September 13, 2018

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

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

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The last straw

Should parking switch gears?

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STAGE-FIGHTING WORKSHOP Page 7

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Finding an oasis in the food desert

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Students save $ on open textbooks

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Emily Migchels

editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR

CULTURE EDITOR

Tanner Bayne

Cole Chretien

news@thesheaf.com

culture@thesheaf.com

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

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NEWS

Open textbooks reportedly save U of S students $1.18 million The Sheaf speaks to the U of S vice-provost teaching and learning about the future of open-education resources at the university.

Erin Matthews

Jack Thompson

opinions@thesheaf.com

sportshealth@thesheaf.com

STAFF WRITER

Ana Cristina Camacho staffwriter@thesheaf.com COPY EDITOR

| Amanda Slinger

copy@thesheaf.com LAYOUT MANAGER

| Kaitlin Wong

layout@thesheaf.com PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

| Riley Deacon

| Jaymie Stachyruk

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GRAPHICS EDITOR

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photo@thesheaf.com

| Nykole King

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WEB EDITOR

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web@thesheaf.com OUTREACH DIRECTOR

| J.C. Balicanta Narag

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outreach@thesheaf.com AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

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COLE CHRETIEN CULTURE EDITOR

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Riley Deacon BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeremy Britz Lyndsay Afseth Matthew Taylor TBD TBD TBD

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

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

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

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

corrections

In the Aug. 30 issue, the article “Students issue complaints against female-targeting missionaries on campus” incorrectly stated that Protective Services declined to comment. Protective Services did not decline the interview request but were simply unavailable to meet prior to publication.

We apologize for this error. If you spot any errors in this issue, please email them to copy@thesheaf.com for correction.

2 / NEWS

University of Saskatchewan students have saved $1.18 million on textbooks since 2014 by using open textbooks, according to a news release posted on the university website on Aug. 29.

Open textbooks are free, online, open-source course materials that can act as alternatives or supplements to commercially distributed texts. The project to support open textbooks at the U of S began in 2014 under the leadership of then U of S Students’ Union President Max Fineday.

Since its inception, the project has seen continued support from both the USSU and the University Administration.

U of S Vice-Provost Patti McDougall has been instrumental to the project’s continued growth and success.

“We look for those opportunities where the USSU and the university, or the Graduate Students’ Association and the university, have common goals, and then, we go for it together,” McDougall said.

According to Mcdougall, the estimated $1.18 million in student savings accounts for the total number of open textbooks distributed through all of the university’s colleges since 2014, with each free textbook being valued at $100. Based on

this estimated value per unit, yearly savings have grown from $30,000 in 2014 to $450,000 in 2018.

McDougal notes that, since the early days of the program, the use of open textbooks has spread through various colleges and departments at the U of S. “There [are] departments in arts and science where students are benefitting from open-educational resources, multiple courses in agriculture and bioresources — the Edwards School of Business has been in on it. There have been adoptions in veterinary medicine, so it has cut broadly across, and it’s growing,” McDougall said.

Aside from offering students a more affordable university experience, open-educational resources also benefit professors by allowing them to create, edit, adapt and expand on open course materials — meaning that educators can choose texts that better suit their courses and teaching style.

“The university has put in money, and the province has put in money, and together, we’ve used that money to hire graduate students, to hire sessional instructors — people who are knowledgeable in the field and can do some of the work that’s needed to modify the open textbooks so that they meet the needs of a course,” McDougall said.

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alternatives to commercial textbooks, McDougall explains that the U of S administration hopes to mitigate the financial burdens of students.

“In terms of financials, the costs [of] the student experience, it’s essentially no stone unturned,” McDougall said. “We are constantly looking for ways … to save students money, and this open-educational resource movement has just been an absolutely perfect opportunity for us to do that.”

McDougall says that the program also extends past digital ebooks, giving students the licence to print open textbooks on their own or through services offered at the University Bookstore.

“The bookstore provides a print-on-demand service for open textbooks,” McDougall said. “There’s a cost associated with that, but it’s not designed as a make-money venture at the bookstore. It’s designed as a break-even venture.”

Going forward, McDougall plans to continue assisting educators with adapting open textbooks to their specific needs.

“You might find a textbook for your class in one of those open-resource repositories that you think you want to use, but it’s not quite right,” McDougall said. “Let’s say it’s missing pieces that you must have. Then, we’re supporting people to help develop those pieces.”

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

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

NEWS

The Arts and Science Students Union hopes to increase membership, services The ASSU aims to improve their activities by reaching more students.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

The College of Arts and Science is the largest college on campus, containing nearly 45 per cent of the total student body at the University of Saskatchewan.

As the organization tasked with representing the college, the Arts and Science Students Union serves the largest number of students after the U of S Students’ Union.

According to their website, the ASSU’s mission is to facilitate and improve student life in the College of Arts and Science.

Throughout the year, they organize events that range from an annual talent show to board game nights to conversations about tuition rates with the dean of the college, allowing students to be involved in both the university’s social and academic spheres.

Olena Malko, president of the ASSU and third-year international studies student, says that the union is a good way to get involved in campus life.

“We organize events to bring students together and encourage them to socialize with each other,” Malko said. “It also gets you

involved within the community.

This year we are collaborating with other colleges to organize a food drive for Thanksgiving.”

Malko explains that joining the group also gives students a good platform through which to develop employable skills.

“It’s a good place for students to practice skills that are applicable in the workforce, like leadership in an organization,” Malko said. “There’s a lot of support in the union, and you feel encouraged to be a leader and voice your opinion.”

Although recent ASSU events have reportedly been underattended, Malko says that the union will try to increase their visibility this year, since engagement is necessary for the union to better represent students’ interests.

“We do the most we can [by] having more and more events and giveaways — we are trying to do better and better every year,” Malko said. “Hopefully, the word spreads. The most we can do is encourage people to come and try to represent them and their majors.”

Malko was first acquainted with the ASSU after a friend invited her to attend a meeting last year. For Malko, joining the

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Four ASSU executives posed outside of their office.

ASSU has positively changed her experience at the U of S. “I was still kind of lost at what I was doing at university. I joined and ended up making lots of friends, and they all encouraged me to do what I wanted to do,” Malko said. “You make memories and friends that you otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Malko explains that, this year, the ASSU is looking to plan their

activities with a focus on making more services and experiences accessible to students. “[Tutors] cost a lot sometimes, and students can’t always afford [them] ... and they just give up and don’t do anything,” Malko said. “We want to do that to encourage people to study and give them something that can benefit them in the long run.”

Malko encourages students

who want to get involved in the ASSU to stop by their office in Arts 218 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during weekdays or reach out to them through their Facebook page.

“We are always looking for more students to join the union,” Malko said. “As long as you are an undergrad student, you are more than welcome to join and help represent your major.”

Letter to the Editor: Dear Editor, Ashlynn Weisberg’s op-ed piece in the August 30 edition of the Sheaf hits the bullseye on several points.

Those of us who work for Access and Equity Services absolutely recognize that ingrained “institutional, social and systemic obstacles” are part of daily life for people with disabilities.

We agree that the implementation of “a justice-based system would push the institution to celebrate all kinds of learning styles and knowledge systems.” And, believe it or not, we don’t even take issue with the suggestion that AES “be dissolved” down the road.

