The Sheaf - February 6, 2014

Compete for Team U of S in the Sheaf’s Olympics opening ceremony drinking game.

SPORTS 7

THE sheaf

6 February, 2014 • The University of Saskatchewan student newspaper since 1912

Student fees continue annual increase.

Carnival of Sex returns for its second year at the U of S. CULTURE 11

How informed are you about ageism?

Sugar daddies baby U of S students OPINION

NEWS 2

TRAVIS HOMENUK Opinions Editor

Tuition costs are only going to increase in the coming years at the University of Saskatchewan, so it’s no surprise that students are finding alternative ways to acquire cash without going into debt.

In some cases, U of S students — 78 in total according to an article from Global News — are turning to older members of the community to make their financial dreams a reality within the confines of a mutually beneficial relationship. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with being a sugar daddy or baby.

While it’s easy to find disgust in this form of relationship, I vote that as long as the relationship remains a mutually beneficial one, there’s no harm in taking part.

And don’t worry if you’re a self-proclaimed sugar momma or find yourself with a nonheteronormative sexual orientation, there are people out there for you too!

If you’re looking for a mutually beneficial relationship that will ease your lifestyle as a young adult, or add some zest to your quality of life as an older person, think about pursuing a relationship with a sugar daddy or baby. Websites are offering excellent options for finding exactly what you might be looking for. Pay close attention because you may just fit the mold of one of these archetypes.

One website describes a modern gentleman as someone who is “always respectful and generous,” going on further to say that these gentlemen may call themselves “a mentor, sponsor or benefactor.” Honesty with what you expect as a modern gentleman — and with what you can expect out of your future arrangements — are both key philosophies for the website as well.

Wasn’t it Virginia Woolf who said that a woman should have 500 pounds per year?

Perhaps having a personal benefactor isn’t such a bad idea. Then again, Woolf also argued that a woman should have a room with a lock on her door. She wasn’t a sugar baby by any means, but she kind of alluded to this concept in her writing.

MIKE TREMBLAY

If you do think that having a personal benefactor might be a good idea, consider being a sugar baby. If you happen to be “attractive, intelligent, ambitious and goal

orientated,” then you’re already halfway there. But if you do want to encompass the title of sugar baby, you’ll have to also be a struggling student, actor, model or a girl or

OPINIONS 12

guy-next-door according to most websites.

Basically, you can’t be a sugar baby if you are ugly or make a hefty salary. Sorry to be blunt, but I’m just the messenger.

Furthermore, sugar babies should want to be with someone who will pamper, empower and help them on mental, emotional and financial levels according to those kinds of wesbsites. While it isn’t explicitly said that sugar babies are gold diggers, it is certainly implied that sugar babies won’t deal with any broke individuals.

Reporters at the Sheaf conducted some investigative jounrnalism, making a profile online just to see who was out there. To be honest, there are a lot of hotties on this site.

There are also a lot of people who are almost as attractive as a potato covered in dirt, but don’t let that deter you. Perhaps another website might offer a better selection.

The general consensus among sugar babies and daddies is that they are all looking for very specific relationships. Sugar daddies post how much their net worth is, explicitly stating what kind of lady they’re looking for; sugar babies on the other hand state their financial needs. I guess it’s win-win for those involved.

According to Global News, sugar babies on average receive about $3,000 per month.

From a purely practical standpoint, if you decided to seek an arrangement for a year, you could easily make enough from your benefactor to pay for a four-year degree, depending on the college you’re in — not to mention the other perks that would accompany that money.

But we needn’t forget about the numerous downsides to such an arrangement as well.

Naturally I’m quite wary of this website and what it offers. While these sites explicitly state that escorts are not allowed to use their services, the exchange that is expected to take place seems iffy at best. I mean, getting your tuition paid along with free meals out, clothes, jewelry and trips all for entertaining an older, well-established man or woman just by being yourself is a far-fetched trade off. But it happens.

Sugar Babies • continued on 12

2

NEWS

Student fees for 2014–15 follow trend of increases

THE sheaf

TAYLOR BOROWETZ

Editor-in-Chief: HenryTye Glazebrook, editor@thesheaf.com Production Manager: Samantha Braun, layout@thesheaf.com Senior News Editor: Anna-Lilja Dawson, news@thesheaf.com Associate News Editor: Scott Davidson, associatenews@thesheaf.com Photography Editor: Jordan Dumba, photo@thesheaf.com Graphics Editor: Cody Schumacher, graphics@thesheaf.com Culture Editor: arts@thesheaf.com Sports Editor: Kim Hartwig, sports@thesheaf.com

Opinions Editor: Travis Homenuk, opinions@thesheaf.com Copy Editor: Tab Rahman, copy@thesheaf.com Web Editor: Carter Bryden, web@thesheaf.com Ad & Business Manager: Shantelle Hrytsak, ads@thesheaf.com Board of Directors: Pete Yee, Jenna Mann, Dan LeBlanc, Rose Lien, Liam Richards Index Photo: Jordan Dumba/Photo Editor Office Numbers: Advertising 966-8688 Editorial 966-8689

The Sheaf is non-profit, incorporated and studentbody funded by way of a direct levy paid by all partand full-time 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-inChief 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 “Changes to work and study permits” from our Jan. 16 issue, we wrongly said that changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations came into effect Jan. 1.

The changes have been delayed until late spring or early summer. An updated version of the article is available online.

• If you notice any errors in this week’s edition of the paper, please forward them to copy@thesheaf.com.

Dr. Felix Veloso

UPCOMING EVENTS

©

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Question & Answer Dementia Prevention Naturally Friday, February 7, 1:00 pm



Vacations away

Travel Presentation Italy Thursday, February 13, 7:00 pm

At the Jan. 30 University of Saskathewan Students’ Council meeting, councillors unanimously voted in favour of increasing student fees for the 2014–15 school year.

The fees that were agreed upon were the student health and dental insurance plan, student infrastructure fee, the U of S Students’ Union fee and the universal bus pass — known as the U-Pass. The cost of the health and dental insurance plan, provided by Student Care, will remain the same.

The increases follow the same rate as in previous years, with the U-Pass and USSU infrastructure fees subject to the consumer price index — the changes in price that consumers experience over a given period of time. The USSU fee rises by five per cent annually, of which the university receives one per cent.

Callan Davey, central Canada program manager for Student Care, was in attendance at the meeting to discuss the plan that students would receive. The health and dental plan is one of the largest services offered by the USSU and covers the cost of medically incurred expenses that don’t fall under provincial health

SHARON DRUMMOND/FLICKR

Students are going to need a lot of cash for all of these fees!

care. The plan consists of health, vision, dental and travel insurance.

The dental fee was increased by 10 per cent for 2013–14 to cover an expected growth in dental claims of about 25 per cent due to Campus Dentists opening in Lower Place Riel that year.

The increase has shown to adequately cover the costs so that the 2014–15 health and dental plan fee will remain stable at $247.69.

Both the student infrastructure fee and U-Pass increased by 2.3 per cent for the 201415 academic year. The student infrastructure fee has provided funds for renovations of Place Riel and Louis’ and will be put toward replacing

a business elevator in Lower Place Riel. The 2014–15 student infrastructure fee has been set at $115.63. The U-Pass price has been negotiated with Saskatoon Transit and will likely continue to follow consumer price index at $76.33 per term.

Of the four fees decided at the meeting, the lowest price will be paid for the USSU fee at $75.30.

This fee covers administration costs, wages for the USSU and the union’s utility bills. USSU Vice-President Operations and Finance Jenna Moellenbeck said that the university will be charging the union an additional $37,527 for utilities this year.

Even with this large additional cost, Moellenbeck said that in the next few years the USSU fee will continue its usual increase of about five per cent.

She said the USSU never wants to force huge increases and will insure that fees continue to be raised in modest amounts despite the university’s added costs and debts. Moellenbeck said the union is careful not to put a financial burden on students.

“The USSU is always hesitant and very cautious raising fees,” Moellenbeck said.

“Students work hard for their money.”

Med students lobby in Ottawa for student loan relief, affordable housing ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Prairies and Northern Bureau Chief SASKATOON (CUP) — Medical students from across Canada have convened in Ottawa for the 10th annual Lobby Day to talk to members of Parliament about pressing health issues in Canadian society.

This year the Canadian Federation of Medical Students — the organization hosting the event — chose to focus on affordable housing and relief of federal student loans for medical students while in residency.

Over 70 students from Canada’s 17 medical schools met with around 64 MPs on Feb. 3 to discuss these issues.

“I expect uniformly positive outcomes. We always receive a very welcome reception from the members of Parliament and the senators,” said Melanie Bechard, CFMS vice-president government affairs. She added that the CFMS hopes to see MPs write letters to ministers, the prime minister and their party leaders advocating on these issues.

“A lot of the time they are very amenable to this and sometimes we’ve even had private member’s bills result from our advocacy efforts and prior Lobby Days,” Bechard said.

Bechard said the issues of student loan relief and affordable housing are country-wide problems.

“I think that they are relevant for all provinces across the country to some degree,” Bechard said. “In terms of homelessness, it’s such a ubiquitous problem across Canada…

There’s no province or territory that can say that they don’t struggle in finding safe accommodation for their residents.”

However, Bechard said that students from Quebec schools are likely to focus more on housing than on loan relief because they have different programs than Canada Student Loans.

STEPHANIE MAH

Jessie Harris, a medical student from the University of Saskatchewan, said recent cutbacks on affordable housing programs will have detrimental health effects on Canadian society and are the root of many social issues that put pressure on health-care systems.

“Frequent users of our emergency rooms — a lot of those have to do with different social issues,” Harris said. “They are repeatedly coming into the ERs and that certainly is a strain on our health-care system.”

Relief of federal student loans is an approach to reinforce the Rural Physician Incentive — a program that pays practicing physicians

$5,000 a year — up to a total of $40,000 — for practicing in a rural or remote area.

Another U of S medical student, Jon Herriot, said rural incentives are ineffective because students choose to pay off their loans with a line of credit while they are in residency instead of accumulating interest.

