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No answers provided to student unable to access health insurance Students are unaware they are opted out of the coverage plan by default if they are ‘off-campus’ in term one.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Nykole King
editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR
CULTURE EDITOR
Tanner Bayne
Cole Chretien
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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 OUTREACH DIRECTOR | J.C. Balicanta Narag outreach@thesheaf.com AD & BUSINESS MANAGER | Shantelle Hrytsak ads@thesheaf.com
Riley Deacon / Photo Editor The U of S student Health & Dental Plan Office in Place Riel on March 4, 2019.
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board@thesheaf.com Mission // The mission of the Sheaf is to inform and entertain students by addressing those issues that are relevant to life on campus, in the city or in the province. The newspaper serves as a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students, by students, it provides unique insight into university issues through a student perspective. The staff of editors, photographers and artists collaborate with volunteers as student journalists to create a product relevant to students on the University of Saskatchewan campus. Legal // The Sheaf, published weekly during the academic year and periodically from May through August, is an incorporated non-profit that is, in part, student-body funded by way of a direct levy paid by all partand full-time undergraduate students at the U of S. The remainder of the revenue is generated through advertising. The financial affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, most of whom are students. Membership in the Sheaf Publishing Society is open to all undergraduate students at the U of S, who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Absolutely no experience is required! The opinions expressed in the Sheaf do not necessarily reflect those of the Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. The Sheaf reserves the right to refuse to accept or print any material deemed unfit for publication, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, the Editor-in-Chief will decide if the article or artwork would be of interest to a significant portion of the Society and benefit the welfare of Sheaf readers. The Sheaf will not publish any racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous material. Land Acknowledgement // The Sheaf acknowledges that our office is built on Treaty Six Territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and affirm both the importance of our relationship with Indigenous peoples and students at the U of S and our commitment to recognize and remain accountable for our collective history.
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Students starting classes on campus are enrolled in the Studentcare Health and Dental Plan by default, but a gap in policy is leaving some students without health and dental insurance. After returning from an exchange during the fall term, second-year law student Mackenzie Stewart went to the campus pharmacy as usual to refill her prescription and found out she was not covered by the Health and Dental Plan and had not been for almost five months. “It kind of seems like a strange policy to have in place, to know you have students returning and to not have them have coverage,” Stewart said. Sun Life health and dental coverage is offered through the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union. The system is set up in a way that students who are classified as “off-campus” during term one are opted out of the Health and Dental Plan by default and are reportedly not made aware of the change in coverage. However, students who start classes in term one are automatically enrolled in the
plan and must make Studentcare aware if they are covered by an external health insurance provider. The change in-coverage period was from Sept. 4 to 28, 2018. The USSU executives act in the capacity of liaison to help students navigate the university system. The Health and Dental Plan is under the portfolio of Rose Wu, vice president student affairs, and while the Health and Dental Plan Office follows a specific set of protocols, she can help students with any exceptional circumstances. Although Stewart paid “outbound exchange” tuition to the U of S while she studied at the University of Ottawa, she was classified as an off-campus student. For students away during term one, they have a period of two weeks to opt in to the coverage. Otherwise, they will have to wait until the fall to be covered through the USSU. The change-in-coverage period for new students was from Jan. 3 to 16 this year. However, when Stewart went to Studentcare on Jan. 15, she was told she was not eligible for coverage. Thinking there was nothing more that could be done, Stewart registered for insurance under her parent’s provider and did not look into
the issue any further. The Health and Dental Plan is tied to tuition, meaning that students who are not paying U of S tuition are unable to access the health coverage. While it is still unclear why Stewart was told she was ineligible, Wu says that online correspondence courses could play a factor for not triggering the student to be classified as being oncampus. “It’s hard to generalize because [each situation] is very individualized, but it is a triggering fee with being oncampus with the nine credits,” Wu said. A representative from the College of Law for the French common law program, Stewart’s program, was not made available for an interview. Although the International Student and Study Abroad Centre will ask students for proof of travel insurance before a study-abroad trip, the exchange Stewart participated in was domestic and falls out of the purview of ISSAC. Stewart says that, had she known she was not eligible for coverage, she would have registered with an external insurance provider. The university registrar is currently looking into the problem, but the issue remains inconclusive.
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MA R C H 07, 2 0 1 9
$15-million grant proposal to be used for new programs and enhanced curriculum The University of Saskatchewan’s operations forecast includes new programs and higher tuition for the upcoming years. J.C. BALICANTA NARAG OUTREACH DIRECTOR
The University of Saskatchewan is preparing new programs and an enhanced curriculum. The plans outlined in the operations forecast are contingent on receiving $15 million for 2019-2020 or $5 million over three years from the provincial government. The new programs will be for biomedical sciences, engineering and computer sciences to promote interdisciplinary studies between colleges on campus. Current internship and co-op programs will be expanding to better prepare career-ready U of S graduates for Saskatchewan’s businesses and industries. Alongside the new programs will be a “learning outcomes based” curriculum framework that will be implemented in all colleges, which the College of Arts and Science has already implemented. According to Anthony Vannelli, U of S provost and vice-president academic, this type of framework is mandated in professional programs but not in non professional programs, which will be changed. “If you are in engineering, in medicine [or] in law, those dis-
Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A group of high school students participate in an open house tour at the U of S on Sept. 28, 2019.
ciplines … require that the students that come out … all have achieved the outcomes as professionals … to make sure that the individuals that are dealing with the public are able to achieve those objectives at the highest level, … but we are putting that on all professional and non-professional programs,” Vannelli said. Vannelli said this framework came from the university’s Learning Charter, in which the five pursuits are tied to learning outcomes. “When you go deeper into each of these pursuits, you see the aspirations we have for what education and development look like for students. Learning outcomes can be tied directly to all of these pursuits,” Vannelli said in an email to the Sheaf. These five value-based pursuits are as follows: the pursuit of truth and understanding; the pursuit of knowledges, where knowledges refer to the importance of Indigenous teachings
and world views among others; the pursuit of integrity and respect; the pursuit of skills and practices; and individual and community pursuits. The Learning Charter is unique to the U of S as it reflects the university’s commitment to a diverse cultural community. When asked about the quality of the current curriculum, Vannelli says that it is the strongest curriculum and comparable to other universities. “The current curriculum that we have is one of the strongest curriculums in all disciplines across [the] university and comparable with other universities… Sometimes, they are a challenge because we are dealing with budget realities, so sometimes, the colleges can’t provide all the choices, but there’s absolutely a rich spectrum that is there,” Vannelli said.
