Battling obesity Health food stores, personal trainers lead the way. Page 7 Monday, February 9, 2015
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46TH Year — No. 5
Kitchener has new field of its own By IAN MCBRIDE
In the past, baseball players from Waterloo Region had few options for training. They resorted to using substandard indoor facilities that weren’t designed for baseball. Fortunately, PlayBall Academy Canada in Kitchener has completely changed the baseball landscape in the region. Formal planning for a new facility began approximately a year ago, and construction on the two‐ storey site began in September. Trevor Nyp, who is a co-owner of PlayBall Academy Canada, as well as general manager, a baseball instructor and infielder for the Kitchener Panthers, said there has been an amazing response from the community since the facility opened on Jan. 3. “It’s been incredible,” he said. “People have really taken to it. They love the fact that they can come in during the middle of winter and do everything they need to do for baseball. It’s a one-stop shop, essentially, for them. And they love it.” He is also an infielder for the Kitchener Panthers of the Intercounty Baseball League. The baseball-specific facility is 23,000-square-feet with a major league‐sized turf infield, full gym, batting cages, pitcher’s mounds and real dirt bullpens. The turf is identical to the one at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the Tampa Bay Rays play. Tori Taylor, public relations manager/softball instructor at PlayBall Academy Canada, said the new venue is significantly better than other facilities she’s trained at. “I grew up playing softball my
PHOTO BY ian Mcbride
Trevor Nyp, co-owner of PlayBall Academy Canada, is shown in a new baseball-specific facility that recently opened in Kitchener. Features include a major league-sized turf infield, a full gym, batting cages and real dirt bullpens. entire life, and never had a facility like this. We offer so much here that other facilities can’t. Whether you’re looking for hitting, pitching or weightlifting, we can cover that,” she said. According to Taylor, PlayBall Academy Canada appeals to all ages, whether you’re male or female. “We really like to see the kids
in here, but as you can tell tonight we have people who are upward of 35-50 years old. We have people as young as five years old too. “Right now it’s predominantly males who train here, because baseball tends to start earlier than softball, which most women and girls play. But we have a lot of female interest. We had a clinic
tonight for softball that was all girls,” she said. Nyp hopes that top-tier talent from Waterloo Region (and all over the province) will use the facility as a springboard to increase their chances of reaching the majors, or at least minor leagues. The top baseball prospects from Ontario had the perfect
opportunity to do this during a pre‐season college prospect showcase on Jan. 24. “We had about 55 kids here. Kids from the age of 15-18, the best kids in Ontario, basically working on getting scholarships, and getting looks to go down south. We had some of the best kids in Canada here,” Nyp said.
Celebrate Black History Month BY JUSTIN FORD
Black History Month is a time for those in the black community to reflect and celebrate on how far they’ve pushed the racial barrier that’s harshly – and sometimes violently – divided us all. They will continue to reflect and celebrate this special month until the colour of our skin is as meaningless as the colour of our eyes. Slavery seems like a thing of the distant past and we often brush it off, not realizing how recently it happened. Humans have been roaming the Earth
for millions of years, so when the big picture is really considered, we are just starting to become tolerant, educated and accepting. Sometimes we need to be reminded of just how recently disgusting acts of racism really occurred. “I had several blatantly racist incidents happen,” said
Lee Evans, a 58-year-old biracial woman and graduate of Conestoga College. “A truckload of young guys tried to hunt me down in the streets. I was seven months pregnant. I heard the guy in the truck yell ‘speed up,’ and I looked back just in time to jump out of the way. “When I was younger I was handing out pamphlets with my family, going door-todoor,” Evans said. “A man came to the door with a beater shirt on and yelled, ‘Get this nigger off my porch.’” Americans have recognized black history since 1926, dub-
bing a special week, Negro History Week. Shockingly though, Canada didn’t nationally declare a Black History Month until February 1996. Rosemary Sadlier, president of the Ontario Black History Society, was the one responsible for pushing the idea through Parliament Hill. “Black History Month means time to attend community events to celebrate all the good stuff,” Evans said. “Also, to raise awareness that not all the negative media attention is correct and to emphasize the contributions that the black community has made.”
Although Black History Month is a time where the majority of the black community celebrate what they’ve overcome, there isn’t exactly unanimous support behind it each February. Even Morgan Freeman has publicly called it “ridiculous” and questioned why we’ve relegated black history to a single month. He claims black history should be synonymous with American history. “To me it just means it’s February,” said Dave Needham, a 28-year-old Jamaican-Canadian. continued on Page 6
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Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College
Monday, February 9, 2015
FILBERT CARTOONS
Random questions answered by random students
What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at school? “I almost knocked someone out with a door.” Sarah Babin, first-year executive administration
“I slipped and fell in front of Tim Hortons.”
