Saving lives Students come forward for a good cause. Page 8 MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2017
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Housing issues Collegeview Commons still not complete. Page 2 48TH YEAR — NO. 3
Women stand in solidarity BY JOY STRUTHERS
On Saturday, Jan. 21, the day after Donald Trump became the president of the United States, women of the world took a stand. The Women’s March on Washington was by far the largest protest, with hundreds of thousands of participants. In fact, the crowd was so large that there was no room left to march. The route had to be changed, and people marched to the Ellipse, an area between the Washington Monument and the White House, instead of straight to the White House. It has been reported by multiple sources that more people turned out to the Women’s March on Washington (an estimated 500,000) than did for the president’s inauguration. Metro subway stations and train cars were full, and ridership numbers were higher than the day before. Metro tweeted that 275,000 people had taken trips on the subway by 11 a.m. Saturday. This was compared to 193,000 trips Friday by the same time. At least 600 marches and rallies were held across the world, involving over a million people. Thousands of people gathered in Canada, with the largest groups being in Toronto and Vancouver. In Guelph, the crowd gathered peacefully in front of City Hall in Market Square. Hundreds of women, children
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR
BRINGS COLOUR AND FESTIVITY The traditional Chinese dragon dance was performed at Stanley Park Community Centre in Kitchener to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The event was held by the Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre on Jan. 22, six days before the actual Chinese New Year, which is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. This year welcomed in the Year of the Rooster. PHOTO BY SHARON SAMUEL
and men congregated to show support for all the others who marched and protested against the inauguration of Donald Trump and for the rights of all people. The warmer temperatures encouraged many to come out with their families, and the rain held off although the skies were grey. It was easy to linger and enjoy the atmosphere. People held signs and wore pink hats and shirts with slogans. They proudly participated, applauding and cheering and supporting the women who stood in a garden to speak to the crowd for the open mic. The rally was only planned a few days before to fill a need. Many women wanted to be involved and show solidarity but were not able to attend larger protests. Guelph is the type of city in which people support equal rights and fair treatment of all and have very strong voices. Bree Woods and Leanne Krick knew they wanted to protest in Guelph and decided to take action. They set up a Facebook page and started to contact people. “We talked to Toronto and they let us use their words,” said Krick. “It was all out there.” Woods and Krick are friends who joke that they want to take on the world. “I’m passionate about the community as a whole and about the rights of others. I didn’t see something happening and I knew we
could inspire people to come together,” said Woods. Woods passed out different coloured markers to people who lined up to sign a large handmade card that is being sent to Washington. The front of the card read, “We stand for equality, justice, tolerance for all.” Debbie Samson, who was born in South Africa, spoke to the crowd about apartheid. In 1956 over 20,000 women marched to end pass books. Black men and women at the time had to carry passes to work in urban areas. She quoted Winnie Mandela and a famous resistance song. “When you strike a woman, you strike a rock,” Samson said. Women of all ages got up to say a few words, and a few sang songs. Two women read from a children’s book. The crowd joined in and sang the folk song If I had a Hammer. A dual citizen, Amanda Hammond said she packed up her children and drove back to vote in Michigan. She strongly feels that women need to speak up. “I’m so glad we’re here with all the love and positivity, but also remember your anger. So much as women we are told not to be angry, angry makes us ugly ... We’re supposed to be nice, be sweet, but this is the time to acknowledge your anger and hang on to it, and do something with it. Don’t be afraid to be such a nasty woman,” Hammond said.
PHOTO BY JOY STRUTHERS
A woman holds her child and a sign at the Guelphites in Solidarity Rally at City Hall on Jan. 21.
NEWS
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Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College
Monday, January 30, 2017
FILBERT CARTOONS
Random questions answered by random students
If you could speak any language instantly, which would it be? “Baby, because I have two young kids.” James Kennedy, second-year business – purchasing
“Spanish, because it’s a nice language to listen to.”
