Early onset glaucoma Everyone thinks this eye disease only affects the old. Page 9 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016
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Billeting bonanza Paul Osborne watches OHL player become NHL star. Page 5
A LEARNING NEWSROOM FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS
CONESTOGA COLLEGE, KITCHENER, ONT.
Rec centre opening Feb. 22
WWW.SPOKEONLINE.COM
47TH YEAR — NO. 5
OFFERING REFUGEES A HELPING HAND
BY JOSHUA VAN OSTRAND
The Doon campus rec centre, still heavily under construction, is set to finally open to the student body on Feb. 22, according to Mike Dinning, vice-president of student affairs at the college. Unfortunately, the whole building won’t open all at once. “The gymnasium will open later,” said Dinning. “The reason being that while construction was going on, the construction crew found issues with the paint in the ceiling and so we had to do a remediation and sandblast the entire ceiling. What it’s done is put that part of the project back about eight or 10 weeks – but we’re going to open up the new glass part, which is about 35,000 square feet, and then the last part will open up later in the semester.” “I’m excited for the renovations to finish,” said Jacob Martin, a second-year journalism broadcast student. “I’m a second-year student though, so I probably won’t get to use it but if it’s going to be finished on time, I’ll probably use it as much as possible.” Conestoga Students Inc. and college administration want to make sure that students are excited about the renovations and the opening. “We are going to do a major promotion to students over social media to let them know about the 22nd and get them there to look at it,” said Dinning. “We’ve had to do it in three phases because in total, a project like this often takes up to 20 months.” Dinning wants to assure students that the next part of the rec centre, including lounges, fitness equipment and a Pita Pit, will be opening on Feb. 22. “We decided to open up the Monday that the break is over so that we’re ready to operate and that construction is out of the place,” said Dinning. “I think students are really going to be pleased when it opens,” he added. “Why should Conestoga students have second-best? I think you’re going to find that this facility will be competitive with any facility at any post-secondary institution in the province. I think our students are getting first-best.” The $16-million project is funded by CSI as well as development fees paid by students each semester. It was first expected to be completed by September 2015, then December 2015.
PHOTO BY PAUL BOREHAM
Sara Sayyed is an administrative volunteer at the Muslim Society of Guelph, which, along with several other groups, is sponsoring Syrian refugee families expected to arrive in late February. For story and photos, see Pages 6 and 7.
International students a priority BY CHRIS HUSSY
Conestoga Students Inc. (CSI) offers a lot of services for students at Conestoga College, but now they’re setting their sights abroad. At a board of directors meeting on Jan. 28, members discussed a variety of benefits aimed at making education more affordable for international students. Among those were four new financial awards worth a total of $15,000. These awards recognize international students who excel in a variety of areas, including academics, athletics, leadership and contributing to the Conestoga community through volunteerism and being involved outside the classroom. Winners of these awards will receive a certificate at CSI’s annual awards banquet, which will take place later this semester. Students will be able to apply for these awards through the general application, which can be found on the Student Portal. Along with these awards, CSI has been working with the International Education Office to potentially include international students in the CSI health plan. While all students are required to have some form of health insurance during their time at Conestoga, international and domestic students have been under different plans. The international office provides health insurance through guard.me, an insurance provider based in Thornhill, Ont. On the other hand, for domestic students, CSI provides a health plan for all full-
time fee paying students automatically through student fees. At the board meeting, Jeff Scherer, CSI president, noted that the international office was also interested in the possibility of having all students under one single health plan. However, he added that the international office wanted to ensure that this process doesn’t make it more expensive for international students, whose student fees are already significantly higher than what domestic students have to pay. Scherer said CSI was in the process of selecting a new insurance provider, and would discuss including international students in the plan as soon as a company was hired. The board discussed a lot of other issues as well. This included the long-awaited opening of the new Athletics and Recreation Centre and, along with it, another food option for students. CSI is working with the college to fund and develop the new facility, which will include a triple gym, a 200-metre running track and an expanded fitness area. But the facility will also include a Pita Pit, which will be owned and managed by CSI. Witzel said the Pita Pit will be opening on the same day as the rec centre, which, according to Mike Dinning, vice-president of student affairs at the college, will be on Feb. 22. “We’re going to do our best to have it open that day,” Witzel said. “That’s our target date.”
Along with being another place to eat on campus, it might soon be another place to have a pint too. The Sanctuary is currently the only place on campus where students can consume alcoholic beverages, but Witzel said CSI is also attempting to do the same for the Pita Pit. At the very least, they are attempting to make it a reality for the grand opening. “We’re trying to make it a licensed event,” said Witzel. The rec centre and Pita Pit are part of a larger partnership CSI has formed with the athletics and recreation department. Witzel said CSI is looking to do marketing for the department to help build school spirit. They hope to provide jobs for students who would promote athletics at Conestoga. Along with these announcements, the board also approved a slight increase in the technology enhancement fee for students next year. The fee goes toward keeping computer software, equipment and services up-to-date, according to the Conestoga College website. The fee will be increasing by 9 per cent and will be primarily going toward hiring additional staff at the Cambridge, Waterloo and Guelph campuses. Janie Renwick, general manager at CSI, said although it’s a significant increase, it is what IT Services needs to improve their service. “It costs money to keep on top of technology trends,” she said. “It’s not free.”
NEWS
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Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College
Monday, February 8, 2016
FILBERT CARTOONS
Random questions answered by random students
What is one thing you love about yourself?
“I love that I love dogs.”
Jessica Eitel, first-year woodworking technician
“I can laugh at myself.”
Aidan Boileau, second-year graphic design
“I’m determined to achieve my goals.”
Gbadebo Afeez, first-year informational technology support services PHOTO BY JESSICA HAMMER
The drumming group Blue Skies Women sing and drum at the Boathouse in Kitchener on Jan. 27.
“I’m sociable.”
Storytelling and music event promotes positive dialogue
Allen Bezeau, first-year print journalism
BY JESSICA HAMMER
“My work ethic.”
Ryan Borman, second-year police foundations
“My creativity”
Karianne Tremain second-year graphic design
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
Women of all ages came together to support and promote change through storytelling and live music at the Boathouse in Kitchener on Jan. 27. The event was held by Feminine Harbor Foundation which promotes storytelling and the arts. As well, this non-profit organization’s vision is to promote a positive dialogue for women of different generations and their personal experiences. “We want to encourage women to start trusting their intuition and trusting themselves because that’s an important aspect of our humanity,” said Carolina Miranda of Cambridge, who is the creator and director of Feminine Harbor.
