The Sheaf - September 28, 2017

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

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The Sheaf Publishing Society is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

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Community radio station funding drive

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Managing ADHD as an adult

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S E X U A L ASSAULT AWARENESS pages 3 & 13

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Jessica Klaassen-Wright

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

CULTURE EDITOR

Nykole King

Tanner Bayne

news@thesheaf.com

culture@thesheaf.com

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

Emily Migchels

Jack Thompson

opinions@thesheaf.com

sportshealth@thesheaf.com

STAFF WRITER

Lyndsay Afseth staffwriter@thesheaf.com COPY EDITOR

| Amanda Slinger

copy@thesheaf.com LAYOUT MANAGER

| Laura Underwood

layout@thesheaf.com

| Jiem Carlo Narag

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

photo@thesheaf.com GRAPHICS EDITOR

| Lesia Karalash

graphics@thesheaf.com WEB EDITOR

| Jeremy Britz

web@thesheaf.com OUTREACH DIRECTOR

| Victoria Becker

outreach@thesheaf.com AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

| Shantelle Hrytsak

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Jiem Carlo Narag BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADVERTISING (306) 966 8688

Kyra Mazer Brent Kobes Emily Klatt Hasith Andrahennadi Momo Tanaka Liam Richards

EDITORIAL (306) 966 8689

Mission // The mission of the Sheaf is to inform and entertain students by addressing those issues that are relevant to life on campus, in the city or in the province. The newspaper serves as a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues that concern students. Written for students, by students, it provides unique insight to university issues through a student perspective. The staff of editors, photographers and artists collaborate with volunteers as student journalists to create a product relevant to students on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

Legal // The Sheaf, published weekly during the academic year and periodically from May through August, is an incorporated non-profit that is, in part, student-body funded by way of a direct levy paid by all partand full-time undergraduate students at the U of S. The remainder of the revenue is generated through advertising. The financial affairs are governed by a Board of Directors, most of whom are students. Membership in the Sheaf Publishing Society is open to all undergraduate students at the U of S, who are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper. Absolutely no experience is required!

The opinions expressed in the Sheaf do not necessarily reflect those of the Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. The Sheaf reserves the right to refuse to accept or print any material deemed unfit for publication, as determined by the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to veto any submission deemed unfit for the Society newspaper. In determining this, the Editor-in-Chief will decide if the article or artwork would be of interest to a significant portion of the Society and benefit the welfare of Sheaf readers. The Sheaf will not publish any racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous material.

Land Acknowledgement // The Sheaf acknowledges that our office is built on Treaty Six Territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and affirm both the importance of our relationship with Indigenous peoples and students at the U of S and our commitment to recognize and remain accountable for our collective history.

If you would like to contribute to the Sheaf, email editor@thesheaf.com for more information.

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There were no errors brought to our attention in our last issue.

If you spot any errors in this issue, please email them to: copy@thesheaf.com

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Laura Underwood / Layout Manager

Vetavision returns with new attractions for students The biennial veterinary spectacular will open its doors for two days of interactive demonstrations.

GWEN ROY

Students are inviting the public to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine for Vetavision, a two-day affair that will showcase a wide variety of attractions, including bee-keeping, realistic animal simulations and underwater treadmills.

On Sept. 29 and 30, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the veterinary college will have presentations and displays meant to entice prospective students towards veterinary medicine.

Vetavision still boasts all of the favourite events and displays from two years prior, yet this year, there will be several new demonstrations.

Alexina Labrecque, copresident of Vetavision and fourth-year veterinary medicine student, is excited about the new attractions, such as a tour of the BJ Hughes Centre for Clinical Learning, referred to as the simulation lab, which opened only last spring.

“The emergency-and-critical-care booth is going to be in the simulation lab, and there’s going to be lots of fun, interactive things you can do. We also

have a mock-surgery room in there that students can use as well,” Labrecque said.

The event will give future veterinary students the ability to explore the diverse field by interacting with live demonstrations, displays and even animal simulations. Vetavision will welcome the general public, students from all colleges and any prospective students visiting the University of Saskatchewan for the U of S Open House on Sept. 29.

The WCVM will have guided tours of their facilities, including the Veterinary Medical Centre where students can watch a demonstration of rehabilitation techniques, like an underwater treadmill.

The tours will accommodate 30 people, which is why Labrecque recommends that those interested arrive early.

The WCVM also has a strong bee-disease-research program, so this year, bee-keeping will be joining the wildlife booth as well, Labrecque reports.

“Bee-keeping is an area that … not many people know … veterinarians are involved with. It’s super niche. You can come see beehives [and] learn more about how honey is made, and you can even put on a bee suit,” Labrecque said.

“There will be no bees. We don’t want that risk.”

Ian Niu, third-year veterinary student and public relations representative of Vetavision, explains that the crowd favourites will also return to Vetavision again this year, including the fistulated cow and the petting zoo known as the Kiddy Corral.

“My personal favourite is the Kiddy Corral, because there [are] so many different animals and opportunities to interact with them, and for me, that’s where the real fun is,” Niu said.

Niu encourages undergraduate students to attend the Pre-Vet Night on Sept. 30, as it will give them the chance to learn about the process of applying to and studying in the WCVM. “Basically, what Pre-Vet Night is, is an opportunity for students who are interested in the profession to hear from our professors [and] our associate dean academic,” Niu said.

“Veterinary medicine is really diverse, and students who may not necessarily have a strong background or a lot of experience with vet med can learn a lot more about what’s available and what they can do [within] the field.”

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SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Sexual Assault Prevention policy draws a line in the sand Victims of assault are more likely to report incidents due to the prevention policy enacted two years ago at the U of S. SOPHIA LAGIMODIERE

Now that it is midterm season, more students are spending time on campus, which means having a safe environment for studying is critical — a right upheld by the University of Saskatchewan Sexual Assault Prevention policy.

The policy was approved in 2015, and since then, it has made the process of reporting incidents of sexual assault more accessible by providing more support and resources to students. According to Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan, only six out of 100 cases of sexual assault are reported to the police.

Vice-provost teaching and learning Patti McDougall has been very involved in writing the U of S policy and procedures on sexual assaults and encourages everyone to get involved with raising awareness on this topic.

“I always speak about it as our line in the sand. That policy document says we will not tolerate sexual violence on our campus and we will respond to people who perpetrate sexual violence,”

McDougall said. “Being able to have Sexual Assault Awareness Week, and having it led by students, has been very important.”

McDougall believes that the policy has been successful since it was enacted two years ago, despite the increase of sexual assault reports filed. She explains that a greater number of reports does not necessarily mean that there has been an increase of incidents during these two years, but rather, that people are now more likely to report an incident and seek help.

“If we want to make a longlasting change, it’s about shifting the norms and the culture that we have, and that takes everyone,” McDougall said.

Crystal Lau, vice-president student affairs of the U of S Students’ Union, works with this policy alongside the university, making sure students’ needs are met.

“All students, staff [and] faculty … should have a right to work, … live or study on campus in an environment that is free from any form of sexual assault or any other forms of sexual

misconduct,” Lau said. “I know that this issue has affected both women, men and other minorities. It has affected people that I know, and myself included.”

Lau believes that the more people get involved, the more educated people on campus will be about preventing inappropriate behaviour. She strongly encourages people affected by sexual assault to reach out for counselling and peer support.

“There’s counselling services, [and] there’s peer support. If you ever need someone to talk to, we want to reach out. Know it’s not your fault,” Lau said.

McDougall explains that the U of S takes reports of sexual assault seriously and hopes that people will use the resources provided to everyone on campus.

“We will believe you. We will provide supports to you, whether that’s health, counselling [or] academic accommodations. We will not judge you. There will be no shame in coming forward,” McDougall said.

There are many resources offered by the university for victims and bystanders of sexual assault,

such as Protective Services, the USafe app, Student Affairs Case Management and the centres run by the USSU. Apart from the policy and prevention framework, McDougall believes that students provide crucial support as volunteers at the Women’s, Pride and Help centres.