Matthew Janes, second-year computer programmer analyst
“Spanish, because it’s a really pretty language.” Taylor Jordan, first-year protection, security and investigation
“Mandarin, because it’s the most popular language in the world.” Vincenza Capriglione, first-year protection, security and investigation
“Portuguese, because my family is from there and I’d want to be more connected to my culture.”
Housing issue causes anger BRANDY FULTON
Finding student housing close to Conestoga College can be difficult. There are normally three choices when looking for a place to stay: you could apply to residence, and live close to school, McDonalds and Tim Hortons; live in a student house across the street and with a number of other people; or stay somewhere within the surrounding cities, where you could drive up to 45 minutes to get to class. However, a new option has been built for students just down the road from the college. The Collegeview Commons, located at 200 Old Carriage Dr. in Kitchener, consists of two apartment buildings that offer a more apartment-like space. They were supposed to have study spaces and a number of amenities. Residents of building B, the only building of the two open, are not thrilled with their experience so far. “It is not OK what they have put us through,” said Sadie Shewfelt, a Conestoga College student. “The students have bent over backwards for them.” Shewfelt refers to times where students were given short notice via email from Dan Vogel, the building manager, to move their cars. Two parking garages and one parking lot were supposed to be available to residents,
however, at the beginning of the September 2016 school year, they were still under construction. The driveway ramp had not yet been paved and four weeks into the new semester, the parking garages were yet to be finished. On Oct. 14, 2016 in an email from Vogel, it was stated that the second parking lot would be completed in four to six weeks. Two weeks later, due to having to pave the ramp, students had to park in the unfinished lot and on the road. Once the ramp was completed the students then had to move their cars once more to the original lots. The upper level and the P1 lot are now complete, however, students are not permitted in P2 and having enough parking for every tenant remains an issue. “The only thing done are the rooms,” said Shewfelt. “The parking garages aren’t done, there are no amenities and no rush to get them done. They promised amenities at the end of October at the latest.” Before moving in students were promised a 24-hour fitness centre, a yoga studio, a theatre room and a coffee bar. “These amenities are for all 1,000 students but right now with only one tower open we have 438 students,” said Allan Drewlo, the owner of the building. “So, half of the study rooms are open and a fitness facility has been open with enough (room) for half of the project.” Once again students were
emailed before the Christmas break saying the amenities would be complete after the holidays. However, that was not the case. “There has been no compensation, even though many students have come forward and asked or expressed their concern,” said Shewfelt. On move-in day, students said there was still dust covering the rooms, appliances have broken a number of times and there has been a need to replace bed frames and couches due to poor quality. “The pictures they provided on the website are so far off of what they built,” said a firstyear welding engineering technology student who wanted to remain anonymous. “It’s still a construction zone. The windows aren’t sealed properly ... the attention to detail of the construction workers was not present because the quality of the work is minimal.” Construction workers said they weren’t allowed to talk to the media and could not give an update on the second building. It is also closed off and no pictures were allowed inside the completed portion. Drewlo is not concerned about the delays in the building process, saying that it is the normal process for building a project of this size. The second building and final parking lot are scheduled to be finished in May 2017, and amenities are expected to be completed within 60 days.
Steven Oliveira, second-year social service worker
“French. I love French because it’s unique, classy and I love Paris.” Synthia Khalil, post-graduate certificate integrated marketing communications Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
PHOTO BY BRANDY FULTON
A backhoe and construction material remain on site at the Collegeview Commons’ upper level parking lot. Construction continues inside the building and is expected to be finished in May 2017.