“I think they tried to address the issue of recruitment and retention for physicians in rural areas, their intention was there but because of the differing interest rates between the loan and the line of credit, students have just found a way to pay off their loan quicker and cheaper,” Herriot said.

“Within the feedback we have received, we saw support for a variety of programs and services, concerns regarding what the elimination of one program or service may mean to another or to the university as a whole and suggestions of how we might want to look at restructuring if we were to make changes to a specific program or service,” Busch-Vishniac wrote.

Provost and Vice-President Brett Fairbairn and Vice-President Finance and Resources Greg Fowler also sent out a letter that detailed the next phases of TransformUS. During the analysis phase, from February to the end of April, the Provost’s Committee on Integrated Planning will review all of the

feedback from the consultation period to create a plan to carry out decisions during the 2014-15 fiscal year.

“On behalf of PCIP, our commitment to you is that we will develop our proposals in a principled and evidence-informed way,” Fairbairn and Fowler wrote.

“We will engage and inform unit leaders as we do so; we will be mindful of our teaching and research missions, values and vision; and we will work with decision-makers and governing bodies so that decisions are considered fully, openly and fairly as allowed for by university processes. Our collective goal is a sustainable, stronger university.”

TransformUS consultation phase comes to a close

sheaf feb 6, 2014.indd 1

1/28/2014 11:49:36 AM

ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Senior News Editor

On Feb. 3, University President Ilene BuschVishniac sent a letter to the campus community outlining the results of the nearly two-month long TransformUS consultation phase.

TransformUS is the University of Saskatchewan’s program prioritization method for sifting through academic programs and support services to determine which should be kept, cut, remain the same or receive increased or decreased funding. The university announced this initiative in January of 2013 to fight a projected deficit of $44.5 million for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

Busch-Vishniac wrote that the TransformUS blog had over 25,000 visits with nearly 300 comments posted. Between the three town halls, there were approximately 400 people in attendance with 1,125 views of the online stream. The recorded versions had 775 people tune in. University leaders received over 300 emails and letters during the phase.

The consultation phase began when the academic programs and support services taskforce reports were released on Dec. 9, 2013 and ended on Jan. 30.

A recurring issue that Busch-Vishniac mentioned in the letter is the concern that cutting programs or reducing their resources will have adverse effects on other programs and services.

3 i3 Idea Challenge kicks-off for another year NEWS

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

RAINER KOCSIS

Aspiring entrepreneurs at the University of Saskatchewan will have a chance to win $30,000 through this year’s i3 Idea Challenge.

The Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence and sponsor KPMG Enterprises host the i3 Idea Challenge, which aims to promote innovation and entrepreneurship and gives entrepreneurially-minded students the opportunity to develop their business ideas in a competitive environment. The competition is open to entrepreneurs ranging from beginners to professionals from any industry but teams must have at least one member currently enrolled as a U of S student.

“There are so many incredible ideas coming from students at the university and we want to give them the resources and support to take their ideas to the next level,” said Stephanie Yong, director at the Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

“We continue to encourage people with tech and non-tech focused ventures to apply.”

The i3 Idea Challenge takes place from January to May and officially began with a speed networking kickoff event on Jan. 29 at The Bassment, where prospective competitors got a chance to connect with potential business partners as well as financiers and mentors.

Participants are asked to submit a threeminute-long video pitch and a three-page business plan summary to the Wilson Centre by May 1. The ideas are then vetted by a panel of judges. This year’s top three winners will receive cash prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000.

The finalists will also be awarded over $75,000 in professional services and inkind support to get their businesses up and running. These start-up services include mentorship, strategic planning sessions, legal and accounting assistance, office space, printing, graphic design and web design.

Business planning workshops will be held leading up to the submission deadline to help all participants create strong foundations for their ventures. The registration deadline is March 20, after the four workshops have been held.

Last year’s i3 Idea Challenge awarded Onatha Studios with the first place prize of $15,000 to start up their company.

NICOLE WALSH/ THE WILSON CENTRE

Eric Tetland, a third-year physics major and participant in this year’s challenge, said he decided to compete for the experience and isn’t necessarily looking to win.

“I’m doing an entrepreneurship minor because I like the idea of starting something on your own and having it turn into a big business. I think it’s a good way to make change in the world,” Tetland said.

Although this is Tetland’s first i3 Idea Challenge, he is no stranger to the world of self-starters. Tetland currently sits on the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce’s future opportunities committee, an organization that focuses on helping Saskatoon entrepreneurs. He was also instrumental in the creation of Peachy Printer, a Saskatoon-based project to develop an affordable 3D printer.

Over the past five years the i3 Idea Challenge has helped create 20 new

business ventures and has awarded over $300,000 in cash and start-up services to outstanding teams of student entrepreneurs. In 2013, the competition saw 48 entries representing all colleges across campus.

Last year’s top prize went to Dalton Mainil, Thomas Bazin and Tyler Spink of Onatha Studios, who designed a system that integrates video games into the airway clearance therapy for children with cystic fibrosis. All three partners are completing dual degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. Onatha Studios started as the group’s senior design project in an electrical engineering class.

“We entered with no expectation of winning,” Mainil said. “We just hoped that the guidance provided throughout the process would be valuable to our business moving forward. The experience was incredible, and the positive feedback and advice we received from those involved

really helped to fuel our aspirations to continue developing our business.”

Mainil said the group’s win was a pleasant surprised that helped them define the course of their product.

“Even considering the $15,000 cash prize — which is certainly a wonderful boost — the greatest thing we took away from the i3 challenge was the resources provided by the Wilson Centre and the connections to people willing to supplement our business knowledge. The experience was extraordinary and we had a great time participating,” Mainil said.

Other past competitors include 3twenty Solutions, a company that converts old shipping containers into modular workforce housing; Neechie Gear, a clothing company that supports the development of Aboriginal youth-based sports teams; and Farm at Hand, a cloud-based farm management program.

on future pharmaceuticals and those that are currently being developed beyond the current limit of 20 years. The patent extensions will slow down the process of getting generic drugs to market, hiking up the price of medications and making them less accessible to Canadians.

Another provision of the TPP would have the product’s information kept secret during the clinical data trial period — when a brand name company submits their product to Health Canada to be approved — meaning generic drug companies would not be able to begin their own abbreviated research until later.

Elliott said in an interview with the Sheaf that a key aspect of the TPP that pertains to pharmaceuticals is the creation of monopolies for brand name companies by eliminating their generic-branded competition.

“If you tie up more things under the scope of what you can claim under a patent, then that also inhibits the competition… That means we pay higher prices for the things that are covered by patents, such as medicine,” Elliott said. “That means significantly higher costs for Canadian players.”

Canadians would end up spending more on medications themselves, paying higher insurance premiums or higher taxes to cover provincial medicare if the TPP is signed as is.

The scope of patents may also be broadened under the TPP. One example is the patenting of surgical methods which would have surgeons paying large fees every time they use a certain process. Elliott said patenting surgical methods and other similar medical procedures would put large financial burdens on health-care systems.

The effects the TPP will have on generic

drugs in Canada will extend out to developing countries and have significant impacts by making HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria treatments less accessible.

Elliott said countries all over the world will feel the effects of more expensive antiretroviral drugs. He gave the example of how patients today pay US$200 for a year of generic HIV treatments whereas ten years ago the same treatment — but from a brand name company — cost US$10,000.

“We’ve already seen over the last decade how absolutely critical it is to have that competition and the ability to get lower cost, generic versions of antiretroviral drugs, especially in the developing world,” Elliott said.

Despite the consequences the TPP will have on health care, Hanson said one of the real issues with the partnership is that it has been done in secret, adding that the public is only aware of the TPP because some of the United States’ documents were posted on WikiLeaks — an international organization that publishes confidential government documents.

Elliot said Canadians should contact their member of Parliament and urge them to have the TPP made public.

“How can you not let Canadians know what is actually being discussed before you agree to it?

We’re the ones that will feel the consequences, as will people from the other countries.”

Students protest TPP, protect affordable medicine ANNA-LILJA DAWSON Senior News Editor

Students at the University of Saskatchewan joined with groups across North America on Jan. 31 to protest against the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The Intercontinental Day of Action on the TPP had more than 57 groups rallying together against a massive trade agreement between 12 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean that will loosen laws on how governments can regulate corporate activity, define what crown corporations can and can not do, outline internet governance and provide guidelines for sharing personal information across borders, among many other issues.

The U of S event featured a screening of Fire in the Blood — a documentary on the effects that Western pharmaceutical companies have on developing countries in need of antiretroviral drugs — and had Executive Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Richard Elliott video-call via Skype for a discussion.

Lori Hanson, an associate professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, said the most detrimental aspect of the TPP is how it will affect access to pharmaceuticals globally.

If signed as it currently stands, the TPP will permit corporations to extend patent terms

CODY SCHUMACHER/GRAPHICS EDITOR

4

NEWS

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Groundbreaking discovery may reveal course of evolution ALEXIS LAWTON The Peak (Simon Fraser University) BURNABY — Dubbed “underground astronauts,” a team of six excavators has unearthed over 1,200 fossil hominid fragments from Rising Star cave in South Africa.

The excavation zone, nestled in South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, has been known as a hotbed for hominid remains since the 1800s but has not revealed a find this impressive for decades.

Due to the volume of material, the find is one of the most significant discoveries ever made in paleoanthropology.

Two recreational cavers, primed as initial investigators, were the first to stumble upon the remains. An expedition was quickly organized and scientists were called to join the team.

Prospective applicants for the Rising Star Expedition require a master’s degree or PhD in paleontology or a related field, must be an experienced caver and also be able to squeeze through an 18-centimetre wide passage leading to the chamber of the cave.

Of 57 applicants, Marina Elliott, a Simon Fraser University archaeology PhD candidate, was one of the select few to meet the full requirements. Backed by the National Geographic Society, the project was organized and led by professor and researcher Lee Berger of the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg.

The excavation lasted for three weeks in

ELEN FEUERRIEGEL/THE PEAK

Marina Elliott was part of an excavation that found bones aged one to two million years.

November 2013.

Elliott joined four Americans and one Australian in the underground search that she said was “a major undertaking — not only in danger, but also in the complication of the excavation.”