“The message that I hope people took from last week was [the] idea that we each carry a responsibility to stand up [and] to speak up,” McDougall said. “We can do a lot of positive work, when we build awareness [within] our university community.”

Jeremy Britz / Web Editor

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Jiem Carlo Narag / Photo Editor Luka Yol, Brittney Senger and Eliza Acode host a WUSC Welcome Social on Sept. 25 at Louis’ Pub.

University Students’ Council votes to support increased levy on tuition Student council voted unanimously to support a bid for a levy increase from WUSC, an organization that works with student refugees.

NYKOLE KING NEWS EDITOR

The World University Services of Canada Local Committee is already planning for the 2018-19 year as they work to increase available funding for new student refugees and their annual living costs.

On Sept. 21, representatives from WUSC attended the

weekly University Students’ Council meeting to ask for the council’s support as they move to increase the levy collected from tuition fees, which has not been increased since 2014, to an extra dollar per term.

In the council meeting, Eliza Acode, a third-year crop science student and co-chair of WUSC, explained that the Student Refugee Program’s operating margin is very slim.

She believes that the increased levy will provide security to the program.

“The levy increase will definitely ensure adequate and better living [conditions] for the future SRP students.

Additionally, the levy increase will justify the sustainability of the SRP that has been part of the University of Saskatchewan for over 35 years now,” Acode said, in an email to the Sheaf.

WUSC is a Canadian non-profit organization that works internationally to provide education and settlement to displaced people in refugee camps. The WUSC LC welcomes three to four new students each year and helps them navigate their new lives at the U of S. Currently, the SRP program collects $4 per term from all undergraduate students. The co-chairs of WUSC are asking the U of S to increase the levy by $1 per term, equalling an extra $2 per year per student.

Brittney Senger, a fourth-year political studies student and cochair of WUSC, explains that the extra funding would go a long way for the SRP budget.

“The success of our program reflects the university’s ability to accommodate and aide our students, and all new students,” Senger said, in an email to the Sheaf. “For WUSC students, the levy increase means an increase in their monthly living allowance so that they can afford to go out with friends or save money. It will also improve their residence [options].”

The bid for an increase is largely due to wanting to move the refugee students from Seager Wheeler residence to College Quarter, which costs significantly more. Senger and Acode explained to the council that the students’ monthly stipends will increase by $100 if approved.

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Senger points out that it has been two years since the last levy increase, but since then, the price of tuition and living costs have inflated.

“Students should know the fee they pay towards WUSC is being used wisely and is making a significant difference to the lives of our students,” Senger said. “The levy is [being] increased to cover the increasing cost of living in Saskatoon.”

In the USC meeting, it was clarified that a motion to increase the levy in ratio with inflation cannot be made due to U of S policies relating to tuition increases.

While the levy has not yet increased for the 2018-19 tuition, WUSC’s bid will now go through other committees for approval, such as the U of S Board of Governors. If the levy is approved by each subsequent committee, the process will last until January.

Acode explains the importance of WUSC to the students who come through the program, and to all those involved in the university community.

“The LC, volunteer students and staff — with the support from U of S Students’ Union, [the] International Student and Study Abroad Centre and other university units — directly change lives of refugee youth,” Acode said. “WUSC positively contributes to local and global calls to the very timely refugee and global issues.”

Letter to the editor Response to “Facebook post suggests bed bugs in Murray Library,” published on Sept. 22 at thesheaf.com.

I read with interest the article about the possibility of bedbugs at the Murray Library.

I hope that my experience with these pernicious pests might help allay some fears, and I offer some suggestions on how students can prevent bedbug problems from occurring in their homes.

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Fortunately, my wife and I were able to trace the probable cause of the infestation in our home to one of the many library books that we routinely take out of the Saskatoon Public Library, as the SPL had previously admitted in the StarPhoenix that they had found bedbugs in the spines

of several of their hardcover books at one branch.

The good news is that bedbugs, unlike fleas, cannot jump onto a person. The adults are clearly visible to the naked eye.

I don’t think students need to worry about carrying an adult bedbug home on their clothes.

The bad news is that bedbugs

are incredibly tenacious; like vampires from folklore, they can remain in a dormant state within the spines of usually older hardcover books for up to a year, until they sense blood and are rejuvenated.

I am, of course, not an expert on bedbug behaviour.

However, from what I have been told by true experts, while there is probably no harm in students reading an older hardcover book within the Library, it would not be wise for them to take older books out of the Library to their homes without fumigating equipment to spray the spines with.

For students worried about an infestation of these insects, I strongly suggest Poulin’s Pest Control on Idylwyld Drive North. Getting rid of bedbugs is a time-consuming process, but if you follow Poulin’s instructions — involving a few cans of bedbug killer — it works. We’ve had no problem since.

One advisory to students: don’t purchase any generic can of bug-killer that lists all sorts of insects, as this simply dilutes its effectiveness.

One other note: having bedbugs is no sign that your household hygiene is deficient or anything to be embarrassed about. Bedbugs can be found in five-star hotels.

I hope this helps. If students are right, the U of S has a big problem.

Terence Matheson Professor Emeritus, Department of English The Sheaf welcomes all feedback regarding content we publish. Anyone can submit a letter to the editor using the online form at thesheaf.com/ contact or by sending an email to editor@thesheaf.com. All letters must include a real name and email address. Letters are subject to our editorial policy and may be edited for length and clarity.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

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SPORTS&HEALTH

SPORTS&HEALTH

Out of focus: Coping with ADHD as an adult University is challenging enough — but what happens when you throw ADHD into the mix?

EMILY KLATT

While all students encounter difficulties completing their university educations, some students — me included — deal with an additional challenge: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

ADHD is a behavioural disorder that affects one’s ability to manage everyday tasks and routines. ADHD is characterized by three core symptoms: inability to regulate attention, inability to regulate activity — known as hyperactivity — and lack of impulse control.

In everyday life, these symptoms can manifest in a wide variety of ways, ranging from poor time management to emotional outbursts to interrupting conversations. No two individuals with ADHD will have the exact same symptoms or behaviours.

Although ADHD is typically associated with children, approximately four per cent of adults also struggle with the disorder. I’m one of them.

I was not diagnosed with ADHD until I was 21 and in my third year of university. Over the last two years, I had significant struggles managing the demands of a university course load. I was missing deadlines, forgetting appointments and lacking the ability to focus on my classes.

As someone who was an extremely good student in high school, this was really confusing for me. Why was I suddenly unable to do routine stuff? It’s not because I lacked motivation or the desire to learn — I loved university and wanted to do well. It was as if there was a gap between what my brain knew I needed to do to succeed and the ability to actually make myself do it.

Although I’ve dealt with other mental-health issues for many years, ADHD wasn’t even on my radar until my doctor suggested it as the source of my issues. Me?

Recipe: Pumpkin-spiced, high-protein oatmeal FLORENCE SCHEEPERS

A learning disability? It didn’t make sense.

Yet, after going through the screening process, there’s no doubt that I have ADHD. Why was my diagnosis missed in childhood? While it’s impossible to know exactly why, there are definitely some contributing factors.

First, I’m a girl. Although the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada reports that anywhere between five to 12 per cent of school children meet the criteria for ADHD, their website states that “more boys than girls are diagnosed at a rate of 3 to 1.”

Because girls are less likely to outwardly display typical ADHD symptoms, they’re less likely to receive diagnosis or treatment — despite struggling with similar levels of academic and social issues as boys do.

Second, I didn’t fit the stereotypical image of a child with ADHD. I wasn’t hyperactive or terribly disruptive during class.

I never struggled academically.

In fact, I was almost the opposite. I was well behaved and an excellent student. Teachers and parents had few complaints.

Not to say that kids diagnosed with ADHD can’t be all those things — far from it — but the disability is frequently associated

with disruptive behaviour and poor academic performance.

So, because I didn’t struggle with those things, it was easy for adults to overlook less visible symptoms.

Figuring out how to navigate a learning disability as an adult has been challenging at times.

Those who were diagnosed in childhood probably came into university with the right coping skills for their disorder. They know how to handle it, and I don’t.

