The Sheaf - Sept. 18, 2014

18 September, 2014 The University of Saskatchewan Student Newspaper since 1912.

THE sheaf

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/thesheaf1912

News Sask. tuition rises faster than the rest of Canada.

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Sports

culture

Women’s soccer team remains undefeated.

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@thesheaf1912

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opinions

Gee willikers, the Comic Expo is in town!

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Should Saskatoon create more outdoor public spaces?

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Nothing says the Prairies better than cold beer. Pg.17

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THE sheaf Editor-in-Chief: Anna-Lilja Dawson, editor@thesheaf.com

Copy Editor: Tab Rahman, copy@thesheaf.com

Production Manager: Cody Schumacher, layout@thesheaf.com

Web Editor: Carter Bryden, web@thesheaf.com

Senior News Editor: HenryTye Glazebrook, news@thesheaf.com

Ad & Business Manager: Shantelle Hrytsak, ads@thesheaf.com

Associate News Editor: Rainer Kocsis, associatenews@ thesheaf.com Photography Editor: Katherine Fedoroff, photo@thesheaf.com Graphics Editor: Stephanie Mah, graphics@thesheaf. com Culture Editor: Madison Taylor, arts@thesheaf.com Sports Editor: Austin Arvay, sports@thesheaf.com

Board of Directors: Julia Wagner, Tyler Spink, Nicholas Kindrachuk, Jordan Bulgis, Aralia Maxwell Cover Photo: Katherine Fedoroff/ Photo Editor Banner Graphic: Stephanie Mah/ Graphics Editor Office Numbers: Advertising 306.966.8688 Editorial 306.966.8689

Opinions Editor: Naomi Zurevinski opinions@thesheaf. com

The Sheaf is non-profit, incorporated and student-body funded by way of a direct levy paid by all part- and fulltime undergraduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S).

Membership in the Society is open to undergraduate students at the U of S, but all members of the U of S community are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. 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 Sheaf is published weekly during the academic year and monthly from May through August. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, he/she 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 libelous material.

Corrections In last week’s feature, we did not credit Stephanie Mah for the graphic. We apologize for this error. If you find any mistakes in this week’s issue, please email them to copy@thesheaf.com

Melissa spore

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Speaking & Signing The Designer's Guide to Presenting Numbers, Figures, and Charts Tuesday, September 23, 7:00 pM

••• HerMan J. MicHell Launching Kitaskino

Key Issues, Challenges and Visions for Northern Aboriginal Communities in Canada

Wednesday, September 24, 7:00 pM

sheaf sep 18, 2014.indd 1

NEWS

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

TransformUS banner scrapped, admin heads in new direction SOMA DALAI Though TransformUS was formally cancelled during the University of Saskatchewan president’s address on Sept. 9, the reality may be slightly less optimistic than initial coverage has implied.

“TransformUS, in a way, isn’t dead,” said interim President Gordon Barnhart during an interview with the Sheaf.

TransformUS was the name for the slew of cost-saving changes planned for the U of S, started in 2013 under the administration of ex-University President Ilene BuschVishniac. The austerity project was due to a projected 2016 deficit of $44.5 million dollars and was hoped to save at least $25 million through immediate implementation. It was an all-encompassing plan including an alteration of on-campus libraries, amalgamation of smaller departments, cuts to departmental budgets and finally, the merging of the School of Public Health and the College of Dentistry under the College of Medicine.

After the turmoil that occurred this spring with the controversy over TransformUS, it may be unsettling for some to hear the interim President’s words, but Barnhart had more to say.

“What I really said quite carefully was that the word TransformUS and in fact the philosophy of how quickly things were being implemented and how they were being implemented is dead.”

The difference, Barnhart says, between TransformUS and the new eight-priority plan his administration has created is both procedural and related to the end goals. These eight priorities include Aboriginal achievement, restructuring the College of Medicine, interdisciplinary health education and research as well as a transformation of libraries.

“The difference is that we’re taking a smaller bite, a smaller piece of the action: eight points. But within those eight points there are sometimes multiple points within it, so it’s more than just eight points,” Barnhart said.

“What we’re also saying is that we’re being driven by our mission — who we are and where we’re headed rather than specifically by money. It seemed before, under TransformUS, that it was the $44.5 million… deficit that was driving the change, and we think the change should be driven by our need to become better.”

Along with tackling issues at a smaller scale and at a slower pace, Barnhart said his administration is attempting to incorporate more consultation from the wider campus community.

“I feel confident that I, as the president, and the senior administration, we have the support from the deans and their colleges. I’m not saying that it’s unanimous. Nothing is ever going to be unanimous across campus. But we’ve just got grassroots support to work along this and that consultation will continue,” Barnhart said.

With regards to a student voice in

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KATHERINE FEDOROFF/ PHOTO EDITOR

Gordon Barnhart announced the dismissal of TransformUS on Sept. 9. future plans, Barnhart acknowledged the difficulties students had in getting heard under TransformUS, but also said that the university cannot always prolong decisions until a time that is convenient for everyone.

“As much as we can, we will have the community — that’s more than students — but the community as a whole involved and getting their input as we did with the deans and the heads of departments,” Barnhart said. “I’ve been working very closely with the executive of [the Graduate Students’ Association] and [the U of S Students’ Union] and certainly in dealing with [USSU President] Max FineDay. I think we’ve had excellent communication. And we’re not done, we need to keep going.”

Reached by email, FineDay was also hopeful about future student engagement.

“The main difference is that this administration is committed to reaching out to college societies, to the USSU and to students who will be most impacted by this new plan,” FineDay said. “The interim president and interim provost have both committed to talking with students, not only in university budget matters but also in conversations around tuition. Does it mean we'll always agree? No. But it means that the door is open, and both sides are willing to listen. This year students will be heard.”

FineDay also wrote, “For students, ending TransformUS will restore some faith in our administration.

We expect administration to be caretakers for this place and, when the situation calls for it, go beyond what is normally done and extensively engage the student body in the future direction of our university. From what I've heard, this is what the administration will do, and that's a win for students.”

Regarding the “transformation of libraries” mentioned in the plan, Barnhart was quick to assure that “transformation” did not mean disappearance. Speaking of the Dean of University Library Vicki Williamson, Barnhart said that a plan to reform libraries had been under way well

before TransformUS. “In the process of TransformUS it somehow became interpreted that, say, the law college was just going to lose their library ­— that it was just going to be closed,” he said. “And I’m not sure that was intended, but if that was intended, what we are now saying is, ‘Let’s go back to the dean of libraries and let’s get back to the original track of seeing how we can make the libraries more useful or a better tool in terms of students.’”

In particular, Barnhart mounted a strong defence of the U of S Law Library.

“The Law Library is not only students’ but it is the law professors’, and it’s also the law community’s. The lawyers downtown and the lawyers across the province [use] that library as a resource.”

Speaking of tuition rates at the U of S, and specifically a figure from Statistics Canada indicating that the rates of tuition increase here are amongst the highest in the country, Barnhart wanted to make one thing clear about how tuition is set at the university.

“Well, first off, there’s an impression that tuition fees are set by [whether] the university needs more money, and that’s not the case.

We don’t say, ‘Okay, we can’t balance the budget this year so we’re going to have to increase the tuition more.’

That’s not the case. Instead, when the question comes up each year of what the tuition should be for the coming year, there is a study done of across Canada to try and find out what the medium is within comparable universities.”

Barnhart asserted that within comparable universities, the U of S ranks near the middle and added that government rebate programs in Saskatchewan make student debt significantly more bearable compared to other provinces.

Addressing on-campus childcare, an issue not discussed in either the previous administration’s TransformUS or the current eightpoint plan, Barnhart was keen to show that the subject had not been neglected, saying his administration

has been working with the USSU. “As I understand, we’ve identified need for about 800 spaces right now. We have a proposal going to the board, I can’t give you the details yet, but assuming the board agrees, we will be building more spaces in the next little while,” Barnhart said.

“I’m also told that about 35 per cent of those vacancies are needed

by Aboriginal parents — Aboriginal mothers particularly. But no matter who might be needing those spaces, it is an obstacle for a student to get an education if they have children and if they have no place to get their children looked after in a safe way. So it is very much a priority for us as a university and, as I say, stay tuned. I’m hopeful that within the next six weeks we’ll have some positive news.”

FineDay’s response to the university’s childcare plans was hopeful.

“Obviously construction will take a while. I will likely not be the president of the USSU when it opens, but I'm going to continue to push this university to honour the commitment to expanding childcare, and challenging them to plan for future expansion now,” FineDay wrote. “If that can be a piece of what I get done here, I'll be happy.”

While TransformUS is finally appearing to fade into the past, some questions remain. Namely, the controversial Vision 2025 document that is slated to be discussed by the Board of Governors on Sept. 18.

“We should not gratuitously duplicate research or educational programs that may be found elsewhere within the province,” reads the main point of contention in the document. Many see this phrasing as a way of saying programs that overlap with those offered at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, the University of Regina, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, or the First Nations University of Canada might be cancelled. Barnhart stressed that program coordination amongst post-secondary institutions in this province is an on-going process.

“I know there’s been debates for years over, ‘Well [the U of S and the U of R] both have colleges of engineering,’” Barnhart said. “And that becomes a really very vicious circle of ‘Well, you should close yours,’ ‘No, you should close yours.’

But if we can cooperate, we can work together,” Barnhart said. “I’m not in the short term expecting that we’re going to close a college just because somebody else has that same college.”

While a new vision is being enacted across the campus, the controversy over TransformUS is certainly still being discussed in the student community. As third year physiology pharmacology student Yuhao Wu puts it, “It’s hard to see how the university, with its overwhelming debt, is going handle its finances considering that TransformUS was kind of brought in to handle our debt crisis.”

NEWS

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

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Sask. sees highest 2014-15 percentage tuition increase in Canada

HENRYTYE GLAZEBROOK Senior News Editor Students, hold onto your wallets.

A report from Statistics Canada indicates that Saskatchewan students in both undergraduate and graduate programs have seen the largest percentage increase in tuition costs for the 2014–15 academic year.

Issued on Sept. 11, the report indicates that Saskatchewan undergraduates saw a rise of four per cent in tuition fees compared to an average overall bump of 3.3 per cent across Canada. The change brought the average tuition paid by Saskatchewan undergrads up from $6,402 for the 2013–14 academic year to $6,659 in 2014–15. The increase also puts Saskatchewan at the second highest overall costs in Canada, second only to the $7,539 that Ontario undergraduates pay.

For comparison, the crosscountry average tuition rate for undergrads increased from $5,767 in 2013–14 to $5,959 for the current academic year.

The rate of inflation between July 2013 and July 2014 was measured at 2.1 per cent.

Newfoundland and Labrador ranked lowest, as the province’s ongoing tuition freeze — established in the 2003–04 academic year — has kept their rates locked in place for over a decade.

The news will hit especially hard for Saskatchewan graduate students. Though their fees are less expensive than those of undergrads, settling at $3,796 for 2014–15, graduate programs did see a higher average increase at 5.2 per cent.

Saskatchewan graduate students rank much lower in average overall tuition fees across Canada, however, landing third lowest in cost. Only Quebec, at $2,821, and Newfoundland

and Labrador, at $2,506, ranked lower than Saskatchewan in graduate tuition costs. As with their undergraduate fees, postgraduate tuition in Newfoundland and Labrador has been frozen at its current price.

International undergraduate students in Saskatchewan saw the trend continue in their fees, which rose 7.7 per cent over the last year in comparison to the national average of 5.3 per cent in 2014–15. This percentage is lower, however, than the 6.8 per cent mean increase seen in 2013–14. On average, the cost of tuition for international students in Canada came in at $20,447 for the current academic year.

Tuition fees for international graduate students rose 3.3 per cent nationally, bringing the average total cost up to $13,934.

The University of Saskatchewan’s deans’ council has established a set of three guiding principles which are adhered to as tuition rates are decided, including comparability with similar schools, accessibility and affordability as well as the quality of the student experience.

Ernie Barber, interim provost and vice-president academic of the U of S, commented on the issue and assured students that

tuition rates at the university are in line with comparative institutions in the U15 — a group of 15 Canadian universities committed to public research.

“On a program by program basis, we’re trying to have our tuition be around the median of the U15 universities with some western university comparators thrown in there,” Barber said.

“Despite the fact that Stats Canada reported that we had the highest increase… that doesn’t mean that we have the highest tuition. Our tuition fees, even with the increases, are about where we intended them to be set.”

Tuition, which accounts for roughly $115 million of the university’s operating grant each year, is generally untrackable as it is distributed within the university. However, Barber said that some colleges were granted permission to increase their tuition rates specifically so that the added funds could be used to better their students’ experience.

With tuition on the rise, questions of affordability for students are bound to crop up.

Barber insisted that increases in tuition are not outside the realm of affordability and, on the contrary, may actually be making

post-secondary education a more attainable goal for those with lower incomes.

Of the $115 million coming in from undergraduate and post-graduate tuition, Barber said that roughly $40 million is put back into student funding through awards, bursaries and scholarships — $12 million of which is specifically doled out to undergrads. Barber believes that this approach, alongside procuring funding for students through government and private sources, is crucial to keeping post-secondary education affordable.

“I think that how you make education affordable is not through the tuition fees alone but rather it is through that financial support that you provide through students who need it. I believe that postsecondary education is both a personal good and a public good,” Barber said. “There are, right now, a significant number of students for whom the cost of tuition is absolutely not the limit.

It’s not that university is not affordable; it’s that university is not affordable to some. There are a significant number of students, without question, for whom I understand affordability

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

is a question for them, and I think that the way to get at that is to work with government and to work with donors and to look at our own budget and provide more financial support for those students rather than trying to drive tuition fees down to the absolute minimum.”

Admitting that “it would be unreasonable to imagine that tuition fees are not going to continue to increase across the country,” Barber said that the university is always keeping an eye on cost drivers to ensure tuition retains affordability without effecting quality.

“Our students want to have the best possible experience.

Rushing to the bottom in terms of cost is also going to rush to the bottom in terms of quality,” Barber said.

First year arts and science student Mikayla Loube, who has been granted $23,000 in scholarships to help pay for her schooling, admitted that she is one of the lucky few for whom increased tuition will be less of a burden.

“I feel like it’s really hard for people to afford it, especially when they’re on their own. Some people are lucky, their parents are paying for their schooling.

Other people are working part time jobs or taking a year off to save up,” Loube said. “It helps me out a lot knowing that I’m not going to have to struggle for money in that way.”

