November 7, 2019

NOVEMBER 07, 2019

VOL.111/ISSUE 12

The Science & Technology Issue

The sheaf publishing society

Feature

Science in everyday life 8-9

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 SINCE 1912 The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

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NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nykole King editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR Ana Cristina Camacho news@thesheaf.com SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR Tanner Michalenko sportshealth@thesheaf.com

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New mentorship program connects young Indigenous women with Canada’s mining industry MentorSTEP provides opportunity for students pursuing STEM subjects and industry professionals to learn from each other.

CULTURE EDITOR Tomilola Ojo culture@thesheaf.com OPINIONS EDITOR Erin Matthews opinions@thesheaf.com STAFF WRITER Noah Callaghan staffwriter@thesheaf.com COPY EDITOR J.C. Balicanta Narag copy@thesheaf.com LAYOUT MANAGER Aqsa Hussain layout@thesheaf.com PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Victoria Becker photo@thesheaf.com GRAPHICS EDITOR Shawna Langer graphics@thesheaf.com WEB EDITOR Minh Au Duong web@thesheaf.com OUTREACH DIRECTOR Sophia Lagimodiere outreach@thesheaf.com Sheila Naytowhow poses for a photo in the stairway of the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Students Centre on Nov. 1, 2019. | Victoria Becker/ Photo Editor

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ADVERTISING (306) 966 8688 EDITORIAL (306) 966 8689 Cover Illustration Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor Mission // The mission of the Sheaf is to inform and entertain students by addressing issues 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.

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.

High school seniors and undergraduate students can now take part in a two-year pilot program encouraging Indigenous women’s participation in STEM fields within the mining industry through professional mentorship and group activities.

MentorSTEP was created through a recent partnership between the Saskatoon Tribal Council, the University of Saskatchewan and the International Minerals Innovation Institute.

The IMII funded the program with $133,000.

Sheila Naytowhow, a fourthyear psychology major, contributed to the design of the program while working as the student co-ordinator for MentorSTEP last summer. She believes that the program is beneficial for young Indigenous women who struggle with “feeling like they’re fitting in with the mining industries.”

“It’s a whole learning opportunity for everyone, especially if the mining industry has been a

certain way for such a long time,” memories together is really inteNaytowhow said. “There’s always gral,” Massie said. room for growth, new people Naytowhow says she is excit[and] new ways of looking at ed that the program will help things, [which are] always going network participants with poto be helpful.” tentially rewarding real world As a co-ordinator of the un- connections and opportunities. dergraduate research initiative, “So if they finish the program, Merle Massie oversaw the devel- there’s a good chance of them opment of MentorSTEP since its being able to do the summer soft launch last spring. She has internships and then possibly worked with the IMII to identify working at a mine,” Naytowhow the 25 mining industry profes- said. sionals participating as mentors.

Naytowhow also takes part in She also planned the month- the U of S chapter of the Canadily learning events that include an Indigenous Science and Engitouring mines, learning labs and neering Society established last Elder visits. year and says that it’s positive to Massie says that the program see how much interest there is in will balance “classic mentorship” studying the STEM fields. by establishing one-on-one reSince the summer, she has lationships with faculty and in- learned directly from her own dustry mentors while valuing an mentor who works as a chemical “Indigenous understanding of engineer. Naytowhow says that what mentorship looks like.” The when they shared their individufocus will be on relationship­ al perspectives with one another, building through group­ - she found that their goals were learning experiences with the 18 very similar. students currently registered for “I think that would be pretMentorSTEP. ty important for the students “There’s no hierarchy between just to kind of see that and have one another, and the concept of more time with their mentors to doing shared events and creating learn,” Naytowhow said.

Massie says that systemic barriers and underrepresentation have often discouraged women from pursuing STEM fields.

A fundamental component of MentorSTEP is addressing these challenges while making sure “learning happens in both directions.”

“It isn’t just that the girls coming into the program are learning about the mining industry,” Massie said. “But the mining industry also has the opportunity to learn about Indigenous cultural practices around science or Indigenous knowledge around science.”

Massie says that mining can be potentially “problematic” when considering an Indigenous perspective but MentorSTEP is part of an important discussion.

“What mines tend to do in terms of penetrating and digging things out of the earth — it can feel very invasive, but at the same time I don’t want to minimize that conversation,” Massie said.

“It’s okay to be uncomfortable and to recognize that there’s a lot to think about when you think about mining.”

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 part- and 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.

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NEWS

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NOVE M B E R 07, 2 0 1 9

Committee in charge of international activities up for dissolution at university council Concerns about lack of input from faculty and students surround the motion.

Professor Claire Card makes a comment during the U of S council meeting on Oct. 17, 2019. | Victoria Becker/ Photo Editor

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO NEWS EDITOR

A motion on the floor of the University Council will determine whether the International Activities Committee is dissolved, which would involve dispersing its responsibilities to other bodies.

Council members will vote on two motions related to internationalization at the Nov. 21 council meeting; the dissolution of the IAC, and following that, a motion to add internationalization to the terms of reference of other council committees.

This change comes a year after a working group formed to provide strategic direction to a lagging IAC and came to the conclusion that the group was “no longer relevant.”

The IAC had reportedly become “too operational rather than offering strategic guidance to Council.” The other main

factor leading to the working group’s decision was that they found that the committee’s responsibilities were already being covered by other university bodies.

Paul Orlowski, chair of the IAC for 2018-19, says that despite concerns expressed by the committee’s faculty members and representatives from the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union and the Graduate Students’ Association, the group decided to also recommend its own dissolution.

“There were concerns raised by faculty that they would be losing voice … and the student reps were also concerned that they would be losing voice,” Orlowski said at the Oct. 17 council meeting. “That said, we had consensus and everyone agreed to dissolve the committee.”

The committee is responsible for communicating and advising the University Council on issues

related to internationalization, which in the past has included giving input on internationalization awards, the university’s international partnerships and the International Blueprint for Action 2025.

Claire Card, council member and professor of large animal sciences, spoke against the motion at the October council meeting, saying it will decrease input from faculty on international matters.

“The dissolution of the committee will remove a voice at the Coordinating Committee that can actually advocate for very specific things in regards to international activities,” Card said.

“I think it’s very relevant that the committee continues. I understand they went through a rough patch but I speak against people supporting the motion.”

At the September council meeting, Card also expressed concern that the working group

had only one non­-administrative faculty member on it.

“I’m not clearly seeing the way the faculty lense and viewpoint has really been focused on,” Card said. “There’s a lot of things that are not captured here that the International Activities Committee worked with.”

Orlowski agrees that its dissolution will affect faculty input.