Miranda said she thought of ways to get women to share their personal stories and experiences when she was in her teenage years but had to put the idea on the back burner. Now, later on in her life, she said she has more wisdom and life experiences that she wanted to share and that old idea from when she was younger shown bright and that was how Feminine Harbor was created. Four women of different generations and backgrounds shared their stories that dealt with trust and intuition. Their stories touched many of the women who came out that evening, as well as a few men. There was an indigenous drumming group called the Blue Skies Women who performed at the event between each story and kept the eve-
ning upbeat. One of the things Miranda talked about was that young women should respect each other and not to be so tied to what the ideal physical image should be. One of the speakers, Shelby Ecsedi, spoke about her life and dealing with depression. During her presentation she said that stories are meant to be heard but they can both have a good side and a dark side. “I never told anyone about that side of me before,” said Ecsedi, adding the community she felt that night enabled her to do so. “I feel empowered.” For more information about the Feminine Harbor Foundation and how to connect and share stories go to https://feminineharbor.com/ event/stories-about-intuition/.
NEWS
Monday, February 8, 2016
SPOKE s Page 3
Students asked, CSI answered BY SARAH VEENSTRA
“What for,” “where to” and “don’t you think” were the top three question starters students had in regards to Conestoga Students Inc.’s 2014/2015 budget. On Jan. 26, CSI held their annual general meeting (AGM) to discuss and approve last year’s AGM minutes, approve this year’s meeting agenda, approve the auditor for 2015/2016, and approve last year’s budget. The meeting was held in the Sanctuary at Conestoga’s Doon campus and was open to all students. While students stalked up on free pizza and pop provided by CSI for attendees, CSI board members were put in front of the firing squad: the approximately 20 students who sat around the neighbouring tables. First on the agenda was a general overview of the audited 2014/2015 budget by Tim Sothern, an assurance specialist and partner at BDO Canada, a company that has worked with CSI for over 20 years. “Our goal is to check the numbers and processes and make sure that the numbers presented in the annual financial statements are materially correct,” said Sothern. “These statements belong to the (CSI) board and our job is to provide a report on those statements. Part of our auditing procedure is verifying expenditures and tracing it back to documentation. All of the procedures were done to our satisfaction and from our standpoint the organization is in tremendous financial shape.” The 17-page document showed CSI’s total assets were just over $3 million with $1.9 million of that in
easily accessible funds. The report also showed a surplus of approximately $184,000 for the fiscal year-end of April 30, 2015. The financial statement gave general breakdowns of where the costs and revenue was allocated throughout the year, causing students at the meeting to ask for specifics. CSI president Jeff Scherer and Sothern took turns answering questions based on their knowledge and expertise. Why is there a revenue under Grand River Transit for $35,000? “CSI can charge a small fee for being that in-between man, similar to a commission,” said Sothern. “They collected that for GRT, however, CSI only actually took away $835 over that year.” Why are the costs for orientation split into two categories? (One for $153,000 and another for $279,000.) “One is for frosh material like swag, while the other is for paying entertainment like for concerts,” Sothern said. “I can assure you both were valid.” Why are bank charges $19,000? “Credit card costs, Moneris (a company that is a processor and acquirer of debit and credit card payments) charges and a lot of different transactions through a lot of different accounts held by the organization,” Sothern said. What is the tech fee for $30,000? “That fee actually goes directly to IT,” said Scherer. “We have it worked out with IT that a certain portion of that goes to pay for printers and other maintenance. However, that fee doesn’t cover the CSI app.”
PHOTO BY SARAH VEENSTRA
Conestoga Students Inc.’s president Jeff Scherer (centre) explains a new venture, called Conestoga Students Services Inc., during the annual general meeting on Jan. 26 in the Sanctuary at Doon campus. What’s covered under the administrative expenses of $1.5 million? Are staffers making an average salary of $60,000? (There are 18 staff members of CSI.) “What you’re looking at is a totality of salaries, benefits and honorariums,” said Sothern. “We’ve also got government fees rolled in there like Canadian Pension Plan, Employment Insurance expense, workers’ compensation, health tax, parking expenses and professional development. Not to mention, the shuttle bus expenses were rolled into administrative expenses.” CSI is nonprofit. What will happen to the surplus of $184,000? “We’re recommended by auditors to have a six- to 12-month reserve in case we were to get into an argument with the college and they decided that they weren’t
ENCOURAGING ACCEPTANCE THROUGH HUMOROUS PLAYS
PHOTO BY MATT LINSEMAN
Conestoga Students Inc. hosted Out in the Open, a play by To Be Determined Theatre Co. The play uses humour to discuss serious subjects, aims to reduce stigma and encourages acceptance. Above, Vince Deiulis (left) and Zazu Oke act out a scene about homophobia. For video story, visit www.spokeonline.com.
going to release our funds to us,” said Scherer. “We’re also looking at capital development and anything that could be done in the future. That money could always be used as a down payment or portion of a mortgage. Like for example, the rec centre.” Scherer also briefly discussed another suggestion made by auditors to create a for-profit company that would allow for the generation of revenue while remaining legal, something CSI is technically not allowed to do as a not-for-profit organization. “The purpose of this is to grow revenue-generating opportunities that would in turn lower our CSI activity fee,” said Scherer. “This may not be immediate but it is the end goal and dream for the organization. Pita Pit has already been franchised under it but we are formulizing how to continue and expand it in the future.”
This branch is named Conestoga Students Services Inc. and would be completely managed by CSI. At the annual meeting details about the possibility of a U-Pass for students was also discussed. The GRT bus pass, which has been in discussion for several months, would see a $120 fee added onto students’ tuition in both the fall and winter terms, allowing students to use their student cards as bus passes for the calendar year. While CSI is working on exemptions or discounted rates for students with parking passes or students commuting outside of GRT’s district, nothing has come to fruition and no promises are being made. CSI also announced that their application packages for their board of directors will go out on Feb. 29. There will be more information regarding the application process in the upcoming weeks.