While the findings cannot be declared until the final analyses have been done, Elliott does offer some details: “The number of individuals [found] is somewhere above 12 ...

but they don’t have a set number of minimal individuals just yet. Age wise, the remains are tentatively between one or two million years old, but this could change considerably once the final analysis gets done,” she said.

Well known from previously unearthed hominid samples, South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site has had a powerful impact in terms of understanding human evolution and human origin. In a field

“By matching these donor contributions with the generous support of the provincial government’s Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunities Scholarship program, we have the potential to recognize both the academic achievements and financial need of even more undergraduate and graduate students than ever before,” said U of S President Ilene Busch-Vishniac.

The campaign will target 40,000 U of S alumni and 500 private businesses for donations to the program.

Donors will contribute in one of three ways: to the innovation matching fund, to the opportunity matching fund or by creating a named scholarship. The innovation matching fund supports scholarships for students in innovation-centric fields such as

energy, mining and agriculture as well as for international students. The opportunity matching fund offers financial support to students pursuing master’s or PhD degrees.

It also provides entrance, continuing and athletic scholarships.

Lastly, donors can choose to create a scholarship with a name of their choice.

This option is only open to individuals or corporate donors who make contributions of $10,000 or more.

The Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunities Scholarship program was created by the Saskatchewan Party on Sept. 30, 2011 “to match funds raised by public post-secondary institutions through the private sector and community-based partners.”

Corporate and private donors contributed $3 million when the scholarship program was launched in 2011, which was matched by the provincial government. Since then, the program has grown and now provides $10 million in scholarships and research funding annually — $5 million from the Saskatchewan government and the university’s partners.

“These partnerships provide real, meaningful and tangible benefits for our students, but also for people across the program and right across our province,” said Minister of Advanced Education Rob Norris, who was on hand at the press conference to celebrate the campaign’s launch.

Since its launch, the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship program has provided scholarships to nearly 1,500 U of S students.

“Because of this program, we have been able to significantly increase the number of students who receive scholarships over these last few years and we’ve increased the level of support for these many deserving students,” said Vice-Provost Teaching and Learning Patti McDougall.

Also present at the press conference were two U of S students who have received support through the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship program. Dijana Sneath, an international student from New Zealand, came to

where discoveries are few and far between, the Rising Star Expedition is a momentous operation for current paleoanthropology research.

However, Elliott refrained from early speculation until more research and analysis has been completed.

“Material like this is rare. It’s really important because it represents a large number of individuals and it’s definitely a major find in paleoanthropology, but it’s too early to know the full impact,” Elliot said.

Academic papers are expected to be published by the end of 2014, but for now all theories are tentative.

“We will hopefully find out the type of species in the next couple of months. We are probably not talking human, probably for sure and probably not even in the genus homo ... but it’s possible that these individuals are something like an australopithecine,” which is any of several extinct humanlike primates.

As an all-female team, the Rising Star Expedition didn’t simply make literal ground-breaking discoveries — the team also advertised female scientists.

“It’s a nice opportunity to showcase women in science. This was dirty and physical work, and that doesn’t always get told ... [but] this work is just as much part of a lab or academic setting,” Elliot said.

She continued, “It’s also nice to tell people that if they have a daughter, it’s not only bookwork. There’s a lot of work like this in the sciences and that’s great to be able to say.”

University announces scholarship fundraising campaign SCOTT DAVIDSON Associate News Editor

The University of Saskatchewan announced the launch of a new fundraising campaign called the Innovation and Opportunity Matching Campaign for 2014 on Feb. 4. The campaign will supplement the provincial government’s Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship program.

The IOMC hopes to raise $2 million from the university’s alumni and corporate partners.

Additionally, the Saskatchewan government will match all funds raised through the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology program, bringing the fundraising goal to a total of $4 million.

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Dijana Sneath received scholarships to fund her education at the U of S.

the U of S in September 2013 to study psychology in hopes of pursuing a career in special needs education. She said that without the funding provided by through the matching program that she would not have been able to attend the U of S. “Not having to worry about tuition expenses is a huge blessing as any university student would testify,” Sneath said. “The scholarship has given me the opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities and make the most of everything campus life has to offer without having to squeeze work shifts into a busy schedule.

David Saunders, a PhD student in toxicology, completed his undergraduate degree at Mount Allison University and said he came to Saskatchewan partly because of the U of S’ world class toxicology facilities, but also because of the funding available to graduate students.

“These programs help to relieve the financial stress of graduate students and to free up research money to continue our projects,” Saunders said.

SPORTS

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

5

Preview: Women’s hockey closes season against Thunderbirds

KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor

The Huskies women’s hockey team will lace up their skates for the final time during the regular season to face the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Feb. 7 and 8 at Rutherford Rink.

Boasting a 20-5-1 record, the top-ranked Thunderbirds have been the team to beat in Canada West. The Huskies aren’t far behind, sitting in third place with a 16-4-6 record. The teams met earlier this season for a two-game series, with the Thunderbirds winning both games by the slim margin of only a single goal.

With the post-season just around the corner, the matchup will be an important one

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

The Huskies goalies will have to be sharp to deny the Thunderbirds’ high-scoring offence.

for the Dogs. The Huskies trail the second place University of Alberta Pandas by just a single point and may be able to snag the number two seed for playoffs depending on

the outcome of this weekend.

The Huskies will have home ice advantage on their side. The Dogs are 9-3 at home and the Thunderbirds are 7-5 on the road compared to an almost perfect 13-1 at home.

Both teams are heading into the final games of the season with confidence.

The Thunderbirds are riding a four-game win streak while the Dogs have won their last three games. One of these streaks is guaranteed to end this weekend.

The Thunderbirds have consistently outscored their opponents, netting 72 goals while only seeing 50 scored against them. In net the two teams have the same save rate — 93 per cent — so the game could come down to a battle of the goalies. The duo of Huskies

Cassidy Hendricks and Karen Lefsrud have been strong in net all year and should pose a challenge to the Thunderbirds’ offence.

Captain Cami Wooster will look to lead the Huskies’ offence. Wooster has 13 goals and 15 assists so far this season. Kaitlin Willoughby, Sara Greschner and Kandace Cook will also look to contribute to scoring.

The Dogs will have to look out for Thunderbird Tatiana Rafter, the second highest scorer in the country with 19 goals.

Rafter has also tallied 17 assists. Nicole Saxvik and Stephanie Schaupmeyer are the other big scorers for the Thunderbirds with 10 and nine goals respectively.

Puck drops at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 and 8 at Rutherford Rink.

Preview: Men’s volleyball faces Cougars KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor

The Huskies men’s volleyball team will look to secure their playoff berth this weekend when they face the Mount Royal University Cougars in the final two matches of the regular season.

Currently tied for fifth place in the Canada West standings, and with the top seven teams moving on to the postseason, the Dogs are looking good to advance to the next stage. But they’ll have to put in a strong performance this weekend as there are four teams that trail the Huskies by only two points — including their weekend foe.

The Huskies have had an up-and-down season but have won six of their last seven games to finish on an upswing. If the Dogs can continue their fine form, the team should advance — and a weekend sweep would assure the Huskies of a spot in the next stage.

The Cougars are tied for seventh in the standings with a 9-11 record and have lost three of their last four matches. The Cougars will need to win both matches this weekend if they want a shot at making the playoffs.

The two teams are even across most statistics, so the matches may come down to who can play the key points better. This weekend will be the first meeting between the teams this season while the Huskies won

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

The men’s volleyball team will need to play tough if they want to see the playoffs.

both matches during the 2012-13 season.

Playing at home should give the Dogs a slight edge. The Huskies have an even 5-5

record both at home and away while the Cougars are only 3-6 on the road.

Paul Thomson, Bryan Fraser and Jordan Nowakowski will look to lead the Dogs offensively while libero Matthew Erickson should frustrate the Cougars defensively.

Colton Deman is the big hitter for the Cougars, averaging four kills a set followed by fellow outside hitters Jordan Parkin and Riley Friesen. Averaging 2.5 per set, libero Jordan Or leads the team in digs and is inside the top 10 in the country at number 8.

First serve is at 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 7 and 8 in the Physical Activity Complex.

Preview: Women’s volleyball battles Cougars KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor

For their final two games of the season the Huskies women’s volleyball team will take on the Mount Royal University Cougars.

Currently in eighth spot in the Canada West division the Dogs have a slight chance to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2001-02.

The top seven teams move on and the Huskies are currently four points behind the number seven University of Regina Cougars.

In order to have a chance, the Huskies need to win both matches this weekend while the Cougars lose both of theirs. If this happens the two teams would be tied for the seventh and final playoff spot, with the squad sporting the higher percentage of sets won versus sets lost clinching the berth.

The Cougars are tenth in the division with a 6-14 record and arrive in Saskatoon with a three game losing streak. Playing on an unfamiliar court has not been kind to the Cougars all season. The team is still searching for their first win away with an 0-9 record.