“We were having trouble and there just wasn’t a lot of energy at the time, so there seemed to be reasons to dissolve it,” Orlowski said. “Maybe they were temporary, maybe it was the makeup of the committee, but the fact remains that faculty will be losing a potential for having more voice on international matters.”

The report about the IAC by the working group listed the committee’s responsibilities and how they would still be covered without the IAC, making it redundant. A council member spoke up about this after Card’s comments, highlighting the recently formed International Operations Committee.

“One of the challenges for the IAC was the absence of actual governance issues, but there are many operational issues,” the council member said. “Those issues remain ever-present and it will also fall to the International Operations Committee to ensure that they are actively seeking advice from faculty.”

Whether or not the IAC is dissolved will be decided on Nov. 21. Aside from the changes to other committees’ terms of reference to include internationalization, some of them will also be integrating Indigenization into their goals.

“As we deal with the question of international activities, it’s clear that this was an additional priority that was central to the university [and] was really not captured in the terms, so that was also added,” said Stephen Urquhart, chair of the Governance Committee. “Our terms of reference are not static and they evolve as the university evolves.”

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NEWS

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

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Student-led plan to install solar panels on the Memorial Union Building comes to a halt Inspections evaluating the feasibility of the project revealed structural limitations.

NOAH CALLAGHAN STAFF WRITER

Plans to capture solar energy in the Memorial Union Building have stalled in light of structural difficulties, but the goal of being leaders in sustainable development shines on for the student group Farm the Sun with US and the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union.

Last spring, the student group Farm the Sun with US proposed their project to install a solar farm on the

MUB to the USSU as an investment to reduce carbon emissions and electricity bills. The USSU funded the $1,600­-preliminary evaluation done by a structural engineer. It determined that the project would be more expensive and less productive in generating energy than originally expected.

Caroline Cottrell, general manager of the USSU, says that two assessments done by the students’ union and the U of S revealed that installing the solar panels would

Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor

require significant changes to the MUB’s infrastructure because the roof “is just too steep.” The angle of the building is also reportedly not ideal for a solar farm.

Cottrell says overcoming these obstacles would dras-

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tically raise the cost of installation from the $100,000 originally estimated. The solar farm was meant to reduce carbon emissions by 26 tonnes per year and save the USSU up to $5,400 per year in electricity costs, but the increase in price would reduce the potential returns.

“If students at the U of S are going to invest in solar panels and solar energy, we want to make sure that in addition to it being the right thing to do they get something back for it,” Cottrell said.

U of S alumnus Femi Yusuf was one of the 28 students in the Environment and Sustainability 401 course who began Farm the Sun with US two years ago and led the solar farm proposal to the USSU. Instead of being disappointed with the outcome, Yusuf says that he is focussing on how the proposal functioned as an experientiallearning opportunity for students in the future.

“I think there’s an opportunity for those students at the U of S who are passionate about sustainable development to really evaluate what the Farm the Sun group couldn’t achieve and how they can improve on that,” Yusuf said.

Having graduated with a degree in environment and society last spring, Yusuf understands that projects like Farm the Sun with US have high turnover rates as students finish their university education and move on in life. Currently, he is planning on using the project as a case study to create another proposal for the USSU to start a

“student-led sustainability association.”

“You would have students know about sustainability from their freshmen year, not when they get to their fourthyear and are doing a class project,” Yusuf said.

Cottrell says that the USSU will continue exploring and supporting potential ways of sustainable development.

“We came at this from a philosophical point of view that moving as much as we can from fossil fuels to a more sustainable form of energy is something that the USSU is very interested in,” Cottrell said.

Autumn LaRose-Smith, USSU vice-president of student affairs, says that the USSU is planning to undergo a new sustainability audit. Since the last audit was in 2006, LaRoseSmith says that updated data would help identify future goals in sustainable development for the union.

“Once we have that information and are able to analyze it, we can definitely figure out a more targeted direction for where we’re able to make more of an impact,” LaRose-Smith said.

As the union takes stock of their investments in sustainability, LaRose-Smith says that the USSU supporting projects like installing solar panels has impacts beyond the U of S campus by inspiring student organizations across Canada.

“We are recognized as national leaders by other student unions with our initiatives,” LaRose-Smith said. “Other student unions are wanting to model what we’re doing and bring it back to their universities as well.”

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SPORTS&HEALTH

Students commonly neglect sleep to chase achievements, says U of S prof Do you know how many hours you need for sleep?

ALAYNA MOXNESS

Students’ lack of awareness about the importance of sleep compounded with neglecting their body’s cues has a University of Saskatchewan sleep researcher worried about their overall health.

“It’s getting worse,” said Dr. Robert Skomro, department head of respiratory, critical care and sleep medicine at the U of S. “Over the last few decades, sleep duration has diminished. We are driven to achieve and with work, social and family pressures, we often don’t prioritize sleep,” Dr. Skomro said.

Students are familiar with this desire to achieve more and the pressures that go along with that. The consequences for neglecting assignments are known, but we often do not consider the consequences of neglecting sleep.

Busy students know they should be getting more sleep.

Aubrey-Anne LalibertePewapisconias, an Edwards student with plenty of responsibilities on her plate, is a prime example of the student struggle with sleep.

“I think I need eight [hours of sleep], but I usually only get about five,” said Laliberte-Pewapisconias, who is the head of the Indigenous Business Students’ Society, an Edwards JDC West delegate, a member of the Edwards Busi-

ness Students’ Society and of course, a part-time worker.

Second-year nursing student Nathan Johnson takes four demanding classes, works part-time on the side and makes a conscious effort to network and build contacts. Johnson knows that when he does not get enough sleep, he is not as productive, feels lazy and depressed.

Savannah Rempel, a fourthyear psychology student, says that when she does not get at least seven hours, she cannot think as clearly and her emotions run high. As a teacher assistant and a peer mentor for the College of Arts and Science, she knows her cognitive function is key.

When it comes to how much sleep is needed for each individual, Dr. Skomro says it depends.

“You can’t say with certainty that people need seven hours or eight hours. It depends on the individual,” Dr. Skomro said. “There is a usual range of seven to nine hours, however, one to two per cent of the population only needs five to six.”

Dr. Skomro says many people think they are part of that one or two per cent of the population that only needs about five hours of sleep.

This perception is where the disconnect exists. Dr. Skomro says it has been proven that most people who think they are getting enough sleep would sleep a lot longer if they let their bodies decide.

“When we know we are thirsty, we reach for a drink.

Not all of us know when we are sleepy,” Dr. Skomro said.