COMMENTARY
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Monday, February 8, 2016
#OscarsSoWhite BY CHRIS HUSSEY
It’s hard to find any award show with the same kind of influence and reputation as the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars. The annual awards ceremony, held this year on Feb. 28, recognizes achievements in the film industry, as voted upon by the members of the Academy. The awards given out at the show have so much prestige; there’s really nothing like winning an Oscar. No other statuettes have the ability to make a filmmaker’s or actor’s career like it. But like so many other influential and overhyped institutions, the Oscars are far from perfect. The show is once again facing criticism for its lack of racial diversity, both in the nominees and the members making the decisions. When the 2016 Oscar nominations were announced on Jan. 14, social media exploded with outrage because all the nominees for the acting awards were white for the second year in a row. Once again, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was trending on Twitter as an online rebuttal. With all that conversation, both in the real world and online, it wasn’t going to take long until people started to take a closer look at one of the most exclusive memberships around. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, best known for hosting the awards show, doesn’t publicly disclose its list of members. The only way to join this elite group is by getting current members to give you a card. However, in 2012, The Los Angeles Times found that 94 per cent of the academy’s members were white. Of course, the organization has made an effort since then to diversify its membership base and it responded admirably to the criticism it faced by revamping its membership policies. The academy has made it a goal to commit to doubling the number of women and diverse members by 2020, according to a press release issued by the academy. The Oscars can restructure, but it won’t solve the problem. Manohla Dargis, a New York Times chief film critic, said the lack of racial diversity at the Oscars is a reflection of the industry as whole. “The primary reason the Oscars are so white this year and most years is that the movie industry is overwhelmingly white,” she said in an article published on Jan. 15. “That’s infuriating, but that’s not shocking.” It’s for this reason that boycotting the Oscars, like Will Smith and Viola Davis have said they’ll do, isn’t going to solve anything. The Oscars are just a small part of the issue. If we ever want to see more recognition for actors of colour, it is going to take a lot more than that. It’s time we give minorities a chance, and not just stereotypical roles as well. Put them front and centre. Maybe then we will get to see some new characters on the Oscar stage next year. The views herein represent the position of the newspaper, not necessarily the author.
Letters are welcome Spoke welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be signed and include the name and telephone number of the writer. Writers will be contacted for verification. No unsigned letters will be published. Letters should be no longer
than 500 words. Spoke reserves the right to edit any letter for publication. Address correspondence to: The Editor, Spoke, 299 Doon Valley Dr., Room 1C30, Kitchener, Ont., N2G 4M4
I cause more controversy than Donald Trump.
To tip or not to tip?
There seem to be two main schools of thought when it comes to tipping in Canada. One is that the practice of tipping is so ingrained in our culture, so expected, that it is rude and disrespectful not to tip. But others wonder why they, the customers, should be responsible for making sure that servers make a decent wage. Isn’t that the employer’s job? Minimum wage for employees making tips in Canada is currently $8.90, versus an $11.25 standard minimum wage. So while the difference seems minimal at just $2.35, this system is crucial to how restaurants operate in the country. In 2014, David Jones opened Smoke and Water in B.C., Canada’s first tip-free restaurant. He truly believes that’s where the industry is going. “There’s no doubt that it’ll be happening (widely) in the next five to 10 years,” Jones told the National Post in November. “It’s a coming trend.” And while his staff loved the change, customers did not. Menu prices were raised to reflect the higher wages, and
Garrett Burchett
Opinion Jones found that customers wanted a say on the quality of food and service they receive. They wanted an option to tip. Within three months Jones was forced to resort back to his old business model. Back in October, New York restaurant mogul Danny Meyer announced that he was removing the option to tip from his 13 restaurants, instead increasing prices for menu items to cover the cost of an increased hourly wage for staff. It’s not the first time such a thing has been tried. But making a change to an industry where the culture of tipping seems set in stone is no easy thing. Yet there is support for this movement. Tipping is a customary practice in Canada, especially for good service, but that is not the case in other parts of the world. Many places in Europe have
set tips included into the bill, whereas many places such as China, Japan, Switzerland and Australia discourage tipping. Tipping allows restaurants to keep their menu prices down, and with food costs rising already, low income families are better off paying less money for food with an option to leave a tip. Tipping allows customers to show their appreciation for the service and feel good about supporting employees, while employees get added motivation to offer exceptional service. Tipping offers a good way for young people to make a decent living. In most instances, servers make enough from tips to at least balance what they would make at a regular hourly wage. But this new attitude that employers should be responsible for paying a decent wage while customers should be relieved of the burden of tipping seems counter-intuitive. Restaurants will make up their profits with increased food prices, and customers will lose their ability to reward servers for good service. Who wins then?
SPOKE
IS PUBLISHED AND PRODUCED WEEKLY BY THE JOURNALISM STUDENTS OF CONESTOGA COLLEGE Editor: Chris Hussey Assignment Editors: Matt Linseman, Jenna Braun Advertising Managers: Christel Allison Spoke Online Editors: Emmie Siroky, Sean Malinowski, Marissa Cuddy Production Managers: Sarah Veenstra, Garrett
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FEATURE
Monday, February 8, 2016
SPOKE s Page 5
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Paul Osborne, Conestoga’s registrar and associate vice-president of marketing and enrolment management, drinks out of the Stanley Cup during Dustin Brown’s 2014 NHL cup celebration in New York.