I’ve had to shift how I view myself and the world in light of it. Sometimes, it’s been a source of shame — like suddenly being diagnosed with ADHD makes me less smart or capable than I was before. Other times, it’s been a relief to finally know that I wasn’t just lazy or stupid and that the problems had a cause.

I’m learning to live with it and to thrive with it. A new prescription and a new way of organizing my calendar have both helped a ton.

With the right treatment and strategies, students with ADHD and other learning disabilities can absolutely succeed in university. And, despite other distractions, it’s those successes that we should choose to focus on.

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

If you have time in the morning to wait in line for your Pumpkin Spice Latte before class, you have more than enough time to make breakfast.

Oatmeal is fast and easy to prepare but doesn’t offer much nutrition on its own. Here is a tasty recipe I came up with that adds a serving of protein and healthy fats to your oatmeal while staying low in added sugars.

½ cup quick plain oats (quick oats cook faster than rolled oats) ½ cup pumpkin puree ¾ cup milk or milk alternative (I use almond or soy) 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice 3 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Jaymie Stachyruk

Fitness class review: Spin and sculpt Continuing the series of fitness class reviews, I dive into the world of spin and quickly discover that it is a lot more intense than I first thought.

In the Sept. 14 issue of the Sheaf, I took the plunge into SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR fitness classes at the Physical Activity Complex with the yoga class. This week, in a decided change of pace, I will review the spin and sculpt combo class.

The spin and sculpt class is one of the few fitness classes that covers two exercises that normally have their own classes. So, for the first half-hour of the hour-long block, the class focused on cardio-intense spinning, and the second half-hour centred around lifting weights. For those who don’t know, spin is intense cardio exercise done on a stationary bicycle to the beat of fastpaced music, often electronica or top-40 remixes.

I have never been a fan of cardio, but I figured I would be able to manage half an hour on a stationary bike. I was wrong. This class was far more intense than I had imagined, and I only managed about 10 minutes before I began to lower the resistance on my bike in order to avoid puking in the middle of the class.

You don’t really get off the bike much during the whole first half-hour, so if you forget to bring a water bottle — like me — you’ll have to make awkward trips out of the room to get water from the fountain. The entire class is rigidly structured to the custom music played during its duration, and there are breaks built in, but the expectation is that you only slow down a bit and take a swig of water for about 30 seconds before going back to it.

The sculpt portion of the class is structured much like the spin portion, but the constant biking is replaced with low-weight, high-repetition exercise to the same kind of music. Overall, I didn’t find this portion that overwhelming, but this may have been because I cheated my way through the spinning.

I wouldn’t recommend this class to those who aren’t training for something or really into cardio. It could be overwhelming and potentially disheartening to some if it becomes too much for them. One thing this class is certainly good for, though, is to try out spin without committing to a full hour.

JACK THOMPSON

½ teaspoon allspice 1 pinch of salt 1 tablespoon maple syrup or reduced-sugar syrup (optional, for taste) 1 tablespoon chia seeds or hemp hearts

Add all ingredients to a large bowl, except syrup and seeds, and stir.

Microwave for three to three and a half minutes. Stir and add syrup and seeds on top. You may need to add milk or water to thin the mixture.

If you don’t like or have protein powder, you can substitute a quarter cup of cottage cheese and use a highprotein milk source like cow’s milk or soy milk.

SPORTS & HEALTH / 5

SPORTS&HEALTH

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Pearl Masa

Both Huskies cross-country teams have started their season off strong.

Huskies cross-country runners impress in season debut

Courtney Hufsmith starts strong in the season debut as both women's and men's cross-country teams begin their chase towards a Canada West conference championship.

MATTHEW JOHNSON

The Huskies cross-country teams got their 2017 campaigns underway on Sept. 16 in Regina at the annual Cougar Trot. The men’s and women’s teams each had strong performances from multiple runners, and it’s a solid stepping stone for the Huskies as they go forward.

On the men’s side, Stephane Gerard was the top runner for the

Huskies with a respectable ninthplace finish. Gerard, a fifth-year arts and science student, narrowly edged out teammate Stefano Zanotto by a mere 1.15 seconds.

Zanotto, a second-year agriculture and bioresources major, had a solid race that placed him at 10th in the event, resulting in two Huskies within the top 10.

The men’s team will aim to improve on this performance for their upcoming home event on Sept. 30.

Meanwhile, Courtney Hufsmith stole the show on the women’s side, placing first at the Trot and improving on her fourth-place finish last year in Regina.

“For this race, my coach just wanted me to take it easy, but it felt very good and comfortable!

The race plan was to tempo the first [four kilometres] and then go for it the last [two kilometres], and I was glad that I could execute that,” Hufsmith said, in

online correspondence with the Sheaf.

The second-year business student had a strong summer, placing well in multiple competitions, and showed no layover, dominating in her return to the U Sports stage. During her time away from U Sports, she won a gold medal in the 1,500-metre event at the Canadian National Championships in Ottawa, along with a bronze in that same event at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg.

Hufsmith will look to build on her strong start when she competes at the Huskies annual home event, the Sled Dog Open on Sept. 30 in Saskatoon.

“I am very excited for our home meet! This will be my first [eight-kilometre] race since they increased the girls’ distance this year, so I’m hoping to maintain or even improve upon the pace I went in Regina,” Hufsmith said.

Hufsmith is excited about the group they have going forward.

Among the 18 runners on the squad, six are rookies and 12 are vets. The large number of returnees will aid in the process of getting the first-year runners comfortable early on.

“So far, I think this is one of the strongest teams that the Huskies have had in a few years for girl’s cross country. We are also very young with many

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rookies on the team, so I truly believe this group has a lot of potential,” Hufsmith said.

As for her personal goals, Hufsmith echoes that avoiding illness will be her key to success. “[In the] past, I have had many seasons shortened due to sickness. So, I’m hoping I can make it through this season healthy and compete well at nationals,” Hufsmith said.

Amy Severtson and Lindsay Balezantis each captured topfive finishes, placing fourth and fifth respectively. Balezantis, a first-year arts and science student, made an immense impression in her U Sports debut.

The women’s team is currently ranked 14th in national rankings and will look to build upon that as the season goes on. Hufsmith and the Huskies women’s team will also aim to improve on last year’s 17th-place finish at nationals, when they travel to Victoria to compete against the top schools in the country on Nov. 11.

After the Sled Dog Open, the Huskies will have one more tune-up race at the Stewart Cup in Calgary on Sept. 28 before making the trek to nationals.

Come out and cheer on the Huskies on Sept. 30 at Victoria Park in the only home race of the season for the cross-country team.

U of S cheerleading team prepares for another season of competition The Sheaf catches up with the U of S cheerleading team, hard at work while they get ready for their upcoming season.

KIM MABEE

Each year, the University of Saskatchewan cheerleading team attends sporting events as well as their own competitions, which can require a lot of off-season preparation.

After initial tryouts in the spring, the team’s roster was eventually finalized, and they had training camps throughout the summer — one weekend per month. Now that they are into fall training, they practice two times a week at the Prairie Fire Cheerleading gym, working through all of the elements of their routine.

Lekeisha Halkett, first-year undeclared student, is one of 21 athletes on this year’s cheerleading team, which is composed mostly of rookies, after a second round of tryouts at the beginning of the school year. Halkett explains the structure of their practice schedule.

“At the beginning of practice, we start by warming up with

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stretches and some light conditioning. Then, we spend most of our practices working on our stunts. We work in our co-ed stunt groups and our all-girl stunt groups, then work on basket tosses and usually finish with pyramids. We work on jumps, too, but those have kind of been put on the backburner while we try to improve our stunting skills,” Halkett said.

In addition to their practices at the Prairie Fire Cheerleading gym, the team also visits a CrossFit gym once a week to work on strength training as a group. Halkett states that they will be travelling to Toronto at the end of November to compete in nationals, their biggest competition of the year, which they attend as a level 6 co-ed team. They may also attend other competitions in the new year, but the team has not confirmed their competition schedule that far ahead yet.

Halkett discusses the various team-bonding and fundraising activities that the team partakes in together.

