Inside:
Suiting Up: A Guide to Applying to Professional School Laurier’s Prospective Competitive Advantage Getting to Know Laurier’s Ethics Board Much More...
FALL 2009
Contents 4
Suiting Up Brady McLeod
5 Laurier’s Prospective Competitive Advantage Clark Chami 6 How to Captain the Leadership Burton Lee 7 An Interview with Alan Quarry Entrepreneur in Residence Gabriel McCrae 8 The Executive Development Weekend: The Link Erich Stilling 9 The World Can Be Yours AIESEC 10 Getting to Know Laurier’s Ethics Board Gourav Sathe
Contributors Brady McLeod Brady McLeod is a Wilfrid Laurier University graduate who is currently studying Law at Queen’s University. During his years at WLU, Brady was an Executive Editor for the Atrium Media Group.
Burton Lee Burton Lee is a fourth year Kinesiology student who is the AVP: First Year Experience for WLUSU and was the Co-ordinator of O-week.
Erich Stilling Erich Stilling is a Wilfrid Laurier graduate from the BBA program with a concentration in Accounting and a minor in Economics. He is former President of The Link, a student-run organization within the School of Business & Economics at WLU.
11 PRISM: More than Just Renting Laptops Aamir Mirza 12 The Worst Feeling Ever... When You Miss Your Flight Abhishek Sarathy 13 Communicative Castaways Robb Farago 14 With Glowing Hearts Antonietta Petrella 14 Requiring Passion From our Professors Robb Farago 15 Tweeting, Good for the Soul Lauren Neal 2
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From the Editor-In-Chief...
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t’s hard to believe that we’re already into the final month of the semester, that our final exams are just weeks away, and most importantly, that we’ll all be going away for Christmas soon! Sometimes however, it’s important to step back and take notice of the lives we’re living. Most people would agree that their university years were the best phases of their life, possibly due to the highly unpredictable, fast-paced, (perhaps disorganized), and care-free nature of our lifestyles. One of the most important plus points of our university is that it has one of the finest Gourav Sathe Student Union’s, and is one of the best spirited post-secondary student Editor-In-Chief environments. The competitive nature of our WLUSU interviews, exgsathe@sbeatrium.com ecution of school spirit events such as Orientation Week and Laurier Day are a testament to this. As you will see, AMG’s Fall issue is focused on recognizing various extracurricular student organizations that have been instrumental in fostering career development workshops, events and conferences at Laurier. What’s really commendable is that all functional areas in our clubs are student-managed, right from treasury and human resources to marketing. Our University years will not come back, and here is a chance get involved with various extracurricular alternatives. The practical experience, development of your skills, time for social networking, and industry contacts that you will garner from your volunteer experience will be critical to building your career portfolio and skill inventory. Wilfrid Laurier is a stepping stone for you, to explore the world and to fulfill your dreams.
The key is to Think Big, Work Smart and Play Hard!
From the Vice President...
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hey say time flies when you’re having fun, and The Atrium Media Group has fully witnessed this notion as we have definitely had an exciting fall semester trying to expand our readership base, while putting together our Fall Issue. A lot of time and effort goes into creating our issues and we hope you enjoy reading them and benefit from all that they have to offer. We have tried to appeal to all faculties by producing a more diverse magazine including a variety of different topics. As we keep expanding we hope Lauren Neal to continue capturing the news, views and culture of the Laurier comVice President munity through interesting information, photography and video produclneal@sbeatrium.com tions. What’s next for AMG? We would love to draw more attention to our website by focusing on our I LOVE MEDIA because... campaign. As well, watch for our blogging discussions on our website as they’re sure to spark debate and provide entertainment! The Atrium Media Group is near and dear to my heart and I hope that you’ll find something to love about it too.