The staff at AES have almost all been U of S students at some point. And almost all of us have disabilities. That gives us a unique perspective on the students — and the institution — that we serve.

Scholars and practitioners

like us generally recognize two models of disability. In the medical model, the focus is on “fixing” the individual. In the social model, it’s understood that people are disabled by the physical, cultural and legal barriers constructed by society.

As an example, in the medical model of disability, a person with a hearing disability is expected to use hearing aids. But in the social model, the world would be made more accessible — live captioning would be available at public talks, flashing fire alarms would be installed beside every audible alarm, and the messages relayed over intercom systems would be transcribed to text.

We know we’re a Band-Aid solution to a bigger societal issue, but until society as a whole becomes more inclusive, AES provides a much-needed alternative.

Without AES, it would be up to each instructor to provide

accommodations to students.

While any class can certainly become more accessible with a little effort, making a class completely accessible requires a range of resources and knowledge that few have access to.

Is there a future where AES could be dissolved or instead act as an advisory service, of sorts, offering guidance to instructors on how to improve the accessibility of their classes? With fundamental societal and resource shifts, it could happen.

Until that happens, though, we will continue doing what we can to help students on their path to success. To us, success is having students tell us that they overcame obstacles because of our programs. Success is seeing students make better life choices. Success is knowing that we’ve made a positive difference in someone’s life.

Your AES Team

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Campus Coalition ‘pleased’ about departure of USSU President

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On Sept. 4, the USSU released a statement that Coden Nikbakht was no longer USSU President. For one student group that was created partly in response to Nikbakht’s acclamation in March, this statement means a shift of focus.

The USask Campus Community Coalition Against Sexual Violence was formed on March 23 in response to Nikbakht’s acclamation, after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against the sole presidential candidate on social media. The group helped to facilitate a protest where more than 100 students called on him to step down following his acclamation.

In the same month, the coalition also took part in spreading a petition calling for Nikbakht’s resignation on the group’s Facebook page as well as physically circulating the petition around campus.

The petition received 261 signatures but failed to re-

move Nikbakht from office, as USSU bylaw requires signatures from 7.5 per cent of the student body to pass a vote of non-confidence.

Lia Storey-Gamble, a thirdyear regional urban planning student and member of the coalition, spoke to the Sheaf about Nikbakht’s departure from the USSU and about the future of the group. For Storey-Gamble, the coalition’s goals have not changed since the group was created.

“It was formed by people that, at the core, believe survivors — no matter what,” Storey-Gamble said. “It was formed of survivors themselves, and it was formed of allies. It’s a coalition that educates members and general students alike.”

Though reportedly not related to the allegations in March, Nikbakht’s exeunt from the USSU is something that Storey-Gamble says was long overdue for members of the coalition.

“As a coalition, we are of course pleased that [Nikbakht] is no longer president,” Storey-Gamble said.

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The Sheaf speaks to a member of the USask Campus Community Coalition Against Sexual Violence about the future of the organization.

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“However, we do firmly believe that he should have stepped down months ago.”

Although the coalition was formed in response to Nikbakht’s acclamation, Storey-Gamble says that his departure from the USSU does not impact the group’s overarching goals.

“This does not mean our coalition purpose has come to an end,” Storey-Gamble said. “We are not against one

specific person — we are against sexual assault. We are against students being [victims] of sexual assault, and we will always believe survivors.”

Storey-Gamble says that there have been conversations within the group about forming a task force to determine the coalition’s next moves. Further, Storey-Gamble believes that the coalition offers much in the way of providing support for

sexual-assault survivors.

“I think we need to create a culture on campus that allows survivors to step forward in a safe manner,” Storey-Gamble said. “I think the [coalition] offers a good forum to hold people to account when these allegations come forward.”

As for the coming year, Storey-Gamble says that the coalition is still seeking out members, calling on students interested in activism.

“We have meetings — anyone can join. We are definitely a thinking coalition.

We are definitely a doing coalition. There is a Facebook group you can join,” Storey-Gamble said.

Looking forward, Storey-Gamble says that the coalition will continue to support sexual-assault survivors.

“We will always, always believe survivors in our coalition,” Storey-Gamble said.

“If that means we have to [protest] again, we will… If someone is being victimized on this campus, we are there for them.”

SPORTS&HEALTH

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

SPORTS&HEALTH

Huskies start 2018 football season with two victories The Huskies have started their season off strong, with two wins and three players named player of the week by Canada West.

JACK THOMPSON SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

As we sit two weeks into the 2018 football season, the Huskies are looking strong, with two wins under their belt and a showering of recognition for a few players on the team. While the season may still be young, the Huskies are looking superb.

The first game of the season took place on the Huskies’ home turf, as they took on the University of Alberta Golden Bears. The game started as a slow roll for the Huskies — who took only 3 points in the first quarter — but

they quickly gained speed and were able to secure a shutout victory against the Golden Bears with a score of 42 to zero.

This was a momentous occasion as it is the first shutout victory the Huskies have had since 2012, which was also against Alberta in the season opener. Following this feat, there was a close call in Winnipeg, where the Dogs scraped by in a 48-46 win against the University of Manitoba Bisons.

Following the first game of the season, two Huskies were selected as players of the week by Canada West: Nelson Lokombo as defensive player of the week and Daniel Perry filling the slot for special

Heywood Yu Daniel Perry carries the football downfield for the U of S Huskies.

teams. Each of them played an excellent game in their respective roles that night.

Lokombo, a second-year arts and science student and defensive back for the team, finished the game with four tackles and two interceptions on U of A quarterback Brad Launhardt. Lokombo speaks to the feeling that comes with being recognized for his efforts.

“It feels great. I’m glad that I was able to help the team win with my performance, and to be recognized for it is an honour,” Lokombo said.

On the topic of his two interceptions, Lokombo mentioned that his favourite play of the game

was his first interception.

“I was able to bait the quarterback into throwing the corner route coming in my direction and slid in for the pick,” Lokombo said. “I made sure that I executed my assignment properly, and luckily, was able to put myself in a good position to make a play on the ball.”

Perry, a first-year arts and science student and returner for the Dogs, earned his spot as special teams player of the week with two big returns — one for 36 yards and another for 42 yards — averaging 15 yards per return over 9 returns for a total of 139 yards on the game.

After the nail-biter in Winnipeg, Payton Hall, a fourth-year arts and science student, was also added to Canada West’s prestigious roster as defensive player of the week. Among his achievements in the game were an impressive 90-yard interception, which Hall took back for a touchdown, and seven tackles throughout the game. The touchdown not only secured the edge the Huskies needed for the win, but also, in part, the player of the week spot for Hall.

The Huskies will return to Griffiths Stadium on Sept. 14 for the homecoming game against the University of Calgary Dinos.

D g Watch: Kelsey Lalor A multi-sport Huskies athlete speaks on her recent successes.

JACK THOMPSON

SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Kelsey Lalor, a third-year kinesiology student on the Huskie Athletics basketball team, will be returning to campus fresh off of an exciting trip to the Women’s Baseball World Cup in Viera, Florida.

This trip marks her third appearance on the world stage of women’s baseball.

Lalor excelled during the tournament with a .346 hitting average including a homerun, three stolen bases and a .990 average on-base plus slugging. Team Canada competed against eleven other countries for the title of world champion and ended the tournament by beating Team USA for the bronze medal.