Dr. Skomro says people should be honest with themselves and find out why they need so much caffeine to combat poor sleep.

“We either ignore the signals [that we are sleepy] or subconsciously reach for products that help you with not feeling sleepy,” Dr. Skomro said.

Although it can be an effective tool by increasing mental focus and concentration, caffeine can also significantly harm your circadian rhythm.

“Caffeine can lead to sleep issues and then fatigue in the middle of the day and then you reach out for another one of these [caffeinated] products,” Dr. Skomro said.

Lastly, do not ignore the dominant presence of technology in our lives. Our dependence upon it is taking a toll on our bodies’ circadian rhythms. Even the smallest light can cause a disruption.

An hour and a half of technology before bed can mean inhibited melatonin release.

Yashica Bither

The sleep guide for students

1. Recognize the importance of sleep and plan around it The first step to improvement is recognizing the problem and being disciplined about making changes. Find out how much sleep your body needs to perform at its best, and you can plan your schedule around those hours, always making sure to schedule in downtime before bed.

2. Manage your caffeine intake Start tracking your caffeine intake by volume, frequency and the time of day. Analyze why you are drinking the caffeinated beverage and decide if that is what your body actually needs.

3. Consider your alcohol consumption Whatever role alcohol plays in your life, understand that it does not mix well with your sleep health. Alcohol enables people to fall asleep quicker, but it significantly reduces the rapid eye movement, known as REM, a stage of sleep your brain needs for regular cognitive function. Additionally, alcohol can suppress breathing and contribute to sleep apnea.

4. Set your environment up for sleep Your sleep environment is a big factor towards a good night’s sleep. Make sure it is a completely dark space with the least amount of noise possible. The less stimulation in the room, the better.

Remember, humans are creatures of habit so if you are bingewatching Netflix, you are not setting yourself up for a good night of sleep.

5. Turn off the technology To allow a normal circadian rhythm, avoid exposing yourself to screens that emit blue light for some time before bed. Switching your devices to a warmer light or buying blue-light glasses are good options to consider.

SPORTS & HEALTH / 5

SPORTS&HEALTH

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

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Huskie Athletics update Catch up with all the latest results from your Huskie teams. ter the season-opening weekend in Brandon.

Alexander Dewar surged the Huskies past the Bobcats in game one. Dewar scored 28 points on 11 of 13 shooting to lead the Huskies to the 94-81 victory. In game two, JT Robinson scored 20 points for the Huskies in the 87-75 win.

Both the men’s and women’s team will play their home opener against the University of MacEwan Griffins on Nov. 8 and 9 at the Physical Activity Complex.

Photo supplied by GetMyPhoto.ca/HuskieAthletics

TANNER MICHALENKO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

It’s a busy time of the year for Huskie Athletics as both court sports — volleyball and basketball — are now in full swing amidst the busy hockey season.

Playoff action for men’s soccer highlights the latest news from the dogs — aside from the football team heading to their second consecutive Hardy Cup final.

Men’s soccer Despite entering the Canada West final as the hottest team in the conference with seven straight wins, the Huskie season came to an abrupt end on the west coast.

Two second-half goals lifted the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds over the Huskies in the semifinal, sending Saskatchewan to the bronze medal match to face the University of Mount Royal Cougars.

Against Mount Royal, the Huskies jumped out to an early 1-0 in the opening 15 minutes of action. The Cougars would tie the game before the second half and grab the lead just over 10 minutes after the half-time break. Mount Royal added a goal in the 90th minute to secure the 3-1 victory and earn the bronze medal.

Unfortunately for the dogs, four of their veterans have played their last game as a Huskie. Defender Jacob Powell, forward Darko Hardi and

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midfielders Gabriel Buatois and Marcello Gonzalez will all be forced to walk away as their U Sports eligibility has expired.

Women’s and men’s volleyball The Huskie women’s volleyball team is 5-1 to start a season for the first time since at least 2009-10. They have now won three straight games after the weekend sweep of the University of Brandon Bobcats.

What makes the Huskie sweep of the Bobcats particularly impressive is that Saskatchewan did not lose a single set over the two games, winning 3-0 in each match.

The men’s team took an unfortunate step back against Brandon, dropping both games after entering the weekend on a three-game winning streak.

Saskatchewan clinched only one set throughout both games.

Both of these Huskie teams will now go on the road for a trip to the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus to battle against the Heat on Nov. 15 and 16.

Women’s and men’s basketball The Huskie women’s basketball team began their season on the road with two wins against a clearly outmatched Universi-

Photo supplied by GetMyPhoto.ca/HuskieAthletics

ty of Brandon Bobcats team.

Saskatchewan captured game one with 78-21 before winning game two with 99-41. The Huskies flashed their depth with six scorers reaching double-digit points in the second game with Sabine Dukate and Summer Masikewich each leading the team with 15 points apiece.

This team opened the season as the number one ranked team across the country, and they have won the conference title for three of the past four seasons.

Head coach Lisa Thomaidis has built an impressive tradition of excellence for the Huskies.

The men’s team is also 2-0 af-

Women’s and men’s hockey After an ugly start to the season that saw men’s hockey lose their first four games, the Huskies have clawed their way back to .500 after a weekend sweep on the road against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

Huskies goalie Travis Child earned a 27-save shutout in the 4-0 game one victory. Child started in place of the 2018 U Sports goalie of the year, Taran Kozun.

Kozun started the first seven out of eight games this season, which may have prompted head coach Dave Adolph to give his star goaltender some rest.

Child started the second game as well, which did not go as smoothly as his performance the night before. Child and the Huskies surrendered three goals on 11 shots in the first period, forcing Adolph to switch goalies to start the second period.

Continued on the next page

SPORTS&HEALTH

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NOVE M B E R 07, 2 0 1 9

Huskies beat Alberta; will head to Calgary for Hardy Cup rematch

For the second year in a row, the Huskies are going to the Hardy Cup final to battle the Calgary Dinos.

TANNER MICHALENKO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies earned their spot in the conference championship after their 28-23 semifinal victory against the University of Alberta Golden Bears. It was the first Huskie playoff win at home in 10 years.

Alberta came well prepared against Saskatchewan, running out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and taking a 21-15 lead into halftime.

“Obviously, they came out and punched us in the mouth pretty good. They pulled out all the stops and we expected them to, they’re a very good team,” Huskie quarterback Mason Nyhus said, who threw for a career-high 334 passing yards.

Defensively, something needed to change in the second half — and it did. The Huskies secured three interceptions on three straight Golden Bear possessions in the third quarter.

“Take a deep breath, that’s what I told them at halftime,” head coach Scott Flory said.