Abhishek Sarathy PRESIDENT Lauren Neal EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT HUMAN RESOURCES Gabriel McCrae VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING Gourav Sathe EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Aamir Mirza MANAGING EDITOR Clark Chami MANAGING EDITOR Antonietta Petrella DESIGN EDITOR Naomi De Marchi PROMOTIONS Sarah Eaton MARKETING MANAGER Yi Feng Yan PHOTOGRAPHY Rochelle Heinrichs WEB DESIGN Kyle Coulter DESIGNER Erin Gulas VIDEO PRODUCTIONS Robb Farago WRITER & BLOGGER Simar Badi LAYOUT ASSISTANT Angela Van Roon DESIGN CONSULTANT The views and opinions shared by some writers do not necessarily represent those of Atrium Media Group
On behalf of the entire AMG team, I wish you continued success at Laurier! 3
Suiting Up: A beginner’s guide to applying to professional school - By Brady McLeod, Queens Law 2012
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egardless of how close, or painfully far, you are from completing your undergraduate degree at Laurier, there will always be one question approaching from the distant horizon; what will I do after graduating? While completing my third year of a business degree at Laurier, my answer came to me. I was applying for full time “career paths” when I realized joining the workforce immediately was not the only option. I decided to apply to law school last November and 9 months later I find myself in Kingston drowning in work, but very satisfied with my decision. What follows are all the steps that weren’t explained to me that got me into one of Canada’s best professional schools. Evaluate your own situation – For most professional schools, and law school in particular, your undergrad background isn’t of importance. What matters is your passion to enter the field of your choosing. Imagine yourself actually performing the duties of the job. Can you see yourself in court or seeing clients as a lawyer or alternatively performing surgery as a medical professional? If so proceed to the following steps. If not, there will always be an open cubicle waiting. Look at the required steps – Each professional school has their own admissions process and often requires applicants to write a standardized test like the LSAT, MCAT or GMAT before ap-
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plying. There are ranges of acceptable scores on these tests that paired with your grades will compose the bulk of your application. Being realistic is important. If you partied too hard in the first few years of your degree it is possible that your application won’t be competitive. Also, professional schools aren’t cheap. The good news is the bursaries, scholarships and grants available to grad students are very generous and even if you don’t qualify banks will be willing to loan money to students they believe will be successful in a few years. Get Moving Early – Once you’re sure you have found the post grad option for you, start making arrangements early. It may seem obvious to most, but the application process for law school, medical school and MBA programs is often extremely competitive. There isn’t much point in doing applications half way. Take prep courses for entrance exams. Get excellent letters of reference. Keep your undergraduate grades up. Yes, it is lots of work but think of the rewards. Complete your application – Leave yourself plenty of time before the submission deadline because professional applications are time consuming. Law schools in particular require references for academic, extracurricular and occupational achievements as well as a personal statement. A personal statement is essentially an essay about your
strengths as a person, a student and as a future member of the school in question. An effective personal statement will be well written, have a cohesive theme and will be interesting to read. Submitting a laundry list of personal qualities could actually hurt your application. If you aren’t sure about the quality of your personal statement or your application as a whole, bring a copy to the experienced advisors at career services. Wait – After submitting your application you will undoubtedly let out a huge sigh of relief. This is sadly a temporary feeling. Once acceptances start coming out it wouldn’t be unusual to check your mail five times a day. But few feelings are better than when the letter of acceptance finally comes in. Assuming you didn’t follow the preceding advice word for word, it is possible you won’t get it in. If you are determined and this is something you want you will get in. Re write the entrance exams and work harder on your application. Some people attend professional school in their 40’s so don’t be discouraged. I hope I was able to impart a little wisdom to curious undergraduate students and encourage you all to at least apply to post graduate programs. Education can be your most valuable commodity and despite all the stereotypes of professional school as difficult, which it is, let me assure you the experience is unparalleled.
Laurier’s Prospective Competitive Advantage
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cademic transgressions have become so ordinary within institutions of higher education Clark Chami that epidemic has Managing Editor cchami@sbeatrium.com become the preferred expression in describing the situation nationally. A 2006 study published in the Canadian Journal for Higher Education revealed that over half of Canadian undergraduates engage in serious academic misconduct with respect to their written coursework. Nearly one-fifth of these same students admit to cheating during a test or exam despite known invigilation that could put their academic careers in serious jeopardy. Worse yet, the capacity for this indiscretion to impact greater society beyond university boundaries is becoming even clearer with growing evidence that the future state of our economy will be obstructed by the absence of integrity in the post-secondary system.