Billeting a future star
I
BY SEAN MALINOWSKI
n the hockey world, a billet family is one that offers room and board to junior ice hockey players who leave their homes to play for elite teams in other towns. It is quite the opportunity for a fan of the game. Paul Osborne, Conestoga’s registrar and associate vicepresident of marketing and enrolment management, is one of those fans. He got his start as a junior reporter at a Guelph radio station, working his way up to operations manager. When an OHL franchise came to the city in 1991, Osborne was asked to do the P.A. (public address) at the games. It is something he still does to this day. In 2000, Osborne presented the idea of billeting a Guelph Storm player to his family. “Our boys were 8 and 10 at the time,” Osborne said. “I thought the kids would think it’d be cool.” After getting the OK from his wife and kids, the Osbornes became a billet family. Little did they know that the young 15-year-old assigned to their home would go on to be a future two-time Stanley Cup champion. For three years, the Osbornes housed future hockey star, Dustin Brown, now captain of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. “Fifteen is unbelievably young. He was incredibly shy and quiet,” Osborne said. “Being a teenager is hard enough, with girls, and with friends, and with school. But they also have this added pressure of
playing junior hockey in front of 4,000 every week, and you have the pressure of ‘Am I going to get drafted? Am I not going to get drafted?”’ Osborne said there are multiple responsibilities that come with being a billet family. “You have to make sure they eat well, that they eat on time, that their laundry is done. You don’t have to worry about driving them to school or practice, they have their own network of guys who do the driving.” “You have to provide a safe environment, and you try to teach them, just basic stuff you’d teach your kid.” A billeting family must pass an in-home interview with all family members present. They also check references and criminal records. “You sure don’t get rich by it. I think they gave us $60 a week to cover food, which would barely cover your food for a growing boy,” Osborne said. In the summer of both 2012 and 2014, the Osbornes got to enjoy the fruits of their billeting labour. They were invited to Ithaca, N.Y., Brown’s hometown, to celebrate his Stanley Cup wins. “We’re with the captain, so everyone stops and talks,” Osborne said. They’ve also visited Brown’s L.A. home, and have a good relationship with his wife who used to drive up from New York when she was his girlfriend to visit Brown during his days in Guelph. “You get lucky enough to get a guy that ends up winning the Stanley Cup, you defi-
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Osborne is shown hanging out with the Stanley Cup in the summer of 2014. He was invited to the championship celebration by Los Angeles Kings’ captain Dustin Brown, who Osborne billeted for two years during his junior hockey career.
PHOTO BY SEAN MALINOWSKI
Osborne’s office features lots of hockey memorabilia, including a team-signed Guelph Storm stick and autographed Dustin Brown photographs. nitely get to celebrate that,” Osborne said. “He (Brown) has four children all under the age of 8, so it’s really cool for me to see, having known him as such a shy young boy, and now seeing him as a father of four kids.” Kyle Spurr was another player the Osbornes billeted. Spurr was a tough guy. The plan was to bring him in as a roommate for Brown, but Brown made the Los Angeles Kings roster as an 18-year-old, and was shipped
off to the big leagues. “Typical tough guy, just a super nice guy off the ice, very mature, he could look after himself,” Osborne said. “His parents always joked he was the youngest of four boys, and when they went away he was in charge because he was the most responsible. “As a fighter, he’d always come home with cuts and bruises, and we’d have a big laugh about the fight he had.” Spurr went on to play for the
University of Prince Edward Island, acquired his degree, and now operates a familyrun business. “It’s a pretty rewarding experience,” Osborne said. “Both went on to have successful lives.” Today, Osborne has some intriguing vacant bedrooms in his house. “My daughter’s going away to school next year, so I think I’d like to billet again, but we’ll see.”
FEATURE
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Monday, February 8, 2016
Syrian refugees finding new home in Canada BY PAUL BOREHAM
Weather-worn people are streaming like ants from their homes with all they can carry. Some are on foot, some ride bicycles and others are lucky enough to have a hired driver. Night is the safest. One way or another, they must flee to the border and escape a war that has taken over their once-normal Middle Eastern country. A little Syrian boy with a red shirt is found on a sandy beach, face down, having washed ashore from a capsized boat. He lays there as gentle waves caress his lifeless body.
In March 2011, amidst the so-called Arab Spring, a graffiti-painted wall filled with antigovernment slogans started a chain of events that, in 2016, includes military participation by the world’s top powers. A civil war, started by prodemocracy demonstrations, has morphed into a conflict with many sides, including the Islamic State, who have taken up swaths of the Syrian Desert and are inflicting terror. Cities have been bombed, chemical warfare has taken place and there are accounts of torture and war crimes. Infrastructure in many cities has been destroyed. So far about 250,000 people have been killed, at least one million are injured and many are missing. Amnesty International calls it “the worst humanitarian crisis of our time.” Nearly half of Syria’s 21 million have left their homes. Seven million are displaced inside the country and four million have chosen to leave. Neighbouring countries – Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt – have opened their doors to Syria’s fleeing refugees. Some stay with friends or family, some duke it out in refugee camps near the border and others do whatever they can to find shelter and procure food and water. Once out, some want to leave the area altogether and start life in a far-off land where there is no fear of war. Europe is a well-sought-afterdestination. A popular route for refugees is to flee north into Turkey and then take a dangerous boat ride across the Aegean Sea to the Greek islands. In the past year, media reports started bearing witness to overloaded boats, full to the brim with Syrians desperate to find a safe place to live. Images of people fleeing, being denied at some border crossings; countries debating whether they will allow refugees, scenes of desert refugee camps, the voices of humani-
tarian organizations getting louder and the outlook more dire; the crisis was building. And then images of boat disasters started appearing. At the end of August 2015, the picture of little Aylan Kurdi on the beach woke up the world, including Canadians. Kurdi’s family was hoping to come to Canada.
“It is a humanitarian crisis,” said Jim Estill, CEO at Danby Appliances in Guelph. “This prompted me to call a meeting of a few local church groups.” He had a huge plan. He wanted to sponsor 50 Syrian families and bring them to Guelph. Estill was going to personally provide an estimated $1.5 million. Sara Sayyed is an administrative volunteer at the Muslim Society of Guelph and wears many hats. “At the end of September we had gotten an email from Jim that he wanted to do this sponsorship and get something moving, because he felt like the government and the organizations were not moving fast enough,” said Sayyed. (She added that since the Liberal government was elected on Oct. 11, the process has been sped up from years to weeks.) “He reached out to us, at the Muslim Society in particular, because of language and similar culture. A lot of our congregants are Arabic speaking and from the Middle East and with the similarities we thought we could help him out with that.” There are about 4,000 Muslims living in Guelph, she said. It was a natural fit. It was quite a steep learning curve from there. How do you sponsor a refugee family? – Not just one, but 50. Financial matters, paperwork and legalities were worked out by the society and after two weeks they started reaching out to members. Ten families had relatives from Syria interested in coming to Guelph. Estill received national media attention in late November when he made the plan public. Calls and emails came pouring in from people wanting to help and the list of volunteers started to grow. It’s all about orchestration, Estill said. “Orchestration is what a good CEO does.” His plan includes 10 teams of people working on different facets of the effort. Mentors assess newcomers needs and take them through necessary chores. There’s a finance team, an education/training team and a health team. A food and meals team makes sure everyone’s fed. A jobs team helps match people with suitable employment. There’s a corporate donations team.