Priya Sapkotk, first-year personal support worker
“I walked into the wrong class.” Kyle Ver, first-year personal support worker
“My car battery died and I needed to ask for a jump.” Dalton Taylor, second-year police foundations
PHOTO BY matt howell
Conestoga Students Inc. member Alice Lee discusses a proposal regarding Aboriginal Services workshops at the board of directors’ first meeting of the semester on Jan. 26.
CSI hears presentation on empowering youth BY MATT HOWELL
“I was outflexed by the mascot.” Adam Martin, second-year international business management
“I got my chair pulled out from under me.” Rhea Spofford, first-year human services foundation
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
Conestoga Students Inc. held their first board of directors meeting of the year on Jan. 26 The four-hour-long meeting started with a presentation by Lucus Row of the EPYC initiative. EPYC (Empowering Proactive Youth and Community), is a series of workshops designed to help high school students understand their potential and get involved in their communities. The program is facilitated by post-secondary students. CSI is considering their involvement, and will be discussing it at their next meeting. Proposals by board members were discussed in detail and broken down from all angles. For the 750 to 1,000 students who ride the shuttle buses daily, the annoying morning radio program that is played on the bus, with all its ads and DJ banter, will not be an issue anymore. The board has approved the pur-
chase of one XM Sirius radio subscription for one shuttle bus, and if feedback is positive, they will look at purchasing another one for the other shuttle bus. The satellite radio service can also be used at CSI events. “It’s efficient, it’s effective and it’s affordable,” board member Colin Gaudet said. Aboriginal Services will receive some financial support from CSI after a proposal was approved to add more spots to their moccasin and drum making workshops that will be taking place in March. Last year when the workshops took place there was only room for 15 students per event, which left some students not being able to be part of the unique experience. Now with CSI’s added support, an additional 15 spaces will be available for more students to get involved. In other business, CSI vicepresident Cameron Jones brought forth a simple but
important proposal regarding obtaining more media coverage of Conestoga’s sports teams. “There is coverage of the university teams and high school teams. I mean if high school teams are being covered Conestoga should be as well,” Jones said. CSI will be getting in contact with local media agencies, such as Rogers, to see how to go about getting increased coverage. Other approved proposals included having a Super Smash Brothers video-game tournament that will see the winner receiving a $50 EB Games card, as well as having his or her name on a plaque that will be purchased, and then displayed in the Den. Also, a new microwave will be purchased for the Brantford campus. The board will meet again Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Welcome Centre’s Guild Room. All are welcome to attend.
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Monday, February 9, 2015
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Human books share their experiences BY JOSH KENNEDY
Students got the chance to listen to a person’s life story at the Human Library, which took place at the Learning Resource Centre on Jan. 29. During this event, “human books” allowed students to come and listen to an experience in their lives that was worth talking about. These included young parents, victims of domestic abuse, those with addictions and people with learning and physical disabilities. The Human Library is an international organization that was started by a Danish youth organization called Stop the Violence. It was created in 1993 by five young people from Copenhagen who decided to try and raise awareness and use peer group education to mobilize Danish youngsters against violence after the stabbing of a mutual friend of theirs. The organization had 30,000 members all over the country in just a few years. In 2000, Stop the Violence was encouraged to organize events that would focus on anti-violence, encourage dialogue and build relations. Thus, the Human Library was born. Conestoga’s Student Life department came across the Human Library while researching opportunities to engage students as part of the Respect Campaign at the college. This event is meant to challenge assumptions, identify stereotypes and celebrate diversity.
“I think students are surprised by the differences in each individual in our community and the resilience that people have throughout their life stories,” said Laura Black, Student Life programmer at Conestoga. “Participants can expect to learn a lot about each other and themselves.”
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I think students are surprised by the differences in each individual in our community ... — Laura Black
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The Human Library has been running at Conestoga College since 2012, making this the fourth annual Human Library. About nine “human books” attended the event this year. Everyone has a story to talk about and the Human Library is a great way to get that story out there. The following are some of the participants’ stories.
Jennie Garbett Jennie Garbett, a mother of three, survived 16 years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband. She said he was very controlling of her; she could not pick out her own clothes, books or music. She wasn’t even allowed to drive her husband’s car, even though she helped pay for it, and if he found out she was driving it, he would threaten to call the police and have her charged with theft. “I did not know who I was,” Garbett said. “All of my hobbies were his hobbies.” Garbett could not leave her husband because she could not support her children. Every time she earned enough money to leave, her husband would find it and spend it. When she finally left, Garbett said it was the most amazing thing ever. Only then did she discover that she loved to learn and has made it a fulltime hobby. She is currently a student at Conestoga College, studying office administration.