be traced back to the classroom, with the Journal of Education for Business finding in 2001 that those “who engage in dishonest behaviour in their college classes were more likely to engage in dishonest behaviour on the job.” By pairing the gradually more startling figures with the identification of business students as the greatest culprits of academic misconduct it should then be no surprise that studies report the majority of fictional business executives on television to be found committing crimes. It is my suspicion that this generalization is to the discontentment of many business students – but unless we seize control of our domain by working to reverse these incriminating trends, who is really to blame? Whether considering the more tangible implications of academic dishonesty in the form of economic losses or the less pronounced but potentially equally as damaging media perceptions, the value in rectifying the moral sentiments of our business students and hence forthcoming practitioners is apparent. With what Peter Todd, dean of McGill University’s Desautels Faculty A survey conducted by international of Management describes as a mature professional services firm KPMG “North America business school marshows that “over half of Canada’s 1,000 ket” with “intensification of competilargest companies had reported in- tion over the last 10 to 12 years,” it is stances of fraud in 1997.” In the United an opportune time for Laurier’s School States, the Association of Certified of Business & Economics to embrace Fraud Examiners have uncovered a cultural grassroots revitalization dethat losses from corporate fraud have fined by principles of justness, honincreased approximately 60 percent esty and fortitude, assuring our valued from $400 billion in 1996 to an esti- stakeholders that more than most, mated $638 billion in 2005. It has been Laurier’s graduates have sound integsuggested that much of the losses can rity to compliment their intellect. With
the credibility of a university degree being progressively questioned, imagine the benefit of having a potential employer discard any concerns about the veracity of your accomplishments. When speaking of change movements, cultural shifts surely command an inordinate amount of effort and time, but the incontrovertible need for change and its evident payoffs certainly justify these commitments. In fact the change movement already has an impetus with the advent of Laurier’s Student Academic Integrity Council – an initiative incubated within our very own School of Business & Economics. A first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada, LSAIC aspires to establish Wilfrid Laurier University and its students as leaders in the sphere of academic integrity through the progressive cultivation of a culture defined by uncompromising righteousness. Still in its infancy stages, the council is soliciting interest and membership of passionate students who want to assume a revolutionary role in shaping the future of the School of Business & Economics and Laurier as a collective; laying the foundation for a cultural progression that will leave a lasting impact and legacy, perpetuating ideals of integrity beyond our years on campus. The competitive opportunity could not be any clearer or more promising and so as an institution we need to capitalize on a prospect that will be as fruitful as it is noble.
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H . E . A . T.
How to Captain the Leadership: “And why I hope the title is the worst part of this article...” - By Burton Lee
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e can all picture in our heads the classical “leader”. Burton Lee Think of a smart, charismatic, good looking individual who always knows the right thing to say and the right people to talk to. This person has the best work ethic and seems to balance thousands of things at once and complete every task in spectacular fashion. I’m proud to say I’m a leader, but the funny thing is: I really don’t possess any of these traits.
I (along with an eighteen member internal team) had the opportunity to coordinate Orientation Week and it’s $350,000 zero-operating budget, six hundred volunteers, and three thousand participants. Throughout the year I also work alongside a group of driven and enthusiastic first year students called the WLUSU Liaison Team to program relevant and innovative oncampus events.
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Bring the H . E . A .T.
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Although these two teams – along with the many other opportunities I’ve been a part of at Laurier and beyond – involve different skills, responsibilities, and outcomes, they can all be tackled successfully using one simple phrase: Bring the H.E.A.T.
The real key to successful leadership is to find your own “Leadership Personality” that you are comfortable with. With this, you will be able to appropriately respond to every situation in a way that works for you. In turn, those around you will feel the positive im- I feel as though I ramble on and on pact of a leader who has created a calm about this phrase wherever I go, but and controlled atmosphere. it is something that inspires me to try and achieve as much as I am capable I’ve been asked to write this article out- of at all times. The phrase “bring the lining my experience as a leader within heat”, as referenced in the academicalthe Laurier Community. However, as ly-renowned Urban Dictionary, is “the each leadership experience is so indi- act of adding power to anything.” We vidualistic, it is my goal instead to help could all use a little more power in our you realize that in any task, project, or life, right? event you choose to undertake, you can find within yourself the tools to be The ‘H’ stands for ‘humility’. No matter a phenomenal leader. what you choose to undertake or the scale to which you achieve greatness, I’m currently proud to currently hold there is no reason to flaunt those sucthe position of Assistant Vice Presi- cesses in any way. If you truly do your dent: First Year Experience within best, praise and honour will surely WLUSU. In essence, this means that come. 6
‘E’ is for ‘Energy’. Don’t go buy a Redbull. Instead, love what you are doing and you will have a passion for it that forces you to take your endeavors to the next level. ‘A’ accounts for ‘Accountability’. Just as in that last sentence, you need to stand for everything you do. Right or wrong: stick by your decisions. Therefore, the pressure is on you to always do what is best. ‘T’ is not just a drink with jam and bread, but also the ‘Time of your life!’ Always remember to have fun with whatever situation you are in. Whether you’re stuck in an eleven hour New Venture meeting, you have three exams in the next two days, or you’ve organized a movie night for 3500 people and the sound system fails, there is always a positive spin and a good time to be had. Most of us will leave Laurier with nothing more than a piece of paper, so you might as well have fun in the mean time. Along with bringing the H.E.A.T., I empower you to find your own “Leadership Personality” in every situation. There is nothing more satisfying than learning that you are fully capable of success in everything you do. Thank you to Vince Lombardi for reminding us that “the quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” At the very least, remember: I believe in you!
