October 17, 2019

OCTOBER 17, 2019

The sheaf publishing society

VOL.111/ISSUE 09

The Elections Issue:

YOUR UNI VE R S I T Y O F SAS K ATC H E WA N ST UDE NT NE WS PA P E R SINCE 1912

POLARIZED

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

POLITICS

thesheaf.com @usasksheaf

Feature: Canadian Politics 101 8-9

NEWS Saskatoon–University MP candidates

2-3

SPORTS & HEALTH

CULTURE

Huskies men’s soccer

First anniversary cannabis legalization

7

OPINIONS of

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Young people have the power this election

13

NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nykole King editor@thesheaf.com NEWS EDITOR Ana Cristina Camacho news@thesheaf.com SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR Tanner Michalenko sportshealth@thesheaf.com CULTURE EDITOR Tomilola Ojo culture@thesheaf.com OPINIONS EDITOR Erin Matthews opinions@thesheaf.com STAFF WRITER Noah Callaghan staffwriter@thesheaf.com COPY EDITOR J.C. Balicanta Narag copy@thesheaf.com LAYOUT MANAGER Aqsa Hussain layout@thesheaf.com PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Victoria Becker photo@thesheaf.com GRAPHICS EDITOR Shawna Langer graphics@thesheaf.com WEB EDITOR Minh Au Duong web@thesheaf.com OUTREACH DIRECTOR Sophia Lagimodiere outreach@thesheaf.com

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The Sheaf presents: Your Saskatoon–University MP candidates The candidates discuss their platforms and students’ concerns ahead of the federal elections.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO

NEWS EDITOR

Q: In a few words, describe what your party’s platform stands for.

Claire Card, New Democratic Party candidate: “Meaningful climate action, … making life more affordable for the average ordinary person … [and] lastly we need to structure the way we take income into the government. The studies show the ultra-rich Canadians are benefiting the most.”

Susan Hayton, Liberal Party of Canada candidate: “The thing that really makes me feel that it's important for people to vote Liberal this time is the environmental policy. The Liberal party is the first federal government in Canada that has made a real push towards trying to advance us in terms of fighting climate change and if the conservatives come in they will reverse much of that.”

Jan Norris, Green Party of Canada candidate: “We are known as the environmental party, but the Green movement is formed on four principles: ecology, equality, democracy and non-violence.

Those things are very important to me and are the basis for all our policies. We have a strong platform for social justice and equality.”

Guto Penteado, People’s Party of Canada candidate: “I used to be a Conservative party supporter but last year the Conservatives moved to the center. The only party who represents my values and aligns with my principles is the People’s Party of Canada. I love Canada, since I arrived here 17 years ago as a Brazilian immigrant, and I think we are going in the wrong direction. I think it’s time for Canadians and for Canada to stop spending money abroad helping other countries and forgetting about us here.”

AD & BUSINESS MANAGER Shantelle Hrytsak ads@thesheaf.com

Brad Trost

Claire Card

Cynthia Block

Valerie Harvey

Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor

Q: What sets your party apart?

Card: “Our slogan is we are ‘In it for you’ and we take that seriously.

We are not in it to make corporations wealthier or to make billionaires richer. We are in it for a more equal, fair society. We take a different, refreshing approach by working in a way that benefits your ordinary person.”

Hayton: “I think it's clear that the NDP and Green are not going to form government, so if you don't vote Liberal I think that you're allowing the Conservative party to come in.”

“I like the philosophy of NDP and Green that we need to transition to alternate methods of energy production, but I think that their perspectives are not realistic. I think we’re going to need significant investment. We have oil that is a big product that Canada exports that can help fund that, and we are going to continue to need oil and gas for a while at least as we do that transition.”

Norris: “Our targets for cutting down greenhouse gas emissions are twice as tough as the others and we are not indebted to any special interest groups. Our support comes from individuals who really care about the environment, period. If we get into office, that’s what our mandate is and our commitment is to a fair and just transition [through] investing. This economy is unsustainable and we can’t keep growing forever based on fossil fuels — it’s not going to work. We need to transition.”

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mikaila Ortynsky Laura Chartier Matthew Taylor Sonia Kalburgi Tyler Smith

board@thesheaf.com

ADVERTISING (306) 966 8688 EDITORIAL (306) 966 8689

Penteado: “We are the only party that is for Canada and Canadians first. All other parties have commitments to the United Nations about climate change and immigration and we are not going to be committed to that.”

“We are pulling out of the Paris accords — and the other parties are not doing that — because we don’t believe in that. We believe in climate change, just not that it’s made by men.”

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

Land Acknowledgement // The Sheaf acknowledges that our office is built on Treaty Six Territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis.

We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and affirm both the importance of our relationship with Indigenous peoples and students at the U of S and our commitment to recognize and remain accountable for our collective history.

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Q: Why should students be invested in this election and in your party?

Card: “I find students are very progressive thinkers. And compared to the conservatives, the students have values that far more closely align with the NDP. Students are not against LGBTQ+ and students are not afraid of people who look different than they do. Students are concerned about climate action and debt and their future.”

Supplied by Joe Hachachena | New Democratic Party

Hayton: “I think you should care because we live in a country where you have the right to vote. I think most people including many students want to see a push towards a cleaner world because you're much younger than me; you're going to live a lot longer. I think the Liberal

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

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

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NEWS

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

because you need that money to stay where it is. But study after study has shown that there are more jobs in the green economy. We need to kick that door wide open. There’s no rationale when we are in the middle of a climate emergency that you would stop the development of green energy.”

Q: What would you say to people are not satisfied with the Liberal government’s progress and want to see a change?

Hayton: “I think it’s complicated as a government to change the things you want to change, and you can’t do it overnight. I believe the Liberal government has actually pushed forward in many of the things they promised they would do. I know people tend to say ‘Oh, they didn’t meet their promises,’ but that’s not the case when people have evaluated them. I think another fours years is where we should go with the Liberal government and give them the opportunity to finish off the things they have planned.”

Conservative Party of Canada candidate Corey Tochor did not respond to the Sheaf’s request for an interview.

Supplied by Susan Hayton | Liberal Party of Canada

party is moving in the right direction [and] should be given another four years to try and flesh out some of those things.”

Norris: “I believe we are at a tipping point in terms of climate, and if we don’t act now and we don’t act very deliberately and strongly, it’s going to be a very difficult job for your generation. We all know what the predictions are, and I started on this work back in the 1990’s and the predictions even then were very bad. I hope students take this seriously both in their personal lives, we need to cut down our consumption, and by voting.”

Penteado: “Everybody should care about politics because politics affects every part of your daily life. It doesn’t matter who you believe in or who you are voting for, the important thing is that you are voting for what you believe, for your principles, not because one party is like this or like that. Go to the parties’ websites and get informed and see what each party actually offers.”

Supplied by Ken Sailor | Green Party of Canada

COMING EVENTS follow us

©

Q: Some NDP, Green Party and Liberal supporters are concerned about splitting the vote, thus allowing a Conservative win. Why should these people vote for your party?

Paul SeeSequaSiS Discussing & Signing

Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun

Card: “Conservatives in this area are typically elected with only 40 per cent of the vote. That means 60 per cent of the voters don’t want them. Nationally, it is a much tighter race between Conservatives and Liberals, but that is not here. In this riding, you only elect your Member of Parliament, and in this riding it is the NDP versus the Conservatives. Conservatives get elected when the progressive voters split that 60 per cent between the NDP, the Greens and the Liberals. If we could pick up some votes from the Liberals and Green, we’ll go from second to first and we’ll win.”

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7 Pm

Norris: “I have voted strategically in the past and I’ve always kind of regretted it because I didn’t want that person to get in. Whatever happens, a vote for the Green party sends a message because we are perceived as the environmental party. It sends a message that as a Canadian you care a lot about environmental issues and the climate.”

