation with the city for the Bus Rapid Transit system and working through the USSU budget.

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Students wait for a Saskatoon Transit bus to begin service at the Place Riel bus loop on the U of S campus.

Brent Kobes, vice-president operations and finance

Tony Walker A U of S student takes garbage out of the Saskatchewan riverbank during the 2018 USSU River Clean Up.

Rose Wu, vice-president student affairs

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On student-group training: “I am currently doing some liability and governance training all throughout January… In the governance training, I basically built a document around Robert’s Rules of Order, which shows students how to conduct a proper meeting, how to take proper minutes, how to do some basic budgeting and also just how to prepare for your transitionary meetings.

“Alongside that, I am continuing the liability session that my predecessor had started… The liability session is just how to make sure students stay safe when you’re hosting events, how to get insurance and why you need to get insurance. It covers those things, and it tries to connect students to resources on campus — like [the] Bringing in the Bystander Training Workshop and other things — to try and increase student safety and reduce risk.”

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scholarships at Face-to-Face, and I’ve been talking with students. After I was elected, I met with the folks from [Student Finance and Awards] to hear about some of the issues they are working with.

“So I am working with them to make the scholarships better. There are constraints on doing the best that I can.

But that has been something that hasn’t exactly gone as well as I had thought before I came into this position.”

On bettering students’ academic experiences: “I talked before that I wanted access to more openeducational resources… One thing that I didn’t plan on before I ran [is that] I am really advocating for the university to create a guideline document that would mitigate some of the problems that arise from online homework systems.

“I’ve been talking with the provincial government…

I’ve met with both the [Minister of Advanced Education], Tina Beaudry-Mellor, as well as the Critic for Advanced Education, Carla Beck, because there’s the possibility to get some provincial legislation about that.”

On BRT-system talks: “I’ll be upfront with you: it seems that the BRT system — the implementation of it — has hit somewhat of a lag with the city, from where my perspective is, particularly with the Broadway business community.

“Additionally, in the transit portfolio, I’ve started working closer with the bus riders of Saskatoon to try to build some kind of connections there and have some more meetings with [Saskatoon Transit] to see where things were changing along. That’s kind of where the transit portfolio fits.”

On USSU finances: “Throughout the months of January and February, we will be looking at the budget and preparing for next year, and that will be obviously be presented to council and to the university — all of our members — to make sure that they are A-okay with it.

“Additionally, one of the things I’ve been really promoting to council and to our members by word-of-mouth, and at University Student Council, is that accountabilities happen each month, and students are encouraged to come out and see how the USSU is spending their money.”

Campaign promises: Improving student wellness, increasing community involvement with groups like the International Student and Study Abroad Centre and emphasizing sustainability.

with it, and they keep me in the loop. We have Global Village coming up in March, which I’m excited [about].

I did work in ISSAC last year, so I got the connections there and just continued open communication.”

On student wellness: “I think all the other departments and other schools are doing a good job at it. I’m always here as an advocate, but all my events that I have put on this year are just little bits and pieces of self-care and different crafts that are catered towards better wellness. It’s not like just one event.”

On sustainability: “River Clean Up was something I mentioned in my platform. That went really well in the beginning of September thanks to the Office of Sustainability and the Environment and Bioresources Students Association.

Hopefully, the next person in my position could continue on to make that a whole campus initiative.

“With biking, I realized once that there were already enough bike racks, but people just want to park them at the same place, so it seems like we don’t have enough.”

On partnering with groups like ISSAC: “I’m still involved with them. I always give them a poster when I have an event just so that they are in the loop

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NEWS

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U of S sticks to 2012 climate plan due to questions around federal carbon policy University greenhouse-gas emissions will likely exceed the federal carbon policy’s tax threshold.

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Steam rises from the U of S Central Heating and Cooling plant on Jan. 8, 2019.

TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR

Earlier this month, Saskatchewan became one of four provinces in Canada to have the federal carbonpricing plan implemented.

Although the implications of the policy are still not entirely understood, one thing is certain: the University of Saskatchewan will be impacted.

Similar to those in Manitoba, New Brunswick and Ontario, facilities in Saskatchewan that emit more than 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide must now use an output-based pricing system for emissions. According

to the 2016 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, the U of S carbon dioxide emissions for the 2015-2016 academic year were 162,900 metric tons of carbon dioxide, meaning that the U of S exceeds the threshold for the carbon tax.

At the time of this article’s publication, U of S Vice-President Finance and Resources Greg Fowler has not returned the Sheaf’s request for comment about how the U of S will be financially impacted by the carbon policy. However, Erin Akins, the sustainability initiatives co-ordinator for the Office of Sustainability, says there is still much to understand about the carbon policy.

“At this point, we are cur-

rently trying to understand what the implementation of the carbon policy will mean.

There’s a lot of details that still need to be clarified,” Akins said. “We aren’t 100 per cent sure what the implications for the university will be. It’s currently in the conversations that we are having with our leadership and our unit.”

Since 2012, the primary environmental policy for the U of S is the Climate Action Plan, which outlines the university’s goal to reduce greenhouse-­g as emissions by 20 per cent, from the emission levels in 2006-2007, by 2020. As of 2016, the university’s emissions decreased by 1.1 per cent, meaning that

the U of S would need to decrease its emissions by an additional 18.9 per cent in four years to meet its target.