An Interview with the Entrepreneur in Residence
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lan Quarry is the current Entrepreneur in Residence with The Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship, Gabriel McCrae teaches Integrated Vice President Marketing ComMarketing gmccrae@sbeatrium.com munications to BBA and MBA students, and is CEO of Quarry Integrated Communications. What is your role as the EIR? As the 5th Entrepreneur in Residence, I act as a resource for student at Laurier interested in exploring ideas and concepts that may be convertible into a business or economic reality. I often act as a soundboard or coach as students are exploring entrepreneurial possibilities. Additionally, I meet with students in the New Venture competition to help them assess the validity of their business models.
What goals are you looking to accomplish as the EIR? My goal is to create a ‘win-win-win’ relationship with the school. The first ‘win’ is for students. I want to inspire students to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams and earn ROI (and that’s Return on Imagination!). The second ‘win’ is for SBE. I want to help SBE in fundraising and to re-engage with alumni whom can act as mentors for current students. The last ‘win’ is for myself. I want to expand my horizons as the EIR and learn with students – as they say, ‘he who teaches learns twice!’
Alan Quarry
communications? If you want to be successful in marketWhat can you tell me about the jour- ing listen to the mantra ‘think and feel ney that has led you to where you are like the customer, always anticipate, today? and have fun!’ I began on my path as an entrepreneur at the age of seven when I was the What is your favourite marketing camyoungest TV Guide delivery boy in the paign of all time? Burlington area. At sixteen I stared my The most brilliant campaign I have real first business – ‘Alan’s Errand Ser- seen is the Mac vs. PC campaign. The vice’. The business was a delivery and campaign flawlessly communicates errand service I ran for two summers rational and emotional components of in cottage country. I really enjoyed this being a member of the Mac tribe withexperience and it gave me my first taste out ‘twisting the nose’ of the PC! on customer-service focused business. Since then, I have opened six business- Make sure to attend Global Entrepreneures in the field of communications. The ship Week brought to you by The Schlegel early lessons I learned have helped me Centre for Entrepreneurship from Nogrow Quarry Communications into vember 16-22. Check the Schlegel Center a leading North American commu- for Entrepreneurship website for more denications firm with clients including tails and be sure to hear Andy Macaulay, Research in Motion, FedEx, and Bell President & CEO of Zig November 17th Canada. from 11:30AM-12:30PM in the Paul
What made you want to be the EIR at Laurier? I have been involved with Laurier teaching marketing communications to BBA and MBA students since 1993. After twenty-five years in an entrepreneurial role at Quarry Integrated Communications, I volunteered myself to Ginny Dybenko to be the Next Entrepreneur in Residence. I wanted to give something back to the school and be able to listen to student’s dreams and Martin Center. help them achieve success. What advice do you have for students interested in marketing or marketing
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The Executive Development Weekend: The Link -By Erich Stilling
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une 13th 2009, marked the first time The Executive Development Weekend was open to individuals outside of The Link’s executives. A total of 35 students representing seven different clubs and organizations within the School of Business & Economics attended a two day conference designed to help them develop on a personal and professional level. The conference – hosted by The Link (a student run business organization which connects past, present and future students within the SBE, Wilfrid Laurier University and the community), gave delegates the chance to learn, discuss and interact with industry professionals, students and organizational leaders. It also allowed students to share their experiences with others to gain a more well-rounded idea of how to manage and operate while in their upcoming executive roles. Throughout the conference, examples of past challenges faced within organizations gave executives the chance to discuss solu8
tions, share insights and hosts is The Leadership In Business form connections with Conference, which is a 4 day, 3 night each other. interactive business conference for senior high school students. The ConDiscussion was focused, ference features a university-level busibut not limited to areas ness case focusing on a variety of cross such as communication, functional areas including marketing, leadership, team work, finance, accounting and organizational professionalism, moti- behavior. During the course of the vation and networking. conference, delegates are able to expeThe two lead sponsors rience university life at Wilfrid Laurier for The Executive De- by spending nights on campus, meetvelopment Weekend, ing current university student leaders PricewaterhouseCoopers and Inves- and engaging in fun night activities that tors Group, helped lead discussions on encourage team building and lasting pertinent topics and were able to pro- friendships. The 7th annual conference vide delegates with industry insights featured Gala speaker for the Conferand how to build potential future rela- ence was Scott Kress. Scott an accomtionships. At the end of each training plished mountaineer and President of program a series of games or activities