“All we can do is hope we get electoral reform; proportional representation is more democratic. Our government does not do that and it leads to issues, polarization being one of them. I hate this system and I can understand why students feel that way; it’s a problem. I hope that if we all vote our values eventually things are going to turn around and reflect our values. But we have a very flawed system and it needs to be reformed.”

Q: What do you say to people who are concerned that a quick transition to a green economy is not realistic?

Card: “It’s not realistic if you have a government whose ear is completely listening to the corporate sector. If you have oil money flowing into your province and taking the ear of [the] government and creating very special favour for them, then of course it’s going to be difficult

an evening with ami mcKay Saskatoon Launch

Daughter of Family G

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 7 Pm

Supplied by People’s Party of Canada

For more information about the party platforms, see pg. 9

10/7/2019 /12:54:20 NEWS 3 PM

sheaf oct 17 to oct 23, 2019.indd 1

NEWS

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The ISA is MIA no more: International students look for advocacy outside U of S resources The association is back, now with a list of issues international students face.

J.C. BALICANTA NARAG

COPY EDITOR

The International Students’ Association reintroduced itself this year with a vision of tackling problems with tuition, racism and lack of inclusion at the University of Saskatchewan.

In one of the first ISA meetings of the year, six international students came together on Oct. 11 to discuss the issues they face both at the undergraduate and graduate level, and how to tackle them as an association. The ISA’s decision to regroup after dissolving in 2018 was to listen to students’ voices and bring their concerns to the forefront.

José Berkenbrock, a graduate student in electrical engineering and a member of the Brazilian Students’ Association, says that the ISA exists to fight for its international students because it is “something that our university office will never do” as they “have their agenda.”

When it last appeared back in 2017, the ISA strived to represent and advocate for U of S

international students. They disbanded after a year of inactivity, which has become a trend in the history of the ISA, due to lack of interest. Reportedly, this was in part because of miscommunication about the purpose of the association.

At the Oct. 11 meeting, the first topic discussed was the purpose of the group. Berkenbrock says that although there is the International Student and Study Abroad Centre, the international student population needs a representative body not associated with the university for advice on things like tuition and scholarships to assure their financial security.

“We don’t have any safety when we are here, so it’s really hard for the students to go for their studies,” Berkenbrock said.

Finances is just the tip of the iceberg for the issues international students face. ISA included seven other problems in the list they made during the meeting. These other concerns are: racism; lack of inclusion; information strategy and infor-

mation availability, which refers to students’ knowledge of how their tuition is allocated; accessibility of services, referring to the services offered by the university specifically for international students; the university bubble and sustainable progress.

ISA President Akinwande Akingbehin says that because of tuition increases and the number of scholarships open to international students remaining mostly unchanged, students are finding other ways to support themselves.

“You have to think of jobs to support yourself, but then … [it] adds stress on your academics, which sort of puts you in a vulnerable position to keep your finances going,” Akingbehin said.

Tuition increases hit international students the hardest, seeing as they pay almost three times what Canadian students pay. According to Akingbehin, students are confused as to how the tuition differential is allocated. Reportedly, some believe it goes to ISSAC to fund the extra services they offer.

“They have some events like Global Village,” Akingbehin said. “For some people, these services are not essential.”

According to Berkenbrock, there is a lack of information about why tuition is so high for international students. After his first two years in Canada, Berkenbrock began to question why the number of scholarships open to international students is low and why tuition is expensive, but he says his

questions have been left unanswered.

For Akingbehin, these issues are why members of ISA are taking responsibility for international students’ issues because “if the university doesn’t do anything, what are [international students] going to do?”

“We have to put pressure on [the university],” Akingbehin said. “At some point, we have to take ownership of [our issues].”

ISA members pose outside of U of S Place Riel on Oct. 14, 2019. | Victoria Becker/ Photo Editor

It's still unclear whether the university will meet the 2020 sustainability target The most recent data about U of S greenhouse gas emissions dates back to 2016.

ANA CRISTINA CAMACHO

NEWS EDITOR

The reductions in greenhouse emissions reported by the University of Saskatchewan in recent years have not been a result of actions undertaken by the university, but rather of outside forces.

With an upcoming deadline, the university has discussed plans for direct action.

In 2012, the University of Saskatchewan set a target in its Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 20 per cent below the 2006-07 rates by 2020. This is part of the university’s commitments as a signatory to the University and College Presidents’ Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada.

As of 2016, the university had decreased its emissions by a modest 1.1 per cent. With less than one year left until the 2020 deadline, the university has produced no further reports regarding their greenhouse gas emissions, leaving the 1.1 per cent reduction as their most recent update.

The lack of updated informa-

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tion on the subject has been a topic of conversation since earlier in the year when council member Claire Card brought up the outdated sustainability data during the January University Council meeting. In response, U of S President Peter Stoicheff said that the university “[expects] the reductions to be greater as [they] get more up to date data.”

At that meeting, Stoicheff also said that the 2016 information would be updated in a couple of months in reference to the university’s plans to release an updated Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report by early 2019. This update has not been released as of yet and the university did not respond to the Sheaf’s request for information in time for this article.

In the 2016 report, the greatest contributing factor for the 1.1 per cent reduction was not tied to the university’s actions but rather due to SaskPower’s use of cleaner energy, which factors into the university’s count. The other major factor for the reductions was the warmer winter weather, which resulted in less energy use

to heat university buildings.

The university is reportedly planning to take direct action to meet their sustainability target. Some of their plans for the future were discussed at the January and February council meetings, though not much is known about them at the moment.

These initiatives include a general “redoubling [of] efforts” by the President’s Sustainability Council and the creation of a sustainability position in the university administration.

The biggest initiative being researched is a $40-million cogenerational plant expected to reduce carbon emissions by 40,000 tons of CO² yearly, which the university is hoping to finance partly through a federal grant.

Among the sustainability developments that have been communicated to the public recently, the university received more than $1.5 million in federal funding in March to support a project to improve the energy efficiency of U of S buildings. The project is set to be completed by 2022 and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 4,000

tonnes per year by 2030.

Energy use in buildings is likely a key area for the university to tackle as they near the deadline for their 2012 Climate Action Plan, as opposed to building new infrastructure. This is mentioned in the U of S 2017 Annual Sustainability Report.

“In general, very little has changed in the university’s greenhouse gas emissions profile over the past few years. While our new buildings are more efficient … increased floor space, equipment, electricity usage and research intensity has offset any decrease in greenhouse gas emissions,” the report reads.

“In short, building new green buildings is not enough to outweigh the emissions created by growing electricity use.”

Kevin Hudson, energy and emissions officer in the Office of Sustainability, echoes this idea in a university release about this year’s Campus Sustainability Week, taking place at the U of S from Oct. 15 to 18.

“More than 85 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions are directly related to energy consumption in buildings,” Hudson said.

“If the university wants to reduce its emissions, there is no target more worthwhile than reducing energy use in our buildings.

Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor

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SPORTS&HEALTH

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

Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital opens amid increased media scrutiny Should addressing design concerns be considered as part of the building process?

NOAH CALLAGHAN STAFF WRITER

The opening of Saskatoon’s Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital last month had the potential to be a celebratory moment for the city. However, it was eclipsed by concerns over the hospital’s design having possible security and suicide risks.

The controversy began following the completion of the $285-million hospital in early September when some Saskatchewan psychiatrists who toured the new facility identified more than a dozen issues believed to be safety and suicide risks.

In a letter to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the group raised their concerns, some of which were poor sightlines at nursing stations, doors capable of being barricaded from the inside and an easily-opened fire exit door just steps from beds through which psychiatric patients could flee.

The criticisms regarding the design of the children’s hospital produced provocative headlines but successfully informed the public that the hospital would require ongoing development before opening to patients.