“In the summer, we had a river float and did things like have barbecues together and go bowling,” Halkett said.

Halkett further explains that the U of S cheerleading team also fills the role of the Blue Crew at Saskatoon Blades games.

“We go and cheer for the team and do giveaways. When we do this, we get sponsorship from the team, and we’re getting Under Armour sports bras with the Saskatoon Blades logo on them.

We do other events at the SaskTel Centre, too, like some of the girls who are legal age run the bar at [Saskatchewan Rush Lacrosse] games and at concerts sometimes, too,” Halkett said.

Anyone who wants to catch the U of S cheerleading team in action can watch for their public show, which Halkett explains takes place before the team heads to their most important competition.

“Before we go to nationals, we have a showcase at Prairie Fire, and anyone can come and watch us perform our routine.”

Kathrine Fedoroff

The U of S cheerleading team has been hard at work since May.

Kathrine Fedoroff

The cheerleading team has planty of techniques at their disposal.

CULTURE

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

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

CULTURE U of S student keeps busy by running a sound business

EVENTS ETIENNE FLETCHER WITH JEREMY GREY & THE CITY @ THE CAPITOL

QUEER NIGHT @ USSU PRIDE CENTRE

T H U R S

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Although it’s not easy running a business while going to university, one commerce student manages it well.

LYNDSAY AFSETH STAFF WRITER

Have you ever thought about starting a business while in university? One student at the University of Saskatchewan did just that and has been running his own business all throughout his time here.

Joel Rohs — a third-year commerce student, who is taking a semester off, and owner of Tri Sonic Sound — started his business while he was still in high school two and a half years ago. On top of this, he is currently recording a full-length album with his band All Mighty Voice.

Tri Sonic Sound does live sound systems, DJ services for weddings and dances, equipment rentals and concert promotion. Rohs talks with the Sheaf about how he came to the decision to start the company.

“I’ve always played in bands, and I’ve always had to provide sound systems for events that I would play at,” Rohs said. “Finally, I just thought, ‘I could find enough work with this part time,’ and I sold my cargo van and away we went.”

Juggling the business and university classes was not easy, but fortunately for Rohs, the nature of his business made it possible to do both.

“Most of my work is in Prince Albert, where I’m from, so it involved a lot of travel back and forth, but luckily, the busy season with the company is the off season from regular classes — from May to August — so that works out really well. I still have work in the winter, but it’s not as condensed as it is during the summer,” Rohs said.

To stay on top of university

classes while playing in a band and running a business, Rohs says that perhaps the most important thing is staying organized.

“I’m not a very organized person by nature, but I force myself to be with schedules and stuff,” Rohs said. “I think sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Hopefully, it’s not always that you’re sacrificing schoolwork, but sometimes it comes to that. I usually plan well in advance to avoid that kind of thing.”

Although it may lead to a busy life, running a business while in university is also rewarding. Rohs gives advice for students who are thinking about starting their own business.

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I was very fortunate to have a lot of people around me to help me out with things, whether it was a small loan or [helping] me work some events,” Rohs said. “The biggest thing is don’t go too big too fast.

It doesn’t happen overnight, and even I’m still taking small baby steps towards where I want to be … to do it full-time year-round.”

Although Tri Sonic Sound has been operating in Saskatchewan for over two years, Rohs is still working on growing the business, which is often a never-ending process.

“Right now, I want to focus on growing things slowly, while I finish my commerce degree,” Rohs said. “My goal is to have another full-time worker. It’s a lot of work to do on your own — lots of lifting and manual labour. Ideally, I would have a good set of hands that would work fulltime for me.”

You can get in touch with Tri Sonic Sound on their website, trisonicsound.ca, where you can book their services and find upcoming events. On top of this, Rohs is currently recording a full-length album with his band All Mighty Voice, which is set to release in the spring of 2018.

JP CORMIER WITH DAVE GUNNING @ THE BASSMENT LISA LEBLANC WITH STEPH CAMERON @ THE CAPITOL NIGHT LIGHTS GLOW PARTY @ PRAIRIELAND PARK PUBLISHING SYMPOSIUM @ WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM

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U OF S HUSKIES FOOTBALL VS. REGINA RAMS @ GRIFFITHS STADIUM

U OF S OPEN HOUSE @ KINESIOLOGY BUILDING & PAC S A T

DRAG SHOW CARNIVAL @ LOUIS’ PUB GLOBAL MARCH FOR ELEPHANTS AND RHINOS @ FRIENDSHIP PARK

NUIT BLANCHE @ RIVERSDALE, DOWNTOWN & BROADWAY

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SNOOP DOGG & BISCUITS BRUNCH @ THE CAPITOL

NATURE JOURNALING WORKSHOP @ PRAIRIE HABITAT GARDEN

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS @ SASKTEL CENTRE

VIDEO GAME MONDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB

I PREVAIL WITH WE CAME AS ROMANS, THE WORLD ALIVE & ESCAPE THE FATE @ O’BRIENS

SPICE WORLD TURNS 20! @ THE ROXY THEATRE TOONIE TUESDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB

WING WEDNESDAY @ LOUIS’ PUB WUSC PAINT NITE @ ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

Tri Sonic Sound / Supplied

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VETAVISION @ AGRICULTURE BUILDING

SEPT. 29-30

PUMPKIN FESTIVAL @ BLACK FOX FARM AND

SEPT. 16OCT. 1

DISTILLERY

CFCR FM-PHASIS @ VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN SASKATOON

SEPT. 30 OCT. 13

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FEATURE

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Let’s get radio-active: CFCR 90.5 FM signals for FM-Phasis funding Saskatoon’s only community radio drive station gears up for its annual funding drive — and it’s signalling people like you for support.

TANNER BAYNE CULTURE EDITOR

For long-time listeners of CFCR 90.5 FM, fall is almost synonymous with the FM-Phasis Fundraising Drive. Starting on Sept. 30 and persisting until Oct. 13, CFCR looks to the City of Saskatoon for assistance with one of the station’s most important forms of revenue.

However, even seasoned listeners may not be aware that such community centredness has been at the heart of the station since day one.

Eons ago — in earlier, more idealistic times — the University of Saskatchewan had its own campus radio station. CJUS-FM, which was briefly rebranded as CHSK-FM, began on campus in 1965 in the basement of the Memorial Union Building, where Louis’ Pub now resides. However, the college station signed off for the last time in September 1985 due to budget cuts.

Despite this, a group of determined student hosts fought hard for the station’s survival.

Like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, CFCR 90.5 FM rose out of the demise of the U of S station in 1991.

Now, 26 years since the first host signed on, CFCR transmits no signals of slowing down anytime soon.

The station boasts that over 100 volunteers sift through its doors a week. They have more than 500 members and six full-time employees.

Though the complexion of CFCR has

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Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

certainly changed, it still remains a community-run initiative. As one of the few non-profit radio stations in Saskatoon, CFCR relies upon community support in order to survive — and this is where the FM-Phasis fundraising drive comes in.

Neil Bergen, who has been manager of the station since 2006 and a volunteer host since 2000, spoke to the Sheaf about FM-Phasis, the importance of community and the persisting legacy of radio as a media form.

Bergen told the Sheaf that FM-Phasis accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the station’s $450,000 budget, and the funding goal for this year’s drive is $70,000.

The remainder of the budget is gained through the station-run bingo nights and through ad revenue — all of which, as Bergen reveals, is raised internally.

“We are pretty much self-sufficient.

We have been very fortunate that the [Saskatchewan] Arts Board gives us a [$20,000] grant every year, as an arts organization,” Bergen said.

Aside from the small grant from the Arts Board, CFCR receives no external support — neither the provincial government nor the City of Saskatoon provide financial assistance. Bergen surmises that the reason for this is because community radio stations hold a unique place as an organization.

“For many years, we never qualified for any grants. When [grant-givers]

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

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FEATURE

Ken Gordon, student director of CJUS-FM, in 1968.

University of Saskatchewan , University Archives & Special Collections, Photograph Collection, a-10707 CFCR / Supplied

saw that we are a radio station, we were out immediately, because we’re so different from everything else.