Mediterranean Sea
GOOGLE MAP
The Syrian Arabic Republic extends eastward from the Mediterranean Sea, through mountains, across a vast desert, to the banks of the Euphrates River and beyond. Many refugees are fleeing north to Turkey enroute to Europe. However, Bulgaria has closed its borders forcing many to take dangerous voyages across the Aegean Sea to Greek islands. a spreadsheet and map. “But it’s hard to ask for an apartment when you don’t know when they are arriving,” said Sayyed. It’s all part of the orchestration, requiring communication and foresight. Health and English as second language classes are also at the top of the list, with health professionals and immigration services at the ready for 300 to 400 new residents to the city.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Jim Estill, CEO of Danby Appliances, is helping bring 50 Syrian families to Guelph. A transportation team gets people to and fro and a housing team secures all-important shelter, and that might include a temporary place in the beginning. Finally, there’s a volunteers team to oversee it all, which Sayyed is also director of. Every step of the way, someone will be there to help Syrian families get started. “The goal is to successfully integrate refugees into our society, which includes allowing them the opportunity to be self-supporting contributors,” Estill wrote in his blog.
To prepare for the arrival of families, the society has partnered with the Salvation Army and Hope House to co-ordinate and store donations such as home furnishings, clothes, kitchen items and toys so that they’ll be ready for families when they get here, said Sayyed. Three warehouses are filling up with donations from near and farflung places, such as Boston. Two real estate agents are helping locate apartments throughout the city, speaking with landlords and producing
There are different avenues for refugees coming to Canada. Some are government-sponsored and proceed to reception houses, such as on David Street in Kitchener. They can stay here a few days while they find an apartment of their own. Others are privately sponsored and are in the hands of groups such as the Muslim Society in Guelph. There is a blended version where government and the group share costs. Private groups go through organizations that are Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs), religious or otherwise. Some refugees arrive by their own means and receive assistance at organizations such as the Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support in Kitchener. Only larger centres have reception houses. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
FEATURE
Monday, February 8, 2016
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Guelph gears up for arrival of 76 Syrian families
Groups sponsoring refugees have a responsibility to care for their families for one year, including housing and any other support they may need. That one year is an important time for newcomers to learn English, find a job and learn the ways of their new home.
The project has brought Guelph together. A website has been started, called the Refugee Sponsorship Forum, by the First Baptist Church, and it’s the go-to place for information for groups, wanna-be volunteers, news and events. The goal is to co-ordinate all efforts in the city and work together. The 50 families Estill is bringing to Guelph is just part of the effort. Twentysix more groups are now onboard – groups of friends and church groups wanting to help a single family. Some
pre-date Estill’s effort. St. George’s Anglican Church is one of these, and they have been waiting for their family to arrive for some time. “We found our family through a friend in Lebanon,” said Linda Tripp, who has organized the church’s effort. “Many of the other groups will only find out who their families are when they get here,” she said. Since arriving in Lebanon, the family has had triplets and now the church is awaiting a family of five. They have their own donation rallies and teams, but they do corroborate and go to meetings with the other groups. “We could get the call tomorrow,” she said. The hardest part is the waiting. “We just have to be ready.” There have been many benefits to the events that have taken place the last few months, said Sayyed. “This has been some-
thing that has come into the media spotlight, and because of Syria, people are also finding out about other things that are happening in the world. Then you can make a point of doing stuff for other people that need help too, or realize that this is happening all the time. Hopefully this becomes a learning experience, and people who are volunteering now, they don’t stop volunteering. “I’m learning about all these groups and organizations that are coming forward to help us that I didn’t even know were in this city, and now I know, and now I have contact with them, and I will keep building that contact and find out how I can help other people too.” The families are expected to arrive anytime.
Meanwhile, the new Liberal government started work-
Volunteers are busy preparing items for newcomers
ing on their pledge to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of 2015, but the deadline was extended into February. As the new year dawned, a few Syrian families started arriving at the government reception house in Kitchener, across from Victoria Park. I walked in the door of the large old house to see if there was anyone I could speak with. Stepping inside, the place was buzzing with activity – dark-skinned people, all. They looked Syrian. A walk down the hallway revealed a woman off in a room, finding her bearings, clearly a newcomer and weary, wondering what might lie ahead. I was asked to sit down in a room with a couch and wait for someone in authority. As I did, a small boy came and sat down beside
me on a chair, smiling jubilantly and looking right at me, as if waiting for me to speak to him. He must have been eight or nine, just sprouting up, thin and wiry. An older companion, who spoke English, sat down beside him. “How are you,” I said. He was obviously happy to be here. I was his guest. His friend told me his name – an exotic-sounding name – and yes he’d come from Syria. His parents were out looking for a place to live. They’d been at the reception house 10 days. Just then a man came and said that I would have to leave and come back at another time. My little friend saw me to the door, and I couldn’t help being touched by the hope in his eyes as we said goodbye. He was about to start a new life in Canada.
Syrian family loving Guelph after 7 months
PHOTOS BY PAUL BOREHAM
Celia Clark, a member of the Rotary Club of Guelph, cleans a tray that will be given to a Syrian family. She works in donated space beside the Salvation Army’s Victoria Road location. Celia Clark of the Rotary Club sorts some items at the Salvations Army’s Victoria Road location in Guelph. Everything dropped off must be sorted and arranged by volunteers. Bedding, clothes, furnishings, kitchen items and so on have been coming in steady thanks to lots of media attention, she said. Part of the fun is going through each bag and seeing what’s inside. One particular bag is the talk of the volunteers. “We won’t tell you about the sexy underwear,” she said, laughing. The place is alive as volunteers fold and box up items, chatting away. Clark co-ordinates the volunteers. “A lot of volunteers came to donate, then came back to help,” she said. She owns a software company and has the tools to send out mass emails and quickly schedule the volunteers using an interactive database called doodle.com. They receive the schedule and simply click on a shift they want to work and send it back. She still needs some strong, young people to help move furniture into the homes of newcomers throughout the spring.