In preparation to moving patients into the hospital at the end of September, the SHA held a press conference announcing that contingency plans were in place to resolve these issues. At the announcement, SHA executive director of children’s provincial programs Carrie Dornstauder said that new issues have arisen because of the scale of the project, but the hospital has processes for continuous improvement.

Dornstauder said that they had a prioritized list of 599 action items to be resolved.

The identified tasks ranged from safety concerns labelled as “priority one” — needing to be fixed before the arrival of patients — to less important tasks like ordering extra computer monitors, for example.

SHA and College of Medicine’s interim provincial head of pediatrics, Dr. Ron Siemens, said that some of the concerns raised by the psychiatrists are not seen as major problems when hospital procedures are considered.

“The sightline really is dealt with already, and the nurse will be there as opposed to back at the station. The doors do break open one way when you move them up and they come off,” said Siemens.

“When you walk through, you might see it as a problem because you don’t know what processes we have in place,” Siemens said in defense of the hospital’s layout.

Following the press conference, the controversy could have ended as the SHA proved to be pragmatic and responsive to criticism, and the media fulfilled its duties to report on serious concerns. However, in the period prior to the patient move on Sept. 29, coverage continued focussing on the deficiencies of the hospital.

An article in The Saskatoon StarPhoenix by Zak Vescera highlighted that the hospital would open with only 66 of the 72 required full-time physicians.

Vescera was mailed an irate response to his article which he tweeted. The letter from “Dorothy & The Coffee Moms” asks, “Why don’t you try and say something positive for a change?”

In the SHA response to the psychiatrist’s concerns, one can see how a journalist’s obligation to report on issues not only informs the public but also places pressure on authorities to solve safety risks. In acknowledgment of that, it is easy to criticize the hospital’s issues that have been experienced during the initial development rather than viewing it as an important milestone in Saskatoon’s history.

The SHA held another press conference at the hospital following the successful move of 112 maternal and child patients and the first full day of operations on Sept. 29. The reporters in attendance immediately asked about the 599 action items.

Corey Miller, SHA vice-president of provincial programs, said that all priority one concerns were required to be completed before the move. After the reporters continued grilling him for the exact number of remaining issues, he finally redirected the conversation saying, “I think we’re here to talk about the move itself.”

Photo courtesy of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. | Lisa Landrie

The questions came back to the exact number of remaining issues, which Miller could not answer because many new issues had “come up on the fly” and been resolved during that first day.

“Any building of this magnitude and this size, there are going to be building challenges, design challenges,” said Miller. “We want to know what we can improve, and constantly improve for weeks, months and years to come.”

The press conference ended awkwardly as the reporter’s relentless requests for the exact list were cut off by a third person not on camera.

While it is absolutely critical that journalists report on public safety issues, in this case, the positive impact of the children's hospital on the Saskatoon community was not acknowledged.

In a written statement to the Sheaf, the SHA highlighted that safety and providing mental health services are

a top priority. And the new hospital also includes design features to promote a “soothing atmosphere.”

The hospital teams will continue taking concerns “very seriously” while working towards mitigating outstanding issues as they arise.

“Patient safety is paramount in the design of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital,” the statement said. “This facility will assist our teams in providing better, safer care in an improved environment.”

SPORTS & HEALTH / 5

SPORTS&HEALTH

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Week 7 NFL rundown Catch up with all the headlines, divisional breakdowns and preview this week’s big games.

TANNER MICHALENKO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Life in the National Football League is as unforgiving as it gets.

Each year, we see dreams, jobs and livelihoods shattered on a moment's notice. This past week in the league provided a perfect ex-

ample of just how cutthroat it is.

Before the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings game last week, Eagles starting linebacker Zach Brown was asked about his thoughts on former teammate and current Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

“For me, that’s probably the weakest part of their offense is him. Everything else is good,” said Brown.

Cousins took the bulletin board material provided by Brown and turned it into a four-touchdown, 333-yard-passing performance in the 38-20 Vikings victory.

Less than 24 hours after Cousins’ big day, the Eagles released Brown from the team.

Eagles team captain Malcolm Jenkins summed things up perfectly.

“I'm not surprised. When you lose, things change. Players come and go all the time,” said Jenkins.

Need-to-know headlines Since Cam Newton has been out with an injury, Kyle Allen and the Carolina Panthers scored 30.3 points a game, which is more than the 18.2 points they were scoring before Newton’s injury. A decision with heavy implications is looming over the Panthers once Newton is deemed healthy in the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns were leading the Seattle Seahawks 20-6 during the first quarter, before Russell Wilson led the ‘Hawks comeback with 19 unanswered points. The 32-28 win improves Seattle to 5-1 while the misery for the Browns continues, dropping to 2-4.

In Kansas City, it is now back-to-back losses for the Chiefs after their 31-24 loss to the Houston Texans. What makes matters worse for Chiefs fans is that both losses were suffered at home.

Moving along to San Francisco, the 49ers are 5-0 for the first time since 1990. This team has quietly become one of the most polished teams on both sides of the ball. QB Jimmy Garoppolo is quietly thriving in Kyle Shanahan's offensive system.

Lastly, how ‘bout them Cowboys? After starting the season 3-0, Dallas has now lost three straight games after last week’s lacklustre showing in New York against the Jets.

American Football Conference at a glance In the AFC East, the 6-0 New England Patriots are beating teams by an average margin of 23.6 points. There are 18 teams in the league who are averaging less than 23.6 points in a game — let that sink in. Behind the Patriots are the 4-1 Buffalo Bills, 1-4 New York Jets and 0-5 Miami Dolphins.

Across the country on the west side of the AFC, the Chiefs are now 4-2 after their recent troubles on their home field. The 3-2 Oakland Raiders are keeping them honest as the winners of their last two games while the 2-4 Denver Broncos are tied with the Los Angeles Chargers for last in the division.

On the north side of the conference, the 4-2 Baltimore Ravens hold sole control of first place with the Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers tied for second at 2-4. The 0-6 Cincinnati Bengals are not even worth the time you spent reading this sentence.

Heading south, the 4-2 Houston Texans lead the division with the 3-2 Indianapolis Colts on their heels. Both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans sit at 2-4.

National Football Conference at a glance In week five, the Jets lost to Philadelphia on the road and came back home for week six to beat the Eagles’ division rival Dallas Cowboys. Both teams — Philadelphia and Dallas — sit atop the NFC East division at 3-3. The 2-4 New York Giants and 1-5 Washington Deadskins.

In the west, the undefeated 49ers are one of the more surprising teams in the league. Their emergence has made a competitive NFC West even more so with the 5-1 Seattle Seahawks and 3-3 Los Angeles Rams, losers of three straight games, in contention for first place in the division. The Arizona Cardinals are last at 2-3-1.

The Green Bay Packers lead the NFC North at 5-1, while the 4-2 Minnesota Vikings are a close second play with the 3-2 Chicago Bears not far behind. In last place sits the 2-2-1 Detroit Lions, who are actually better than their record suggests after being robbed of a win at Green Bay last week.

Finally in the NFC South, the 5-1 New Orleans Saints just keep on winning. For four straight games, Saints fans have been pleasantly surprised with their team’s performance since QB Teddy Bridgewater took over duties for the injured Drew Brees. The 4-2 Panthers, who are also winners of four straight games, are keeping the pressure on the Saints while the 2-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 1-5 Atlanta Falcons are on the outside looking in.

Week 7 picks

Minnesota Vikings (-1) at Detroit Lions This is a big divisional matchup in the NFC North. The Lions are desperate for a win here after their second loss in a row last week in Green Bay while Minnesota comes into this one as winners of two straight. This game is a toss up. If you are not a fan of either team, just stay away from it as it is too early to trust the Vikings, even after an impressive showing against Philadelphia last week.