Lalor speaks on her experience in the tournament.

“Having the opportunity to compete in an international com-

petition like this is such an amazing experience, and having the chance to represent your country is an incredible feeling,” Lalor said, in an email to the Sheaf. “This was my third World Cup, and it was still just as exciting as my first.”

Alongside the honour of representing Canada in this international tournament, Lalor was also selected to be a part of the AllWorld Team, which recognizes the top performer for each position.

Lalor describes how it felt to make the All-World Team along with just 11 other athletes.

“Being named to this team is an absolute honour, and it is something that I will cherish forever. There are so many talented women’s baseball players, and there are many more than just 11 who deserve to be recognized for their spectacular performances in Florida,” Laylor said.

Lalor also elaborates on some of the other exciting opportu-

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nities she has enjoyed as part of her athletic career.

“I’ve been lucky to have had many exciting sports opportunities throughout my life, but I think my favourite was competing at the Pan American Games in 2015,” Lalor said. “Being in that atmosphere was such a neat feeling, and being a part of a multi-sport game was something that I will never forget — it’s so cool to be around world-class athletes and to see record-breaking performances.”

Playing one sport at an elite level can be a challenging task, let alone performing in two. Lalor makes it work, however, and speaks to the similarities and differences she found between baseball and basketball.

“I think the two games are very different from each other when you look at the strategy and how the game is played,” Lalor said. “I enjoy baseball because it is an individual game within a team setting… In-

Supplied by Kelsey Lalor Team Canada celebrates in Florida, 2018.

dividual performance is important when it comes to the team’s success, but in order for the team to win, all the individuals must work together as a single unit. Basketball is a team game by nature.”

Despite these differences, however, Lalor states that being a multisport athlete has improved her abilities in each sport, respectively.

“Lots of the mental skills can be used in both games, and I have seen a growth in my mindset as a player over the past couple years as a result of playing both sports,” Lalor said. “Both baseball and basketball really emphasize a strong team connection, and the one thing that I have

learned from both sports is how to be a good teammate.”

With the Women’s Baseball World Cup behind her, Lalor will be looking forward to the upcoming Huskies Basketball season — which is slated to start with an exhibition game against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Oct. 11.

Lalor, for one, is optimistic about the season ahead.

“I think our team will be very strong again, and getting back into competition is always the best part of the season,” Laylor said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how much we can grow as a team over the next seven months.”

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The City Centre Food Cooperative: A community effort to decrease food insecurity A community-run initiative gives central Saskatoon access to low-cost fresh food.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO STAFF WRITER

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“Twenty-five thousand people in Saskatoon lost geographic access to a grocery store,” Rathwell said. “Some of us can jump in a car, and it’s easy for us to get to a grocery store, but when you don’t have that opportunity, you have to factor in bus fare or pay for a cab, and it’s not always feasible.”

In the beginning, the group had a long-term goal of opening a community-owned grocery store, a plan that they have since abandoned. Rathwell explains that the cooperative model is sustainable in the long run because of the relationship they have with the community they service.

“As a group, we realized that grocery stores are a very difficult business to get into,” Rathwell said. “Cooperative models can work because people work together. The Food Cooperative is run for the benefit of those who use it — we are able to listen to the people who use our services about what we should bring in or what we could do to make it better.”

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If you live near a grocery store or have the time and money to commute to one easily, cost is probably your main concern when getting groceries. This is not the case for all, however, as there can be barriers to food access outside of the financial.

Since the closing of two major local food markets in 2015 and 2016, residents of central Saskatoon have seen the logistics of accessing a food source jump to the top of list, above any financial worries.

Enter the City Centre Food Cooperative — a non-profit organization in Saskatoon committed to alleviating the issue of food insecurity in the central area of the city through a weekly pop-up market, which is run with the help and feedback of the local community.

Mika Rathwell, the president of the City Centre Food Cooperative and a medical anthropol-

ogy graduate student at the U of S, discusses that, even though the difficulty of accessing food in the area is not a problem they can solve alone, the cooperative contributes to the community by alleviating the symptoms of the issue.

“With our market, we aren’t solving any of the larger issues of food insecurity in the city, but we provide people in that neighbourhood with a walkable grocery store, even if it’s just once a week,” Rathwell said. “We don’t profit from the market, so we are able to keep our prices low, and that gives people in our neighbourhood … access to affordable food that they haven’t had since 2015.”

The City Centre Food Cooperative sprung up in response to the closing of the only two grocery stores in the central area of the city — Shop Easy Foods in City Park and the Good Food Junction in Riversdale, in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Rathwell explains that these closures had far reaching effects.

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The local community also plays an important role in the financing of the pop-up markets.

Rathwell explains that, even as a non-profit, the initiative would be unsustainable without the help they have received from the public.

“Some weeks, we do really well and we just lose five bucks, and some weeks, we lose a hundred dollars because it’s a slow week,” Rathwell said. “To finance our grocery store, we have fundraisers. We’ve been really lucky to have awesome support from our friends, from the community in Saskatoon and from businesses.”

Rathwell discusses that the cooperative is a good way for students to get involved in helping the local community, as well as a nearby locally-owned source of fresh, low-cost and healthy food.

“We love to see students come out to use our services or to volunteer,” Rathwell said.

“We are very fortunate to have volunteer interest, but we could always use more.”

The City Centre Food Cooperative runs a pop-up market every Thursday at the Saskatoon Community Service Village at 101-506 25th Street East.

The power of positive — err, I mean — mindful thinking The glass isn’t half empty or half full, it’s simply half the glass.

ASHLYNN WEISBERG

How to be happy — one of life’s biggest quandaries, an inspiration goldmine for pseudo-professional self-help writers and a top Google search for those melancholic, glass-ofwine-gone-wrong-driven existential evenings.

The majority of post-World War Western ideology and the American-dream rhetoric circa 1950s centralizes the role of freedom in the neverending and inescapable race to self-actualization.

The 1776 United States Declaration of Independence boasts the settler colonists’ rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Ultimately, with this line of thinking, freedom and happiness become the pinnacle of human existence that most of us will spend our lives chasing.

More often than not, the topic of happiness, and how to supposedly attain it, boils down to conversations about the rather rigid dichotomy between positivity and negativity. Most of us have heard about the power of positive thinking and the oppositional parasitic plague

6 / SPORTS & HEALTH

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

posed by our pessimistic pals.

The health and well-being — or self-improvement — sections of our local bookstores are riddled with books whose cover pages boldly claim the ability to help readers radically alter their thoughts by shifting from a negative outlook to a positive one.

However, most of these books nurture a highly problematic perspective of stopping negative thoughts and replacing them with positive thinking patterns.

This perspective ebbs and flows through dominant Canadian frameworks regarding thought management.

However, the problem is not

found in a head clouded with an overwhelming fog of negative thoughts per se, but rather, in our overall reactions to thoughts that cause stressful or unpleasant emotions. It might seem like semantics, but this subtle linguistic distinction highlights the key difference, which lies in how we make sense of our thoughts and emotions.

A thought is just a string of words, phrases, clauses and perhaps an article or two that, overall, are neutral before we attach meaning to them. In every mind, there is a fraction of a second in which a thought exists without any inherent

connection to the constructed categories of being either good or bad.