Canada West Standings Men’s Volleyball 1. Trinity Western 2. Alberta 2. UBC 4. Thompson Rivers 5. Calgary 5. Saskatchewan 7. Brandon 7. Manitoba 7. Mount Royal 7. Winnipeg 11. UBC Okanagan 12. Regina

Men’s Hockey GP-W-L 20-18-2 20-14-6 20-14-6 20-12-8 20-10-10 20-10-10 20-9-11 20-9-11 20-9-11 20-9-11 20-4-16 20-2-18

*Top seven teams from each division qualify for playoffs

Women’s Volleyball 1. UBC 2. Brandon 2. Trinity Western 4. Manitoba 4. UBC Okanagan 6. Alberta 7. Regina 8. Saskatchewan 8. Winnipeg 10. Mount Royal 11. Calgary 12. Thompson Rivers

GP-W-L 20-18-2 20-15-5 20-15-5 20-12-8 20-12-8 20-11-9 20-10-10 20-8-12 20-8-12 20-6-12 20-5-15 20-0-20

*Top seven teams from each division qualify for playoffs

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

1. UBC 2. Alberta 3. Saskatchewan 4. Mantioba 5. Regina 6. Calgary 7. Lethbridge 8. Mount Royal

GP-W-L-OTL 26-20-5-1 26-18-5-3 26-16-4-6 26-15-7-4 26-11-11-4 26-10-14-2 26-7-14-5 26-7-16-3

*All eight teams advance to playoffs

*All eight teams advance to playoffs

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Prairie Division 1. Alberta 2. Saskatchewan 3. Lehtbridge 3. Winnipeg 5. Brandon 5. Calgary 5. Manitoba 8. Regina

GP-W-L 18-16-2 18-14-4 18-12-6 18-12-6 18-5-13 18-5-13 18-5-13 18-3-15

Prairie Division 1. Alberta 1. Regina 1. Saskatchewan 4. Calgary 5. Winnipeg 6. Brandon 6. Lethbridge 8. Manitoba

GP-W-L 18-16-2 18-16-2 18-16-2 18-11-7 18-10-8 18-5-13 18-5-13 18-4-14

Pacific Division 1. Victoria 2. UFV 3. Thompson Rivers 4. Trinity Western 4. UBC 6. Mount Royal 7. UNBC 8. UBC Okanagan

GP-W-L 18-16-2 18-13-5 18-11-7 18-9-9 18-9-9 18-7-11 18-4-14 18-3-15

Pacific Division 1. UBC 1. UFV 1. Victoria 4. Thompson Rivers 5. Trinity Western 5. UNBC 7. UBC Okanagan 8. Mount Royal

GP-W-L 18-13-5 18-13-5 18-13-5 18-10-8 18-4-14 18-4-14 18-3-15 18-1-17

*Top four teams from each division qualify for crossover playoffs

season between the two teams. During the 2012-13 season the Cougars won both matches against the Huskies without dropping a set. However, the Dogs won only three matches last year and have been playing much better ball this season.

Even if the Huskies do not advance to the playoffs they’ll have many positives to take away. This has been the Dogs’ best season in years and points towards good things to come.

First serve is at 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 7 and 8 at the Physical Activity Complex.

Upcoming Huskies Games Women’s Hockey

GP-W-L-OTL 24-21-2-1 24-20-2-2 24-14-9-1 24-11-11-2 24-10-12-2 24-9-11-4 24-9-13-2 24-2-19-3

The Huskies don’t have an overly impressive record at home — the team currently holds a 4 - 6 record — but given the Cougars’ struggles, playing in Saskatoon will be advantageous for the home team.

The Huskies will look to Candace Hueser and Kayla Tycholiz to get their offence going, while libero Jennifer Hueser will be tough on defence.

Carolyn O’Dwyer and Julia Pasieka are the big hitters for the Cougars while libero Tayler Smith leads the team in digs.

This will be the first meeting of the

*Top four teams from each division qualify for crossover playoffs

Men’s Basketball • Feb. 7 and 8 in Winnipeg vs.

University of Winnipeg Wesmen at 8:00 p.m.

• Feb. 14 in Edmonton vs. University of Alberta Golden Bears at 8:00 p.m.

• Feb. 15 in Edmonton vs. University of Alberta Golden Bears at 7:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball • Feb. 7 and 8 in Winnipeg vs.

University of Winnipeg Wesmen at 6:00 p.m.

• Feb. 14 in Edmonton vs. University of Alberta Golden Bears at 6:00 p.m.

• Feb. 15 in Edmonton vs. University of Alberta Golden Bears at 5:00 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball Feb. 7 and 8 vs. Mount Royal University Cougars at 8:00 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball Feb. 7 and 8 vs. Mount Royal University Cougars at 6:15 p.m.

Men’s Hockey • Feb. 7 and 8 in Vancouver vs.

University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at 6:00 p.m.

Feb. 14 vs. University of Regina Cougars at 7:00 p.m.

• Feb. 15 in Regina vs. University of Regina Cougars at 7:00 p.m.

Women’s Hockey Feb. 7 and 8 vs. University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at 7:00 p.m.

• Feb. 14-16 at Canada West quarter-final Track and Field • Feb. 7 and 8 in Regina at Kinsmen Meet Wrestling Feb. 14 and 15 at Canada West Championship

Home Game

6

SPORTS

Dog Watch: Cole Digel KIMBERLEY HARTWIG Sports Editor

In his final year with the Huskies track and field team, pentathlete Cole Digel plans to take his experience with injuries into the professional field. After finishing his degree in kinesiology, Digel intends to pursue either physiotherapy or emergency medical services.

“I love sports. I’ve always been interested with how the body moves and how you develop those certain skills. That’s what drew my to kinesiology,” Digel said. “I’ve been injured a lot; that’s what first sparked my interest in physio.”

Pentathlon is a multi-sport contest that consists of competing in five different events over one day: 60-metre hurdles, long jump, shot put, high jump and the 1,000-metre.

Preparing for such a strenuous and multifaceted competition requires putting in a lot of work.

“You train quite often,” Digel said. “We do it six days a week. Each day we do two different events.”

Digel originally began his career with the Huskies as a high jumper but realized he may be able to reach a higher level in Canadian Interuniversity Sport competition if he combined his various athletic skills.

“I started noticing that I wasn’t going to be getting up to the high heights to compete at a CIS level,” he said. “In high school I

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

was good at a lot of other events. I didn’t just do high jump. I did triple jump; I did javelin; I did all sorts of other events. I looked into multi-events and decided it was for me.”

Since making the transition, Digel has had great success. Last year he won gold at the Canada West championship. Digel is hoping to make it back to the Canada West and CIS championships for the final time this year. The one thing that could derail his season his injuries, but so far things are looking good.

“I’ve historically been plagued with injuries so this has been my most injury free year,” he said.

Pentathlon may be an individual sport, but that doesn’t mean the track and field athletes don’t support one another. One of Digel’s favourite parts of being a Huskie athlete is the familial aspect that comes with it. Since Digel’s event draws from so many other competitions, he also looks to the specialists for advice.

“Everyone’s at the track meet and their competing for themselves but everyone’s cheering each other on, everyone’s giving each other tips,” he said. “I get a lot of help from the throwers in shot put, some of the jumps guys will help me out with different aspects of each event.”

Digel has specific routines that he goes through before each event. However, there’s one portion of pentathlon that he just wants

JORDAN DUMBA/ PHOTO EDITOR

to get over and done with.

“The 1000 [metre] is kind of just suck it up, go to the start line and run,” he said.

During the outdoor season Digel also competes in decathlon — 10 events over two days — where he gets to compete in his favourite event: pole vault.

“It’s a combination of absolute fun and terrifying speed and height, so I really enjoy that,” he said.

When he’s not at the track Digel likes to take it easy.

“I do a lot of napping,” he said. “Get in my fair share of video games and I do a bit of studying.”

Digel hopes to continue competing in multi-sport events after he has finished his time with the Huskies as long as he is physically able.

“As a Huskie athlete we get access to the Huskie health team,” he said. “With that support bubble gone we’ll have to see how my body holds up.”

AUSTIN ARVAY

the first quarter. After another Denver turnover, Marshawn Lynch eventually punched in a one-yard touchdown run to give Seattle a 15-0 advantage. With just three minutes to go in the first half, Smith had the aforementioned ‘pick six’ to give the Seahawks a comfortable halftime lead.

Late in the third quarter, receiver Jermaine Kearse caught a 23-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score up to 36-0. Denver would respond and get on the board with Demaryius Thomas scoring a 14-yard touchdown. Doug Baldwin rounded out the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 10-yard touchdown catch.

Despite the defeat, both Manning and Demaryius Thomas set Super Bowl records.

No one in the big game had thrown as many completions as Manning did on Sunday as he went 34-49 in passing. Thomas set the record for most catches in a game with 13.

Super Bowl XLIX will be played in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.

Seahawks dominate Super Bowl

MARSMET522/FLICKR

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos to earn the Super Bowl XLVII title.

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In a game that was never really close, the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 to win Super Bowl XLVIII. There was only 12 seconds of the whole game where Seattle didn’t hold a lead, as their defence paved the way for a lopsided victory.

The Super Bowl was supposed to be a marquee matchup between a great Denver Broncos offence, led by the league’s Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning, against a strong defence led by expert trash-talker Richard Sherman. Numerous experts predicted a close game, with many picking Denver to come away with the win. Boy, were they wrong.

On the game’s first play, the snap sailed past Manning into the endzone resulting in a safety and two points to Seattle — only the beginning of a nightmare day for Manning and his offence. The Seattle defence picked him off twice and also forced four fumbles as they completely shut down the highflying Bronco offence.

Middle linebacker Malcolm Smith was named MVP of the game as he had one interception, which he returned 69 yards for a Seattle touchdown. He also recovered a fumble and had 10 tackles.

The Seahawks offence was a different story. They had three touchdowns and two field goals and only had to punt once in the game’s entirety. With 206 yards passing and two touchdowns, quarterback Russell Wilson was unbelievable on third downs all game.

It was Percy Harvin who made the difference, though. He had two carries for 45 yards as well a kickoff return for a touchdown just 12 seconds into the second half. The play made the score 29-0 and was the final blow to the Denver hopes.

Seattle drove the field twice following the safety, but could only manage field goals and took an 8-0 lead at the end of

Fast facts: Location: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 82,529 Money wagered: US$119M Ad cost: US$3M for 30 seconds Average ticket price: US$1,150

SPORTS

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Canadian Ice Hockey team looks for repeat gold AUSTIN ARVAY Following their magical win in Vancouver, Team Canada is returning to the ice in Sochi, Russia to try and bring home gold for the third time in the last four Olympiads.

The last time we saw the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team they were celebrating winning gold on home ice following a 3-2 overtime win against the rival American team. Etched in many Canadian’s memories, Sidney Crosby’s goal was arguably the defining moment of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Four years later, Crosby will be captain as Team Canada tries to recapture the 2010 magic. But this time around the team won’t have the home crowd behind them as they travel to Russia to take on the rest of the world.

As Canadians we pride ourselves on the strength of our national teams — especially in hockey. The Olympics are extra special with the the world’s best going head to head and bragging rights lasting for four years.

Canada is sending a very talented team and is considered a favourite heading into the tournament. However, the North American players are at a disadvantage overseas since European ice surfaces are longer and wider than those used here.