NEWS
Monday, January 30, 2017
SPOKE s Page 3
Married couple decides to finish high school BY ROLAND FLEMING
For most of us, the idea that everyone should aspire to finish their high school education is a given, but for many in the Mennonite community this is not the case. Some have grown up in more strict Mennonite backgrounds in which a high school education was not encouraged or in many cases was actively discouraged. Many Mennonites are pressured to begin working full-time directly after Grade 8. Without a high school education the options for work are limited and most will end up working in various Mennonite manufacturing shops or on the farm. Some who find themselves dissatisfied with their limited options for work, have come to regret their lack of education. Is it ever too late to go back to school and get an education? Dave and Eva Fehr, a married couple from Elmira, Ont. who come from a Mexican Mennonite background, don’t think so. Eva, 44, and her husband Dave, 50, have decided that now is the time to complete their high school education. The couple have chosen a more modern lifestyle than
their parents. They live in a house in Elmira, Ont., where they have raised all of their six children. They have decided that they do not want to separate from the world in the way their more traditional ancestors have. Today more Mennonites are choosing to pursue their high school education, but when Dave and Eva were growing up it was very uncommon. “It was almost unheard of. Very few people, especially from the old colony Mennonites, would go further than public school,” said Eva. Mennonites of more traditional sects tend to avoid education for a number of reasons. “They don’t believe their kids should be educated … they want to keep themselves separate from what they would call the world,” said Eva. While culture and tradition plays a part in why many Mennonites don’t seek higher education, another major reason may have to do with finances. “Why a lot of Mennonites don’t do more schooling, is because they want their kids working as soon as they can,” said Dave. In many Mennonite families
unmarried children living in the house are required to give their entire income to their parents. They are provided for and may be given a small allowance, but any money they make is not their own. In some families that amount changes to 50 per cent when they get older, but until they are married they will be giving all or at least half their income to the parents. By not sending their kids to high school, the parents stand to profit from the many extra years of labour before marriage. “One of my family members said to us once, ‘You’re going to let your kids go to school when you could be making thousands and thousands of dollars a year?’” said Eva. The couple have decided to break from these traditions and don’t ask their kids to give up their incomes and are also actively encouraging their children to pursue higher education to work toward their dreams. As they encourage their children, they are also pursuing their own goals, and each has reasons for why they have decided to complete high school. Eva, who has worked as a deep muscle massage therapist for most of her life, knows
that her hands will eventually not be able to handle the work and wants to be prepared for when that happens. “If I want to do anything beyond that, I need education and I can’t take any courses unless I have my high school. I see the value in education now, because our kids have finished high school and I see the value in that,” she said. “One dream would be to become a midwife,” she added. Of their six children, three have finished high school, and the rest they believe will also graduate. Their son is looking at doing a mechanic apprenticeship and one of their daughters is thinking about becoming a teacher. “At the beginning, when our kids were in that stage, I was kind of against it, because I still had my old mentality … I think it’s not an option now for them not to go, it’s the minimum,” said Dave. Dave, who recently quit after working in a Mennonite metal bending shop for more than two decades, now really sees the value in education. “For myself, it is because sometimes to get a good job you are required to get high school and your pay might
even be better … I’m not young anymore but there’s a possibility I could go do other courses yet, because of the high school.” Eva and Dave aren’t just doing it by themselves though. Through their local church they are leading a group with two other younger people who would like to finish high school as well. They will be going through a process called Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and at the end, the goal will be for each of them to obtain their high school diplomas. Eva and Dave have some advice for those who might be thinking about not finishing school. “I say yes, it’s going to be hard. But don’t quit. Don’t give up. For myself … I have regrets now. So if you don’t do high school then you’ll have regrets later, you can save yourself that,” Dave said. “If you do it now while you’re still in school and finish, it’s so much easier. If you wait until you’re my age it’s like whatever you learned before, you’ve forgotten. So the learning is twice as hard. So hang in there, it will be worth it in the end,” Eva said.
CELEBRATE THE EH!
PHOTO BY MEGHAN WEATHERALL
PHOTO BY ROLAND FLEMING
Dave and Eva Fehr are setting out together to obtain their high school diplomas.
Catherine Wittke, business and hospitality programs co-ordinator, displays an electronic Iron Chef 2017 poster. The event, hosted by Conestoga College, will be held Feb. 9. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.
