March 28, 2019 by The Sheaf

MARCH 28, 2019

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.

The Commune takes over the Snelgrove

Shootings and social media

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U of S dance team gets feet off the ground

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ARCH and ANTH degrees combined

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Nykole King

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

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New provincial budget unveiled, leaves post-secondary funding essentially the same The 2019-2020 budget sees decreased funding for scholarships and no increases for advanced education.

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

Riley Deacon BOARD OF DIRECTORS Matthew Taylor Mikaila Ortynsky Kayle Neis Emily Klatt Jacob Lang Tyler Smith

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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. 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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Aqsa Hussain Saskatchewan’s Legislative Building in Regina in June 2018. ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

AQSA HUSSAIN

Finance Minister Donna Harpauer delivered the provincial budget on March 20 in Regina, and with it, the final chapter in her three-year plan to balance it. Though the province is back in the black, the budget brings cuts to advanced education and funds for scholarships. “The Right Balance” budget for Saskatchewan sees decreases in the Advanced Education budget line as a whole. Direct financial support for students was cut, with the funds for scholarships going down by 42 per cent in comparison to the 2018-2019 budget. The Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship is changing with these cuts to scholarships. Previously, the award gave up to $500 to all grade 12 graduates in Saskatchewan who attended post-secondary education in the province. The scholarship will now be issued based on financial need, to reach those “who truly need it.” As for other sources of financial aid, the student-loan program is receiving $4.7 million more than last year; the number of students that the fund will be divided by has also increased. Up-front grants and the Graduate Retention Program saw no changes. For institutional funding, the new budget has $469 million

going to universities, federated and affiliated colleges this year — $1 million less than last year. The amount given directly to the University of Saskatchewan is still mostly unknown. Although, a portion of the fund has been promised to the College of Medicine. The College of Medicine will be receiving $88 million, which is around the same amount as last year. The university forecast was hoping for an increase of $6.9 million to last year’s funds to be used for various initiatives including Postgraduate Medical Education and an Indigenous health curriculum. The U of S will also receive $5 million from the government to partially restore the $20 million withheld from the university’s operating grant in 2015-2016. This restoration is now halfway complete, after receiving the same amount in the 2018-2019 budget. The restoration of these funds was the priority ask in the U of S Operations Forecast 2019-20. The 2019-2020 budget sees a “continued restoration of $5 million in funding,” though it is unclear whether this is a commitment to fully restore the funds by 2021 like the university asked. The U of S forecast also asked to receive funds in support of the construction of the Health Sciences Building and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security. They expect to receive a total of $25.7 million in 2019-2020 after “several years of constructive discussions” with the provincial gov-

ernment. It is still unclear whether or not the government will reply to these requests. Partial support for these construction projects might be included in the nearly $22million budget line for capital repairs and maintenance across the post-secondary sector. Although, this line saw no change from last year. Finally, the last U of S funding priority to go unacknowledged was the call for investment into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The province of Alberta is planning to withdraw in 2020 from an interprovincial agreement to share costs of the program. Without additional support, the program will be operating with a decrease of nearly $9 million to its annual funding by 2023-2024. The 2019-2020 provincial budget was balanced as promised, but it left things much the same for Advanced Education. The government aimed to “strike the right balance by maintaining operating grants,” but cuts to areas like financial aid coupled with the issue of dealing with inflation without any increased funds might complicate the government’s goal of keeping post-secondary institutions “sustainable now and into the future.” Budget highlights outside the realm of advanced education include a $211-million increase in targeted investment to benefit Indigenous populations and a record-high provincial investment in mental-health and addiction services.

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NEWS

Bachelor of arts programs in archaeology and anthropology merged into one starting in spring The combined program will reportedly be more flexible for students and faculty.

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor The Archaeology Building at the U of S on March 26, 2019. ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

Starting in May 2019, the University of Saskatchewan will offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in Archaeology and Anthropology instead of offering them as two separate programs. The merger aims to help integration within the department and offset budget cuts. The department of archaeology and anthropology has its origins in the defunct department of anthropology that decades ago split into two separate departments, each with its own BA program. Since archaeology and anthropology came back together in 2008, the department has been aiming to further integrate the two areas. As a result, the two undergraduate programs will soon turn into one. Current students will have the option to change course to the combined BA or to graduate in either of the former programs. The Bachelor of Science in Archaeology will stay unchanged. Angela Lieverse, department head of archaeology and anthropology, says that the merger of the BA programs is the culmination of years of work towards integration within the department.

“We have been integrating for years,” Lieverse said. “Bringing the two BA programs into one seemed like the perfect way to finalize the process of becoming one department.” The change is also a response to cuts to the department’s budget. Their Notice of Intent for New Programs, presented to the Planning and Priorities Committee, explains that “with continuing reductions to [their] department’s annual operating budget, [they] can no longer rely on sessional instructors or associate faculty members to cover off necessary courses for [their] students.” The combined BA will have fewer course requirements than the previous programs. Lieverse says this means they can offer some classes every other year, but it will not result in fewer options for students. “All of the courses that we’ve offered in the past will still be offered. Nothing’s going to be changed or removed — it’s just about how those courses get put together into a degree,” Lieverse said. “Fewer requirements means more flexibility for students but also for faculty and staff.” Lieverse says that a degree in anthropology that covers the subdiscipline of archaeology is the common practice in North America and that the U of S remained different because of the

historical separations within the department. According to Lieverse, the combined degree will still give students the opportunity to follow their interests. “It looks like we are changing things dramatically, but we are really not. By and large, students are going to take the same courses that they were always going to take,” Lieverse said. “If they want to focus more on archaeology or anthropology, that’s fine.” Incoming students will have to take two introductory courses and then three out of four required 200-level courses. After that, they are free to pick whichever classes they want. At the end of their degree, they will also have to take a unified capstone course: ANTH 400. The course will be a seminar on contemporary issues like the archaeology and anthropology of reconciliation. It will start being offered around 2020. Lieverse says that the combined degree will bring opportunities for collaboration within the department and that the professors and staff are planning new integrated courses for the future. “We can start teaching courses in the other discipline or co-teach courses,” Lieverse said. “Budget was part of our decision, but it really was offering a really effective program that is better integrated.”

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CUPE 1975 rally aimed at getting the attention of the university administration

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Edwards School of Business introduces two new certificates for students outside of the college These programs are made to share the perspectives of business and nonbusiness students through collaborative work.