Husband and wife Fatima Almohamad and Ahmad Alhilal are shown with Khaled Abdelaziz (top right), an interpreter and friend, and their sons Mahdi and Abdullah in their west end home in Guelph. Ahmad Alhilal and his family were some of the first Syrians to leave the country after tensions began in March 2011. They arrived in Jordan later that year and did what they could to make ends meet while going through the long process of immigrating to Canada. They arrived in Guelph in June 2015. Dublin Street Church sponsored the family through the United Church of Canada, a sponsorship agreement holder. Alhilal said he did not know where they were headed once in Canada. They were on a list of 300 possible names. It was the luck of the draw they ended up Guelph, he said. Since arriving in Guelph, the church has looked after them every step of the way, and they are very happy in their apartment in the west end. Not knowing any English when arriving, seven months later he can now have a conversation without an interpreter. He has a part-time job at an auto body shop. His goal is to become an auto mechanic, but he needs to improve his English first. Asked multiple questions on how they liked Guelph, the repeated answer was “jayed” which meant good, he said. Winter has been a little rough, but the kids have had fun sliding down a local hill. They are very grateful to be in Guelph and they will be helping out the soon-to-be-arriving 76 families any way they can.
To help Celia Clark and the Rotary Club’s efforts, email celia@digitalfrog.com
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NEWS
Monday, February 8, 2016
FLASHing local talent
BY JASON MOTA
For the second year in a row, FLASH: Contemporary Photography Here, an event celebrating the art of photography and showcasing photos from local amateurs to professionals, went off without a hitch at downtown Kitchener’s Tannery Event Centre. The event was $20 at the door, and was sold out. CBC’s Craig Norris was the MC, and attendees were photography enthusiasts young and old alike. The event has five major organizers, including Anthony Reinhart, the director of editorial strategy at Communitech, who was in charge of public relations for FLASH. The event was conceived at an art expo a couple of years ago, when Reinhart was approached by someone from Christie Digital, a company specializing in digital projections, about putting on a photography exhibition. Christie Digital was responsible for the digital displays of the photos during the event. Reinhart found his love for
photography in Conestoga College’s journalism print program, from which he graduated in the 1980s. “You can manipulate a story – lengthen it, shorten it, change the wording, write it a thousand different ways – but a photo is a photo,” said Reinhart. “You take the photo, that’s it.” The event also featured renowned polar photographer Camille Seaman, whose work has been in National Geographic, among countless other publications. She spent roughly an hour talking about her life and her journey toward where she was today, and then showed a montage of her work, many of which drew gasps of amazement from the audience. Seaman learned a lot about photography directly from Steve McCurry, the photographer of the famous photo, Afghan Girl. This, according to her, helped mold her into the photographer she is today. “Photograph what you love, not what you think people are going to like,” said Seaman. “Take the time to figure out
PHOTO BY JASON MOTA
Attendees of FLASH: Contemporary Photography Here socialize at downtown Kitchener’s Tannery Event Centre, enjoying the food and drink that was offered as CBC’s Craig Norris introduces the sponsors of the event. what makes the way you see the world different from the way I see the world. National Geographic doesn’t want another Camille Seaman,
they want to see how you see the world.” This event, considering its success for the past two years, will no doubt continue for
years to come, spreading the joy and creative passion for the art of photography. Just make sure you show up before it’s sold out.
GRAND OPENING A GREAT SUCCESS
PHOTOS BY CHRIS HUSSEY
Cecelia Smith, owner-operator of CeFood Experience, a bakery and catering company on 136 Moore Ave. S. in Kitchener, interacts with Sarah Thomson-Schippling during the store’s grand opening Jan. 30. She said the building was in really bad shape and took a lot of work to fix up, but all that work was worth it. Due to zoning issues, they were unable to incorporate a cafe in the bakery, but they hope to open a patio in the summer. Eric Biddiscombe (from left), Cecelia Smith, Kim Biddiscombe and Carol Nelles are shown at the grand opening. Smith said she hopes to expand to include a cafe and a grocery store in the future. On their first day alone, they had over 500 people come in.
NEWS
Monday, February 8, 2016
Prepare to meet your match BY SARAH VEENSTRA
Parler en anglais s’il vous plait? … Huh? While most Canadians may be lucky enough to speak English, the universal language, as their first language, not everyone does. With English being reported as one of the most difficult languages to learn, Conestoga College’s Student Life department is trying to make it easier for international students, in part through a program called English Conversation Partners (ECP). “We match fluent Englishspeaking students with students who wish to practise their conversational English,” said Sarah Daly, a Student Life programmer for leader-
ship initiatives. “These partners are expected to meet once a week for one hour on campus.” The program kicks off every semester with the ECP Welcome Event: Meet Your Match. This semester’s will take place on Feb. 10 in the CozE Corner at Doon campus. “The purpose of the event is to create a safe and comfortable environment for the partners to meet for the first time as the idea of meeting a stranger and having to sit down and talk for an hour can be quite nerve-wracking,” said Daly. “We will have some activities planned to get the ball rolling, but we expect that most partners will just strike up their own conversations.”
While the event is only open to those who’ve applied and been accepted to the program, applications are still being accepted until Feb. 22 for fluent English-speaking volunteers, as they have an abundance of English language learners (ELLs) who still need to be matched. “Last semester we had 25 people attend the event,” said Daly. “I don’t know how many people will be in attendance on Feb. 10 but I’m expecting a smaller turnout as partners from the previous semester no longer need the meet-ngreet.” Partners such as Leah Goodhew, a second-year health office administration student, and Rui Geng, a first-year student in mobile
software development, found their first semester as partners to be an enjoyable experience – one they hope to continue throughout this semester. “I’ve enjoyed getting to meet a new friend and learning about his past life and work experiences, as well as learning more about his culture in China and Japan,” said Goodhew in her ECP program testimonial. The application process is open to all students the first day of each semester until all ELLs have been matched. “Great friendships often arise out of these partnerships,” Daly said. “And we use the Meet Your Match event to get these partnerships off to a good start.”
SPOKE Page 9
CLOSURE CONCERNS
PHOTO BY JESSICA PETT
Sara Westman explains how the closure of a branch of the Waterloo Public Library affects front desk staff at the YMCA. For video story go to, www. spokeonline.com.
Glaucoma affects 400,000 Canadians, including the young
BY MICHELLE MAISONVILLE
Glaucoma in young people is rare, but not impossible, says Dr. Richard Scheid, an optometrist at Dr. Richard Scheid and Associates in Kitchener. Scheid said a simple definition of glaucoma is “an eye disease, which is essentially high pressure of the eye that can cause destruction of the tissue in the back of the eye, resulting in loss of vision.” Chris Martin, a new media technologist at Conestoga College, was diagnosed with glaucoma about seven years ago. He was 29 at the time.
