February 7, 2019

FEBRUARY 07, 2019

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YOUR UNI VE R S I T Y O F SAS K ATC H E WA N ST UDE NT NE WS PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 1 2

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

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Dan Mangan talks new album, More or Less

Tasteless TV for your PAC workout

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Making shoegaze on shoestring budget

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No plans for student fee opt-out, says Sask. gov.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Nykole King

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

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Trash talk: Waste audit finds 60 per cent of campus waste can be diverted from landfill Styrofoam, which is only available in Lower Place Riel, was found in great amounts.

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 | Mitchell Gaertner web@thesheaf.com U of S Office of Sustainability / Supplied

OUTREACH DIRECTOR | J.C. Balicanta Narag outreach@thesheaf.com AD & BUSINESS MANAGER | Shantelle Hrytsak ads@thesheaf.com COVER IMAGE

Jaymie Stachyruk BOARD OF DIRECTORS Matthew Taylor Mikaila Ortynsky Kayle Neis Emily Klatt Jacob Lang

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

There were no errors brought to our attention in our last issue.

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

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WARDAH ANWAR

Members of the Office of Sustainability and volunteers took to key buildings on the University of Saskatchewan campus in late January for their pick of the litter, literally. For one organizer of the waste audit, the findings were a load of rubbish.

From Jan. 25 to 29, a team of nearly 20 people were tasked with analyzing the waste bins of six buildings on campus to determine their garbage trends. The audit looked into the garbage produced in Place Riel, Murray Library, Louis’ Pub, the Geology Building, the Education Building and the Agriculture Building, separating the garbage into three streams: landfill, organics and recycling.

The team concluded that about 60 per cent of the waste produced by these buildings was organic material that did not need to be placed in bins intended for the landfill. Of the remaining 40 per cent of waste collected, 13 per cent was recyclable material that should have been recycled and around 28 per cent was actual landfill material.

Out of all the buildings examined, the waste audit found that Place Riel produces the most waste. Matt Wolsfeld, community engagement co-ordinator for the

Office of Sustainability and coorganizer of the waste audit, chalks this up to the Place Riel food court, a trend that is also seen in Marquis Hall.

“Foot traffic plays into it, but the key aspect of it is the food court. That is one of the two main food centres on campus,” Wolsfeld said. “Actually, when we compare it to Marquis Hall, in one day, [Marquis Hall] had just about the same amount of waste as Place Riel did all week. That’s why we had to keep that for another audit entirely.”

Place Riel, which is owned and operated by the U of S Students’ Union, also stood out from the other buildings in the audit due to its proliferation of Styrofoam in waste bins. While waste like disposable coffee cups, which were another standout in the audit, can be recycled, Styrofoam is of particular note as it does not biodegrade.

Wolsfeld revealed that the Place Riel food court is the only place on campus that Styrofoam is distributed.

For Wolsfeld, this is a choice made by the USSU for vendor contracts.

“The only place you’re getting Styrofoam [from] is Lower Place Riel, and that’s because the USSU has a contract with vendors in [the food court] that allows them to use what they want as those kinds of materials,” Wolsfeld

said. “So you can’t just go in and break those contracts, … [but] in the future, maybe those contracts have some kind of stipulation that states what kind of materials we can and can’t use.”

Wolsfeld hopes that the findings from the waste audit can serve as a necessary first step towards implementing an organics collection program.

“The reason that we undertook it is to look at the organics composition of our waste because we want to move forward on an organics program,” Wolsfeld said.

“That said, there are a lot of complicated aspects that go into an institutional organics program, so we can’t say that one waste audit is the trick to creating that program.”

For Wolsfeld, much of the waste produced on campus could be mitigated by students and staff evaluating their waste decisions.

“People are taking less than five seconds to decide where their garbage goes. Whatever they have in their hands, they take less than five seconds to figure out. If they don’t know, they don’t ask, and they’ll never find that out,” Wolsfeld said. “If you don’t know, you actually have to flag that and look it up… You have to be interested enough to make that change and figure out where it goes.”

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‘Those offers are not generous; they’re insulting’: Bargaining between U of S, CUPE 1975 breaks down Pension plans and wage increases are at the heart of the bargaining disagreement between 1,900 workers and the U of S. JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Talks between the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1975 and the University of Saskatchewan have continued to deteriorate as the two groups have been unable to come to a consensus on pension plans and wages, two of the issues at hand.

Both parties held talks in the presence of a mediator in January, and after several days of discussions, an agreement still was not reached.

These meetings are the continuation of a long-running dispute between CUPE 1975 and the university that began in 2017 following the expiration of CUPE 1975’s collective agreement from 2015.

The disagreement about pension plans revolves around the U of S aiming to put a defined contribution or target plan into place, which would replace the current defined benefits plan, a plan that CUPE 1975 is fighting to keep. As for wages, the U of S has been bargaining for a three-year wage freeze while CUPE 1975 is attempting to garner two per cent wage increases for their members.

CUPE 1975 president Craig Hannah says that talks in December were going well, but when they came back to the table in January, they fell short.

“I firmly believe the decision was made not at that table but by Peter Stoicheff and the Board of Governors, and those are the ones that have to take a good look at what we’ve offered and realize it is a fair and it is a sustainable offer,” Hannah said.

The defined contribution plan, one of two plan options being offered by the university, gives retirees a lump sum of money. Ann Iwanchuk, CUPE 1975 national representative, explains her concerns with this type of plan.

“You have to start thinking about ‘How long am I going to live? How long am I gonna have this money for?…’ And it’s going to be a significantly less pot of money than you would have if you had a guaranteed retirement income for life,” Iwanchuk said.

Iwanchuk’s concern with the target plan, the other plan

Davin Andrie / File CUPE 1975 strikers on the U of S campus in 2007.

being offered by the university, is that it is unstable, meaning that retirees may have their benefits changed at any time.

Gord Hunchak, associate vice-president, strategic communications and chief communications officer of the university, explains the university’s problems with the current plan in a statement.

“The current defined benefit pension plan for employees who are members of CUPE 1975 has cost the university an additional $29.8 million beyond normal contributions over the past decade, $3.1 million in 2018, and these significant additional contributions are expected to continue into the future under the pension’s current structure,” Hunchak said. “These are funds that are being diverted from the university’s teaching and research mission.”

Hannah addresses these concerns and says that CUPE 1975 has taken financial sustainability into account throughout their “long ef-

fort to bargain reasonably and fairly with the university.” The plan that CUPE 1975 has put forward would see its members retain their current pension plan but modified to be jointly funded in order to address worries around sustainability.

Hunchak states that defined benefit pension plans have been “on the decline over the past number of years across the country due to the issues of financial sustainability and affordability.” However, Iwanchuk argues that, in the public sector, there are a number of university groups holding defined benefit plans.

Hunchak’s statement also explains the university’s offers for pension plans and wage increases.

“The university has tabled a very generous offer, which includes a revised pension arrangement, signing bonus in lieu of retro pay, two per cent wage increases in 2019 and 2020, additional vacation days and an updated salary model that aligns with mar-

ket rates and allows for more growth,” Hunchak said.

The two per cent wage increases would come at the end of a five year deal meaning that, for three years, CUPE 1975 members would be receiving a wage freeze.