Several groups on campus came out to a rally that brought passionate workers together to show their support for CUPE 1975. JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1975 held a rally in the Bowl at the University of Saskatchewan on March 19. Throughout their attempts to set a meeting with the U of S Board of Governors and university President Peter Stoicheff the union has been met with silence. In contrast to the university’s silence, the rally was accompanied by a wall of noise with a powerful speaker system, dozens of noisemakers handed out to rally attendees and even some band instruments. The rally generated sounds of discontent that could be heard across campus. The event drew in hundreds of workers and others from campus, including delegates from CUPE’s National Bargaining Conference that was taking place in Saskatoon at the time. Among the speakers at the event was Eric Neufeld, a professor in the department of computer science, who spoke for the U of S Faculty Association before CUPE National President Mark Hancock took to the podium. The crowd made noise to garner the attention of the Board of Governors, who were having a meeting nearby during the rally. Many of the talks from those with CUPE revolved around their biggest point of contention during bargaining, this being maintaining the current defined benefits pension plan. The crowd chanted “paws off our pensions” and cheered for the speakers enthusiastically. Energetic union members walked around with CUPE flags and signs with messages ranging from statements of discontent directed at the university to encouraging sentiments about fighting for their pensions and wages. The rally evoked emotions from the crowd, and Hancock spoke after the event was over as to why this approach was taken. “Being quiet and peaceful and just talking hasn’t found the solutions that we need,” Hancock said. “At this point, we’ve got to turn it up a little bit. We’ve got to put a little bit more pressure on the Board of Governors here and let students know, let parents know [and] let folks know that the situation is becoming critical here at the university.”

Heywood Yu Mark Hancock, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, addresses CUPE Local 1975 members during a rally in front of the Peter MacKinnon Building at the U of S in Saskatoon on March 19, 2019.

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Riley Deacon / Photo Editor The front entrance of the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan on March 22, 2019.

J.C. BALICANTA NARAG OUTREACH DIRECTOR

After years of offering the Business Administration Certificate to mature students and entrepreneurship minors for other colleges, the Edwards School of Business has now replaced it with two new programs. This is the result of a decline in enrollment to the programs. The Edwards School of Business Faculty Council approved the motion to replace the BAC and entrepreneurship programs on Oct. 19, 2018. It was then proposed to the University of Saskatchewan Council a month later and was approved in January 2019. The new programs are a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and a Certificate in Business. According to Natasha Katchuk, Edwards communications officer, the names are fairly similar, but the range of skills that each certificate offers are different. “The entrepreneurship certificate is tailored towards those who are interested in entrepreneurial thinking, and the business certificate is intended for individuals who are looking for some of the tools that employers demand in the hiring process,” Katchuk said. “It’s a definite addition, a way to stand out to employers for students who are graduating and aren’t already business students.” Tara Lucyshyn, Edwards undergraduate retention and programs advisor, says that these certifications resolve concerns raised by current BAC and minor in entrepreneurship students. “Students under our old certificate programs were looking

for … more course options and greater flexibility in terms of programming,” Lucyshyn said. “I think we’ve met that with these two options and with two distinct streams, so students can tailor [their certificate to] their needs and what drives them.” Lucyshyn says, in an email to the Sheaf, that the Certificate in Entrepreneurship will be replacing the current entrepreneurship minors in the colleges of Engineering, Arts and Science and Kinesiology. Current engineering students can transfer their COMM 102 credits if they are interested in the entrepreneurship certificate. Students who are in the BAC program will be transferred into one of the new programs, combining non-business and business students because the courses offered are through the Bachelor of Commerce program. Katchuk says that the programs offer flexible options such as taking classes via faceto-face or online lectures. Lucyshyn says that the combination of students with different work backgrounds exposes them to how the business world functions. “Because it’s going to be blended, all those different backgrounds will collaborate together, and we wanted to do that because that’s what today’s working environment is going to look like,” Lucyshyn said. “You’re going to have a mix of all types of people working together, so we’d like to expose students to that and have them start to collaborate while they are doing their program.” The course programs for each certificate include four core classes and two capstone class-

es. The capstone classes will be different depending on the stream a student chooses. “Obviously, [for] the entrepreneurship certificate, the capstone class will be entrepreneurship adventure development,” Lucyshyn said. “For the business certificate, it’ll just be business negotiations and business policy as well as ethics and strategic decision making, so it depends on the streams.” The programs are structured to be pursued parallel to a student’s primary degree, and they can be finished in as little as 10 months or as long as four years, the regular number of years needed to attain a degree. Katchuk says the recent accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International is one of the motivational factors behind replacing the BAC program. “AACSB is … an accreditation that the top business schools in the world have sought out and achieved, and we got our accreditation last year,” Katchuk said. “What that means is that all of our programs are considered among the top five per cent of business schools in the world.” The universities of British Columbia, Manitoba and Ottawa are among the 24 Canadian universities awarded an AACSB business accreditation. “Part of the process of the accreditation is that we submit ourselves to continuous improvement cycles,” Katchuk said. “Part of the reason that we switched BAC … is about flexibility and listening to the feedback from the students so [that] we’re continuously improving and offering more flexible options.”

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New U of S Dance Team has a successful first year Despite being new and struggling with funding, the U of S dance team thrives in its first season.

Recipe:

Homemade turkey meatballs and spaghetti HOPE N.S. JEFFERY

Time: 20 minutes Recipe from hellofresh.ca Ingredients 250 g minced turkey 1 /8 cup parmesan cheese 2 tbsp. Italian bread crumbs 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning 2 cloves of garlic 1½ tsp. parsley 1 small shallot Two servings worth of spaghetti 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1¾ tbsp. crushed tomatoes 2½ tsp. chicken bouillon 2 tbsp. oil 2 tsp. salt Pepper, to taste

U of S Dance Team / Supplied

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

The University of Saskatchewan Dance Team held auditions in September 2018. Nearing the end of their first year together, the team has already won awards in several provincial competitions and has received attention from global championships. The team started when head coaches Jill Martin and Brogan Beechinor met while judging city dance championships and talked about how there wasn’t a dance team at the U of S. Four months later, they had a full team ready to go. Since they began practicing and performing in fall 2018, the team has been doing well in competitions. Their first appearance at a contest was the February Ice Breaker competition in Regina where they won Ultimate Dance Grand Champions and first place in both Jazz and Pom. More recently, they won first place for Pom, Jazz and Hip Hop at the March 23 Saskatchewan Cheerleading Association Provincial Championships, also in Regina, and were awarded the highest scholastic dance mark of the competition. Madison Burns, first-year arts and science student and team member, decided to try out for the team as a way to

continue her dancing career and to meet people in her first year of university. She says she considered attending the University of Regina because of the lack of a dance team at the U of S. “I didn’t want to go down to the U of R, but I was contemplating it because they have a really good dance team. I also know a lot of girls who go out to BC or Toronto to continue dancing,” Burns said. “I was torn up about it — I wanted to keep on dancing.” For Burns, joining the dance team has also been an opportunity to connect with other dancers. She says the bond between the team members, even in their first year of performing together, is uncommonly strong. “It’s been a great help for me,” Burns said. “There’s nothing more bonding than going out and knowing you rocked your dance and then receiving recognition for that. I just love being there as a team.” Burns says the team’s win at the SCA Provincial Championships shows the growth of the team this season. “When you have a new team, you don’t really know how each other or how everyone works. Being able to talk to each other and knowing where everybody is — that’s what group dancing is about,” Burns said. “If you watch our beginning dances, we are kind of unsure — later