European born players are raised on this ice whereas North Americans will have to adjust to the larger playing area.

The Canadian roster features 11 returning players from the 2010 squad including starting goalie Roberto Luongo and top defencemen Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty.

The biggest problem for this team is often trimming the roster. Every four years many worthy players are left off and this year is no different. That being said, the team seems to stack up very well against the other teams competing for Olympic gold.

Behind the goal line Roberto Luongo, Carey Price and Mike Smith will look to keep any pucks from passing into their net.

Luongo backstopped the team to gold last time around and fans can expect him to be just as good at these Olympics.

Helping goalkeepers keep scoring to a minimum, Jay Bouwmeester, Drew Doughty, Dan Hamhuis, Duncan Keith, Alex Pieterangelo, P.K. Subban, MarcEdouard Vlasic and Shea Weber will be taking the ice as defencemen.

The defence will be the difference maker for the team. The defencemen need to adjust to the larger ice and how well

they adapt could be tell tale of how the team fares in the tournament.

Meanwhile forwards Jamie Benn, Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Matt Duchene, Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz, Patrick Marleau, Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Patrick Sharp, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares and Jonathon Toews will rush their opponents looking for scoring opportunities.

The forwards should be able to score; the biggest issue is finding line combinations that work and creating chemistry among the players over such a short period of time.

The rest of the world will also send talented teams to Sochi and you can bet they all want to knock Canada off the top of the podium.

In addition to home ice advantage, Russia has a very powerful offence featuring the National Hockey League’s leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin.

Russia always has a very skilled team but they usually lack defensive play and goaltending. They will need to be carried by their offence, but don’t count them out.

At home and looking to avenge its 7-3 loss to Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Team Russia is considered a favourite.

Sweden is arguably the most wellrounded team in the tournament. They are strong in every position and could be Canada’s biggest threat in the tournament.

Led by Daniel and Henrik Sedin — both playing for the Vancouver Canucks — this team is solid from top to bottom.

The Finnish team boasts two of the best goalies in the world: Tukka Rask of the Boston Bruins and Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks. The pair aren’t likely to allow very many goals scored against them. Finland’s problem will be scoring, as their forwards aren’t as skilled as many of the other countries in the tournament.

Finland’s goalies can steal them games, it will just be a matter of how many goals they can score.

The American team was said to make some questionable decisions when selecting the squad that would represent them in Sochi. The defending silver medalists have very fast forwards who should excel on the bigger ice but their defence is fairly young and might not quite be ready for the biggest stage in all of hockey. Returning goalie Ryan Miller should help the inexperienced defence.

Many are overlooking the American team, but they could be a dark horse with their skilled and speedy group of forwards.

Canada opens the tournament on Feb. 13 at 12 p.m. vs. Norway. The gold medal game goes Feb. 23 at 7 a.m.

7

The Sheaf’s official Olympics opening ceremony drinking game

EMMA SLOBOSHAN

The opening ceremonies aren’t exactly the most exciting part of the Olympic Games.

Luckily, the Sheaf is here to help heat things up with an opening ceremonies drinking challenge. It may be morning here in Canada, but it’s late enough to drink on Sochi time.

• Every sponsor ad: Coca-Cola, Visa, McDonald’s • When a dove appears (two if on fire! [or if you get this reference]) • Every time Putin appears on-screen • Every time an athlete takes a picture (two drinks if it’s a selfie) • Every time all five Olympic rings appear • Every time a team has ugly uniforms (group vote; majority rules on what constitutes “ugly”) • Every time the the Olympic flame is shown • When a country without “real” winter enters (Eg: Jamaica) • When a team with less than 10 Olympians enters • Every time a commentator mentions trivia about a country • When the Olympic torch is lit • When the independent athletes enter

• If a performer makes a mistake • If someone makes a Cool Runnings joke when Jamaica walks in

• If the flame goes out • If Putin appears shirtless • If a bear performs tricks or dances • When the games are declared open

For gold medalists only!

• Waterfall the entire time Canada walks in • Drink nothing but vodka for the entirety of the ceremonies Join the Sheaf at Louis’ at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 7 to face off against your student newspaper in the opening ceremonies drinking challenge!

5th annual college of arts & science

Alumni of Influence Dean’s Dinner & award ceremony

honouring our distinguished 2014 alumni of influence: gail appel gordon Barnhart James Bolton eric cline John Dewar frank farley

Keith geddes namarta Kochar ruth millar Kendal netmaker shannon skinner

14

FRIDAY MARCH Team Canada is in the hunt for another Olympic gold medal in Sochi, Russia.

CHRISTOPHER PIKE

gail appel

Kendal netmaker

gordon Barnhart

cocktails at 5:30 | Dinner at 6:30 single tickets $55 | tables of 8 $400 tcu Place, saskatoon for more information: call (306) 966-6388 or email teri.olson@usask.ca

8

FEATURE

Saskatoon label ANDREW COOPER It can be challenging for musicians looking for sustainability in the local scene, but one Saskatoon record label wants to help change this condition for the better — and they’re starting at a grassroots level.

Named The Sound and Silence Collective, the studio is still relatively new at only one year old. On Dec. 21, 2012, Josh Robinson, Duncan Pickard, and Muskwa LeRat graduated from the Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon. With the addition of Nguyen Dinh, the group opened their record label to the Saskatoon musicians on a mid-January weekend in 2013. They’ve since grown into a pillar for the local scene.

“It’s been monumental,” Josh said. “When we initially started this off, our approach was to conceive of ourselves as a recording collective, mainly offering services that musicians can access readily, easily and for a fairly discounted fee.”

For many musicians, striving to get on a label is an ongoing pursuit. A label offers incentives for recording, but more importantly it offers a networking capability otherwise unavailable to most musicians.

Where The Sounds and Silence Collective sets itself apart is by keeping things focused on the music.

“We can record a hundred projects and release them, but if you’re not touring or marketing them, no one is going to hear you” Pickard said. “When you start a band, you’re not thinking about the business side of the project, you’re really thinking ‘let’s write really awesome songs and do an awesome performance.’ We’re trying to bridge that gap.”

The company currently has eight artists under their label: The Wizards, The Faps, Jeans Boots, Alyssa Arnason, Pandas in Japan, Fern, Northern Lights, Wolfen Rabbits and Apollo Cruz. There are also a number of other projects involved in the label to some extent, including The Little Criminals. Each project is in varying stages of recording, with some planning to tour and film video releases.

The label is helping each of the bands network within their own capacity, forming somewhat of a community.

“The good thing about these more ancillary projects is that there are degrees of association across the board,” Robinson said. “The great thing about working with the musicians we are working with is that a lot of them are very interconnected. So you could be developing a project with Fern for example, while at the same time [Fern pianist and guitar player Rachel Effenn] is doing backup vocals for Melissa Gan’s project and vice versa.”

Through their collective experiences with the local music scene, all four producers constantly remind each other how important a devoted label can be to the musician.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY THE SOUND & SILENCE COLLECTIVE

(Top-to-bottom) The Faps, Alyssa Arnason and The Wizards are all signed to The Sound and Silence Collective label.

According to Pickard, recording helps to tighten up a band’s live performances. Once an artist hits the studio they start expecting perfection from their work. And it’s a sentiment that Robinson agrees with.

“That initial release, even that four-song EP is huge,” he said. “A band can rise to mediocre local stardom with a solid EP” The label had their one-year anniversary party Jan. 17 and 18. Between those two nights, they had an impressive 14 bands play as well as six after-party DJs. Most of the acts were associated with The Sound and Silence Collective and they managed to sell out Vangelis both nights. With the impressive lineup of local talent, this show marked one year of incredible growth for both the producers and signed bands associated with a label that started as just a concept.

“It began as something that was really very practical and tacitly orientated in terms of service offerings but after we released LSD

by The Wizards, Dead Lake by The Faps and Zorg City by Jeans Boots, we began to realize that bands can benefit from more than just having their demo recorded,” Robinson said. “There’s room here for musicians to allow themselves to develop as a business, to begin to focus their futures and ask themselves ‘what’s sustainable; how can we make this sustainable; how can we conceive of ourselves as a business?’”

And sustainability appears to be the main mandate of the label so far. Robinson and Pickard reiterated that the prime focus of the label right now is to champion the problem of self-sustainability in the local music scene — to make it a viable pursuit for musicians to continue playing the music that they love.

“The good thing about where we are positioned in the city right now is that the community is [already] incredibly selfsustainable,” Robinson said. ‘It sustains itself by virtue of how many people are musical, and how many people love the music that’s being played locally. It’s just investing back into these musicians that makes it sustainable.”

Sustainability is an issue for bands in a market saturated with performers. Though there is an incredible wealth of musicians and music lovers in Saskatoon, it can be daunting for artists to draw an audience out to their show. A label becomes useful here in its ability to promote shows, album releases, tours and any of a performer’s other gigs.

Alyssa Arnason has been playing her medley of mellow folk music since she was 15 years old. Her recent milestone was hitting the studio for the first time after recording tapes and other personal tracks for years prior.

“It is really natural, but it is definitely different working with somebody who is trained to know what to look for and to know how to do it,” Arnason said of her experience at The Sound and Silence.

9

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

lays roots in local music scene

(Left-to-right) Josh Robinson, Muskwa LeRat and Duncan Pickard are three of The Sound and Silence Collective’s founding members.

“I feel the Sound and Silence guys are there to back me up,” Arnason said. “It’s really nice to have that community.”

The people at The Sound and Silence “are passionate about music, and they just wanted to create this supportive crew,” Arnason said.

“And they did it. They succeeded.”

Thomas Seibel and Aron Zacharias have been playing music together for years, though The Sound and Silence Collective was lucky enough to be the first label to sign them for the group’s first official release as The Wizards.

The group joined The Sounds and Silence in the early days, when it’s crew was still in school. One of the label’s members invited them to record with his student hours at the studio on campus and the band was excited to be able to put down a track.

“It seemed like good experience for us and good practice for them. It was the second time we got together. We did some vocal overdubs and some other stuff, but then it was like ‘alright, now we’re gonna do something really weird,’ and they were totally into it,” Seibel said. “So they put a couple more mics around the room and they let us go in there and just make sounds.”