Brendan Swalm, who is working on his master’s degree in English, would like to see greater insight into how his tuition dollars are being spent.

“I don’t know where my money is going,” Swalm said. “I don’t know if that information is available to me in a way that’s enlightening.”

Barber said that future tuition rates will be discussed earlier on so that students will have more advance notice on how their fees will change moving forward, with that intention possibly becoming a reality as soon as the 2015–16 academic year.

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NEWS

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

Faculty Association ratifies new contract RAINER KOCSIS Associate News Editor On Sept. 3, members of the University of Saskatchewan Faculty Association ratified a three-year contract which will remove the university president’s ability to veto tenure.

The tentative deal, announced this summer, has been in dispute since 2010, when the university president denied a sociology professor’s tenure despite a recommendation from the Tenure and Renewals Appeal Committee.

“What has always happened to these cases in the past is that they have been transmitted by the president to the board and the board confirms tenure,” said USFA Senior Professional Officer Jim Cheesman. “In this situation the president decided not to send the recommendation to the board and as a consequence there were some grievances filed through the collective agreement with the Faculty Association. Since then there have been two arbitrations and a further court case on that very issue.”

Cheesman, along with the majority of the USFA, does not believe that one person has the knowledge, expertise or authority to overrule the numerous committees which are responsible

for awarding tenure.

“The argument from the faculty was that if the board is going to turn down tenure they have to do it as a board and can’t delegate their authority to one person,” Cheesman said.

This process was recently put under the microscope because of the controversy surrounding the dismissal of Robert Buckingham, which raised questions about academic freedom at the U of S. “Of course the issue of academic freedom is embedded in whether or not there’s a completely open, fair and transparent process for awarding tenure, and when you put it in the hands of one person to make the final decision, that really destroys the natural justice process of awarding tenure,” Cheesman said.

A faculty member’s tenure application must go through a number of collegial committees before it reaches the Board of Governors.

After tenure is approved by the tenured members of the applicant’s department, it is forwarded to a college-level committee who then sends their decision to the University Review Committee. If this body approves the tenure application, the case is heard by the Renewals and Tenure Appeal Committee. Finally, the case goes in front of the Board of Governors.

“It’s a very substantial and quite grueling process for somebody to go through the tenure process,” Cheesman said. “Once you’ve gone

through all of these bodies consisting of a large number of faculty who are experienced and understand the standards for tenure and promotion, putting it in the hands of a single person and to second-guess that decision is not only very bad process but it can lead to important biases when it comes to academic freedom.”

Cheesman says that the president has a limited knowledge of academia, whereas those applying for tenure come from different colleges and therefore it should be left to those colleges to make judgements about who is awarded tenure and who is not.

“The president is only one person,” Cheesman said. “Why should one person be able to second-guess all of the bodies that have examined the case before them?”

According to Cheesman, the USFA’s vote was almost unanimously in favour of the agreement.

“In general, the members [of the faculty association] were very satisfied with the resolution,” Cheesman said. “We’ve gone through some tough times over the last few months with the Buckingham case and the resignation of three major senior administrators… it’s all been surrounded by issues of academic freedom and the appropriate process for determining that academic freedom is protected.”

A year and a half before the contract ends, the university will look at the current collective agreement and solicit opinions from the faculty

based on their experience with it.

Six months before the agreement is about to expire, the USFA will start negotiating a new collective agreement or changes to the current collective agreement.

The deal must also be approved by the university’s Board of Governors, which is expected to happen in October. Cheesman is confident that the board will vote in favour of the contract.

“I feel that this is an important agreement. It signals a change in

atmosphere at the U of S,” Cheesman said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do in order to improve our reputation because of the recent events that have made international headlines, and I think it’s important for us to move on and restore that reputation.

“I think we’ve reached an agreement between the Board of Governors and the faculty that people are satisfied with and I really hope we can move on and become the very strong university that we were before all of this controversy started.”

SUPPLIED / UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN FACULTY ASSOCIATION

Jim Cheesman believes the agreement will help the U of S’s reputation.

U of A researchers hope to educate about MDMA content COLLINS MAINA — The Gateway (University of Alberta) EDMONTON — With the number of deaths linked to party drugs on the rise, a group of University of Alberta researchers are looking to provide further insight about their chemical composition.

Alan Hudson, a pharmacologist in the U of A’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, said the project aims to test samples collected by the Edmonton Police Service in order to understand the substances that drugs, such as MDMA, are being laced with.

In the last year, Alberta Health Services’ Poison and Drug Information Services (PADIS) received 33 calls across Alberta about MDMA. Of those calls, 17 were actively managed in Alberta hospitals while five were instructed to proceed to emergency.

“There’s this perception as if no one is taking drugs, but there is a problem with ecstasy and contaminated drugs,” he said.

Rather than criminalizing people, Hudson said the project focuses on harm reduction and keeping users informed about the substances they are taking. He added that by providing rapid testing of the samples, both EPS and emergency

room physicians would know more about what is out on the streets.

“After testing, EPS could put out warnings to people in emergency medicine to look out for patients coming in with these drugs in their system,” Hudson said.

This rapid testing could be done anywhere in a day or two with samples on-hand, he noted. The initiative’s idea was suggested two years ago, and despite being unable to secure funding for it, the researchers are still looking for ways

to set up a pilot program.

Department of Educational Policy Studies assistant professor Kristopher Wells said they plan to do more than testing, as the project will also educate people about the harms of using these potentially contaminated substances.

“We’re trying to develop a project where we can do real-time testing to engage a real-time response,” he said. “The message is that any time you take illegal substances you are at risk.”

In addition to rapid testing, the project would help in the development of treatment protocols to ensure that emergency room physicians will know the best available treatments — potentially saving the lives of patients who have overdosed on tainted substances.

“The risk with these drugs and contaminants is that one never knows how their own body or genetic make up is going to process the drugs,” Wells said. “We have seen devastating impacts on particularly

Researchers at the U of A are hoping to increase awareness of the contents of MDMA.

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university age students, young people and families.”

Hudson said one of the contaminants found in “Blue Dolphin,” a drug sold as ecstasy, increases blood pressure and could potentially cause a heart attack in users with heart problems.

The unknown adverse effects of contaminants in the drugs prove to be a public health risk, as many of these drugs are not found in their pure form, which is more expensive to make. The danger with many of these drugs is that people don’t know what they’re taking, Hudson said.

Wells said this research is especially important since Canada produces one of the highest volumes of MDMA-like substances in the world.

“We know they are out there and we don’t know what they contain, but we do know that there seems to be an increasing public health risk,” he said.

With the number of recent deaths linked to the use of these substances, Wells stressed the importance of awareness around the risks of using these substances. Working with EPS could provide institutional support in reducing this public concern, he added.

“Information and knowledge is power; that is what we’re aiming for.”

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18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

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Med. students experience rural Saskatchewan RAINER KOCSIS Associate News Editor During the summer, 40 medical students at the U of S took part in PREP — a rural externship program — to learn more about practicing in rural Saskatchewan.

The students shadowed doctors in 24 rural and remote communities within the province, where they gained valuable experience to help them decide on where to work and what type of medicine to practice.

The program is designed for medical students who are between their second and third years of study.

PREP is jointly delivered by Saskdocs — a non-profit medical recruitment agency — the U of S College of Medicine and the Saskatchewan Medical Association.

James Winkel, communications manager for Saskdocs, said this year’s program had 53 applicants and placed a record number of students since its inception in 2011.

“While we’d love to place everybody, it all comes down to having the space, positions, and accommodations,” Winkel said.

The rotations take place in communities outside of Saskatoon and Regina, and range from four to

12 weeks in length.

“Sometimes the students are just so busy that they only have a couple weeks to spare,” Winkel said.

Students completing the program also receive a small stipend to cover accommodations and per diems.

The main role of Saskdocs is getting the word out about PREP. “We have a recruiter that meets directly with medical learners at the U of S and we try to engage that recruiter with the students early on so they know about the program,” Winkel said.

One of the students who took advantage of this opportunity, Samantha Holbird, completed a month-long rotation in Prince Albert and Shellbrook this summer.

“It is a good opportunity to practice the clinical skills we have learned in previous years,” said Holbird in an email to the Sheaf.

Holbird worked with Dr. Chamberlain Ajogwu, a family physician, as well as Dr. Ayaz Ramji, Dr. Michelle DuRussel and Dr. Duane Bulat, all of whom are pediatricians. During her rotation, Holbird took patients’ medical histories and conducted physical exams, discussing both with her mentor afterward.

Holbird is passionate about becoming a doctor but says there was no defining moment that made her decide to choose medicine as her area of study.

“It was just always something that I wanted to do,” Holbird said.

Now in her third year, Holbird says PREP was a great opportunity to practice medicine in her hometown of Prince Albert.

“It was actually very easy for me to find accommodations because I grew up just outside of Prince Albert so I was able to stay at my parent’s home… The SMA and Saskdocs do a good job of trying to match students to places where they have accommodations, as well as helping us to set up accommodations if necessary,” Holbird said. “When I was off work I was able to spend time with my family.”

Holbird says her favourite part of PREP was “getting to know the patients in the ward and watching their progress daily.”

A total of 114 aspiring doctors from the U of S have participated in PREP since 2011.

Winkel says that PREP not only benefits the medical students who participate in the program, but also the communities and clinics in which they practice as they get a chance to showcase their region to future doctors.

“The sooner you get an up-andcoming physician exposed to rural and remote practice, it increases the odds that that person will return there after graduation,” Winkel said. “Some students know from the get-go that they’re going to stay in Saskatchewan to practice

medicine… most of them say that it’s not something they’re ruling out.”

Holbird plans to stay in Saskatchewan after she graduates.

“I have been here all my life and

know that Saskatchewan has so much to offer,” she said.

“It’s a great experience,” Winkel said. “It’s a great way to enhance your skills and beef up your medical resume.”

SUPPLIED / NEIL KALRA

Neil Kalra went through PREP, a program for medical students, in 2012.

Doug Ford running for mayor; Rob Ford drops out

The Ford family makes drastic political changes in the face of Mayor Ford's new health concerns.

RYERSONIAN STAFF — The Ryersonian (Ryerson University) TORONTO — Councillor Doug Ford met with media in front of his mother’s Etobicoke, On. home Friday evening to officially announce he will be running for mayor.

“Over the last four years, we have taken big steps together. We’ve made the city work better for you,

to serve you and not special interest groups and the privileged few. We want to build on the progress that Rob has made and so, folks, I’ve officially entered this campaign,” he said.

According to media reports, the city clerk’s office received two sets of withdrawal papers shortly before 1 p.m. on Sept. 12: one for Rob Ford’s mayoral candidacy and one for his nephew Michael Ford,

Rob Ford has dropped out of the Toronto mayoral race.

FLICKR / ANDREW LOUIS

who withdrew his candidacy for councillor of Ward 2.

Jeff Silverstein, Rob Ford’s campaign spokesperson, then registered the mayor as a new Ward 2 candidate and entered Coun. Ford in the mayoral race.

Mayor Ford has been hospitalized since Sept. 10, when he was admitted to Humber River Hospital for unbearable abdominal pain. A CT scan found a tumour in his lower abdomen.

Ford was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital on Sept. 11, where he underwent a second CT scan and biopsy, the results of which will not be known for one week, according to Dr. Zane Cohen, Ford’s colorectal surgeon.

Coun. Ford was emotional during his press conference. He spoke of his concern for his brother and how Rob is fighting to get better and continue to serve the citizens of Toronto. Teary-eyed, Coun. Ford said even he was surprised by his brother’s depth of commitment this week.

“Despite receiving some very, very difficult news, he only took one minute to process it. His concern turned immediately to his family and then, soon after, to our great city. He told me that he needed me

to take the torch while he focuses on getting better.”

After taking a minute to compose himself, Coun. Ford continued by saying he didn’t make the decision lightly. He quoted the mayor as saying, “Doug, together we’ve always been an unstoppable team.

And just because I have to sit this one out, it doesn’t mean I won’t be by your side.“ Mayoral candidate Olivia Chow would not comment on Doug Ford’s candidacy. Speaking earlier today from her Yonge and St. Clair campaign office, she told reporters she thinks “it’s important that we give the Ford family space today.”

Mayor Ford “and I and my late husband spent quite a bit of time at city council together so today must have been very difficult for him to step down and not run as mayor. I hope him a speedy recovery so he can be out on the doorsteps of Ward 2,” she said.

John Tory was more vocal about the recent addition to the mayoral race, saying that Doug Ford is “built from the same cloth” as the current mayor, and that “even with the changes today, the choice facing the people has not changed.” Tory also said he respects the mayor’s decision and hopes Mayor Ford

gets better.

City councillors were quick to weigh in on the day’s dramatic changes.

Ward 7 Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti released a statement endorsing Coun. Ford for mayor.

Ward 37 Coun. Michael Thompson told The Ryersonian he is not surprised at such a taking-over in “the business of politics.”

“I hope Rob is OK. I wish him well,” said Thompson in a telephone interview.

Ward 31 Coun. Janet Davis said she thinks Coun. Ford will carry on the same style of campaign as his brother, though he may have different policies.

“Doug is a very different person than Rob,” she said.

Ward 30 Coun. Paula Fletcher said if Mayor Ford is ill with cancer, he needs to focus on health and not politics, though the Fords may feel differently.

“Doug running for mayor means politics, and keeping the Ford name in office is the main concern,” Fletcher said.

Coun. Ford has asked the media for a few days to spend some time with his family. After that, he says he will “be in full campaign mode.”

6

NEWS

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

Campus club spotlight Model UN to attend Harvard conference RAINER KOCSIS Associate News Editor Politically-minded students at the University of Saskatchewan will have the chance to travel and debate across the continent as the Usask Model UN Club returns for another year.

The club, founded just one year ago, plans to maintain its momentum from an exciting season in 2013–14. The organization was created as a means to send U of S students to the North American Model UN in Toronto, which took place in February.

The U of S delegation to NAMUN was a huge success, and one that the club hopes to recreate this year on a much larger scale.

Momina Mateen, the club’s president and a second-year microbiology student, says that the club would like to attend three major conferences this year: the NAMUN conference in Toronto, the McGill

MUN conference in Montreal and even the Harvard MUN conference in Boston. The conferences are all scheduled to take place in January and February 2015.

“The opportunity to go to Harvard is really exciting for us because we actually received an invitation from them,” Mateen said.