“It was devastating,” Martin said. “The first thing that goes through your mind is, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to be blind.’ “When you put it in perspective it’s nothing compared to a terminal illness but it’s something you have to think through and know that it’s going to be OK,” he said. Martin was fortunate to have caught it early enough that he only needs to use an eye drop treatment to keep the pressure in his eye down. “There’s a possibility (of getting glaucoma in the other eye) but so far so good,” he said. “Having undetected glau-
COIN ROLLING RECORD BREAKER
PHOTO BY TAYLOR SCHWEITZER
Michael Francis, a Kitchener resident, successfully breaks a coin rolling record which will be published in the next edition of the Guiness World Records. For video story, go to www.spokeonline. com.
coma when you’re younger has much more severe consequences,” Scheid said. “If it’s undetected you’re going to be living a longer period of time (with the disease going untreated) and you lose a certain percentage of vision every year.” “You can end up with fairly serious vision loss (if it remains undetected),” he said. Glaucoma affects 400,000 Canadians and 67 million people worldwide, according to the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada’s website. Open angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease, shows no symptoms,
making it impossible to detect without regular eye exams. “A person can come for an eye examination, have 20/20 vision and the eyes feel fine, but they can have quite high pressure of the eye,” Scheid said. “The only way of diagnosing is through routine eye examinations.” The less common form of glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, causes pain and blurred vision. Risk factors for glaucoma are having diabetes, a family history of glaucoma, being over the age of 60, being African American and over the age of 40, and taking steroid eye drops for other eye
problems, which increases the pressure in the eye. If detected early enough the treatment could be as simple as eye drops. “The average person with glaucoma will only need one drop a day to keep the pressure down,” Scheid said. If eye drops don’t work other options may include oral medication or surgery. However, there is no cure and if left untreated, it could result in blindness. “(But) it’s relatively rare to see someone go blind from glaucoma because the treatments in most cases are quite effective,” Scheid said.
FUN & GAMES
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Monday, February 8, 2016
Useless Facts
Oh Cliff!
Horoscope Week of February 8, 2016
Aries
March 21 April 19 Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Taking the easy road doesn’t always have the best outcome.
Taurus April 20 May 20
Your confidence and sanguinity is what is going to differentiate you from the crowd. Don’t let others keep you from shining.
Gemini May 21 June 21
This week, you will face a difficult obstacle. Take it with grace and try to be optimistic.
Cancer June 22 July 22
Cancer, before making assumptions understand that there are two sides to every story.
Leo
July 23 August 22 It’s OK to let your guard down. Sometimes you have to go through something hard to make you stronger.
Virgo
August 23 September 22 Finding balance and harmony in your life doesn’t come easy to you. This week, take a step back and think positive.
The past tense of the English word “dare” is “durst.”
Libra
The Bible, the world’s bestselling book, is also the world’s most shoplifted book.
September 23 October 22
Bees have five eyes. There are three small eyes on the top of a bee’s head and two larger ones in front.
Libra, nothing but positivity is coming your way this week. Take this time to reflect on your past choices and make sure you make the right ones in the future.
Certain frogs can be frozen solid then thawed and continue living.
Scorpio
October 23 November 21 Don’t take your relationship with friends, family and significant other for granted. This week, don’t forget to thank each one for their unconditional love.
Donkeys kill more people than plane crashes.
Sudoku Puzzle
Sagittarius November 22 December 21
Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3x3 box accommodates the digits 1-9, without repeating any.
Sagittarius, there is a difference between being egotistical and being confident. Change the way you carry yourself before it’s too late.
Capricorn December 22 January 19
Your ambition and drive is skyrocketing your career. Keep this up and soon you will become your own boss.
Aquarius January 20 February 18
This week is all about vision. Set a goal for yourself and make sure you do everything you can to achieve it.
Pisces
February 19 March 20 Pisces, not everything is handed to you on a silver platter. Work hard and the rest will follow.
Ephram Strange dabbles in forces beyond mortal comprehension on a regular basis. He also enjoys young adult novels and taxidermy.
Word Search
ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, February 8, 2016
SPOKE Page 11
Dirty Grandpa Ferrell underwhelms in Daddy’s Home BY MARISSA CUDDY
If you love crude humour or if you just love seeing Zac Efron shirtless, Dirty Grandpa is the movie for you. Efron works side by side with Robert DeNiro in this laugh out loud hit movie. It starts out calmly at a funeral for the wife of Dick Kelly (DeNiro) and Jason Kelly’s (Efron) grandmother. Efron plays a preppy, uptight businessman and DeNiro plays a perverted retired army lieutenantcolonel. After the funeral the grandson is tricked into driving his grandfather to Florida. As soon as he shows up at his grandfather’s house it takes a turn. The movie becomes hilarious and disturbing at the same time. Even though his grandson is getting married in a week he pushes the limits to get himself and his grandson to have one last time together before the wedding. He also wants to show him a good time and maybe even teach him a life lesson or two. If you hate movies with stupid jokes or dirty jokes this isn’t the movie for you, but if you love that and can wait about 45 minutes to see Efron shirtless then go see this film.
This movie may not be exactly how all grandpas react to their wife’s death, but maybe all our grandfathers are keeping secrets from us. Dirty Grandpa has more than humour going for it. It has Efron all decked out in bright and tight pants with sweater vests driving his fiance’s pink Mini Cooper. It sure makes him look very flamboyant throughout the movie. DeNiro’s jokes about the car and Efron’s attire are priceless. Even when they are posing for a shirtless contest all you can stare at is Efron’s yellow pants. They are distracting yet it doesn’t take long to look back at his shirtless body. In the end both characters find a way to grieve and figure out they are never too old to change their lives. The movie does have its serious moments, but you will leave the theatre holding your stomach from laughing so hard and so much. Dirty Grandpa’s release is perfect timing with Spring Break or Reading Week as we like to call it. If you can’t go to Daytona or to Cancun, how about heading over to your local movie theatre to see Dirty Grandpa over your Reading Week. Overall I give the movie four out of five stars.
GET EDUCATED ABOUT EATING DISORDERS
PHOTO BY KANDACE GALLANT
Students at Doon campus could learn more about eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, at an informational booth on campus. Eating disorders commonly affect women ages 15 to 24.