on in the season, it’s all muscle memory, and we feed off each other’s energy so much more.” Looking to the future, the dance team aims to represent Canada on a global scale. Although, funding is a limitation. The team doesn’t currently receive any funds from the university, and Martin says the costs of running the team have been surprising. The group has sponsors for things like clothing and studio space, and they hold fundraisers. Burns says that being hired as a promotional team for the Huskies hockey games — handing out prizes to the audience and taking care of Howler — has been a big help. “We are basically the security guards for Howler,” Burns said. “We make sure he doesn’t fall over or get attacked by children.” The team is already looking to next year and beyond. Martin says they will be aiming to get bigger sponsors for competitions outside Canada like the International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships. “Because there’s not a lot of open dance teams all over Canada, we have a good chance of becoming one of the first Team Canadas at some world competitions,” Martin said. “We are already looking at auditions and planning what the team’s going to look like for next year.”

Instructions First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large pot, add 12 cups of water and two tsp. salt. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, peel and then mince garlic. Finely chop parsley, and peel and cut the shallot into small pieces. Next, in a large bowl, combine turkey, parmesan, bread crumbs, half of the garlic, ½ tbsp. Italian seasoning and ½ tsp. salt. Season with pepper. Roll the turkey mixture into one-inch-wide meatballs, and set aside. Break spaghetti in half, and add it to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender — roughly 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add one tbsp. oil and then the meatballs, searing them and turning often until golden brown — around 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Transfer meatballs to a foil-lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven until cooked through. Heat the same pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add one tbsp. oil, shallots, remaining garlic and Italian seasoning, stirring often until shallots soften. The spaghetti should be tender by now. Reserve 2/3 cup of pasta water, and drain the rest. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and broth concentrate. Reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce slightly thickens. Add meatballs, pasta, reserved pasta water and remaining parsley.

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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SPORTS&HEALTH

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D g Watch: Jacob Fritz With a fractured orbital bone, this Huskie wrestler is finishing the season on the fritz. HOPE N.S. JEFFERY

Have you ever wondered about the strength and dedication it takes to wrestle? Take a look at Jacob Fritz for an example of a hard-working student athlete. Fritz is a 19-year-old wrestler from Regina. He started wrestling at Sheldon Williams Collegiate, trained on the side at Cattown Wrestling Club in Regina and did judo for two years at the YMCA in Regina. The wrestler made his way onto the Huskies team at the University of Saskatchewan — where he studies kinesiology. You can either find him at the gym doing power cleans, hanging with his friends or studying to excel in his program. Fritz started wrestling because he always enjoyed wrestling and roughhousing with his friends. Feeling he was on the smaller side in grade nine, he decided that wrestling would be a better fit for him compared to some other sports like football. Funnily enough, one of the reasons he did not join football was because of the chance of injury. Little did he know that, during his wrestling career, he would fracture his elbow, and

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this year, his orbital bone. Because of this, he was not able to go to the Canada West Championship this season, which is one of his personal goals. It’s a large competition that includes all of the western Canadian universities, and it qualifies wrestlers for nationals. At this championship, the women’s team won while the men’s team took a close second. They were able to prepare for the Canada West championships by competing almost every weekend in October and travelling to the United States frequently to better themselves for the competition they faced. Fritz says his favourite part about wrestling is the effort that needs to be put into it. “It demands 100 per cent of your focus and attention, which can be meditative. If you aren’t 100 [per cent] on your competition, you’re not going to be successful,” Fritz said. He also likes that wrestling is a way of pushing himself to be better every day. On being a part of the Huskies, Fritz says that the program has found a good balance of striving for excellence in both sport and academia. “[They have] fostered an environment that will force you to grow and challenge you. At

Jacob Fritz / Supplied

the same time, they care about the well-being of every athlete, and as a student, they provide a lot of opportunities and help you excel.”

His greatest achievements in wrestling so far happened in his grade 11 and 12 years at Sheldon Williams Collegiate where he received the Sportsmanship Award for Regina and the Most Dedicated to the Sport Award the following year. Alongside these accomplishments, Fritz says that wrestling has allowed him to seek greatness in other aspects of his life. “Wrestling gave me more confidence but also showed me that there is a direct relationship between how much you to put into something and how much you get out of it, and that carried over into my school

and relationships. As soon as I started wrestling, my marks went up. I made a lot of friends through wrestling as well that I will have for the rest of my life,” Fritz said. If you are looking to join, Fritz wants you to know that you need to be ready to work hard. He says that “it is very difficult physically and requires quite a bit of perseverance mentally as well.” He practices five or six days a week, putting in around 10 hours on the mat and three hours of strength and conditioning workouts with a trainer — plus two hours extra of cardio.

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SPORTS&HEALTH

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U of S Rugby Club has their best showing yet at nationals While not coming away with extraordinarily high placements, the teams showed that they are able to compete on a national level. JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

The University of Saskatchewan Rugby Club made team history at the national tournament. While they didn’t take home any hardware, the team had new accomplishments, and although they aren’t currently supported by their university, this tournament was a great step forward in their growth. Going into the tournament, Mike Sheinin, coach for the team, was optimistic and excited to see the team’s performance while remaining realistic about their position going in. In a social-media interview with the Sheaf, Sheinin explains that they are “trying to keep pressures low, but it’s tough when the team has such high hopes.” Sheinin broke down the teams’ performance, starting with the men’s squad, stating that they played solid rugby outside of a few mental mistakes. Even with a solid game overall, these few mistakes can cost the team in a big way as both of their first games saw mistakes get turned into 14 points for the other team. Additionally, the U of S team had one of the toughest pools to play through — including the hosts of the tournament, the Royal Military College of Canada. “We’ve never beaten RMC at nationals before,” Sheinin said. “They are a big, hard-running team that likes to keep it tight. Because of our first two games and what we know of RMC, we decided to change our gameplay a bit. We started our two biggest and hardest runners, Louis Carter and Harrison Kryczka. We told them to just run hard if they get the ball. Don’t pass, just smash the other team and play hard Sask. rugby.” On the women’s side of the tournament, Sheinin explains that they had a similar start and made some costly mistakes, but one of their veterans, Kristine Lovatt, was trying her hardest from the start. The coaches had to rile up the team for their third game of the tournament, which resulted in them coming away with a huge accomplishment. “The women played a very athletic Humber team and outplayed them the whole game, winning by 3 points,” Sheinin said. “Lovatt again had a great game and made an unbeliev-

Riley Deacon, Photo Editor / File The University of Saskatchewan Rugby Club runs down the field during fitness practice on Oct. 3, 2018.