Seibel said that the experience working with what would become The Sound and Silence was creatively freeing, and hit the right key for The Wizards.

“We thought that this was something we

could probably put out and have some fun with,” Seibel said. “That’s when we knew it was true love.”

Zacharias added that the label is very supportive of the acts they bring onboard.

“They see the talent in town that can work with what their interest is,” he said. “If they like an artist then they’re going to help them expand, they’re going to give them free reign and see where it goes. They pick what they like, and they let it run wild.”

Blaire Colwell of The Faps joined The Sound and Silence Collective shortly after the label noticed them at a show.

“We played a couple shows at Beaumont when it was in The Underground [Cafe], and the Sound and Silence guys caught us there because we were playing with The Wizards.” Colwell said. The Faps went on to record their first EP with The Sound and Silence, who helped the group find financing.

As for the creative process, Colwell said that the label’s eclectic taste helps them to attract differing styles of artists.

“Like minds tend to attract each other, and the Sound and Silence guys are obviously all into different styles of music,” she said.

Above everything else, The Sound and Silence Collective is looking to bolster the Saskatoon music scene.

“It’s all about the local helping out the local,” Robinson and Pickard agreed.

ANDREW COOPER

Musicians and fans alike looking for more information on The Sound and Silence Collective, as well as information on the labels signed artists — including tour dates, release dates and upcoming shows — can check out The Sound and Silence Collective Facebook page.

10

CULTURE

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

The case for Kendrick and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City SCOTT DAVIDSON Associate News Editor The Heist might be last year’s most aptly titled album — and not for any motivation Macklemore and Ryan Lewis had in coming up with the name.

Instead, it is because the hip hop duo pulled off a caper that would make Danny Ocean proud at the 56th annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 26, when The Heist won Best Rap Album over Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

Macklemore himself admitted as much when he sent a text message to Lamar that read, “You got robbed. You should have won. I wanted you to. It’s weird and sucks that I robbed you.”

With twelve songs connected as part of a single overarching narrative, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was an album unprecedented in the rap genre. It tells the story of Lamar’s own upbringing in Compton — a city within Los Angeles, California notorious for its high levels of gang violence — in a twisting, non-linear fashion.

Compton has produced no shortage of rappers who have built careers in retelling the city’s history of street violence.

However, Lamar stands out in this field by bringing a fresh perspective on these issues. Whereas other Compton rappers have bragged about the gang lifestyle, Lamar was never interested in being a Crip or Blood and instead wanted to devote his life to more positive ends.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is the story of a teenager straddling the line between what his circumstances dictate, what his friends want and his own ambitions.

Defenders of Macklemore’s Best Rap Album win have praised The Heist for its attention to social issues while calling

CODY SCHUMACHER/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City “just another guns and drugs rap album.” However, Lamar’s story brings to light a number of social issues that have gone largely ignored in the rap genre including peer pressure, alcohol abuse and teenaged gang membership.

“I got a blunt in my mouth/Usually I’m drug free/But shit, I’m with the homies.” raps Lamar on “The Art of Peer Pressure.”

The album’s lead single, “Swimming

Pools (Drank)” is a reflection on Lamar’s reservations about social drinking and alcoholism. “M.A.A.D City” — which is the story’s climax — explores the human impact of gang violence.

This is not to trivialize the importance of the issues Macklemore addresses on The Heist. The album’s pro-gay marriage anthem “Same Love” has received waves of attention, but other tracks center on

equally important issues. Macklemore’s own experiences with addiction make for a powerful reflection in “Starting Over.”

“And you know what pain looks like/ When you tell your dad you relapsed and look him directly in the face,” stands as some of the most powerful song lyrics of the year.

Yet the best rap album category does not exist to determine who is the most socially conscious rapper or which social issues deserves the most attention — it exists to name the best rap album of the year.

Again, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City did something unprecedented in the genre; it used a single, cohesive story to reflect not only on the artist’s own history but on the larger issues surrounding that history.

In a pioneering effort, Lamar set the bar extremely high for future artists looking to make similar albums.

From a purely musical point of view, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City far outshines The Heist. Macklemore is undoubtedly talented, but Lamar is simply the superior rapper at this point. Lamar’s lyrics are not only more complex, but hold greater depth than Macklemore’s.

Listening to both albums multiple times will show that Good Kid, M.A.A.D City has more replay value because of Lamar’s song writing ability and lyrical talent.

Macklemore’s best rap album win speaks volumes about the Grammys themselves.

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is a better album than The Heist in every sense. What its loss proves is that the Grammys are ultimately a popularity contest. The only place The Heist can legitimately claim to outperform Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is on the top 40 — an accomplishment which is by no means a true measure of an album’s quality.

CULTURE

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Upcoming Events Thursday Jan. 6

• Latin Dance Night at Louis’ • Outside the Wall at The Bassment (first night)

Friday Jan. 7

• Apollo Cruz at Rock Bottom • Good Enough, Heard of Wasters and Reeta Mckneals at Vangelis Tavern • Lou Reed Tribute Night feat. Maybe Smith, Ride ‘Til Dawn and more • 22nd Winter Olympics opening ceremonies • Outside the Wall at The Bassment (last night) • Torro Torro at Tequila Nightclub

Saturday Jan. 8

• USSU Carnival of Sex at Louis’ • Les Hay Babies with Mario LePage at Amigos Cantina • The Pianomen at The Bassment • Whiskey Jerks with guests at Vangelis Tavern

Monday Jan. 10

• Matt Anderson at Broadway Theatre • Scene Slam at Louis’

Tuesday Jan. 11

• Toonie Tuesdays at Louis’

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Sex Week climaxes with Carnival of Sex MIKA RATHWELL

Come one, come all — it’s time for the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union’s annual Carnival of Sex! Head on down to Louis’ for a night of wild entertainment as Sex Week comes to an end.

Hosted by the USSU Pride Center, Help Center and Women’s Center, this year’s carnival takes on a Brazilian Carnival theme and will include performances by local drag performers, Rosebud Burlesque Club, the Del Mundo Brazilian Dancers and DJ Charly Hustle. Carnival goers can enjoy games, hula-hoops, specialty drinks and prizes.

Created as a space to celebrate sexuality and diversity, guests at the Carnival of Sex are encouraged to dress to impress and wear something sexy for a night of fantasy and excitement.

The event promises to be as fun as it is educational and will play host to a community fair featuring booths from AIDS Saskatoon, Avenue Community Centre, Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon, Positive Passions, Reproductive Action Group and the

CODY SCHUMACHER/GRAPHICS EDITOR

aforementioned Rosebud Burlesque Group.

The Carnival of Sex is part of Sex Week at the U of S. Established in 2013 by USSU centre coordinators Heather Kevill, Natalya Mason and Jack Saddleback, it was concieved as an initiative to get students talking about sex.

“Sex shouldn’t be a scary thing,” said Kevill, coordinator of the USSU Women’s Centre.

Kevill believes that sex is something that needs to be openly talked about, and does not need to be a taboo subject for university students. Opening up a dialogue helps to educate and inform students on safe and consensual sex.

Sex Week encourages open discussion and raises awareness on a wide variety of topics

surrounding sexuality, relationships, safe sex, informed consent and diversity. Whether you are or are not ready to be sexually active, feeling comfortable and safe when discussing sex with your partner — and with friends and family — is important for all.

Showing continued growth in its second year, Sex Week has expanded to offer more events and more talk about sex. This year, Sex Week is also offering an exciting new event on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. Louis Loft will be hosting After Dark: An Evening of Art and Poetry, which will be filled with local talent showcasing their sexuality through various forms of art. The event is $5 at the door and open to all ages.

Those interested in complimentary tickets to the Carnival of Sex need merely get an STI check at the student health clinic during Sex Week to gain free entry.

Tickets for the Carnival of Sex can be found in the Arts Tunnel, the USSU help desk and at Louis’ for $8 prior to the carnival, and $10 at the door on Feb. 8. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the festivities go on all night!

Gardens & album Villa shine on sophomore Dunes ALEXANDER QUON

With their second album, Dunes, Gardens & Villa has crafted an experience that combines synthetic vibes and light backing flutes into a record that feels retro in its execution but uniquely fresh in sound.

Gardens & Villa is a Santa Barbara based pop quintet made up of Chris Lynch, Adam Rasmussen, Levi Hayden, Shane McKillop and Dusty Ineman. After their 2011 eponymously titled album, the band has re-honed and improved their unique sound of dream-like pop into an auditory treat that, while short, is definitely something worth listening to.

Recorded after their two year, 350 show tour spanning Europe and North America, Dunes is an existential and beautifully layered album which was written while the band was settled in their beachside property. However, it was put together in a studio in the much colder and distant town of Benton Harbor, Michigan.

The psychedelic lyrics, centered on the themes of loss and nature, could make the band easily dismissed as just another Cali-pop outfit but the addition of a heavy synthesizer makes Dunes a beast of an entirely different nature. The resulting album is a sound that is fresh and new but it is by no means perfect.

Dunes holds a lot of promise, but the resulting songs often feel like a mixed bag. Many tracks sound like the band is unsure whether they wanted to be synth-pop or something more drum

and guitar based. The interweaving of synthetic sounds and more natural tones is somewhat harsh, leaving a unique mix that sometimes feels unsettling to the listener’s ears.

A complex album, Dunes sounds at times like light hearted pop while simultaneously feeling like an 80’s synth band. The album’s mix of enveloping tracks play in large contrast to their heavy bass tunes such as in the album’s debut single “Bullet Train”.

The third track on the album, “Bullet Train” opens with a steady drum kit and evolves into a concentrated flute solo performed by lead singer Chris Lynch. The rest of the track is then dominated by the drums, with Lynch’s vocals in the background as he repeatedly echoes “the young die young.”

Lynch’s androgynous voice is the true highlight of the album. In many of the tracks it is able to sound melodic and soft while in others it brings a surprising amount of strength to the otherwise quiet tones of the flute or piano in the background.