Get screened for colorectal cancer BY JACK PARKINSON
People don’t talk about their butts, and that’s a problem according to the Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program. Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon) is one of the most treatable and detectable forms of cancer, according to Dr. Rachael Halligan, a general practitioner and oncologist at Grand River Hospital. “When you catch colorectal cancer in screening, there is a 90 per cent chance of cure,” Halligan said. Despite this, colorectal cancer remains the second highest cause of cancer death in men, and the third highest in women. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and it will bring with it a number of awareness-raising initiatives from Grand River Hospital and the Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program (WWRCP). The
WWRCP helps to provide care for cancer patients and people whose lives have been touched by a form of the disease. There are 14 cancer care programs like it across Ontario, and they each work to ensure the populace has access to the latest information and most effective care possible. The WWRCP was created in 2005 by Cancer Care Ontario, an organization funded by the Ministry of Health and tasked with taking care of all the cancer patients in Ontario. Currently, the WWRCP and Grand River Hospital are using their annual Build a Butt contest to get people talking about colorectal cancer. The contest asks entrants to build a butt out of any material (food, cloth, plastic or wood, to name a few) and submit it and a compelling story before March 20. More information can be found on the Build a Butt Facebook page, or at www.grhosp.on.ca/buildabutt. The Build a Butt program
was developed with the intention of making people feel less uncomfortable talking about colons, which, according to Halligan, is an area of the body that doesn’t receive a lot of publicity. Modesty can also lead to serious health concerns because of colorectal cancer, Halligan said. “Nobody likes collecting stool and nobody likes preparing for a colonoscopy, but there are few cancers that have such a high chance of cure if caught early.” There are probably not many Conestoga students who have to worry about colorectal cancer (the main age demographic is from 50-74), but the WWRCP encourages young people to talk to their parents about it. “These conversations save lives,” says the website for the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada. And when it really comes down to it – modesty versus health – it’s an easy choice.
Josiah Chalmers Josiah Chalmers is a gay male who was diagnosed with disorganized schizophrenia three years ago and has just recently developed dissociative schizophrenia as well. Chalmers’ first schizophrenic hallucination occurred three years ago when he was raped, but he hasn’t let it get him down. “The past has made me a stronger person,” Chalmers said. “It helped me talk about my problems instead of hiding them.” In October, Chalmers came out to his parents, who have accepted it. He is currently studying marketing and advertising at Conestoga and recently got engaged to his boyfriend. He also has a dream to one day open up his own café. To other people in his situation, Chalmers advises, “Be true to yourself and don’t give up.”
Sandy Lozano Sandy Lozano was a victim of a robbery that occurred at a shopping centre she used to work at. Afterwards, she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The most traumatic experience for her was the lack of support from her employer, who actually blamed her, claiming that she didn’t do anything to stop the robbery. Lozano is currently studying social services at Conestoga and is volunteering as a crisis responder at Victim Services in Waterloo. She advises others who know someone who has experienced what she went through to take the time to talk to these victims about it because victimization often is not discussed and victims often do not have a voice in sharing their experience. “I recommend people to be very open-minded and try to be supportive,” Lozano said. “Victims tend to bottle up their emotions and they need to feel safe to talk about it.”
Get in the know about eating disorders
PHOTO BY Cassie tulecki
Josh Kennedy, a future Conestoga student, reads about eating disorders during Eating Disorder Awareness Week last week. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.
COMMENTARY
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Be prescription-smart BY carson deshevy-renouf
When people go to the pharmacy to pick up medication, most would assume that what they came for, is what they’ll leave with. However, in a recent investigation by the CBC television series, Marketplace, that may not always be the case. According to an article by CBC’s Megan GriffithGreene that highlighted the findings of Marketplace’s pharmacy investigation, no one really knows how many times Canadian pharmacists have made mistakes. Whether it be the wrong dosage or the wrong medication, Marketplace found that “there is no national tracking system, and little mandatory reporting for pharmacists who make mistakes.” Marketplace began looking into pharmacies across Canada several months ago. As part of their investigation, “(they) took hidden cameras into 50 pharmacies in nine cities to document whether pharmacists follow important protocols and catch potentially dangerous drug interactions.” What was found, unfortunately, is disheartening. Each “tester” asked for a drug that did not require a prescription, but was kept behind the counter as pharmacists are supposed to provide warnings and information about them. “More than half of the pharmacies tested failed to provide any counselling. None provided warnings or flagged possible interactions with other medications,” said Griffith-Greene in her article. The concept of not receiving either the proper medications, or, in other cases, the proper counsel on medications is serious, terrifying and ultimately preventable. A simple miscalculation or mistake can potentially be fatal. Many pharmacies are tasked with policing themselves, and in turn are responsible for whether or not any errors are reported. The only place in Canada where it is mandatory for pharmacies to have “errorreporting tools” in place is Nova Scotia. Canadians should contact their MPPs and demand provincial and national tracking systems be put in place, and that reporting be made mandatory. In addition, offenders should have their licence taken away. Finally, an educational campaign should be launched making Canadians aware that the drugs they are prescribed may not be the ones that they receive. Only through these measures can we be sure that the health of Canadians is a priority in this country. 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
The wait’s almost over Condors! One more week until Reading Week!