Kevin Hudson is the energy and emissions officer at the U of S and the person overseeing the university’s CAP as well as the implementation of campus-wide initiatives that reduce the university’s greenhouse-gas emissions. He is currently working on the U of S emissions report, the last report being from 2016, and expects it to be completed sometime in May. Hudson acknowledges that the required reduction in emissions is a “big number” but that the U of S is still committed to the 57 initia-

tives outlined in the 2012 CAP. With one year left to ensure that the U of S reaches the targeted greenhouse-gas emissions and with the federal government’s carbon policy, Akins says that the CAP does require updates, but it is still useful.

“The Climate Action Plan is still a valid plan. There is need to update it as there are targets set for 2020, and we’re assuming to be there, and we need to re-evaluate and reset goals based on the new context that we are in,” Akins said. “For the time being, the Climate Action Plan is the university’s plan and guideline, but we are aware that it needs to be updated.”

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SPORTS&HEALTH

Recipe: Mini frittatas with spinach and red repper SARAH BAINS

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SPORTS&HEALTH

How to stay active in the Saskatoon winter From cross-country skiing to sledding and skating — the city offers many ways to exercise in the winter.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

Recipe from www.rachelcooks.com Yields: 12 Time: 32 minutes Ingredients 1 tsp. olive oil ½ red bell pepper, diced small (about ½ cup) ½ small yellow onion, diced small (about ½ cup) About 3 cups loosely packed spinach, roughly chopped 4 eggs 4 egg whites ¼ cup skim milk ⅔ cup sharp cheddar cheese Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or spray a tin for 12 muffins. In a medium frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, throw in the peppers and onions and sauté until softened, stirring occasionally — this should take about five minutes.

Add the spinach, and stir gently until wilted. Remove the frying pan from the heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, skim milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into a prepared muffin tin, making sure that each one is about half to two-thirds full.

Evenly distribute the sautéed vegetables among the 12 cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Before removing and serving, leave the muffins in the tin for about 5 minutes.

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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Spending time outdoors can seem counterintuitive during the cold months, but there are activities that are only available at this time of the year — why not give them a try? Here are some recommendations for cost-effective activities to get you outside this winter.

Cross-country skiing is not only great exercise but also an excellent way to see parts of the city you may miss out on during the winter. In order to get started, you’ll need to get some equipment. If you are new to these activities, you probably don’t want to invest in equipment right away — you are in the market for rentals.

Eb’s Source for Adventure is a local outdoor-sports store that is recognized for its helpful staff and its place in the community — it claims to be a place where “people meet to talk trails and conditions, waxes or hull shapes.” You can rent cross-country skis and snowshoes at Eb’s for $15 each per day. The service is available whenever there is good snow coverage.

Next up is finding a trail to hit. There are a variety of trails in the city to choose from, such as the Kinsmen Park trails and the Wildwood trails, for example, as well as some options within driving distance — like Eb’s Trails and Blackstrap.

Whether you choose to stay in the city or not, you should look for well-kept trails. The website saskatoonnordicski.ca is useful for this purpose — in it, you can find a list of some nearby trails with frequent updates about their grooming status and whether or not they have new snow.

Another option for winter fun is going sledding. Plastic sleds can be pretty cheap — you can buy one for the season and start looking for hills.

Similar to the ski trails, you can easily find hill recommendations catered to your specific needs online.

For starters, you should hit

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

up Diefenbaker Park and Victoria Park if you want to stay in the city. Harold Tatler Park is also a good option — especially if you are sledding with children — as it has plenty of manageable hills. The Blackstrap hill is about 30 to 40 minutes outside the city, but you can make the trip worth the ride by also checking out the Blackstrap Provincial Park — which offers a variety of outdoor activities including off-season camping.

Something exciting to look forward to is Optimism Hill a new winter-recreation park in Diefenbaker Park. The site will allow for tubing, tobogganing, downhill skiing and snowboarding — a one-stop shop for all your winter-activity needs. Optimism Hill is slated to open this January.

For those looking for an option that doesn’t require venturing out into the elements for long periods of time, ice skating might be for you. A major part of Canadian culture, skating can get you in on the winter fun with options for both indoor and outdoor rinks in Saskatoon.

For a small fee, the newly opened Merlis Belsher Place offers drop-in skating, shinny, and stick-and-puck times. This is a year-round exercise opportunity, but you can ride your winter inspiration into trying it out if you haven’t already. The Physical Activity Complex will

rent out skates for free with your student ID, and both the Rink in the Bowl and Merlis Belsher are conveniently close by on foot, making this the perfect simple and low-cost option to get you into winter exercise.

When you are ready to take your skating outdoors, check out the City of Saskatoon website to find an interactive map of the city’s many skating rinks.

The map not only outlines the locations of the city’s many public ice surfaces but also includes details on the amenities they hosts as well as rules on things like hockey sticks and pucks.

To combine two outdoor activities into one longer outing, walk along the Meewasin Trail and follow it downtown to the Cameco Meewasin Skating Rink at Nutrien Plaza. The rink usually opens in late December, depending on the weather, and while donations are appreciated, they welcome skaters free of charge, including equipment rentals.