“Colony Glenn” is the second single from the album and begins with haunting and vibrant synths performed by Adam Rasmussen. In many ways it is reminiscent of Depeche Mode’s heavy synth lines. Lynch’s light vocals fluctuate between the foreground and background as the synthetic sounds and bass ebb and flow throughout the track.

“Chrysanthemums” is the strongest song on the album. A piano based track, the instrument’s

Dunes was written at a beachside vista.

SUPPLIED

dark and dulcet sounds are mixed with the highpitched vibrating tones of the synths. The music is perfectly contrasted with the Lynch’s almost whispered vocals.

The last track on the album, “Love Theme” is by far its weakest. With none of the nearlyomnipresent soothing vocals from Lynch, it is instead a slow and melodious mixture of synthetic tones. The song doesn’t fit with the rest of the record and is an unnecessarily quiet tune on what is an otherwise vibrant album.

Gardens & Villa’s second album is a musical treat that at times is an entertaining mix of lyrical talent and synthetic-pop. Though by no means unenjoyable, Dunes’ unique sound is something that is sure to peak a listener’s interest — but it often feels like it could’ve been so much more than its end result.

USSU winter cycling workshop rolls onto campus WILLIAM LOUISON

On Jan. 28, nearly forty people attended a Winter Cycling Workshop at the Universtiy of Saskatchewan.

The workshop was open to everyone, whether already avid winter cyclists or people interested in learning about the basics of pedalling in powder.

Organized by the U of S Students’ Union, the workshop was presented by a panel of three knowledgeable cyclists — Scott Bell, Hilary Gough and Patrick Brannen — who spoke on a wide range of topics from winter cycling attire to necessary bike modifications for an array of needs to the importance of choosing a safe route.

Wednesday Jan 12 • Open stage at Amigos Cantina

ROBERT THOMSON/FLICKR

Reliable tires are vital for winter cycling.

The goal of the workshop as told by USSU Vice President Student Affairs Nour Abouhamra — one of the event’s organizers — was mainly to educate interested cyclists on how to cycle through the snow and ice of winter safely, but also to let the attendees connect with other people who share the same interest in cycling.

“It was an information session as well as well as a way to bring winter cyclists together … to connect people,” Abouhamra said.

Abouhamra admits to not doing much winter cycling herself, although she did learn a lot from the workshop and considers it to have been a success. She shares this opinion with a lot of the attendees.

“Everyone loved it. They thought that it should happen every year,” Abouhamra said.

Tanya Andrusieczko, a U of S alumnus and avid cyclist in all weather, attended the workshop with an interest in becoming more knowledgeable in the activity.

“I had a lot of assumptions and unanswered questions about what it takes to survive the icy streets as a winter cyclist,” Andrusieczko said via email.

“The panelists emphasized that winter cycling is the best way to get around town while staying warm, saving money and saving time,”

Andrusieczko said. “The keys, I learned, were a good pair of mitts … reliable winter tires, wind pants and a set of lights. The rest is learned by doing.”

Andrusieczko also felt less intimidated by the ice and snow of winter after the workshop and actually went on her first winter bike ride later in the week, borrowing a bicycle from Gough and participating in Ice Cycle on Feb. 1. Andrusieczko was surprised by how encouraging everybody at the workshop was and would probably never have gone to Ice Cycle if it wasn’t for the invitation from the panelists.

“I couldn’t have been happier or more prepared for becoming a winter cyclist,” Andrusieczko said.

Both Abouhamra and Andrusieczko are hopeful that next winter will see another cycling workshop and, with any luck, this could become an annual event.

“There will always be new people gaining interest and looking for an introduction to the activity,” Andrusieczko said. “Plus, maybe next year I could have something to contribute.”

The workshop was sponsored by the U of S Office of Sustainability and Bike Doctor.

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OPINIONS

Sugar Babies • continued from 1 While it’s not for everyone, there is obviously a niche market for it. A lot of 20-somethings like to date older men and women, so why does it matter if there’s a bit of cash involved in the exchange? I just hope that both parties involved are consenting adults who have the best of intentions for each other.

The fact that tuition is so high that U of S students have already felt the need to seek an arrangement to aid them financially is a bit alarming. But it’s merely a practical solution to a problem that exists for all university students.

Some of us have registered education savings plans or scholarships which contribute greatly to our tuition, while others have to work two jobs throughout the year just to survive. Becoming a sugar baby is just another option to consider.

You may very well have a problem with this type of solution depending on your morals or values, but don’t hate on those who do it.

According to Global News, “the U of S ranks 13th on the list of Canada’s fastest growing ‘sugar baby’ schools with more and more students cashing in.”

Not surprisingly, universities in bigger centres like Toronto, Guelph and Edmonton are closer to the top of the list for students who seek arrangements online.

That being said, there are plenty of sugar daddies in Saskatoon — 743 to be exact — so don’t think living in a bigger city is of any benefit to sugar babies.

These sugar daddies earn an average of $250,000 a year according to one website.

The bottom line is that seeking a postsecondary education is expensive. If dating someone who just wants to have fun and spoil you means that you get some relief from your bills, go for it. While this wouldn’t be my first choice, I won’t judge you and neither should anyone else.

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Age is just a number CASEY BALON

Life doesn’t take a dramatic spin the second a person turns a certain age, nor does it evolve at the same pace for each individual. So why has stereotyping and discrimination against people based on their age become such a widespread issue throughout our country?

The assumptions surrounding aging need to be challenged.

According to a report produced by Revera and the International Federation on Aging, ageism is the most tolerated form of social prejudice in Canada. Our society has an overall negative perception of aging, but why is this?

At times, I myself have felt fearful of growing older and apparently I’m not alone.

According to the Revera report, nearly 90 per cent of Canadians relate ageing with something negative, with Gen Y and Gen X having the most pessimistic outlook.

I question where this fear surrounding age has originated from and wonder if it stems from a variety of societal pressures.

Why is there such pressure to accomplish all of life’s goals before the age of 30?

Why do individuals encounter judgement from others when they declare they’re not in a rush to achieve this or that?

“Do it before you get too old,” they say, but rarely, “you can do it when you get old.” Perhaps our outlook needs a serious adjustment.

We have let the long-standing stereotypes associated with age significantly influence what it means to get older. Loss of physical attractiveness, decline in mental capacity and loss of independence are just a few of the negative associations we have made with age.

Why have we let these things become a part of the definition of what it means to get older? Improvements and deteriorations in physical function, mental capacity and financial stability can be experienced by individuals of all ages. Life at 65 can carry the same potential for fulfillment as life at 25, but it’s all about perspective.

The good news is that as we get older we are more likely to acknowledge the reality that our age does not define us. It has been found that those of an older age are actually more likely to view age as just a number.

During a recent visit with my grandma, I realized that she is an individual who has proven this point over and over again.

At 82-years-old she has no qualms about going for a horseback ride or jumping on her ski-doo the minute a good snowfall occurs. She points out that what really has an impact on her capabilities is her state of health, which can be affected at any age.

According to the opinions of Canadians, there are specific actions that need to be taken in order to combat age discrimination.

Investment in technologies that can help older people live independently for longer is an important part of this fight against age discrimination. Increased government funding of healthcare solutions that can address the needs of our aging population is another one of the ideas brought forth.

Most importantly, it is believed that awareness needs to raised about ageism in order for it to no longer be socially acceptable.

CODY SCHUMACHER/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Despite society’s preoccupation with attaining everlasting youthfulness, it is important to acknowledge that ageism doesn’t discriminate. This prejudice is also faced by the young.

How many times have I heard someone declare that those of the younger generations lack work ethic or drive? For many of us, these existing stereotypes could not be farther from the truth.

Many people hold on tightly to their preconceived notions regarding age, but these assumptions need to be confronted.

It is time to open our eyes and refuse to tolerate ageism as we have in the past. We cannot allow a simple number to impact our views and values any longer.

Blanchett was right to call out cameraman RYLEE LUKEY Lights, camera, reaction?

While being interviewed on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild awards in Los Angeles, California on Jan. 18, actress Cate Blanchett stood her ground and called out the GlamCam as it began to scan her Givenchy gown from bottom to top — and rightly so.

In the midst of the camera scanning her frame, the actress responded with, “Do you do that to the guys?” This situation isn’t the first time Blanchett has been vocal about women’s equality.

While promoting Blue Jasmine, Blanchett classified herself as a feminist.

The actress feels that conservatism is affecting the way women perceive who they are in the world — especially because this patriarchal system has been in place for hundreds of generations. It is hard to have a breakthrough in women’s rights when the world is dominated by male figures.

Emily Barasch — a journalist covering Blanchett’s story — notes Blanchett is not alone in being sexualized by the media.

Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister, claims she had been “the subject of a very sexist smear campaign.”

Similar comments are made in Barasch’s article on the portrayal of Hillary Clinton.

The cover of Time magazine’s January issue depicted a woman’s foot squashing a miniature man. The headline reads “Can Anyone Stop Hillary?” Women in power are often painted as monsters trying to

EVA RINALDI CELEBRITY AND LIVE MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER/FLICKR

Blanchett is a proud feminist.

corrupt the carefully laid foundation that is male supremacy.

It takes a figure like Cate Blanchett to get the ball rolling and bring attention to the horrendous mistreatment of women in the media.

Hollywood is a place where dreams and fantasy come to life. However, the images that come out of Hollywood are superficial and cause women to be valued by the media for their appearances ahead of their talents and achievements.

The pressure placed on women to look

and be deemed desirable by the public is highly misrepresented. The media presents a completely unattainable image of women regarding what beauty should be for the average female. These images often present women as underweight, having a small waist, long legs and large breasts.

This unrealistic expectation created by the media is why we have so many women with eating disorders, wrought with selfesteem issues. On a daily basis we are told as women that we are not good enough.

We should be thinner, have longer hair, wear form-fitting dresses — all for the appeal of the male demographic.

It is a man’s world and the message is that females are meant to please them.

Because of female stereotyping, it will take many more years to achieve gender equality in media; it’s going to be a continual process of changing attitudes and assumptions that requires actresses like Blanchett to alter.