For engineering, part of this new approach involves redesigning the first-year program focusing on students needs to succeed. Suzanne Kresta, dean of the College of Engineering, says that this revamped plan will encourage team building and collaborations. “Our first-year program is under a complete redesign right now that is a very learnercentred approach so that we can see where people’s knowledge is when they come into the university [and] offer … some catch up time for people that are missing pieces so that everybody starts their courses from the same base,” Kresta said. The first-year course for new engineering students will ensure a solid learning foundation by changing the way that they approach learning. “We’ve got a lot of opportunities for students to work
in teams and help each other out, to the point that we even have a module in January that’s about how [to] do peer-to-peer teaching,” Kresta said. Vannelli says that, if the university does not receive the proposed grant of $15 million, which will be presented by the Minister of Finance Donna Harpauer on March 20, they will adjust their budget to maintain a high-quality student learning experience. They will also be looking at potential donors such as alumni to guarantee the implementation of these plans. “I think the plan is, if we can’t get the full funding, … then you adjust the scale [for] what we can achieve [to] provide the student learning experiences and spaces,” Vannelli said. “I’m hopeful in the discussion with the government. It may not come out of this budget but over the next one to two years.”
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U of R and U of S student unions go different routes in tackling tuition The USSU does not support a tuition freeze but launches a separate campaign instead. ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER
The University of Regina Students’ Union called for a cease to tuition increases to address the issue of high fees in the province. Meanwhile, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union launched the campaign InvestInUs to put pressure on the government as the 2019 budget draws near. InvestInUs was first explained by Rollin Baldhead, USSU president, at the University Council meeting on Feb. 14. The campaign was planned by the USSU external committee before they were made aware of the URSU call for a province-wide tuition freeze, and their plans did not change after hearing of the Tuition Freeze Now initiative. The USSU decided not to support it and to go ahead with their campaign. Baldhead says the USSU decided against supporting the tuition freeze due to concerns about long-term consequences. “Before we made a decision, we wanted to make sure we wouldn’t repeat any mistakes that would affect students down the road,” Baldhead said. “A tuition freeze is nothing that we want to do. It creates awareness, but what it actually does is it passes the issue down to future students. It is a short-term Band-Aid solution.” With InvestInUs, the USSU hopes to increase the government’s financial support of the U of S through raising awareness. Baldhead consulted with “ministers of both parties to ask for guidance on how to run a
Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
successful campaign,” which will include campus outreach and video testimonials. The activities will unfold quickly over the next couple of weeks before the 2019 budget release on March 20. Baldhead plans to get media
coverage of the initiative. Jermain McKenzie, URSU vice-president student affairs, says the effort to get a tuition freeze in place at the U of R continues, despite the decision of the USSU not to support it.
“It does create a situation where the realization of the goal is a bit more difficult,” McKenzie said. “But it doesn’t change my plans of continuing to advocate for what I think is in the best interest of the students
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here at the U of R.” To concerns about the freeze being short - sighted, McKenzie says that the URSU campaign has never been only about the tuition freeze but about finding a long-term solution, using the freeze as a means to start change. “Even if the government decides in this budget to give the university an increase, I don’t think the problem will be resolved. In the next budget, the government might make a very different decision,” McKenzie said. “We live in a state of perpetual bandaging, and we need to move away from that model. That’s the conversation that I’m asking the government to have with us.” Ultimately, McKenzie believes that unifying the student voice is the only way to get the provincial government’s attention. “We can run all different types of campaigns with all different types of wonderful slogans, but I think we have to be honest to our memberships,” McKenzie said. “The fact of the matter is we don’t often see the government reacting in any meaningful way unless students are organized.” To this end, Baldhead is set to meet with the URSU on March 6 to find ways other than a tuition freeze in which the unions can collaborate on the issue of tuition rates. “I want to see how our unions can still work together and find common ground, to see how we can help make post-secondary education a priority for the government,” McKenzie said. “We will be discussing some long-term strategies for working together.”
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SPORTS&HEALTH
HOPE N.S. JEFFERY
The Sheaf takes on your health questions U of S students asked, and we answered. JACK THOMPSON
SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR
SHAWNA LANGER
Health is a tricky thing, and it can feel like you have more questions than answers. The Sheaf recently accepted health-related questions through a callout on Instagram, and we did our best to give you an answer here. Read through to the end to see how you can be a part of the next iteration.
I need a bigger booty. Why is this so much work?
Everything in this life takes work, and that generally sucks. Looking in the mirror and taking a mental Photoshop tool to your body has never worked for us. Our suggestion would be to focus on your mentality when striving for that big booty. We would argue that, although determination and willpower are integral to reaching goals of any kind, being kind to yourself is equally important. Our suggestion would be to try to learn to love the way you look now while you work out. Loving yourself and the way you look is incredibly hard in the world we live in, but we believe in you. Working out can help you reach your goals, but what we are saying is that seeing physical changes can take some time, and if you’re comfortable in the body you have, waiting to see the fruits
of your labour can be little less hard.
Do I really feel depressed or is it just my hormones temporarily messing with me?
Depression versus hormones or depression and hormones? If a hormonal imbalance is causing depressive symptoms, you may not find relief from antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications. Hormones, such as those produced by the thyroid gland, can affect depressive symptoms — depression is a common symptom of hypothyroidism. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol are hormones that can all affect mood-related symptoms based on their levels and your body’s sensitivity to them. Women are more vulnerable to experiencing feelings of depression because of fluctuating hormones. The yo-yo effect of hormones throughout a woman’s life and throughout the menstrual cycle can affect her mood and can be especially detrimental to those vulnerable to depression and anxiety. While premenstrual syndrome symptoms are generally manageable on a daily basis, premenstrual dysphoric disorder causes debilitating physical and emotional symptoms. Researchers believe PMDD may be an abnormal reaction to hormone changes during the menstrual cycle. Studies have shown a correlation between PMDD and
low levels of serotonin. Serotonin levels control mood, attention, sleep and pain. The only way to really know where your depressive symptoms are coming from is to talk to your doctor. Keeping a diary of when your symptoms are the most problematic can help your doctor determine if there is specific timing throughout your cycle that may be hormone-related depression or if there are certain events that could change your hormone levels.