Though it may be tempting to stay inside and away from the cold until spring rolls around, we live in a city of long and strong winters — shouldn’t we make the most of it? Saskatoon is well equipped with outdoor-sports opportunities if you take the time to explore the city. Give it a try, and see if you can make some of these activities part of your health routine this term.

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SPORTS&HEALTH

Huskies basketball: Mid-season brief The Huskies basketball teams waste no time in establishing a footing for their mid-season conferences.

JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Huskies basketball is well into the season, and as such, we can get a look at their performance. The women’s team is successful as always, and while by contrast, the men’s team isn’t performing as well, they have their own successes of which to be proud.

The women’s team has not lost a game since November, and since then, they have not allowed their opponents more than 60 points in a game in their currently eight-game-long winning streak. In fact, the team has only lost twice in their season and has a record of 12-2.

The stellar record of the women’s Huskies team has them sitting atop Canada West just above their closest competition, the University of Calgary Dinos, who are one game behind with their record of 11-3. While the season is still young enough that no team has clinched a playoff spot just yet, the Huskies are well on their way.

A chance in the playoffs for the women’s Huskies could give them the opportunity for redemption after dropping the U Sports final to the Carleton University

Ravens last year. But as playoffs don’t begin until next month and a champion won’t be crowned until March, the Huskies will have a long road ahead of them before reaching success.

Looking at the men’s team, however, is a different story.

Struggling a bit more with their season in comparison to their counterparts, the men’s team sits at a 50 per cent, or 7-7, record. On a losing streak three games long, the team is looking to gain some steam for the remainder of their season in order to catch up to their competition in Canada West.

Men’s basketball in Canada West is currently being dominated by the U of C Dinos and their undefeated 14-0 record — which has allowed them to clinch a playoff spot earlier in the season than any of their competition.

The Huskies, on the other hand, are currently placed eighth in the Canada West standings.

Last season saw its end for the men’s team with a loss in the quarter finals to the Dinos — who went on from defeating the Huskies to win the national title last year. In a conference full of competition of similar calibre and with the Dinos themselves likely hungry for another

Heywood Yu U of S Huskies guard Sabine Dukate dribbles the basketball as Huskies forward Kyla Shand sets up a screen during the third quarter of the U Sports Canada West action at the Physical Activity Complex in Saskatoon on Nov. 3, 2018.

national title, the Huskies are going to have a rough road ahead of them while attempting to pull up their record.

The men’s first chance to break their losing streak will come on Jan. 18 against the Mount Royal University Cougars — a team sitting two slots below the Huskies at tenth with a record of 6-8. That same weekend, the women will be looking to continue their winning streak against the sixteenth-ranked Cougars — who have an inverse record to the Huskies at 2-12.

Heywood Yu U of S guard Noah Nickel dribbles the basketball during the first quarter of the U Sports Canada West action at the Physical Activity Complex in Saskatoon on Nov. 3, 2018.

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FEATURE

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TROUBLING TIMES:

The rise of far-right movements Hatred is unmasked once again, but will we turn a blind eye this time?

AQSA HUSSAIN

I

f you avoid global politics — or news in general — you may be unaware of the global farright movement happening right now. Far-right ideas of fascism and populism are louder than ever in a world revolutionized by technology and communication.

Although far-right movements are thought to be of the past, the newly-elected Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized by journalist Travis Waldron as being a fascist. Bolsonaro supports dictatorships and calls for the killing of his political opponents and the cleansing of leftists from the country. In addition, he often refers to immigrants as “scum,” is openly racist against Afro-Brazilian communities and is a self-declared homophobe.

From Brazil to Europe, there is presently an upswing of far-right sentiments across the world. On top of that, far-right political parties are gaining support and seats in many parliaments, especially in Europe.

A 2017 investigative article by Andre Tartar, pub-

J.C. BALICANTA NARAG OUTREACH DIRECTOR

lished in Bloomberg, found that there were commonalities shared among the 39 populist and far-right political parties in Europe that gained access to parliamentary seats. The parties tended to share a similar stance for stronger immigration control and anti-European Union views.

Fascism originated with Benito Mussolini and was adopted by far-right dictators like Adolf Hitler. Fascism is a political ideology that includes not only a dictatorship but also nationalist authoritarian goals to strengthen a nation culturally, economically and militarily.

Neo-fascism is an updated version of the original ideology that is usually composed of an opposition to liberal democracy and a focus on the concerns of the ordinary people instead of the elite — known as populism. Additionally, it often includes protecting the interests of native-born citizens, or those who consider themselves to be established citizens, against immigrants.

It is also important to note that hateful rhetoric and hate crimes can be generated by anyone. If we do not call out fascist and populist ideas for what they are, we risk normalizing such nefarious behaviour.

8 / FEATURE

The movement of people across borders and the ongoing refugee crises have spread millions of refugees across the world. Anti-immigrant supporters view immigrants as an economic threat and a risk to their perceived cohesive national identity.