Slower speeds save lives
Accidents are always in the news, whether they involve cyclists, pedestrians or other vehicles. The death tally keeps growing, especially during the icy winter months. It is ridiculous that we have yet to think of a way to reduce the number of car crashes. However, Ontario is now exploring reducing the speed limit in high pedestrian areas. Though no decision has been made and I’m sure this will receive a lot of negative feedback, I am fully on board with this proposal, and the sooner the better. It is no secret that as people get more comfortable on the road they forget some of the basic rules. They develop some not-so-good habits such as driving faster than they should, rolling through the occasional stop sign or speeding through a yellow light when they could have stopped. These simple acts may seem harmless, but they could cause a fatal car or pedestrian accident in the blink of an eye. If a person is hit by a vehicle going 45 km/h they have only a 50 per cent chance of
Maryssa McFadden Opinion
survival, yet when the speed is reduced to 30 km/h their chance of survival is 90 per cent.
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Having a reduced speed limit would keep us all a bit safer, especially pedestrians and cyclists ...
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Also, a car going 40 km/h can come to a full stop in just 8.5 metres which is 4.5 metres less than the time it takes for a car to stop when travelling at 50 km/h. These facts alone make me think we could all benefit from a slightly reduced speed limit. We have become so accustomed to driving fast in order to get to places quickly that I know many people will be against this change.
It is not a crazy idea though. If the speed limits were reduced, not only would cars be able to stop faster and more effectively, but this would also greatly reduce the number of car accidents. To me, this is worth going slightly slower on the roads. The scariest part about driving is although you may be a safe driver and follow the rules of the road, there are people all around you who don’t. Some text and drive, some forget to check their blind spots, some speed when they shouldn’t. You constantly have to pay attention, not only to what you’re doing, but what those around you are doing as well. Having a reduced speed limit would keep us all a bit safer, especially pedestrians and cyclists who are hard to see from inside our cars. Although car accidents will still happen, lowering speed limits could greatly reduce the number of deaths they cause each year. Whether Ontario will make the change or not has yet to be decided, but I, for one, hope they do.
Spoke
i s p u b l i s h ed and prod u ced weekl y b y t h e j o u rnal i sm st u dents of C onestoga C ollege Editor: Nataleigh McCallum Assignment Editors: Kali Caudle, Jordan Johnstone Advertising Managers: Beth Crouse, Justin Ford Spoke Online Editors: Matt Howell, Nicole
Nemeth, Nathan Brown Production Managers: Alex Riese, Maryssa McFadden Photo Editors (print): Cassie Tulecki, Carmen Ponciano, Ian McBride Photo Editors (online): Rachel Roy, Jack
Parkinson, Josh Kennedy Social Media Editor: Carson Deshevy-Renouf, Cody Mudge Circulation Manager: Heather Stanley Faculty Supervisor and Adviser: Christina Jonas
Spoke’s address is 299 Doon Valley Dr., Room 1C30, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 4M4. Phone: 519-748-5220, ext. 3691, 3692, 3693, 3694 Fax: 519-748-3534 Email: spoke@conestogac.on.ca Website: www.spokeonline.com
The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of Conestoga College. Spoke shall not be liable for any damages arising out of errors in advertising beyond the amount paid for the space. Letters to the editor are subject to acceptance or rejection and should be clearly written or typed; a MS Word file would be helpful. Letters must not contain any libellous statements.