Jump back into working out This week, we are going to do a little cardio to get our hearts working. We’re getting back into the rhythm of working out after the break with this one. If you don’t own a skipping rope, you can substitute with your imagination.
Jogging on the spot: 45 seconds
Mountain climbers: 45 seconds
Why does my back hurt?
Oof, that is relatable. Your back could hurt from a number of reasons. Jack’s back hurts due to a high school football injury, bad posture, a job where he has to lift things and sitting a little too much in general. Jack uses a foam roller and a massager and tries to go to the Recreation Services fitness class “Yoga for Backs” — it’s at 12:05 p.m. on Mondays, and if you get to even one class, the method used there is pretty replicable in your own home. Finally, the quality of the furniture you sit on most often can have an impact as well. Jack suggests researching and purchasing a high-quality chair if you do lots of studying at home — it’s helped him a ton. As with all health matters, please consult your doctor. If you would like to be part of the next advice article, keep an eye on the Sheaf’s Instagram where we will post calls for questions on our story.
Jump rope: 45 seconds
High knees: 45 seconds
All graphics by Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
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Golden Bears surpass Huskies to win Canada West The Huskies lose the Canada West championship to long-time rivals the Alberta Golden Bears in an intense three-game series. PIPER WOYTIUK
After a 25-3 win-loss season that earned the Huskies men’s hockey team top seed in the Canada West standings, it was off to playoffs. The team swept the Mount Royal Cougars in the semifinals, bringing them face to face with the Alberta Golden Bears for a fourth consecutive championship title fight. The Huskies started strong by taking the first win against the Golden Bears, but they couldn’t conquer the second night, ushering a tie-breaker game that ended in a loss for the dogs. Merlis Belsher Place saw a record-breaking crowd of fans out to watch the Huskies take on the Golden Bears on March 1. Jaimen Yakubowski opened the scoring during the first period of game one. Parker Thomas, Wyatt Johnson and Carter Folk also found the back of the net, making the overall score in night one 4-2 for the Huskies. Huskies men’s coach David
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Adolph spoke about the tension that night. “They won the national championship last year, and they are ranked number one in the country. I do not think they are going to be going away very easy. We need a much better effort tomorrow night,” Adolph said. He also commented on performance that night, saying that “the whole game was pretty uptight” before sharing his thoughts on the ice surface. “The ice wasn’t very good. I thought with this brand new facility things would be a little bit better. The puck was bouncing everywhere on both teams. We were not the only ones hurting,” Adolph said. “We scored the first goal, and that might have given the difference in tonight’s game. I think if they would have scored we might have been a little bit more nervous. Jaimen Yakubowski’s score just calmed us a little bit.” Despite voicing concern over ice quality, coach Adolph expresses his opinion about coaching the Huskies for the inaugural season of Merlis Belsher Place. “The Huskies have been my whole life. I played here for five years, I was an assistant coach for six, and I have been here as the head coach for 26 years. I do not know much else other than Rutherford Rink,” Adolph said. “When we moved over here [on] Oct. 1, I have never been back. I really like this new place.” David Adolph’s commitment and hard work have earned him the Canada West Coach of the Year award. The Huskies’ steady play and cool heads did not hold into the second game on
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David Hartman U of S Huskies forward Collin Shirley moves down ice with the puck against the U of A Golden Bears in the first game of the Canada West semifinal on March 1, 2019.
March 2. Golden Bears forward Riley Kieser scored 19 seconds into the second period, and Trevor Cox made it 0-2 by the end of the period. Goal three by Grayson Pawlenchuk in the third sealed a 3-0 win over the Huskies. Although they lost game two, the Huskies fought — literally — to the end. They racked up 58 minutes of penalty time with 46 of those obtained in the last five minutes of play after four ten-minute misconducts were called on players Jesse Forsburg, Alex Forsburg, Carter Folk and Wyatt Johnson for multiple brawls with the Bears on the ice. Huskies forward Collin Shirley spoke about the match and its implications for the final game. “I don’t think they were any better than us in game one as
they were tonight. I think it is even and comes down to who wants it more tomorrow. We need all 20 guys playing the full 60 minutes, and I’m sure they are going to be the same,” Shirley said. “It would be nice to be done tonight, but oneone against University of Alberta in the Canada West finals is not a bad place to be.” Game three blew the intensity of the first two nights out of the water. Both teams fought tooth and stick until the harrowing 0-1 defeat came for the Huskies. First period saw two power plays for each side, with the Huskies and the Golden Bears each getting five-on-three opportunities that neither team was able to use. Huskies goalie Taran Kozun was on fire, making several stupendous saves during the first 20 minutes of play. The match continued neck
and neck through the second period until Sam Ruopp took a hooking penalty — setting the Golden Bears on a power play that led to Luke Philp finding the back of the Huskies net for a 0-1 score. The fight was not over as the Huskies stormed into third period desperate to score. With 1.1 seconds on the scoreboard and a faceoff in enemy territory, Huskie Donovan Neuls won the face off flicking the puck back to Gordie Ballhorn who took a final heart-stopping shot. The puck soared over goalie Zach Sawchenko’s shoulder to connect with the crossbar in a hard miss as the horn went off. What could have been, and still was, an unlikely and disappointing ending brought the championships to a quiet and joyless close for the Huskies.
MA R C H 07, 2 0 1 9
CULTURE
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Environmental sustainability and the KonMari Method: Make March bring-your-own-mug month The waste audit encourages students to reduce waste by bringing a reusable mug to school.
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PEROGIE PALS BRUNCH POP-UP FT. PEROGIE PIRATES AND PALS DONUTS @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 11:00 A.M. DISNEY IN CONCERT — A DREAM IS A WISH @ TCU PLACE, 7:30 P.M.
COEUR DE PIRATE @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 9:00 P.M. GUNNER AND SMITH, ELLEN FROESE AND THE HOT TODDIES, AND NICK FAYE @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.