Under the neutrality of this blank-slate model, it is impossible to stop negative thinking, and therefore, the focus shifts to creating space for comfort in the discomfort. Many have tried to push down negative thoughts, forcing themselves to maintain a positive outlook, and many have failed.

Let’s face it. Sometimes life sucks, but life sucking is a normal part of existence. It is okay — and necessary — to feel the full spectrum of emotions, ranging from elated to downright devastated. The tricky part lies in cultivating emotionally intelligent self-awareness in order to recognize when an appropriate response to something crappy transforms into a year-long wallow walk.

Andy Puddicombe, cofounder of the wildly popular meditation and mindfulness app Headspace, speaks about changing your perspective using an analogy of “sitting on the side of a busy road,” suggesting that the passing cars represent thoughts and feelings, and ultimately, that “all you have to do is

… sit there and watch the cars.”

Puddicombe argues that, by training the mind, you can avoid passing immediate judgement on your thoughts and feelings, and through this new perspective, find a sense of natural calm.

On this so-called pursuit of happiness, we cannot ever rid ourselves of negative thoughts, but we can become more aware of them. Taking the time to sit with your discomfort and recognize the existence of unpleasant emotions can foster a sense of calm and fuel empathetic outlooks.

Noticing the existence of the thoughts and their split-second categorical placement — whether habitually good or habitually bad — can change the relationship you have with your thinking patterns.

Stopping negativity and enforcing positivity is not the crutch of happiness — taking the time to become more aware of ourselves and putting in an effort to live in the present moment can help us produce more emotionally intelligent responses to our thoughts, and ultimately, reduce split-second negativity.

CULTURE

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

CULTURE

Stage-combat training and certification with Fight Directors Canada Students were able to obtain stage-combat certification during a monthlong Fight Directors Canada Conference held at the U of S.

EVENTS T H U R S

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SASKATCHEWAN PREMIERE OF SLAVE TO THE GRIND: A FILM ABOUT GRINDCORE @ THE BROADWAY THEATRE, 7:00 P.M.

TAKE BACK THE NIGHT @ YWCA, 7:00 P.M.

THE HOUSTON LECTURE: RECONCILIATION & RESTORATIVE JUSTICE @ GORDON OAKES RED BEAR STUDENT CENTRE, 7:00 P.M.

SOUL MATES EP RELEASE @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 9:00 P.M.

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STM STUDENT CLUB FAIR AND ICE CREAM SALE @ STM NORTH PROMENADE, 11:00 A.M.

PHILOSOPHY IN THE COMMUNITY: WHAT IS FORGIVENESS? @ THE REFINERY, 7:00 P.M. FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS: BE MORE KIND WORLD TOUR 2018 @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 7:30 P.M.

MINIVANDAL WITH DR. DOAK AND HYV @ BLACK CAT TAVERN, 9:00 P.M.

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6TH ANNUAL 33RD STREET FAIR @ 33RD STREET WEST, 10:00 A.M.

METALLICA WORLDWIRED TOUR @ SASKTEL CENTRE, 7:30 P.M.

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

Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Iain Rose instructs participants at the 2018 National Fight Directors Conference.

RILEY DEACON PHOTO EDITOR

In August 2018, the annual National Fight Directors Conference was held in the drama department at the University of Saskatchewan — it was a long month for students interested in receiving any level of Stage Combat Certification.

The NFDC is a program essential to understanding and applying the intricacies of safe stage combat to minimize any risk of injury to actors during performance. Iain Rose, a certified fight instructor and the technical director of the U of S drama department, says the course is a dynamic one.

“We had 18 basic actor-combatant students, and we had six that were going for their intermediate level. We developed choreography for them over the first two weeks of the course, taught it to them, and then, the final week is where they pull that choreography into some kind of dramatic scene,” Rose said.

“We have some members who come from strictly martial arts backgrounds… our main focus is on teaching actors how to perform this activity safely in front of live audiences — that’s the origin of Fight Directors Canada, when it was established in 1992,” Rose said.

Stage combat has not always been this structured. In the past, Rose says that “[producers] would often would hire the local fencing coach, or hire a boxer, or someone with some

sort of fight training.”

It’s necessary for stage fighting to appear realistic, but by its nature, stage fighting is much more choreographed than traditional martial arts.

“We telegraph big what we’re going to do before we’re gonna do it, so that your acting partner knows — and of course, this is coupled with hours and hours and hours of rehearsal to be able to do it safely, especially when you’re coming at each other, or thrusting at each other with blades,” Rose said.

According to Rose, stage combat is very specific and techniques vary between disciplines.

“It is all very technical — you have to have consistent eye contact so that you can read what the other person is doing visually. You have to have consistent and practised footwork so that your distance is consistent all the time,” Rose said. “If you’re doing a martial arts fight, that’s going to be different than a barroom brawl.”

There are a multitude of styles and backgrounds in stage combat, which also influence weapon props.

“Because we like to put on the plays of the Bard — Macbeth, for example — you’re going to be dealing with medieval longsword or broadsword. If you’re going to be doing Romeo and Juliet, it’s Italian rapier and dagger,” Rose said. “It depends on the specific piece that you’re putting on.”

Aside from acting out armed combat scenarios, participants

also learn how to sell fistfights as well.

“There’s an unarmed component at the basic level: A hit, or punch and kick, or throw.

And how to fall without hurting yourself or your partner. A bit of wrestling on the ground — with the idea in mind that you can’t get hurt. If you’re going to be performing Hamlet, then you can’t have a black eye the next day, right?” Rose said.

In terms of what makes an effective fight, Rose says, “If the fight is seamless with the rest of the play and doesn’t seem unusual in a negative sense, then I’m really happy.”

Rose has a long history in both theatre and film, wearing many different hats. He’s worked as a construction coordinator, scenic carpenter, art director, special-effects coordinator and stunt actor. Included in his long list of work experience is six years working on the Saskatchewan-based comedy television series Corner Gas. Rose suggests that there’s no better place to host the NFDC than the U of S. “This is the oldest standalone drama department in the British Commonwealth — not many people are aware of that. That in itself is an incredible milestone for theatre in Canada,” Rose said. “We are all artists to some degree. I’m just fortunate enough to have pursued this as a career. Hopefully, everyone has a creative component to what they’re doing for a living because it makes it a lot easier to go to work in the morning.”

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SASKATOON TERRY FOX RUN 2018 @ DELTA BESSBOROUGH, 11:00 A.M.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA: UNHEAVENLY TOUR WITH PROTEST THE TOUR AND CROWN LANDS @ COORS EVENT CENTRE, 7:30 P.M.

HELLBOY SASK EXPO SPECIAL SCREENING @ THE ROXY THEATRE, 10:00 P.M.

M O N

17 T U E S

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GAMES NIGHT @ LOUIS’ PUB, 7:00 P.M.

MCKERCHER LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS DICK POUND @ PETER MACKINNON BUILDING, 7:00 P.M.

RAE SPOON, RESPECTFULCHILD, HOMO MONSTROUS AND URSA @ UNDERGROUND CAFÉ, 7:00 P.M.

DUBE LECTURE @ STM AUDITORIUM, 7:30 P.M.

OPEN STAGE @ CAPITOL MUSIC CLUB, 9:00 P.M.