two companies proved that climbing relating to the discussion gave students mountains was similar to running a an interactive way to apply the con- successful business. Scott provided a cepts. At night, delegates participated wonderful speech on the importance in fun activities that encouraged team- of teams, leadership and motivation, as work and communication. well as how it applied to his climbing experience on Mount Everest. The Executive Development Weekend is a unique opportunity and is a suc- The Link also hosts a Steer Your Career cessful addition to The Link’s portfolio event which is designed to connect of events. Next year The Link hopes current Wilfrid Laurier students with to further enhance the conference by corporate sponsors and Laurier Alumincreasing the number of sponsored ni in an informal positive networking speakers to provide greater industry environment. Students are able to gain insight, as well as increase the involve- information about potential job opment of more clubs and organizations portunities, industry insight, career adon campus. vice and best practices, while sponsors and alumni get the chance to talk to a The Executive Development Weekend highly concentrated group of business is one of four events held annually by students and market their company’s The Link. The flagship event The Link benefits and opportunities.
The World Can be Yours – Hidden Opportunities -Collaborative Effort: AIESEC Team
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s a university student it can be very difficult finding opportunities to develop and learn outside of a classroom. The quest for experience is daunting and if you do not know where to look, you may end up empty handed. Many students at Wilfrid Laurier and other surrounding academic institutions are unaware of an amazing opportunity to travel and gain real world experience right on their doorstep. AIESEC Laurier offers students of the surrounding local institutions including Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo and Conestoga College the chance to go abroad and gain valuable cultural experience. AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run organization, and is the international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential so as
to have a positive impact on society. In addition to providing over 7,700 leadership positions and delivering over 470 conferences to the AIESEC membership of over 35,000 students, AIESEC also runs an exchange program that enables over 5,500 students and recent graduates from around the world the opportunity to live and work in another country. AIESEC Laurier offers opportunities for exchange focused on four developmental purposes; educational, management, technical, and developmental. Several returning exchange participants had the following to say about their experience abroad:
lesson plans and activities, to teaching classes and planning events. I taught children between the ages of 6-14 at the basic to intermediate level and adults in advanced conversation. AIESEC in Istanbul provided support for me while abroad both logistically and socially. I lived in a house with 8 other interns from around the world and attended two international conferences while there, where I was able to network with over 200 individuals from AIESEC in Turkey and AIESEC internationally. I also had the opportunity to travel around Turkey and the surrounding area after my internship where I gained a deep cultural and historical understanding. -Cristina Balaita
Since joining AIESEC last year, I have been an active member of the organization, taking both leadership and exchange opportunities. I am currently the Vice President of Outgoing exchange for AIESEC Laurier and have had the opportunity to attend 7 conferences both domestically and internationally. This past summer I also did a two month internship through AIESEC at Marla Language Academy in Istanbul, Turkey.
The experiences available to Laurier students are endless and AIESEC Laurier is continuously looking for future AIESECer’s to follow their dreams and travel abroad. If you are interested in an international exchange or would like more information on the exchange program or AIESEC, please visit AIESEC Laurier’s website at www.aiesec.ca/laurier or send an email to aieseclaurier@gmail.com. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. AIESEC Laurier is here I was an English Teacher, to give students the chance to experiand was responsible for do- ence something they may never find in ing everything from making a classroom. 9
Getting to Know Laurier’s Ethics Board
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he downfall of Enron Corporation, one of the world’s leading natural gas, electricity and communiGourav Sathe cations companies Editor-In-Chief gsathe@sbeatrium.com with revenues of almost $101 billion, the debacle of Arthur Andersen, once considered amongst the world’s five largest accounting firms, and the case of Conrad Black has reinforced the need in the business community to uphold ethical integrity and to integrate corporate social responsibility within organizational long-term strategic objectives. Two years ago, a team of students at Laurier responded to this need by forming the Corporate Social Responsibility Board (CSRB) within the SBE Students Society. The CSRB may not be one of the most well-known student run organizations within the SBESS, but in the past two years the team has been working to facilitate various fundraising events, and has helped to raise awareness about the importance of upholding ethics principles. I had the opportunity to interview Terry Ibele, the President of CSRB to find out more about this emerging organization.