able try-saving tackle to save the game. The women haven’t won a game at nationals since they beat Regina in 2016.” After pool play was playoffs, and the men got their playoff run started by taking on the Concordia University Stingers — a favourite going in. While the U of S team lost in the end due to Concordia capitalizing on their mistakes, Sheinin views the game as an achievement. “Everyone watching was cheering for us as the underdogs playing outstanding rugby. We did everything right for 13 minutes and 40 seconds throughout the 14-minute game,” Sheinin said. “We lost 19-12, which was the closest game Concordia had at the tournament.” The men’s team then had to play the Quebec Selects, a team they had lost to in pool play, and would drop the game by a close margin of two points, finishing in seventh place in the country. The women’s team also had a good playoff run that could have gone differently if it weren’t for a few mistakes. “They played a perfect game against St. Lawrence College and won 35-0. Their final game was a pure heartbreaking loss to Western. We played strong, and like the men, only had two minor mistakes, but those cost us greatly as we only lost by 2,” Sheinin said. “The women

proved it to the rest of the tournament, but mostly to themselves, that if they go into these games with the right mindset, we can compete with any team.” While neither team will be bringing back anything new for the trophy case, the tourna-

ment was still a large success. Sheinin explains that the team received recognition for the lack of funding they have to operate within. “Our men showed everyone at the tournament that U of S rugby is the real deal. As coaches, we were hearing

from every other team’s coach about how impressed they were with our team. Everyone was so amazed that we weren’t a university-funded and recognized team. Actually, we were the only team in the top eight [that] wasn’t university funded or recognized.”

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FEATURE

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From ancient primates to human-insect hybrids to cyberspace rabbits: Exploring BFA thesis shows at the Snelgrove The Gordon Snelgrove Gallery features BFA thesis shows by U of S students throughout the month of March. COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

For fine arts students, a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts exhibition is a requirement of the degree, and for the month of March, the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery is entirely dedicated to BFA thesis shows. I wanted to look behind the scenes and find out more about the process that goes into these shows, so I spoke to a few of the artists hosting thesis shows this month. I attended the closing reception for a joint BFA show on March 22 that featured work from Lauren Warrington, Nguyen Tran and Kelsey Ford. Each of the three shows was unique in its thesis and artistic intent, exploring varied themes from the commonalities between insects and humans to shifting perceptions of self in the digital age. The gallery was split into three distinct exhibits with Tran’s art featured on the right. His show — entitled Time is the Only Thing They Didn’t Have — deals in themes of mortality and the passage of time in a distinctly playful manner. The exhibit featured screenprints and oil pastel works depicting primates and Ancient Greeks — which Tran describes as “essentially the two main characters of this show” — in bright, eye-catching colours. One of Tran’s pieces, in the end we’re all fragments, was comprised of three screen prints repeating the image of a fractured Greek statue inexplicably sporting modern sneakers. The subtle differences in each of the three images made me pause and look at the art longer than I otherwise might have. Tran’s art is full of little details and little hidden jokes that require a closer look from the viewer. In an email to the Sheaf, Tran elaborates on the incorporation of humour into his artwork. “I always incorporate humour in [the] visual language of a piece. My works have lots of comedic aspects in them. I think, through humour, it is easier to deliver serious themes. Humour is the bridge that helps the viewer get to the often heavier messages in my work,” Tran said. An example of this is the chalk pastel piece this is where it all started, which features two stoic philosophers laughing during a discussion. It’s not immediately apparent, but just off to the side of the frame, you can spot a credit card and some empty drinks on the table. The blending of contemporary culture, historical imagery and vivid colour comes together to produce something compelling. The burlap and plaster sculpture said we’re going but you didn’t take me served as the conceptual centrepiece of the ex-

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Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Time Is The Only Thing They Didn’t Have by Nguyen Tran on display in the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery at the U of S on March 22, 2019.

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor A piece from Lauren Warrington’s Somewhere in Mid-Hyperspace is Where She Left Her Rabbit hangs on the wall in the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery at the U of S on March 22, 2019.

hibit. The piece is made up of casts of vaguely human-shaped feet that are cut off at the ankles and once again at the toes. It’s a quizzical statement that causes the viewer to ask questions. How does this relate to the other works on display? Are the feet stuck in place or are they running from something? Do the shapes

suggest human features or do they relate to the oil pastel paintings of primates? The sculpture creates the illusion of both temporal and spatial movement entirely through suggestion. While there is a degree of uncanniness to Tran’s exhibit, Ford’s Morphology outright challenges the viewer with its depictions of human-insect hybrids.

The exhibit was located in the centre of the gallery and consisted of shadow-box sculptures, screen prints and a piece made from a typewriter. Ford’s work is aesthetically pleasing with focused colour palettes and clean lines, but the theme reminded me of the seminal body-horror classic The Fly. Despite its confrontational nature, Morphology contains beauty in its parallels between insects and human bodies. Of the three shows on display, Morphology was the one that grew on me the most as I continued to think it over after I left the gallery. For the thesis of the show, Ford sought to anthropomorphize insects in the same way we often attribute human qualities to mammals and other animals that we find more endearing. “I’ve always had an interest in oddities, which I think influenced my overall aesthetic. For my BFA show, I knew I wanted to create pieces that looked like they could be shown in a science museum instead of an art gallery. “Humans and insects share more similarities than most people would like to recognise. Since insects aren’t romanticized in the same way that humans tend to romanticize animals, it became a need to create works that would show insects in an endearing and almost ‘cute’ light,” Ford said. The piece that best exemplified the blending of body horror and emotional poignancy was entitled The Internal Reproductive Structure of the Human Heart. The print depicted the human heart as an ant colony, a concept that, on a biological level, is horrifying as it calls to mind

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FEATURE

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Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Pieces from Nguyen Tran’s BFA exhibit hang on the wall at the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery at the U of S on March 22, 2019.

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Morphology by Kelsey Ford sits on display in the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery at the U of S on March 22, 2019.

ideas of infestation and sickness, but as a metaphor, it’s actually rather sweet. By presenting the metaphorical in grim scientific reality, Ford’s work excels at drawing parallels between insect species and human beings. By challenging us to look beyond the initially gruesome imagery and relate ourselves to otherwise overlooked parts of nature, Morphology shocks the viewer into thought. It’s an exhibit that I enjoyed on a conceptual level as well as an aesthetic one. On the left of the gallery was Warrington’s Somewhere in Mid-Hyperspace is Where She Left Her Rabbit, a striking meditation on the nature of online interaction and digital spaces. The Lewis Carroll allusion repaints cyberspace as a rabbit hole of identity, a fitting metaphor when you consider the confounding, surreal and oftentimes frustrating aspects of online culture.