The club also plans to host its own conference at the U of S. A delegation consists of four to six students, so deciding who gets to attend conferences can be a challenge, said Mateen. The club has around 25 members currently.

Vice-president Thanasi Kipourous said that he enjoys model UN because it forces him to think outside the box and look at issues with a different perspective.

“When I go to conferences I prefer not to represent Canada…

I prefer to represent countries like Peru, Chile and North Korea,” Kipourous said. “It’s very interesting.”

Kipourous is a second-year political studies major with two years of model UN experience from high school. Mateen has an impressive four years’

experience and has attended over 20 conferences.

The opportunities to think about current events in new ways is Mateen’s favourite part of model UN. “Model UN encourages you to research different topics and puts you in a difficult position, because you may have to represent views that don’t necessarily correspond to what you personally believe,” Mateen said.

“If you’re representing Cuba, you can’t ally with America,” Kipourous said.

Participants in model UN conferences, referred to as delegates, are placed in committees and assigned countries, or occasionally other organizations or political figures, to represent.

They are presented with their assignments in advance, along with a topic or topics that their committee will discuss. Most conferences tend to focus on current affairs issues that are being discussed in the United Nations. These issues can highlight political, financial and/or social concerns.

Delegates conduct research before conferences and formulate positions that they will then debate with their fellow delegates in committee. At the end of a conference, the best-performing delegates in each committee are sometimes recognized with awards.

Mateen said that learning the style of debate used at conferences is key to a successful model UN experience.

“You need to be very diplomatic, which takes a little bit of practice,” Mateen said.

The club plans to hold weekly meetings on Wednesday afternoons, which will consist of a training session followed by a few rounds of debate. The group is open to students of all majors and colleges.

Students wanting more information on the Usask Model UN club can email the group’s organizers at usask.mun@usask.ca.

If you’re a part of a campus club and would like your group featured in the Sheaf, contact Rainer Kocsis at associatenews@thesheaf.com

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The Usask Model UN Club saw a successful season in the 2013-14 year.

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Sports

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

Huskies stun Golden Bears in OT, set up first place showdown

AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor The University of Saskatchewan Huskies had a furious comeback late in the fourth quarter and then pulled out the victory in overtime over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

Trailing by eight points with 1:45 left in the game, quarterback Drew Burko led the charge that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown for Mitch Hillis. Then receiver Andre LaLonde caught the twopoint conversion to tie the game.

In overtime, it was Kit Hillis who scored the touchdown that would give the Huskies the lead for good. Alberta would actually score, but their two-point conversion would be denied and the Dogs hung on for the improbable 42–41 win.

The normally strong Huskies defence wasn’t up to the challenge of stopping the Bears.

Alberta racked up 572 yards of offence, including 419 passing yards from quarterback Curtis Dell.

Burko continued his sizzling start to the season as he threw for four more touchdowns and totaled 382 yards, giving him eight touchdown passes in two games to start the season. Once again, Burko spread the wealth with seven different players recording a reception.

Kit Hillis led the way with four catches for 91 yards and his touchdown. Also recording

major scores were John Trumpy, LaLonde and Mitch Hillis. Shane Buchanan headed the rushing attack with 13 carries for 58 yards.

Mid-way through the first quarter, Denton Kolodzinski opened the scoring for the Huskies at 3–1 while running back Jeremy Long would punch in a two-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10–1 on the final play of the first frame.

In the second quarter, Dell

hooked up with Adam Zajdel for a nine-yard touchdown to cut the Dogs lead to 10–9 at the half. The third quarter saw more seesaw action as LaLonde and Trumpy opened it to a 24–9 lead, before Dell ran in a one-yard major to it 24–16 after three.

After Alberta added a punt single, the teams would trade field goals early in the fourth stanza. Then with time running out, Dell and Golden Bear receiver Jimmy Ralph connected

on a 40-yard bomb that gave Alberta the 35–27 advantage.

Then the late Huskie heroics took place.

Next week the Huskies will challenge the University of Calgary Dinos. Both teams find themselves with 2–0 records to begin the season and the winner takes over sole possession of first place in the Canada West conference.

Five-time reigning Canada West champions, the Dinos have

The Huskies picked up their second win of the season with a thrilling overtime win against Alberta.

Upcoming Games Men’s Hockey

Canada West Standings Women’s soccer

• Sept. 19 vs. Alberta Golden Bears (tournament) @ 7 p.m.

• Sept. 20 & 21 vs. Calgary Dinos @ 12 p.m.

• Sept. 20 vs. Calgary Dinos (tournament) @ 2 p.m.

Men’s football

Women’s Hockey • Sept. 19 vs. Manitoba Bisons (tournament) @ 2 p.m.

• Sept. 20 vs. York Lions (tournament) @ 2 p.m.

• Sept. 21 vs. Regina Cougars (tournament) @ 2:30 p.m.

RANDY SAVOIE

been completely dominant to start the season. They began by hammering Alberta 71–3 and then on Sept. 13 beat the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 59–11.

Calgary is led by a very powerful running game and are averaging 308 yards along the ground a game, which is a completely ridiculous number.

The Huskies are second in the conference, averaging a strong 152 yards per game, but not even half of the Dinos’ remarkable number. To add to their impressive yardage totals, they have scored five rushing touchdowns each game.

Mercer Timmis is the key to Calgary’s offence as he leads the Canada West in rushing yards and touchdowns. The Dogs will have to step up their defence as they allowed a solid 90 yards to the University of Manitoba Bisons and were then abused

by Alberta for 174. Stopping the very potent Dinos offence will be a challenge for Huskies if no adjustments are made.

On the Huskies side of the ball, Burko leads the conference in passing touchdowns and is third in passing yards. The Dinos defence is allowing just 118 passing yards a game, so it could be difficult for the Huskies to move the ball effectively.

The game will ultimately come down to whether the Huskies can shut down the high-powered Dinos rushing game and find ways to exploit their proven secondary.

The pivotal first-place showdown takes place on Sept. 19, 7 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.

Sept. 19 vs. Calgary Dinos @ 7p.m.

- Home Game

Football

Women’s Soccer

Men’s Soccer Prairie Division 1. Saskatchewan 2. Alberta 3. MacEwan 4. Winnipeg 5. Calgary 6. Lethbridge 7. Mount Royal

W-L-T 4-0-0 3-1-0 2-2-0 1-2-1 1-3-0 0-1-1 0-2-0

Prairie Division 1. Saskatchewan 2. Calgary 3. Manitoba 4. Regina 5. Alberta 6. Mount Royal 7. MacEwan 8. Lethbridge

W-L-T 3-0-1 3-0-1 2-1-0 2-2-0 1-1-2 1-2-1 1-1-0 0-3-1

Pacific Division 1. UBC 2. UNC Okanagan 3. Trinity Western 4. UFV 5. UNBC 6. Victoria 7. Thompson Rivers

W-L-T 4-0-0 3-1-0 1-2-1 1-3-0 1-3-0 1-1-0 0-1-1

Pacific Division 1. Trinity Western 2. UFV 3. UBC 4. Victoria 5. UBC Okanagan 6. UNBC 7. Thompson Rivers

W-L-T 3-0-1 3-1-0 2-2-0 1-0-1 0-2-2 0-2-2 0-2-0

1. Calgary 2. Saskatchewan 3. Manitoba 4. Regina 5. Manitoba 6. UBC

W-L 2-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 0-2 0-2

Sports

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

9

MacEwan dominated by U of S Huskies ALEXANDER QUON

The Huskies men’s soccer team continued their undefeated streak over the weekend with two wins against the hosting University of MacEwan Griffins.

The Dogs beat the Griffins 5–0 on Sept. 14 and 5–1 the following day, improving their record to 4–0–0. The two wins place them squarely at the top of the highly contested Prairie Division with 12 points to their name. After this weekend’s results, the Griffins slip to the bottom of the division and are still looking for their first win of the season with a record of 0–4–0.

Starting the weekend double header with a 5–0 victory, the Dogs showed no intention of slowing down. Jordian Farahani opened up the scoring for the Dogs with an unassisted goal in the 18th minute of the first half.

He was able to place his strike past Griffins keeper Adam Hajji and into the bottom left corner.

Brett Levis and David Brown continued the Huskies successful first half scoring a goal each before the 45 minute mark.

The second half was just as successful as for the Dogs.

Defenceman Austin Boryski scored in the 57th minute of the game off of a corner kick, heading the ball into the top

corner of the net. Closing out the game, Farahani scored his second goal of the match by sliding the ball past Hajji from a well-placed free kick.

While the Huskies offence was potent and effective their defence was even better, allowing only two shots on goalkeeper Michal Bandalu all weekend. In the first game, the

Huskies did not allow Bandalu to be tested at all, with all shots arriving in the second game of the double header.

The final game of the weekend was another fantastic performance for the Dogs.

Coming in the 13th minute of the match, Levis got the team’s scoring going with his second goal of the weekend.

The Griffins’ sole goal of the weekend came in the 28th minute of the match with Dejan Gajic slipping the ball past goalkeeper Bandalu into the bottom left corner.

Not to be deterred by the minor mistake, the Huskies pushed forward for the rest of the game.

Brown scored his second goal of the weekend in the 38th minute

With two dominant wins over MacEwan, the men’s soccer team is 4-0-0 on the season.

GRIFFINS ATHLETICS

of the match. Three minutes later, the MacEwan Griffins suffered a devastating setback to their hopes of a mid-game resurgence when a bungled pass caused an own goal and a 3–1 deficit heading into the break.

The offensive prowess of the Dogs continued in the second half with Mitchell Bauche and Boryski scoring in the 50th and 79th minutes. This capped off a 5–1 score to conclude the weekend’s final match.

Levis and David have continued to be standout players for the Dogs this season. Each of them having scored four goals for the Huskies in the past two weeks and are placed second and third, respectively, among individuals goal scorers in the Canada West conference.

Both Huskie stars are in the top five points leaders of the Canada West conference with Levis coming in second with 12 points and Brown coming in fourth with nine points.

The Huskies now have an almost two week break during which they will train and rest until the weekend of Sept. 27.

Then they will travel to do battle with the sixth placed University of Lethbridge Pronghorns who sit at 0-1-1 in another weekend double header.

Women’s soccer team remains undefeated AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor For the second straight weekend, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s soccer team did not lose a match.

A big 4–0 win on Sept. 13 against the University of Mount Royal Cougars gave the Huskies their third victory of the campaign. The following day, a 0–0 draw versus the University of Alberta Pandas would keep their undefeated record intact.

The Dogs home opener would see them easily take down the Cougars.

Huskies midfielder Gillian Pinder opened the scoring in just the fourth minute of the game after she deflected in a cross from teammate Ali Goodman past the Cougars keeper. The goal was Pinder’s first of the season.

Then in the 15th minute striker Jenelle Zapski would score her fifth of the season as she wired a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. The shot would evade Cougar keeper

Janelle Chicilo and make the score 2–0 in favour of the home side.

Zapski buried her second of the game and sixth of the year in the 35th minute when midfielder Erica Hindmarsh made a nifty play before firing a cross over to Zapski. The reigning Canada West first star of the week would make no mistake and give the Huskies a three-goal cushion heading into halftime.

In the 63rd minute, the Cougars nearly got on the board, but keeper Cara Santaga would be there to make the diving save to maintain the shutout. Santaga was seldom called upon as she only faced two shots on the day and stopped both.

Hindmarsh added a goal in the 90th minute off of a cross from midfielder Kiara Stasiuk.

The late marker would make the final score 4­–0 for the green and white.

The second game of the weekend saw the Huskies take on seventh placed Alberta.

The first half was a back-andforth affair with neither side really gaining much momentum or generating any quality chances. The second half was much more fast paced and wide open.

In the 48th minute it looked as

if Panda striker Paula Dadensky would break the tie as she fired a shot on goal from 18 yards out, but Santaga was there to make the diving stop.

Then again in the 59th minute Alberta’s Jessie Candlish came oh-so-close to breaking the deadlock, but her header just went wide of the goal.

Shortly after that it was all Huskies.

Defender Jessica Morrow made a nice run to goal before hammering a shot on the Panda net, but Kelti Biggs turned her away. Then in the 75th minute Pinder sent a corner kick to the back post and defender Carmen Gorlick got a head on it but a Panada defender neatly cleared it off the line.

The Huskies would add more late pressure but they just couldn’t solve Biggs. Santaga and Biggs finished with six saves each in the scoreless draw. The game ran the Dogs record to 3–0–1, and Alberta is now 1–1–2.

Next up for the Huskies is a showdown with the University of Calgary Dinos. Both teams have identical records and are tied for first place in the Prairie Division of the Canada West conference.

The Dinos have yet to allow a goal against this season.

Zapski leads the conference

in goals and points through four games of the 2014 season. She is off to a remarkable start with six goals and 12 points thus far. All of last season she only recorded seven goals and eight points.

The Huskies will head to Calgary where they will take on the University of Calgary Dinos in back-to-back games on Sept. 20 and 21.

KATHERINE FEDOROFF/ PHOTO EDITOR

The women’s soccer team won one and tied one this past weekend at home.

10

Sports

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

Dog Watch: Jenelle Zapski ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Editor-in-Chief With her undeniable competitive spirit and get-thejob-done attitude, Huskies striker Jenelle Zapski is a force to be reckoned with on the soccer pitch.

The third-year kinesiology student said that her love of the sport is only matched by her love of competition.

“I really enjoy competing but especially winning,” Zapski said.

”I’ve just done it for so long and I enjoy it.”

As far as this season goes, Zapski’s talent and determination show her as leading not only her team, but also the Canada West conference in scoring. In the Dogs’ opening weekend in Manitoba, facing off against the University of Winnipeg Wesmen, Zapski recorded the team’s first goal of the season and followed up with a hat trick against the University of Manitoba Bisons. Unsurprisingly, Zapski’s performance earned her the conference’s first star for the week of Sept. 9, a step up from the 2nd star she received in the 2013 season.

Although the award is without a doubt a sign of Zapski’s knack

for putting balls in the back of the net, she said it speaks just as much about the entire team’s work.

The first star is “kind of like a testament to our team as well because my role on the team is definitely to finish everyone else’s hard work,” Zapski said. “It’s nice to get recognized and it’s nice to get our team recognized. I think there’s a lot of players on the team that are doing well and I think as a whole we’re doing well.

Just getting people to realize that we’re here and we want to make an impression on people, we want to surprise people.”

The following weekend on home turf, Zapski scored two more goals in a 4–0 victory

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against the University of Mount Royal Cougars on Sept. 13 but came up empty handed against the University of Alberta Pandas as the game resulted in a 0–0 draw.