U of S Office of Sustainability / Supplied
LAUREN KLASSEN
Students have taken the initiative to make March bring-your-own-mug month after a waste audit showed the amount of garbage collected on campus. With a minimalist trend on the rise thanks to author and TV host Marie Kondo, more people are looking for ways to live sustainably. In January, the Office of Sustainability held a waste audit, which collected garbage from the main buildings on campus such as Lower Place Riel, the Education Building, Murray Library and the Health Sciences Building over a period of five days. The garbage collected was sorted by the volunteers into organic waste and recyclables. The audit collected several large bags of Styrofoam containers with 75 per cent of the waste accounted for being divertable. The accumulation of disposable coffee cups on campus reflects a small part of the larger issue of pollution. The waste audit sparked a conversation with members of the USSU sustainability committee about how students can reduce waste. Now, it is an opportunity to act. Recently, with author Marie Kondo going viral in mainstream media for her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up as well as her Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, people have felt the urge to purge their closets and mini-
mize their possessions. In the last few years, minimalism has gone viral, and students may be more open to incorporating waste reduction, reusing and recycling into their lives. In a culture of instant gratification that includes fast food, fast fashion and consumerism, it is easy to be apathetic and give into what is convenient. Combating pollution is an overwhelming task, but with small steps, students can reduce their waste. To begin a plan of action for individual waste reduction, one should follow the three Rs. The first R, which often gets overlooked, is reduce. Students can reduce their waste by bringing their own reusable coffee cup or thermos. Campus groups are advocating for reduction of waste by making March bring-your-own-mug month. It is a small action that will reduce the amount of paper cups used. Bringing a mug or thermos to campus is sustainable and incorporates the second R — reusing. The third R is recycling, and if students forget to bring a mug in March, there is another alternative for reducing pollution — recycling. Confusion over the recyclability of coffee cups often leads to students throwing cups in the garbage. However, the Office of Sustainability gives students the goahead to recycle Tim Hortons coffee cups. It is a confusing issue because the recyclability of cups will differ from place to place,
often depending on who the local recycling companies are and what capabilities they have. In Saskatoon, Loraas is able to recycle paper coffee cups. Coffee cups are “mixed paper,” meaning they are often combined with variablequality paper products. Mixed paper can have higher rates for contamination, and wax liners impede the process of recycling. The wax layer must be skimmed off during the pulping process. However, the additional steps taken to recycle mixed paper do not make it unrecyclable. As long as the coffee cups don’t have an excess amount of liquid in them, they can be recycled — a few drops of coffee won’t contaminate the recycling. Although recycling plays a significant role in combating pollution, there must be a focus on the first two Rs, which work to reduce waste. With the KonMari Method, the focus is on possessing less — only items that spark joy. Kondo’s method can be used for more than keeping your room organized, and sustainability projects can be a great way to integrate the KonMari Method into your daily life. It might be time to ask yourself this: does that disposable paper cup really spark joy? Students can take up the challenge and make March bring-your-own-mug month. See updates on the initiative using the hashtag #usaskmugmonth.
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NESS TAKEOVER — 2019 AUDITIONS @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 1:00 P.M.
SCOTIABANK SOMETHING ON SUNDAYS @ REMAI MODERN, 1:00 P.M.
PUBLIC LECTURE: A HEALTHY RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE @ STATION 20 WEST COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE CENTRE, 7:00 P.M.
KARAOKE NIGHT @ FLINT SALOON, 9:00 P.M.
M O N
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MEET AND GREET WITH ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS @ LOUIS’ LOFT, 6:00 P.M. GAMES NIGHT @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M. PAINT NITE: STARRY LAKE @ THE THIRSTY SCHOLAR, 7:00 P.M. RANDY BACHMAN @ TCU PLACE, 7:30 P.M.
T U E S
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LADY BITS IMPROV COMEDY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 7:00 P.M.
100% TUESDAYS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:00 P.M.
OPEN STAGE @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 8:00 P.M. YES WE MYSTIC WITH TOO SOON MONSOON @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 8:00 P.M.
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Something’s gotta give: Tensions rise on campus amid ongoing union negotiations U of S-CUPE 1975 negotiations become more complicated with other campus unions releasing statements. JACK THOMPSON
SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1975 is creeping further towards its fourth year without a new agreement. One of the few things that appear certain is that neither side of the bargaining table appears prepared to give an inch, but something has to give eventually, right? The long-running attempts to bargain for a new collective agreement saw a few updates over the week of Feb. 25. These included a few more campus unions getting involved, along with the announcement that a hearing has been scheduled to address one of the applications in front of the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board.
Tuesday, Feb. 26: CUPE Local 1975 press conference The first update of the week was a press conference held by CUPE Local 1975 on campus. The conference served as a platform for a number of speakers from CUPE and the Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association — another bargaining unit for workers at the U of S that resulted from a CUPE expansion in 1976 during which a few members refused membership of CUPE, forming ASPA in 1978. In addition to updating media outlets on the state of negotiations, the conference was also attended by many members of the Local 1975 who came to hear updates on the negotiations of their pensions and wages. CUPE Local 1975 talked about their bargaining with the university and reiterated their call to President Peter Stoicheff and the U of S Board of Governors for a meeting. Their call was met with a dismissal through a statement issued by Gord Hunchak, associate vice-president, strategic communications and chief communications officer of the U of S. “The Board of Governors and senior administration have been kept fully up to date throughout this entire process and are supportive of the direction the university’s bargaining
8 / FEATURE
David Hartman City of Saskatoon Ward 3 representative and CUPE national representative Ann Iwanchuk speaks to reporters after a press conference in the Health Sciences Building at the U of S on Feb. 26, 2019.