“Sometimes you just need to

take a deep breathe and just play.”

“Our defense settled down and came out in the second half and pitched a shutout. That’s remarkable [for] the defense, and coach Muzika making adjustments and rallying the boys in the second half,” Flory said.

Defensive lineman Nicholas Dheilly, a first-year Huskie who transferred out of the Regina Rams in anticipation of their expected downfall, could not have been more pleased with his decision to leave Regina and chase big games for the Huskies.

“I’ve never played in a Hardy Cup. On the Rams, we lost in the first round of playoffs every time. So this is a hell of an experience to be with the Huskies with this kind of group of guys and coaches and play in my first Hardy Cup,” Dheilly said.

“I came to this school to win games, get to the Hardy and play bigger games.”

Dheilly praised Nyhus after the Huskie quarterback took a huge hit in the second half that left him on his hands and knees for a few minutes.

“When you see him get hit like that, we know how hard it is because we hit QBs like that too and they don’t get up like that,” Dheilly said. “To see my boy, Nyhus, get up like that and take over [in] the second half was unbelievable — so much respect to him.”

Saskatchewan will now travel

to Calgary for the rematch of last year’s Hardy Cup final, that saw the Huskies win 43-18.

The first place Dino’s barely survived against Manitoba last week, squeaking out a 47-46 victory. The Bisons caught a 50-yard hail mary pass as time expired, and they elected to go for the win with the two-point

conversion but were unsuccessful.

The winner of the conference championship will move onto the national semifinal, the Mitchell Bowl, hosted by the winner of the Hardy Cup. If Saskatchewan wins, they will host the national semifinal for the first time since 2005.

Photo supplied by GetMyPhoto.ca/HuskieAthletics

Huskie Athletics update Continued from previous page Kozun played well in relief, stopping all 15 shots that he faced.

The Huskies did not play with a lead all game before Jared Dmytriw scored the game-winning goal in overtime to steal the win.

Men’s hockey will be back

home on Nov. 15 and 16 to take on the University of Manitoba Bisons.

Huskie women’s hockey also sits at .500 after dropping both games at home against the Thunderbirds. Saskatchewan almost took down the top team in the conference in the first game, los-

ing in overtime instead despite outshooting UBC 24-17.

In the second game, the Huskies were left off the scoring sheet as UBC won game two 1-0 to secure the weekend sweep.

This team will travel to Manitoba to play the Bisons on Nov. 15 and 16.

Photo supplied by GetMyPhoto.ca/HuskieAthletics

SPORTS & HEALTH / 7

FEATURE

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

Education program lead Tracy Walker stands on the Canadian Light Source sign. | Supplied by Tracy Walker

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Education program co-ordinator Amanda Pfeiffer talks to a group from the St Source. | Supplied by Canadian Light Source

Science and everyday life: Making science accessible can lead to great discoveries.

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

For decades, the motif of the ivory tower has been used to illustrate academia and, more often, the institution of science. It is falsely regarded as something removed from our day-to-day lives — a grandiose shadow lording over our periphery.

While it may be viewed as a tower of secrets kept away from prying eyes, science is something intertwined in the very way that we view the world, whether we are conscious of this or not.

In 1940, Rosalind Franklin — a young scientist whose later research would lead to our understanding of the shape of DNA — wrote an impassioned letter to her father, saying: “You look at science (or at least talk of it) as some sort of demoralising invention of man, something apart from real life, and which must be cautiously guarded and kept separate from everyday existence.

But science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.”

Science is a distinct human activity, one that is born from the depths of our curiosity. It is not an invention of man, but a process that is at the very core of what makes us human. The desire that, when

A 3D origami cube created by Stephanie Keyes sits on Robert Blyth’s bookshelf in his office at the CLS on Nov. 1, 2019 | Erin Matthews/ Opinions Editor

8 / FEATURE

faced with a problem, we ask, “why?” followed shortly by “how?”

For the past year, I have been working at one of the biggest research facilities on campus. The only one of its kind in the country, the Canadian Light Source is a glass and metal giant that stands on the edge of Innovation Place and Perimeter Road.

The CLS is a machine called a particle accelerator — it moves electrons to produce light used in experiments and research — and it is a place where some national and international science breakthroughs have occurred.

From the inside of the second floor office space — a sleek cubicle city affectionately named ‘podville’ — a wall of windows captures an ever expanding prairie horizon. But despite its lofty view and cold exterior, the CLS is not an ivory tower. It’s an open door — one that beckons to scientists, students and the community at large.

And in my position in the communications and outreach department, I have had the unique opportunity to speak to many of the people who visit the facility.

This September, I met Stephanie Keyes, a physics student from Oregon. She had just finished an internship at Brookhaven National Laboratory, a massive research facility in New York that is home to seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries.

But before Brookhaven, Stephanie was what her mentor — science projects manager Rob Blyth — refers to as “a skier in the desert.”

Stephanie is a talented woman whose mind can work through complex problems in ways that are unique. She can take on the point of view of electrons spinning in a particle accelerator, she can craft three-dimensional geometric origami pieces and she talks candidly and eloquently about herself and her experience. She is a young woman with a passion for bows, rollercoasters and particle accelerators.

Stephanie is also on the autism spectrum.

“I had been in college for a couple years and then I quit college for several more years because I was having problems with the administration and my autism. They didn’t really know what to do when I got upset so their

best resort was to just suspend me for crying,” Stephanie said.

“So I just spent the last several years taking a minimum wage job, and then finally when I started getting interested in particle accelerators, that’s when things started looking up.”

That was in 2015, the year that Stephanie met her mentor Rob on Twitter.

“

What if the best skier in the world was born in the desert? Who would ever know?

”

“She started asking me questions [like] ‘How much does it weigh?’ and ‘Can you tell the difference when it’s on and when it’s off?’’’ Rob said. “And then the one that made me think that Stephanie was someone a little special, she went ‘I think if you turn off the [radio frequency], the beam decays in about 3 milliseconds.’ And I am like, ‘How do you even know to ask that question and that sounds about right.’”

And Stephanie’s estimate was pretty close. According to Rob, she was within an order of magnitude — “which is spot on if you’re a physicist.”

After their ongoing Twitter conversations, Stephanie was able to come to Canada to visit the CLS and was encouraged by Rob to go back to school. She enrolled in community college and came back to the facility for an opportunity to work hands-on with the machine.

Stephanie credits her personal growth and awareness of her needs to her success. She also talks openly about her autism.

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

NOVE M B E R 07, 2 0 1 9

tudents on the Beamlines program at the Canadian Light

FEATURE

Stephanie Keyes stands on a mezzanine with the synchrotron in the background. | Photo by Victoria Schramm. Courtesy of the Canadian Light Source.