The exhibit’s centrepiece was a virtual-reality experience called Somewhere in Mid-Hyperspace that transports the viewer into a sky-blue digital environment inhabited by giant rabbits sputtering through unnatural looping animations. The piece throws the viewer headfirst into the uncanny valley, and my experience with it left me disoriented for at least a few minutes afterward. In an email to the Sheaf, Warrington describes her background in 3D imaging and how the project came about. “I began working with Blender and Unity, two open-source programs, about a year ago for a self-directed project in Jon Bath’s class, Art and the Internet. I created a realm dealing with FOMO that took form as a first-person-player situation. I liked how the environment was immersive and knew I wanted to continue experimenting with the medium.

Virtual reality seemed like a logical next step, so I asked Jon about getting a VR rig,” Warrington said. There’s a moment in the installation where one of the rabbits jumps out at you, and for someone who’s never done VR before, it was pretty unnerving. I heard one of the patrons behind me ask “Are the bunnies jumping all over you?” I must have flinched in response to the sudden change in imagery without realizing it. I took the headset off, mumbled something in response and placed the hardware back on the hook, unsure if I wanted to immediately go back into hyperspace or avoid it like the plague. It’s a powerful piece of art made even more interesting by its use of cutting-edge technology. The more traditional works in Warrington’s show were equally fascinating. On the side opposite the VR rig, there

were three Plexiglas installations with disorienting prints featuring fragmented alien-like female figures and hairless rabbits. Much like the VR installation, I found that these three pieces also provoked a change in the perspective of the viewer. On my first pass through the gallery, I was focused mainly on the installations themselves, but as I walked through in the opposite direction, I found myself focusing on the shadows that they produced and appreciated the thought that must have gone into lighting the gallery. Warrington agrees that the lighting was critical. “Yes, lighting was a major focus during install. I chose Plexiglas as my support because it is both synthetic and transparent. I like how polymer speaks to mechanical reproduction, technology and consumerist culture. The smooth shiny surface is too perfect to be organic, and I felt it was necessary to create shadows in order to give this static material a sense of life,” Warrington said. Warrington’s work is a great example of thought-provoking modern art that deals with contemporary social issues and a changing digital climate. The VR experience may have been the main draw for some, but the rest of the pieces on display equally explored the conceptual underpinning of the entire project. In looking at each BFA exhibition up close and talking to the artists, I was struck by how thematically cohesive each student’s work was. The exhibition may have lacked the polish of a show by a major international artist at Remai Modern, but the rawness of the material and the conceptual innovation was invigorating. The next BFA show will begin on March 25 with a closing reception on March 29. It will feature art from Rory Hierzer as well as Kaitlin Wong, who currently works as the layout editor at the Sheaf, and Mike Tremblay, who regularly contributes cartoons to the Sheaf.

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CULTURE

EVENTS T H U R S

ECONNECTED @ STAYBRIDGE SUITES SASKATOON, 5:30 P.M.

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // MA R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 9

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Re-evaluating Picasso:

Visionary painter or art-world villain? Although he’s widely considered a master of form, Picasso’s conduct was unmistakably reprehensible.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING SHOWCASE @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 6:00 P.M.

JON BRYANT AND DYLAN COOPER @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 7:30 P.M.

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

F R I

SASKATCHEWAN BOOK AWARDS SHORTLIST AUTHOR READING II @ MCNALLY ROBINSON, 7:00 P.M.

LIGHTHOUSE — 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 8:00 P.M.

TAKE SOMETHING AND RUN SEASON’S END SHOWCASE AND KARAOKE @ THE UNDERGROUND CAFÉ, 8:00 P.M.

CESCHI AND FACTOR CHANDELIER WITH AWOL ONE @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.

S A T

MEXICAN CULINARY EXCHANGE POP-UP RESTAURANT @ SASKATOON FARMERS’ MARKET, 8:00 A.M.

BLACK CAT BIRTHDAY BASH @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

DJ BL3ND @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 9:00 P.M.

HEX BEAT WITH ARSON CULT AND DREAM CREEPS @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.

S U N

GUIDED DROP-IN MUSEUM TOUR @ REMAI MODERN, 1:00 P.M.

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

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

GAMES NIGHT @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

LADYBITS IMPROV COMEDY COLLECTIVE: APRIL FOOLS’ DAY @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 7:15 P.M.

MONDAY NIGHT MUSIC VIDEOS @ BUDS ON BROADWAY, 8:00 P.M.

POOR NAMELESS BOY WITH ADYN TOWNES @ VILLAGE GUITAR & AMP CO., 8:00 P.M.

T U E S

WARD 6 TOWN HALL @ FRANCES MORRISON LIBRARY, 6:30 P.M. CLAY WALKER PRESENTED BY CJWW & THE BULL @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 7:00 P.M.

100% TUESDAYS @ LOUIS’ PUB, 8:00 P.M.

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

W E D

03 MARCH 20-30

Pablo Picasso in 1962.

AMBER ADRIAN JACKSON

LUCA FOGALE WITH ÉEMI @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 8:00 P.M.

M O N

Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons

GULL WATCHING WITH THE SASKATOON NATURE SOCIETY @ PARKING LOT SOUTH OF FORMER MENDEL ART GALLERY, 6:30 P.M.

PKEW PKEW PKEW WITH SWAYZE @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 8:00 P.M.

MACHINAL @ GREYSTONE THEATRE

10 / CULTURE

When thinking about modern art, many people’s minds immediately go to Pablo Picasso. He was an artistic chameleon and a pioneer of the cubist movement. It is undeniable that Picasso was extremely influential on the art of the 20th century, but what was the cost of this influence? “Women are machines for suffering,” Picasso told one of his mistresses, Françoise Gilot. The two embarked on an affair when he was 61 and she was 21. This was a tell-tale sign of his feelings towards women and one of many that he gave her. “For me, there are only two kinds of women: goddesses and doormats.” Marina Picasso, the granddaughter of the famous artist, wrote a book titled Picasso, My Grandfather. She saw how her grandfather treated the women in his life, believing that he would bleed them dry and then be done with them, all in service of his art. Women, to Picasso, were tools for his art. He cheated on and abused many of his lovers, and he drove at least two to suicide. Women were not the only ones to suffer at the hands of Pi-

casso. He has also been accused by surviving family of driving his own son into alcoholism. His son, Paolo, depended on his father for money, and so did Paolo’s eventual wife and children. They often lived in poverty despite their famous name. Picasso’s grandson Pablito also committed suicide following the painter’s death, drinking a bottle of bleach after being barred from his grandfather’s funeral. Picasso lived a violent life, and those around him suffered for it. Yet, despite the suffering of the men surrounding him, it was the women in his life who bore the brunt of his art. “He submitted them to his animal sexuality, tamed them, bewitched them, ingested them and crushed them onto his canvas. After he had spent many nights extracting their essence, once they were bled dry, he would dispose of them,” Marina Picasso wrote. Picasso is widely credited with founding the cubist movement. However, he was not alone in the beginning of this style. From 1908 to 1914, Picasso was almost inseparable from Georges Braque. This time together was sacred to both, with Braque saying, “Picasso and I said things to one another that

will never be said again … that no one will be able to understand.” Picasso is usually the name attached to cubism as he was more extroverted and more commercially successful than Braque. However, the style would likely never have been were it not for the partnership between the two men. It was a relationship of artistic give and take, and the two worked together closely. So closely, in fact, that Braque’s Portrait of a Woman and Picasso’s Nude Woman, both painted in 1910, are almost identical. Picasso is dead, having passed away on April 8, 1973. He will no longer benefit from the consumption of his art. So is there still something wrong with enjoying his work? Arguably, no. The real problem lies in romanticizing and idolizing him. A man who destroyed the lives of so many to produce his work should not be held up as an idol. He was endlessly influential, and this cannot be ignored. But this does not mean that his condemnable personal life should be either. Context is an important part of art. Much of the context surrounding Picasso’s art traumatized those around him.