team has taken,” Hunchak said. CUPE national representative Ann Iwanchuk opposes this statement, challenging whether the university administration has been fully kept in the loop. “We do know that President Stoicheff and the BOG are the decision makers in this situation,” Iwanchuk said in an email to the Sheaf. “We find it difficult to believe that, if they were being kept in the loop, that they would maintain their position.” Iwanchuk speaks to why they want to meet with Stoicheff and the board outside of the bargaining table and to the history behind these types of meetings. “It is atypical to have an employer who will not meet with the union leaders,” Iwanchuk said. “The former acting President Barnhart regularly met with the union leaders on campus. It is particularly important to do so when 1,950 people could walk off the job, effectively making the university operations extremely difficult. If I were in that position, I would be willing to do whatever it takes to come to a satisfactory resolution.” As part of their presence at the CUPE 1975 press conference, ASPA asked that, in the event of a strike, members
“We do not want to inconvenience students — we want to achieve a collective agreement,” Iwanchuk said. “If we are forced to take job action, that’s on the university not CUPE Local 1975.” —Ann Iwanchuk, CUPE national representative not volunteer to do the work of CUPE 1975 members. In an email to the Sheaf, ASPA President Joanie Crandall and Vice-Presidents LaVina Watts and Dawn Giesbrecht explain the importance of this position. “Union bargaining teams are looking to achieve fair wages, fair benefits and fair working conditions for their members,” the ASPA president and vice-presidents said. “It is important to support colleagues in the way ASPA members would wish to be supported if the situation were reversed. Strikes are used by unions only as a last resort when there is an impasse and a fair agreement is not being reached through the bargaining process.” ASPA’s own collective bargaining agreement expires April 30 of this year. As
they prepare for bargaining, the arduous process of the U of S-CUPE 1975 negotiations hang over them. The president and vice-presidents comment on their outlook going in. “Years ago, collective bargaining between ASPA and the university was known as a gentleman’s agreement,” the ASPA president and vice-presidents said. “The tenor of negotiations has certainly changed since then. It’s become less co-operative and more adversarial.” The most significant update that occurred during the press conference is that, just as Iwanchuk was about to speak, she informed the crowd that she had just received communication that they would be returning to the bargaining table, which they will be doing on March 15.
Wednesday, Feb. 27: USSU statement released
On the day following the CUPE 1975 press conference, the U of S Students’ Union released a statement to “express its significant disappointment” that no agreement has been reached between CUPE Local 1975 and the U of S. Although the statement presents the USSU as a neutral party, the statement was a censure to possible job action as students would be “held to ransom” as bargaining chips. The statement referenced the 2007 CUPE Local 1975 strike to illustrate its concerns, citing the “threat of disruption” for food services, libraries, lab times and more — all services for students. The statement was posted to the USSU Facebook page, and in the comments, Deena Kapacila, former vice-president operations and finance for the USSU, said that the language used supports the university more than the Local 1975. Kapacila also said that the statement failed to be truly neutral. In another comment, Kylie Phillips, chair of the University Students’ Council, upheld the union’s position, stating that — since the USSU is not a labour union — they must
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David Hartman CUPE 1975 president Craig Hannah speaks to reporters after a press conference in the Health Sciences Building at the U of S on Feb. 26, 2019.
advocate for the student experience. Aidan Murphy, fifth-year women and gender studies and political studies double-major and student member of the U of S Senate, took his comments to the USC meeting on Feb. 28. Calling the statement “ineffective,” Murphy had this to say on the 2007 strike, which the USSU statement used as evidence for lost services. “When CUPE support staff went on strike for an entire month leading to lost services, … the USSU made the choice to remain neutral to simply say ‘we oppose a labour stoppage.’ Without the student union’s support, involvement or pressure, the strike lasted for over a month and students lost these services. Now, we are facing a similar situation, and the USSU is making a similar statement,” Murphy said. Murphy went on to cite the support from the University of Regina Students’ Union towards the U of R faculty union, stating that this support has given the union leverage in bargaining that could help avoid or mitigate job action. USSU Vice-President Academic Sheldon Moellenbeck says that the maintenance of services is best for students. “We hope that [a] fair deal can be reached soon to avoid service disruptions that would greatly impact students. As the USSU’s mission is to represent, serve and support undergrad-
uate students, it is our role to advocate for what is best for students,” Moellenbeck said in an email to the Sheaf. For Iwanchuk, she says that their goal is not to disrupt student services and that they will be meeting with the USSU in the coming weeks. “We do not want to inconvenience students — we want to achieve a collective agreement,” Iwanchuk said. “If we are forced to take job action, that’s on the university not CUPE Local 1975.” On the topic of service disruptions, the U of S statement addressed the issue generally. “In the event of CUPE 1975 taking job action, the university will remain open and classes will continue, and it will be our priority to minimize any disruption to our students and ensure the health and safety of our campus community,” Hunchak said. An important aspect of these strikes is the possibility of other unions refusing to cross a picket line. Perhaps, the group with the ability to impact students most significantly is the faculty union. If a strike were to occur, professors would be able to cancel class because their collective agreement protects its members from disciplinary action if supporting the strike of another union on campus. However, they would have a loss in pay for the period when they do not hold classes.
David Hartman CUPE members react to the updates given during the CUPE press conference in the Health Sciences Building at the U of S on Feb. 26, 2019.
Thursday, Feb. 28: Labour relations board hearing set
Due to two outstanding applications to the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board, CUPE 1975 is not in a legal strike position. The purpose of the most recent of these applications is to determine whether the university falls under essential services legislation, which would determine if all members of CUPE Local 1975 are able to strike, should that decision come.
“If the tribunal rules in the university’s favour, then we will be required to negotiate an essential services agreement. In order to have a successful strike, there has to be inconvenience to the employer. How much they are inconvenienced will be determined by how many of our members are required to work,” Iwanchuk said. This application will require a hearing to settle, which is slated to take place from March 26 to 28. The other outstanding ap-
plication was made in 2012, and CUPE Local 1975 is waiting to hear if they will be able to withdraw it — which the university is contesting. The next big dates on this story will be March 15 when bargaining resumes and March 19 when CUPE 1975 is holding a rally in the Bowl during the Board of Governors meeting. As the three days highlighted in this article show, this story is evolving and changing with each passing day.
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Stoic by Patient Hands is a hauntingly beautiful record by a former U of S student Ambient singer-songwriter Alex Stooshinoff speaks about his debut. COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR
Stoic — a new album released by Patient Hands, the alias of former University of Saskatchewan philosophy student Alex Stooshinoff — released earlier this month, and the artist has been making a name for himself with his deeply personal brand of ambient indie. The album is comprised of nine tracks of beautifully crafted ambient music. It explores themes of spiritual sickness and the search to recover one’s self after a life-altering experience that makes everything else seem monotonous by comparison. Stooshinoff attended the U of S from 2013 to 2015. He is currently finishing his philosophy degree at Concordia University. He originally went to Montreal to study electro-acoustics. His background
in sound led to his current work as the self-produced Patient Hands, but he found the program to be unsatisfying overall. Patient Hands is a relatively recent change in direction for Stooshinoff. Previously, he was writing and performing under the name Living Room — something he references on the single “I Shaved My Father’s Face” — but he found the name to be too generic, and it made his music harder to discover online. “I was playing as Living Room, but I was never all that attached to it. You also couldn’t find it online, so I started playing under my own name … because I’m the only one on earth, but then, I wanted to kind of distance myself from it,” Stooshinoff said. “I got a little worried about privacy for a couple years, and that’s when I settled on Patient Hands. It was the name of my second EP.”