NEWS
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Monday, January 30, 2017
Safe spaces and cool crafts
BY CASSIDY FOULDS
Having a setting where people can be themselves is important, if not crucial. One crafty Kitchener group embraces that idea, putting their own creative spin on their weekly get-togethers. Queercraft is one of the many groups that SPECTRUM, Waterloo Region’s LGBTQ services and community organization, has to offer. It’s an LGBTQ crafting group whose members do hands-on activities, from knitting and crocheting, to chainmail jewelry and something as simple as sketching with a pencil. “There was a lot of interest. We actually started this club at Wolverine, which was a yarn shop that used to be on King Street,” said Sunna Murphy, Queercraft’s group leader. “There’s lots of knitting and crafting groups around, but I often find that I don’t really fit. A lot of the time they’re straight, married ladies who just had babies. You don’t have a lot of things in common with the kinds of people who go to them.” Groups like Queercraft are helpful to LGBTQ members who might be struggling from anxieties, social barriers or their sexuality. Those who decide to drop in on the meetings have no obligation to delve into deep conversation. It’s a good steppingstone to breaking down those barriers by befriending some members during meetings and,
PHOTO BY CASSIDY FOULDS
Sunna Murphy, Queercraft group leader, poses with a knitted toque in her right hand and a knitted bookmark in the left. These crafts are made by Queercraft members at meetings and are sold to support the group. additionally, over the Queercraft Facebook group page. “Once they build those relationships, the idea of coming to a support group is less intimidating,” Murphy said. “I think it’s really valuable to have those sorts
of things because it allows us, especially when we’re isolated or new, to be able to have a social group or activity-based group, to be able to come and join in on something like that and to have that safe place to help reduce isolation.”
Conestoga College’s own LGBTQ club’s leader, Stephanie Oleson, also believes in LGBTQ safe spaces. “The LGBTQ community still faces a lot of discrimination and hate,” said Oleson. “Some struggle religiously,
emotionally and mentally. I think that these spaces are vital so that LGBTQ, friends and allies have somewhere to go when things don’t seem to be going right. Everyone wants to feel accepted. When we feel accepted, we become stronger. These spaces will slowly break discrimination.” Oleson said LGBTQ safe spaces give people a chance to meet new people who are similar to themselves and to gain knowledge from those around them. For Murphy, having LGBTQ members organize these groups heightens the sense of importance in not feeling isolated. Queercraft gathers every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at 283 Duke St. in west Kitchener, Unit 210. More information can be found at the Queercraft Facebook group, where updates and cancellations are posted. A complete list of the groups that SPECTRUM offers can be found at ourspectrum.com. Some of the groups include ORG, the Outdoor Recreation Group, Trans Peer Support group, and a SPECTRUM Reading Circle. “We’re a queer organization, we’re queer run, everyone on our board is queer or trans,” Murphy said. “It’s really important to us to have the space be one where people can come and just be. It’s a really simple thing, but it’s a really powerful one when you walk through the world with that sense of hesitation.”
Monday, January 30, 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SPOKE s Page 5
Creating art while meditating
BY RILEY LINSEMAN
Meditation and painting. What do they have in common? People got the answer at the KitchenerWaterloo Art Gallery on Jan. 22 at an event called Paths to Improved Creativity. Karoline Varin, interim public programs co-ordinator at KWAG, was the organizer for this event. Along with Shaina Lehan and Mindy Alexander, facilitators of Sustainable Happiness Art Workshops, Varin invited guests to relax, meditate and create some art with water colours. After the meditation, attendees were given a stepby-step guide and positive reinforcement to help them learn how to do it. Each guest was given a card and a cup for water, and took a seat at a table where supplies were waiting for them. The hosts used a slideshow to help guide the guests through the activity. The process of watercolour painting was broken down into six simple steps. For the first step, everyone was given their cards and some tape. The tape was applied randomly across
the cards and then painted over along with the rest of the canvas. At the end, guests had the choice to remove the tape if they wanted to add some interesting patterns to the rest of the painting. The rest of the steps were pretty straightforward. The second step was to choose their colours and the third was actually putting the tape on. After that, everyone was introduced to different watercolour techniques such as adding more water to make paler colours, blowing on the paint to direct its flow, and using different amounts of water/paint and pressure to create thinner or thicker lines. One of the final steps was adding some extra colour to the works if participants thought their piece could still stand for some improvement, and they were introduced to the concept of Wabi Sabi. It was a complex explanation, but what it boils down to is there is beauty in imperfection. Wabi Sabi is a Japanese concept that might, for example, glue a pot back together using golden glue to show the pot’s beauty in its cracks.