Geertje Lucassen and Marcel Lubbers conducted a study on the topic of whether or not European right-wing political beliefs are influenced by perceived economic or cultural threats. The study found that prejudice towards immigrants is a significant predictor of far-right support.

Greece’s far-right party, Golden Dawn, creating threats of the other, specifically immigrants, creating a sense of victimhood for ultranationalists. This victimhood is disseminated through the party and used to justify hate crimes as they are fueled by the idea of vigilante justice to protect the Greek identity — a major component of fascism.

While Golden Dawn is without a doubt a farright party with neo-fascist ideas, it can be difficult and complex to identify a person or an organization as fascist. It is also important to note that hateful rhetoric and hate crimes can be generated by anyone. If we do not call out fascist and populist ideas for what they are, we risk normalizing such nefarious behaviour.

Author Jason Stanley, a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Yale University, discusses this idea in his book titled How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them.

“What normalization does is transform the morally extraordinary into the ordinary. It makes us able to tolerate what was once intolerable by making it seem as if this is the way things have always been,” Stanley writes.

The events in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulting in racial division born from hate and violence is still an ongoing movement today. The Unite the Right

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In order to prevent the cultivation of these dangerous ideologies, we need to take a step towards working together to bring awareness to the insidious ideas taking shape.

These ideologies have often resulted in hate and violence — we must condemn such actions and do what we can to avoid these same conclusions. rally that occurred on Aug. 11 and 12, 2017, shows characteristics of ultranationalism and neo-nazism.

Taunts and chants were heard throughout Charlottesville as rally-goers and counter-protesters clashed around Emancipation Park. The far-right white supremacists yelled, “Our blood, our soil!” and “White lives matter!” in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.

This nationalist movement, started by a group composed largely of young white males at the University of Virginia, is evidence of the damage that far-right ideas can inflict.

The Unite the Right-rally legacy continues on, and an attempt for a follow-up movement was made on Aug. 12, 2018 — one year after the first rally.

Around two dozen white nationalists participated in the “Unite the Right 2” rally, but they were greatly outnumbered by counter-protesters.

A more recent example of a movement displaying neo-fascist ideas is the Canadian Yellow Vest movement. The movement was inspired by France’s Yellow Vest movement, which began as a protest against fuel tax and then morphed into a movement opposing the current president, Emmanuel Macron.

The main issue of the Canadian Yellow Vest movement is fighting against the national carbon tax, but Canada’s adoption of the United Nations agenda regarding global migrations is a topic of conversation as well.

People across Western Canada continue to rally, doning yellow vests and holding signs, including one with the slogan “Trudeau’s new Canada” and the symbol of Islam in the middle of a Canadian flag.

Signs like these display anti-immigration ideas by focusing on the problematic message that increased immigration equals increased terrorism, which propagates a far-right populist ideology.

These movements are not truly deserving of the fascism label, but they do share and promote anti-­ immigration and ultranationalistic ideas, which are ideologies seen in neo-fascism. It is a concerningly similar outcry to that of a world on the brink of war — as seen in Europe before World War II. After World War I, the German population was unhappy with Germany’s weakened economy due to reparation payments, giving the Nazi Party the opportunity to gain a following and spark World War II. The rise of far-right political beliefs is rooted, to an extent, in economic dissatisfaction and the growing refugee crises resonating with those around the world today.

Greece and Brazil’s unstable economic state, the rise of far-right political parties and the refugee crisis in Europe are contributing factors in the rise of neo-fascist ideologies as more people turn towards sentiments of anti-immigration and establishing sovereignty for solutions to their current dilemmas.

FEATURE We are witnessing the beginning stages of repeating history. So what can we do as University of Saskatchewan students to prevent another world war?

We belong to an institution responsible for higher education, which can be offered as an alternative solution to the rising far-right movements. By educating yourself about polarizing issues, you are thinking critically about these ideas and combating misinformation and fear by taking a stance on these issues.

In order to prevent the cultivation of these dangerous ideologies, we need to take a step towards working together to bring awareness to the insidious ideas taking shape. These ideologies have often resulted in hate and violence — we must condemn such actions and do what we can to avoid these same conclusions.

Awareness is important to combating these extremist ideas. We are heading towards a dangerous future if these problematic far-right ideologies continue to spread. The limitless connections that we have with people around the world through the internet and social media contribute to the spread of these movements.

For the sake of humanity, let’s work together in educating ourselves of these dangers.

This nationalist movement, started by a group composed largely of young white males at the University of Virginia, is evidence of the damage that far-right ideas can inflict.

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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Take Something and Run talks Broadway Theatre collaboration ahead of January showcase

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The all-ages music organization has grown in the last year and will be holding a Winterruption Showcase at the end of the month.

COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

Local non-profit Take Something and Run is continuing to provide all-ages venues for young musicians and artists by hosting a January showcase as part of the Broadway Theatre’s Winterruption event series.

Andrew MagwoodDufour, a second-year student in the College of Arts and Science, and Adam Swalm, a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degree, both currently sit on the board of di-

rectors for Take Something and Run. They both sat down to talk to the Sheaf about their upcoming showcase.

Magwood-Dufour is the financial director of TSAR, and Swalm serves a more general role in the organization that Magwood-Dufour calls “the Swiss Army Knife director.”