BY MIKE STROMME
Will Ferrell (Anchorman, Step Brothers) and Mark Wahlberg (Ted, Boogie Nights) compete mano a mano for ultimate dad supremacy in Sean Anders’ (Horrible Bosses 2, We’re the Millers) latest comedy, Daddy’s Home. Ferrell plays Brad Whitaker, a vanilla, white collar, by-thebook, suburban stepfather to two young children following their mother’s divorce. While Whitaker struggles to get the love and admiration from these kids, their biological father, Dusty Mayron (Wahlberg) comes back into the picture. Mayron, who is described by his ex-wife in the movie (Linda Cardellini) as “if Jesse James and Mick Jagger had a baby,” comes back into the picture and havoc ensues. Mayron and Whitaker compete in a high-stakes dad-off for the love and admiration of the two children. The even-keeled Whitaker is manipulated by Mayron into playing his game of “fun dad” any chance he gets. Mayron’s mind games lead to Whitaker attempting to do things that are clearly out of his comfort zone and that make him look inferior in the eyes of his young, impressionable stepchildren. Everything from Whitaker skateboarding off the roof, to attempting to ride Mayron’s motorcycle ends in injury and/or destruction for Whitaker. Despite the presence of world-class funnyman Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and popular stand-up comedians
INTERNET PHOTO
Daddy’s Home, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, depicts a stepfather competing with his stepchildren’s biological father for their affection. Hannibal Buress and Bill Even with the hilarious Burr, the funniest charpremise of bringing in a battle acter in the entire film is royale of sorts into a situation Brad Whitaker’s degenerthat is rather common in some ate boss Leo Holt (Thomas domestic households, divorce, Haden Church). Ferrell, the film underwhelmed as a who is known for taking on whole. It had a funny moment roles that make him look here or there, and there were ridiculous, stays vanilla for some laughs. However, fans the majority of this film. of his best work will be disapHe doesn’t reach “vintage pointed if they hold this film to Ferrell” until a scene that the high comedic standards set takes place in the film’s latby his previous work in Step ter stages where he gets Brothers and Anchorman. inebriated at a New Orleans I would only recommend Pelicans/Los Angeles Lakers the film if it was playing on game and hits a Pelicans cable on a rainy Saturday cheerleader in the face with afternoon and a faulty Wi-Fi a basketball in his attempt to connection rendered Netflix sink a basket from half-court useless. I give this movie two at halftime. out of five stars.
NEWS
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DIVERSITY AT CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Monday, February 8, 2016
The theory behind horror movies BY JESSICA HAMMER
PHOTO BY CHRISTEL ALLISON
Lynn Robbins White, a Conestoga College counsellor, weighs in on diversity in the college. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.
Declutter your life BY LEAH MORROW
“You should see my room, it is a giant mess,” said Naween Mehanmal, a second-year software engineering student at Conestoga College. Heidi Kachel, a KitchenerWaterloo based professional organizer, said that clutter can be summed up as postponed decisions or actions. She believes that clutter begins to become a problem in people’s lives when it interferes with their ability to function on a day-to-day basis, or the ability to enjoy being in a space. “It can also impede a person’s ability to concentrate since the clutter tends to distract you from the task at hand. There are many surveys that have been done on the subject,” said Kachel. Recently, Ikea conducted
a survey of their customers which found that 31 per cent were more satisfied after clearing out their closets than they were after sex. Mehanmal said he often feels like the mess and clutter of his room hold him back from doing the things that he needs to do. According to a study published in Newsweek, the average person burns 55 minutes a day – roughly 12 weeks a year – looking for things they know they own but can’t find. “I feel like it really holds me back,” said Mehanmal. Kachel said organization is a skill that anyone can learn. “Whether you are living at home or on your own for the first time, one of the suggestions that I make to clients is to create ‘zones’ within their space that will identify the function of the area,” she said.
“The key is to store items in the zone where they will be used. Try keeping like-items grouped together. You need to have a home for everything. Prime storage areas that are often overlooked are under the bed and behind the door. Having furniture that makes use of more vertical space is very worthwhile – you can store more on the same footprint.” Rhonda Erb, one of the owners of Heart of the Matter, a Kitchener-Waterloo professional organization company, suggests setting aside just 15 minutes a day or even 15 minutes a week for tidying up. She said your space does not have to look immaculate overnight as long as you are moving forward. Kachel said, “How you organize will evolve as your needs change. Be kind to yourself and open to trying new suggestions.”
Appearances can be deceiving if a person is looking closely enough and know what to look for when watching a horror film. For some people, watching a horror movie is the last thing they would want to do. It could be because they just don’t care for that genre of films or they choose to watch it but jump at every shadow behind their closed eyelids when they’re trying to sleep at night. “We are a prey species,” said Barry Cull, a psychology professor. “It’s a natural thing to be afraid of the dark. Though for other people, some horror movies have no ill affect on them at all. Danute Dorion, a film producer and owner of Steam World Entertainment, said that in society people are becoming harder to scare because they are desensitizing what they are seeing in front of them. “One of the problems with
horror films in general is we’ve become so accustomed to them we sort of desensitized them. It takes one hell of a movie to scare the bejesus out of me,” said Dorion. “But then, of course, I watch movies as part of what I do as a filmmaker.” Dorion said the movie The Woman in Black was one of the only films in the last 10 years or so to send a chill down her spine because it had a really good story behind it. The 2012 film was about a young lawyer sent to settle the affairs of a deceased woman and her estate near a remote village. The deceased’s house and the village are plagued by a vengeful spirit of a woman dressed in black. With the newer horror films the plots are really predictable and it is always the same story structure over and over again. “(With a) true horror film you shouldn’t see it in front of you. It’s the whole guessing, is there something in the shadow or is there not,” Dorion said.
TACO BAGS A BIG HIT WITH STUDENTS
BAKED GOODS FOR A GOOD CAUSE
PHOTO BY MARISSA CUDDY
Students who participated in Conestoga Students Inc.’s Global Services Leadership trip held a bake sale to fundraise for the trip to Guatemala. Justin Martin (left to right), a business student, Selina Perrone, an early childhood education student, Anthony Cappucci, a business student, Jaxon Rattroy, a business student, and Colleen Geerlinks, an architecture project and facility management student, were just a few of the students who ran the bake sale on Jan. 25.
PHOTO BY MICHELLE MAISONVILLE
Students were lined down the hallway in anticipation of Conestoga Students Inc.’s Free Food Friday on Jan. 29. CSI had a new food item for this event, taco bags. Students got to grab a bag of Doritos, crunch them up and then add various topping and the taco meat.