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CAMPUS CAREER EXPO 2018 @ U OF S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPLEX, 10:00 A.M.

YOGA IN THE BOWL @ THE BOWL, 12:05 P.M.

WOODS CLASSIC PUB TRIVIA @ THE WOODS ALE HOUSE, 8:00 P.M.

BLITZEN TRAPPER FURR 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR WITH CADENCE @ AMIGOS CANTINA, 10:00 P.M.

SEPT 15-16

SASKATCHEWAN ENTERTAINMENT EXPO @ PRAIRIELAND PARK

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Driveway robbery: Understanding the nature of Usask’s parking system We all have to get to campus, but does parking really need to be so damn expensive?

TANNER BAYNE NEWS EDITOR

All photos by Riley Deacon / Photo Editor Lot 1 at max capacity.

A

fter tuition, there are few things more collectively complained about by University of Saskatchewan students than parking. Looking down the road, it doesn’t seem as though our situation is going to get any better unless students take the wheel of the narrative.

As a student that drove to campus from out of town for three years, I’m well acquainted with the existential anguish of entering the online parking sale and the subsequent economic despair that comes with paying for a spot.

Should you have been afforded a permit in the parking sale this academic year, you would know that prices vary per lot — with the cheapest option being $378.00 and the most expensive being $672.00 for the fall and winter terms combined.

In the last year, however, I’ve been fortunate enough to live within walking distance of campus, which means that, on a daily basis, I see students claim the few meager spots in front my house with more fervour than scavenger birds do roadside carrion. So you could say that I’ve shifted from neutral-feeling to slightly aggrieved by Usask’s current parking situation — and I know I’m not the only one.

If you’ve been on campus long enough — I mean to say that you’re not a first-year — you can probably count on both hands the number of eager student politicians who have run for positions on the U of S Students’ Union executive with promises to combat parking and ticket prices. And perhaps un-

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surprisingly, little has actually been done to put the brakes on any parking-related issue.

In fact, reports from U of S Consumer Services state that, in 2018, parking permits increased by five dollars in lots across campus — even for professors and staff — though, normally, this increase is more at around five per cent. Prices for metered

Student-allocated parking generates approximately $1.4 million, while visitorparking revenue is over $4 million annually. parking have also increased for the first time in ten years to three dollars an hour. What’s more, it’s not just the price of parking services that continues to rise but the demand for these services as well.

According to the U of S website, there are over 1700 spots allocated for student parking in the parking lots, which are supplemented by an approximate 580 metered spots for visitors and students alike. As of Sept. 6, there were 21,318 students en-

rolled at the U of S, meaning that once you account for the 2,175 students in residence who have their own parking system, there is roughly one parking spot for every eleven students.

Although parking was not a campaign priority for the three USSU executives currently holding office, the union still has a voice in parking discussions on campus. Rose Wu, vice-president student affairs, is responsible for on- and off-campus parking and sits on the Parking and Transportation Advisory Committee, which meets a handful of times a year.

Wu states that, beyond the committee, the level of USSU involvement with regards to parking services is up to the discretion of the executive at hand.

“We don’t control parking, so it’s up to the executive as to how much they want to work with parking on a year-to-year basis,” Wu said.

I’m not convinced, however, that even the strogest-willed USSU executive — politically speaking — could do much to remediate the cost of or demand for student parking. As most U of S-goers are bound to know, parking is simply too profitable a venture to be seriously impacted — which is something that the university is not afraid of sharing.

Quintin Zook, the director of Consumer Services at the U of S — the person who essentially oversees the more lucrative side of many university dealings — was transparent with the institution’s data on parking revenue and open about how the U of S perceives student parking in an interview with the Sheaf.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

Cars parked in a residential area near the U of S.

FEATURE

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

“We don’t control parking, so it’s up to the executive as to how much they want to work with parking on a year-to-year basis,” Wu said.

Alexander's parking only sign.

“Parking is [viewed] as a market-based commodity,” Zook said. “We encourage people, students especially, to take advantage of their UPass — as it’s part of their student fees — as an alternative to parking.”

Zook revealed that the aforementioned 1700 spots for student-allocated parking generate approximately $1.4 million dollars in revenue a year, while visitor-parking revenue is over $4 million annually.

Zook states that part of this total revenue — about $300,000 to $400,000 — is allocated to maintaining the parking lots and to other parking infrastructure, while another portion goes back into Consumer Services and into the university itself.

“The remainder goes back within Consumer Services, and as a whole, Consumer Services contributes about $1.5 million of our revenue back to the university — or eight per cent of our revenue, approximately,” Zook said.

Zook also revealed that there are around 2,000 tickets doled out on campus each month for parking infractions, though the number is reportedly waning. At $30 to $50 per ticket, depending on how soon you pay, the U of S is raking in roughly $480,000 to $800,000 from campus parking tickets in the fall and winter terms, not including the revenue from the spring and summer months.

In considering this data, it’s clear that, although parking may be a student service, it is ultimately one that generates considerable revenue. Though these numbers may be alarming, I’m hesitant to

conclude that the university administration or the USSU are to be targeted as the main sources of discontent for our issues with the parking system.

Parking and Transportation Services is so damn lucrative because students like you and me continue to use it faithfully. The U of S is, after all, an institution in the business of making money. It appears to me, then, that the clearest avenue to somehow improving our issues with these parking services is to reduce our reliance on them.

I’m not saying that students should quit buying into the parking sale or stop using metered spots — sometimes you just have to. However, as long as campus parking services continue to be in high demand, Parking and Transportation Services will be able to charge us good money for spaces.

The harsh reality is that alternative modes of transportation — like the UPass and UCommute, a ridesharing service — may be our best bet if we want to change the narrative around parking on campus.

I’m well aware of the reputation of Saskatoon’s transit system, but with the coming changes with Bus Rapid Transit getting underway in 2019, efforts are being made to alleviate the demands for parking.

Driving culture in Saskatoon is changing, and it’s time for students to accept that change.

U of S Parking and Transportation Services may be highway robbery — or driveway robbery, in this case — but it’s only because we students are all too willing to hold out our wallets for the taking.

A parking sign near the U of S campus.

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New from the Snelgrove: Death and longing in MFA exhibitions The Snelgrove is beginning the school year with two new thesis exhibitions.

GABRIELA PÉREZ

The beginning of the school year coincides with the closing period for two Master’s of Fine Arts candidates, who will be holding their thesis exhibitions on campus.

From Sept. 3 to 14, the University of Saskatchewan art galleries will be showing the work of Negar Tajgardan and Qiming Sun. it cannot be called travelling Location: Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, Murray Building The exhibit called it cannot be called travelling by Negar Tajgardan deals with feelings of displacement and the longing to create a safe place for herself. The first part of the exhibition consists of paperand-wire sculptures in the form of luggage and backpacks.

Negar has been using paper as a medium since her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Tehran, but the concept behind her latest exhibition is specific to her experience of coming to Canada. These sculptures of backpacks contain certain places

or experiences than cannot be packed away.

In this context, chimneys, air conditioners and antennas are elements often incorporated into the backpacks to allude to the landscapes of her native Tehran. Along with her own experience, Negar’s sculptures display what other immigrants wished they could have brought with them.

One backpack has a bedroom inside, while another one simulates a balcony from which you can admire the vegetable fields of a village in China. If this sounds surreal and dreamy, it is, because memories often are.