NEWS
Monday, February 9, 2015
The mysterious meaning of Facebook likes BY BETH CROUSE
In a society shaped by social media, the excuse “but I didn’t mean it” just doesn’t excuse online behaviour. Ryan Millet, one of the 13 students involved in the Dalhousie University dentistry scandal, has gone public to protest his suspension. He wants people to believe that his adding a Facebook “like” to a suggestive photo of a woman sitting on the steps of a public building with a sign tucked under her folded legs that read “public entrance” doesn’t reflect his personal beliefs in real-life. In a related CBC story, tech expects said that a “like” shouldn’t always be taken literally. Aimee Morrison, an associate chair in the English department at the University of Waterloo, thinks that the Dalhousie University scandal is interesting for many reasons, including the fact that it exposes how users often don’t appreciate that nothing is completely private online. “People haven’t quite modulated their behaviour in what is actually a pretty open space,” said Morrison, who studies digital issues. Millet, a father of three, didn’t interact much with his fellow classmates and used the Facebook group to stay in touch, according to his lawyers. Bruce MacIntosh, one
of Millet’s lawyer, said the Facebook group started out being and continued to be a place where the students could exchange their thoughts about dental things and that only a small percentage of the thousands of posts to the group over the years were offensive in nature. Leaving a like on a post doesn’t always mean that the user literally likes the content, Morrison said, especially when users feel social pressure to acknowledge friends’ posts. Gina Miller, a Waterloo resident, spends a lot of time on social media websites and thinks that there aren’t any pressures to like things on Facebook. “I think it’s a cheap copout to claim that people don’t know what they’re doing on social media and that their online actions don’t echo their own personal feelings” Miller said. “Just because someone posts something on Facebook doesn’t magically create a gun to my head that is forcing me to like it. If I don’t want to like it or I don’t agree with it, I don’t like it on Facebook. It’s that simple.” Khalid Jama, a Kitchener resident, also thinks people know what they’re doing when it comes to social media pressures. “I have a lot of friends who post controversial things on Facebook but never once have
I felt like I had to like it or they wouldn’t be my friends. I like things on Facebook that I like in real-life. Just because it’s online doesn’t mean I think it’s cool to like sexist or racist things,” Jama said. Matthew Johnson, director of education for the non-profit organization MediaSmarts, which researches how kids and teens are growing up in today’s digital age, thinks that young people especially often place a very high value on having their photos and comments liked and know their friends also crave that validation. “Likes are strongly taken as a measure of popularity. There’s often a lot of stress, for instance, when a photo is posted, over how many likes it will receive,” Johnson said. According to Morrison, it’s harder for young people in particular to understand how damaging their online actions can be, whether it’s a post, like or otherwise. Millet, along with his 12 classmates involved in the Facebook page featuring sexist, homophobic and sexually violent comments, have been suspended from clinical activities, a significant requirement of the dentistry program, as well as a restorative justice process where all parties involved will discuss at length the harm caused through this Facebook page.
hEELS FOR HOPE RAISES AWARENESS
PHOTO BY HEATHER STANLEY
Women dance in support of cancer awareness at Heels for Hope on Jan. 30. For a video, see www. spokeonline.com.
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Celebrate ‘Singles Appreciation Day’
Flowers, chocolate and a romantic dinner, all which you don’t have to worry about. Let’s be real, you’re going to spend the day on the couch in a pair of sweats watching sappy rom-coms asking yourself why exactly you’re alone on Valentine’s Day. But remember, you’re not the only one. Actually, if you’re single on Valentine’s Day you can participate in “Singles Appreciation Day” which is also celebrated on Feb. 14 in a humorous manner. You get to wear black to symbolize the absence of celebration – and everyone looks good in black. Valentine’s Day began with the Romans but the exact story is unknown. However, there are two theories. Some believe that the day derived from Lupercalia, a raucous Roman festival that was celebrated on Feb. 15. Men supposedly stripped naked and spanked young maidens in hopes of upping their fertility – no thank you. The second theory is that the Roman Emperor Claudius II was trying to increase the number of men in his army. He found that it was easier to get single men to go off to war rather than married men with a family. So, he began forbidding young men from marrying. But St. Valentine defied this, in the spirit of love apparently, and began performing secret marriages. For breaking the law, Valentine was supposedly executed on Feb. 14. Since
Nataleigh McCallum Opinion
then, we have celebrated his death and passion for love. But is it really a celebration? For every 100 single women in their 20s there are 119 single men, so why are so many women spending Valentine’s Day alone? More than likely, it is because Nicholas Sparks’ movies make relationships look awesome and that is what we’re constantly looking for. Despite being a silly holiday, approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year, making it the second most popular card-sending holiday following Christmas. Yes, that’s right. But that doesn’t come close to the fact that over 224 million roses are grown just for Valentine’s Day and $1.9 billion is spent on flowers. So, what can single women on Valentine’s Day do? Well, you can celebrate Galentine’s Day on the 13th, which is the day you get to celebrate your love for your lady friends. Or, you can celebrate Single Appreciation Day on the 14th. Or you can stay on your couch eating chocolate that you, in fact, bought for yourself because “you’re a single independent woman who don’t need no man.”