CULTURE

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“Don’t mess with the pool tables”: College pranks maintain morale The Sheafing is a staple of campus culture and one of the many pranks pulled throughout the year. at the Longbranch, leaving the lounge empty. The next day, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF the Agros — the ones who suffer through their hangovers to After having spent the pre- attend Friday morning classes vious night at their favourite — open the main door and are watering hole, agriculture stu- welcomed back with mangled dents shuffled into their student newsprint piled almost to the lounge looking for refuge and roof. instead found themselves wadThroughout the year, the ening through a sea of crumpled gineering students collect extra newsprint. issues of the Sheaf, waiting unRiley Deacon / Photo Editor This prank wasn’t unantic- til the perfect moment to rally The Sheaf Publishing Society newspapers hang from the ceiling in the U of S Ag ipated — in fact, it has a long- together and tear them apart, Lounge on March 22, 2019. standing tradition. page by page. The Agros are elaborate that the university the lounge, like you can’t steal Thousands of pages from the aware that the prank will take administration stepped in and anything,” Cooper said. Sheaf were torn apart — some place, letting it happen anyway. established a morale contract “You can’t use manure — bewere shredded and tucked into It’s alright, really, because the el- — “controlled chaos” as Con- cause that’s happened, too,” Jorthe glass casing of trophies ement of surprise isn’t what the nor Jorgensen, external vice- gensen added. while others were hung neatly engineering students strive for. president of the ASA, refers to Both groups see the rivalry from the ceiling panels. The culThe Sheafing is one of the it. — and the morale stunts that prits were known yet nowhere many morale stunts throughout Each year, the ASA tests a go along with it — as a way to in sight. the year that are meant to foster new prank while the SESS sticks break up the pressure of acaSpanning at least a decade, a sense of community among to the tried-and-true Sheafing. demics and encourage first-year the Sheafing happens once students in the same college. The morale contract outlines students to balance work and every year to the Agriculture Morale is such a staple of these what the groups are permit- play. The priority is to “have fun Students’ Association — also student groups that both or- ted to do and what is off lim- and be respectful,” says SESS known as the Agros — and ganizations have an executive its, says Greg Cooper, internal president Shanleigh McKeown their student lounge, courtesy member responsible for mo- vice-president of the ASA. — who has now participated in of the Saskatoon Engineering rale-building and a budget line “It just outlines … the pranks the Sheafing three times. Students’ Society. to accommodate the projects. you can do. It outlines the A group of mostly first-year It’s traditionally executed The Agros and engineers have things you can’t — like nothing engineering students passes while the Agros are busy with a long history of pranks going living, you can’t mess with the along the stacks of papers and their weekly ritual of Ag Night back and forth. Some were so pool tables or physical things in moves them to the final locaUniversité d’Ottawa | University of Ottawa NYKOLE KING

Université d’Ottawa

tion. Once the accumulated issues are scattered across the floor of the Agro lounge, everyone starts hacking at the stacks of papers with their hands — or feet. While engineering had a reputation of being exclusionary, the SESS prides itself on making its morale events welcoming for anyone to join — even the Sheaf. “In the past few years, we’ve taken the time to re -evaluate our traditions and what it means to … be an engineering student and end that culture,” McKeown said. “The Sheafing is still one of those traditions that is still such a great way to build community, which is something we really strive for here.” Being ankle-deep in a year’s worth of my work with the student paper made me realize that it’s important to take time from your academics and enjoy yourself while you’re in university. Although I’m not from either college, this was easily the most college-like experience that I have ever had. And I’m not ashamed to say that I also tore into a few pages, too.

University of Ottawa

La médecine, un choix d’avenir La médecine, un choix d’avenir

Étudier d’Ottawa Étudier àà l’Université l’Université d’Ottawa

Places réservées au programme francophone de médecine • un programme francophone de médecine • un environnement bilingue • un programme innovateur où la technologie fait partie intégrante de la formation

• des places réservées pour les étudiants de l’Atlantique, de l’Ouest et des Territoires • un appui financier pour retourner faire certains stages pratiques chez-vous

À l’Université d’Ottawa, le Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) contibue à offrir un accès accru à des programmes d’études dans le domaine de la santé, aux francophones issus des collectivités en situation minoritaire. cnfs.ca

places réservées au programme francophone de médecine

medecine.uOttawa.ca

un programme francophone de médecine un environnement bilingue

La présente initiative a été rendue possible grâce à la contribution financière de Santé Canada.

CULTURE / 11

des places réservées pour les étudiants de l’Atlantique, de l’Ouest et des Territoires

CULTURE

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // MA R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 9

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Saskatoon’s local drag scene continues to thrive despite challenges Student drag queen Oliver Butler spills the tea on Saskatoon drag. TOMILOLA OJO

Saskatoon has recently seen many big names in drag such as Bob the Drag Queen and Bianca del Rio coming to town, but unknown to many is the thriving local drag scene. The Sheaf sat down with Oliver Butler, a fifth-year student with a double major in urban planning and engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. Butler is a student and the president of the Saskatoon student chapter of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering by day, but by night, he transforms into the edgy, alternative drag queen Lilith Blackwood. Butler speaks on Saskatoon’s local drag scene and what it looks like today. “Right now, there’s a lot of us trying to work together to become more of a community within Saskatoon and be more open to new people and newcomers to the drag scene. It can be divided, but when you bring that many gay people together who are queens and outgoing, drama is bound to happen… You can really find anything here. It’s all very diverse, and that’s

Riley Deacon, Photo Editor / File A participant of the Queerapalooza Dragpocalypse takes a selfie while performing for the crowd on Sept. 28, 2018.

why I like it here,” Butler said. Butler also spoke of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and how, while it has definitely brought drag queens into the limelight, it also has its draw-