Outreach and education programs help to diversify the discipline “[Autism] can have positive aspects to it. You can’t deny that it has challenges, but for me it’s basically a driving force for my particle accelerator interest and the career I am building for myself,” Stephanie said.

While Stephanie’s case is unique, it shows that many people who have the potential to succeed in scientific endeavours may not have access to programs. They may also lack the support systems that would allow them to get their foot in the door. It illustrates the importance of science outreach efforts and science education programs.

The education team at the Canadian Light Source — education program co-ordinator Amanda Pfeiffer and education program lead Tracy Walker — are working to bring students the opportunity to engage in handson science.

“A lot of times in the classrooms you know the expected outcomes and the students are supposed to get that expected outcome. In this context, the CLS education programs are focusing on that authentic scientific inquiry where you develop a question and the students explore that,” Amanda said.

“They might not find the results they want. They might go down a completely different rabbit hole and it’s just about the experience as they go through that.

Which reflects actual science that happens at the CLS and at other places,” Amanda said.

The CLS has several unique programs that have been developed through the years, growing organically into new areas of focus and inquiry. One of these programs, Students on the Beamlines, was created in 2006 as a one-off experiment with a physics class from Saskatoon.

But it was a massive success. Thirteen years later, Students on the Beamlines works as both a platform for science education and as a professional development opportunity for teachers. It also reaches far and wide, bringing in kids from as far away as Old Crow, Yukon.

Students are able to come to the facility and work closely with beamline staff on their own research project where they run samples on the beamlines and gather and interpret datasets.

The education team uses the phrase “science immersion” to describe their programs — coined by a student during their time at the CLS. These kinds of programs are invaluable, helping to change perceptions of science and the future of scientific discovery.

“The problems that society is facing today are going to require approaches and knowledge and skills that we don’t yet have,” Tracy said. “We need people to be able to approach problems from new perspectives, to approach problems outside of the proverbial box and be able to do so in a collaborative and meaningful way.”

“

groups — we’re all into science too,” Stephanie said.

And it all comes back to looking for those skiers in the desert.

Rob describes his time working at the Italian synchrotron, which is located in the same town as the International Centre for Theoretical Physics.

“It was founded on the idea that physicists can come from anywhere and be anybody. And all they really need — this was back in the 1970s — is another physicist to talk to and a chalkboard. And then you get theoretical physics,” Rob said.

[Autism] can have positive aspects to it.

You can’t deny that it has challenges, but for me it’s basically a driving force for my particle accelerator interest and the career I am building for myself,” Stephanie said.

Both Stephanie and Rob emphasize the idea of different perspectives and different faces in science. When you think of a traditional representation of scientists, you will probably describe Rob — a white, European man in his 50s with a shock of grey hair and an English accent.

Diversity in science is growing, but there is still a long way to go before this idea of what a scientist should look like shifts.

“Show more scientists that deviate from that expected appearance and expected background. Show more women in science, more people of colour in science, more people of life backgrounds in science, show more people from LGBTQ community, from the disability community — all those different sorts of marginalized

”

The institute was founded by Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani physicist Abdus Salam, who believed that we need to make sure we aren’t leaving anyone out of science education. He coined the phrase that Rob has made his mantra.

“What if the best skier in the world was born in the desert? Who would ever know?” Rob said.

There is a lot that can happen when you reach people and empower them through educational programs that are designed to help them succeed.

It all comes down to working with the strengths of individuals and communities. Science isn’t all about experiments and data, it’s about creativity and critical thought. And those are the skills that are needed in life, not just in a lab.

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Featured local of the month: The Usask alumnus behind BrellaBot app Filmmaker, animator and visual artist Andrei Feheregyhazi combines art and science to create AR masterpieces.

FIZA BALOCH

Art has always played a pivotal role in Andrei Feheregyhazi’s life. With the rapidly-growing technology of augmented reality, he is now crafting unique visual pieces magnified with brilliant artwork.

It all started off with the idea for an immersive picture book, Feheregyhazi says.

“I wanted to do a children’s book and I was thinking of doing it in virtual reality. But I felt the virtual reality world was too exclusive so some parents wanting to read a book with their kid couldn’t participate with them,” Feheregyhazi said. “But with augmented reality, you could have more people participating.”

Many of his designs — which can be viewed on his website — follow a mixed-media theme heavily influenced by steampunk design. He draws his inspiration from this style of art.

“I’ve been fascinated with steampunk technology and things like that for quite a while so the steampunk designs come from that,” Feheregyhazi said.

The incredible detail in his artwork is brought together by a complex process that may take anywhere from one week to one year. The idea phase can go by quickly but the painting, scanning and computer design takes longer.

Creating the augmented reality can take anywhere from days to a month.

One of the reasons Feheregyhazi is so interested in fusing art with augmented reality is the level of engagement it allows. Speaking of North American art, he says “for the most part, it’s like the art is [over there] and you're here.”

Immersive artwork allows for meaningful connections that

10 / CULTURE

go beyond the viewer and the work.

However, with interactive artwork comes the fear of damage, which is where augmented reality comes in.

“Something I’ve always wanted to foster is people moving into a space and actually feeling the ability to engage with art, and [with augmented reality], you can engage with art without damaging it,” Feheregyhazi said. “You don’t need to worry about liability on value of things.”

His ideas are fuelled by the prospects of art and AR in the future.

“I think in some ways it’s limitless. I’ve always wanted to … have [viewers] have an experience that expands into the space around them,” he said. “With the t-shirts, you can be a character in and move around that scene.”

Feheregyhazi is also specifically interested in newer AR technologies like Microsoft’s mixed reality smartglasses, HoloLens, for interactive art exhibits instead of phones as they only allow for so much engagement with an artwork.

As far as resources go, Feheregyhazi says acquiring them is “relatively different” depending on the project but to do augmented reality is “relatively easy.”

The digital segment of his projects is cost-free in terms of experimentation. As Feheregyhazi graduated with degrees in art and art history from the University of Saskatchewan, the programming skills required to play with AR comes from his own personal study.

“I just watched free YouTube videos to learn the very basics,” Feheregyhazi said. “If you’re willing to put the time into researching and finding, you can almost learn anything from the internet these days, but there’s a

Photo supplied by Andrei Feheregyhazi.

lot of times where it might take me a few weeks or a month to learn.”

As a maker with ambitious ideas, Feheregyhazi emphasizes the importance of motivation and putting work into your art.