We’ll be continuing with our usual fundraisers, like our bake sales, and in addition to that, we’ve got a really busy schedule of events! First there’s the National CSR and Ethics Conference, where we’ll be inviting various business schools to compete for the title of recognized CSR leaders. We’re looking to initiative that on a really grand scale. Apart from that, we’ll be What major events has the CSRB looking to continue to help with Meals facilitated over the last two on Wheels. This is program we’ve been years? doing in the last few years, and it conTerry: In the last few years, we’ve sists of interacting with isolated senior looked to get a good team together, citizens and using fundraisers to buy and now we feel is the right time to them gifts, especially during holiday explore new opportunities. One of our season when there’s no one to care for major events has been the “CSRB with them. Junior Achievements- Economics for apid ire ound Success”, which was attended by the Mayor and corporations like Manulife. We paired up with a high school stu- 1. CSRB in a sentence? dent and taught them simple but effec- -Feels a bit weird trying to answer this tive things like what a budget is, what question, as I normally ask this quesan interview is, and helped them from tion to my interviewees!….It will proba career planning point of view. ably have to be our slogan: “the role of We’ve also done quite a bit of volun- business in society tomorrow”. teering for the YWCA, such as starting 2. Favorite club apart from CSRB at the “bracelet for hope campaign.” It’s Laurier? basically a fundraising event targeted -SIFE at empowering impoverished African 3. What do you think of the Leafs this women in Lesotho (which is a tiny season? How did the CSRB form and in country in the South). -Disappointment what ways will the organization 4. Two events you’re looking forward benefit students at Laurier? What events are you planning on to the most at Laurier? Terry: It’s not that we were seeing a initiating during the 2009-2010 -Christmas, reading week lack of ethics within the student body, academic year? 5. What does Laurier mean to you? but there was a need to define it fur-Interactive, Fun and Challenging 10
ther. The business world needs us to have a good understanding of corporate social responsibility and ethics, especially considering that we continue to witness rising cases of fraud in the business community. So our goal is to best prepare the Laurier student body and to raise the importance of upholding ethics as best possible.
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PRISM More Than Just Renting Laptops
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R I S M Laurier is arguably the least understood organization amongst SBE students. To begin Aamir Mirza with, it’s more of Managing Editor amirza@sbeatrium.com an organization than a club and they are responsible for the majority of the technological innovations in the SBE building. Examples of their work include the PRISM power plugs in classrooms, the SBETV initiative and the new PRISM Collaboration Centre. They’re also largely responsible for improving WiFi in the business building which has improved significantly in the past few years. What Prism is not known for are their campus events and they are aiming to change. They took a step towards this goal by holding the PRISM Technology Forum which was a debate between representatives from the tech industry. Attendees included Trevor Dantas (Toshiba), Lubor Ptacek (OpenText), Rudy Loepp (IBM) and Derek Phillips (Google). The event was emceed by PRISM Vice President Ken Davie who directed questions and kept proceedings moving along at a good pace. Questions ranged from ones on technology making humans lonelier to predictions about the next tech bubble. These questions were submitted by SBE students from both the undergrad and graduate level so the themes were varied. The debate was followed by an open mic
question period where students in the audience posed questions to the industry experts. The event ended on a light note with a word association game for the experts and there were also two lucky students who walked away new
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I was pleased w ith the turnout. The event panned out smoothly and the panelists were both insightful and interesting.
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Toshiba laptops. A networking session after the event allowed students to fa-
miliarize themselves with the industry representatives and to get any questions answered. Describing the event, PRISM President David Silva said, “I was pleased with the turnout. The event panned out smoothly and the panelists were both insightful and interesting”. PRISM executives are hoping to use the experience they gained this year to host the Technology Forum next year and hopefully turn this into an annual event. PRISM’s future plans also include renovating the MBA lab and installing quick-print stations around the business building. Laurier is fortunate to have a student run organization such as PRISM which strives to improve the technological status of the SBE and as PRISM’s President says, “The best is yet to come”.