Negar says that, after spending a year in Canada, she found a safe place in her art studio. The second part of the exhibition was done mostly during her second year at the U of S when she started making small copies of every single piece of furniture she had in her studio: chairs, lamps and even her sewing machine.

Even though the exhibition consists mostly of paper sculptures, digital photographs and a

video are also used to document the pieces in specific situations.

With these photographs, Negar documents the passage of time. In one piece, a chair sculpture seems to dissolve, suggesting that memories are just as vulnerable as paper.

Bellus Mortis Location: Kenderdine Art Gallery, Agriculture Building In Bellus Mortis, Qiming Sun explores the beauty in death, as the name in Latin suggests. With a combination of five large-scale oil paintings and nine smaller portraits, Qiming tastefully departs from the Western dichotomy that categorizes death with negative connotations in opposition to life.

According to Qiming’s artistic proposal, “life and death are merely two inseparable faces of the same coin: they are indeed mutually exclusive, but neither could exist without another.”

The coexistence of life and death is evoked through depictions of nature. For instance, in one small portrait from a series called Soliloquy of the Soundless, a

Kaitlin Wong it cannot be called travelling, MFA Thesis by Negar Tajgardan.

group of flies rests on a pale, lifeless face. Flies can be interpreted as a symbol of decay, but they too are sentient beings.

In Spirit Cascade, a corpse hangs above a bouquet of flowers, representing death as a part of the cycle of life. When a body dies, it transitions into the fertilizer that gives life to another being. Qiming mentions Shintoism, Taoism and Shamanism as some of the philosophies that influence his work, which showcases different perspectives of what dying means.

In Wedlock, an Eastern influence is present in the depiction

of a posthumous marriage in Imperial China as well as in the aesthetic elements, like the bamboo forest in the background or the garments the people are wearing.

Bardo portrays two naked bodies decomposing but alive at the same time. The title makes reference to a state of being between death and reincarnation, a belief in Tibetan Buddhism. The piece visualizes the suffering of immortality, depicting immortal souls trapped in their bodies because they were too attached to the material world. In Qiming’s work, life and death escape unidimensional definitions.

University of Saskatchewan space-design team: Taking students to new heights The USST achieved fifth place in the Canadian International Rover Challenge and plans to send its first satellite into space.

J.C. BALICANTA NARAG OUTREACH DIRECTOR

The University of Saskatchewan Space Design Team is a group of students from different colleges who share a driving passion for innovative technology and space exploration. After a strong showing at the Canadian International Rover Challenge, the sky’s the limit for this student group.

According to Liam Gray, a fourth-year engineering-physics and mathematics student and manager of the group’s ongoing cube satellite project, it is a group that brings students a different learning experience than in the academic world.

“From a slightly more personal [perspective], I think the USST is a way for people … to teach themselves things or push themselves beyond what they would normally be able to do,” Gray said.

The USST attended the Cana-

10 / CULTURE

dian International Rover Challenge, located in Drumheller, Alta., from Aug. 10 to 13. They placed fifth out of 18 groups from all over the world and earned second place in the search-and-rescue portion of the competition.

The rover that the students designed included many resourceful features that helped them in the different challenges of the competition. Tyrel Kostyk, a third-year computer-software engineering student in charge of recruitment for the USST, says the rover has characteristics that helped the team view its surroundings with ease.

“The most fun aspect of it that’s really interesting — that we added before any other teams had the same idea — was, on top of our rover, we have a camera mast … [and] a virtual reality system,” Kostyk said. “And we actually put … the VR headset on the operators, too, … so that way they have full situational awareness,” Kostyk said.

Leks Ulan-Hohol USST members with rover.

This is just one of many achievements for the team, which has attended many globally known competitions in the past.

Danno Peters, the president of the USST and a fourth-year engineering-physics and computer science student, says that the team has won the NASA space elevator challenge two years in a row.

“We competed against SpaceX and multiple other companies and universities in these

challenges, and we beat SpaceX two years in a row, [winning] first place… We did lunar rover, and now we are doing Mars rover, which we have done [for] the past five years,” Peters said.

In 2015, the USST also attended the European Rover Challenge in Poland, placing first in the contest for their rover that year.

In 2014, 2015 and 2016, the team travelled to Utah for the University Rover Challenge. They received second place in 2014 and first place in 2015, amongst the Canadian teams in competition, and seventh place overall for both years.

This year, the group is taking a different course and is currently working on a satellite. The project became a reality when the Canadian Space Agency awarded the USST a $200,000 grant for their CubeSat project.

“They accepted one group from every province and territory in the country. Now that we have actually been accepted, …

[we] will likely be working and collaborating with various different universities from all around Canada, and potentially, outside of Canada. It’s a slightly different kind of project,” Gray said.

The CubeSat will be spending a year orbiting the planet, obtaining data about the space environment and materials like plastics, ceramics, fabrics and more. Peters says that the satellite will be launched in 2021 from the International Space Station.

“It will be the first object our team has sent into space — it’s a really exciting moment for us.”

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

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

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

OPINIONS

OPINIONS Healthy coping mechanisms: How to live your best life as a university student A healthy lifestyle may seem unattainable, but it’s actually all about balance in the face of stress.

MEGAN FAIRBAIRN

Another year, another season of how-to articles on healthy coping mechanisms. It’s just as inevitable as the shame you probably feel while reading them. Honestly, who actually gets nine hours of sleep per night, journals regularly, quits caffeine and reaches enlightenment through meditation while they’re in school?

The reason you’ve probably avoided adopting healthy practices is because you think they are unattainable. Rather than fail at being healthy, you embrace the polar opposite — starving yourself by day, binge drinking by night and all of the other flattering college-student stereotypes you can think of —

but there really is a better way.

It begins with you accepting the fact that you’re not going to be perfect at being healthy — instead, you can work on being satisfied with doing what you can when the stress hits. Focus on positive activities: hopping on your bike, breaking a sweat at the gym, strumming some angsty music on your guitar, painting, drawing, writing or whatever you genuinely enjoy doing outside of school and work.

I think we can all agree that time management is a difficult but necessary part of being an adult. What you may not have considered is that managing your time and getting stuff done is a lot easier when you balance it all out with things you enjoy that don’t

make your brain hurt.

When you accept the fact that you’re a holistic person who can’t be only a student 24-7, you’ll naturally shift from actively trying to cope with stress to being able to effectively deal with it.

You’ll see that going out for casual drinks with your friends once or twice a week can be a healthy way to take a break from studying instead of binge drinking on the weekends.

You’ll realize that taking time to do fun things daily is okay — in fact, it’s good — because you are a multi-faceted person not just a student.

My own past unhealthy coping mechanisms often included a self-induced shutting out of every aspect of my being beyond academics. When I felt

Jaymie Stachyruk / Graphics Editor

anxious and out of control, I clung to the one thing I knew I could succeed at but ended up failing miserably at friendships, relationships, my job and being a decent person in general.

In this case, coping healthily meant not obsessing over my grades or that assignment due a month from now — it meant allowing myself to meet people, hang out with friends, pursue new interests and gain confidence in multiple areas of my life.

So, at the end of the day, health isn’t all-or-nothing — or even about sacrificing everything to be a good student — it’s a matter of balancing the de-

mands of school with the things that make life worth living.