Iwanchuk says that other bargaining groups have received wage increases that they want for their members.

“So in 2016, 2017 and 2018, they provided wage increases for the other bargaining units on campus — so that would include the Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association, the sessional lecturers [and] the faculty union. I haven’t worked with any employers who treat their employees differently in the way the university is treating CUPE 1975 members,” Iwanchuk said.

Iwanchuk further addresses these offers put forward by the U of S. “Those offers are not generous; they’re insulting…

When you look at zero increases, it’s worse than zero.

It’s really a negative because the cost of living goes up, and you’re spendable income is decreased. Even though, technically, it’s staying the same, it’s going down, and you never recoup that,” Iwanchuk said.

Iwanchuk broadly describes the university’s offers as a “huge slap in the face to [1,900] people” before describing the necessity of the work being done by CUPE 1975 members.

“All the work that they do, the intake work and whatnot, is a necessary factor. The university wouldn’t function if [1,900] people walked off the job. The university wouldn’t be able to function, and that just may happen,” Iwanchuk said.

As it currently stands, neither the U of S nor CUPE 1975 are legally able to take job action due to outstanding applications to the Labour Relations Board. Iwanchuk says that CUPE 1975 will be dealing with these applications in February.

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NEWS

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Saskatchewan government not currently planning to make student fees optional USSU general manager believes government grants are a start but more can be done for accessible post-secondary education.

TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

this decision.

In addition to these student-led groups, the Association of Managers in Canadian College University and Student Centres has reportedly sent letters to the Ford government

You deserve a secure retirement.

Workers at the University of Saskatchewan deserve a fair pension.

The university wants to eliminate the Defined Benefi t pension plan and leave workers in the dark about what kind of income they will have in retirement.

In addition, the employer also put forward an insulting five-year

expressing their support of student unions in Ontario.

Although the Ford government has been the only provincial government currently under fire for targeting student fees to reduce the cost

So do we. wage offer of 0-0-0-2% -2% .

This wage offer is well below the monetary increases that other groups on campus have received.

Tell the U of S: Paws off our Pensions! Workers deserve a fair pension they can count on.

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In mid-January, the Government of Ontario announced a tuition framework that will reduce tuition by 10 per cent in the province for 2019-2020.

The framework was met with national opposition, primarily against Premier Doug Ford’s inclusion of optional student fees.

In an open letter sent in late January to Premier Ford and Merrilee Fullerton, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, 75 student-run organizations including the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union criticized the Ford government’s Student Choice Initiative. The letter states that, in addition to impacting student organizations through potential loss of levy revenue, the Ontario Government failed to consult students properly in

of post-secondary education, the decision has reverberated across the country, potentially even into Saskatchewan.

From being members of the so-called resistance to the federal carbon tax to holding a joint conversation meant to criticize the federal carbon tax to signing a memorandum of understanding between Ontario and Saskatchewan to lower trade barriers, Premier Ford and Premier Scott Moe clearly have aligning views. However, it is unclear whether they also share the same attitudes towards lowering the cost of post-secondary education.

When approached by the Sheaf for interview on the matter, Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Minister of Advanced Education, was unavailable, but the Government of Saskatchewan issued a statement that there are no plans to follow in Ontario’s footsteps.

“The Government of Sas-

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katchewan is not considering making student fees optional at this time,” the statement said.

“We have made a number of investments to ensure that more students are able to participate and complete their postsecondary education. In 201819, government budgeted $106.3 million in direct support to students through a variety of support programs and services.”

The statement also mentioned that they provide an up-front grant of $1,000 for students who apply for financial assistance, an extra $200 per month for full-time students who have been out of high school for more than 10 years, the $500 Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship and the Graduate Retention Program, which provides a maximum of $20,000 in tax credits for graduates who work in Saskatchewan.

However, the statement did not respond to the Sheaf’s inquiry as to whether Premier Moe and Premier Ford have had conversations regarding post-secondary costs.

Caroline Cottrell, USSU general manager, says that even imagining what would happen to a student union if the student fees were optional is a difficult task.

“It’s something that is almost impossible to predict simply because I have no mechanism to predict what the university’s response would be,” Cottrell said. “How can we make any level of stability on anything if, on any given year, our financial picture can change? If 10,000 students opt to pay fee X [one year], and the next [year] 2000 [pay it], and the following year 15,000, it’s unmanageable.”

Cottrell recognizes that the Saskatchewan government grants identify issues with the accessibility of post-secondary institutions but believes that more can be done.

“I recognize that education can be a black hole for money,” Cottrell said. “Do we want an educated, competent population to go forward and meet all the challenges we are going to face? Do we want that population to be economically crippled? How do we balance all of that? Do I think this cuts it?

No. It’s a start. But $1500, $1600 dollars over the year is insufficient.”

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D g watch: Dani Forester Green is her favourite colour and the husky is her favourite animal — was the U of S meant to be for Dani Forester?

SPORTS&HEALTH

Recipe: Breakfast tacos ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

Cook time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 small tortillas 1 can of refried black beans 2 tbsp. jalapeno cheddar cream cheese 2 tbsp. salsa 2 eggs Optional: 1 jalapeno Extra cheese Cooked bacon Avocado or guacamole Cooked hash browns If you would like to opt in for the hash brown experience, it will add extra cook time but is well worth the wait. Toss your favourite brand of frozen hash browns onto a pan and into the oven — or make your own. They are perfect as an addition to the taco or as a side dish.

Heat up the refried black beans in a small pot for approximately 10 minutes or until warm. In the meantime, make your eggs! I prefer sunny-side-up eggs with a nice runny yolk. If that isn’t your thing, scrambled eggs work just fine and are the perfect vehicle for extra cheese.

Tony Walker U of S women’s volleyball player Dani Forester poses for a photograph in the Biology Building on the U of S campus on Feb. 4, 2019.

HOPE N.S. JEFFERY

Dani Forester is a second-year student from Okotoks, Alta., who chose the University of Saskatchewan over other schools because of the tight-knit campus. After starting out in engineering, Forester then changed to the College of Arts and Science for her second year to pursue geology.

Another draw for Forester was the volleyball coach, Mark Dodds. Although she did not stay in her original program, Forester is happy at the U of S because of its geology program.

Forester began playing volleyball in grade nine — starting up after 10 years of figure skating. At that time, she had begun to envy the girls who took part in team sports and wanted to join them. While Forester admits she is very competitive, she prefers to celebrate wins with a team rather than individually for her achievements in figure skating.

Forester was offered her spot on the Huskies volley-

ball team as a middle blocker straight out of high school.

For those of you who do not know what that is, the middle blocker is the centre position closest to the net. They strive to block the opponent’s hitters wherever they are on the court.

Being on the team has made a significant positive impact on her life. For instance, Forester was able to partake in experiences that she otherwise would not have if she were not on the team.

Volleyball has allowed her to travel, work out more often and make a lot of close connections.

Considering that U of S athletes come from various colleges, Forester has been able to meet and befriend many people across campus from outside her program.

She says being on the team allows her to feel more connected not only to the people but also the school. Coincidentally, Forester’s favourite colour is green and her favourite animal is the husky, so maybe, it was meant to be.

Volleyball has made her work harder and become a

better leader through leadership opportunities. She has had more volunteer opportunities that have allowed her to give back to the community because of the team.