We’re not a charity, not food bank, not a liver foundation. We’re an unusual entity,” Bergen said.

Certainly, financial assistance from the provincial government and the city would be welcomed, but Bergen nevertheless counts the lack of external assistance as a blessing.

“We are very lucky that we are self-sufficient. We don’t rely on anyone else. When your funding gets cut, you’re pretty much out of business. We have a very strong core of listeners who have supported this station since day one,” Bergen said. “There are people who have been donating to this station every year for 25 years. That’s really what has kept this place going — the core volunteers and the core listeners who have been donating every year.”

Bergen notes that funds raised from FM-Phasis will go to renewing and maintaining integral parts of the station.

“Equipment is a big thing — simple things like CD players, which we still use, are getting more expensive and less well-made every year. We go through them like crazy now. We’re still putting aside money for a new board in the studio — that’s going to be a bigticket item. That’ll be around $20,000,” Bergen said.

The funds raised will also go to more run-of-themill operations at the station, like power bills, as the s t a t i o n ’s transmitter alone costs $800 a month for power.

As always, those who donate to FMPhasis will receive merchandise and can be entered in up to three grand-prize giveaways.

The type of merchandise given is dependent on the amount donated

— amounts are broken up into $10, $25, $75, $150 and $250 tiers. Some of the items include magnets, the FM-Phasis Low Emission Transmission T-shirts and CFCR pint glasses.

The grand-prize draws include an $800 shopping spree to Doug’s Spoke ’N Sport, a pair of custom shoes from cordwainer extraordinaire Last Shoes and a painting by local artist Hugo Alvarado. The complete list of items can be found at cfcr.ca.

For the first time ever, CFCR is offering a monthly debiting system for those who want to give a larger donation. This means that the $150 donation would cost the donor $12.50 a month for the year, a number that Bergen points out is only slightly higher than what people pay for Netflix every month.

Recognizing the precarious economic situation that many students find themselves in — and also the apprehension that goes with donating what little money they have — Bergen is adamant that any amount helps.

“A $5 donation means something as well — any amount is welcome. Our average donation is $25. We don’t get huge donations, we don’t have anyone giving us thousands of dollars — it would be pretty nice if we did — but we raise that $70,000 dollars on $25 donations. We get over 1,000 donations, and the majority of them are $25. Any amount is more than appreciated,” Bergen said.

In addition to a treasure trove of appreciative items, there are several shows across Saskatoon during the two weeks of FM-Phasis. Some of the bigger shows include folk crooner Lisa LeBlanc at the Capitol Music Club on Sept. 29 and Regina rockers Library Voices at Amigos Cantina on Oct. 6. CFCR will have booths set up during these shows, so donors can contribute while listening to good tunes. As with the prizes, the full list of concerts can be found at cfcr.ca.

While prizes and good times are always nice, Jordan Stovra, a third-year history major at the U of S and Monday host for CFCR’s the Buzz, believes that there are benefits to donating to FM-Phasis beyond the material prizes and the concerts.

“It’s important to donate to FM-Phasis for two reasons. [The first is that] CFCR supports the community in a bunch of ways, like providing minority groups their own shows. [The second is that it] provides opportunities for unique voices to be heard across the

airwaves of Saskatoon,” Stovra said.

For Bergen, this focus on supporting lesserrepresented community members is one of CFCR’s central aims.

“Our mandate is to give a voice to under-represented groups and organizations — and music for that matter.

These opportunities aren’t available in commercial radio,” Bergen said. “We are the one place where anyone who is in a non-profit situation can come [to] get their word out. We are here to represent the unrepresented, to give [them] a voice on the public airwaves, because the public airwaves are very hard to get on.”

In addition to being an important communicative tool for communities in Saskatoon, Bergen believes that CFCR is unique in comparison to commercial radio stations in the city. “[CFCR] is what radio was like in the ’50s, where you had individuals doing their own show, playing the music they liked and playing different types of music.

This is what music used to be like — it didn’t used to be the same stuff all day long. It was different every couple of hours, when a new person came on and did a show.

I think this is one of the huge differences between us and anybody else. Having worked in commercial radio for over 20 years, [community radio] is so much better.”

Bergen is also optimistic about the longevity of radio, especially considering the decline of other media sources like print and cable.

“I think that radio has … one big advantage over any other form of media, including the internet, and that is that you can go about your daily life — do everything that you would normally do in a day — and listen to radio,” Bergen said. “You can’t do that with any other media.

“You can’t do that with print media, you can’t do that with television, you can’t even do it with the internet, because your focus has to be on exactly what you’re looking at, whereas in radio, you can have it on while you’re driving, at work and when you’re studying. You can have your radio on whenever you want, and it doesn’t interfere with what’s going on in your life.”

To learn more about CFCR and anything related to the FM-Phasis funding drive, head on over to cfcr.ca or stop by their headquarters on the third floor of 267 Third Avenue South.

FEATURE / 9

CULTURE

WARM MELODIES:

ALBUMS TO BRIGHTEN UP YOUR FALL PLAYLIST REID BRAATEN As the term gets busier and bunnyhugs get fluffier, we turn to music to keep us sane and heat our chilly souls. These albums are sure to warm you up and add some freshness to your fall mix.

HALF-LIGHT

BY ROSTAM Following his departure from Vampire Weekend, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij’s debut solo project is intimate and sincere. Released on Sept. 15, Half-Light is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for the most current tunes to spice up their library. Ethereal chamber pop mixes seamlessly with refreshing world beats — with a few surprises thrown in for good measure — making Half-Light a treat for both your ears and stereo speakers.

Rostam compliments these stellar beats with lyrics that evoke senses of longing, love and the craziness of the modern world. This is an album for those looking for an escape from reality, where all that exists is in your ears and your head and everything outside of that can wait for just a little while longer.

WHITE LIGHTER

BY TYPHOON Hailing from Oregon, Typhoon is nothing if not special. Ranging anywhere from 11 to 13 members at a time, and mixing alternative rock with big band flourishes, Typhoon weaves tight composition and layered sound with dense lyrics to create incredibly poignant songs that stick with you long after they’re over.

White Lighter is their third album and has tracks marked by intensely personal lyrics entwined with astounding instrumentation. Though it definitely taps into the melancholic, frontman Kyle Morton never forgets to add some warmth to his sonic bonfire. With so many musicians blasting through your stereo at once, White Lighter makes those lonely fall nights a little less lonesome.

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The latest Dungeons & Dragons adventure shakes up the game Players can experience a whole new world in the newest Dungeons & Dragons adventure.

COLIN STUMBORG

If you like exploring ancient jungle civilizations, fighting off undead dinosaurs and attempting to outwit and outlast one of the most cruel and powerful characters in Dungeons & Dragons history, then Tomb of Annihilation is the story for you.

Released on Sept. 19, Tomb of Annihilation is Wizards of the Coast’s eighth adventure for fifth-edition D&D. It is an exploration-based campaign that starts in the only city in the never-before-explored land of Chult.

The thrust of the story is to solve a worldwide death curse that makes it impossible to raise the dead and makes anyone who has been raised from the dead slowly deteriorate.

Much of Chult is an uncharted jungle inhabited by all manner of creatures, ranging from cannibals and dinosaurs to giants and rabbit-unicorn hybrids. No two playthroughs will be the same, as player exploration creates a new adventure on every playthrough.

Though it is certainly not the first D&D module to take adventurers on a great journey, Tomb of Annihilation has an explicit emphasis on exploration. When the characters land in Port Nyanzaru, they know almost nothing and must use their wits and problem-solving abilities to progress in the story. For this reason, experienced D&D players will love this adventure.

However, it may be heavy for inexperienced roleplayers or those looking for a more casual gameplay experience.

One major issue with this exploration-focused adventure is that characters may easily run into enemies that they aren’t ready for. So, it falls on the dungeon master and the players combined intellects to recognize an insurmountable threat and escape — which occasionally does not work in the players’ favours.