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-1) Both teams are coming off huge road wins against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Colts, however, will be well-rested as they played the Chiefs in week five and had their bye week last week while the Texans played Kansas City. The winner of this game will take full control of first place in the AFC South. I like the Colts here with extra rest, but Texans QB Deshaun Watson is playing at a very high level right now. If you have a stake in this game, bet on it. Otherwise, stay away and enjoy the game.

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Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor

Baltimore Ravens at Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) This is an interesting non-conference matchup between two good teams. As we know, winning a road game in Seattle is a tough task and makes Seattle favourable here. The point spread suggests that oddsmakers believe these teams are pretty evenly matched. It could very well be decided by less than a field goal which is why I like Baltimore and all the talent they carry. Take the Ravens here to keep it close.

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears (-3.5) Chicago enters this game with extra rest after their bye week last week, which helps their chances to take down the Saints, the winners of four straight games. On the road in an outdoor stadium, New Orleans is historically not the same team compared to at home inside their climate-controlled arena. Even given that disclaimer, bettors cannot come close to trusting Chicago. Take New Orleans and root for the Saints to keep on rolling.

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-3) On Sunday night football, the Eagles and Cowboys will battle it out in Dallas in front of a national audience. This is a classic NFC East matchup with first place on the line. The Cowboys are three-point home favourites, which tells bettors that these teams line up evenly against each other. The Eagles were run off the field last week in Minnesota and should be motivated to right the ship this week. This game will be decided by three points or less — take the Eagles.

Huskies Check-in Football (4-2, t-2nd) Most recent game: 49-21 win vs. Manitoba Bisons Upcoming game: @ UBC Thunderbirds on Oct. 19 Men’s Hockey (0-4, 2nd-last) Most recent game: 3-2 OT loss @ Alberta Golden Bears Upcoming: vs. Lethbridge on Oct. 18 and 19 Women’s Hockey (2-2, 4th) Most recent game: 2-1 win vs. Alberta Upcoming: @ Lethbridge Pronghorns on Oct. 18 and 19 Men’s Soccer (5-3-4, t-2nd) Most recent game: 1-0 win vs. Mount Royal Cougars Upcoming: @ Alberta Golden Bears on Oct. 19, @ MacEwan Griffins on Oct. 20 Women’s Soccer (7-2-3, t-1st) Most recent game: 1-0 win vs. Mount Royal Cougars Upcoming: @ Alberta Golden Bears on Oct. 19, @ MacEwan Griffins on Oct. 20 Men’s & Women’s Volleyball Both teams begin their season on the road at Calgary Dinos on Oct. 18 and 19

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The time is now for Huskies men’s soccer After a rough September, the Huskies are playing their best soccer when it matters most.

JOHANN JACOB

For the first time this season, the Huskies men’s soccer team had earned consecutive wins at a crucial point in the season.

This young team, which includes 12 first-year players, is heading into the final regular-season weekend after winning four straight games.

Before this winning streak, the team had not earned a win in their previous seven matches — four of which were ties.

“When we had those ties in mid-season, our performances were good and we were outshooting and out-chancing our opponents, but we were not being rewarded for the work,” said head coach Bryce Chapman.

“We have had a [long] season with a bunch of road games, so it is exciting to see the hunger this young group has.”

Last week was a monumental one for the team as they defeated the formerly second-place Calgary Dinos and then took down the first-place Mount Royal Cougars. As a result, the Huskies jumped ahead of Calgary in the standings to take the reins of second place in the prairie division heading into the final regular-season weekend of the year.

First-year midfielder Fraser McLeod scored in the 86th minute to earn the big win against Calgary.

“It is so awesome for the team. The momentum is finally going and things are clicking.

Three wins in a row now and we are moving up the standings," McLeod said after the big win against Calgary.

It was another second-half goal that pushed the Huskies past Mount Royal with fifthyear veteran Marcello Gonzalez scoring his first goal of the season. Gonzalez’s beautiful volley toppled the division leaders.

"It is unbelievable — I have been waiting to get a goal all season and I am happy it came [in] this game because I had a lot of family down to watch today," said Gonzalez, a Regina-native.

Supplied by GetMyPhoto.ca | Huskie Athletics

"I took a good first touch, it went up for a good volley on the weak foot and I just hit it — it came off my foot nicely."

A tough September month in a short season typically buries most teams in the Canada West conference and destroys any shot at post-season success.

Chapman ensures his squad will continue to improve on their impressive performances and will not lose focus as their games begin to carry higher stakes.

“We preach the same message since day one,” said Chapman.

“We want to make sure our performances are getting better, and when the performance gets better, results start to fall for the team.”

Chapman also points out the team’s young players are progressing in front of his own eyes.

“You can see this group is starting to mature and grind to pull off the win in tight games,” said Chapman. “We are focusing hard on training and not getting ahead of ourselves.”

The significance of these two wins against high-quality opponents cannot be understated.

Now winners of four straight games, the Huskies are in a prime position to host a home playoff game, as the top two seeds in each division earn that luxury.

“The guys are comfortable with the field and the crowd,” said Chapman. “Playing at home is a massive piece — we like playing on our home field in front of the fans and we are definitely going after the second spot [in the division].”

The Huskies will head to Edmonton to finish their regular season, with matches against the University of Alberta on Oct. 19 and MacEwan University on Oct. 20. The results of the final regular-season weekend of the year will dictate playoff seeding for the quarter-final matches to be played on Oct. 26.

Visit huskies.usask.ca to see if the Huskies secured a home playoff game after their final regular­season game at MacEwan.

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SPORTS & HEALTH / 7

FEATURE

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Canadian politics 101: Govern upcoming elections Lost in all the political talk this election season? Here's a translation.

House of Commons— September 2019

39 - NDP

95 - Conservative

177 - Liberal AQSA HUSSAIN

LAYOUT MANAGER

If you’re confused by the discussions and debates around the upcoming elections, have no fear — a political studies student is here to guide you through. If there’s anything useful I can do with the classes I have taken, it is to help students understand politics.

The upcoming federal election will decide who the next prime minister is, and in turn the political party that will be running government. This election is different from provincial governments, which are the deciders of the premiere for a province.

Section 91 and 92 of the Constitution Act of 1867 divided the powers of both jurisdictions by giving issues of national importance to the federal government and matters of local or provincial importance to provincial government.

The federal government has three main branches: executive, legislative and judicial. The judicial branch includes the supreme court. The legislative

8 / FEATURE

and executive are the focus of the upcoming election.

The executive branch is made up of the prime minister, and his cabinet — members of their party that they appoint to be ministers of various areas. Canada has a bi-cameral parliament, which means that there are two levels of the legislative branch: the House of Commons and the Senate. The Senate is made up of appointed representatives while the House of Commons consists of the elected members from the ridings across the country.

“

Unlike the United States, Canada is a multiparty system, meaning the election is not simply between two political parties but rather several parties. This means that a party could win the most seats but still have fewer than half of the 338 seats.

This component creates a distinction between a majority and a minority government. If the party has more than 169 seats, it is a majority government, and it becomes a minority government if they have less.

In the upcoming election, you will get the chance to vote for someone to get a seat in the House of Commons. There are 338 seats in the house, and the winner of the election is the political party who wins the most seats.

In the upcoming election, you will get the chance to vote for someone to get a seat in the House of Commons. There are 338 seats in the house, and the winner of the election is the political party who wins the most seats.

All graphics by Aqsa Hussain/ Layout Manager

”

The number of seats is important because the winning party still needs a majority of votes in the House of Commons to pass any bills. In the case of a minority government, the leading party will have to compromise more with the of-

ficial opposition: the party with the second most seats.