Referring to learning resources, Feheregyhazi draws from his own experience as a student and jokes that “I’ve harassed profs in departments I’ve never been in.” Talking to professors about interesting ideas

can be helpful since they can provide more resources for you to look into.

For future plans, Feheregyhazi says he has plenty of ideas.

Some of his main goals are expanding his AR app BrellaBot and creating a t-shirt line that turns you into different characters such as a penguin, lion or dinosaur.

Feheregyhazi is hoping to build up user-generated content with people creating short

films out of his characters and is looking to expand his augmented­ -reality agenda to be a team-based project, a goal that goes well with his increasingly ambitious ideas.

“Murals are my big thing,” Feheregyhazi said. “Large scale artwork that can encompass public spaces that people can move into and really see, engage with their phones or any kind of technology and just be transported to a new world.”

NOVE M B E R 07, 2 0 1 9

CULTURE

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

A portrait of our robot overlords: Artificial intelligence and science fiction movies What is it about AI that we just can’t get over?

TOMILOLA OJO CULTURE EDITOR

It is evident from the box office numbers of movies having to do with post-apocalyptic worlds and rogue robot rampage that people seem to have a morbid obsession with reliving their fears over and over again.

Though we have many fears, none are as prevalent as our fear of technology.

Some are little, such as anxiety regarding social media surveillance and parents blaming every problem a child has on ‘that damn phone.’ Others have a bit more heft to them, such as fears of robot takeovers and artificial intelligence eroding the line between machine and human.

Ever since Mary Shelley changed the game with Frankenstein — which is considered to be the first science-fiction novel — the genre has been using societal anxieties to thrill and terrify us.

Despite the two centuries that have elapsed since Shelley wrote

her novel, our fears about this type of technology are still very present. Shelley’s creation of an unnatural, non-human mechanical creature that wrought havoc on society due to carelessness by its creator still mirrors the fears that people have today.

The only difference is that the technology we’re afraid of is much more advanced. The emergence of artificial intelligence has only intensified these fears.

AI has come a long way from being the stuff of fiction and half-looney speculators to now being incorporated into our daily lives. With the rise of virtual personal assistants like Siri and Amazon Alexa and full-blown robots like Hanson Robotics’ social robot, Sophia, AI can no longer be considered fantastical.

Science fiction movies have used different approaches to try and capture — or at least, describe — our fears regarding this science.

The Matrix had humanity fighting for its very essence from

malevolent artificial intelligence robots. Black Mirror has a few episodes that depict AI being used to imitate human consciousness.

Her details a man who falls in love with a sentient robot.

I Am Mother is a 2019 film that follows a teenage girl being raised in an automated bunker by an AI robot after an extinction event.

The robot, known only as Mother, has an insidious plan that is revealed at the end of the film.

This movie deals with a number of fears we have about AI, the fear of losing control being one of the more prominent ones. The fear of robots taking over comes up again and again in science fiction — Robopocalypse, I, Robot and The Terminator all deal with this idea.

Living in the digital age where we depend on technology such as AI in our daily lives, the fear of losing control is always at the back of our minds. We have conquered odds to be at the top of the chain on our planet, so the fear of losing our place is only natural.

Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor

These fears are not helped by the ending of I Am Mother, which leaves some ambiguity about who exactly won in the battle between humans and robots.

Some of our fears regarding science fiction could be related to its proximity to reality. Many of the destruction bent robots we see in movies are based on already existing creations. There are physical similarities between Mother and Boston Dynamics’ robot, Atlas, just as there is a resemblance between Sophia and robots in movies like A.I. Rising

and Ex Machina.

Even the science of Frankenstein is closer to 21st-century society than it’s ever been. Sophia the robot making jokes about her plans for world domination doesn’t help, either.

As technological advances continue to make AI’s even more intelligent, the science fiction of the past becomes a reality in our present — with our fears continuing to grow.

We are already seeing pushback over humanoid robots due to public anxieties, but will that stop the onward march of the creators behind AI?

Thorough is the call of the reds: Usask engineering society hits 100th birthday The engineering students’ group continues to stand strong despite some bumps along the way.

MEGHAL MEGHAL

In 1919, a group of engineering students striving to build a better tomorrow came together and formed the Engineering Students’ Society. Today, the legacy these students built is still remembered.

The society experienced a smooth run until 1984 when some volunteers were sued due to a legal problem. This caused the abolishment of the ESS, but the engineers were determined to carry the banner forward.

They amended the constitution and laid the foundation of what today is known as SESS, the Saskatoon Engineering Students’ Society.

“We serve students by ensuring we meet their social needs, their academic needs and their professional needs as far as we can,” said Dayne Gawley, president of the SESS.

The non-profit also organizes tutorials, ensures academic representation on higher councils and plan career fairs and industry mixers.

Though 2019 marks 100 years of existence for the society, it is not a centennial celebration because of its two different iterations.

“The SESS is only 35 years old, but we’ve experienced 100 years of continual society,” Gawley said.

In order to create a thriving social sphere for its members, the society hosts a lot of events such as College Splash and the Shenanigans Night. Most of these are a series of pranks against the Agriculture students, their sibling rivals.

“Pranks are deeply rooted in our history and culture,” Gawley said. “All these events are meant to promote camaraderie among the students as they work towards a common goal.

Executive photo of the Saskatoon Engineering Students’ Society. | Supplied by Dayne Gawley.

We are just messing around and having fun causing trouble.”

The engineers have a few defining qualities. Most recognizable is their red jackets with a rocket crest and the motto “thorough” emblazoned on the front. The underlying significance of the phrase is that if an engineer is not thorough with their profession, people’s lives are put at risk.

The engineer jackets also have patches stitched on them that represent each individual’s achievements. These jackets unite the society while highlighting individual accom-

plishments. The society also has traditions with significant meanings underlying them, such as their “engineer’s hymn” and official anthem Godiva’s Hymn.

While looking back at the past years, Gawley remarks that the SESS has been doing a great job despite the highs and lows and is still looking forward to hitting milestones.

“These past few years, we have been working towards becoming a more professional and structured student society and honestly at this point, I am close to saying that we have

reached it,” Gawley said.

Their current goal is to build better public relations so that people know who they are and that they’re a bit more professional than their pranks might show.

It has been 100 years since the engineers formed an organized group and time is the witness that they have come a long way with each other’s support. The SESS is a home that will always have its doors open for engineering students.

“Engineers, we work hard, we play hard,” Gawley said. “We pride ourselves on our structure.”

CULTURE / 11

OPINIONS

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In defense of piracy: How do you cope with the high price of software?

This isn’t a tale of the pirates of the sea, we’re talking about the lawless land of the internet here.