Once you begin to find a balance between academic pursuits and otherwise, you’ll see that you don’t have to be a zen master to make healthy choices and that just because you don’t measure up to an impossible standard doesn’t mean that you’ve fallen off the deep end.

The argument is simple: choosing healthy outlets for stress is infinitely better than embracing self-destruction, once you begin to define healthy as a self-identified balance rather than a top-ten list of impossible feats of perfection.

Rebranding those unhealthy coping mechanisms: How to sell “healthy vices” to a skeptic Unhealthy coping mechanisms are a necessary component to student life.

HELANA ROSALES

Let me tell you a secret — we’re all deeply disturbed people with an undeniable need to be just a little bit bad. Coffee with two sugars — oh my!

Kinky sex, a cigarette or two, or maybe you’re into something a little more extreme, like my friend who has a thing for popping pimples.

What would we be without those little idiosyncrasies that make us unique? Pretty boring, I imagine. Healthy vices are, sometimes, just what we need to get by. In fact, I’d argue that these things are more of a

self-care regime than vices, but let’s just call them healthy vices. You might know them as: Bingeing Netflix Netflix is one of my favorite healthy vices, for days when I need to chill out and have some time for myself. Classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel or anything with David Attenborough — for starters.

There’s also a great documentary called TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, which is heart wrenching.

Then there is the Swedish film A Man Called Ove. The subtitles make it complete, and it’s perfect if you love dark comedies.

Candy I know, it’s bad for teeth and

not at all healthy. I should just eat an apple instead. You know what I like to say to people who say things like this? Nothing.

Promptly unfriending them on Facebook for killing my vibe usually crosses my mind though.

It’s not like my diet consists of three square meals of blue whales. It’s such a beautiful thing to buy a bag of candy that’s still fresh and be reminded that, sometimes, money can buy happiness — in tiny mass produced bags, for under three dollars. Is that so wrong?

Sleeping in Whenever sleep is possible, one should bathe in its luxu-

ry. As students, I’m fairly certain we don’t get enough of it, which is just the way of things.

University life is demanding, and sometimes, you need to pull an all-nighter to finish up a project that’s worth 25 per cent of your grade. But every so often, when I get the chance to sleep in, I pounce on it.

And these are just three healthy vices that, when I’m feeling really rowdy, can turn into an all-nighter “pour une femme.” Do they make me too barbaric to ever be introduced to your mother or to get an invite to brunch with your closest friends? Of course not.

It’s time to rebrand un-

healthy coping mechanisms as alternative solutions to dealing with the ridiculous pressures of university life, because surviving university will require an arsenal of tools. Embrace what works — in moderation, obviously. Healthy vices are realistic, and since most of us default to them anyway, why not celebrate them?

Self-care comes in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes, unhealthy things are just another way to help you unwind after a hard day of work. You deserve it, and you deserve not to feel evil while you’re doing it. Healthy vices are the new black.

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Lord of the files: A descent into the dark web of bootleg textbooks

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ra ph ic /G

Maybe you grew up poor, or perhaps you’ve been brought to your knees by the financial hurricane that is post-secondary education.

Either way, you’ve likely already realized that you’re going to have to shrimp and shave if you want to avoid being electrocuted by low-hanging poverty lines.

You stop eating out, you forgo new clothes, and you bring your dates to the Arts Café. You can penny pinch to the extreme, even hesitating at the fruit aisle — can you really afford the vitamin C you so desperately need to counteract the possible scurvy you’ve developed on your all-macaroni diet? After all this agony, you’re hit by the cruelest expense of all: textbooks.

According to Macleans, the average Canadian student drops $773 per year on these shrink-wrapped monstrosities, which depreciate in value faster than the US Dollar does every time Trump makes a 3 a.m. tweet.

Unfortunately for me, I had recently converted the majority of my savings account into a big sack of toonies, which I then converted to Great Western-flavoured piss on one of Louis’ Pub’s lethally cheap Tuesday nights.

My first instinct, as an immigrant, was to haggle. I went to campus and turned on the accent, full blast — but the clerks at the bookstore had clearly been innoculated against my Irish charms.

A desperate Google search brought me to a promising Facebook group called “Buy/Sell Used Textbooks from the U of S” with 13,187 members at the time of print.

The posts were plentiful, and the prices were actually quite cheap, but the slightly too cheerful tone of it all betrayed a strange sense of shared melancholy — like a bleak birthday party amid the rubble of some war-torn suburb, a community ravaged and left destitute by the horrors of academic extortion.

I scrolled for hours, despite mounting unease at the prospect of handing some emaciated grad student $20 for a book that originally cost $200. The thought of staring into those hungry, watery eyes so disturbed me that I was almost thankful when I couldn’t find any of the books I needed.

By this point, things were getting serious, but after seeing the harsh reality of the textbook racket, I longed to rebel against the system.

There was only one course of action. I had to go off the grid and join the 34 per cent of students willing to venture into the dark realm of textbook piracy, according to data collected in 2010 by the Book Industry Study Group in the United States.

North American textbook publishers are known for being particularly brutal about their intellectual properties, so anyone found guilty of distributing their books for free can be condemned to death by litigation. Luckily, there are a wealth of Russian websites perfectly willing to give capitalism the middle finger.

I found one such site and navigated my way through the tiny blue font, weird rotating GIFs of bedazzled Cyrillic and ads for hot single moms near me. I typed in the name of one of my textbooks, and up popped a list of PDF files accompanied by large flashing download buttons.

Salivating at my own frugality, I clicked the download link for the latest edition of a physiology book and prayed. Alas, I was hit by a barrage of pop-ups. A string of unprintables escaped my lips as I began to panic — they were opening faster than I could exit out of them!

I clicked ballistically but soon grew fatigued, powerless against the never-ending onslaught of pyramid schemes and pornography that flashed in front of me. I held the power button, but it was too late.

Readers, heed my warning — pirating textbooks may not be worth the risk of giving your laptop an STD.

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GEORGE-PAUL O’BYRNE

s Ed itor

Just how low will one student sink in the interest of frugality?

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OPINIONS

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The last straw: how the straw ban falls short Does ditching plastic straws do more harm than good?

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

The end of plastic straws is nigh. Back in March, Louis’ pub announced they were ditching straws— unless requested— and switching to a compostable brand. And just this summer Starbucks boldly proclaimed they were going to discontinue use of plastic straws by 2020.

How did the seemingly innocuous straw become public enemy number one, and is their exile entirely positive?

This straw ban comes at a time when there is a great divide of public opinion on pollution and the changing climate. Many members of the more conscious culture are moving towards greater efforts in reducing their individual footprints. This reduction often comes in the form of reusables — reusable bags, reusable water bottles, and now, reusable straws.

Reusable straws, along with a ban on the plastic variety, can save the planet and may protect sea life from the many cases of plastic proliferation happening in their watery home. However, there appears to be a small oversight in the move to an all-out ban on plastic drink tubes versus the reduction of their use.

Individuals with differing abilities have raised alarm in regards to the straw crack down. Straws are a lifeline for many in the community, whose members may not have the coordination, control or ability to drink freely from a glass. Plastic straws give them access, and without them, many individual’s daily lives will be impacted.