PHOTO BY RILEY LINSEMAN
Paths to Improved Creativity workshop attendee Nigel Strothard explains to his table partner (centre) and instructor Shaina Lehan (right) how to fix a marker at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery on Jan. 22. And speaking of beauty, there are two awesome things about KWAG worth mentioning. The first one is how they determine the prices of events that will be held there, and the second one is about people. Varin said working with the gallery was “an enriching experience because you work with all sorts of different people with
different skill sets ... It’s a fun and challenging experience.” Regarding the prices, Varin said they are determined by how much it costs to host an event. In this case, there were two instructors, seven guests and most of the resources were already available in the museum, so there were only instructor fees and some pens she
needed to buy, hence the low price of $25. If you’d like to attend your own event at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, you can always find a list of events on their website at kwag.ca. If you have trouble finding any, remember there are multiple categories such as adult classes that can be found at www.kwag.ca/en/ programs/Programs.asp.
COMMENTARY
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Monday, January 30, 2017
Leery of O’Leary BY ROBERT JANES
Reality television star, business mogul, right-wing politician and proficient user of social media tools. Those are some of the similarities between Kevin O’Leary and President Donald Trump. On Jan. 18 O’Leary took to Facebook like Trump takes to Twitter to announce that he was running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. “It’s official, I’m in,” O’Leary said in a live stream video. “The Conservative Party of Canada needs a candidate who can beat Justin Trudeau and bring back jobs to this country!” O’Leary and Trump have been successful businessmen, operating various companies, but both have also had failures. What they are good at is sweeping their dirt under the rug. Softkey was O’Leary’s first company, which he started in the basement of his home in Toronto in 1983. By 1995, Softkey had acquired The Learning Company (TLC), adopting the name. By 1996, TLC had over 3,000 employees and boasted revenues of $800 million. However, the company began suffering losses and continued to do so until 1998, with a total deficit of over $1.1 billion. Without conducting proper research, toy manufacturing company, Mattel Inc., purchased TLC in a bad deal in the spring of 1999 for approximately $4 billion. With O’Leary as president of the digital division of Mattel, the company saw immediate losses, which resulted in a collapse of the share price, wiping out $2 billion in shareholder value. In a January 2016 article in the National Observer, Bruce Livesey wrote, “One investor’s lawsuit says O’Leary cashed in his Mattel shares just before the losses were announced when the stock was at its peak, pocketing almost $6 million.” It wasn’t until 2006, when O’Leary appeared on the TV show Dragon’s Den, that he became a household name. He played the angry dragon, always red in the face and annoyed. Sounds like Trump. He was not afraid to be arrogant or tell entrepreneurs their product or service was garbage. Sounds like Trump. After what happened in the U.S., no one should underestimate O’Leary or presume to know how Canadians will vote. We have until Oct. 21, 2019 (the next federal election date) to question, educate and inform ourselves and wade through the rhetoric that is sure to come. 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
Broom was elected to sweep away the previous government’s policies. It’s all he can do.