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, recently stated in an interview that if the Conservative party wins the most seats, he would consider a coalition government with the Liberal party. A coalition government takes place when two parties with a minority of seats join together in a majority to hold government together.

Singh would agree to this coalition to avoid a right-wing government. You’ve probably heard people mention the left or the right when referring to politics and have been confused as to what in the world they are saying. To make it comprehensible, political ideologies can be visualized across a spectrum.

Socialism is seen on the left, liberalism in the center and conservatism on the right. These three main ideologies take on different standpoints on a variety of areas. Generally, the left is focused on community or groups rather than individuals, which are the focus of liberalism and conservatism.

The left believes in public own-

10 - Bloc Québécois 8 - Independent 2 - Green Party 2 - CCF 1 - People’s Party

ership, meaning that the government owns key major industries like energy, for example. This ownership allows the government to regulate prices for basic necessities. The right, on the other hand, believes in private ownership in these industries.

The farther right you go, the less control the government has.

The centre or the ideology of liberalism is just as it sounds — a middle ground between the two opposing ideologies. In reality, the actual political parties like the Conservatives or the NDP align themselves somewhere along this spectrum, but their policies can bring them more left or right than the ideology on the spectrum.

Now that you understand how Canadian politics works, here’s a helpful table on where each party stands on important issues. The key issues highlighted here are education, climate change and environment because of the current student-led climate movement, Indigenous rights because of Saskatchean’s large Indigenous population, and healthcare because of the importance of mental health for students.

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nment, parties and the

FEATURE

Political parties and where they stand on important issues Green Party of Canada Leader: Elizabeth May • Education: Work toward abolishing tuition, forgiving student debt over $10,000, increase federal student grants by 25 per cent for master’s and PhD students and ban unpaid internships.

• Climate change and environment: Aim to have net-zero emissions by 2050, get rid of fossil fuel subsidies, halt new fossil fuel development projects, ban single-use products, protect 30 per cent of freshwater, oceans and land reserves, expand marine protected areas, phase out the country’s export of solid waste to other countries, plant 10 billion trees over 30 years and regulate File | Riley Deacon microfibres.

• Indigenous rights: Dismantle the Indian Act and allow Indigenous peoples to self-govern, put United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples under Canadian law, implement Calls to Action for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry, work towards clean drinking water and end boil water advisories.

• Healthcare: Create a Pharmacare and dental plan, fund programs targeting LGBTQ2S+ mental health, create a national mental health strategy, develop a national drug reduction plan to mitigate cases of over-medication, declare opioid crisis as a national health emergency, end the ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men.

New Democratic Party Leader: Jagmeet Singh • Education: Work toward abolishing tuition, remove interest on federal portion of student loans, expand education to benefit veterans and implement a national school nutrition program.

• Climate change and environment: Cut 450 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, ban single-use plastic by 2022, increase support fund for communities affected by natural disasters, implement a national freshwater strategy, get rid of fossil fuel subsidies, protect a minimum of 30 per cent of land, freshwater and oceans by 2030 and maintain the File | Heywood Yu carbon tax.

• Indigenous rights: Implement UNDRIP, create a national council for reconciliation, implement all calls to action from the MMIWG inquiry and Truth and Reconciliation, get rid of drinking water advisories by 2021 and create a comprehensive plan to combat violence against Indigenous women, girls and LBTQ2S+ people.

• Healthcare: Create universal Pharmacare by 2020, create a national suicide prevention plan, create a national autism strategy, improve access to services like primary care and abortions, add dental care to the Canada Health Act, create a national dental care plan and declare the opiod crisis a national emergency.

Liberal Party of Canada Leader: Justin Trudeau • Education: Work to make student loans interest free for two years after graduation, implement a system where student payment on loans are put on hold until they are earning $35,000 a year and increase federal student grants.

• Climate change and environment: Work towards net-zero emissions by 2050, plant two billion trees, protect 25 per cent of land and oceans by 2025, ban single-use plastics by 2021, invest profit from the Trans Mountain Expansion Project towards climate solutions and clean energy, and maintain the carbon tax.

• Indigenous rights: Implement UNDRIP File | Heywood Yu under Canadian law, get rid of drinking water advisories by 2021, implement Indigenous Languages Act, reduce the number of Indigenous children in foster care and ensure availability of culturally-relevant healthcare and mental health service.

• Healthcare: Add $6 billion to healthcare funding, set national standards to ensure all Canadians have access to primary care and mental health services, end the ban on blood donations of men who have sex with men, take steps toward a national Pharmacare plan, expand access to medical assisted dying, invest $700 million to increase access to drug treatments and fight meth and opioid addictions.

Conservative Party of Canada Leader: Andrew Scheer • Education: Boost the Registered Education Savings Plan, have a mandate by which free speech culture must be maintained in post-secondary institutions in order for them to receive federal funding and create a program for post-school international students to help them stay in Canada.

• Climate change and environment: Focus on green technology, offer credit to encourage green renovations to homeowners, get rid of the carbon tax, follow through with the Paris agreement targets, create emission standards for major emitters, end the pracFile | Heywood Yu tice of dumping sewage in waterways and negotiate changes to increase energy efficiency in trucking while researching eco-friendly transportation development.

• Indigenous rights: Create national action plan on MMIWG, work with Indigenous communities developing energy resources and ensure infrastructure plans involve Indigenous consultation.

• Healthcare: Invest $50 million in creating a national autism strategy, invest further in medical imaging technology, increase the Canada Health Transfer by three per cent annually and make Disability Tax Credit easier to qualify for.

*Bloc Québécois Leader: Yves-François Blanchet • Education: Make transfer payments to the rest of Canada to help with education and university research and ask for federal investments for job training programs in Quebec.

• Climate change and environment: Get rid of fossil fuel subsidies, reform equalization to create incentives to tackle climate change, reshape the carbon tax, shift income tax to green taxation and implement a Quebec veto on pipelines that run through the province.

• Indigenous rights: Aim to implement UNDRIP. • Healthcare: Increase health transfers to Quebec from federal government. *Bloc Québécois only has candidates in the province of Quebec

People’s Party of Canada Leader: Maxime Bernier • Education: Act against federal intervention into education, which is under provincial jurisdiction.

• Climate change and environment: Do “nothing” to deal with climate change, withdraw from Paris accord, get rid of green subsidies and leave climate change to be addressed by the private sector.

• Indigenous rights: Change or abolish the Indian Act, create a new relationship with First Nations groups and respect past treaties.

• Healthcare: Replace the Canada Health Transfer to tax points which would let provinces Supplied by the People’s Party Of Canada take more control of their healthcare, and seek more options to expand privatized healthcare.

Supplied by Bloc Québécois

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Which political candidate is secretly the Lorax?

Climate change is no joke so here’s an in-depth analysis of each party’s platform on it.

GAVIN ROBERTSON

Keeping up with the promises of each prime minister candidate feels like straining spaghetti in a colander with holes that are just too big.

With influential teenagers like Greta Thunberg and Autumn Peltier putting climate action at the forefront for a new generation of voters, the pressure is on for politicians to deliver.

To make sure you get the scoop on who’s on your side, here’s a recap on what each political candidate has in store for the environment.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberals plan to continue with the nation-wide ban on single-use plastics by 2021 and aspire for a net-zero emissions rate by 2050.

Seeing as the oil and gas industry is Canada’s largest contributor to greenhouse gases, this goal would require a large amount of money and effort and would leave no room for the industry.

Ambitions are important, but this seems a tad underbaked.

The Liberals are being criticized for some of their long-term goals because their short-term goal of cutting emissions by 224.7 megatonnes by 2030 is looking unlikely. However, when compared to Jagmeet Singh and the NDP’s goal of cutting emissions 450 megatonnes of by the same year, the Liberal’s goal seems a bit more feasible.