MINH AU DUONG WEB EDITOR

As the legend goes, if you know where to look, you can find anything on the internet.

For the savvy college students low on funds and high on aspirations, it is all too easy to obtain digital goods illegally.

Software piracy refers to the unauthorized distribution and use of ‘cracked’ software, or software that has been altered in some way, often to bypass copy protection features. There exists a vibrant community of ‘crackers’ and users who make software piracy widely available and endlessly tempting.

Software isn’t cheap. With more and more companies moving toward the subscription business model, it becomes more and more unaffordable to add a monthly cost to the already thinly-stretched student budget. The costs add up quickly and at the end of the day, you don’t get to own the software.

The moment you stop paying

12 / OPINIONS

the monthly fees — regardless if you have spent thousands of dollars for the past couple of years on a software — you lose all of your access to it. Not to mention that you are at the mercy of the company to continue giving you what you subscribed for.

Earlier last month, Adobe deactivated all Venezuelan accounts without refunds, citing compliance with a US executive order despite no other major software companies making a similar move. If you happen to work in the photography industry, for example, losing access to Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom might be a devastating blow to your livelihood. Thankfully, just over a week ago, Adobe announced the restoration of service to Venezuela with a 90day free service to make up for its decision last month.

Students, however, are most likely to be hobbyists who are not making any money from any of the software. A lot of companies, Adobe is a prime example, bundle up their software to sell

at a much higher price point.

And if you are looking to use, say, three of their applications, it is cheaper to subscribe to the whole thing. In the end, you are paying for more than what you need.

It makes sense to say that if you can’t afford it, find an alternative or don’t use it. However, as young professionals, students often find themselves obligated to learn how to use industry­-standard software. These kinds of programs have steeper learning curves, more expensive licensing and fewer, if any, comparable replacements.

Companies should be called on to provide free student subscription options. It is not impossible or unaffordable for these giant multinational software companies. Autodesk and JetBrains offer all of their applications to students for free.

It is a great way to make themselves an essential part of an up-and-coming professional’s toolkit and build customer loyalty.

Mỹ Anh Phan

Software piracy is a high stakes game and doesn’t come without risks. Legality aside, if you are unfamiliar with the process, there is a high chance of getting your laptop infected with viruses and malware.

University students looking for alternatives should look at what are offered through their post-secondary institutions.

University of Saskatchewan offers a limited number of software for free to students, most notably Microsoft Office 365 through their Microsoft Student Advantage program.

They also allow virtual access to a number of applications at vlab.usask.ca. Your internet bandwidth might prove to be a challenge to a smooth experience but for the most part, this provides a safe and inexpensive alternative.

Pirating software shouldn’t be your first instinct when you need a program, but you shouldn’t be forced into a corner financially with digital services — especially if you are not commercializing your use of the software and you are just trying to build the skills you need for the future.

OPINIONS

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NOVE M B E R 07, 2 0 1 9

Bringing science and technology to the field Innovations like zero tillage and machine learning help improve soil health and crop yields.

DAVID MACTAGGART

An overwhelming amount of dust — quantities so large that you could never get your clothes clean — and blowing topsoil were common sights during the drought that hit North America 80 years ago.

The widespread use of conventional tillage on prairie farms played its part in the development of this environment. Conventional tillage is when farmers pass over their fields with a cultivator, disc or plow several times a year to break the soil to help with seeding.

The negative side effects of this process are: increased soil emissions of CO₂, soil compaction that prevents water retention during droughts and it results in nutrient loss that contaminates waterways.

Aware of these consequences, University of Manitoba scientist Elmer Stobbe set out to help farmers seed directly into crop residue in 1973 by introducing the zero tillage technique.

Zero tillage agriculture removes cultivation from the farming cycle, but it presented challenges such as planting the seed in the ground and controlling weeds. Using science and experience, Dave Lumgar, a farmer from Thornhill, Manitoba, developed a seed drill that pushed through the topsoil without the need for tillage.

Prairie universities were also instrumental in developing crop protection products to kill weeds without harming crops.

In a world affected by climate change, zero till agriculture enables food production to be an agent of climate change mitigation. The carbon footprint of agriculture decreases under this system because fuel consumption and disturbance of soil carbon are reduced.

Research from Swift Current has demonstrated that when zero till is combined with a crop rotation — that includes nitrogen-fixing crops — soil carbon content increases, effectively removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.

This carbon-based material, called humus, is a climate buffer that holds water during droughts and acts as a filter to minimize contamination of drinking water supplies. The science behind zero till helps reinforce the three pillars of sustainability in agriculture — profit, planet and people. It helps to bring economic affordability for farmers, sequester carbon from the environment and preserves water quality.

But this system is not without trade offs. With the adoption of zero tillage across the Canadian Prairies, herbicides must be used in the place of tillage to control weeds. Science has taken the lead again to address this challenge.

New machine-learning techniques are being developed at the University of Manitoba to identify weeds with cameras so that herbicide is applied only to weeds.

Today, farmers and researchers are using science to increase the sustainability of prairie agriculture in the future. In Minton, Saskatchewan, farmers Derek and Tanis Axten are using cov-

er crops so their fields can host plants for 200 growing days a year, doubling the time compared to the average farm.

In doing so, nitrogen-fixing legumes such as chickling vetch reduce the need for synthetic fertilizer and increase the soil’s ability to weather droughts — which are predicted to become more severe in Western Canada.

While droughts are still common in the Canadian Prairies, they aren’t marked by the dust storms our grandparents experienced during the Dirty Thirties. Science is leading to more innovative agricultural strategies that allows farms to support a sustainable environment, which benefits society and is more profitable for farmers.

A tractor sits in a Saskatchewan field. | Steven Trautman

COMING EVENTS

Technology in the Canadian beef industry

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Cattle farms are no stranger to innovation.

Gabriel Becker plays with calves in their pen at his grandparent’s farm in the summer of 2019. | Victoria Becker/ Photo Editor

AMY CARRUTHERS

Precision agriculture, machine learning and satellite imagery are all words that come to mind when considering new technologies in the Canadian agriculture industry. But what do these three things have in common? They are primarily used in the field crop production sector.

In the 2016 Census of Agriculture, oilseed and grain-type farms made up 33 per cent of all

farms in Canada. Technology is clearly important in the Canadian crop sector, but what role can it play in our beef industry?

As of 2016, beef operations accounted for 18.6 per cent of farms in our country with the Prairies representing over 80 per cent of the total beef in Canada. This makes it a topic that is close to home since we live in Saskatoon.

While there are many emerging technology-based applications in agriculture, drones and radio-frequency identification

©

are two technological innovations used within the Canadian beef industry.