Derek Phillips, Rudy Loepp, Lubor Ptacek, and Trevor Dantas at the PRISM Technology Forum. 11
The Worst Feeling Ever... When You Miss Your Flight
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arlier this year, you might have seen the YouTube video of a woman at Hong Kong airport, who goes hysteriAbhishek Sarathy cal after learning AMG President that she’s missed asarathy@sbeatrium.com her flight to San Francisco. She was screaming and charged at a security guard at the departure gates. I can safely say that I almost felt like acting the same way, when I missed my flight from Paris to Glasgow last month. Instead, however, I opted to hand my credit card over to the woman at the airline counter to buy another ticket and shell out a painful amount of euros. This is after taking a desperate 2-hour cab ride to the airport, which also emptied out my pockets.
over budget for my weekend trip to Scotland, it was well worth it, as part of my 4-month European tour and study exchange in France this semester. Only a few Laurier students even think of going on study exchange during their university career. I would consider these four months some of the best and most enriching at university, especially as a SBE student. Making the decision to live and study abroad took a lot of planning and budgeting. I also learned to deal with culture shock and adapt to new surroundings. In class, I am studying business with a fresh, European perspective. Each of my project groups consists of students from around the world, allowing me to learn from their perspectives, ideas and experiences – a model that several leading MBA schools pride themselves on. But most importantly, this experience allows me to represent my Canadian culture and share my Laurier experiAlthough this experience put me way ences with peers here.
Although the process of getting to France for exchange went pretty seamlessly with some help from Laurier International, a lot more can be done by our school to encourage and assist students to go abroad. At SBE, too much focus is placed on influencing students to apply for Co-op, and very little is said about other equally or more rewarding opportunities. As I meet students who are on exchange with me in France, I notice that their schools have a very strong network of international school partners and a culture of student exchanges. Moreover, their schools offer several scholarships to assist their students. This has showed me that there is a lack of financial aid and support on our campus that is discouraging students from taking on this opportunity and limiting the ability for Laurier to be a reputable global school. There are too many advantages to pursuing a study exchange. Academically, the global exchange of ideas and experiences between students from around the world can further develop the skills of leadership and innovation. A study exchange also differentiates you from the rest, in the job market. Finally, you have the chance to travel every weekend and visit a different city on your check list of sights to see. Beware though, that traveling comes with its own set of lessons to learn, like what to do to avoid missing a flight and paying extra! Abhishek is in his final year of the Honors BBA program and is attending Rouen Business School’s Master Grande Ecole program for the Fall 2009 semester.
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Communicative
Castaways
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ver yday t h e r e are new technologies and computerized solutions that make communication Robb Farago and business easiWriter & Blogger er. We pride ourrfarago@sbeatrium.com selves on being at the forefront of the electronic revolution. We immediately update online statuses and tweet to the world about the newest releases of technology and boast about their connection speeds, memory sizes and capabilities. We are proud of our growing Facebook and LinkedIn network sizes and can IM, e-mail, text, post, tweet, blog, and comment from almost anywhere in the world right from our handheld devices. But how skilled are you at reading body language? What does your handshake say about you?
Humans are social creatures and require communication that is more substantial than a string of text flying invisibly through the air onto our tiny screens. Communication is also listening, voicing your thoughts, and understanding body language. Tools such as e-mail and professional networking sites are great for making appointments and establishing contacts, but maintaining relationships requires a higher degree of interaction, without it you may end up being perceived as nothing more than a ‘ghost in the machine’. We should be using these tools to supplement our communication not replace it.
Using your cell phone to text or IM a contact may seem like an efficient and professional use of technology, however there is so much more that can be gained by an in person conversation. You can ask questions and elaborate on points thus presenting your ideas in a much clearer way that won’t require Many people are so wired into tech- an all evening text conversation. nology these days that they are forgetting about the most basic and effectual Practicing your communication skills type of connection - direct human will also help you meet new people contact. Meeting someone face to and expand your personal and profesface and engaging in a conversation sional networks. Being able to confiis an incredibly useful and rewarding dently start up a random conversation skill, but many neglect its develop- with someone you have never met bement, opting to increase their thumb fore will always prove to be positive. typing speed. How will your ability to The best part of all is that we already text quickly aide you when you have possess the hardware for direct comto present in front of a board of direc- munication; we just need to get out tors? The ability to speak clearly and there and remember how it works. effectually will always be a necessary skill no matter how much technology advances. 13
With Glowing Hearts -Vancouver 2010
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he goal of the Olympic movement is “To build a better world through sport”, and the XXI Winter Antonietta Petrella Olympic Games Design Editor intends to do so apetrella@sbeatrium.com With Glowing Hearts, the motto for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. In a few short months, Canada will be the host country for its third Olympics, this time held in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Winter Games will run from February 12th to the 28th, and the Paralympics will take place from March 12th to the 21st. During the 2010 Olympics, approxi-
mately 2,500 athletes from over 80 different countries will come to Canada to fight for gold. There will be competitions held in 15 separate sports and a chance to win in 86 separate medal events. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic emblem is a contemporary Inukshuk. It is a symbol to encourage the values of hope and friendship to help welcome the guests coming from around the world to partake in the Games. Everyone is encouraged to take part in any way possible for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Events leading up to the games in February have already been set in motion, starting with the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Traditionally, the Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece and brought to the host country. The relay began on Octo-
ber 30th, 2009 in Victoria, British Columbia and is currently making the 45 000 kilometer route around Canada. Over the course of 105 days, the torch will be carried by 12,000 torchbearers across 1,036 Canadian communities. The route across Canada once completed will be the longest torch relay in Olympic history. The torch is scheduled to pass through Waterloo on December 27th and a celebration will be held at that time in Kitchener to commemorate the event. The Olympic Winter Games are expected to be a promising experience for Canadian athletes as they strive to make their country proud and own the podium With Glowing Hearts in Vancouver 2010.