Alex Stooshinoff / Supplied
The name change must have paid off as Stoic has been receiving positive press from sources like Exclaim! and even a feature on Spotify’s curated “Montreal Chill” playlist. Stooshinoff ’s record has been well-received by the Canadian music press. The album itself is inspired by ambient artists like Sun Kil Moon and Grouper. It retreads a difficult period of time that Stooshinoff refers to as his “dark night of the soul.” After taking ayahuasca under the guidance of a shaman, he found himself unable to experience life in the same way as he previously had and developed a physical illness that lasted 11 months. “I was so lost that I couldn’t really say anything about anything. That’s what I’m trying to
hint at in the preface to the record where I say that ‘Stoic begins in the dark,’ for instance. The opening track, ‘At Parting,’ is about having lost myself and sort of awoken in some metaphorical darkness, and I’m searching for myself for the remainder of the record,” said Stooshinoff. The response to this loss of meaning was to adopt a stoic demeanor but not in the way that contemporary philosophical self-help books are quick to recommend. Stoicism was never a choice for Stooshinoff — it was something thrust upon him by unforeseen circumstances. “When I talk about ‘stoic,’ I’m not advocating for stoicism. In fact, I quite dislike it. It’s just that, for whatever rea-
son, it was foisted upon me, and I fought it for two years, and then, I learned to just surrender to it,” Stooshinoff said. As a way of recovering from this unplaceable malaise, Stooshinoff made a record for himself, unconcerned with the approval of a wider audience. The lyrics are strewn with cryptic references and small in-jokes, but the overall effect is raw honesty rather than alienation. It’s a wonderfully personal and confessional record. “It’s sort of fashionable among ambient musicians — [for] some of the people who influenced me — [to] say that there should be no story behind a record and you should remove yourself as much from it as possible because it’s about someone else’s experience,” Stooshinoff said. As for the future of Patient Hands, Stooshinoff is currently working on a music video for the track “At Parting” and planning his next few records, which will further explore both the ambient and acoustic elements of his sound. You can listen to Stoic on Spotify or Apple Music. Merchandise and physical copies of the album are available at patienthands.bandcamp.com.
‘Buildings aren’t haunted, people are’: Inside the Netflix Original Russian Doll This existential offering allows us to learn about life through death. ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR
Russian Doll is comprised of eight 30-minute episodes that play out like Groundhog Day on acid. In the narrative, we follow Nadia Vulvokov — “like Volvo but with more letters and dyslexic” — while she continuously dies inside of a loop that always starts back at her 36th birthday party. While the time-looping trope may seem tired, Russian Doll pulls it off effortlessly — adding depth and dimension that other iterations of the concept haven’t explored. While there are similar parallels to Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day — the protagonist, Phil, dies several times in attempts to escape his endless loop — there are also stark differences. Phil’s loop breaks when he successfully woos his colleague and love interest into his bed after coming to the realization that he is in love with her. While Nadia also comes to the understanding that another
person may be needed to break her loop, it isn’t about love interests or sexual conquests — it’s something much deeper than that. As Nadia says during her disoriented run through her second loop, “I don’t know what I am doing. I was going to go home and fuck that guy, but now I just feel so profoundly empty.” It’s not who she can get into bed with her — it’s about not facing the world, or your demons, alone. Death is the motif that is explored episodically in countless ways, from darkly comedic to intensely emotional and profoundly devastating moments. But the theme of Russian Doll is life and the endless fight — clawing through the heavy dirt of our damage and demons to emerge at the surface. As Nadia’s surrogate mother figure, Ruth, says in her smoky voice, “You were this tiny seed buried in darkness fighting your way to the light — you wanted to live. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world. Do you still have that in you?”
Russian Doll is a meditation on damage. As Nadia falls endlessly through loop after loop, she always ends up back staring at her own reflection. She is finally able to take a long look at the internal void she’s been masking with her intelligence and wit — along with a heavy rotation of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. She along with Alan, a loop-sharing companion she meets at the end of episode three, live one day in their lives over and over again. But they are able to learn about not only the darkness they keep inside — “I’m the abyss,” Nadia drunkenly slurs to a homeless man — but also the light. They are forced together, a connection of circumstance, but through their repeated interactions, they are able to come to the realization that they are not meant to be alone. And neither are we. We need other people. It’s not because we are trapped in an endless death loop but because life is meaningless without others in our lives. We can’t do this alone
Shawna Langer
no matter how much we think we can. Russian Doll is exactly like its namesake — it is a nesting doll of cerebral exploration and a peek into the darkness and resilience that resides in all of us. As Ruth says, “Holding two incompatible ideas in your head at the same time and accepting both of them — that’s the best of being human. Yes-no, goodbad, life-death.” On the surface, Russian Doll appears to be a story that we’ve all seen before, but nestled inside each episode is a smart narrative that is layered with dark humour, sharp dialogue and deeply emotional character development. Despite the supernatural aspect of the time
loop, there is a reality that mirrors our own — full of mistakes and growth and a bunch of shit for us to sort out. “Hell is other people,” JeanPaul Sartre’s purgatorial play No Exit states, but in Russian Doll’s purgatory platform, it appears that hell is being alone. This is a devastating statement for misanthropes like me and the characters in Russian Doll. “Life is a fucking nightmare. Being a person is a fucking nightmare,” Nadia says in the final episode. And perhaps, it’s true, but at least, we don’t have be in this nightmare alone. As Alan explains it, “We are intrinsically and inexplicably linked, and our true purpose is to connect with each other.”
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Pharmacist Awareness Month aims to educate March is the month when pharmacists connect with the community to combat misconceptions about the profession.