Drones can be used to fly above herds of cattle when pasture access is difficult. Water troughs, which are essential to cattle, can be checked using this technology as well, helping to ensure herd health. Both time and labour, often at the expense of the farmer, are being saved using this technology. It’s no wonder why drone technology is becoming increasingly popular among cattle producers.

The traceability of cattle is another part of the beef industry that benefits from new technology. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency is responsible for giving specific identification numbers from the Canadian Livestock Tracking System database to approved animal indicator manufacturers. These companies are in charge of creating the animal indicators used in cattle across the country. Animal indicators — also known as ear tags — are yellow button tags that contain a transponder.

Every calf born in Canada

will get one of these small yellow tags to identify which farm it was born. These tags use radio-frequency identification technology, which allows farmers to scan the tag to identify the animal.

Each animal has a specific identification assigned to their tag. The tags are passive, meaning they do not have internal power, and therefore, they charge and transmit information only when the reader is present. The unique ID number of each animal remains with that animal for the duration of its life until meat inspection or export.

Technology is rapidly expanding in many industries across our country, and agricultural practices are no stranger to innovative technology. With new technologies on the horizon, it is an exciting time to be involved in the agriculture industry.

For more information about Canadian beef, including production practices and beef nutrition, please visit: https://www.raisingcdnbeef.ca/

Tarin DehoD & Priscilla seTTee Reading and Q&A

Locals Only

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 Pm

alessanDra naccaraTo

Discussing & Signing

Re-Origin of Species Monday, Nov. 18, 7 Pm Co-presented by TonighT iT's PoeTry

OPINIONS / 1:05:47 13 PM 10/28/2019

sheaf nov 7 to nov 20, 2019.indd 1

OPINIONS

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The powerful photo which influenced me This Nobel Prize-winning scientist has been a source of inspiration.

Marie Curie. | Flickr / tonynetone

FAN YIWEN

I have never seen her or talked to her before, nor have I read her manuscripts or fully understood her works. I couldn’t even spell her full name correctly until I Googled her. Yet she has had a deep and lasting influence on me through her image and her words.

Her name is Marie Sklodowska Curie. In my home country, China, she is known as “Mrs. Curie” or simply “Marie Curie.”

Knowing her was a coincidence. It was over 20 years ago

14 / OPINIONS

that my primary school redecorated the corridors with pictures and quotes of celebrities. As we were walking through the corridors, we could see the images of famous scientists and writers — such as Einstein, Newton and Golgi.

I was totally struck by the photograph of Mrs. Curie. Among all these scientists and writers, she was the only woman. She looked serious in her portrait — her eyes staring straight ahead and her lips pressed together.

There was a line under her photo, which read “We must have perseverance and above all con-

Marie Curie’s laboratory. | Flickr // Pedro Cambra

fidence in ourselves.”

At that time, I was too young to understand why she used “above all” before the word “confidence,”

but it didn’t matter. The fact that she, a woman, was a scientist and won the Nobel Prize twice inspired me a lot.

The government in my motherland has been making many improvements to advocate equality between men and women. While they have created new laws and policies, the centuries of traditional mindsets and gender bias are not easy to change.

Twenty years ago, girls were not expected to be outstanding. If a girl earned good grades, some people would say that girls could learn faster in their early ages but this advantage would not last long. If she failed in an exam, then good — that was everyone’s expectation.

The worst thing was that those adults seldom did anything to help. They just threw up their hands and said, “See? Girls are girls.” Some of them even said, “There is no doubt that boys are more clever. Don’t you see that all the great scientists are men?”

I did not dare to argue with the adults, but deep in my heart I knew this was nonsense. The photo of Mrs. Curie hanging there told a different story.

She was one of the world’s greatest scientists. Without saying a word, her image was my best weapon against prejudice.

As I grew up, I finally realized that the main reason most of the scientists and writers were men was because women had been deprived of the right to receive education for centuries.

And I started figuring out why Mrs. Curie added “above all” before “confidence.” If a girl is surrounded by bias like “women are inferior to men” and loses confidence in herself, she will hardly have the chance to find out how excellent she could have been, no matter how gifted she is.

At that time, I was already working in a company that was responsible for teaching children to design, build, program and control robots. Our team made sure that photos with girls must appear on the leaflet and websites of each course in order to encourage more girls to join in this so-called “boys only” activity.

All we wanted to do was to provide every girl with one more chance to explore how far they could go, hoping that they could break the prejudice and find their passion and confidence.

Looking back at the past, I still feel that I was so lucky to know about Mrs. Curie. Her image and her words have not only protected me from prejudice, but also inspired me to query and fight against it.

NOVE M B E R 07, 2 0 1 9

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

DISTRACTIONS

CROSSWORD

/The Sheaf

The Government

Across 1 – Be dab? or smear 4 – The other half of my soul 6 – Bottle gourd calabash 9 – Northwest pacific cyclone 10 – This Sheaf issue 11 – Long time ago 12 – Greek “character” 16 – Something hammer 17 – “Fiji”saki apple 18 – Big CDs for music 19 – 12 p.m.

20 – MUB roof, harvesting the sun 21 – God of lightning 23 – Four without you 26 – Display area 28 – Equality in the eyes of law and society 29 – Chef Remi from Ratatouille 30 – Tube stop 31 – Architecture, an ovolo moulding

Crossword by J.C. Balicanta Narag

Down

2 – Legume 3 – Tug o’ War 4 – “You are my sun, my ____, and all my stars.”

5 – Fabric in the woods 7 – “Fah” 8 – Not real!

9 – This Sheaf issue 12 – Eaves (?) Zone 13 – A drink with jam and bread 14 – Yiddish!

15 – Disparaging remark 16 – Fred Ramsey’s 1939 literature 22 – Past tense of go 23 – Agriculture 24 – paper made of Talipot palm 25 – Right? But not left.

27 – Isolated

DISTRACTIONS / 15

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Transgender Day of Remembrance 2019 Wednesday, November 20 Education Students Lounge, 6:00 pm Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to memorialize those we have lost as a result of anti-transgender violence, and to raise public awareness to the continued violence that the transgender community faces today.

We call on all our allies to step forward and stand in vigil beside us.

This will be followed by cake and tea.

Candles will be provided.

USSU UNDERGRADUATE SYMPOSIUM

call for submissions Submit your work by

DEC/31/2019

For more information visit ussu.ca

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ussu.ca/pathforward

USSU ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thu. Nov 21, 2019 6 PM, Arts 241 Bring your student card For more info visit ussu.ca/agm

For more information visit ussu.ca