Zapski said that there is a bit of pressure being the last player to face off with the opposing team’s goalie.

“I find I put a lot of pressure on myself. I enjoy that role, I enjoy scoring,” she said. “It’s all about playing for your teammates and doing it for them. The pressure that I put on myself sometimes is that I feel like everyone else works so hard to win the ball and to get it to me that I don’t want to mess it up, I want to make everyone proud and finish the task.”

Pressure and scoring aside, Zapski said she really loves it when everyone on the team is just out there to have fun.

“Once our team gets in the flow of things and everyone is feeling confident about each other, then it’s definitely easier to relax,” Zapski said. “When everyone’s just enjoying the game, enjoying the moment, having fun, that’s the best because there’s not just one person that our team can depend on and I think if everyone’s having a great game, that feels even better because all 18 players can

make that difference out there.”

Zapski said that the team this year is made up of six or seven players, including herself, that have all played together since they were 10 years old.

“Our team has a very strong bond in that way,” Zapski said, later adding that the team’s strong relationships on and off the field have greatly benefitted their mentality heading into this season.

“We believe that we can win and I think that’s a huge thing,” she said. “When we go to training everyone is pushing each other as hard as they can and still staying positive, but pushing each other to improve, I think that’s huge.”

When asked what her goals for the season are, Zapski replied that she’s not making any goals this year and just wants to focus on having fun. However, when it comes to the team, she has her sights set high.

“Personally no, as a team I definitely believe that we can make it to nationals and compete and win,” she said. “Every game’s a challenge and it’ll be nice to prove to people that we deserve to compete at the highest level and ultimately win the conference and go from there.”

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Sports

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

11

NFL week 3 picks: Packers mount huge comeback Tennessee Titans looked average in a blowout loss to Dallas and young quarterback Jake Locker could be in for a long day against the Cincy secondary.

Take: Cincinnati

AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor Sept. 18 Tampa Bay (0–2) at Atlanta (1–1) Atlanta is coming off a bad loss against the Cincinnati Bengals and are at home looking to get back in the win column. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the lowly St. Louis Rams and are searching for answers. The Falcons are difficult to beat at home and the Bucs are reeling.

Take: Atlanta Sept. 21 San Diego (1–1) at Buffalo (2–0) Tight end Antonio Gates led the charge for San Diego with three touchdowns as they upset the Seattle Seahawks last week.

Quarterback Phillip Rivers looked exceptional, but the Buffalo Bills are turning some heads this season. Their defence has been rock solid and will be tough to beat at home.

Take: Buffalo Sept. 21 Tennessee (1–1) at Cincinnati (2–0) An injury to star receiver AJ Green could be detrimental moving forward, but the Bengals still have a great defence. The

Sept. 21 Baltimore (1–1) at Cleveland (1–1) Amidst the off field turmoil, the Ravens pulled out a huge win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now they travel to Cleveland to take on the upstart Browns who stunned everyone by beating the New Orleans Saints. The Browns defence is very underrated and they could be a legitimate threat in the American Football Conference.

Take: Cleveland Sept. 21 Green Bay (1–1) at Detroit (1–1) The Packers trailed the New York Jets 21–3 at one point, but a huge day from receiver Jordy Nelson brought them back to win. The Detroit Lions offence sputtered against the tough Carolina Panthers defence last week, but the Packers defence looked very pedestrian against a sub-par Jets team.

Take: Detroit Sept. 21 Indianapolis (0–2) at Jacksonville (0–2) It’s only week three but the Jacksonville Jaguars are already in midseason form. They were abused 41–7 by Washington Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Colts let one

slip away on Monday night, but if they don’t manage to beat the Jags, hell will freeze over.

Take: Indianapolis Sept. 21 Oakland (0–2) at New England (1–1) The Patriots looked like their old selves in week two with dismantling the Minnesota Vikings. At home against the equally weak Oakland Raiders, quarterback Tom Brady and company should roll in this one.

Take: New England Sept. 21 Minnesota (1–1) at New Orleans (0–2) Nobody predicted the Saints would be 0–2 to start the year.

Quarterback Drew Brees and their powerful offence went 8–0 at home last year and unfortunately for Minnesota, this is the Saints home opener.

Take: New Orleans Sept. 21 Houston (1–1) at New York Giants (0–2) After a string of 15 straight losses, the Texans actually looked good in a game. They now get the abysmal New York Giants, who can’t score or stop giving up points. Houston’s defence should make it a long day for quarterback Eli Manning.

Take: Houston Sept. 21 Washington (1–1) at Philadelphia (2–0) The Washington Redskins blew out the Jaguars, but they have a tough matchup now with the

Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles mounted a late surge to win last week. This will be a tough divisional matchup, but being at home they should have the upper hand against the Skins.

Take: Philadelphia Sept. 21 Dallas (1–1) at St. Louis (1–1) Kicker Greg Zuerlein connected on four field goals, including the game winner as time expired to give the Rams a surprising win in week two. The Cowboys used a dominant performance by Demarco Murray, but the Rams defence won’t let that happen again. Quarterback Tony Romo will be relied to win the game.

Take: Dallas Sept. 21 San Francisco (1–1) at Arizona (2–0) San Francisco choked away a 17-point lead on Sunday Night Football for their first loss of the season. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick looked terrible and he could be in tough against a top notch Arizona defence.

Take: Arizona Sept. 21 Kansas City (0–2) at Miami (1–1) With the potential for Jamaal Charles’ ankle injury to be serious, the Chiefs offence could be in big trouble. Kansas City just isn’t the same team they were last year. Miami was beaten badly last week, but remain a solid team at home.

Take: Miami

Sept. 21 Denver (2–0) at Seattle (1–1) The game of the week features a Super Bowl rematch between Peyton Manning’s Broncos and Richard Sherman’s Seahawks.

Seattle is reeling after a bad loss to the Chargers and the Broncos are rolling after two big wins.

Logic would take the home team, but it doesn’t stand up this time.

Take: Denver Sept. 21 Pittsburgh (1–1) at Carolina (2–0) The Steelers were simply terrible on Thursday Night Football and now have to face the ferocious Panthers defence on their own turf. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is getting old and he could be in for a long game.

Take: Carolina Sept. 22 Chicago (1–1) at New York Jets (1–1) Monday Night Football in week three sees the Bears take on the Jets. Chicago mounted a huge second half comeback to stun the 49ers, whereas the Jets gave up a big comeback to lose to the Packers. The Bears have a good matchup with their talented receivers taking on the weak Jets secondary.

Take: Chicago Last week: 7–9 Overall record: 17–15

Plenty of feel good stories left in sports KADE GATES With all the turmoil in sports right now, it seems like the perfect time to remind people of the good that’s left in competitive athletics.

For every domestic abuse case, there is a man running a foundation that helps his city, donations being made to good causes or a league that devotes a month to breast cancer awareness.

There may be racism in the National Basketball Association, specifically among its owners, but at the same time, the Basketball Without Borders program has never been more successful at giving underprivileged players from developing countries a chance to fulfill their NBA dreams.

The National Football League has taken a lot of heat this week due to the domestic abuse case of Ray Rice and now the child abuse rumours involving superstar running back Adrian Peterson, but Charles Tillman proves that there are still feel

good stories in the NFL. Tillman is a two-time Pro Bowl selection but more importantly, he has impacted thousands of people in the Chicago area through his foundation.

The Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation, provides children’s hospital patients with iPads, laptops, gaming systems and other forms of entertainment to help the kids pass time and has also given out over $1 million to families in atrisk areas of Chicago. Tillman has also helped build a school in Camden, N.J., participated in a moral tour in Iraq and served meals on Thanksgiving last year to local troops.

Basketball Without Borders selects the top players from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America to train with NBA players and coaches. An additional outreach component of the program assists the communities that the players come from in creating safe places where families can live, learn and play basketball.

By dividing the players into teams regardless of their race

or country, Basketball Without Borders promotes diversity and has mentored 1,500 players in more than 100 countries since the program began in 2001.

Every October, the NFL goes pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Players clad in pink game cleats, arm sleeves

and gloves take to the field using special game balls and pink coins to help raise awareness for the important crusade. At the end of the month, each player’s items, along with the game balls and coins, are then auctioned off with the proceeds being donated to the American Cancer Society.

FLICKR / US ARMY

Chicago Bears defensive back Charles Tillman does plenty of charity work.

One of the biggest internet trends of 2014 has been the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. You probably know a friend who has posted an Instagram video of them doing the challenge, but the real reason behind the challenge is to raise money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — a motor neuron disease that directly affects one’s ability to swallow, breath and speak.

Many athletes have been a part of making the ALS challenge such a success, but one of the most important athletes in this campaign is Pete Frates, a former Boston College baseball player who has ALS. His participation of the challenge brought it to the light of his sporting connections as athletes became the focus of the challenge and brought the challenge to the international media’s attention.

The media loves to report on the negatives of sport, but there are many positives and the examples touched on here are only the beginning of what sports have for feel good stories.

12

Sports

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

Roughriders have major meltdown in Hamilton

FLICKR / HUSKIES FOOTBALL

It was a long day for the Riders as they were whooped by the Tiger-Cats.

AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor

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For the first time in two months the Riders weren’t victorious in their weekly game.

The Roughriders took their seven game winning streak to the brand new Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, ON, and then proceeded to be utterly embarrassed. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats ran them out of the building with a final score of 28–3.

Newly appointed starting quarterback Tino Sunseri was dreadful in his first Canadian Football League start. He completed just under half of his passes — 10 of 21 passes — for a mere 87 yards, and he threw an interception.

With Sunseri in, the Riders cannot become a one-dimensional offence — their rushing attack was irregularly poor, only running for 102 yards as a whole. Anthony Allen was the top rusher with 67 yards on 10 carries.

The game was never even close as the Ti-Cats were up 13–0 before the Riders even had a sniff of the endzone. Late in the second quarter they would march down to Hamilton’s three-yard line, but couldn’t finish off the drive. Chris Milo would boot the 10-yard field goal to get the green and white on the board.

That would be it for Roughrider highlights as they were outscored 15–0 in the second half.

Midway through the third quarter they gave up a 57-yard punt return touchdown to Hamilton returner Terrell Sinkfield and then late in the fourth quarter Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros would connect with Luke Tasker for his second score of the game, making the score 27–3 for the Tiger-Cats.

The Riders defence was uncharacteristically weak against both the run and the pass. They gave up 123 yards along the

ground and 261 more through the air, against a Hamilton team that had won just twice all year.

The few bright spots were the fact that Macho Harris, Ricky Foley and Brian Peters all recorded quarterback sacks. Defensive lineman Derek Walker also notched his first career interception.

The team just didn’t have the same confidence or mentality entering the game it seemed. This could be very much attributed to the fact that Darian Durant is out for the season with an elbow injury to his throwing arm.

Sunseri does not have the same skill set, leadership capabilities or the experience that Durant brings to the table. The bottom line is that with your starting quarterback out for the season, your chances of winning drastically decrease.

It is only one week and it’s not time to hit the panic button just yet.

Even with the loss, the Riders still find themselves at 8–3 and tied for second place in the West division with the Edmonton Eskimos. They control their own fate, as five of their final seven games are against the first place Calgary Stampeders and the Eskimos.

With long weeks of practice in between games, Sunseri will have some time to try and learn the playbook and gain some familiarity with the rest of his teammates on offence. Chemistry is a very underrated quality between quarterback and receivers, as it can be the small difference between winning and losing close games.

Sunseri obviously doesn’t have the same level of trust with his receivers that Durant did, and it is something that can be developed over the next few weeks.

The Riders’ next matchup will be new expansion team the Ottawa RedBlacks, who come into Mosaic Stadium aiming to hand the green and white their second consecutive loss. The RedBlacks are a dismal 1–9 this year, which is last place in the entire CFL. Last time these two teams met, the Riders dismantled Ottawa by a score of 38–14.

The game goes Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. on TSN.

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18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

To the Wall: The Last Stand for Academic Freedom Wednesday, October 1, 2014 3:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Room 241 Arts Building, Neatby-Timlin Theatre

3:00 p.m.

“The Contested Terrain of Academic Freedom” Dr. James Turk (former Executive Director of CAUT) and Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ryerson University

4:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion: “Academic Freedom in an Age of Conflict” Dr. Robin Vose, President of Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Dr. Carolyn Sale, University of Alberta Dr. Toni Samek, University of Alberta Izabela Vlahu, U of S, President, Graduate Students’ Association Dr. Howard Woodhouse, U of S, Department of Educational Foundations

All Sessions are Free and Open to the Public Sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan Faculty Association

Co-sponsored by Aboriginal Business Students’ Society, Aboriginal Students’ Centre, ASPA, CUPE 1975, CUPE 3287 Sessional Lecturers, Education Students’ Society, Graduate Students’ Association, Indigenous Students’ Council, ITEP Students’ Society, SUNTEP Students’ Society, USSU

14

feature

AUSTIN ARVAY Sports Editor

For many years now, steroids have been at the forefront of negative discussions in sports. Baseball, football and Olympic athletes are all being caught using performance enhancing drugs. The practice of using them has now trickled down to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport level.

Predominantly, Major League Baseball has taken the brunt of the negative publicity that goes hand-in-hand with athletics and steroids. Many of the great players of recent memory are not only being accused of doping, but they’re testing positive for PEDs. Back in 2007, former United States Senator of Maine George J. Mitchell released what was commonly known as the “Mitchell Report.” The report was the conclusion of a 21-month long investigation that named 89 MLB players who were taking anabolic steroids or human growth hormone. It was one of the darkest days in baseball history.

Some of the more prominent names to grace the list were all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, one winningest pitcher Roger Clemons, 18-year veteran Andy Pettite and all-star Miguel Tejada. The problem of doping in baseball has gotten so bad in the new millennium that some baseball analysts have dubbed this the “Steroid Era.” Just six years later, news of another scandal broke out — “the Biogenesis Scandal.” The Biogenesis Clinic in Coral Gables, Fla. was not only the namesake of the scandal but also many players’ primary source for PEDs. This report led to 14 major leaguers being suspended a minimum of 50 games.

Most notable of the players were slugger Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees and the reigning National League Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. Braun sat out 65 games, but Rodriguez was given a 162-game ban — the duration of the entire 2014 season.

Baseball isn’t the only sport being heavily influenced by the usage of PEDs. The National Football League is seeing a dramatic increase in players being caught cheating using them.