At many of the Huskies home games, club teams from high schools around the city will come in and ask questions about the team and their beloved sport. These question periods give the club teams a better look at what they could be looking at for their future.

The women’s volleyball team also helps with Tim Hortons Camp Day by asking for donations or selling wristbands outside of different Tim Hortons locations.

The girls are also big advocates for Bell Let’s Talk, for which the Huskies held events on Jan. 25. Last year, the Huskies women’s team did a fundraiser for the Children’s Wish Foundation, and Forester recounts meeting a lovely little girl named Jolene through that initiative.

The fundraiser consisted of making custom jerseys and auctioning them off — the money was then donated to Children’s Wish.

Now, take two small tortillas and spread a few tablespoons of jalapeno cheddar cream cheese over them. Once the beans are warm, spread them over top of the cream cheese goodness. Scoop a couple tablespoons of salsa on top.

Add an egg to each tortilla to finish it off. Toss on the optional bacon and avocado — or guacamole — if you are looking for a flavour boom. Feeling like you need some extra sizzle? Add chopped jalapenos!

Erin Matthews / Opinions Editor

Despite being busy with school and volleyball, Forester takes time to kick back and relax with a good book — generally fantasy novels — or drawing. Netflix isn’t off the table either — Forester confesses she might be on her sixth time watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Forester says having time for these hobbies is a “juggling act” since she is taking four classes, which makes her a full-time student. In addition to classes and labs, she practises almost every day and says that it’s “challenging but worth it all in the end.”

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SPORTS&HEALTH

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Money moves: Making money with Sweatcoin Earn this digital currency just by walking around outside.

JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Sweatcoin is a currency generated through GPS-tracked outdoor walking that can be exchanged in a proprietary marketplace for real-world goods. Essentially, the app just runs in the background of your smartphone — allowing you to earn this currency with little to no effort.

The app is fairly simple to use, with the main page displaying a step count, the number of sweatcoins that have been earned that day and a bar showing how close you are to hitting your daily cap on sweatcoin generation. There is also a friends list where you can see how well your friends are doing as well as send them your own sweatcoins.

I tried out this app for just under a week to see just how lucrative it could be without changing much about my own life. The app currently only

converts outdoor steps into coins and requires GPS data to prevent someone from cheating the system — so you can’t generate coins just by shaking the phone. Due to this constraint, I was only able to get steps during my walks to campus, for the most part.

Sweatcoin has tiered memberships that increase the cap on production placed on an account. The first and only free tier caps you at five sweatcoins per day — which I never managed to hit during my time with the app. Subsequent tiers are bought on a monthly subscription basis with sweatcoins.

It takes 1000 verified steps to generate 95 per cent of a whole sweatcoin. If large amounts of your steps are being taken indoors — which I found to be the case in my life — then there is often going to be a disparity in how many steps you record and how many sweatcoins you actually make. If you’re one for bombarding friends and acquaintances with invites, you

can also generate sweatcoins when people use your invite link.

So how lucrative is sweatcoin? Well, it’s going to depend on how much you’re walking outdoors. In my experience with the app, I generated around 32 sweatcoins through walking and daily bonuses, which require you to watch an ad. The most affordable item in the marketplace at the time of writing was a $1 amazon gift card, which was priced at 50 sweatcoins.

There are other, grander options available, but many would require you to save for a substantial amount of time.

For instance, to get $1,000 in cash, a user would have to save 20,000 sweatcoins — a feat that Sweatcoin describes as taking two years to complete. There are also branded offerings, such as an iPhone or a Samsung television.

While that may seem impossible, these coins are generated through almost no work on

Yashica Bither

your part as the app just runs in the background and you only have to open it for the daily bonuses. When you think about it, this company is essentially giving away stuff for your steps, which hold no obvious value.

This brings up the question of how prizes earned with sweatcoin are actually being paid for — how does Sweatcoin make money off all of this? Their FAQ section states that they make money from partnerships with brands in their marketplace and have begun to get partnerships with big health-care and insurance companies.

In an age of heightened

awareness around data collection, an app that requires GPS to be turned on and that runs continuously in the background raises some red flags. While Sweatcoin will have access to your data in order to process it, they do state on their website that they do not sell or share user data to third parties.

Monetizing movement is frankly quite odd, and Sweatcoin feels like a product of the strange modernity we find ourselves in. But with free stuff so often hard to come by, perhaps it should be regarded as a blessing that one can sell their steps to a company for goods and services.

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F E B RUA RY 07, 2 0 1 9

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SPORTS&HEALTH

Record-breaking night at Merlis Belsher Kozun sets a new Canada West record for longest regular season time played without letting a goal in.

PIPER WOYTIUK

It was an eventful night at Merlis Belsher Place on Feb. 2, with the Huskies men’s hockey team taking on the Mount Royal Cougars in a 6-1 game. While this was not the end of the season, it was the last home game of the regular season.

Second-year goalie Taran Kozun put his 19th win of the season under his belt and surpassed a Canada West record for playtime without having a goal scored on him.

Kozun’s regular season shutout streak began Jan. 19 towards the end of the second period in a game against the Lethbridge Pronghorns.

Kozun diligently defended the net, not letting a single puck pass by him, causing this streak to break the previous record during Saturday’s busy third period against Mount Royal — an end in which Jesse Forsberg, Collin Shirley and Sam Ruopp picked up three of the Huskies’ six goals of the game and the only goal for the Cougars was scored.

The goal scored by Cougars forward Connor Chartier, with only four minutes and 42 seconds left of the

Piper Woytiuk U of S Huskies goalie Taran Kozun watches the puck on the stick of a Mount Royal Cougars player on Feb. 2, 2019 at Merlis Belsher Place.

game, put an end to the record-breaking fun, stopping Kozun’s streak at 267 minutes and 32 seconds.

Kozun’s streak beat the pre-

vious record by an entire 12 minutes. The former record holder, Kris Lazaruk, earned his streak goaltending for the Calgary Dinos during the

2014-2015 season.

Those twelve minutes raised the bar a little higher for goaltending, and with his Huskies career still going,

Kozun could be back to raise it even higher next season.

The Huskies will be travelling to play the Manitoba Bisons on Feb. 8 and 9.

Fattitude: What do we really know about fat?

The Fattitude documentary unveils the harsh realities of fat shaming.

SHAWNA LANGER

Fattitude is a bodypositivity documentary and activist movement that aims to expose the harsh reality of fat hatred within popular culture.

A Fattitude film screening and discussion was hosted by Nourish YXE and Saskatoon Weight Attitudes and Disordered Eating on Jan. 31 at the Saskatoon Public Library.

The film sheds light on fat shaming and fat hatred throughout the media and within society. The goal of Fattitude is to change the way people think about fatness and encourage a world where all bodies are treated with respect.

Often, the message being spread through popular culture is that fat is bad, which in turn gives people permission to be unkind towards fat people. Fat bodies are rarely por-

trayed positively in the media and are often defined by their fatness.

Looking at animated children’s movies, there are many examples of the fat person always being the bad guy, the villain or the one you never want to interact with — for instance, Ursula in The Little Mermaid and Miss Trunchbull in Matilda.