Singh also looks to protect

10 / CULTURE

A crowd of climate activists, some holding politically aimed signs, rally for the Global Climate Strike at Saskatoon City Hall on Sept. 27, 2019 | Victoria Becker/ Photo Editor

at least 30 per cent of Canada’s freshwater, oceans and land by 2030 and abandon the Trans Mountain Pipeline project, a project approved under the current Liberal government to facilitate oil transportation. While the NDP is striving for a single-use plastic ban as well, their cut-off date is 2022 as part of a broader strategy for waste reduction.

Andrew Scheer and the Con-

servative party have far fewer goals concerning the climate.

While the other parties have turned their focus to grander goals, Scheer looks to bring back the public transit credit. This is attractive to university students, but the party’s other goals are lacklustre by comparison.

Scheer released the Conservative climate action plan involving the strategy called “green tech-

nology, not taxes.” It also promises to “increase the availability and use of renewable fuels and to decrease the carbon intensity of Canada’s fuel mix,” but leaves out any specific plans for reaching these goals.

Conservatives also look to set standards for emitters producing more than 40 kilotonnes of greenhouse gases per year, but evaluations of these plans deduce it would make it virtually impossible for any future government to achieve the Paris Agreement conditions Canada committed to. After refusing to participate in a climate debate this week, it looks like the Conservatives don’t see this as a priority.

It’s no surprise that the Green party has the most ambitious

plans for climate action. Elizabeth May aims for a 60 per cent reduction below 2005’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The Green party, like the NDP, endeavours to protect 30 per cent of Canada’s freshwater, oceans and land by 2030. They also have a plastic ban of their own in-store, specifying which plastics have simply got to go — styrofoam and cigarette filters are included in this plan.

In news that will surely please Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, May and her party promise to cease Canada’s exporting of solid waste to other countries. No more declarations of war over poorly managed garbage for this country if May is elected prime minister.

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CULTURE

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Trial and error: First anniversary of legalized cannabis marked by need for policy improvement Rushed implementation of rules and regulations impact legal and illegal sellers alike.

NOAH CALLAGHAN STAFF WRITER

Oct. 17 marks one year since Canada first legalized the recreational adult use of cannabis.

To understand how the new laws impact the people most invested in this issue, the Sheaf interviewed a cannabis store manager, a local drug dealer and an expert on Saskatchewan cannabis policy.

Carter Janzen is the manager at the Living Skies Cannabis located in downtown Saskatoon, and he has been working at the licensed retailer since legalization. He believes that legalization felt “rushed as a whole” when recalling the supply shortages and expensive price of flowers in the first months after opening.

One of the biggest changes Janzen has seen is his cus-

tomers' growing acceptance of paying more money, including taxes, while shopping at a licensed store.

“People are understanding that it's not on the retailers, but it's on the licensed producers and government to fix this stuff,” Janzen said.

Janzen believes the biggest improvement to policy was Saskatoon’s city council vote to reduce the cannabis store licensing fee from $10,000 to $85 last summer. But he says what really needs to be fixed is packaging regulations that create bulky containers and plastic waste.

“I think it could be a very simple improvement of clear vacuum-sealed bags and even consider biodegradable packaging to stop all this waste from coming out,” Janzen said.

Saskatchewan cannabis policy expert Jerome Konecsni is

also critical of the pace in which the legalization was implemented. He says that although the government planned clear objectives in its policy, it has few ways of measuring whether these goals have been successfully attained.

“One could argue 'What was the rush?' and 'Why not decriminalize it first?' to reduce the cost of enforcement,” Konecsni said.

“And if you used that money to ask those questions beforehand, you wouldn’t have implemented [the licensing fee] in the first place.”

Konecsni says that improving the appeal of legal cannabis stores depends on continuing to make legal cannabis more competitive through price reduction.

“If you have a regular illegal supplier and you were happier with the price of their prod-

ucts and they were consistent, you’re relatively comfortable,“ said Konecsni. “It’s the relationship where you get a comfort in terms of quality and safety, so that’s where customer loyalty is a barrier.”

Local Saskatoon black market drug dealer who chose the alias of Ghost for this story, says prices for illegal cannabis dropped this past year from $180 an ounce to nearly $100, largely from a mutual consensus among his customers.

“Like people younger than me and guys older than me, they all seem to realize that that’s the price that they should be paying for it,” Ghost said.

Ghost says individuals are drawn to illegal dealers because of their accessibility after licensed store hours, and the biggest change this year has been dealers moving to social media

platforms like Snapchat to sell their products.

More policy and regulation challenges are sure to come as cannabis edibles become legal on Oct. 17 even though they won’t be hitting store shelves until mid-December.

Although Janzen will be selling the new products, he believes that the new policies are only going to exacerbate the plastic waste issue.

“They made this regulation that you can only have 10 milligrams of THC per package,” Janzen said. “Say if you’re buying a gummy and you want five of them, you have to buy five separate packages.”

Konecsni also wonders if strict packaging regulations will be enough to not entice children rather than the government doing more to educate the public.

“Investing in education and innovation research with a certain portion of the revenue generated should be devoted to [raise awareness] … to help improve the safety, the regulation and our understanding of [legal cannabis],” Konecsni said.

“You haven’t heard anybody in the election campaign talk about investing in research and public education,” he added.

Ghost feels impartial to the legalization of edibles because “they don’t affect him” and he has never sold those products.

Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor

Spotlight on conservative students Through the party, Conservative students have gained experience working on a campaign.

NYKOLE KING

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Only once in four years will partisan students get the chance to experience a federal election during their undergrad.

The University of Saskatchewan Campus Conservatives have been busy with door knocking off campus for the three local Conservative candidates.

“My GPA hurts,” laughs Jared Campbell, a third-year international studies student and president of the USCC, while talking of the time he spent campaigning.

While it is a whirlwind, the experience is invaluable, especially if they see themselves entering politics in the future.

Almost 15 students are campaigning for the potential Members of Parliament. Some of them working almost full time at Brad Redekopp’s campaign office. The riding of Saskatoon–West is currently held

by Sheri Benson of the NDP but it is said to be a close race and Conservatives have their sights set on it.

“All these Conservative politicians, they really enjoy working with the youth and they have a lot of faith in us. And it is more difficult to find Conservative youth, so when they do find someone who’s willing to help them out, they are very appreciative,” Campbell said.

Through their involvement in the party, the students can develop their professional skills — Campbell even had the

chance to work for MP Kelly Block of Carlton Trail–Eagle Creek in Ottawa last summer.

But while they are finding success in the party, their campus outreach can be more difficult. As the Conservative students booth in the Arts Tunnel, they are facing hostility with some people walking by and hurling insults their direction.

“There’s a very bad perspective of Conservatives across campus. They think very badly of us, that we’re bigots, homophobes,” Campbell said. “We’re a very inclusive party.”

He says the USCC face “systematic suppression” on campus. First, it took weeks of work to redo their constitution in order to become ratified by the students’ union. Then, because

they are defined as a third party, they aren’t able to advertise with posters around campus.

Despite the challenges they face, the USCC continues to reach out to the community

and try to grow their numbers.

“We’re not talking anything radical, all we want is a nice fiscally responsible government, that’s the uniting factor of us.”

Supplied by the University of Saskatchewan Campus Conservatives

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Greystone Theatre’s production of Frankenstein kicks off their new season with a bang This production is the first of four Mainstage performances put on by the university theatre.

KAITIE MOXNESS

With Halloween fast approaching, Greystone Theatre has just the play to put audiences in the mood for all things spooky.

The University of Saskatchewan drama department has started off their season with Frankenstein; or the Man and the Monster, an 1826 adaptation of the classic Mary Shelley novel. The company brings this iconic tale to life with intensity and honesty.