Over the last year, the organization has expanded in a few ways, most notably by becoming incorporated as its own entity, which can apply for funding independently.

“We’ve had more time to set ourselves up as a real grown-up organization rather than the little grassroots

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A band from Manitoba called The 204 performs at a Take Something and Run show at The Underground Café in Saskatoon.

thing we started out as. Now, we’re going to be applying as an independent organization for grant funding rather than as a sort of specialized wing of CFCR,” Magwood-Dufour said.

IV Polish Film Festival 2019 Sponsored by Consulate of the Republic of Poland Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Polish Canadian Scientific Society of Saskatoon

Loving Vincent January 29 Broadway Theatre 7pm Tickets: Broadway Theatre Box Office McNally Robinson 10 / CULTURE

Breaking the Limits January 30

Magwood-Dufour also identifies expanding connections within the community as a source of growth for the organization.

“For two years now, we’ve been running collaborations with Nightshirt Festival. In the last year, we’ve opened up some more doors. We’ve been running some shows with the Broadway Theatre just out of [the] desire to have a bigger venue where we put more artists on stage.

That began a relationship that resulted in at least one more show,” MagwoodDufour said.

After previous collaborations with the Broadway Theatre, TSAR was invited back as part of Winterruption.

“I think it was kind of a mutually beneficial thing because they were looking for something all-ages to do during Winterruption, and they knew we could organize that with them,” Swalm said.

The showcase will include musical acts like Suns to the Sky and Between Bridges. They are also including spoken-word artists Lauren Klassen and Peace Akintade, who are performing with TSAR for the first time.

“Because the spoken-word community already exists in Saskatoon and there’s already people who have a bit of a directory, what we’ve been doing is getting in touch with people who know more than we do and trying to get some names sent to us,” Magwood-Dufour said.

For TSAR, festivals like

Winterruption will play a bigger part in the organization’s work in the future.

The group hopes to provide a path for younger artists to play larger venues in the city.

“I think the big difference-maker between our operations now and our early operations was it was about just us running a stage once a month, and now, it’s more about building a bridge between young artists in Saskatoon and the more publicized stages — not just our own but other festivals and events that we can integrate into,” Magwood-Dufour said.

Both Swalm and Magwood-Dufour express an openness towards collaborating with performers regardless of experience, and they encourage potential applicants for the Board of Directors to submit applications.

“We’re more than happy to get people helping out, and we’re more than happy when people want to play,” Swalm said. “People sometimes think, ‘I’m not good enough to play,’ but we seek out people. Sometimes, we have trouble finding people to play, so it’s awesome when people approach us,” Swalm said.

Take Something and Run can be found on facebook at @TSARSask, and performers can reach them at takesomethingandrun@gmail.com.

The TSAR Winterruption Showcase will be on Jan. 25 at the Refinery, with tickets available through the Broadway Theatre.

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CULTURE

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is a dumb idea executed flawlessly Who knew choosing between breakfast cereals could be so compelling?

COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

I don’t normally do the “I was into X thing before it was cool” cliché, but I was definitely into Black Mirror before it was cool. I first watched the show in 2012, years before Netflix provided an official North American release, and it absolutely blew my mind.

There was nothing else like it at the time, with its Twilight Zone-influenced anthology structure and near-future technological horror stories, and I loved it. It was dark, daring and had a distinct feel from other contemporary shows from both sides of the Atlantic.

Today, Black Mirror is a really easy show to make fun of.

It’s easy to imagine the writers of the show throwing darts at a board full of technological and dystopian buzzwords and assembling “we live in a society” plotlines from mismatched elements.

Black Mirror is never bad in the moment — it’s too slick and well crafted to be — but upon retrospection, most of the tossed-off episodes become silly and pretentious.

Despite this, the show still has the power to shock, surprise and entertain in its later seasons.

The subversive and compelling “San Junipero” episode immediately comes to mind, as does the horrifying but humorous “USS Calister.”

The interactive short Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is another one of those moments where the show transcends what it formerly could be. For better or worse, it’s the most Black Mirror episode of Black Mirror that has ever black mirrored.

Bandersnatch follows the story of a programmer named Stefan attempting to adapt a mysterious chooseyour-own-adventure book into an ’80s computer game.

The twist this time is that, as the viewer, you have control over all of Stefan’s choices — effectively turning this into a meta-narrative commentary on games, choice and freedom.

In the moment, this is thrilling — it’s a new kind of experience for streaming entertainment, something that’s a bit too thin to be a game and too strange to be classified as a film. The storytelling is propulsive, and there are tons of compounding twists to the point that it almost becomes absurd. However, the degree of choice — perhaps on purpose — is pretty superfluous.

Most of the endings result in nearly identical outcomes, and in classic Black Mirror fashion, the “good” ending is pretty dour. Some of the choices don’t matter at all or only cause minor aesthetic changes to the overall experience, but this didn’t stop the group I was watching Bandersnatch with from going through it twice to find everything.

The best element of Bandersnatch is its use of looping timelines and its inclusion of a single character — the superstar punk programmer Colin Ritman — who doesn’t play by the rules of space and time and is fully aware of the viewer’s, or perhaps the player’s, influence on his world.