We are teaching children before they can even make decisions for themselves that fat is monstrous — and we need to stop. Children as young as three years old are already ascribing negative stereotypes to peers who are larger. Children need to know they are good and whole people no matter what.

Fattitude exposes the lack of cultural diversity in characters and models in the media who are praised. The presence of thin white models in the media is not bad, but when chil-

dren grow up without seeing anybody on TV who looks like them, they don’t have anybody to look up to.

We are teaching children before they can even make decisions for themselves that fat is monstrous — and we need to stop.

If you grow up never seeing anybody similar to you portrayed in a positive manner or portrayed at all, what message does that send to children?

What does it tell these young children about their worth?

This creates cultural, personal and emotional invisibility.

We look at futuristic TV shows and movies, and what do we see? Definitely not fat people. In Fattitude, they give

the example of Star Trek — where all the characters in the future are thin and attractive.

Fatness is so undesirable in our culture that, if it is shown in media at all, it’s characterized negatively.

The fat person is always the bad guy or the bully or the best friend to the thin white accomplished celebrity. If the fat person isn’t portrayed as the villain, they are the emotionally clueless funny friend because that’s all they’re ever allowed to be — the joke being that they’re fat, which really isn’t funny.

There are constant messages from news outlets and the like saying that there is an obesity epidemic as if the weight and physical structure of a person can tell you anything about the quality of their health. News flash — it doesn’t.

The truth is that the negative health impacts associated with obesity generally only oc-

cur at extreme levels. Mortality rate is not seen to increase for overweight or obese class I individuals. However, both underweight and obese class II populations are at higher risk of mortality, yet all we seem to focus on is fat.

The film divulges the harsh reality that obsessing about one’s weight is only considered a problem if you’re small bodied, but if you’re a larger bodied individual, then it is required of you. For a small-bodied person, this practice is characterized by disordered eating, but for a person with a larger body, it is what people want or even expect — and this is causing people harm.

A larger body is often equated with a poor diet, bad lifestyle choices, lack of physical activity, lack of discipline — you name it. But weight is so much more than that, and more importantly, health is so much more than that.

SPORTS & HEALTH / 7

FEATURE

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // F E B RUA RY 07, 2 0 1 9

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Walls of sound: An introduction to shoegaze

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

An exploration into one of the most fascinating and overlooked genres of music.

COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

Writing about music is difficult. When writing about film, you have a plot to describe and performances to evaluate. If all else fails, you can haphazardly throw around terms like “shot composition” until you fashion the general shape of a criticism.

For someone who isn’t trained in musical theory — someone like myself — you generally have these vague ideas about which music is good but a harder time articulating what’s good about it. This is why,

when I write about music, I tend to adopt an almost phenomenological approach. I focus on the textures — the way music feels and how we relate to it on an immediate sensory level.

I’ve always been drawn to texturally dense music, and no genre has a sonic palette as rich and evocative as shoegaze. The style relies on effects pedals for most of its sound, but the genre’s hallmarks of carbon-burst drumming, clean bass lines and airy vocals buried deep in the mix equally contribute to a rewarding and dense sound that really resonates.

Originally, the genre was billed as “the scene that celebrates itself ” by the British music press to describe the sense of community felt by the effects-pedal-obsessed architects of the genre. The term shoegaze, which developed later on, refers to the way that audiences visually perceived musicians playing in the style.

It conjures the image of a guitarist with his head cast down, nonchalantly strumming while monitoring the timing for each new effect change. He appears to be staring at his shoes, but in reality, he’s concerned with the extension of his instrument — a carefully curated collection of guitar pedals.

More than any other band, early British

Loveless is simultaneously praised for its warm dreamy atmosphere and remembered for a live tour that was so earth-shatteringly loud that it caused the music press to accuse them of criminal negligence. It’s a record in which limitless possibilities for new sounds are just waiting to be discovered.

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shoegaze act My Bloody Valentine had a massive impact on what the genre sounds like. The basic textural building blocks of reverse reverb, fuzz and delay are all used in their 1991 masterwork, Loveless.

It’s a record that sounds unlike anything else, a self-contained world of sound where pure sonic energy is bent into new shapes that alternate between unnatural and ethereal.

Loveless is simultaneously praised for its warm, dreamy atmosphere and remembered for a live tour that was so earth-shatteringly loud that it caused the music press to accuse them of criminal negligence.

It’s a record in which limitless possibilities for new sounds are just waiting to be discovered.

Some people heard the latent influence of 60s psychedelia, some heard the future of heavy music, and others heard jangly, floaty pop music buried under everything else. I’m sure there are countless other things waiting to be heard in there as well.

Despite their legendary status and influence over a lasting genre, the release of their long-awaited follow-up mbv took 22 years to materialize.

During this stretch, other bands took the melodic elements of the genre and expanded on them, further developing the dream-pop and space-rock sub-genres. Other bands like Drop Nineteens and Swervedriver built a grungier, heavier sound from the blueprint.

F E B RUA RY 07, 2 0 1 9

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“I come to shoegaze as looking at it from a psychedelic perspective, but some of the other members of the band are coming at it from a grunge sort of deal, like Christian, the other singer in the band — one of his biggest influences is Kurt Cobain.”

Shoegaze Essentials

— Nic Nibbs, musician for Bicycle Daze More recently, the genre has calcified around a few major sounds. Experimental ‘blackgaze’ acts like Deafheaven pissed off black-metal fans by mixing blast beats and death growls with decidedly not-metal effects pedals while bands like Nothing and Whirr brought a hardcore punk influence to the genre. Shoegaze is everywhere in independent music right now. It’s had an unmistakable impact on metal and punk but also on indie-pop bands like Japanese Breakfast and Beach House.

To find out what it’s like to play this kind of music, I spoke to Nic Nibbs, a student in arts and science who plays in both local shoegaze act Bicycle Daze and garage-rock-influenced band the Gargyles.

Nibbs is currently preparing for two upcoming projects: a Bicycle Daze show on March 15 at Amigos Cantina and an EP with the Gargyles. In Bicycle Daze, he alternates between guitar, keys and vocals as needed. While Nibbs tends to think of Bicycle Daze as a psych-rock band, he also fully embraces the label of shoegaze.

“I call us psychedelic rock, but I think shoegaze applies to us, too. Even just like the origin of the word is exactly what we do — we stare at our shoes,” Nibbs said.

I found this interesting, as I’ve always heard something a bit more aggressive and punkoriented in shoegaze music. I then asked him about where other members of the band are coming from in their appreciation of the genre.

“I come to shoegaze as looking at it from a psychedelic perspective, but some of the other members of the band are coming at it from a grunge sort of deal, like Christian, the other singer in the band — one of his biggest influences is Kurt Cobain,” Nibbs said.

Nibbs’ vocal influences are a bit outside of shoegaze orthodoxy. He finds inspiration in unlikely places such as soul music, and he has a strong appreciation for Freddie Mercury and the discography of Queen.

“I definitely come from a bit of a soul background. I’ve always sort of considered myself a soul singer that sings rock — that’s where my base is.

Even though that’s not necessarily the way that I sound, it’s more my mindset,” Nibbs said. “As far as vocal tendencies, I love Al Green [and] Freddie Mercury is huge for me. Queen was one of my first big bands.”

Outside of personal influences, he identifies the early MBV records as a source of direction for the band.