Go ahead and protest Trump’s election, but make sure you do it peacefully After a dramatic U.S. election, President Donald Trump has finally entered the White House, which I am definitely not happy about. The only thing that kept me going with all this drama was the Obama-Biden memes. I do not know how much the Americans enjoyed those memes, but I loved every one of them. With violent protests happening in the U.S. after Trump was sworn in, I wondered how many times this has happened in the past – the rage and anger against a new president To my surprise, not many – but the recent ones will go down in the American history books. A lot of placards with phrases and sayings explaining people’s thoughts about Trump in those anti-Trump rallies were clear. Not many like him. Signs read: Make America kind again, Make America native again, Dump Trump, A vote for Trump is a vote for hate, and Hate has no place
Sharon Samuel
Opinion in America. When I was working in a Subway restaurant before the elections, I had a customer walk in at 9:45 p.m. and I tried to have a conversation with her. She said she was from the U.S. I couldn’t help but ask how things were going. She said she came to Canada because she didn’t want to live in the U.S. if Trump was elected. I want to know, if Trump was elected fair and square, why citizens participate in violent protests. Breaking store windows and lighting fires during anti-Trump rallies are not going to help in anyway. Peaceful protests are the way to go. What has been done is done. Americans must embrace
the reality and work together to make a better future – even if that future is voting Trump out of office next time around. I saw a video where a woman yelled the word “No!” so loud at Trump’s inauguration. Little did she know that the rest of the world is yelling with her.
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We need to come together and be a unified voice.
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The only thing which can be done right now is to come together and be a unified voice, not just now, but for Trump’s entire term in office. Meanwhile, I would be happy to have the ObamaBiden memes as an ozone layer at the border of the country that I peacefully live in, to protect me from all the harmful bright orange rays coming from the other side.
SPOKE
IS PUBLISHED AND PRODUCED WEEKLY BY THE JOURNALISM STUDENTS OF CONESTOGA COLLEGE Editor: DeeAnna Rollins Assignment Editor: Robert Janes Advertising Manager: James Wells Spoke Online Editors: Scott Blinkhorn, Cassidy Foulds
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Social Media Editors: Shafaq Parwez, Meghan Weatherall, Brandy Fulton Circulation Manager: Sharon Samuel Faculty Supervisor and Adviser: Christina Jonas
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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.
FUN & GAMES
Monday, January 30, 2017
SPOKE Page 7
Useless Facts
Oh Cliff!
horoscope Week of Jan. 30, 2017
Aries
March 21 April 19 Your charming, intellectual and sense of adventure personality will lead you to new possibilities.
Taurus April 20 May 20
You’re strong, you’re tough and you are driven. Focus on yourself and accomplishing your goals. This will help form your desired future.
Gemini May 21 June 21
You think you’re a smooth talker? Maybe you are! Use your people skills to meet new friends, advance your goals and maybe even meet someone special.
Cancer June 22 July 22
There’s a good chance you’re feeling at odds with some things in your life. Don’t worry, that’s normal, all you have to do is keep focused and follow what feels right.
Leo
July 23 August 22 You are full of spirit, energy and excitement. Don’t forget to take time out of your busy school or work life to have some fun and enjoy the little things.
Virgo
August 23 September 22 Emotions and spiritual vibes run through all of us. Luckily, yours will be even stronger than everyone else’s this month.
The volume of the earth’s moon is the same as the volume of the Pacific Ocean.
Libra
The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.
September 23 October 22 Balance is an important part of your life. If something in your life is uneven, find a way to balance the scales.
Hydrogen gas is the least dense substance in the world, at 0.08988g/cc. The “pound” key on your keyboard (#) is called an octotroph.
Scorpio
If you passed gas consistently for six years and nine months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.
October 23 November 21 Count your lucky stars. You should look into buying a scratch ticket or two. There’s a good chance you may find yourself lucky very soon.
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.
It’s your time to shine! Use your skills as a team player by helping your fellow classmates get the best marks they can achieve.
Capricorn December 22 January 19
You have the personality and courage to take on big challenges. Reach out and make a difference, whether it’s in the public eye or in your personal life.