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12 / CULTURE

backs when it comes to local talent. “It has sort of overshadowed the local drag talent. People are only coming out for when they bring big names to Saskatoon… I think people have to realize that, without us, without the local people, there wouldn’t be RuPaul’s Drag Race because the people on RuPaul’s Drag Race were local queens at one point, … and we can turn it just as much as they can, but you just have to give us a chance.” Local drag queens had found a home in the Saskatoon gay bar Pink Lounge and Nightclub, but this changed in 2016 when the previous owner of the bar, Skipp Anderson, was accused and convicted of sexual assault. Though only a year into doing drag, Butler has noticed a definite and lasting rift in the drag community due to the scandal. “It definitely caused a rift in the community. There are people vocally against ever going to that bar again, trying to shut it down and [making] it [so] that it would never be open to drag shows again,” Butler said. “I am definitely one of the more vocal ones

Riley Deacon, Photo Editor / File A Queerapalooza Dragpocalypse participant performs on Sept. 28, 2018.

on the side of [the] boycott — by boycott, I mean stop performing there.” This controversy has had a definite and heavy toll on local drag, but for healing to begin, Butler says there needs to be more open communication. “It’s never going to be fixed. But I think we could fix the relationship that has been divided [by] these queens that have decided to perform there. I think there needs to be more communication between the opinions and understanding where people are coming from performing at a place like this.” Pink Lounge and Nightclub is one of two gay bars in the city, the other being Divas Nightclub. With these being the only two gay bars in town and with one of them shrouded in controversy, local drag has begun to find more venues for performers to share their artistry. “Because drag has come so far from what it was and become so mainstream in today’s culture, more and more non-gay bars — places like the Capitol, Amigos, Louis’

— are opening up and wanting to host these things… There’s no longer just these two places that drag shows can be. There’s places all over the city that want to become part of the LGBTQ+ community and want to provide a safe space for us to perform,” Butler said. The Skipp Anderson case has also brought to light the problem of sexual assault in the LGBTQ+ community and has given many people the confidence needed to speak up about their own experiences and speak out against the issue. With the Court of Appeal overturning Skipp Anderson’s sexual assault conviction on March 22 due to an alleged mistrial, tensions are bound to rise as his new trial date, which has yet to be set, becomes known and draws nearer. Though local drag has experienced some difficulties in recent years due to the Anderson case and the community tensions that arose from it, the future of Saskatoon drag looks to overcome these challenges.

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OPINIONS

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The problem with branding Egg Boy a hero Viral videos and internet fame do injustice to the Christchurch mosque victims. WARDAH ANWAR

Over the past several weeks, Will Connolly — more famously known as Egg Boy — has been gaining social-media notoriety after a video of him smashing an egg on the head of Australia Senator Fraser Anning on March 16 went viral. It has since gained over a million views. Anning was addressing reporters following the devastating terrorist act on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a gunman shot and killed 50 Muslims as they were praying Jummah in two mosques. In his statement, Anning condemned the Christchurch shootings in which he blamed Muslim immigration to New Zealand and Australia as the root cause of the problem. Egg Boy has gained massive social-media support in the wake of the viral video. A GoFundMe campaign was established in Connolly’s name to help offset his legal costs, and the fund has since amassed over $79,000.

Wardah Anwar A display to commemorate and remember the 50 victims that died in the Christchurch mosque shootings created by the Muslim Students Association sits in Upper Place Riel at the U of S on March 25, 2019.

Egg Boy is being praised and celebrated all over the world. However, he is also being portrayed — quite heavily — as a white saviour since many posters and articles have come out glorifying Connolly. While Egg Boy certainly does deserve praise and applause, his rise to fame has overshadowed the real problem at hand. Too many lives have been lost due to the Christchurch mosque shootings. Hate and fear towards Muslims is rising — even in Canada, where attacks against Canadian Muslims have more than doubled

and have tripled in Quebec in recent years. No offence to Connolly, but his misguided heroic actions in supposed solidarity with the Christchurch victims have only made the issue worse. The same goes for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. She is very deserving of the recognition that she has received for how she handled the outrage and horror of those mourning the Christchurch shootings. She is definitely a role model for leaders all over the world — rewriting the script of how a nation should

grieve and how a leader should act in the face of terrorism. But again, her social-media fame is eclipsing the victims of the shootings. If we should not utter the shooter’s name to deny him any notoriety, then the fact that Egg Boy and Ardern are trending is also taking away from the recognition and the respect that the victims and the victims’ families deserve. We should take note of their names. We should know their stories. Although Connolly and Ardern have drastically different roles — the former as an internet sensation and the latter as a political leader — nobody’s grief should be used, whether intentionally or not, as a rise to fame. The lasting symbols of the Christchurch mosque shootings should be the victims — not Egg Boy, not Ardern and definitely not the shooter. Recognizing the underlying implications of Egg Boy and Ardern’s actions is critical. We all are constantly exposed to so much information online, so we must be responsible in what we choose to share or even like. As I and many others scroll

through social media, we must recognize the difference in sharing Egg Boy’s video versus spreading news out of respect to the victims and communities affected. As two weeks have passed since the mosque shootings and Egg Boy’s rise to fame, New Zealand and Muslim communities around the world are coming together to pray for and support the victims. Even most of the money raised for Connolly will be going to the victims’ families. It is shocking yet beautiful to see worldwide support being given to the Christchurch victims. As we mourn the losses, the last thing on our minds should be Egg Boy’s “heroic” act. The Muslim communities of New Zealand, or anywhere else in the world for that matter, do not need a privileged social-media sensation to “help” them, thank you very much. If you would like to learn more about the victims, please refer to the following source: https://www.cnn. com/2019/03/16/asia/newzealand-mosque-shootingvictims/index.html

USSU insurance got you stressed? You’re not the only one Increasing the coverage offered in the Studentcare plan doesn’t make it any less shitty. SHAWNA LANGER

University can be a stressful time, especially if you have extra financial costs dragging you down. Whether you’re an athlete or not, getting injured as a student can wreak havoc on your well-being and your grades. You already have a full schedule, and constantly going to physiotherapy appointments to try to get yourself back to work has made you twice as busy. Add insufficient insurance coverage through the Health and Dental Plan on top of it, and you’re in for a shitty term. The current University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union coverage only covers a maximum of $20 per visit for physiotherapy — and this is absolute shit. The plan will cover for up to $400 per policy year, but if you need to go to a specialized physiotherapist who isn’t covered under the health plan’s physiotherapy network, it can cost $80 per visit with only $20 being covered by the plan.