In this adventure, players will need to think on their feet, as the jungle and its inhabitants can go from cordial to hostile in the blink of an eye — and not everyone will make it out of these encounters alive.

While many of the previously published adventures have had a black-and-white version of good and evil, Tomb of Annihilation does an excellent job of leaving it up to the roleplaying of the characters to determine how the varied NPC’s will react.

Once again, this feature tends to work better with a more experienced party, while an inexperienced group may antagonize a possible ally or trust a nefarious foe simply based on appearances or snap judgments. In the harsh land of Chult, either of these mistakes will likely spell doom for a character if not the entire party.

Tomb of Annihilation’s greatest success is its variety. Whether it’s experiencing the brand-new mechanic for dinosaur races, weaving through the traps laid in the Tomb of Annihilation, bargaining with goblins or finding lost dungeons in the heart of the jungle, Tomb of Annihilation feels like no adventure before it.

Every area has its own enemies and distinct feel while still holding to the ideals of the island of Chult. No one creature or location feels out of place, and every element serves to show the nature of the unforgiving, diseased lands that the characters explore.

People new to D&D, and roleplaying games in general, may find certain aspects of the adventure quite difficult, but most people who open this book will appreciate the world that is created and the near-unending variety of creatures to interact with.

Tomb of Annihilation might be the most well-rounded of the published fifth-edition modules so far and leaves the success of the adventure — or its failure — in the hands and minds of the players.

A BOY AND HIS KITE

BY A BOY AND HIS KITE What’s a fall playlist without some cozy, acoustic-driven indie jams?

A Boy and His Kite has you covered with their selftitled debut. Laid-back but never lazy, the album floats its way across 12 tracks with little fanfare, perfect for those chill fall evenings. The album’s few moments of bombast never overstay their welcome or disturb the homey atmosphere infused throughout the LP. Easily relatable themes of love and all things to do with being young make this a great recommendation for anyone looking for easy beats and heartfelt melodies.

Before you know it, A Boy and His Kite will nestle its way into your fall playlist like a nice, warm cup of tea — dependable, familiar but always welcome on cool evenings.

10 / CULTURE

Tom Simpson / Flickr

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

CULTURE

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Lisa LeBlanc: Canada’s resident Runaway Queen The Sheaf catches up with Lisa LeBlanc as she brings bilingual bluegrass across Canada.

JORDAN STOVRA

Lisa LeBlanc creates music best suited for the dingiest dive bars across Canada. She mixes bluegrass and folk sounds, with lyrics that reflect Stompin’ Tom Connors and Patti Smith, in a way that makes you want to drink, stomp your feet and dance the night away.

Hailing from Rosaireville, New Brunswick and of Acadian heritage, LeBlanc has always been surrounded by folk music, even if she hasn’t always enjoyed it.

“I grew up disliking bluegrass and folk music, but after leaving my hometown, I grew to miss it,” LeBlanc said, in an interview with the Sheaf.

LeBlanc’s Acadian culture is at the heart of both her 2013 self-titled release and her 2016 album, Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Polaris Prize.

Though her first album is sung entirely in French, the lyrics are incredibly relatable to everyday Anglo-Canadians — after a quick check on Google Translate — and have a range of themes. Some topics, like the song “Kraft Dinner,” relate to the simplicity of dates in relationships or to the dread

of everyday existence, as in “Aujourd’hui, ma vie c’est d’la marde.”

Why You wanna Leave, Runaway Queen? has more English tracks on it than her last album — a choice that wasn’t that difficult for her.

“It’s just being another part of my identity, as someone who is bilingual,” LeBlanc said.

She continues to say that the choice to mix French songs and English songs is not just a stylistic choice but one she made because she wanted to express her identity in her music.

Runaway Queen also shows LeBlanc’s personal taste in music in a tribute to late Motörhead singer, Lemmy Kilmister, with a cover of “Ace of Spades.” The song reveals how playful, fast-paced and fun Lisa LeBlanc can make an old rock song. For LeBlanc, the choice to cover Motörhead was a no-brainer.

“Myself and my band are old metalheads, and [we thought] about how awesome that song would sound with banjos and with the overall style of music we play,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc believes the places that best suit her music are usually bars filled to the brim with people who drink hard and dance harder.

“The band loves feeding off

the raw energy that is produced by the crowd,” LeBlanc said. “When we get to play a venue where people are sitting, it is nice, because you know that they are appreciating your music.”

This year, LeBlanc was nominated for the Polaris Prize — Canada’s highest honour in independent music. Though the award went to Lido Pimienta’s La Papessa, LeBlanc

is nevertheless appreciative of the experience.

“It was just an honour to be nominated and to attend the Awards Gala. I got to see acts such as Tanya Tagaq and dedications to artists like Gord Downie and the late Leonard Cohen,” LeBlanc said.

For the foreseeable future, LeBlanc and her band will be on the road — first touring across Western Canada, then

across Eastern Canada, and after a short winter break, throughout Europe. Those who have tickets to these shows are in for a treat — LeBlanc’s charm, humour and musical ability will surely wow.

Lisa LeBlanc is playing the Capitol Music Club on Sept.

29. Ticket prices are $15 and all proceeds go to CFCR 90.5 FM’s annual fundraising drive, FM-Phasis.

Ville Des Sables / Flickr

Lisa LeBlanc uses her Acadian roots to good effect in her songwriting.

#Sheafgram usask rezkid_realizations

rezkid_realizations Kick off flag raising event 25 September 2017 Check out the USSU Pride Center Queerapalooza 2017 this year fam!!! Visit facebook the “USSU Pride centre” page for more information!!!!!! #queer #usask #pride #2017 #Yassssssssbish #LOVE #fam #SafeSpace #QUEERAPALOOZA #Kickoff #twospirit

CULTURE / 11

OPINIONS

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 7

Edition 1: Studying abroad

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OPINIONS

Jaymie Stachyruk

Waste on campus: Kick it to the curb Victoria Becker / Outreach Director

VICTORIA BECKER Outreach Director

Josh Brand, fifth-year, philosophy What was academic life like in Paris, and how did it compare?

“French education, like a lot of Europe, is public — like super public to the max — there’s no Catholic universities.

“Professors have a lot more autonomy — incredible autonomy — syllabuses aren’t required, [and] they can do their exams however they want. You know how, here, it’s like they register our schedule of exams? [With] them, they’re just like, ‘We’re gonna have it on this date — tell me if that’s okay with you.’

“On top of that, beautiful buildings.

“Campus life doesn’t really exist there — there’s no campus in the city. It’s just like buildings, maybe a courtyard, [and] it’s scattered all over the city.

“There’s no coursework, just exams. To be honest, I prefer [university] here, because I just like to have a little more structure in my life. You can tell [the professors here] want to help you out. The professors I had there were great, but you could still see that they were more just there, [with a] ‘Come if you want, but I don’t care’ [attitude] … ’cause tuition is so cheap there, right?

“One thing, though, [in Paris] you get a mark out of 20 — it’s like impossible to get 17 and above, so getting a 15 there is like, ‘Wow, that’s really good,’ but if you tell someone from here it’s like, ‘Uh, good for you?’ So, that was a really interesting aspect.

“It’s all very theoretical, which I really appreciated. Exams were never multiple choice — it was more like just, ‘Tell me what you know.’

“There’s no learning French there — you should just speak French already. So, I took linguistics courses in French, but they weren’t necessarily about the French language but were [about] other languages but in French.

“Make yourself uncomfortable every now and again.”

12 / OPINIONS

The trash is just too much — it’s time for students to take control of waste management.

SARAH FOLEY

Starbucks cups, yet another dead pen, those sweaty lab gloves and a pita that wasn’t as good as you thought it would be — these are all examples of items that wind up in the trash at the University of Saskatchewan.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System estimates that 0.39 tons of waste were produced per campus user at the U of S in the last reported year, which ran from May 2012 to April 2013 — a 34 per cent increase from the baseline reported year, which ran from May 2015 to April 2016. Despite sustainability initiatives, waste production is increasing. Who should bear responsibility for this unsustainability?