“There’s definitely a few bands — My Bloody Valentine, for sure. I’d had a little bit of exposure before, but I really got into it after meeting Christian.

And not so much for me, but I know … a really big link between a bunch of guys in the band is Jimmy Eat World,” Nibbs said.

Aside from influences, I also asked Nibbs about his gear set-up. He estimates that a starting set-up would cost around $1,000, including a guitar, keys

and effects, but he also stresses the importance of assembling gear on a budget.

“I’m definitely one of the more cost-conscious members of the band. I’m really into finding the deals. Before the band, I was still exploring my place as far as pedals went. I had a limited pedal board — like four or five, just the basics. The rest of the band, they haven’t put too much money into their pedal boards because they’ve already spent like a million dollars on it,” Nibbs said.

Nibbs’ advice for aspiring musicians is to avoid buying expensive and unnecessary gear when starting out and to focus on learning to use affordable alternatives before jumping into advanced effects.

Nibbs does all of the effects for his keys and vocals with the onboard-effects station on the keyboard. For his pedal set-up, he has three main pedals: one for delay, one for pitch shift and one for fuzz. He describes how the pitch-shift pedal contributes to his sound on guitar.

“I use pitch shift a lot as well. It’s another hallmark of my sound. It adds this shimmer, so you play a chord, and it plays the same notes but three octaves higher. I always think of the top of a lake in the moonlight, and it’s just shimmering,” Nibbs said.

Of the three, the pedal he was the most excited to talk about was the fuzz. Fuzz is one of the most essential parts of the shoegaze sound, and Nibbs invested in a unique pedal for this effect.

“I have a custom-made fuzz pedal called “the catalyst” that I bought from Paul’s Boutique in Toronto. That’s like my baby — it’s the most expensive pedal I’ve bought. There’s nothing else like it — it literally feels like I’m walking a pack of rabid dogs,” Nibbs said.

When I decided to write this, I knew it was going to be a personal essay on some level. Getting a chance to learn a bit about the craft and technical knowledge that goes into making this kind of music was absolutely the highlight of working on this piece. Seeing the level of thought that goes into producing sounds that seem so effortless and immediate is fascinating.

Shoegaze music has always carried a nostalgic, evocative quality for me. It’s easy enough to describe the sounds that are produced in terms of texture — the tones can be warm, fuzzy, frigid or heavy — but the way in which they carry the listener is less easy to describe. Textural buzzwords only get you so far. Words don’t do it justice, and for a writer, that can be kind of frustrating.

But for me, that’s always been the appeal: the way in which words fall short of describing the kind of experiences that music can elicit. Good music should make you feel something that’s both completely new and oddly familiar.

As long as people are staring down at beat-up Converse chucks and conjuring massive walls of sound from thin air, I’ll keep trying to translate that simple feeling into language, and my words will fail it.

Aurora by Slow Crush

Just Like Honey

by The Jesus and Mary Chain B&E (Guilty of Everything Version)

by Nothing Sometimes

by My Bloody Valentine Cherry-Coloured Funk

by Cocteau Twins Pulling Our Weight

by The Radio Dept.

Only Shallow

by My Bloody Valentine Delaware

by Drop Nineteens Lines

by Whirr Drift

by Slow Crush Moth Rock

by Ovlov When the Sun Hits

by Slowdive The Carpenter’s Son

by Nothing

The Sheaf Publishing Society on spotify or scan the playlist code on the left to listen

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EVENTS T H U R S

07

SCIENCE OF MARKETING PUB TALK: GENETICALLY MARKETED ORGANISMS @ LOUIS’ LOFT, 12:00 P.M.

RAP JUKEBOX PARTY WITH DR.J @ DRIFT SIDEWALK CAFÉ AND VISTA LOUNGE, 6:00 P.M.

KISS WINTER FORMAL @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:30 P.M. AMIGOS KARAOKE @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.

F R I

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T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // F E B RUA RY 07, 2 0 1 9

Dan Mangan’s latest record shakes up his old song and dance, more or less Mangan talks about reconciliation, raising kids and running into Paul McCartney.

THE TREWS @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 7:00 P.M.

ARKELLS: THE 2019 RALLY CRY TOUR @ SASKTEL CENTRE, 7:30 P.M.

JEZEBEL WITH DR. DOAK AND MYLES AND THE BLANKS @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

ECILA WITH THE RECKLESS FAMOUS AND BOOMLAG @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.

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09

KÔNA – WANUSKEWIN WINTER FESTIVAL 2019 @ WANUSKEWIN HERITAGE PARK, 10:00 A.M.

TAINTED LOVE: THE SSO PLAYS ROMEO AND JULIET @ TCU PLACE, 7:30 P.M.

WACKEN BATTLE 2019 @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 8:00 P.M. THE DACTYLS, STONE THE WITCH AND JUNKYARD BALLROOM @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.

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10

STOP MOTION ANIMATION WORKSHOP WITH WENDY SHARPE @ PAVED ARTS, 12:00 P.M.

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

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

M O N

11

VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL INFO SESSION @ REMAI MODERN, 6:00 P.M.

Killbeat Music / Supplied

YOGA ON TAP @ 9 MILE LEGACY BREWING COMPANY, 6:30 P.M.

ANTILANG. MAGAZINE LAUNCH @ MCNALLY ROBINSON, 7:00 P.M.

GAMES NIGHT

TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR

@ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

T U E S

12

BEFORE THE PLATE DOCUMENTARY SCREENING @ THE ROXY THEATRE, 7:00 P.M.

SCOTT NOLAN AND SAMANTHA CRAIN @ THE BASSMENT, 7:30 P.M.

100% TUESDAYS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:00 P.M. OPEN STAGE @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 8:00 P.M.

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13

PAWS YOUR STRESS @ MURRAY LIBRARY, 1:00 P.M.

CHEMISTRY STUDENTS’ SOCIETY BEER AND BURGER NIGHT @ THE HOSE AND HYDRANT, 7:00 P.M.

HATERS ROAST: THE SHADY TOUR 2019 @ TCU PLACE, 8:00 P.M.

MIKE DOWNES QUINTET @ THE BASSMENT, 8:00 P.M.

JAN. 12FEB. 21

SHADES OF GREY @ ART PLACEMENT GALLERY

FEB. 6-16

THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN

FEB. 8-9

QALEIDOSCOPE IN SASKATOON: QUEER FILM ON TOUR

@ GREYSTONE THEATRE

@ PAVED ARTS

10 / CULTURE

Dan Mangan has been around the musical bend a few times over the course of his 16-year career. Now on the road touring for his latest record, Mangan brings a more direct approach to his work than ever before.

In November 2018, the Vancouverite released his fifth studio album, More or Less. Unlike Mangan’s 2015 release titled Club Meds — which was a busy, midi-infused sonic statement — More or Less is a sparse record that draws strength from its somber simplicity. Lyrically, the album is what longtime listeners love about Mangan — it is selfdeprecating, thoughtful and questioning but not dogmatic while he contemplates aging, family life and the ties that bind.

In “Cold in The Summer,” the record’s “bummer jam” in Mangan’s words, the song-

smith talks about no longer being a kid trying to make it in the music industry and the tepidity of domesticity after a life on the road. These reflections on family life, which are more wistful than lamentful, pervade the rest of the record. For Mangan, his kids — or raising them, anyways — were a major influence on how More or Less turned out.