Aquarius January 20 February 18
Some may tell you not to think, but thinking is natural. Take time to reflect on where you are in life and where you want to go.
Pisces
February 19 March 20 You like to see the best in things, almost as if the best of things weren’t actually real to you. Make sure you understand what’s real and what is not.
Ephram Strange dabbles in forces beyond mortal comprehension on a regular basis. He also enjoys young adult novels and taxidermy.
Word Search
NEWS
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Monday, January 30, 2017
Students donate blood to save lives BY JOY STRUTHERS
A blood donation clinic held at Conestoga College’s recreation centre Jan. 19 had 71 donor appointments pre-booked and also accepted walk-ins. Annette Strobel, the clinic supervisor, has been with Canadian Blood Services for almost 20 years and loves her job. “It’s something I like doing because of helping others,” she said. The staff want people to know how easy the process is and encourages everyone who can donate to come to a mobile clinic or their permanent location at 94 Bridgeport Rd. E., at Weber Street. Appointments can
be booked online at www.blood.ca or by phone at 1-888-2-DONATE. “I usually say in the door to out the door it takes an hour. The blood donation itself only takes five to seven, maybe 10 minutes,” Strobel said. The clinic was set up in the north gym, where the mood was light and the process was efficient. Donors came in the door to the first table to sign in and were directed smoothly through the necessary steps. “There is an electronic questionnaire you have to do where you answer a number of health-related questions. We need to make sure that the donors are well themselves to donate for two reasons. First of all we don’t want to put their health in
danger by donating blood and we don’t want to put a recipient’s health in danger,” said Strobel. Next the donor is screened by staff and they go over the questions. They take the donor’s blood pressure and temperature to make sure they are healthy and able to donate. They had eight beds set up in a separate area, half for people donating, and the other half for those recovering. “Usually after they finish donating they wait for five minutes. They need to put pressure on the site where the needle was,” Strobel said. “We ask them to stay at refreshments for 10, 15 (minutes), we never push anybody out.” Sometimes people can get a little light-headed after donating blood but staff is prepared to treat them quickly with some cool cloths and fluids. Most people are fine after donating. “Generally, if someone comes in who’s well hydrated and has had something to eat and drink about two hours before their donation they don’t really notice anything,” said Strobel.
It is especially important for people to donate blood in the winter. There are many accidents with the winter weather and poor road conditions that increase the need for blood. Also, people may not be able to make it to their appointments to donate if the weather is poor. “In the winter collections are usually always down,” Strobel said. The people in the north gym who were there to donate all came for different reasons. “It’s interesting, when I’ve talked to donors throughout my years here, there are a variety of reasons why people come. A lot of people come because they have known someone in their life who has required blood,” said Strobel. Some people do it to give back and donors like to know they are helping someone. The unit of blood they donate can help up to three people. The blood donated will be used within days as well, because blood only lasts about 45 days. Benjamin Squicciarini, a Conestoga pre-service firefighter education and training student, donated
blood at the clinic. “We discussed how being a firefighter you save lives, and this was a way to do it, so we all got together and started to donate. This was my first time and just hearing that the three packets could go and save three lives was really inspiring,” he said. Many people who donate know first-hand about the need for it because they work in a medical field or with the greater population. Some have family members and friends who needed blood, or they were taught to give by their parents. Some were even recipients of blood themselves, like Jordan Thorne, a student in the community integration through co-operative education program. “I’m a cancer survivor so I know what it’s like to need a blood transfusion. I want to give back to other people,” he said. His first tumor diagnosis was 11 years ago and he has been cancer-free for seven years. “My goal is to be a motivational speaker and inspire other people,” Thorne said.
PHOTO BY JOY STRUTHERS
Tracy Mcpherson, of Canadian Blood Services, bandages up Benjamin Squicciarini, a pre-service firefighter and education and training student, after he gave blood for the first time on Jan. 19.