Despite how much I enjoyed Bandersnatch — or at least how much I enjoyed it before I applied a literal second’s worth of critical reasoning to it — it’s undeniably a one-trick pony. This isn’t the future of entertainment, and I really hope the people making this stuff realize that.

The thought of an interactive BoJack Horseman experience in a similar style — one that makes you feel as if you are the funny horse who is also a man with crippling depression — has been keeping me up at night. That’s a more frightening dystopian technological vision than anything in any episode of Black Mirror.

For what Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is, it’s a really cool diversion that’s worth your attention. It manages to capture a lot of what made the show so appealing to me in the first place, and I really don’t think it’s the last time this incredible, inventive, stupid show is going to make my jaw drop.

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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EVENTS T H U R S

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A 2019 bucket list Need help picking a New Year’s resolution? We have you covered.

MEET THE U OF S BLOOD CLUB @ INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND STUDY ABROAD CENTRE, 5:00 P.M.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES MARTHE COHN BOOK TOUR @ TCU PLACE, 7:00 P.M.

OPEN MIC NIGHT @ FIONN MACCOOL’S, 8:00 P.M.

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

F R I

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BRODIE MONIKER, SUNCLIFFS, AND BICYCLE DAZE @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

CROOKED CREEK WITH THE DIRTY SHEETS PRESENTED BY NESS CREEK @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M.

MEGAN NASH @ THE BASSMENT, 9:00 P.M.

WISH UPON A STAR @ DIVAS NIGHTCLUB, 9:00 P.M.

S A T

12

PADDINGTON 2 FREE SCREENING @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 10:00 A.M.

LUGO DEEP PRESENTED BY NUTRIEN @ REMAI MODERN, 8:00 P.M.

HYV WITH SONNET AND FRIENDS BAND @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

DIRTY & THE PERKS WITH THE CLARA LESSA BAND AND THE MATT REMENDA ENSEMBLE @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

S U N

13

SCOTIABANK SOMETHING ON SUNDAYS @ REMAI MODERN, 1:00 P.M.

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

KARAOKE NIGHT @ FLINT SALOON, 9:00 P.M. OPEN MIC @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

M O N

14 T U E S

15

BREAKING BAD HABITS: NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION EDITION @ MARQUIS 104, 11:00 A.M.

GAMES NIGHT @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

OPEN HOUSE FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS @ 7SHIFTS, 5:00 P.M.

STOP MOTION ANIMATION WORKSHOP @ REMAI MODERN, 7:00 P.M.

100% TUESDAYS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:00 P.M.

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

W E D

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SOCIAL AMPLIFICATION WORKSHOP @ KW NASSER CENTRE, 8:30 A.M.

FEMME SOUND SERIES PT. 2: SOUND TOOLS WITH JILL MACK @ PAVED ARTS, 7:00 P.M.

MADELEINE ROGER @ THE BASSMENT, 8:00 P.M.

JAN. 9FEB. 7

EMPTY SPACES THROUGH MY EYES

JAN. 10-13

SPECTRUM 2019

JAN. 10-20

MONDAY NIGHT

JAN. 7-12

EMMA ASHWORTH

@ SASKATOON PUBLIC LIBRARY

@ U OF S ENGINEERING BUILDING

@ THE REFINERY

GAMES DONE QUICK @ MANA BAR

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By now, you may have made some New Year’s resolutions — and you’ve probably already broken a few — but setting and reaching your 2019 goals doesn’t have to feel like an impossible chore.

The following listicle suggests 19 different bucket-list ideas for you to check off this year. Feel free to create some of your own, and make 2019 your best year yet. Apart from this list, you may wish to set any long-term goal that will take you one year to achieve.

1. Write a list of people

5. Buy a reusable water

bottle. There are billions of pounds of plastic being dumped into the ocean each year — don’t be part of the problem.

6. Organize your junk draw-

er… Then your room. Then your life. You don’t realize how much clutter can weigh you down until you remove it.

7. Delete your Instagram ac-

count for 30 days. If you’re addicted to your phone, this can really help. Even if you’re not, taking a break from social media can give you a different perspective on life.

whom you love and respect.

Only surround yourself with positive people who add value to your life in 2019.

8. Go to one office hour

2. Ask everyone you know

9. Buy a 0.05 mm pencil — a

what their favorite song is and create a playlist of them.

This is a really cool project to work on over the year, and you might be surprised by the songs that your friends recommend to you.

3. Create a morning and

nighttime skincare routine.

Your skin will thank you.

4. Go through your clothes,

and donate the ones that you don’t wear. Maybe take a peak around the thrift store while you’re there.

for each of your professors.

Immerse yourself in your classes, and reap the benefits. sharp pencil means a sharp mind.

10. Smoke a blunt with your friends. Oh, Canada!

11. Try one new cocktail every month. Live a little!

Maybe, you’ll find a new favourite.

12. Drive outside of the city,

and watch the stars. While you’re in the stirs of the new year, it can be easy to forget how insignificant everything really is.

13. Tell someone your favorite memory. Challenge yourself to think of the best one.

14. Make a schedule, and stick to it. This is literally the best thing that you can do for yourself in 2019.

15. Speak publicly in front

of a crowd of 10 people or more. Statistics suggest people are more afraid of public speaking than death — death!