How do I deal with postexam-mark blues? TOMILOLA OJO
With one bout of exams just completed and another starting soon, you’re probably looking for a way to deal with the stress and anxiety that surrounds test writing. Whether dealing with a less-than-satisfactory grade or your not-so-great study skills, I have some advice for you. First of all, planning is everything. It’s better to prevent a problem in the first place than to try to remedy it afterwards. Make sure you have a planner or a calendar where you can write down your due dates and exam dates. That way, they can’t sneak up on you. Then, you can plan when to start studying. I suggest starting two weeks before the test. Use the first week to go over your notes, rewatch lecture captures if they’re available and make cue cards — it all depends on how you study best. The second week, go over your study notes or cue cards again. You’ll find that the extra week spent reviewing your notes will really help you get the information into your head. Also, the great thing about the two-week reminder system is that, even if you procrastinate a bit, you’ll still get something in your head from studying every other day or two. It will alleviate the stress of cramming the last few days or the night before. Make sure you know what you should be studying — what exactly is your professor going to focus on? Check ratemyprofessors.com, or ask any friends who’ve taken the class previously where the professor usually gets their questions from. I’ve done poorly on a few midterms because the teacher was testing solely from the textbook and I was studying only content from the notes. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Arts and Science Students’ Union office in Arts 218 for past exams. Now, let’s say you’ve gotten a bad mark on your midterm. First things first, go to the exam review session. I know it sounds like a waste of time for some, but it’s really important. Not only does this let you know what areas you messed up on so you can better prepare for them next time but there is also always a possibility that a question that was right on your exam ended up getting marked wrong, especially if it was marked by a person and not a Scantron machine. Finally, keep in mind that, although it feels like it, one exam is not the be-all and end-all of your academic life. You can always make it up. Let it be motivation for you to work even harder!
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ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR
It’s likely that you’ve encountered pharmacists quite frequently — whether you are filling or picking up a prescription or just scouring the pharmacy for an overthe-counter medicine to treat what ails you. Pharmacist Awareness Month aims to both educate the public on the profession while also cultivating community ties between pharmacy students and their patients. Amanda Bunyamin is a thirdyear pharmacy student and the promotions co-ordinator of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns. “PAM is a month-long event that is put on by CAPSI. What it is is just to raise awareness about pharmacy in the college as well as in the community,” Bunyamin said. Different celebratory and awareness events take place on campus over the course of the month while outreach initiatives allow students to go into the community to engage with patients and the public. “We do presentations in schools. [In] elementary schools, we talk about safety with medications, and then, [in] high school, we talk about the role of pharmacists and health science, and relating that to biology and chemistry,” Bunyamin said. Passionate about educational outreach, the CAPSI council and pharmacy students are busy holding different community-based learning initiatives to help educate and empower individuals from all health backgrounds. “We do hold clinics in different community pharmacies. We are doing a pill drive at Market Mall this year where people can drop off their old, used [or] expired medications for safe disposal. And then, we also do different presentations… We do presentations at [the] SWITCH [clinic]. We do presentations at Luther Care Homes and another at Global Gathering Place,” Bunyamin said.
Riley Deacon / Photo Editor
This passion for education doesn’t end in the greater Saskatoon community. The month includes campus events that involve interdisciplinary workshops where students from all health disciplines come together to assess case studies and become more aware of the different roles that are a part of integrative patient care. This year’s panel is about HIV care. There is also a mentorship night where pharmacy students are able to interact with different pharmacists from various professional backgrounds to help propel their future careers forward. “I think there is still a misconception about pharmacists,” Bunyamin said. “I think our younger generations are starting to understand it more, but a lot of people still think that pharmacists just count pills in a pharmacy.” In the past several years, the scope of practice for pharmacists has increased. Pharmacists can now administer certain vaccines like influenza and travel vaccinations, and they can also prescribe for minor ailments like urinary-tract infections.
Birth control is another prescription that now falls into a pharmacist’s scope of practice. Anyone who has ever filled a prescription is aware of the usual 20-minute wait. Bunyamin explains that these wait times allow the pharmacist to access your insurance information, view your medical history, and check for the safety of the dose and any drug interactions — preventing adverse health effects and unnecessary out-of-pocket charges. Bunyamin hopes that these annual awareness campaigns will help get pharmacists more involved in a patient's care. Pharmacists can follow the course of patients’ health histories and be able to be instrumental in chronic health management. She hopes that pharmacists of the future will have a more active role. “Pharmacists are really accessible health-care providers,” Bunyamin said. So why not utilize your friendly neighbourhood pharmacists for your healthcare needs? They will be more than happy to help. For more information on Pharmacist Awareness Month, visit www.usaskpam.com/all-events.
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Why can’t we be friends? Elementary cooties still plague university friendships. while simultaneously making to the point that we were even the rejectee appear to be the given a ship name. We laughed victim. it off, of course, but it was still Since the dawn of time, there If a woman is friends with a irritating nonetheless. have always been preconceived man, or even just nice to him, Now, in university, I find the notions that boys and girls can’t that doesn’t mean she is look- mentality of being friends with be friends. Platonic friends are ing to couple up. She doesn’t the opposite sex is still around thought to eventually fall in owe you shit. an elementary-school level. love with each other — an idea The idea of the friend zone Why can’t we be open to and that is perpetuated in movie makes friendships seem accept the fact that there are all plots and television shows. worthless. If friendship is just types of complex relationships I call complete bullshit on a stepping stone to sex, then it in the world? this heteronormative ideology. becomes a punishment when I refuse to pull away from a Why can’t we be friends with propositions are rejected. relationship with someone I the opposite gender without Many people eventually lose connect with just because peoattraction being the under- the established relationship be- ple think we are dating. They lying reason? My guy friends cause they don’t fulfill the sex- are the ones who need to reare some of the best of friends ual connection that the other assess their views and ideas on I’ve ever had, and yet, despite party was hoping for. relationships. our emotional bond, I harbour I grew up thinking that your Connections are important no romantic feelings towards friends are your friends and in our lives regardless of genthem. their gender doesn’t matter. In der, sexual identity and oriBefore anyone starts think- elementary school, I would be entation. Humans are social ing that I put them in the the one to “catch” cooties from creatures, and we need to in“friend zone,” I’d like to stop being around boys. I ignored teract with people on a deepyou right there and tell you it. er level — this is biologically that the friend zone does not It wasn’t until high school imperative. Our need for conactually exist. It’s used by indi- that I saw how problematic nection has been genetically viduals as a justification to be coupling behaviour is. When ingrained in us as a means of seen as “nice guys” when they I grew closer to a guy friend, survival since Homo sapiens are rejected. It’s a way to shame we would be questioned by and Neanderthals first came women for rejecting men who friends and strangers about about. have feelings towards them whether we were dating. It got We need to connect to peoUniversité d’Ottawa | University of Ottawa YASHICA BITHER
Université d’Ottawa
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Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor
ple to survive — otherwise, we as a species could die of loneliness. As we progressed as a species, these relationships have become complex enough to include interactions with different levels of intimacy and respect. Limiting your connections limits the possibility of encountering new perspectives, ideas, pleasure and fun. I want my guy friends to be part of my life because we can learn from and grow with each other. We can have a mutual relationship of love and respect without romantic or sexual feelings being involved. Even if it so happens that I end up liking one of them or having a sexual relationship with one of them, this is not the priority, and I don’t see why it should be. Life is short,
and I want to be surrounded by people who make me happy and make me laugh, and if that so happens to be a guy, then oh-freaking-well. And for those who continue to question my relationships — whether they have sexual overtones or not — it’s not your concern. Platonic or not, relationships are a beautiful thing. They are one of the few things in society that make us all happier and better people through unification. Socialization is what keeps us alive, and it will continue to do so as we develop as a society. So don’t be afraid of being friends with someone just because people keep questioning if you’re dating. You know where you stand with them, and no one else should have a say in the matter.