Requiring Passion from our Professors
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ou have probably noticed it by now. Every semester you seem to have several courses you really enjoy, ones that get you motivated Robb Farago Writer & Blogger and excited to atrfarago@sbeatrium.com tend every week. You always do your readings well ahead of time and can often engage your professor in discussion after each lecture. Then you have those other courses, the incredibly abhorrent lectures that actually cause you physical discomfort to attend. The material is dry, and the professor is dull and you’re more interested in getting through the material rather than get14
ting a student engaged. It is a sad reality faced by every student in university. The worst part of the whole situation is that in most cases the fun lectures are usually your elective courses, or simply put, courses you took out of passing interest or a last minute schedule change. These courses have little impact on your future and though you sometimes flirt with the idea of changing, they will rarely result in program change. The other courses are most likely part of your core program. Straight theory lectures that every student in your faculty must take in order to graduate. No one in their right mind would choose these courses on their own and even the professors seem averse to being there. Having a professor stand at the front of a classroom and recite information from memory may be a testament to
their expertise, but it does little for the striving student. Professors are the leading authorities in their fields and should consider themselves as more than just transmitters of knowledge. These courses have potential to be stimulating and the onus should fall on the lecturer to get students interested. A professor’s passion can be infectious and will drive the pursuits of any student. A professor has the opportunity to captivate an entire room of people engrossed in the exact same subject they have been studying all of their lives. One would think they would be excited to present this material. Students don’t require much to enjoy a class, we just want our professor to be eager to teach and we will respond in kind by being eager to learn.
Tweeting, Good for the Soul
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or the longest time, I honestly didn’t understand Twitter. I considered myself an “anti-tweetist”. EvLauren Neal eryone kept telling Vice President me that I should lneal@sbeatrium.com join twitter, but I already had Facebook and that was enough. My mentality changed once I attended a career centre session about finding jobs. The speaker kept stressing twitter as a positive tool and as I sat there and rolled my eyes; she explained that it’s beneficial to use it to follow companies and people, rather than just to tweet that you’re “in the shower”. She seemed to have presented her case well as I went home that night and joined Twitter Twitter is easy to navigate and surpris-
ingly highly addictive. I kept looking for companies and people to follow. Then I became interested in who started Twitter and how it became so popular so fast. Twitter was founded in 2006 by a man named Jack Dorsey. Jack always had an interest in being able to know what his friends were doing and wanted to communicate with them through some sort of a social network. He pitched his idea to his colleagues and Twitter became a work in progress. The first prototype was built in only two weeks, and after launching publicly, Twitter Inc was born.
uncomplicated yet clever nature has helped Twitter to raise over 57 million dollars from Venture Capitalists, not bad for a simple concept. Now that I am a “pro-tweetist”, I can truly see the benefits from being a part of this social network. Seeing what companies are achieving will give me a great edge if someday I wind up the chair across from a CEO. I can say with confidence that I’ve been following the company and know about its accomplishments.
Will I be tweeting every single day about my various activities? Probably not, but will I be keeping up with the Simplicity has played a major role latest news from my potential employin Twitter’s success. There aren’t too ers and with my personal favourites many bells and whistles, just enough like Ellen DeGeneres and Anna Winto keep people interested. Twitter asks tour, that is a yes. its users “What are you up to”? It’s
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