Get over this fear by forcing yourself to do it.

16. Learn a party trick.

Watching a card trick while sober is mediocre at best, but performing a card trick for your drunken peers instantly puts you at David Blaine level.

17. Try one food that you’ve

never had before. Step out of your comfort zone this year — one of the foods that you have been avoiding might be your new favourite.

18. Wake up early and watch

the sun rise. Take advantage of the beautiful Saskatchewan sky this year. Go to bed early once so that you can wake up before the rest of the world does.

19. Purchase a new workout

outfit, and use it. New gym attire is the root of all newfound gym motivation.

OPINIONS

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OPINIONS

It may not be wise to leave booze behind at the start of the new year Is January really the best month to stop drinking as a university student?

CAMERON DUFORT

Drinking is one of humanity’s mightiest vices, and yet, one can argue that it may be an asset. While heavy consumption can be a problem, good old moderation allows you to enjoy a beverage with friends or unwind from a long day.

While Dry January is an interesting concept, personally, I am not a fan of starting the new year sober. January is a time of new beginnings, not a bitter end.

I find drinking to be a huge part of my university experience. Going out for a beer and

some wings with my friends is a social outing — an optimal release of stress. In my experience, drinking is a large piece of the social puzzle.

And while going out and getting blackout drunk in January isn’t something that I’d call a wise decision, this is one of the best months to let loose.

Why not ease into the new semester by getting some of your university drinking out of the way?

We’re all starting new classes, and in my case, the first two weeks are usually the easiest, so if I am going to dampen my learning with booze, now is the time.

This isn’t to say that quitting drinking is a bad choice — it’s definitely a good call for anyone’s health — but the idea of quitting drinking solely for the month of January seems pointless. Quitting at the end of December only to resume in February seems like an inane act. To quit drinking overall can definitely bring about health benefits. However, to quit for only one month is just a series of lost opportunities.

January is the fresh start to a brand new year, and drinking with friends is a perfect opportunity to create new stories and release pent-up stress, be-

Pity is so passé, choose empathy today Repositioning you, me and we in building compassion-centred relationships.

ASHLYNN WEISBERG

You’ve probably heard the statement “I feel so bad for them” thrown into a conversation at least once in your life, or perhaps, you’ve even said these words yourself. Either way, I think we can agree that pity is passé.

How many times have you watched a movie or TV show in which a character angrily declares, “I don’t need your pity!” Now, think about how many times you have felt like screaming the exact same statement yourself. It appears that the majority of us despise the feeling of being pitied — yet, we continue to dish out our pity on others.

This strange dichotomy that we’ve created is due to the fact that the definitions of compassion, sympathy and empathy often are muddled and homogenized with one another.

Pity, however, often falls specifically under the category of sympathy.

To be perfectly clichéd, the dictionary defines pity as “the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others,” which sounds fairly peachy in and of itself. However, the concept of pity has evolved far beyond this definition within Canadian contexts.

The reason we don’t want to

Mỹ Anh Phan

be pitied is because the term is directly interwoven with power. Pity often evokes a saviour-burden binary in which a dazzling white knight supposedly swoops in to save you from yourself.

Pity does not operate on the basis of mutual respect but instead functions on a hierarchical scale with the baseline being “I’m better off than you, and therefore, I know what’s best. Now, let me fix it for you.”

In its most basic form, pity puts the self first rather than lifting those around us. Pity does not require active listening but rather entails a passive substitution in which some

one acts in accordance with what they think and feel to be an appropriate act of assistance.

For example, imagine having mentioned to a friend that you are struggling financially.

With the combined workload of school, multiple jobs and all the chaos of life, you haven’t been able to eat a proper meal in weeks. Your friend decides to take it upon themselves to make you a healthy, homecooked dinner.

They arrive at your house, hearty chicken casserole in hand, but you regretfully notify them that you don’t eat meat.

Your friend swoops in with an

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Two participants of the annual Mock Wedding event celebrate after being fake married at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon.

cause let’s face it, the holidays are stressful.

As students, we have all sorts of events in January that are focused around drinking, making the idea of a dry January even more irrational in my eyes. Mock Wedding is one of the largest events offered to students each year. This is our month to truly blow off steam, so why would I quit drinking in January?

I’d rather take April off to focus on my winter-term finals.

As a significant month for determining my final grade, this is when drinking truly belongs on the back burner or out of your life completely.

April even sounds better!

You can play with alliteration for different titles — like Alcohol Abstinence April or Alcoholess April, not to mention the acronyms being AA. Ultimately, January is just a poor month to lay off the sauce compared to all other opportunities.

aggressive “well, I made it for you, so you should be grateful.”

You are left feeling like you are at fault for the mix-up.

Empathy, unlike pity, asks whether or not you want meat in your casserole.

While empathy is commonly defined as the ability to feel what another is feeling, I argue that empathy is actually the ability to understand that you will never have the ability to feel exactly what another is feeling — and accepting this truth.

Let’s face it — we’re never going to be able to zap into another person’s mind and fully comprehend their thoughts and feelings, so realistically, pretending that we know what others think and feel actually serves as a hindrance to our relationships.