NEWS
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Black History Month a time of reflection, celebration
Continued from Page 1
“It doesn’t mean anything to me. Why would it? We don’t really teach Black History Month in high schools in Canada.” Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks are the central figures who come to mind when Black History Month is mentioned, but there are many more historically influential members of the black community who tried to make people realize the colour of our skin shouldn’t separate us. “I was taught Black History Month in high school, be it very minimally,” said Steve Csanyi, a white male from Woodstock, Ont. “The Underground Railroad being
Conestoga grad stresses education the key
one of the major subjects.” Born to parents who were former slaves, Dr. Carter G. Woodson spent his childhood working in coal mines in Kentucky. He enrolled in high school at the age of 20, and later earned a PhD from Harvard University. Woodson was the first black American to challenge the history books and write black accomplishments into American history. He was also the driving force behind Negro History Week in 1926, and he picked the second week of February to celebrate because of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick
Douglas. Lee Evans, who graduated from Conestoga’s journalism print program, gained some perspective on just how extreme racism can be after interviewing an Auschwitz concentration camp survivor. She said she could empathize, grasp and understand the context of the horrifying
things she was told, but there was no way she would ever come close to truly understanding what it felt like to be Jewish then and experience that extreme level of racism. “The easiest way I can tell you (what it’s like), is if I were to pick you up and drop you in the middle of Kingston, Jamaica,” Evans said. “It’s not that it’s necessarily reverse racism, but it would open your eyes to see what it feels like to be a visible minority.” Evans stresses that education is the key. She believes the more travelled and educated a person is, the less likely they will be racist or ignorant. She said we must
educate ourselves and pass down our values, that’s the only way that racism will ever truly meet its demise. Maybe one day ignorance based on the colour of one’s skin will eventually weed itself out of the less tolerant psyche. Our society’s ideologies have come a long way since the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but we still have a long way to go. Evans said until the day the colour of our skin is just as unimportant as the colour of our eyes, we will recognize, acknowledge, appreciate and celebrate the contributions the black community has made in North America, every February – during Black History Month.
Free Courses improve Your Skills
PHOTO BY Nicole Nemeth
Cambridge’s Idea Exchange now offers free online courses for academic, professional and personal development. For video story go to www.spokeonline.com.
NEWs
Monday, February 9, 2015
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War continues on sugar and obesity
By IAN MCBRIDE
In recent years North Americans’ appetite for sugary foods and drinks has reached alarming levels, which in turn has led to high rates of obesity. Over the past 35 to 40 years obesity rates and sugar consumption have risen dramatically in North America. According to a May 27, 2014 article in an online newsletter produced by Natural News, Stephanie Soechtig, who directed the documentary Fed Up, said, “From 1977 to 2000 we doubled our intake of sugar. It wreaks havoc on your body and it’s addictive. We’ve been blaming fat for so many of our diseases, for cholesterol, for heart problems. But it turns out that sugar is really the underlying factor in many of those illnesses.” However, health food stores and personal trainers are making positive strides to reverse the trend of obesity caused by the over-consumption of sugar. Gary Hallman, store manager of Healthy Foods & More
in Waterloo, said the store uses alternatives to refined sugar in the baked goods and other products that are made in-store. “There’s a couple of things that we use right now. One of the most common products on the market is called xylitol. It’s an alcohol sugar, as opposed to more traditional plant-based sugars. We typically don’t use a lot of complex sugars, like fructose. We also use stevia, which is becoming common on the market. It’s a leaf that’s dried and ground up. It’s 30 times as sweet as regular sugar. So you only need to use a little bit to get the same amount of sweetness. It’s great for people who are diabetics,” he said. Hallman also talked about ways people can cut back on sugar, which improves their health. “If individuals experience adverse effects from consuming too much sugar, such as obesity, they can gradually reverse that unhealthy trend by consuming foods that are rich in nutrients, such as fruits and vegetables.” Another startling statistic
about sugar is that there are more than 70 health disorders that are connected to sugar consumption including diabetes, poor brain development in children, lack of concentration, allergies, asthma, ADHD, hypoglycemia, mood swings and immune and nutritional deficiencies. Also, according to Michelle MacLean, a certified health and wellness coach and nutrition consultant, 61 per cent of Canadians are overweight or obese, and it’s predicted that by 2019, overweight and obese adults will outnumber those of normal weight in half of our provinces. Markesh Bhatt, who is a personal trainer in Kitchener, said he talks to his clients about their eating habits. “If I find out that my clients consume too much sugar then I give them advice on how to improve their diets by suggesting healthier food alternatives that will positively impact their health.” According to Bhatt, exercise and diet go hand in hand when it comes to improving health and losing weight. “Cutting down on sugar
PHOTO BY ian McBride
Gary Hallman, who is the store manager at Healthy Foods & More in Waterloo, stands in front of the store’s bakery on Jan. 23. The store sells products that use alternatives to refined sugar. intake is half the battle. If people want to fully improve their health and lose weight, they must exercise regularly as well.” On the other end of the spectrum, Waterloo resident Jennifer Nielsen admits that
she consumes too much sugar, but she wants to change that. “Over-consumption of sugar has caused me to gain weight over the past several years. But I’m determined to reduce my sugar consumption so that I can lose weight,” she said.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Monday, February 9, 2015
No pain, no gain
Monday, February 9, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
World’s most ridiculous circus sideshow freaks out Conestoga students
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PHOTOs by kali caudle
Shocking stunts took place during the Monsters of Schlock event at Conestoga College on Jan. 29.