“Life just gets so much more complicated. The concept of time and what you can get done changes so drastically… You try to make things more efficient,” Mangan said. “I have so little time to focus on things beyond my kids, and I don’t want that time used up with bullshit. If you direct that into songwriting, I have less time to make wandering, musical things.”

While Mangan says that he doesn’t have as much time now that he has kids, he has still managed to keep busy in recent years. In addition to scoring five episodes of the Netflix cartoon Hilda,

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Mangan also runs Arts & Crafts subsidiary record label Madic Records and cocreated the house-show startup Side Door.

Beyond artistic projects, Mangan has also been engaged in some political activism. Joining around 200 of Canada’s most celebrated musicians, Mangan signed a statement of solidarity with the Unist’ot’en camp following the RCMP’s forceful removal of 14 land protectors on Jan. 7. For Mangan, the choice to sign the statement was obvious.

“Reconciliation can’t really be done at gunpoint. There’s been so much talk of reconciliation, and here is one of the first tests of that talk, and it’s been a huge failure,” Mangan said. “It’s a real piss-off that the First Nations people of Canada have to do all of the heavy lifting while all of us privileged city dwellers don’t really understand what’s at stake. It was a no-brainer for me to sign it.”

On Feb. 7, Dan Mangan is bringing the new record — and some old favourites — to a full house at the Broadway Theatre. If a string of packed shows and a Juno nomination weren’t enough, More or Less even managed to get a nod of approval from one of the Fab Four.

While Mangan was recording the album in Los Angeles, Paul McCartney popped into the studio that Mangan was recording in and chatted about the record for 20 minutes. Mangan says McCartney’s affirmation brought him to tears.

“He was like, ‘I liked your song,’ and my head kind of exploded. I didn’t have an emotional response to that … until I was watching James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke with Paul,” Mangan said.

“It was months later that I just started crying. This guy changed the world — music was never the same because of him.”

This marks Mangan’s second encounter with a musical giant while making an album after he met Dave Grohl during the recording of Club Meds and convinced the Foo Fighter to sing backup vocals on a song. Mangan says he hopes to bring in a hologram of Bob Marley for his next album.

Dan Mangan’s More or Less is available on Apple Music, Spotify or wherever people get music in 2019. For physical copies or information on his tour, head on over to danmanganmusic.com.

F E B RUA RY 07, 2 0 1 9

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VASU is back and looking to stay The Visual Arts Students’ Union asks for more involvement from the art department.

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trative changes.

“In 2013, we had Louise Barak, an audiovisual clerk, who helped VASU a lot by keeping track of the accounts and making sure that publicity was done,” Bérubé said.

“Now, there’s no clerical help from the art department. We rely only on students, and it makes it difficult.”

Alison Norlen, a professor of fine arts, says that the period of time when VASU lost their presence in the department coincided with changes at a university level. Now, Norlen hopes that the union will recover their administrative help.

“A couple of years ago, we didn’t have clerical staff ourselves — after shifts that happened in the university. Now, we have administration within our department,” Norlen said. “It would be very worthwhile to have a discussion about ways we can alleviate that part of the strain [on] VASU. That’s something that should be put forward.”

Norlen also highlights the need for better office space

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- Alison Norlen, professor in fine arts

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The Visual Arts Students’ Union reappeared in 2017 after a year of inactivity.

With their events now open to all students, the union is growing in popularity. Annie Bérubé, former president of VASU, is calling for support from the art department to restore the union to its former state.

Bérubé, a fourth-year student in fine arts, has witnessed first-hand the changes that the union has gone through over the last few years. Bérubé says that the union went through a period of decline that led to its disappearance in 2016. One of the problems they faced was the lack of student interest caused by how closed up the union had become.

“I saw the department when I started my classes in 2013. The department was vibrant, and VASU was very active and busy,” Bérubé said.

“Between 2013 and 2016, it became very cliquey, and students didn’t connect with the association.”

To address this issue, the VASU executive opened up the union’s events to the wider public. Now, students from all programs can become members and attend events, including model-drawing sessions, mixers and exhibitions.

Despite the increase in attendance, Bérubé says that the union still has trouble getting funds for these events — partially due to adminis-

for VASU — she envisions a larger space that fosters more student interaction.

“At the moment, we are trying to organize a better meeting ground for them — there’s some space down in our building that we are looking into. If we ever get another building, it would be fantastic to have a VASU gallery or lounge,” Norlen said.

“I think they are underappreciated in terms of our facilities and what we are able to offer them.”

VASU is also seeking additional funding from the art department. According to Bérubé, the department used to give the union funds from the money collected through locker rentals, which is something that they no longer do.

Norlen says that the department could do more to help VASU financially, and she intends to raise the issue at the next faculty meeting.

VASU has historically been an important part of the art department. Now that it’s back, their events are giving art students a place to get involved as well as gaining attention from the wider student body. Norlen recognizes the value of the union and hopes to see it expressed more tangibly.

“I’m a massive fan of VASU,” Norlen said. “It allows for a student voice that wouldn’t otherwise be heard.

Anything we can do to make their significance to us realized — I think it’s worth speaking about. To me, it’s a no-brainer — they are very significant to us.”

VISIT

STAFF WRITER

“I’m a massive fan of VASU. It allows for a student voice that wouldn’t otherwise be heard. Anything we can do to make their significance to us realized — I think it’s worth speaking about. To me, it’s a no-brainer — they are very significant to us.”

HE S

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO

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Things that go bump in the night Does the new Ted Bundy biopic glorify the serial killer?

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

It’s 1976: “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult is crackling through car radios, Taxi Driver is playing in the theatres, and behind bars sits Theodore Robert Bundy. He will later be found guilty of the brutal murders of at least 30 women — many of whom were young, beautiful college students in the prime of their lives.

Bundy was executed in 1989, and yet, 30 years later, his name permeates the cultural discourse on the heels of the Sundance premiere of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Between confused young women fawning over Zac Efron’s interpretation of the notorious serial killer and the rebuttal against the film’s gratuitous promotion of Bundy, the discussion is divided. Yet, both sides seem to be missing a very visceral point.

Ted Bundy, by first-hand accounts, was an intelligent, charismatic law student when he began to rape and butcher young women. That is the important takeaway point of all of this. On the surface, Bundy was a normal, successful and charming person — the kind of guy you may have locked eyes with across a crowded bar.

That was the illusion this man projected in order to lure unsuspecting women. These women were educated and intelligent people who were likely not easily duped — they just couldn’t see the hand that Bundy was dealing.

Anglerfish have a glowing filament that dangles in front of their jaws. In the dark, smaller fish are drawn to the light, unaware they are swimming towards danger. Bundy used a similar tactic — a charming, unassuming guise to lower the guard of his soon-to-be victims.

Just below this “great catch” facade lay his true insidious nature. The dishevelled stranger leering at you from a darkened corner is not the only danger of

12 / CULTURE

Gabe Fourstar

which you need to be cognizant.

The horror of Bundy is that the boy next door may hold some dangerous and dark secrets that can cost you your life.