The university’s single-stream recycling program aims to divert recyclable material from the landfill. The revamped signage program, launched in late 2016, aims to encourage proper use of single-stream recycling bins. The program was also expanded to include paper cups as recyclable materials.

Other recycling programs at the university are the nitrile-glove-recycling pilot program and pen recycling with the Environmental Studies Students’ Association.

ESSA, located in Kirk Hall 212, accepts your pens and pen caps, wrecked mechanical pencils, old highlighters and permanent markers to recycle.

Their office hours for term one are posted on Facebook — so next time you clean out your

pencil case, you know where to go.

These are steps in the right direction, but recycling is only one part of the classic three R’s of sustainability. Reduction and reuse are vital, and students need to take the lead.

Odili Obi works for the Facilities Management Division as waste-prevention co-ordinator and believes that the largest barrier to waste reduction is on the human side, not the technical side.

“The technical side is dealing with the waste that happens, the background work. Human behaviour has to change to prevent waste from being produced to begin with,” Obi said.

How? Bring your own water bottle, and get reusable containers for your bagged lunch or your leftovers. Double-side your print jobs, and only print what you’ve really got to print.

Decline the near-useless items that are offered at eating establishments — paper sleeves, take-out containers, a cornucopia of napkins and plastic straws.

You’re not a child, so drink your drink without a straw.

Bring your own reusable coffee cup for a 10-cent discount at most places, or treat yourself to a sit-down with a ceramic mug at Louis’. Do your part in making it socially unacceptable for your garbage-island friends to come to class with that Tim’s cup every day — call them out on that trash.

Students often take the lead when it comes to addressing issues on campus, so what kind of change should we push for? The

last waste audit data available from the U of S showed that recycling rates are increasing, but the majority of materials headed for the landfill are compostable organic matter.

Composting on campus is the next hurdle — I believe strides will only be made if the student body advocates for them. Composting food waste in common spaces, such as libraries and cafeterias, would require a high level of institutional effort through waste audits, co-operation between university departments and educational programs to ensure proper use.

Jasmin Parker, a third-year environment and society student who worked with the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council over the summer, says that the university should take a leadership role in composting initiatives.

“The entire City of Saskatoon has failed in regard to composting,” Parker said.

Parker points to the small percentage of households that subscribes to the voluntary green-bin program as an example of this failure.

“That fact shouldn’t absolve the university from holding itself to a better standard. If we’re waiting for human behaviour to change before technical services catch up, that’s a bureaucratic response that halts concrete actions,” Parker said.

We’ve got good intentions, but to excel in sustainability at the U of S, we need to try a little harder, both individually and institutionally.

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SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

OPINIONS

Sexual assault awareness: More than just a week When it comes to teaching consent and creating safe and healthy spaces on campus, effort should continue year-round.

INE FOURIE

The stigma surrounding sexual assault is on the way to being erased because of initiatives by several student groups and organizations at the University of Saskatchewan campus.

With Sexual Assault Awareness Week coming to a close, members of several student groups — including the U of S Students’ Union and the Peer Health Mentors — have come forward to share their thoughts on the success of the events planned and promoted in partnership with the USSU Women’s Centre and other organizations.

SAAW events, which ran from Sept. 18 to 22, included a resource fair in Place Riel’s North Concourse, a TED talk in St. Thomas More College, Take Back the Mic poetry night, the Take Back the Night march and the You Can Dance if You Want To family-friendly dance. This year’s SAAW campaign slogan was “I pledge to be an active part of the solution.”

Crystal Lau, USSU vicepresident student affairs, says that the USSU has been at

the front lines representing students, working alongside the university to help normalize consent and provide safe places like the Women’s, Pride and Help centres.

“We want to ensure students have the right to work, live and study in an environment that is free from any form of sexual assault,” Lau said.

The USSU also aims to educate more people on the issue

This year’s SAAW campaign slogan was “I pledge to be an active part of the solution.” and encourages students to speak out against sexual assault.

Sabrina Materie, facilitator for the healthy relationships committee of PHM, comments on several of the events in which she was an active participant.

“The resource fair, as a passive display, can be hard to measure success in, but the banner we had out with signatures garnered a lot of attention.

I think a more active event in

North Concourse could generate more interaction with the campus community in the future — if we changed much for next year, I think that would be it,” Materie said.

Materie also says that Take Back the Mic, hosted at Louis’ Loft on Sept. 18, was well attended. Take Back the Mic is a poetry night for survivors of sexual assault that offers survivors an opportunity to share their experiences with others in an emotional and impactful way. The evening consisted of several feature poets performing their work, which led several others — inspired by the performers’ work — to share their work for the first time following the show.

The YWCA took the reigns for Take Back the Night — one of Saskatoon’s most notable SAAW events — which consists of an annual march to raise awareness for violence against women. This is an old initiative but has generated a successful turnout each year and continues to be a fundamental way to encourage community involvement in this awareness campaign.

In the days and months

Jiem Carlo Narag / Photo Editor

Participants gathered to march for the end of sexual and domentic violece.

following this campaign, I think it is important for students to remember that reducing incidents of sexual assault requires a collective contribution from every citizen.

Sexual assault affects everyone, regardless of age, gender

and sexual orientation. If we eliminate victim shaming and work towards normalizing conversations about consent, then we as a community, and ultimately as a society, can work towards a world where sexual assault is an issue of the past.

Student discounts, where art thou?

Student life is all about finding the best bang for your buck.

MEGAN FAIRBAIRN

Tracking down student deals can be tough. Sure, there are tons of promotions during Welcome Week — mini donuts, for example — but after the food trucks and prize wheels have been tossed from the Bowl, it’s much harder for students to save a buck.

While companies are often poor at advertising their student discounts, a quick Google search yields some interesting results. For instance, students save 10 per cent on their Bulk Barn bill every Wednesday, and Sobeys offers the same deal from Tuesday to Thursday, so plan your grocery trips accordingly.

Also quick to appear in the search are offers for reduced monthly rates from popular subscription services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime and news sources like the Globe and Mail, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

For you techies out there, Adobe offers discounts on software to full-time students, Apple gives some minor savings on eligible products when you log in through their Apple for Higher Education Individuals portal and Best Buy boasts a Student Deals program, which lists limited-time deals offered only to students.

Perhaps the best deals of all come from SaskTel, which saves students 10 dollars on their monthly mobile plans and more than 50 per cent off regular price for their internet and TV packages! What’s the point of going to university if you can’t procrastinate with a little help from feuding couples on House Hunters or reruns of Friends?

If you just don’t have time — between studying, socializing and having existential crises — to source out student deals, then consider investing in a Student Price Card or an International Student Identity Card. Yes, they cost 10 to 20

dollars, but sacrifice two or three Pumpkin Spice Lattes this season, and you can afford a card that saves you money on all the essentials, like clothes, books and travel expenses.

It’s a shame that sourcing student deals has to take a toll on your wallet or your time.

After doling out horrific and ever-increasing sums of money for rent, tuition, books and a sophisticated meal plan of strictly mac and cheese dinners, student discounts are the silver lining to a life of near-poverty. Why, then, are they so difficult to find?

Perhaps businesses hope that by hiding their promotions, they will remain under the radar for the majority of students, who are too strapped for time to dig around for discounts from every single store they shop at. That’s where having an SPC or ISIC comes in handy — these card companies provide you with a comprehensive list of applicable deals.

However, you still have to be willing to pay a fee in advance.

Although you may be hesitant to do so, the best way to secure a discount really is just to ask for one. In the end, most

companies will be more than willing to give you a student deal and will respect you for having the courage to ask.

Jina Bae

OPINIONS / 13

OPINIONS

T H E S H E A F P U B L I S HI NG S OC I E T Y // S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 7

Jiem Carlo Narag / Photo Editor

Canada Student Loans discriminates against Indigenous students Every year, over 200 students, many of them Indigenous, face loan delays for bureaucratic reasons.

LIA STOREY-GAMBLE

Over 2,000 Indigenous students attend the University of Saskatchewan, each with unique experiences and financial situations. Yet, Indigenous students seeking funding through Canada Student Loans are automatically flagged in the system to receive manual intervention on their forms, inhibiting their ability to pay rent and buy textbooks in their first months of school, a flag regarded as institutionalized racism by many.