PHOTO BY rachel roy
The Great Orbax lifts weights with his eyelids at Conestoga Students Inc.’s Monsters of Schlock show on Jan. 29. For video story go to www.spokeonline.com. BY KALI CAUDLE
Not only do they share the same blood type, they also share the same obsession with weird circus and sideshow stunts. The Great Orbax and Sweet Pepper Klopek are Canadian entertainers (and twin brothers) who are known as the Monsters of Schlock. They hold the title of The World’s Most Ridiculous Circus Sideshow Comedy Magic Extravaganza. “We’re kind of the amalgamation of all this stupid, silly, fun stuff that you can do on stage,” Orbax said. The duo have performed in
theatres, carnivals, festivals and colleges worldwide. On Jan. 20 they started their 2015 Campus Record Breakers Tour. At various campuses they have attempted or will attempt to break a Guinness World Record. They first went to Algonquin College, where Klopek broke the Guinness World Record for the most animal traps released on a human body in one minute. The record was previously held by Johnny Strange, with six traps in one minute, while Klopek successfully got 13 traps. On Jan. 28 they performed at Fanshawe College, where
Orbax attempted to break the record for grasping an opponent around the waist and slamming him into as many tables as possible. Orbax’s “victim” was his brother. On Jan. 29 they performed at Conestoga College’s Doon campus. Conestoga students got to see a wide range of sideshow stunts, from nails being hammered into a face to a bowling ball being hung from eyelids and a clown eating fire. “Nobody likes pain. We like making people laugh, that’s the important thing,” Orbax said. As the acts went on, the students’ anticipation and excite-
ment grew. Finally it was time for the World Record attempt. Students gathered around a table, cellphones and videorecording devices in hand, as Klopek set up mousetraps along a table from one end to the other. The countdown began and mousetraps went flying. Fifty-six traps later, Klopek set a new Guinness World Record for the most mousetraps snapped on a tongue in one minute. His previous record was 47 traps in one minute Emilie Dietrich, a secondyear office administration executive student, said she had never heard of anything
like this before and thought it was a cool performance. “My favourite part was the mousetraps. I found it really interesting,” she said. Samantha Schwier, programming co-ordinator for Conestoga Students Inc., said the students who attended were really pleased with the performance and that students will be talking about it on campus for a while. “It’s so cool to be a part of that history. We’re going to be in the world records. It happened at our school, in Kitchener at Conestoga and in front of our students. “It’s just amazing,” she said.
PHOTO BY Kali caudle
PHOTO BY rachel roy
Mousetraps were set up for Sweet Pepper Klopek to snap on his tongue in an attempt to break his own Guinness World Record. He was successful, having 56 traps snap in one minute.
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NEWS
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STUDENTS GET UPDATE ON ALL THE SERVICES THAT CSI HAS TO OFFER CSI held a week-long event called CSI Fest, where students had the opportunity to be engaged with CSI staff and learn more about what the student association has to offer. For video story, visit www.spokeonline.com. PHOTO BY CARMEN PONCIANO
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SPORTS Belgreen Park a home for hockey
Monday, February 9, 2015
Children of all ages gather at Belgreen Park in Waterloo to play a friendly game of hockey on a cool Friday night. Above, two boys, 13 and 8, battle for the puck at the community ice rink. PHOTOs BY beth crouse
Skaters chase the puck at the park.