Now, for about 10 to 15 dollars, you can buy glass, stainless steel or silicone straws from Amazon. If you order a drink during the straw prohibition and find that a bendy tube is needed to complete the beverage, you now have the ability whip out a handy reusable straw. This surely is perfect for people of all abilities, right? Well, no, that’s not necessarily the case.

For some individuals,

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Heywood Yu Drinking from plastic straws on campus may soon be a thing of the past.

these straws can be dangerous. Glass straws can break, and they along with metal straws, can cause significant injuries to people with tremors or other conditions that affect coordination. In fact, Starbucks banned the sale of metal straws in 2016 after reports of significant injuries to children who used the devices.

Paper straws, on the other hand, may not hold up against the liquid for an extended length of time and perform poorly in hot beverages. Silicone straws — along with all of their reusable brothers and sisters — need to be cleaned properly, or they will harbor an array of microbes.

This could be detrimental to someone who is immunocompromised — meaning

they are unable to fight off common bacteria or viruses.

The thing about the straw ban is that it isn’t necessarily going to put a dent in plastic pollution, either. It is questionable that any individual, no matter how many straws they reuse, can change the global state of pollution in this way. It’s a little like bailing out a sinking boat — all your best efforts just don’t get you very far.

Plastic pollution is a kraken-esque monster and is much larger than any one person’s efforts. Corporations need to step up and make serious changes to their policies and production practices in order to turn this ship around.

We need the industries themselves to address the

plastic problem — and that isn’t just pledging to ditch straws. Starbucks’ plastic problem has permeated their whole beverage lineup. It also appears that the molded lids, which were rolled out to replace the need for straws, may even contain more plastic than their predecessors.

Many of us have the desire to create change and conserve what we have on this planet, but we need to think about the broad effects of our efforts. We need to assess if these attempts are resulting in actual positive change or if they are just making us feel better.

If we fail to look at the larger picture, we become ignorant to the possible negative effects of a seemingly positive movement.

Saturday, Sept. 15, 1 pm

ssO music Talk Join Eric Paetkau and Mark Turner discussing the SSO's first Master's series concert of the 20182019 season Tuesday, Sept. 18, 7 pm

OPINIONS 13 PM 9/4/2018 /12:26:05

sheaf sept 13 to sept 19, 2018.indd 1

MEET THE SHEAF

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 1 3 , 2 0 1 8

Most likely to: Subsist on good pitches and budget cigarettes

Most likely to: Be at concerts instead of passing his classes

Longest amount of time I’ve ever waited in line: Nine hours, 14 minutes Favourite place to cry on campus: Ground-floor Murray

Average amount of coffee I drink daily: About 6 shots of espresso, sometimes 8

Emily Migchels, Editor-in-Chief Age: 21, Arts & Science, political studies, 4th year

Jiem Carlo Balicanta Narag, Outreach Director Age: 23, ESB, hopefully human resources, 2nd year

Favourite thing to sneak into the movies: Bubble tea

Longest standing beef: City of Saskatoon parkingmeter guy

Worst fear: Bed bugs

Kaitlin Wong, Layout Manager Age: 24, Arts & Science, fine arts (honours), final year

Nykole King, Web Editor Age: 23, STM, international studies, final year

I know all the lyrics to: “Wipeout” by The Surfaris

I’d trade my soul for: Some damn peace and quiet

The last person I texted: Myself?

Tanner Bayne, News Editor Age: 22, Arts & Crafts, English (honours), I’d rather not say

Jack Thompson, Sports & Health Editor Age: 21, Arts & Science, English, 4th year

Most likely to: Say “Fun fact!”

Most likely to: Pitch a reboot of Beavis and ButtHead where they watch Vine compilations

Netflix go-to: The holy trinity of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files and iZombie

Restaurant we should have on campus: Thien Vietnam 3: Revenge of the Fallen Cole Chretien, Culture Editor

Age: 22, Darts & Science, political studies & philosophy, 4th year

Erin Matthews, Opinions Editor Age: 29, A&S, physiology & pharmacology, 3rd year

I never go anywhere without: Headphones and Lorde’s full discography on download

Weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten: Escargot (read: snail)

Amanda Slinger, Copy Editor Age: 30, Arts & Science, psychology, 2nd-ish

Ana Cristina Camacho, Staff Writer Age: 19, Arts & Science, English, 2nd year

Most likely to: Make fun of these questions

Number-one travel destination: Bulk Barn, aisle 2: chocolatecovered everything

I never go anywhere without: Quaaludes

14 / MEET THE SHEAF

Sometimes I want to quit school and become an: Icelandic sheep herder, part-time ghost Most likely to: Mistake a Full House episode for a childhood memory

Number one travel destination: Place Riel

If I could trade places with anyone for one day: John Mellencamp

Down time spent with: The three Bs — books, beers, bourbon.

Most likely to: Not be chill

Secret superpower: Differentiate between inch marks, straight quotes and curly quotes

Most likely to: Forget your name but remember you

Favourite bridge in Saskatoon: Gordie Howe Bridge Most likely to: Crack open a cold can of Zoodles after a hard day

Most likely to: Peer pressure Jack into shotgunning a cold can of Zoodles

Favorite movie: Green Room by Jeremy Saulnier.

Favourite late-night snack food: Chicken wings Most likely to: Live in the woods as a recluse with only dogs to keep me company

Most likely to: Have coupons in my purse

Number one travel destination: Prince Albert

I SS UE 03 // VO L . 1 1 0

Riley Deacon, Photo Editor Age: 22, undeclared, 2nd year

Jaymie Stachyruk, Graphics Editor

Age: 21, A&S, psychology & women’s and gender studies, 4th year

This song describes my life: “Old Man” by Neil Young

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

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Aries: Tim Hortons now has all-day breakfast.

Taurus: You’ve got a lot of extra baggage — don’t carry on what you don’t need to fly with.

Gemini: If you sit long enough at his bronzed feet, the ghost of Farley Mowat will tell you to drop out.

Cancer: If it snows this month, it’s because of your shitty sense of humour.

Leo: Every new student group you join is just a thinly veiled attempt at self-promotion.

Virgo: You can’t colour co-ordinate a broken heart.

Libra: After the autumnal equinox you will no longer have a shot at attaining Big Dick Energy.

Scorpio: If you’re not in it to win it, you’re out — you get it?

Sagittarius: Don’t walk by the river at night.

Capricorn: When you really think about it, the

inevitability of death is less like a void and more like an ominous orifice.

Aquarius: Wash, rinse and repent.

Pisces: There is a portal in the Arts Tunnel that only you can open, but if you enter, you can never leave. Will you take the risk?

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#albumoftheweek:

In Another Life by Sandro Perri Emily Migchels

This atmospheric experiment in songwriting proves, just a few tracks in, to be an LP not to miss. In Another Life marks a fresh re-entry for the Toronto-based producer Sandro Perri as his first solo release since 2011.

The album features an impressive, exploratory trilogy of tracks: “Everybody’s Paris Pt I” builds to “Everybody’s Paris Pt II,” with support from the Deadly Snakes frontman André Ethier, then cuts to the extra-morose with Dan Bejar, of the Destroyer moniker, in “Everybody’s Paris Pt III.” It’s a journey reimagined from track to track, changing lyrically between each vocalist.

Listen to In Another Life when you need a more immersive break from reality. This one will swallow you whole.

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