Empathy is rooted in the belief that people are telling the truth in their recounts of their own experiences. Empathy is not bulldozing over tough conversations with seemingly relatable stories, but instead, it is the ability and desire to listen and listen well. Empathy substitutes the age-old adage to “treat others how you want to be treated” with “treat others how they want to be treated.”

Within the mutuality of empathy, there is no saviourburden binary, just respect.

While pity acts first and listens later, empathy first listens and then responds accordingly. Pity assumes a singular claim to the human condition whereas empathy evens the

playing field. Respect overpowers hierarchy, and therefore, empathy outweighs pity.

While semantics can be tricky, treating humans as humans shouldn’t be.

COMING EVENTS follow us

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tammie Leonard Launching

Note To Self...

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Thursday, January 10, 7 pm

•••

Live Music in Prairie ink Friday & Saturday Nights, 8-10 pm

Friday, january 11

RoRy Lynch TRio Saturday, january 12

The nobLes

Friday, january 18

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Celebrating science: Why outreach events like Spectrum are important This College of Engineering event is one of many that bring science to the public.

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

Every year, you can find a multitude of outreach events that promote science and technology to Saskatoon’s populace. The University of Saskatchewan is often the epicentre of these celebrations — like the popular Science Rendezvous, hosted by Let’s Talk Science and held on campus each May. The College of Engineering

has a long history of hosting its own science, technology, engineering and mathematics celebration called Spectrum. Spectrum is a triennial student-run initiative that was first held 89 years ago as a way for engineering students to showcase their work.

Originally known as the U of S Engineering Show, it was renamed in 1973 to entice public engagement.

Evolving from a niche event to a full-blown STEM celebration, Spectrum offers student

cfcr

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displays, guest speakers and special exhibitions for all ages.

This year, the theme is exploration of science and engineering — a simple theme that is of huge importance.

“We did it a bit different this year,” Spectrum coordinator Gillian Leach said.

“We thought [past themes] kind of made it inaccessible, so instead, we’ve gone with the tagline ‘explore science and engineering.’ I think that is really indicative of what it actually is.”

Leach describes the exciting events, including a Canadian Space Agency surprise — with a live link to the International Space Station — and a panel of women in STEM that is part of the speaker series, which runs Saturday, Jan. 12 and Sunday, Jan. 13.

“People are exposed to [science] in a comfortable way, not something [where] people are talking above them with technical jargon but in a way like Spectrum, where we are inviting the community to come in and learn,” Leach said.

Spectrum 2019 / Supplied Versions of U of S Huskies Formula Racing vehicles are on display at a past Spectrum event.

Leach is hopeful this environment gets people to appreciate science and says that, if she would have had access to events like Spectrum from a young age, she would have known sooner that engineering was the right path for her — an experience she thinks is quite common for many.

We need scienceengagement initiatives like Spectrum now more than ever. A message from the president of the Council of Canadian Academics in 2018 discussed Canadians’ understanding of science. Looking at a survey of attitudes among Canadians, they found that 93 per cent of the population were interested in learning about science.

Tickets $ 30 Available At: CFCR HQ (267 3rd Ave S) 306-664-6678 | www.CFCR.ca

BOARD OF DIRECTORS J OI N T H E S H E A F

2 P OS I T I ONS A V A I L A B L E

H E L P MA K E A ND MA NA GE F I NA NC I A L A ND L E GA L D E C I S I ONS F OR Y OU R S T U D E NT NE WS P A P E R F OR MOR E D E T A I L S OR T O E X P R E S S I NT E R E S T , E MA I L A D S @T H E S H E A F . C OM

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A similar sentiment was echoed in a 2017 survey conducted by the Ontario Science Centre, which noted that 82 per cent of participants expressed wanting to “know more about science and how it affects our world.”

However, the 2018 report from OSC noted that public attitudes towards controversial topics remain strong. Of those polled, 53 per cent believed that genetically modified organisms are health hazards, while 19 per cent still believed there to be a link between autism and vaccinations — a belief that is concerningly high among millennials, with a whopping 27 per cent of this population in agreeance.

The 2018 message from the CCA was cautious — while it did take note that we are less apprehensive about science compared to other countries, it also highlighted where we are lacking.

Perhaps the most troubling statistic is that, even though we held the top spot for science literacy, only 42 per cent of Canadians have the basic level of science knowledge needed to understand the STEM stories that circulate the media.

Science outreach events attract the enthusiastic and the curious. With dozens of educational demonstrations and exhibits geared towards the general public, it is hopeful that those in attendance will take away knowledge needed for navigating science in everyday life.

“Through outreach like this and going to science events, you can find out that science plays a big part in your life in ways that you don’t realize, and it’s fun and exciting,” Leach said. “You don’t have to be a scientist to attend these events. You just have to be curious about the world.”

The College of Engineering will host Spectrum 2019 from Jan. 10 to 13.

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DISTRACTIONS LAST WEEK’S CROSSWORD KEY

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

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Riley Deacon / Photo Editor

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Know Your Rights (and Responsibilities)

Week 2019 January 14 to 18

ussu.ca/events for info

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