Kaylub Sinclair — who plays Frankenstein — takes the audience on a journey of raw and powerful emotions. He commands the stage, capturing the excitement and horror that Frankenstein’s story demands.

His intensity is matched by the Monster, who is played by Max Folk.

Although the Monster never speaks, he tells the woeful story of a life full of misunderstanding. You can’t help but pity the Monster, even as he wreaks havoc and terror to anyone he encounters.

The play is rich with uncomfortable emotions. Throughout the two acts, actors who are not in the current scene sit at the back end of the stage and watch, evoking the spine-tingling feeling that you’re being watched. Director Dwayne Brenna says this is exactly what he had in mind.

Brenna wants the audience to feel that “other people’s eyes are always on you. We wanted that sort of paranoid atmosphere.”

This uneasy, paranoid ambience created by the ever-watchful eyes of the cast is accentuated by the percussion and sound effects they perform as they sit on the sidelines. Using simple instruments like drums and bells, the cast creates a vivid soundtrack to match the intense storytelling.

At one point, it feels as though the whole theatre has been struck by a great and terrible thunderstorm. The set is minimal but in its simplicity, it forces the audience to be imaginative and engaged.

Such an intense and dark story demands at least a few moments of comic relief. These

much needed moments are delivered by the characters of Strut, Lisetta and Quadro. They are played by Adam Tweidt, Kayla Perkins and Nicholas Porelli, respectively.

This brash trio breaks up the terror with intelligent humour while also providing a sort of recap of the previous events.

Their delightful banter is refreshing and serves to contrast the brooding terror of Frankenstein’s story. Tweidt’s performance as Frankenstein’s cheeky yet loyal servant stands out as an example of the drama department’s standard of excellence.

This is just the beginning of the drama department’s season, and there are lots of exciting things in store. Next up is Playhouse Creatures by April de Angelis. It is directed by Julia Jamison and tells the story of five young actresses in the classical period. This show will open in November.

Greystone’s production of Frankenstein; or the Man and the Monster runs from Oct. 9 to 19 in the John Mitchell Building on the U of S campus.

Frankenstein (played by Kaylub Sinclair) stands over the monster (played by Max Folk) during Frankenstein; or the Man and the Monster media call at the U of S Greystone Theatre in the John Mitchell Building on Oct. 8, 2019. | Tomilola Ojo/ Culture Editor

saskatoon’s community raDio

funDraising Drive

Shit on the Sheaf THE SHEAF

Since 1912, the University of Saskatchewan student newspaper has been a formidable presence across campus as the journalistic voice for the student body.

As the years have come and gone, so too has the perceived quality of the Sheaf.

Nowadays, students are paying $8.88 each term for the Sheaf, yet few students would consider going out of their way to pick up the paper and give it a gander.

People, you are literally paying for this paper. We publish a new issue each week with localized coverage on News, Sports and Health, Culture and of course, Opinions. Think you can do better? Then reach out and contribute.

Until that happens, you can shit on us all you want. With that said, let us take a look through some anonymous “shits” on the Sheaf.

“Wait, people read this?”

Surprisingly enough, yes. Why don’t you join the educated masses?

12 / CULTURE

Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor

“This paper isn’t good for anything but wiping your ass.”

Yikes. You wipe your ass with the paper? That doesn’t seem very comfortable. I mean, I know we’re all broke and money is tight and all, but if you need toilet paper that bad you can just snag one from a campus bathroom. It’s not much of a step up but I don’t think anyone would mind.

I can’t imagine the chaffing.

“I don’t like the texture of the paper.”

I hope it’s not for its wiping purposes. Just for you, we’ll introduce a perforated issue.

Or you could just read it online.

“Y’all are so elitist.”

We’re the gum stuck on the

bottom of the shoes of the elitist, but you can always find something shiny in a pile of garbage, right?

“How can I roll joints with this shit?”

You can’t. It isn’t slow b ­ urning, it’s not thin enough and honestly, if you smoked the ink, you might get poisoned.

But if you actually want to learn, talk to our staff writer.

“It makes for the perfect gift wrapping paper for Christmas — keep it up.”

Hey, this isn’t a dig but we can use the moral support so thanks.

To keep shitting on the Sheaf, email culture@thesheaf. com. Who knows, it might be the start of your journalism career.

early BirD DeaDline Oct 21!

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Nov 8! keeP local volunteer- Powered radio alive

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cfcr.ca

Fall brings with it the anticipation for many things — the start of a new school year, the first football game and of course, scrumptious pumpkin pie. But for me, another kind of anticipation has been building for nearly a year now. On Oct. 21, I will have the opportunity to vote for the first time.

My excitement is insatiable, which means almost every conversation I’ve had since the start of the school year — whether that be with new people or old friends — is opened with the question, “Have you registered to vote?”

In one such conversation, a fellow student asked me an honest question, “Does my vote even count?”

I’m sure this question has crossed many of our minds, and it’s not surprising. It seems to me that politics have failed to engage young people, resulting in a historical under-representation and exclusion of young people from the electoral process.

Just take the Saskatoon– University riding — how much time have candidates taken to get to know students on campus?

The 2019 election marks an important moment: for the first time, young people — millennial and Generation Z

voters — make up the largest voting bloc in the country.

That’s us! With the numbers behind us, we have the power to bring light to the issues we care about.

That’s precisely the reason why I got involved with Future Majority, a national nonpartisan organization with the goal of engaging young people in the democratic process. Being in the leading position of canvassing at the University of Saskatchewan campus, I’ve been having many conversations with young people about their concerns and have been encouraging them to pledge to vote.

A common theme from these conversations are students expressing uncertainty as to whether their concerns are valid in a federal election.

Of all the issues that affect us as a generation — the insane cost of living, constantly increasing tuition, inequalities and lack of climate action, for starters — the government plays an important role in addressing them.

Moreover, these issues are nonpartisan and they must be acknowledged and addressed by every party. For example, the rising cost of tuition, an issue that affects access to education, means students have to work jobs — often more than one — to make ends meet and are still leav-

ing school with significant student debt.

I know this issue deeply resonates with my friends and fellow students on campus, as it does with students across the country. So, why don’t all parties and candidates have a plan to address the cost of tuition and student debt?

Working with Future Majority has been a powerful reminder that we young people are concerned about the future of our country and we are listening.

But to elect accountable governments that are willing to recognize our concerns and fight for them, we must engage in the political process beyond casting our votes.

We must attend town halls, have conversations with our friends and family about politics and become informed of who is running in our riding.

We must find what matters to them as candidates and how they plan to include young people.

Everyone has the right to engage with the political process. So let’s show politicians that in order to get elected, they must meaningfully engage with young people across Canada. Treat this election as a midterm that counts towards your academic career — because our individual success in voting matters to our country’s success as a whole.

Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor

Keep your local members of parliament in mind when you head to the polls this year.

sE dito r

It’s our generation’s time to get involved in politics and make sure our voices are heard.

Choose an MP, not a political party

Gr ap hic

We young people have the power in this election VAIDEHEE LANKE

OPINIONS

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S

ERIN MATTHEWS OPINIONS EDITOR

In case you missed the memo, it's election time once again. In Canada, this process is — thankfully and mercifully — short. The Parliament was dissolved on Sept. 11 and the general election will be held Oct. 21. If you were really gungho for politics, perhaps you hit the advance polls this past Thanksgiving weekend.

The short campaign period means that local would-be Members of Parliament have a little over a month to get their names, faces and messages out for voters to digest. In some ways, this gives incumbents a bit of an advantage as they have had the past four years to work on their platform full-time. It also helps that they have a solid staff behind them to build a brand.

And yet people are generally more familiar with a party’s main identity than with their potential local representatives.

And if Canadians have a person in mind when they are going to the polls, it’s often the party leader, not the local rep, that garners attention. This is a problem.