Most of the disgusted responses to the movie seem to be reactions to both the trailer and the strange, lecherous posts on social media. It seems that many critics, most of whom did not attend the Sundance premiere, have failed to look beyond an eerie wink directed towards the camera. They have

failed to recognize that — minus the unnecessary, gratuitous ab shot of Efron — this was Bundy.

Critics have also failed to note a critical element to this tale.

According to the official synopsis of the film, this is a chronicle of Bundy and his crimes from the perspective of his girlfriend, who was in denial for years about his true nature. This detail is crucial. We are looking at Bundy through the eyes of a woman that loved him.

In a recent Maclean’s article, Alicia Elliott wrote about her concerns with the sexy serial killer trope. Elliott ends the piece by saying she would instead prefer to see a movie about a woman who overcame the clutches of a serial killer and the impact the experience has had on the victim’s life. Yet, there are two key problems with this idea: it is something that could easily become exploitative of the survivor, and it’s already

been done. More than once.

The fall of 1978 saw the release of the first movie in what would later become the prolific Halloween franchise. Laurie Strode defeats her masked attacker only after he’s massacred her friends. Michael Myers is depicted as the faceless incarnation of evil. It is reiterated throughout the films that he is not human.

And he comes back over and over again to torment her. Several of the sequels, including the 2018 Halloween film, show us just how damaged Strode is after all these years. The audience and Michael never give her a moment’s peace.

The release of Scream in 1996 set the stage for another survivor’s tale, with Sidney Prescott surviving a bloodbath carried out by a masked murderer who — unlike the faceless Michael Myers — was revealed to be Sidney’s boyfriend and his friend. Scream showed us that beneath the mask is not always the face of evil with hollow eyes but one familiar to us.

While the atrocities that Bundy committed certainly brand him as a monster, we should not turn a blind eye to the reality that Bundy passed for a normal, likeable person.

If you don’t believe me, then hear it from Kathy Kleiner Rubin, a survivor of Bundy’s attack on a sorority house in Florida. Kleiner Rubin told TMZ that the film shows the world who Bundy was. She said that Bundy wanted you to see the positive and wonderful things about him, but under the charming surface was something terrible. She hopes that it will make women more aware of their surroundings and more cautious.

While the thirst tweets about Bundy are horribly misguided, Extremely Wicked doesn’t appear to be. It’s asking viewers to take a long, hard, uncomfortable look at themselves, and it teaches them that evil isn’t a faceless entity — in fact, it might be one you know well.

F E B RUA RY 07, 2 0 1 9

OPINIONS

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The superhero genre is dead The latest comic-book style of storytelling is a failure to most characters.

COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

I fully realize that, at this point, the only character trait more boring than being really into superhero movies is really hating superhero movies, so I apologize for what is about to follow.

Maybe, it’s because superhero movies themselves are stale, and having strong opinions about them is generally ridiculous.

Or maybe, it’s because nearly all of our media choices recently must somehow involve capes and tights. Regardless, I have some strong, boring opinions about superhero media that I would like to share.

First of all, I’m more sympathetic to comic-book movies than most people I know. I grew up reading comics, and I especially liked the stuff from DC. I’m cursed with knowledge that I wish I could forget, stuck with obscure characters like Danny the Street — a sentient stretch of concrete and sidewalk — rattling around in the derelict recesses of my brain.

Because of this, I strongly suspect that I fit directly into the target demographic for Titans — the new Netflix take on the Teen Titans comic-book franchise and cartoon series.

Well, that and because all the dopamine centres in my brain lit up when I saw that one of the episodes was named “Doom

Patrol” after the cult-favourite comic series of the same name.

I remember watching Teen Titans as a kid. I remember liking it. I don’t really remember the specifics, but I do recall it as a bright, light-hearted show that was unapologetically comic­ booky. The show featured Robin, Batman’s sidekick, as its main draw and managed to build a team of compelling heroes out of a roster of DC unknowns.

The gritty new Netflix version is neither bright nor lighthearted. Characters get burned with cigarettes, others get tortured with rusty woodworking tools, and one guy even gets his face rubbed in broken glass. Just to reiterate, this all happens in a show that is based on a cartoon wherein Batman’s sidekick fights people with a yo-yo.

A lot of criticism has been levelled at Marvel and Disney for making kid-friendly popcorn movies devoid of stakes, but when you see DC putting out counter-programming this humourless and comically edgy, it’s hard not to prefer the candy-coloured CGI nonsense of the Avengers films.

Titans isn’t unwatchable. It has moments of solid character work, and the level of DC nerd pandering is unprecedented in a live-action work. The special effects are comically bad, giving the whole thing the vibe of an overachieving and entertaining fan film.

My problem with the show

David Hartman

is the same problem that I have with most of DC’s recent live-action output and those weird Marvel Netflix shows that all take place in the same hallway. They’re all deeply rooted in the Death Wish-inspired, street-level revenge school of comic-book writing pioneered

by Frank Miller. It’s a type of storytelling that works for a handful of characters, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

The characterization is deeply off. Instead of trying to find out what makes these characters tick and developing an interesting story and unique visuals around them, why not just make Robin into the Punisher?

It’s lazy, and I’m not really con-

vinced people are clamoring for a Robin who uses broken glass to torture mobsters.

If we’re going to keep churning out superhero media, I’d rather see someone make one of these shows using a different author as a template. Give me something inspired by the paranoid meta-textual mindfuckery of Alan Moore or the cosmological sci-fi of Jack Kirby. I’ll even take whatever Grant Morrison’s LSD-addled, chaos-magician brain cooks up.

Despite the genre’s persistence, superhero shows haven’t fully explored the source material they get praise for so faithfully adapting. There’s a

reason these characters actually resonate with people like me: it’s because property holders used to let people with a unique vision write these stories. Let’s see more of that, please.

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Beware of cunning cult tactics Predatory groups appear to use a common formula to lure new members into the fold.

CAMI KAYTOR

Cult is a word that likely elicits a scene where people are gathered in a dark, candle-lit room chanting satanic calls and performing blood rituals. However, cult tactics are present in a number of sects of major religions and multi-level marketing schemes.

According to psychologist and former cult member Steven Hassan, many of these organizations could be considered cults or cult-like.

Consider Hassan’s BITE model of cult tactics. BITE stands for behaviour control, information control, thought control and emotional control.

A variety of behaviours and tactics can fall under the BITE model, and a group may

use a combination of these methods to entice members.

Cults and cult-like groups often have financial control and social influence over their members. This control can be both mentally and physically harmful and creates barriers that make it difficult to escape the group.

University students are curious and idealistic and still trying to find where they

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).

Creative Commons / Supplied Founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard sits at his desk in 1950.

belong in the world. Therefore, they can be particularly vulnerable to cults and their tactics. Here are some tactics used by cults and cultlike groups to attract and trap potential new members.

Learning them could help you identify groups that may only seem to have your best interests in mind.

Love bombing

According to the BITE model, when a member first approaches a potential convert, they appear overly nice in order to lower the guard of the person they are trying to recruit. Oftentimes, a recruiting member of the group attempts to form a friendship with and give high praise to the potential member for doing things that comply with the group’s teachings as a way of indoctrinating them.

The recruiting member’s goal is to make recruits feel wanted and accepted in the community. However, once a potential member refuses to join, the group member will completely cut ties with them.