In 1987, the NFL introduced its first anti-drug policy and two years later four players were suspended for using banned substances. The NFL features approximately 2,000 players every year, so four is a fairly miniscule number. However, a 2009 study done by U.S.A. Today revealed that nine per cent of retired football players admit to using steroids at least at one point in their career. These days it seems that every other week a pro football player is suspended for testing positive for banned substances.

The Canadian Football League recently implemented a new drug policy that will see 35 per cent of its players tested every season. A first time offender will not be suspended, but will be subject to a mandatory test each year for the rest of their career.

He will also be given counselling in an attempt to change his behaviour. The only CFL players to test positive in past 10 years have been prospects at scouting combines — where players’ physical capabilities, such as bench press, vertical jump and a 40-yard dash, are measured.

The National Hockey League and National Basketball Association have both avoided the negative attention that comes with its star players using PEDs. Only seven players in the NBA have tested positive for steroids since 2000 while only two players in NHL history have tested positive for PEDs, ever.

In both leagues, athletes are subject to multiple random drug tests throughout the entirety of the season — a method that is obviously working.

Back in 1990 when the news first broke of professional athletes doping, it was utterly shocking. It was inconceivable that somewhere in the mix of athletes who had trained their whole lives to compete at that level, there was a fellow competitor who had taken a shortcut to get to the same place.

Now in today’s sporting world when news breaks of a professional athlete having used PEDs, it barely registers as anything out of the ordinary. We have learned to accept it because it has become such a norm in modern sporting culture.

Take Lance Armstrong as a classic case. A high profile cyclist in the Tour de France for many years, Armstrong won the Tour seven consecutive years from 1999 to 2005. To make the feat even more incredible, in October 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but by February 1997 he was cancer free. To this day he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research.

Armstrong was praised as the greatest cyclist of all time, although some believed he competed while on steroids. For years allegations that Armstrong had cheated floated, but he denied every single instance.

Then in September 2013 during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong admitted to doping during his illustrious racing career. He was stripped of all seven of his titles and was given a lifetime ban from competitive cycling.

The prevalence of PEDs and their acceptance in society is exemplified in a study done recently by the Huffington Post that showed that 11 per cent of teenage athletes admitted to trying steroids at least once during their high school athletic careers. Of the same sample, 85 per cent of the athletes were unaware of the substantial negative side-

Wi athletes hitting home runs and s influencing the young kids of to at a younger age is becoming m steroids can be just as harmful kids are made aware of from a y Teenagers who use steroids ca testicle shrinkage, developmen mood swings and aggressive beh to heart and liver abnormalities and cholesterol.

There are two types of PEDs th steroids and HGH. Anabolic steroids have similar the body. It increases protein wi

effects that steroids have. ithout a doubt, the professional scoring touchdowns are heavily oday. Subsequently, education more and more crucial. Usage of to the body as other drugs that young age. an be at risk of fertility problems, t of breast tissue, acne, severe haviour. They are also susceptible s as well as high blood pressure

hat are found in sports: anabolic

r effects as testosterone does on ithin cells and allows muscles to

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

recover faster and grow bigger. There are many negative side effects that go along with taking steroids as well, including acne, liver damage, high-blood pressure and harmful changes in cholesterol levels.

HGH on the other hand, stimulates cellular growth, reproduction and regeneration. It became a popular substitute for steroids because it was initially undetectable in urine samples. Testing for HGH became available in the early 2000s which led to the International Olympic Committee banning it.

Looking at the CIS, head coach Brian Towriss of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies pulled what he called a “bold move” by organizing a mandatory team wide drug test this spring. The test included a urine sample as well as a blood sample from every athlete. All 85 members of the football team were tested at the spring camp in March, but the finalized results of each test weren’t available until July. The test would search for any type of banned substance that players may be using from steroids or HGH, it also checks for the usage of marijuana and other drugs considered to be for recreational use.

“We want to be up front and center, saying we don’t accept that kind of stuff here,” Towriss said in an interview with the StarPhoenix. He also cited that he did not want his team to be considered “guilty through association” after ex-Huskie Seamus Neary was charged with possession of marijuana with the purpose of trafficking. “We didn’t think it was an issue here, but we wanted to prove it wasn’t.”

This comes on the heels of former University of Manitoba linebacker Ranji Atwall who tested positive for PEDs at the CFL scouting combine this past off-season. Atwall was suspended for four years from CIS athletics even though he had played out his final year of eligibility in 2013.

In 2010, the University of Waterloo cancelled its football season after eight members of the team tested positive for banned substances during a similar team-wide drug screening.

“We said, ‘OK, if there’s a problem, let’s nip it now and find out. If we lose six or seven [players], there won’t be a long-term problem.

And we found out after four months that there wasn’t a problem. You go to any locker room in the country, test 85 guys and there’s going to be something, somewhere. You can test 85 students

across the street and there’s going to be something, somewhere,’” Towriss explained to the StarPhoenix.

The fact that steroid usage has become a regular occurrence at the university level is very alarming.

In recorded history, 62 CIS athletes have been caught doping since 1960. Of these cases, 44 have occurred in the new century and 53 of the incidents found among football players. The problem seems to be the mindset that in order to make it to the next level, you have to get bigger and faster — and the only way to do that is through the use of PEDs. In fact, of the 89 players in the infamous Mitchell Report, 49 of them were minor league players trying to get over the hump and crack a major league lineup. This theory of needing drugs to make it has seeped down to college players and the CIS must make a stand before it gets out of control.

Many Canadian sports writers have said the CIS is to blame for student athletes abusing PEDs, calling their testing policies “pathetic.”

The Canadian Center for Ethics in Sports is responsible for conducting the drug tests in the CIS. In the 2011–12 school year, following the Waterloo scandal, they performed 455 tests and since then the number has sharply decreased. A mere 200 tests were conducted in the 2014–15 season. The CIS is home to roughly 11,000 athletes, meaning under two per cent of athletes are being tested every year.

Following the Waterloo scandal, many programs across the country vowed to improve their drug testing policies. However, part of the problem is that the drug testing is drastically underfunded. Each test can cost up to $1,000 and that isn’t money universities are willing to spend.

“It’s a wild west because we have no [effective doping] controls in place and the athletes know that,” said Ira Jacobs, dean of kinesiology at the University of Toronto in an interview with TSN. Part of the blame falls on the athletes as well. They know they can get away with it, so why not give yourself a competitive edge?

The players know it could be the difference in making the jump from CIS to the CFL. That calls the players morals into question, would you do something illegal if you knew you were going to get away with it?

CIS athletes are required to complete an online course every year on the dangers of steroids and why to stay away from them.

The course also informs them of the repercussions of testing positive for banned substances.

The only option left is for the CIS to follow the lead of many other professional leagues and perform random unannounced tests to a random selection of athletes across the country. This is what the NFL and NHL have implemented to attempt to eliminate PEDs from their athletes.

The only problem with that solution is the lack of funding.

As it stands right now, the CCES receives $5.4 million dollars from the federal government to help with the rising costs of testing university-level athletes. The CFL has also agreed to help by automatically testing the top 80 eligible draft picks each season. Aside from that, the money has to come from universities across the country. With many universities across Canada, including the the U of S making budget cuts, this reality seems highly unlikely.

The CIS will have to turn to other outside donations to allow for more tests to be done, or find some other alternative cheaper method of testing. With steroids becoming more easily accessible, the CIS better think of something fast, before they have an epidemic on their hands.

15

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM 16 Culture It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No it’s the Saskatoon Comic Expo!

AYAN GULED This year Saskatoon will be hosting its first ever Comic Expo at Prairieland Park on Sept. 20 and 21. If comic books, cosplay, or science fiction are your thing then you should definitely check it out.

Many guests involved with comic television, film and graphic novels will be in attendance. Some names that you might recognize are Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Nana Vistor (Star Trek: Deep Space 9), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Dino Stamatopolous (Community) and Lindsay Elyse — known for her professional work as a cosplayer. Considering it is only Saskatoon’s second time hosting the convention, the number of big names coming is quite impressive.

The illustrators of comics such as Superman, Guardians of the Galaxy and Teen Titans will also be attending the Expo, as well as the creative artists for the television shows Adventure Time and Sons of Anarchy — talk about a star-studded lineup. I am already geeking out at the mere thought of meeting Jim Su, visual designer for Reboot: Daemon Rising.

The Expo is also an excellent place to show your support for local artists and designers by buying tons of cool merchandise.

Everything imaginable is available at the Expo, from clothing, posters, plush toys and independently published graphic novels to themed jewelry and collectible playing cards. You can even get some sweet body or face art done at the Expo in order to pump up the authenticity of your costume.

If you’ve never been to a convention there are a few things you should know. First, cosplay is encouraged but not mandatory so don’t get intimidated by those who choose to dress up. No one will judge you whether your outfit is incredibly intricate or last minute.

I can never finalize a character I want to cosplay and always end up putting together a shoddy, last

minute costume — and nobody seems to care.

Second, never feel ashamed about asking someone for pictures.

If you see something cool and wish to capture the moment — go for it!

Most people love it when someone recognizes and appreciates the effort they put into their costume and are happy to pose with you.

For photo opportunities with celebrities however, you will have to shell out a bit of cash. Photo ops as well as autograph signings are available for purchase closer to

the event weekend, so be sure to purchase a ticket in order to meet your favorite actor, cosplayer or artist.

Third, this is a two-day convention so it would be best to plan out your days according to what you want to see most on the first day. If the set schedules allow, don’t make my rookie mistake of going to artist alley and the vendors on opening day as it will be insanely busy.

Finally, take this convention as the perfect opportunity to make

friends with like-minded people. It can be tough, especially in a small city like Saskatoon, to find many comic book fanatics — so events like these are a good place to start. I made most of my friends at anime and comic clubs here at the University of Saskatchewan and made more by going to nerdacons.

The Comic Expo gives the residents of Saskatoon a unique opportunity to celebrate their passion for an art form that isn’t as prominent as other mediums such as film, studio art and performance

art. Attending the Expo could mean immersing yourself in a world that you know and love or exploring a whole new approach to art and creation that you may never have known otherwise. Either way, it is a valuable and fun way to enjoy a weekend. Hope to see you all there!

Check out the SaskExpo’s website at saskexpo.com for more information.

Tickets are available online until Sept. 18 or in-store at Unreal City, 8th Street Comics & Books and Amazing Stories.

FLICKR / LOREN JAVIER

Close encounters of the cosplay kind at the Comic Expo.

Upcoming events Thursday sept. 18

Friday Sept. 19

Coyote with guests at CFCR FM-Phasis Vangelis Tavern Festival kickoff feat.

Zeus, Astral Swans Hedda Gabler at the and The Elwins at Persephone Theatre Amigos Cantina The REDress Project at the University of Saskatchewan

Saturday sept. 20

Sunday Sept. 21

Monday sept. 22

Tuesday sept. 23

Wednesday sept.24

Saskatoon Comic Expo at Prairieland Park

Word on the Street Festival at Frances Morrison Library

Marc Holt Quintet at Bon Temps Café

Nik Turner’s Hawkwind at Vangelis Tavern

Everytime I Die feat.

Counterparts and Expire at Louis’

Stone Frigate Big Band feat. Robin Single Mothers with Knight at the BassSilent Era at Vangelis ment Tavern Gunner & Smith and Dream Country at Amigos

Lloyd Banks with guests at O’Brians Event Centre

Jazz Jam with Brett Balon at the Bassment

Culture

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

17

Home-Brew: drinking locally in Saskatoon BRADEN HURSH The dominance of massproduced alcohol in Saskatoon, and Saskatchewan as a whole, is beginning to shift as the population starts to show more of an interest in diversifying their drinking habits.

A growing market of local astute and adventurous breweries and distilleries are slowly but surely changing the current homogenous nature of the beer, liquor and wine consumed in our city. The drinkers of Saskatoon are maturing from their high school days of Molson Canadian, Kokanee and Pilsner and moving towards true India Pale Ales, porters, stouts and small-batch vodka, gin and whiskey.

The typical drinker will order beer and alcohol in descending order of what product is most heavily advertised. It is a true testament to the power of advertising when a customer walks into the pub where I bartend and asks first for a bottle of Bud and then — after being told the bar doesn’t serve Budweiser products — requests a Bud Light instead.

That customer will usually walk away with a bottle of Kokanee, slightly disgruntled about the lack of beer that all tastes basically the same. These macro-breweries rely more on their powerhouse advertising than the actual quality of their product. The beer bottle’s label may change colour based on temperature, but being “glacier-

cold” might just numb your tongue to the actual taste.

Over the next three weeks I will be highlighting some local companies devoted to broadening the spectrum of delicious, local, affordable and unique alcohol. This week the focus will be on the Paddock Wood Brewing Company.

The origin of Paddock Wood occurred serendipitously.

Founder Steve Cavan was teaching at the University of Saskatchewan when he realized there was no craft beer in the city, Cavan decided to go to the library and learn how to make it for himself and his wife — so basically, Paddock Wood began as a beer kit supply store run out of Cavan’s basement in 1995. In 2000, it shifted to a retail store specializing in custom beer kits.

Three years later the Canadian Revenue Agency gave Paddock Wood a bit of a surprise.

“In 2003, the CRA nicely pointed out that making kits was illegal without a permit and the permit covered being a brewery, so we just became a brewery,” Cavan said.

From an illegal basement operation to a fully licensed brewery, Paddock Wood entered the local beer market in full in 2005. Over the next seven years the market was small and there was initial resistance to certain styles and flavours, but in 2012 the market suddenly exploded and everyone seemed to be aware of craft beer.

In cities like Portland, Or.,

craft beer accounts for 50 per cent of the beer consumed. In Saskatoon, Cavan estimates that number to be less than five per cent — meaning that there is a large amount of room to grow for both established craft breweries and new early-stage breweries.

Some of the public resistance to Paddock Wood and other craft beer lies in the ingrained assumption that all beer should taste alike. If one were to have a blind taste-test of Kokanee, Canadian, Pilsner, Alexander Keith’s and Great Western Original 16, the test subject would likely have an extremely difficult time differentiating one from the other and an even harder time assigning the sample to the corresponding brand. Because of this, a first time craft beer drinker may be initially surprised by the diversity and difference between what they are trying and what they are accustomed to.

“I often tell people who have only consumed the commercial [beer] to think of this as a different beverage [and] evaluate it on its own terms, not to a standard set by the macro producers.

People are usually surprised by the range of flavours and if they expect something bland and watery as the ideal form, they are disappointed,” Cavan said.