If you are voting for — or worse, against — a party leader, this means that local candidates don’t get the recognition and vetting they perhaps deserve.

Outside of the magical realm of politics, a former drama teacher or an unlicensed insurance representative are truly unlikely candidates for that solid sixfigure pay-cheque that comes with a leadership role of a large organization. And yet here we are.

Some of this has to do with internal party politics and there’s little an outsider can do

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about that, unless you decide to join a political party and make some waves. But that doesn’t mean a regular voter should just give up.

Whatever party banner your local MP runs under, they have a lot more importance than just being a human representation of green, red, orange or blue.

A good MP recognizes they represent 100 per cent of the people in their riding, despite earning less than that in votes.

That means they know they will have to step up to the plate and fight for their constituents — even if their political leaning differs.

A good MP will fight for you in a variety of situations, like if your permanent resident renewal gets held up in the queue, or simply help you navigate a myriad of government programs.

A bad MP will take pictures of the snow piled outside their office to question climate change or be accused of creating fraudulent party memberships.

So, on Oct. 21, choose a good MP and not a faceless name who happens to be the default representative of the party leader of your choice. By vetting your local candidates and voting on merit, perhaps we can usher in change. At the very least, know that you are stuck with these people for the next four years.

This year, it might be time to look past party spin and posturing political leaders, and instead choose local MPs based on their personal résumés, values and strengths. Forget the allure of their party’s communication strategy because the last thing this country — and perhaps the world — needs right now is more unqualified personalities at the helm of it.

OPINIONS / 13

OPINIONS

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Have Canadian politicians lost sight of the big picture?

Do the candidates have a vision for the future?

MEGHAL MEGHAL

It seems to me that most political leaders are so busy playing the dirty politics card that they don’t seem to address the real issues — like systematic discrimination. This negligence of the leaders has resulted in a disappointing and shameful neglect of more important problems.

The 2019 election campaign has made it difficult for voters to make up their minds when it comes to choosing the best leader as candidates continue to try and get a leg up on each other.

I would say that the current political scenario speaks for itself. The 43rd federal elections is nothing short of a blessing for Canadians — with Trudeau and Scheer being the only pragmatic possibilities, Canada will continue to exist as a centrist-governed state on the political map of the world.

Perhaps there may be a few symbolic changes needed to win over some voters, but in the end, the stakes they are fighting for have been lowered

by the current course of this hilarious election campaign.

Several skeletons have come out of their closet, with Justin Trudeau’s blackface and brownface scandal being the darkest of all. The blackface scandal, a loud message of intolerance and discrimination, is seemingly a facile opportunity for his counterparts to target his image.

Trudeau’s enemies are so focused on defaming him that they did not stop to take a look at their own reflections. The left-of-Liberal New Democratic Party is currently under pressure to remove candidate Miranda Gallo, who can be seen — in a screenshot pulled from a YouTube video — affixing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions labels to Israeli sourced merchandise on a store’s shelf.

Likewise, the Greens have been caught photoshopping a picture of Elizabeth May holding a disposable cup, replacing the offending item with a reusable cup and a metal straw.

And Scheer, who now certainly seems to condemn Trudeau’s actions, has a questionable

track record when it comes to social issues like women’s health and the LGBTQ community.

Earlier this year, an inquiry into Missing and Murderered Indigineous Women and Girls was closed by a report determining the violence as an ongoing genocide. One might logically reason that an ongoing genocide within the Canadian borders is a far more important election issue than tax cuts. But it seems that Canadian politics cannot resist the forces of populism.

The leaders of every federal party are putting their best effort into coming up with content that brings in the most likes on social media before people move onto the Kardarshians and Donald Trump.

In a nutshell, the election campaign — which could be more appropriately categorized as hashtag wars — is just another hour of toxic partisan politics for our candidates.

The truth is that they are not ready to initiate a dialogue on critical issues which remain dormant and unsettled. The distressing turmoil of events

happening in Canada is not only a shout-out to hilarious narrow-mindedness, but also

a message that our leaders lack the vision to build a better tomorrow for us.

Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor

The Scandon’ts in Canadian politics The federal election is fraught with politicians’ personal scandals.

CAMERON DUFORT

Since the birth of Canada in 1867, politicians have found themselves in all manners of scandal. Even Sir John A. Macdonald himself was accused of taking bribes in the early days of Canadian politics.

Although historical scandals are incredibly interesting, it’s the modern day scandals that matter to us as voters in the upcoming election. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau found himself

in deep trouble regarding the SNC-Lavalin scandal, and more recently, having been caught up in an uproar surrounding blackface and brownface makeup he wore in 2001.

Of course, Trudeau isn’t the only candidate in this election that has found themselves in hot water. Andrew Scheer has been under fire due to some dubious details about his status as an insurance broker prior to his engagement in politics.

While the other leaders have been met with critique

Shawna Langer / Graphics Editor

14 / OPINIONS

and trouble of their own — Jagmeet Singh for his ties to India, and Elizabeth May for her team’s impressive photoshop — the main attention should lie on the two leaders who have parties holding over 30 per cent of the vote.

Trudeau has been asking Canadians to forgive his instances of blackface and brownface since the news broke of his inappropriate behaviour back in 2001 when he was 29 years old. More photos from his days in high school were leaked as well.

I am all for forgiving people for stuff they have done in their youth, even the several images of his racist garb from when he was a teenager, which could be looked over as immaturity of youth.

However, at 29 and in the role of a teacher, Trudeau doning brownface for an Aladdin costume goes above and beyond the line of stupid shit. He was trusted with the role of shaping children, and then he did something rudely racist and publicly unprofessional.

Beyond this, it truly rides the line of hypocrisy for Trudeau as somebody who presents himself as a champion of diversity. To be fair, his blackface was prior to his political career and I agree that people can change, but his lack of absolute honesty combined with the other scandal of the past two years — SNC-Lavalin for starters — is telling.

I’d say Justin Trudeau is turning out to be a lot worse of a leader than anyone anticipated.

Now, nobody is perfect and Andrew Scheer is not one without his scandal either.

Recently, he’s been under fire for some suspicious details regarding his alleged insurance salesman experience as well as his inherited status as an American citizen.

It was revealed earlier this month that Scheer holds a dual Canadian-American citizenship and has only recently started the process to renounce his American status. He claimed that he made the decision in 2017 after be-

ing nominated as the party’s leader. However, he didn’t file to waive his citizenship until a month prior to the beginning of his election campaign in August this year.

Which begs the question of why? He has been a politician for 15 years, but he has only embraced full Canadian citizenship this year?

Scheer claimed to have been an insurance broker prior to securing his place in politics at the age of 25, however, it appears he had never finished his courses to be a full on broker. This really puzzles me — it just seems like a silly thing to lie about given that he’s on the docket as potential prime minister of Canada.

It’s a terrible move for the leader of the opposition. Canadians don’t want a PM who equivocates and obscures facts to try and make himself seem better, right?

I guess the lesson to be learned here is to keep your eyes and ears open — our elected officials may never be as they seem.

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Still undecided? This quiz will guide you through the elections Your favourite high school class: A. History B. Physical education C. English D. Science E. Detention

What colour of shirt are you wearing?

A. Black B. I’m not wearing a shirt with my six-pack C. Tie-dye D. Green E. Plaid

Do

A. Re B. Mi C. Fa D. So E. La

Pick a holiday destination: A. Regina, SK B. Toronto, ON C. St. John’s, NL D. Victoria, BC E. Anywhere the pipeline goes

Pipe?

A. Oil B. Marijuana C. Illicit drugs D. Tobacco E. Money Mostly As: Conservative Mostly Bs: Liberals Mostly Cs: NDP Mostly Ds: Green Party Mostly Es: PPC

DISTRACTIONS / 15

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