With only a fraction of the cost covered, you would have to pay a whopping $1200 per year to use up the $400 in coverage if you are going to a specialized physiotherapist. But not everyone is going to need 20 sessions, so let’s say you were to go to a specialist for five sessions. You would need to pay $300 out of pocket with the plan only covering $100 of your costs. If you’re a busy student either who doesn’t have time to work or whose money from work all goes straight to paying your bills, where are you supposed to pull this $300 from? The couch cushions? Hey, maybe there will actually be a few things in those cushions since you got the couch on Kijiji for $20. Wouldn’t that be the best $20 couch you ever bought? Although all physiotherapists have some training in concussions, there are only two physiotherapy clinics in Saskatoon registered as Complete Concussion Management Clinics. The therapists working in these clinics have specific training in managing

and dealing with concussions. Great, right? Well, no, since neither of these clinics are covered by the USSU Studentcare physiotherapy network. The USSU promotes this network as a way for students to get “additional savings,” but this prevents students from receiving the specialized care that they may require for their injuries. Not only are the lists provided by the Studentcare network not up to date or accurate but many of the clinics offering this discounted rate do not offer direct billing. So as a poor university student with limited financial resources, I am expected to cough up the money for these services upfront so that I can function in my daily life and then hope that the USSU coverage will reimburse me for the costs in a timely manner. Plans for 2019-2020 involve increasing the coverage per visit to $40 and the annual coverage to $500 per policy year. So instead of paying $60 per visit out of pocket, you’d be paying $40. If your physio appointment costs $80, you’ll be paying $500 per year to

Shawna Langer

get $500 out of your health coverage plan. While this proposed plan is tremendously better than the current plan, it will still leave students with significant financial strain. Is there not a better way for this insurance to be structured? Why not just allow students the maximum amount per year to use for physio however they need it? Oh no, because if we did this, then more students would actually reach the cap of their insurance. This would mean an increase in premi-

ums and all of that bureaucratic bullshit. Shouldn’t we be concerned about how well students are actually doing? If students were actually the priority, they would actually be able to take of themselves and let their injuries heal. Can you imagine what a flawed system it would be if we didn’t have to worry about how the premiums would be affected? It appears that the number-one concern is that students might actually use their coverage not what’s in the best interests of the students who need that coverage.

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OPINIONS

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Smart drug policies can save lives Policies that focus on harm reduction may be the best approach to tackling drug addiction. NICK HAWRISHOK

Canada is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. If you look at the first six months of 2018 alone, there were over 2,000 opioid-related deaths from January to June — 94 per cent of which were accidental. Despite the scale of this crisis, government response has been lacklustre despite continual and urgent calls to action from doctors, public-health employees, front-line workers and those directly affected by the deaths, including family

members and users themselves. However, a couple of solutions recently proposed in Canada have attracted attention. These include a safe-injection site advocated by AIDS Saskatoon as well as the call for heroin compassion clubs from the B.C. Centre for Substance Use, or BCCSU. Safe-injection sites provide clean, safe environments for drug users with health-care workers and support staff on hand to intervene in the event of an overdose. Typically, they provide drug testing, screening for infectious diseases, basic health services,

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education on drug use and referrals to health and social services — including rehab. The BCCSU report recommends a strictly regulated heroin market, which allows the drug to be purchased in moderate amounts through co-operative compassion clubs. Prospective members would be heavily screened, including a physician assessment. There is already a prescription-based program operating out of a clinic in Vancouver with 150 patients currently participating. Compassion clubs would also provide many of the same health services offered by safe-injection sites. Both of these models adhere to the principles of harm reduction. Essentially, harm reduction encompasses a range of strategies and practices that aim to minimize the negative consequences of drug use. Harm reduction is grounded in social justice and recognizing that drug use is a complex phenomenon often influenced by socioeconomic factors such as race and poverty as well as by

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Creative Commons The controversial safe-injection site for the downtown east side’s hard drug addicts in Vancouver, B.C.

one’s life history, such as past trauma. This approach challenges the common refrain that drug users simply made a choice to engage in risky behaviour and must now reap what they sow. The strategies and principles of harm reduction often appear to be in conflict with more orthodox drug policies, which are based on supply reduction, prohibition and law enforcement. In contrast, harm reduction can be difficult to comprehend. The approach is often criticised for enabling drug users and for being a waste of taxpayer dollars. The more callous commentators argue that overdoses should not be curbed but are in fact a perfectly suitable way of removing undesirable elements of the population. For those of us who value human life, this latter critique can be easily dismissed. The others, however, are worth looking into. Enabling is what critics refer to as offering an addict help that would perpetuate the problem rather than solve it. Prescribing or legalizing opiates seems to be the most blatant example. How does making this dangerous substance more available possibly help drug users? Many of the overdoses from street drugs are due to the uncertainty of the drug itself. Dealers may lace weaker opioids such as oxycontin with fentanyl — a substance that is lethal in small doses and responsible for the majority of ODs. The variability in dosage is highly dangerous. The safe amount for consumption can vary from one dealer’s product to the next, which can result in an OD even if a user takes an amount they are

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used to consuming. Having clean, clearly labelled heroin prevents both of these problems, saving lives as a result. Rather than enabling drug use, harm-reduction programs can help people quit drugs. Safe-injection sites connect users to addiction treatment programs. Studies have also found that these sites do not promote injections among first-timers. By offering services that people may have difficulty accessing due to socio-economic factors, these facilities can help address the reasons people are using drugs in the first place. Harm-reduction programs can actually save costs for taxpayers. Safe-injection sites and needle exchanges provide clean syringes that help to prevent the spread of infections such as HIV and hepatitis C. Preventing infections, as well as on-site overdose intervention, is much cheaper than treatment in hospitals. Prescribing heroin would also negatively impact the black market and organized crime, freeing up resources for law enforcement — considering that the Canadian government spends $2 billion annually policing its citizens’ drug habits. Conventional approaches to drug abuse are failing. Prohibition does not prevent drug use but forces users to purchase dangerous products away from vital supports and services that are critical to safety. With opioids killing more than 10 people a day on average, we need more effective policies. Safe-injection sites have been proven to save lives while a restricted and legal market has the potential to save many more.

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Windowpane ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

If an image were to stay static on your retina, it would disappear from view. To see, your eyes must dance across the object in your sightline. It is unconscious, rhythmic and ever so slight. These saccades allow us to pick up the smallest detail. They allowed me to survey his face for the minute expressions that fell across it. To notice how his nose fell slightly out of alignment at the bridge, signaling it had been broken at some point in time before we met. I could trace the outline of his face over the curves of his lips and through the

individual hairs that bristled across his jaw. His voice is a low hum and I find myself imagining the way it would sound with my ear pressed to his chest. The way it would reverberate through his rib cage to travel down my spine. How I would only be able to make out the shadows of words as if my head were beneath water. And quickly, as my eyelids roll down like blinds across a windowpane at dusk, I am brought back to the present. Just when I think I have been able to read him — to find the passage I was searching for by thumbing through his pages and running my finger across the words — the phrase I had pinpointed no longer appears before me. A breeze has blown

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through, fluttering his pages, and I can no longer find what I was so close to unveiling. I want to know every curve and shape his body makes. I want to map a floor plan from his face to his shoulder, over the valley of his spine, across his scapula and down to his elbows where I would trace across the muscle that swells between the radial and ulna bones. The journey would end at his fingertips. I’d keep him locked inside my hippocampus, a spatial map that I can recall every time I desire to roam his halls. I can close my eyes and trace back through him and over — always in search of an empty room inside of him where I can lay down and rest.

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