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International Women’s Day 2019: Our place in the continued fight for gender equality What does this day really mean and what can you do for it? VAIDEHEE LANKE
March 8 is International Women’s Day — a day to celebrate the hard work, courage and triumphs in the journey towards universal gender equality. It’s also a Friday after a long week of school with the hope for spring and summer on our minds. It is easy to lose sight of the significance of the day among the hustle of our existence. The first International Women’s Day was held 108 years ago on March 8, 1911, but the struggle for gender equality started long before that. It was propelled forward by so many people — by both well-known pioneers and many more individuals whose voices we haven’t heard and whose stories we don’t know. Along this journey, there have been many trailblazers who have brought their own lived experience to the fight. It’s important to showcase these women and honour their stories. Harriet Tubman was an American political activist and advocate for the women’s suffrage movement. She was born into slavery, escaped and helped rescue many other enslaved people. Marie Curie’s groundbreaking scientific discoveries, in a
Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Harriet Tubman in 1885.
time when female scientists were rare, earned her a series of accolades that few people have and a historic place in science. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win a second! But equally important is the silent resistance of thousands of
Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Viola Desmond circa 1940.
14 / OPINIONS
women worldwide. In my short lifetime, the fight for gender equality has worked to bring about equal pay in the workforce, yet there’s more work to do. We have also recognized Viola Desmond, a black Canadian woman who fought racial segregation by refusing to leave a white-only area in a movie theatre, by placing her on the $10 bill in 2018. And of course, in the last two years, #MeToo has shone a much needed light on the systemic nature of sexual harassment. IWD is about celebrating all achievements in cultural, social, political and economic spheres while also carving out the next steps in this continued fight. As the IWD website says, IWD is “not country, group or organization specific.” It belongs to all us, so how are we contributing to it? The massive legacy of the women’s rights movement can leave people thinking that the problem is solved. Alternatively, the persistence of gender inequality can make individuals feel powerless, believing
Marie Curie circa 1920.
change can only be made on a large scale. Both sentiments are wrong. First, gender inequality is not one problem to be solved — it is countless problems that involve intersectional barriers faced in different capacities by different women, and it’s far from over. This is represented by the 65 million girls worldwide who can’t go to school, the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and the enormous inequality between female and male leaders in politics and organizations. Second, we can do a lot to change this reality. While simply retweeting, using a hashtag or liking a post is one way, this kind of activism is just scratching the surface of the powerful change we are capable of. We must remember that small community-based change is what leads to global change, and to create that positive change, we must use the strongest tool we have in the face of adversity: our citizenship. That starts with having courageous conversations. A few weeks ago, a group of
university students did just that. In a two-hour gender-equality dialogue with Plan International Canada, which was part of a bigger project called the Youth for Gender Equality, we discussed our experiences with gender inequality and made recommendations to combat it. What fascinated me, as the facilitator of the event, was the sense of community that we built for and with one another. We may never come across one another again, but the power of solidarity and hope for the future cultivated by that dialogue is something that I’ll carry with me forever. This IWD, I challenge you to engage in a dialogue with yourself, one person or many people — in your bedroom, on the bus, in the classroom and in activist spaces — about what you can do about gender inequality in your life and community. Because in 2019, the fight for gender equality is still pressing. It needs dialogue and togetherness, and it deserves more than one day of attention. Don’t forget that this day belongs to all of us.
MA R C H 07, 2 0 1 9
DISTRACTIONS
WWW.T H E S H E A F.COM // @ U SAS KS H E A F
Aries: March 21 - April 20
Only the fire of your anger will melt this ice apocalypse.
Taurus: April 21 - May 20
Break the bones of your enemies as a sacrifice to usher in spring.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Gemini: May 21 - June 20
Recruit a doppelganger for the month with an offering of cherry blossoms. Just remember whose reflection is staring back at you when you peer into the bathroom mirror in Murray Library.
Cancer: June 21 - July 22
Resign yourself to your fate. Your cells have revolted against apoptosis. You are now immortalized. Vive la révolution!
Leo: July 23 - Aug. 22 You sweet summer child.
Virgo: Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
The wind of spring will blow through the Bowl to gently kiss your ear lobe.
Libra: Sept. 23 - Oct. 22
The scales will never be balanced. They demand a blood sacrifice.
Wardah Anwar The Forbidden City in Beijing.
Scorpio: Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
In disguises no one knows, the campus is pulled towards your deep gravitational influence. Black hole sun, won’t you come?
Sagittarius: Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
No one invites centaurs to Spring Fling, you freak.
Capricorn: Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
Wouldst thou like the taste of butter? A pretty dress? Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?
Aquarius:
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 They say the Pacific has no memory. Beware the siren song of homeopathy.
Pisces: Feb. 19 - March 20
“Hypoxia, or oxygen depletion, is an environmental phenomenon where the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water column decreases to a level that can no longer support living aquatic organisms.”
DISTRACTIONS / 15
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 2 8 , 2 0 1 9
WWW.T H E S H E A F.COM // @ U SAS KS H E A F
I SS UE 2 3 // VO L . 1 1 0