Post-secondary funding for Indigenous students is already precarious. Students seeking band funding face a competitive field, and some bands have specific expectations for recipients.

Many students supplement inadequate funding with employment or additional loans.

Education funding is a treaty right, one of many that has been ignored since the first treaty was signed, and has been furthered eroded by provincial-government funding cuts and a choice by successive federal governments to ignore the post-secondary needs of

Indigenous people, such as refusing to implement the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People.

Every student who contributed to this article reported knowing someone from their community who qualified to attend university but was unable to due to lack of funding. Sullen nods answered the question of whether they were scared of losing funding. Many Indigenous students must take on debt or play a gamble for funding and just hope the funding covers their needs if they get it.

If Indigenous students seek assistance from CSL but have received band funding in the past or are currently receiving band funding, they can experience CSL delays until as late as November.

Delays are a problem for any student who needs manual intervention on their CSL application. Any error or apparent irregularity, no matter how minor, requires manual intervention that can take weeks to correct because of funding-related staff reductions at the university. However, the reaction of the system to band funding means that Indigenous applicants have more difficulty than others.

Wendy Klingenberg,

Lesia Karalash / Graphics Editor

Education cuts: Protest matters more than ever for Saskatchewan students Saskatchewan post-secondary students are still speaking out against provincial budget cuts.

COLE CHRETIEN

In the wake of the provincial budget released in March 2017, students across the province of Saskatchewan are banding together to protest cuts to post-secondary education on Sept.

29 — and even before the day of

14 / OPINIONS

protest, direct-action tactics are already working.

The release of the provincial budget saw funding slashed for the University of Saskatchewan by 5.6 per cent overall, with $20 million from the allocated funding set aside specifically for the College of Medicine. In effect, this would have amounted to an 11 per cent

I SS UE 0 5 // VO L . 1 0 9

associate registrar at the U of S, could not stress enough the importance of students reaching out to Student Central when experiencing delays. She explains that Student Central has hired an Indigenous-student recruiter and someone specific to work on issues that Indigenous students face.

“We’re in the business of getting as much money as we can into the hands of students as fast as we can. We’re here to help,” Klingenberg said.

However, there is an apparent lack of communication between the university and its students.

While Klingenberg highlighted the services available and the work they are doing to help remedy these issues, students did not know of these services when asked, and those who did reported not finding out about them until their second or third year of university.

Leigh Thomas, a third-year regional and urban planning student, discusses the lack of communication between administration and students.

“If there was a first-year [student], they wouldn’t know what to do. If no one’s talking about the issue and its solutions, nothing’s going to happen. [You must] engage with students — we don’t need people to talk for

cut overall for all colleges outside the College of Medicine.

On Sept. 21, it was announced that provincial funding to the College of Medicine is being restored. The university is now facing only the 5.6 per cent cut to funding.

Student activism played a large part in the restoration of funding to post-secondary education, with the Saskatchewan Student Coalition putting some much-appreciated pressure on the Saskatchewan government to re-evaluate its stance on education cuts.

The SCC is comprised of the U of S Students’ Union, the University of Regina Students’ Union, the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Students’ Association and the U of S Graduate Students’ Association.

The SCC’s goal is to direct attention to the education cuts and enhance awareness about the future of Saskatchewan’s education funding.

Like the Drop Everything and Read protests organized by the Save Saskatchewan Libraries Campaign — which ended once funding was restored to Saskatchewan libraries in April 2017 — the SSC hopes to enact change by rallying around a single non-partisan issue. Funding cuts to post-secondary education is an issue that should concern all Saskatchewan citizens, not just students and university faculty, regardless of their political leanings.

Direct action and protests are often seen as the domain of radical lefties or disgruntled right-libertarians, but the issue of post-secondary education funding is one that unites all post-secondary students equally. The effect of a rally like this relies on support from students across

us, but to listen,” Thomas said.

Regan Ratt-Misponas, Indigenous Students’ Council president, explains that in order to address this issue, there must be co-operation between all parties involved.

“This needs to be a joint task of the university, the communities and the federal and provincial governments to make the university more affordable and accessible. It’s important to do this in the spirit of reconciliation, in the spirit of treaty and in the spirit of Indigenization,” Ratt-Misponas said.

One student reflected that adding a Dene class would appeal to people in his community because of its Indigenous-focused content.

Another student suggested creating a system within the university database to prevent CSL from spitting out Indigenous students’ applications, citing that it would help speed up the process for students needing manual intervention for things like spelling errors.

By ignoring student perspectives, the federal bureaucracy shows institutionalized racism regardless of individual bureaucrats’ intents. Only by working together will meaningful solutions be put in place.

programs and campuses — and even party lines — otherwise, it amounts to another easily dismissible instance of humanities students acting up.

Even with funding restored to the College of Medicine, students have a lot left to fight for. Cuts to post-secondary education programs like the Northern Teacher Education Program, which places teachers in northern communities, and the Saskatchewan Legislative Internship Program are limiting long-term career options for university students.

The 5.6 per cent cut to funding is also passed on to students in the form of higher tuition and fees. Students can’t afford to settle for small concessions, when there is still so much at stake.

It is for this reason that students across Saskatchewan should support the SSC, whether it’s by attending a protest, contacting their representative in the Saskatchewan Legislature or spreading the word on social media. Every bit of support counts, and it means so much more when the voices in support of funding restoration are diverse.

Solidarity is a powerful force, and by standing with our fellow students, we can affect our current situation and the future of education in Saskatchewan. Protesting can make a difference, and the reversals of cuts to the College of Medicine and Saskatchewan libraries prove this.

The most important thing we can do is stand with each other and fight back against education cuts. Protesting is for everyone, not just those who are politically inclined, and together we can reverse these near-sighted cuts to our education.

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

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

DISTRACTIONS

In an effort to simplify, assistant to the associate vice-president information and communications technology named ADMINISTRATION BUILDING — Following several rounds of intensive committee meetings and a general election, it was determined entirely necessary to create and fill the position of assistant to the associate vice-president information and communications technology at the University of Saskatchewan.

Highly critiqued as “bureaucratic fuckery” by the former assistant associate vice-president information and communications technology, Tom Buchan, the move to alter staffing was a harrowing effort to solve a number of internal communication concerns. A long-standing issue in the Information and Communications Technology Office has been the complicated

arrangement of tasks and duties.

“Basically, Tom was just being a real tool. We forgot to include an abstention option in our weekly office lunch poll, and he lost it — so over the course of three months, we collectively decided that the best solution was to create this position and move him into it,” [source removed].

The ICT portfolio encompasses a broad spectrum of activities to ensure that the ICT environment meets the needs of the university community.

The administrative department is responsible for university data systems, academic and research technologies, infrastructure services, client services, security and strategic services.

AHREN KLAASSEN-WRIGHT

The distracted-boyfriend meme is a semi-normie meme. This meme focuses on the boyfriend’s struggle between wanting other women and being faithful, which you can replace with other meaningful life struggles — perhaps the struggle between doing work or reading a poorly written meme review in the distractions page.

The meme in question is just beginning to reach a state of anti-humour, where the meme is used to analyse itself and no new ideas are even being added. The next few weeks will mark the meme’s descent into staleness. This is a semi-normie, partially stale stock photo. I give this meme 500 meme points on the edgelord scale.

HARKAVAGRANT.COM

#PHOTO OF THE WEEK

XKCD.COM

Edlena Policarpio

XKCD.COM

#albumoftheweek:

Choir of the Mind

By Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton

After a ten-year wait, Emily Haines has blessed us with a luminescent sophomore album in the form of Choir of the Mind. Haines is best known for her work with indie staples Broken Social Scene and Metric, but what happens when you strip away the layered guitars and booming synths?

We’re left with just a piano and Haine’s haunting voice, and that’s more than enough. “People drift away,” sings Haines on the track “Planets.” And, drift away, we do.

- Emily Klatt

DISTRACTIONS / 15

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