The Media Awareness Network, a Canadian research and advocacy organization, found that women’s magazines are ten times more likely to contain articles and advertisements related to dieting than men’s magazines — and that three-fourths of women’s magazine covers feature articles about overhauling one’s physical appearance.

Women have always been celebrated for their physical beauty. It has been the first thing that catches the media’s attention and therefore it is the bodily image that is presented to the world. Women are

constantly put under unnecessary pressure to live up to these expectations. It is an unrealistic model that is placed before us.

However, it is an expectation that plenty of society lives by. That is why you hear the term “trophy wife” being thrown around; the best looking woman is seen as a prize for the man who gets to take her home.

Even though these portrayals have been the norm for many generations, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel.

John Brougher is the founder of MaleFeminists.com and the VP of a marketing and non-profit community at technology company NGP VAN. An advocate for gender equality, Brougher sees the progress that his organization has made promoting the importance of female leadership and equal opportunity.

“Until we get a more equal world, I’ll claim that title of ‘feminist’ proudly and shout it from the rooftops,” Brougher said on his website.

Brougher exemplifies the type of dedication and devotion that feminism needs. It is so refreshing to hear a man rooting for the other side and being so resolute about it.

Feminism is a cause that will withstand the test of time, but it has a long way to go. There will always be Hollywood cameras capturing the superficial beauty of a woman, but we needn’t let those superficial moments inhibit all the progress feminism has made. Keep it up, Blanchett.

OPINIONS

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

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Bike lanes positive for Saskatoon NAOMI ZUREVINSKI

Saskatoon city council has decided to install two segregated bike lanes on 4th Avenue and 24th Street in downtown Saskatoon. This positive development will be beneficial to Saskatonians, especially in the midsts of biking season.

The motivation behind this action involved a petition with signatures from more than 1,900 people — showing that there is a desire and a need for this development in our fine city.

These new bike lanes are to be separated from traffic, placed in between the sidewalk and parked vehicle lanes. There is a need for the allotment of room so that cyclists can pass unharmed through this lane space, which will hopefully prevent anyone from getting knocked out with an opening car door while biking.

I have been on both the side of the biker and the driver when it comes to cyclists in Saskatoon. Being the driver includes the irritating moment when there is a person biking in your lane and blocking your path.

Sometimes you almost want to run the biker over because they’re so damn slow — no offense, but it’s true.

On the flip side, last year while biking to work downtown someone actually did run me over. Maybe it was my own fault because I didn’t use those hand signals — I can never remember which one means what — but I don’t think I was biking that slowly.

Luckily I was wearing my helmet and was unharmed. My sentiments could not be shared by the driver, who cried following the incident.

My point being, there are several vehicle accidents with bicycles in Canada each year.

Approximately 7,500 cyclists are severely injured annually in Canada according to biking statistics from caa.ca. Most of these accidents occur at intersections or major traffic areas.

Having separate lanes allows for cycling in

CODY SCHUMACHER/GRAPHICS EDITOR

cities to be safer, avoiding many unnecessary accidents.

With safety concerns alleviated to some extent, segregated bike lanes will inspire people to bike more often. The likelihood of someone biking to work or school will increase significantly if they have a safe and secure area to do it in.

According to statistics from care2.com, a site dedicated to community building and healthy living, bike lanes reduce the amount of injuries by 50 per cent. In cases where the

bike lanes are totally segregated from traffic, injury rates dropped by 90 per cent.

While this is safer for cyclists, it is also better for motorists. Like many outdoor activities, bikers risk injury when out and about, especially when cycling in traffic lanes.

Having segregated lanes for cycling and driving will mean less accidents.

Implementing bike lanes will obviously equal more biking, which equals less driving.

Less driving is both good for peoples’ health and for the environment — not a bad idea

considering that North America is facing an obesity crisis and the world is facing an environmental one.

Cycling decreases a person’s carbon footprint by releasing less fossil fuel into the environment. According to National Geographics’ Green Guide, the worst type of pollution is engine warm-up — meaning that short trips by motor vehicles actually cause the most pollution.

Small journeys can easily be made by bike and, according to National Geographic, replacing a short car ride with a short bike trip can reduce a person’s household carbon emission by six per cent — not to mention money being saved on gas.

One downfall of bike lanes in Saskatoon is that our climate is much different than that of Montreal or Vancouver. Realistically, bike lanes will not be utilized as much all year round as they would be somewhere else. Our extremely harsh winters are not ideal for long bike rides or cycling to work — especially when the streets are turned into skating rinks.

After spending time in Montreal this past summer, I saw how incredible a city with fully functioning bike lanes can be, which is why I believe this move is so positive for Saskatoon.

Montreal has lanes on a large majority of their streets, which are utilized by tourists and citizens alike. Other major Canadian cities have bike lanes as well, including Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Even though Saskatoon is a smaller centre, we’re certainly ready to be a little more bike friendly.

While segregated bikes lanes are currently only being implemented on two streets in our city, it is a start. If successful, this could open up for a variety of other developments and more lanes in the future.

Administrators will be reporting back to the mayor and council by April on this issue, and from there the ball — or wheel — will get rolling on construction.

Levant deserves our respect despite his political views ATTA ALMASI — The Gateway (University of Alberta)

EDMONTON (CUP) — Playwright George Bernard Shaw once mused that he “learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”

For some of the delegates attending the annual national conference of the Canadian University Press, a non-profit co-operative made up of student newspaper organizations from across the country, heeding Shaw’s words might have spared them the embarrassment of having some figurative mud on their face after arguing with keynote speaker Ezra Levant this January.

By his own admission, the Sun News contributor and popular conservative pundit enjoys provoking people. He loves challenging conventional thought and wisdom, which — despite having landed him in legal trouble in the past — has also produced some journalistic gems.

One of his most well-known stories involved exposing prominent and popular Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki for his alleged $30,000 speaker fee and alleged request for an exclusively female security detail drawn from the school’s student body while giving a speech at Montreal’s John Abbott College.

Levant sees himself as a self-proclaimed “freedom fighter,” looking for stories that go relatively uncovered and unnoticed by the rest of the mainstream media and helping to somewhat solidify the notion of what he calls “the media party.”

So it was no surprise that during his keynote speech at the conference in the ballroom of the Chateau Lacombe hotel on Jan. 11, Levant expressed his belief in this notion of a liberal consensus media by saying that he doesn’t pretend to be an “objective journalist.”

According to Levant, it’s the rest of the mainstream media — which he accused of being “stenographers” for left-wing causes and politicians — who make false claims of objectivity.

He pointed out the indisputable fact that as university students who had almost no experience working an eight hour day on the floor of a factory, every single person listening to his talk — regardless of gender, race or sexuality — was a member of a very privileged, exclusive and elite group. This declaration caused many to shift uncomfortably in their seats and others to angrily confront Levant’s own self-proclaimed status as a “rich, white conservative pundit.”

While the rest of Levant’s speech wasn’t a huge difference from what the he usually talks about on his TV show The Source, the University of Alberta alumnus seemed to derive pleasure from the numerous random outbursts vilifying him throughout his speech.

The loud comments from the crowd included implications that he was homophobic, racist and misogynistic even after he explicitly stated that he thought women, African-Americans and gay people were equal to men, white people and heterosexuals, and referenced women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement and the fight for LGBTQ rights as reasons for the necessity of “offensive speech.”

While the shouting came from an extremely vocal minority, that small number of outraged delegates only served to undermine the professionalism that, up until that point, had been maintained and was extremely well displayed throughout the conference. If anything, it’s their opposition to Levant that looks ridiculous.

The difference in treatment between the other keynote speakers and Levant makes one wonder, for instance, what would’ve happened

UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN/FLICKR

Ezra Levant speaks at a conference, causing controversy once again among the auidence. if an adamant and hardcore supporter of Ford Nation had angrily interrupted Wednesday night’s keynote speaker and Toronto Star reporter Robyn Doolittle, who rose to fame during 2013 as one of the two journalists to break the Mayor Rob Ford crack story.

If a delegate had shouted while Doolittle was talking and loudly accused her of being a liar who used her newfound publicity to further her own journalistic ambitions rather than pursue the truth, they would have likely received a negative reaction from their fellow delegates.

The anger and lack of respect reserved for Levant on that evening may have been borne out of an incorrect belief that being a conservative or holding right-wing principles

or values is equitable to being ignorant, since the prevailing political pulse at most universities is overwhelmingly left of centre.

People like Levant are seen to be unintelligent, ill-informed and in need of a good educational lecture by those supposedly in the know.

The underlying irony, of course, is that while many in the room who shouted down Levant will no doubt struggle to gain employment in the field of journalism, Levant is walking proof — albeit not one that many of his detractors would care to admit to — that gaining a stable and relevant foothold in this industry is indeed both plausible and possible even if you are a fire-breathing conservative.

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HUMOUR

6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

Campus Chat What do you want for Valentine’s Day?

A really good lay.

Evan Potts.

Craig Friesen

Fatuma Ador

A giant statue of Denzel Washington.

Ayan Guled

A stuffed monkey at least six feet high.

Daniel Blanche

Fake News USSU inaugural orgy a huge success On Feb. 3rd the University of Saskatchewan’s Students’ Union held a marathon seven-hour orgy in Upper Place Riel. Considered a resounding success, the USSU promises that next year will be even better.

“We ran out of lubricant quite quickly,” said Vice President of Operations and Finance Jenna “Money Shot” Moellenbeck. “I think it’s because we’re in a dry season. Next year we’re planning on having more lubrication stations throughout the designated area.”

With over 600 participants, the USSU is pleased with their effort to offer a safe space in which to get down and dirty.

A participant in the festivities, Jonny Wackman said that “the orgy was the

highlight of [his] year,” though he was upset that his stamina wasn’t up to par compared to some of the more experienced veterans.

“Practice makes perfect, right? Next year I’m hoping to last long enough to see all the profs participate during the lunch hour,” Wackman said.

Despite the event being largely successful, supervising nurses reported a staggering 69 injuries related to the orgy.

“We had a lot of people slipping on the lubed up floor,” said nurse Afeelya Pain.

Next year the USSU will require all participants to wear water shoes, knee pads and protective goggles.

DAN

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6 February, 2014 • thesheaf.com

HUMOUR

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