Monday, February 9, 2015
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FUN & GAMES
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Useless Facts
Oh Cliff!
horoscope
Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe!
Week of February 9, 2015
Aries
Libra
March 21 April 19
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
September 23 October 22
Don’t let people talk you down. Be determined and focus your energy on your goals.
Starfish have no brains.
The week ahead is going to be rough. Don’t rely on others to do your work for you. Take charge and don’t procrastinate.
Children grow faster in the springtime. The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses. Russia has a larger surface area than Pluto.
Scorpio
Taurus
October 23 November 21
April 20 May 20
You are known to be stubborn. Your way isn’t always the “right” way. Let those around you speak their minds. This week, listen carefully.
You are currently dealing with small bumps on the road. Although it may seem you are slowing down, you’re still headed in the right direction.
Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire.
Sudoku Puzzle
Sagittarius
Gemini
November 22 December 21
May 21 June 21
Push yourself harder, you know what you’re capable of. This week, believe in yourself.
Cancer
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.
Let go of the things you can’t change. If it’s not your business, don’t get involved. This week, focus your energy on yourself.
Capricorn
June 22 July 22
December 22 January 19
You are known to be clingy. Those around you won’t always be there when you need them. This week, be independent.
Don’t take the easy road. Face challenges head on and expect good fortune from your efforts.
Aquarius
Leo
January 20 February 18
July 23 August 22 Accept your “problems” as learning curves. Grow from each one, and don’t look back.
Virgo
You are known to be independent. When something gets serious, you flee in fear of being tied down.
Pisces
August 23 September 22
February 19 March 20
Change is ahead. Grasp every opportunity you can. Keep your chin up and focus on your goals.
You are good at some things, but not everything. Some people expect too much from you. This week, take it easy.
The Stars have spoken..
Word Search
NEWS
Monday, February 9, 2015
Kids too young for technology I can still remember my first real encounter with technology. It was in June, the summer before I started high school and I was 13 years old. All of my friends were signing up for Facebook so I did too, but it was months before I became an active user. However, in today’s world, a mere six years later, this would be considered old to be introduced to the World Wide Web. I could never say I hate technology. I honestly love all of the new advances, websites and information readily available at our fingertips. Especially because it wasn’t available. Technology is great – for the people who are mature enough to use it. The first time technology scared me was when my three-year-old nephew called me on the phone one night. He was playing with my sister’s cellphone and somehow dialed my number. While it seemed innocent at the time I couldn’t help but wonder who else he could have called.
Maryssa McFadden Opinion
Another time technology scared me was just a few weeks later. I received a friend request on Facebook from my friend’s six-yearold brother. She said he only wanted “friends” so he had someone to play games against and it was totally harmless. That’s the terrifying aspect though. Even young children can access so much on the Internet which could have severe consequences. They are still too young to understand these dangers. I have heard many people comment on how fast youth seem to be growing up nowadays, but we are the ones allowing this to happen. When I was six years old I was playing make-believe and spending all of my time outdoors, but because we are so tuned in to our phones and
the Internet it is deemed normal for children to be on the Internet as well. Our youth may be growing up too fast, but I think we are paving that road for them. By allowing kids to have access to such a vast amount of websites, apps and information it is giving them the opportunity to get themselves into serious trouble when they are not yet mature enough to understand the consequences. It is understandable how people get hooked so quickly to the web. Technology is everywhere and for some it takes over their lives, but let’s not allow this big wide world to take over the lives of our kids as well. Go outside and play with your children, and encourage their imaginations. Log out of those websites at least for a little while when they are around. Maybe if they see adults less worried about social media and technology they will follow in our footsteps so they can grow up knowing technology is great, but isn’t the be all and end all.
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Valentine’s day around the corner
PHOTO BY Nataleigh McCallum
Noaman Pattel, a first-year Conestoga business foundations student, enjoys making fun of Valentine’s Day. Single people need to know there’s nothing wrong with spending the day alone. In fact, being alone is cheaper and easier. Singles should treat themselves on the big day, and be happy they are not spending an exorbitant amount of money on gifts that normally cost half the price the other 364 days of the year.
Winter woes continue
Classic cinema making a comeback
PHOTO BY Beth Crouse PHOTO BY Alex Riese
Classic cinema is poised to make a comeback, as the new Apollo Cinema opened in Kitchener Jan. 30. Co-owner Matt MacKinnon, who stands in front of the theatre, is overseeing renovations to the space. For a video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.
Often Conestoga College students at Doon campus have to compete with each other in the blue parking lots for a parking space. When Mother Nature dumps 20 to 30 cm of snow, as it did Feb. 2, parking becomes even more of a problem.
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