If the recruit does join, the high praise is soon followed up with harsh criticism for anything that goes against their doctrine.

Good and bad dichotomy

Cults often create an environment wherein followers are discouraged from critically analyzing the organization.

If you question the leader and their teachings, you are considered a fake follower and could be ostracized by the group. This fear-based tactic enforces a black-and-white dichotomy of thinking, silencing members into compliance.

The ‘us versus them’ mentality

Members of a cult-like group are often taught that everything inside the group is good and everything outside it is evil or full of lies. This

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prevents members from even considering outside perspectives since they believe them to be inherently incorrect.

Furthermore, this leaves members locked in a cycle of confirmation bias. Any good is thought to be brought on by the group and its practices. If ever something bad happens, it’s because you are being corrupted by the outside world.

Social dependence

Because of the “us versus them” mentality, outsiders are often depicted as evil, worldly or corrupted. Therefore, the members are encouraged to associate only with other members. This may include avoiding family members and friends that don’t also join the group. This helps to isolate the recruit.

If an individual were to leave the group, they would be characterized as corrupted in some way, and they would be identified as worldly like other outsiders. They would most likely be shunned and would subsequently lose contact with their entire social circle, including family members.

In short, many cult tactics may seem well intentioned and subtle at first, but before long, you may find you’ve dug yourself into a hole too deep to escape. So be wary of any group that seems too good to be true or appears to offer a bigger truth while discouraging critical thinking and the exploration of different perspectives. This is a huge red flag.

Any group that wants to find a new truth will learn and grow as new information becomes available and criticisms are brought forward.

Any real revelation should stand up to criticism over time. Any group that has your best interests at heart won’t shut you down at the first sign of struggle or questioning and will work towards building you up without first tearing you down.

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Deep fried workout: The treadmill torment of cooking shows The Food Network should not be aired at the PAC. RYCHEL SMITH

I am sure many of us have devoured an episode or two of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. And while I believe tribute should be paid to his lordship Guy Fieri, the much-deserved mayor of Flavortown, the treadmill at the gym is neither the time nor the place for that.

I have since lost count of the number of times I have stepped onto a treadmill at the PAC only to spend the next half hour watching some poor soul shove unyielding fistfuls of greasy mush down their gaping maw in the hopes of providing something resembling entertainment.

Trying to train cardio while simultaneously being forced to watch several food trucks competing to create the ultimate artery clogger is like trying to get hyped up by watching those SPCA commercials about abused animals. These extreme and unorthodox challenge-style

shows can risk promoting unhealthy diets or binge eating to their audience. It could potentially counter any progress made in the gym.

Ordinarily, I would just look away until the poor person on screen has finished chugging the necessary amount of leftover deep-fry oil required to “win the challenge,” but a treadmill does not grant me that luxury.

Turning away on this treacherous machine provides an challenging experience. If I avert my eyes for too long, I risk compressing my lungs and developing a stitch in one side or the other — or worse still, just tripping and falling over.

This Clockwork Orange­-esque situation of being unable to peel my eyes away from the screen all while trying to keep pace and stay motivated is sometimes the hardest part of my routine — depending on the programming. What’s most devastating is perhaps the thought that, no matter how

Wardah Anwar A U of S student poses as an elliptical runner in the PAC while the Food Network plays on the mounted television.

fast I run, I cannot get away.

Now, don’t get me wrong, like many others, I enjoy listening to the dulcet tones of Gordon Ramsay as he serenades his contestants by absolutely dismantling all of their culinary aspirations with a verbal chainsaw.

However, I have to say, I would much rather experience such a thing while slowly letting my muscles atrophy at home on the sofa.

The Food Network can be educational and entertaining, but very rarely would I grant it the label of “inspirational.”

Traditional television shows on other channels provide narratives that people can get lost in, helping make the exercise seem to go by faster. Naturally, sports channels are excellent for showcasing role models that aspiring athletes might use as inspirations for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.

Somewhere, on the last few channels left on TV, there has to be at least one show playing that doesn’t expose hosts, like our dear Flavortown mayor, to the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes.

Cell phone shuffle Are you guilty of walking without watching where you’re going?

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor

Loyal phone drones, it’s time to look up from the beguiling blue glow of your screens and pay attention to your surroundings. You, pausing at the top of the Arts Tunnel staircase, and you, shuffling up the Arts Ramp while scrolling listlessly with your thumb — look up!

At peak hours, you can find yourself surrounded by hundreds of students trying to weave and push their way to their next classes. Thanks to the polar vortex at the end of January, more and more bodies are trying to cram their way into the tunnels and halls on campus to avoid the bitter cold outside.

This influx of traffic tends to

A student walks through the U of S Arts Tunnel.

cause a backlog of bodies, forcing us to claw our way to our destinations, yet there are still some that continue to shuffle mindlessly and impede the flow of foot traffic.

At a meager five feet and four and a half inches, I can quickly get lost in the towering crowd of people who have grown above the so-called average height.

A shorter stature naturally begets short legs, and as expected, stunted limbs cover less ground per stride than others.

And yet, I find myself blasting past those mindless tunnel dwellers — the ones with their necks unnaturally hinged

downwards towards their phones and the seductive glare their screens produce.

I can’t think of anything quite as infuriating as being stuck behind another human — or my personal favourite, a wall of humans — when you have to be on the other side of campus in a matter of minutes. If such a thing as purgatory were to exist, this would be it.

Dodging bodies and passing people in the tunnels is always a gamble. Rushing through the barricade-filled skywalk of the Agriculture Building, one quick miscalculation of space and speed may end in tragedy.

Shout-out to the girl who ran into my overloaded messenger bag attempting a pass — a move which sent her phone skittering across the floor.

Now, I know that we are all bonded nearly permanently to our phones. We are switched on, plugged in and ready to answer each and every notification buzzing in our pockets. We don’t want to miss anything.

I, too, am guilty of pulling out my phone while I’m on the move to check a quick notification, skip a song, or more commonly, to check the time while I am stuck behind someone shuffling along with

However, I admit that changing the channel in the PAC — from the Food Network to just about anything else — will not help address any real concerns like climate change or the absolutely ridiculous pricing of college tuition. It would just make my workout so much better.

By choosing to not bear witness to what I can only assume is the prelude to life-threatening incidents of diarrhea, we can hold ourselves to a higher standard and really focus on giving our bodies the quality workouts they deserve. their nose to their screen.

We all do it. That quick glance down to type a brief text, giving you mild whiplash as you look up and down from what’s in front of you to what’s on your screen. We are busy. I’m busy.

I understand. It is not you that I’m calling out.

It’s those of us who have completely forgotten that they aren’t alone, as if they were wandering through a deserted Arts Tunnel after some ugly apocalyptic event. Consider this an open letter to all of those who stop in the middle of a flowing herd of bodies to pay close attention to what’s on their devices.

The only way for tunnel traffic to work is if everyone is aware of the poor souls around them. And honestly, I am not sure how there haven’t been more people trampled underfoot or crushed by the unrelenting surge of bodies.

So look up once in a while, okay? Be cognizant of others, or don’t be surprised when someone steps on your heels.

Challenge yourself to notice things around you — you could be missing out on something amazing with your eyes cast downwards all the time. And at the very least, you will be able to see the body careening towards you.

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