“But if they are open to tasting malt or hops or the myriad of subtle flavours found in a range of craft beers, the response is often positive.”

For Paddock Wood, the diversity of flavour is found in the simplicity of their ingredients coupled with the various brewing techniques they use to arrive at various types of beer. Paddock Wood only uses malted barley, hops, water and yeast, while the macro-breweries can use up to 106 chemical ingredients.

Paddock Wood’s exceptional beer is served most regularly at Calories, the Woods Alehouse, Amigos and Louis’ Pub. Six varieties of Paddock Wood can be purchased at the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association and all 20 varieties can be bought directly from the brewery.

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Keep on rockin’ in The Physical World MADISON TAYLOR Culture Editor Despite a 10 year hiatus from the music world after releasing their debut album You’re A Woman, I’m a Machine in 2004, Death From Above 1979 have succeeded in making a long overdue comeback.

A punk rock group from Toronto, Death From Above 1979 is made up of the dynamic duo Sebastien Grainger — lead singer and drummer — and Jesse Keeler, who jumps in as bassist and keyboardist. The two have been rocking and rolling together for over a decade, in spite of their brief breakup in 2006, bringing an aggressively garage rock sound to the music scene.

The Physical World was released on Sept. 9 and takes a more complex approach to the band’s

initial rough-and-tumble feel, adding a mix of piano, synthesizer and slower tempo songs. Despite their desire to mix things up and revitalize their sound, Death From Above 1979 are still maintaining their angsty rock star image on this new album with their trademark scratchy bass riffs, high energy drumming and edgy vocals.

The album kicks off on a fairly standard note with “Cheap Talk,” a safe choice for the first track as it doesn’t differ too greatly from the songs of You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine. The title track “Physical World” starts off with a futuristic, electric synth vibe that quickly breaks down into a flurry of gritty bass and punchy vocals.

As the album progresses, standout selections such as “White Is Red” and “Trainwreck 1979” show just how much the group has evolved since they broke out into the music industry.

“White Is Red” starts off as being a relatively slow, almost melodic track — well, as slow as punk rock is capable of being —

that vaguely resembles the sound of artists such as The Gaslight Anthem and Ted Nugent. This is the must-listen song for those who aren’t the biggest fans of the auditory assault that makes up the majority of the genre. Its croony lyrics make the listener nostalgic for the good old days of back seat makeout sessions and midnight raids of the family liquor cabinet.

In contrast, “Trainwreck 1979” stays true to the band’s guitarheavy origins, making for a catchy listen that wouldn’t seem out of place at a house party or an impromptu basement concert. The swelling crescendo of thundering vocals and drums make it a fantastic head-banger.

The Physical World is a more focused and mature outlet for the group’s energy than You’re A

FLICKR / SEBASTIEN BARRE

Death From Above 1979 singer Sebastien Grainger sings his heart out.

Woman, which often felt as though it was walking a thin line between being a product of hormonal rage or true talent. It is a testament to how much Grainger and Keeler have grown as artists as they branch out into fresher and more experimental territory than their debut work.

If You’re a Woman, I’m A Machine lit the first spark in the fire of the band’s success, then The Physical World dumped on the gasoline.

The punk rock genre often lacks diversity and albums like this one aim to change that.

The duo have just begun their half-world tour this month as well, during which will travel through Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium before wrapping up in Boston, Mass.

It seems Death From Above 1979’s success has yet to even near its peak and listeners can look forward to many more kickass and energetic albums — which hopefully they won’t have to wait a decade for this time around.

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Culture

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

YXE Street Food Fest a rousing success TAB RAHMAN Copy Editor At long last it seems that Saskatoon has a solid street food community in the form of food trucks — and it was on full display Sept. 13 at the YXE Street Food Festival at the River Landing.

Saskatoon has certainly taken up on the food truck trend much later than other major cities, but that doesn’t mean that it’s lagging behind when it comes to the diversity of the food that’s offered. The reason for the late entrance to the game is because the City of Saskatoon only allowed food truck permits to be issued as of summer 2013.

The first ever food truck in Saskatoon was Disco Dogs. Boasting itself as “Saskatoon’s Favourite Food Truck,” it certainly was popular among the crowd at the YXE Food Fest.

“It’s different,” a festival goer said.

“I like that they use naan bread instead of just regular hot dog buns and the flavours are all interesting!

I’m having the ‘Low Rider.’ It’s like a hot dog taco in a bun.”

I had a chance to try out the “Texas Shocker,” which has a Texas-style barbeque sauce and crunchy peanut butter as it’s main condiments. It was certainly a different flavour profile than I was used to. With the barbeque sauce adding a sweet-and-spicy taste to the crunchy peanut butter texture, it was almost as if I was eating something between pad thai and baby back ribs — in hot dog form of course. I’m not sure if I’d personally order it again, but Disco Dogs certainly has enough varieties of interesting looking hot dogs to keep me coming back.

Another very popular food truck at the festival was Ace Burger, brought to you by the lovely folks at the Congress Beer House. Clearly they are doing something right with their burgers, as the line-up clearance time was about half an hour. The Cajun chicken burger was well worth the wait, however. The chicken was generously spiced and the Dijon mustard and sweet relish added a nice contrasting kick to it.

My companion for the day, Cody Schumacher, had the Ace Style burger with bacon and arugula.

It was “probably one of the best burgers I’ve ever had,” Schumacher said. If that isn’t an endorsement to run around to find the Ace truck, I don’t know what is.

Which leads to another question: How exactly do people find these food trucks zipping around the city?

The creators of Snack Map think they have the answer. Created by Simon Fanner and Evan Taylor of

Nova-Tek Innovation, Snack Map is a sleek little app for your iPhone or Android that lets you see the current location of the food truck of your choosing.

“One day we were discussing where to go for lunch and we wished there was an app to look up what food trucks were near us,” Taylor said. “And then we thought, ‘Why don’t we make something like that?’”

“It was pretty easy for us to build,” added Fanner. “We had all the parts [for the GPS tracking boxes] just sitting in a drawer and the experience to make it from our jobs. So we brought it up to NovaTek and they supported our idea for the app.”

Fanner and Taylor brought the GPS idea to the different food trucks around the city and there was universal agreement to bring their system on-board.

“It was pretty easy to convince them to use our technology,” Taylor said. “It was a streamlined way for customers to track all the trucks instead of looking at various Facebooks and Twitters to find outdated information.”

For an app and gadget that was built in under three weeks, it is surprisingly functional and free of bugs. I easily downloaded it and find whether my favourite food truck was active or not and where it was headed — no logins, no Facebook integration, no fuss.

Currently Snack Map is expanding into Regina to get all of the city’s food trucks on their map.

Bringing all of these trucks together was the work of two very dedicated people — Patrick Wood and Chad Reynolds. Founders of the YXE Food Truck Fest, Wood and Reynolds have been anticipating the food truck takeover. With experience in event planning in Wood’s case and marketing in Reynolds’, this seemed like the perfect team to put together Saskatoon’s first food truck festival.

“When the trucks slowly started popping up last year we had a hunch that a lot of people would be entering the business this year and that it would be possible to have something like it,” Reynolds said.

“We started planning it — actually putting pen to paper — probably around early spring, while still doing our day jobs.”

The trucks “were all excited to be a part of it,” added Wood. “They’re all their own personalities... We asked the trucks to be a part of it around July and everyone was very keen. Most people were really easy to work with and very helpful.”

The goal of the festival was to nurture the burgeoning Saskatoon street food community and give

them the support they need to make great grub. YXE Street Food Fest’s role was to take care of the marketing, paperwork and event planning, while the food trucks themselves just show up and concentrate on making delicious food — a genius niche to fill.

“We’ve always wanted to start a business together,” Reynolds said.

“And this is something [Woods and I] could do on the side while still maintaining our jobs.”

The entertainment line up was also something that was not skimped on. With local artists such as The Steadies, Parab Poet & The Hip Hop Hippies, Apollo Cruz and of course

DJ Charlie Hustle, the fair goers were certainly entertained while enjoying their burgers and brews — when they weren’t waiting in line, that is.

Unfortunately as is the worry for most large events happening for the first time, YXE Street Food Fest needs to go through some growing pains. While the food was good, the line-ups were long — not something you want when a mob of hungry people are waiting outside of your food truck. It took me about half an hour just to get a burger and other attendees were experiencing similar

KATHERINE FEDOROFF / PHOTO EDITO

wait times at the other trucks. There were quite a few trucks that ran out of certain staple menu items halfway through the afternoon, which is not ideal. Without a prior event like this though, it’s hard to gauge turnout, demand and runtime.

“We’re gearing up for 2015 already,” Wood said. “Hopefully it’ll be bigger and better.”

“Also, we apologize for the wait times,” added Reynolds.

“Here’s hoping that the music [was] keeping everyone entertained!”

Culture

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

19

West Coast Swing sashays into Louis’ Loft ÉMILIE LOPEZ For those who love to dance, instructors Lorne Jensen and Katie Keller will be happy to welcome you to the world of West Coast Swing.

If you have never heard of this social dance, sashay on over to Louis’ Loft to learn the very basic steps. The beginner lesson lasts one hour, followed by an intermediate level lesson from 8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. After the lessons are over, you can freely practice what you have just learned in a friendly and inviting atmosphere.

You don’t have to come in pairs nor do you need to register beforehand — don’t be afraid to come alone. West Coast Swing is a very good way to meet new people of different ages and horizons, to have fun, exchange stories, develop confidence and also to hone one’s own dancing style.

West Coast Swing is a variation of the Swing and Lindy Hop dances, created by Dean Collins during the 1940s on the western coast of the United States. Its influence developed in the 1950s with the newfound popularity of rock music. It is a kind of soft version of traditional swing — which is more sophisticated and lacks as much kick, but keeps the same rhythmic basis.

You don’t need a background in dance to learn West Coast Swing.

Simply come as you are! Since West Coast Swing uses different kinds of music — blues, acoustic and a vast contemporary category — you will find something that suits you and enjoy swinging to your favourite artists such as Shakira, Maroon 5 and Macklemore. Once

you master the basic steps, you will completely let go and improve your style. After that, you will be able to practice West Coast Swing at student parties and impress your friends with this classy, fun and sexy dance.

Besides the regular lessons they give at the Loft, Jensen and Keller recently participated in a West

Coast Swing flashmob on Sept. 6.

They teach free lessons in the Toon Town Tavern every Thursday evening. With West Coast Swing Saskatoon, a local dance club, they also organize workshops throughout the year and invite other professional dancers from other parts of the world to join them.

Dance partners let loose at the Loft for a crash course in West Coast Swing.

JEFF GLASEL

The next event on their schedule takes place Oct. 24 to 26 and features the d’Amicos, a talented group of dancers from Texas. This kind of show is a great opportunity to watch high-level performances, participate in competition for fun, gain some dance tips from excellent instructors and share your interest — or perhaps even your passion — for West Coast Swing with other aficionados, beginners or professionals from Saskatoon or even Europe. As West Coast Swing is a dance that is spread all over the world, dancers from every continent gather for the events in official competitions as well as casual dance events like the West Coast Swing convention Return of the D’Amicos.

Local and international students are more than welcome to join the small community of dancers who meet to swing the night away. You won’t be disappointed by West Coast Swing’s special charm. It is a real source of pleasure and you will undoubtedly appreciate the feeling of freedom that you are able to share with your partner, whomever he or she may be.

Put on your dancing shoes and head over to Louis’ Loft on Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to midnight to take part in some West Coast Swing.

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20

Culture

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

Black Rain rocks Buds On Broadway FAITH ERNEST

Black Rain played back-to-back shows at Buds On Broadway on Sept. 8 and 9 to upbeat and rowdy crowds. The show was spectacular and Black Rain rocked the audience with energetic tunes that kept everyone in high gear.

Always true to their roots, Black Rain is a trio of fun-loving guys who like to wise crack back and forth and simply enjoy each other’s company.

Ryan Peekeekoot was on lead vocals, his brother Jamie on drums and back-up vocals, and Kevin Joseph played bass. With Peekeekoot’s gritty voice smoothing out the lyrics and Jamie’s complementary back-up vocals, Black Rain delivered and gave it their all.

Black Rain played a few of their hits such as “Wild Women,” “All of Me,” and “She Doesn’t Like It When I’m Drinking.” Personally I was hoping to hear “Without You” — which is my favorite tune of theirs — but much to my chagrin, I will have to wait until their next show to hear it.

Giving the audience a sneak peek of their upcoming album, Black Rain played two new songs called “Crazy” and “Mistake.” As a fan already looking forward to hearing their new CD, one can only imagine what I was feeling.

Although the three members are currently spread out across

Saskatchewan — Joseph in Prince Albert, Peekeekoot in Saskatoon and Jamie in Ahtahtakoop — their love of music brought them together during their childhoods are what keeps them together today.

Coming from musical families meant that Black Rain would form a band some day and that it was just a matter of time.

“My dad played in a band, [Kevin’s] played in band and we just took over,” Peekeekoot said.

The group stated that their creative process involves one of the band members coming up with their own idea and then later getting together with the rest of the group to toss more ideas back and forth until it gets turned into a brand new song.

When asked about their biggest influences growing up, Black Rain agreed it was seeing their dads perform onstage and said that C-Weed was one of their strongest musical influences. Joseph said he used to watch C-Weed at the Juno Awards on television and even toured with them before joining Black Rain.

“One day I got a call from Errol Ranville saying, ‘We need a bass player going into Ontario. Want to come?’ So I ended up touring with them for seven years,” Joseph said.

Although the life-long friends have an undeniable musical chemistry,

Peekeekoot said sometimes working on his own music is what’s needed to help the band.

“Write your own music and focus

more on creating your own stuff — even creating your own sound as a guitar player or as a drummer,” Peekeekoot said. “We all have our

Bassist Kevin Joseph helps Black Rain to put on an entertaining show.

influences and our favorites. Work on your original ideas too [and] get your sound on every instrument and voice.”

BLACK RAIN/FACEBOOK

opinions

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

21

PARK(ing) Day inspires citizens to imagine new public spaces KAMIL ROGOWSKI The global movement of PARK(ing) Day is back in Saskatoon, with the third edition taking place Sept.

19 on 20th Street West between Avenues B and E. The event allows community groups and citizens to convert metered parking spots into temporary public spaces — becoming public parks, food truck stations, bike valets, open forums and hosts of activities for children.

The gravel parking lot at the corner of 20th Street West and Avenue B will become a public square with green space and public seating, while local musicians play live music in front of the Little Chief Police Station. In other words, 20th Street will become awesome for a day — which begs the question, why can’t it be awesome every day of the year?

Too much of Saskatoon’s public space is allocated to parking and not enough is set aside for areas of public recreation. Public spaces can be a place to sit and relax, to run into a familiar face or to engage in community events like festivals and concerts. Above all, public spaces enhance the health of the community by encouraging activity, commerce and social interaction.

Saskatoon needs more spaces like these to make city life more exciting and to have healthier and better connected citizens.

PARK(ing) Day should be seen as a catalyst to inspire citizens and politicians to imagine new public spaces for our city. Outdoor public space in cities have been a place of

social interaction and spontaneous encounters for as long as cities have existed. European cities have an abundance of public spaces, which only adds to their appeal as desirable travel destinations.

Unfortunately, car-oriented development in North America in the 20th century has dedicated much of our public space to storing cars — which are obviously private property — and left cities like Saskatoon lacking outdoor spaces for public events.

Despite the noted benefits, suggestions from municipal governments or community groups for major city space changes — such as the addition of separated bicycle lanes or the conversion of a parking lot or street into a public plaza — are often met with cries of despair from the change-fearing public and politicians.

The solution to combating this attitude is to propose a temporary demonstration project, such as the annual worldwide event PARK(ing) Day, for a short trial period. PARK(ing) Day originated in San Francisco in 2005 when the art and design studio Rebar transformed a metered parking spot into a temporary green space for a day. The photo of their public park went viral — and since then the movement has accelerated to establish itself in 162 cities in 35 countries across the world.

The temporary nature of the PARK(ing) Day project makes the change both less expensive and less prone to public resistance.

The trial period allows the public

to experience the new space or infrastructure without commitment and if they like it — which is often the case — agree to make the change permanent.

A practical example of a temporary city space project that produced fantastic results is the conversion of five blocks into a pedestrian plaza near Times Square in New York City. Traffic flow actually improved as a side effect. The project was initially advertised as “temporary” to limit public resistance and it was blocked off by bollards; cheap public seating and tables were put in the plaza and the asphalt surface was painted to distinguish the area, making it more visually appealing.

It turned out that the people of

the Big Apple loved this new Times Square and the plaza was made permanent, with more attractive and expensive urban design put in place after citizens accepted the idea. The Times Square project, initiated by NYC’s Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, was complemented by several smaller projects such as additions of separated bicycle lanes, widening the sidewalk and the creation of many smaller public plazas around NYC that are now permanent and provide residents with a healthier lifestyle — additionally contributing to NYC’s image as a people-friendly city.

A report released by NYC's Department of Transportation in 2012 showed that the installation

FLICKR / SV JOHNSON

PARK(ing) Day is a movement that has spread all across the world.

of separated bicycle lanes on 8th and 9th avenues in NYC increased retail sales by 49 per cent at local businesses on 9th Avenue.

Additionally, the conversion of an underused parking lot in Brooklyn into a pedestrian plaza boosted the retail sales of nearby local businesses by a colossal 172 per cent.

Closer to home, the temporarily separated bicycle lane project on 4th Avenue and 24th Street East that was debated for Saskatoon’s downtown this summer followed this same idea of being an inexpensive trial — that could be removed if hated or made permanent if loved. Due to several factors — one being the negligible issue of losing metered parking spots — the bicycle lanes didn’t go in this summer, but will hopefully be installed next summer.

If the people of Saskatoon receive them positively they could become permanent, providing our residents with a space to ride their bicycles safely, separated from motor vehicles.

PARK(ing) Day and other temporary demonstration projects such as past ones in NYC and Saskatoon are a useful tool that activists, designers, business leaders, city planners and politicians can use to show people how our streets can be more lively, attractive and safe. As citizens we should be bold in organizing events like PARK(ing) Day and encouraging our civic leadership to create the public spaces that will make our community healthier, happier and more economically competitive.

Peruvian government must protect uncontacted indigenous tribes PETER PARK Madre de Dios, a densely forested region in Peru near the Brazilian border, is home to the Mashco-Piro tribe — an uncontacted indigenous people who are being threatened by outsiders invading their lands for tourism and resource procurement purposes.

The Mashco-Piro and other neighbouring uncontacted tribes need to be protected from outsiders. In order to do so, the Peruvian government must create and enforce protective laws to guard the uncontacted tribes' lands from sicknesscarrying trespassers. Otherwise, Peru risks the annihilation of its indigenous tribes.

"Uncontacted" tribes such as the Mashco-Piro people are culturally isolated and are relatively technologically primitive. They generally do not have peaceful contact with anyone from mainstream, globalized society due to misunderstandings and cultural differences. It has been made very clear that they would prefer to remain disconnected from the rest of the modern world.

Survival International, an organization devoted to protecting uncontacted tribes around the world, estimates that there are 15 tribes like the Mashco-Piro in Peru today. All of these tribes are extremely vulnerable to the intruders who enter their land in search of natural resources.

Profit-seeking loggers, oil companies and cocaine traffickers all invade and cross through Peruvian lands, bringing with them influenza and contagious infections like the common cold. Although these diseases are usually very minor to those of us living in the modernized world, they can prove fatal to the uncontacted tribes who lack resistance to common ailments. A statistic from Survival International reveals that following first contact, it is commong for over half of a tribe to die — in severe cases, all of them perish.

The Peruvian government has not taken enough action to protect its indigenous tribes and it seems that the government is more of an enemy to the Mashco-Piro than it is a friend. As it turns out, the government has leased more

than 70 per cent of the Peruvian Amazon to oil companies, some of which is inhabited by uncontacted tribes. Not only is the invasion of indigenous lands allowed, it actually seems to be encouraged.

"What we're seeing with uncontacted tribes today is merely a continuation of the genocide that started with the arrival of the first European colonists in the Americas. Whole populations were destroyed when outsiders stole their land and resources, and spread diseases to which they had no immunity," Stephen Corry, director of Survival International, said in August.

Just as workers bring diseases, so do tourists. In "human safaris," tour guides lead visitors to a place where they can observe and take pictures of the MashcoPiro in their native settings. In addition to the obvious violation of privacy and human rights, "human safaris" again pose the problem of potentially exposing uncontacted tribes to diseases, which can be devastating.

Tourists, loggers, oil workers and drug traffickers alike should not be free to waltz into the tribes' homes and threaten their extinction.

"To ensure the survival and protection of uncontacted Indians, all legal and illegal work in their territories must stop immediately... I urge your government to act quickly to ensure the protection of the uncontacted Indians’ territories," Corry wrote in a letter to Peruvian President Ollanta Humala.

Survival International has asked

Peru's government to station guard posts around the Madre de Dios reserve to protect the Mashco-Piro tribe and to arrest illegal invaders. Over 130,000 people have written to Peruvian officials, begging them to protect uncontacted tribes' land. As of yet, the Peruvian government has taken no action — but it needs to.

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

22

Opinions

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

The homogeneity of campus fashion

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

COURTNEY BOWMAN Some campus fashion trends are like a virus — starting slowly, but eventually replicating to the point that it's obvious that the student population is infected. At this point, the trending item in question ceases to be “original” and it becomes apparent that some influential force beyond personal preference is informing the masses when it comes to fashion.

For this reason, my favorite part of the school year is September, when everyone's wardrobes are still relatively original. It's also a lot of fun to observe the “peacocking” that happens on campus. There’s a bit of — albeit concealed — backto-school enthusiasm in which both male and female students enjoy showing off the best of their wardrobe in hopes of establishing their status in the social hierarchy and possibly attracting the eye of a romantic partner.

I've observed that come October, however, the stress of school begins to sets in and students usually fall into a fashion rut. That is to say, students tend to slip back into old habits. And I mean the old habits where you take the path of least resistance to get out the front door.

Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about ladies — within one month I predict a great revival of Lululemon leggings and increased visual frequency of what I term the “ubiquitous brown boot.”

The ubiquitous brown boot is probably the most common species of footwear you'll encounter at the University of Saskatchewan. It is most frequently spotted in the configuration known as "almond toe with a tall shaft," although they are also common in the Ugg and lace-up variety. And if it's not paired with Lululemon leggings, it will most likely be paired with a dark skinny jean. You might even call it the unofficial school uniform.

I understand the siren call of the ubiquitous brown boot. It's comfortable, it's stylish and if you rolled out of bed 20 minutes before class, it prevents you from degenerating into hobo status.

Brown leather — in all of its shades from amber to chestnut — is aesthetically pleasing in it’s warmth and earthy beauty. It says, “Hey, I may have gone to a weeknight pub

crawl and only got three hours of sleep last night, but I’m a friendly, approachable person just like the charming cognac tones of my boot.”

That’s the problem.

You see, the ubiquitous brown boot has reached epidemic proportions at the university. It’s at nearly the same level of saturation as the Herschel backpack and I'm concerned that if drastic measures are not taken, it will eventually transform the female student population into an army of bland, brown-boot wearing automatons.

Satire and anti-capitalist angst aside, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with brown boots or Lululemon, and I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with dressing down. It’s common knowledge that the media places unrealistic expectations on women to maintain an impossible standard of physical and sartorial perfection and I certainly will not add to that, so please interpret the preceding written specimen in light of these sentiments.

Although I do think it would be interesting to try to "commit sociology" and dig a little deeper into the phenomena of campus-wide clothing trends such as Lululemon, brown boots and the like.

Let’s take a look at the North Face windbreaker and the Canada Goose parka to highlight some of the more conspicuous and pervasive campus clothing items.

One psychological motivator that might factor into the purchase of a North Face jacket is the availability of stunningly vibrant and attractive colours. For instance, some of the striking greens, pinks and purples really pack a pleasing visual punch.

The last time I checked the North Face website, their highly popular women’s Venture jacket came in a whopping 17 different shades, with names as fetching as their various pigments: Fanfare Green, Parlour Purple and Rambutan Pink. Of course, the jacket also has some technical features such as an environmentally-friendly water resistant membrane, brushed chin guard lining, pit-zips and a hem cinch-cord — all of which are included in the $130 price tag.

It’s not exorbitant, but it is more expensive than other brands.

In the case of the Canada Goose parka, the quality of the materials

and construction are said to be beyond comparison. Apparently, the down is Canadian-sourced and the fur trim is from humanely trapped coyotes. Heavens above, sometimes the winters here are barely survivable, so I wouldn’t begrudge someone a warm winter coat.

Although is it really the quality that is the primary drawing card in these cases? When considering that Canada Goose jackets can cost up to the equivalent of one-fifth of your annual tuition, doesn’t the possibility that there are other incredibly toasty, well-made, handsome, down-filled coats available for much less enter anyone’s mind?

Or maybe another motive behind fashion fads is that women tend to become caught up in positive feedback loops. Perhaps women generally buy clothing because we think the item in question possesses some aspect of beauty, which in turn is intended to enhance our level of physical attractiveness. If this is true, then as the item becomes seen more frequently on campus, the increased visibility reinforces the idea that the upward-trending piece is beautiful and desirable, which in turn increases buying behavior. After all, 500 women wearing the same item can't be wrong, right? Then again, if 500 women are wearing the same item, there’s nothing to really differentiate your beauty from the next woman, is there?

Maybe it’s not the beauty, quality or technical features that are at the forefront of the thinking process for those who purchase these items.

Maybe participation in campuswide trends such as North Face jackets, Canada Goose parkas, Ugg boots, Lululemon pants, Herschel backpacks, Hunter boots, New Balance runners, high-top sneakers and iPhones are more instinctive, a way of communicating our status as a member of the group or at least of the “desirable” group. It’s a means of fitting in — or at the very least — of not standing out.

If this is true, then participation in homogeneity is not only inclusionary — it can actually become an exclusionary act. By wearing our “on-trend” item, we are not only proclaiming membership of the “desirable” social group, we are also advertising which group we are not

a part of: the less desirables or — even worse — the social deviants.

In other words, the clothes we wear can become identity markers of social class which inform others as to who we do and don't associate with.

But before you write this article off as an unnecessary piece of psychological nonsense, consider this: what would it mean for an Ugg-lover to switch to a pair of no-name shearling boots? On the other hand, if someone still wanted to spend $800 to $1,000 on a highend performance brand coat, why not buy a label with greater variation in design that no one else is wearing, such as Moncler or Rossignol? Resistance to switching, even in light of the common-sense implications for those on a student budget, implies that the meanings attached to these brand name items are highly entrenched social constructions. In other words, we are caught in the fashion matrix and Morpheus wants you to get out while you still can.

When viewed through the lens of art, there is an inherent value in fashion as personal expression of our moods and personalities.

If you choose to express yourself through a pair of soggy, weather-

beaten Uggs, so be it. Similarly, if you choose to wear a knee-length tunic silk screened with a picture of your lunch last week at Denny's, so be it. As far as subjective artistic expression goes, both are equally valid points of view.

However, if we are truly expressing ourselves and not succumbing to the pull of the latest trend, it is highly unlikely that we would all choose — independent of external influences — to wear Hunter boots. Such conformity is incompatible with the infinite diversity of human personality, each one defined with distinct and unique quirks, eccentricities and talents.

Post-secondary education is a window of opportunity in an environment of critical thought to engage in non-conformist selfexploration — as far as fashion is concerned — with minimal repercussions. It may even be the last opportunity to engage in such free expression that you'll have before entering the "real" world, so why not rethink what you’re wearing, take advantage of the college experience and go wild.

Perhaps someone will even dare to wear a red boot or a nonsanctioned backpack.

23 Canada: just as racist as everywhere else opinions

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

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Canada is a multicultural nation, meaning that the people who inhabit our native land come from diverse backgrounds. Typically, Canada is portrayed as accepting and welcoming of all people.

However this is not necessarily true — racism is alive and well in Canada and something needs to be done about it.

In Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Othello, Desdemona, in response to an accusation of infidelity, says, “I understand a fury in your words, but not the words.” What Desdemona means is that while she can read her husband’s emotional state, she just does not know why he is saying what he is saying. To me this is all racism is: lots of hatred, lots of emotion — but I can’t find a good reason why racist statements ever need to be made.

I will be completely transparent and not plead ignorance or take a holier-than-thou stance and say I have never said a racial slur. I have been on both the giving and receiving end of comments, jokes and insults which were based solely on race. I am ashamed of those incidents and I hope that they will never happen again.

The widely held opinion of Canada both around the world and in our country, is that we are somehow morally superior to our neighbours to the south. It is admittedly an easy mistake to make. Many of the popular TV shows, movies, music and news that Canadians choose to enjoy show the darker side of the American culture. The media shows the violence, guns, drugs and the ever-present and often negative discussion of race in the U.S. This is held in stark contrast to the stereotyped view of Canada as a fun-loving, constantly apologizing, toque-wearing population. It allows us to believe that we are a racismfree, pluralistic and united society.

It is unfortunate that nothing could be farther from the truth. Canada may be the land of multiculturalism but that has not made us accepting of everyone.

The history of racism in America is far better known and publicized than the sordid details of Canada’s racist past. Much has been written of the negative treatment, both historical and in the present,

towards Aboriginal groups, AsianCanadians, Jewish refugees of the Holocaust and numerous other ethnic groups that call this country their home. However, very little — if at all — of the shameful parts of Canada’s past are ever remembered by the public at large.

Very few people who make racist remarks are evil. Many — myself included — have said such things in moments of anger or out of pure ignorance. That does not absolve them of the statements they make, but it does not make them fully culpable for their actions either.

We all say things we regret and we all must take responsibility for our own actions.

Racism is the scourge that will consistently and constantly rear its ugly head in the nation of Canada.

A country as diverse as ours — not just ethnically, but linguistically and religiously — will have incidents which divide the country. Conflict remains inevitable.

If we are ever to successfully stop racism in this Canada, we must come to the realization that a large majority of us are in some way racist. It may be a snide comment, a joke between friends or a subconscious desire to discriminate against an unfamiliar person. Many people, if not all, experience these feelings at some point. Some repress it and some give into what they see as a socially acceptable practice.

By saying that Canadians need to acknowledge that racism still exists, I am not saying that racism will disappear overnight. No one should be naive enough to believe that. By acknowledging that racism exists in this country we can at least begin to have a conversation on how to eliminate it. The current methods of education and the general apathy towards acknowledging racism means that we are not as accepting as we should be.

Canada is a modern nation in a modern world. We describe ourselves as a multicultural country and in policy alone we reflect that.

In practice, social interactions prove that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. If we want to call ourselves a nation of equality and multiculturalism we need to start acting like it.

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM 24 Opinions The University of Saskatchewan’s approach to safety

University lacks preventative measures in Aboriginal discrimination and harassment JD BELL

KATHERINE FEDOROFF / PHOTO EDITOR

Ernie Barber (above) and Gordon Barnhart’s address to the U of S was inadequate for Aboriginal needs.

The University of Saskatchewan spent the 2013–14 academic year implementing ill thought-out budget cuts throughout our university in a seemingly indiscriminate fashion, which included cutting student programming, firing staff and various other measures.

After laying off many university staff members, the U of S will be filling many of those fired workers’ positions with Aboriginal staff to increase the Aboriginal workforce representation — a move that history proves will likely cause a negative public backlash towards Aboriginal people on and off campus.

On Sept. 9, the university’s interim-president Gordon Barnhart and interim-provost Ernie Barber addressed our campus community

to discuss the priorities of action this year. The first goal Barber stated was “to speed up the delivery on our commitment to Aboriginal engagement, including a representative workforce... The priority of Aboriginal engagement has been with us through three integrated plans. We have to make sure we continue to make progress and accelerate that.”

The university’s Aboriginal workforce representation is around five per cent, however, Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal population is over 15 per cent. This means Aboriginal people are hired at a much lower rate than nonAboriginal people at the U of S and subsequently, the university plans to set targets to hire more Aboriginal staff to address this serious issue.

While the U of S Aboriginal engagement strategy sounds admirable, the real world is often wrought with unintended consequences. Marie Battiste, an educational foundations professor at the U of S stated, “Whenever we put forward an Aboriginal target — whether it’s for students, whether it’s for workforce, whether it’s for education — in the provinces, there is always a backlash; backlashes that are aimed at Aboriginal people.”

“As we look at the kinds of losses that have been made at this university towards losing people across the board… and now we replace them with Aboriginal people, there will be [backlash] for Aboriginal people,” Battiste said.

After reminding Barnhart of the backlash Aboriginal people will encounter, Battiste asked, “How are you going to manage that kind of discrimination, backlash and racism that will be endemic to such a plan that you are putting forward?”

To answer this question, Barnhart welcomed Heather Magotiaux, vice-president of advancement and community engagement, to the podium. The answer given is as lazy, unprofessional, confusing and harmful as the approach is.

“I think certainly things like the safety disclosure mechanisms that are in place. I think that things like

the harassment and discrimination policies, taking that really seriously and making sure that we respond to issues when they arrive will be really important,” Magotiaux said.

Let me restate Magotiaux’s confusing response in layman’s terms for you: the U of S will do nothing to mitigate potential backlash and resentment Aboriginal people will face as a result of the university’s workforce representation targets.

If the university’s workforce representation policies cause even the smallest morsel of public resentment directed towards Aboriginal people off-campus, the university may not even find out — which means the university will not be able to “respond to issues when they arrive” like Magotiaux suggested.

Relying on reactionary measures instead of taking a responsible and proactive approach to protect the people that the university’s policies will put in harm’s way conveys the U of S’ true priorities — as the 19th century American politician James W. Frick stated, “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.”

When the university chooses to spend absolutely no time, effort, or resources on protecting the people its policies will directly affect, it becomes easy to see that the safety and protection of Aboriginal people is not a priority for the U of S. We deserve more from an institution that places Aboriginal engagement on its prioritized action list. And let’s not forget the U of S has the financial capacity to develop meaningful strategies to mitigate harm, because as Barnhart pointed out, the U of S has an operating budget of $1.1 billion per year.

With the university’s lack of resources devoted to mitigating this potential harm, the U of S will spend more money supplying toilet paper on-campus for a single day than protecting Aboriginal people from any public fallout from these policies — and will be responsible for any public backlash resulting from them.

Save the Children Canada The Saskatoon Branch is seeking student volunteers.

Please come to the first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the Edwards Family Centre on 4th Avenue North, across from Saskatoon Funeral Home.

For more information, please contact Dr. Mel Hosain at 373-9877 or, preferably the Branch Chair at marci.macomber@gmail.com

opinions

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

25

Skepticism is key with historically based films ZACH TENNENT I love fact-based, historical dramas — knowing that a film has any kind of basis in reality makes it infinitely more compelling and appealing. Zodiac, All the President’s Men and Born on the Fourth of July are some of my all time favorites. But the legitimacy of the connection to real life is not always so apparent and these movies all beg the same inevitable questions: How is one to discern fact from fiction? Where do we draw the line between the two and is it more important to make an entertaining film or an authentic one?

There’s often no real way to effectively tell what’s true and what’s — relatively speaking — bullshit. It’s also very hard to objectively gauge how accurate a historical film really is just by watching it — unless Mel Gibson or Kevin Costner are involved in some capacity, in which case you can rest assured it’s not accurate at all.

The appropriate stance for a history student would obviously be to argue that accuracy and authenticity are the foundations of any good historical depiction. I sat through Lincoln and watched a film crumble in front of me under the unbearable weight of its own

exactitude. In cases like that, I’m almost frustrated to be educated.

Just because Abraham Lincoln apparently talked like Grandpa Simpson doesn’t mean that it’s anything fundamental to the story at hand.

But the film boils down to Daniel Day-Lewis’ raspy, windbag monologues for 150 minutes.

When you’re trying to depict a figure as praised as Lincoln with any kind of factual integrity, there’s bound to be a disparity between the flattering legacy and the unvarnished person. The only conclusion to come to from this, is that the real Abraham Lincoln must have been as interesting as mucus. In this case, accuracy is a definite weakness ­— and critics even complained that the film goes too far in glamorizing Lincoln’s story. Granted, Lincoln is already as appetizing as a piece of white bread dipped in a glass of warm water so I can only wonder what was possibly embellished for entertainment’s sake.

On the flipside of the Daniel Day-Lincoln debacle are movies that stray so far from the truth that the label of historical drama becomes dubious at best. From what I understand, American Hustle is essentially historical fanfiction. It’s a fictional story in which the principal players

and basic storyline are derived from real people and events, but then radically altered and reconstructed until the film has nothing more than a veneer of historical context to it.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with this and the film makes no bones about addressing how far it strays from the truth. But why even start with a source story if you have no real interest in it? If the final product has an accuracy of say, even 15 per cent, does it even qualify as being based on something?

Shouldn’t it be expected to stand on its own merit as a separate entity?

Maybe I’m putting too much thought into a movie that was basically an excuse to see Bradley Cooper with a perm, but these questions bubble to the surface nonetheless. The new X-Men movie features the Vietnam War as a major plot point and Richard Nixon as a key character. A movie where Nixon meets Magneto certainly can’t be considered a fact-based drama, right? Yet how are his fictional interactions with the X-Men any more egregious than any of the unsubstantiated or fictionalized aspects of his life as depicted in Oliver Stone’s Nixon? If there are historical inaccuracies in Lincoln, what’s to

say that it has any more legitimacy than Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

This all brings me back to my original question: where’s the line? How much creative freedom is warranted when adapting actual historical stories and when is the concept of accuracy no longer valid? The answer has to be to always assume the worst.

Question everything until you can confirm it and never be fooled into thinking that watching Pearl

Harbor makes you an authority on the Second World War or that watching Braveheart makes you an authority on anything.

If you’re looking to inform yourself on historical issues or events, there are bound to be plenty of informative books at the library. If you want to be entertained by an embellished depiction of true events, by all means do that too, but maybe just take it with a grain of salt.

KATHERINE FEDOROFF/ PHOTO EDITOR

Is it acceptable when historical facts are tweaked in the film industry?

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Opinions

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

Are Disney princesses too sexy to be role models?

MICHELLE MANABAT The British- based newspaper The Telegraph recently published an article on how Disney princesses have become too sexy and therefore shouldn’t be idolized by young girls. But this is going too far; family-friendly Disney should not be blamed for young girls’ views about their bodies or sexuality.

In the article, journalist Glenda Cooper states, “I am sick of my two daughters being bombarded by today’s posing Disney princesses.” I would have praised her if she meant Miley Cyrus and other former Disney stars that have gone wild during their careers, but unfortunately Cooper was hating on the newest members of the Disney princess club: Merida, Rapunzel and her least favorite, Elsa.

Should Disney take a step back and only produce movies with the classic “wholesome, conservative and gentle princess saved by her prince whom she will marry on the same or the next day” plotline or are the modern and self-empowered princesses being accused of a problem that existed even prior to them?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hardcore Frozen fan who sang “Let It Go” over and over, but I do

FLICKR / RICKY BRIGANTE

Disney character Elsa from Frozen has been criticized as being too sexual for the targetted audience. not see a reason why it should be blamed for more serious issues about little girls’ thoughts about their sexuality.

An American study done in 2012 at Knox College concluded that girls as young as six years old are beginning to think of themselves in sexual terms. In the experiment, the girls are

given two dolls; one is dressed in a sexy, revealing outfit and the other in comfortable, loose clothing. Most of the girls chose the “sexy” doll over the other option. This is concerning but I don’t see any reason why Disney is responsible for it. Last time I checked, Barbie, the Bratz pack and other mass produced dolls

do not belong in any of the Disney kingdoms.

Disney, however, doesn’t get off scot-free in this either. In 1953, there were complaints about Tinker Bell’s curves when Peter Pan was released — she was believed to be modelled after Marilyn Monroe. I understand the controversy — Disney dared to introduce a fairy wearing a dress that barely covered her tiny body in a time period where shorts were definitely unacceptable. But did Tinker Bell’s sexiness have as much influence as people feared?

No, because notorious dress for women started in the glorious disco days of the 70s — long after Tink had hit the scene.

Another analysis in 2012, done at the Annenberg School for Communication, suggested that popular princesses in movies and cartoons — including Belle and Cinderella — are praised mostly for their physical appearance and nothing more. I believe this is true, but isn’t it what we were made to believe being a princess is all about? Princesses are portrayed to be nothing but a kind heart, a pretty face and more often than not, a vulnerable creature.

When I was a little girl I dreamed of finding a prince who would save me and take me to his castle where I would do nothing all day but wear beautiful dresses and jewels, being admired by the whole kingdom and — more importantly — my handsome and brave prince.

There wasn’t much girl power and independence, was there?

This is a reflection of the society where the idea of a perfect woman is a stay at home mom whose main purpose is to take care of her family — nowadays things have changed. Men and women now have equal rights and opportunities — in principle, at least. It is fair that modern princesses are also different now. Merida, Rapunzel and Elsa are all rejects of the old “princess standards,” but I believe they influence girls in a much more positive way.

These princesses proved that they don’t need a prince to save them. They show that freedom is important but rebellion is not so effective to achieve it and that unconditional love comes from family and is not just about having one magical kiss from a handsome prince. “Sexy” is not a word I would use to describe them — OK, maybe Elsa did show a bit of leg and had an unnecessary catwalk scene — but it still doesn’t make sense that some people see them as “too sexy” to be role models for young girls and women.

Disney is an undeniably powerful and influential company, especially with modern media.

But instead of putting the heat on Disney, why don’t we look at the other aspects that might be the source of the problem like unhealthy models in magazines, pop music that is full of sexual innuendos and music videos that should be categorized as porn.

And is it just me who has a really hard time finding a Halloween costume that isn’t described as “slutty?”

Instead of blaming a family friendly company for a problem that the whole society made, why don’t we just try to fix it? I guess people just can’t let it go.

THE sheaf Do you have something to say?

Why not write it down? opinions@thesheaf.com

Humour

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

27

Campus Chat If you could throw a party, what would the theme be?

Beach theme.

Middle Eastern theme.

Justyn Masich

Mackenzie Kathol

Food fight theme.

Aladdin themed.

Mohammad Shamim Imtiaz

Sneha Mishra

THE sheaf

STEPHANIE MAH / GRAPHICS EDITOR

28

Backpage

18 September, 2014 THESHEAF.COM

THE

MONDAY

JAM

OPEN MIC NIGHT AND JAM CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR DETAILS. facebook.com/louisUofS

9PM 19+ EVENT

Sexual Assault Awareness Week September 22 - 26, 2014

Visit www.ussu.ca/events for list of events.

2014 SEPTEMBER 25 7:00 P.M.

Campus Club Week September 22 - 26, 2014

7:30 P.M.

GROUP GATHERING COMMUNITY MARCH AT STATION 20 WEST BEGINS Performance to follow at the Farmers' Market by

Kirby Criddle

A sample of over 120 possible groups will be in the Tunnel during the week.

For more information visit: www.ussu.ca/studentgroups