Fun & Games Exercise your mind with our sudoku puzzle. Page 7 MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017
SPOKE
A LEARNING NEWSROOM FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS
CONESTOGA COLLEGE, KITCHENER, ONT.
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Sibling donates kidney Brothers urge everyone to sign organ donor card. Page 5 48TH YEAR — NO. 8
College part of Canada Games bid
BY DEEANNA ROLLINS
Over a thousand people gathered in downtown Kitchener on Feb. 28 in their red and blue toques and Canadian colours for a pep rally to show the community’s support for the local bid for the 2021 Canada Summer Games, which will feature 19 different sports. THEMUSEUM unveiled a Canadian flag the size of its building and the crowd screamed in excitement. The Canada Games evaluation committee visited the region that day for site tours and evaluations, something that will also take place in Sudbury, Ottawa and Niagara Region, the other three communities bidding for the games. Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky is as enthusiastic as any other citizen. “We are awesome and we are ready for this,” he said at Chicopee Ski and Summer Resort, the proposed site of mountain biking and tennis. Kitchener Mayor Barry Vrbanovic couldn’t help but agree with him.
“Today was phenomenal,” he said. “It will be a tough choice for the evaluation committee but community collaboration, sports and partnerships are easy for us. It’s part of the DNA of the region.” It was an early and long day for the evaluation committee. It started with an 8 a.m. performance by Lincoln Heights Public School students at the Delta Hotel in Waterloo and then they moved to Chicopee, then THEMUSEUM, and then Christie Digital with some stops in between. “It’s been a very long and interesting day,” said Waterloo Region bid committee manager Sherry Doiron. “People don’t really know the region or where we are. We are a hidden gem that a lot of people don’t even know exists. That fact that we have come this far is amazing.” The Canada Games started in 1967 in Quebec City and has travelled from coast-tocoast many times in the last 50 years. The closest it has ever been to Waterloo Region
PHOTO BY DEEANNA ROLLINS
Students from Lincoln Heights Public School in Kitchener met with the Canada Games evaluation committee at the Delta Hotel in Waterloo on Feb. 28 to perform a special dance to show the committee how excited they were for the games to come to the region. is London, Ont. for the 2001 summer games. Sports in the summer games range from baseball and basketball to sailing, tennis, fencing and everything in between. In the first stage of the bid, the written portion, the region proposed many different venues, ranging from Waterloo to Hamilton. These include: • RIM Park for beach and indoor volleyball • Grey Silo Golf Course for golf • The Aud for basketball
• Jack Couch Park for baseball • Peter Hallman Ball Yards for softball • Chicopee for tennis and mountain biking • Guelph Lake for open water events • Royal Hamilton Yacht Club for sailing • Brantford’s Gretzky Centre for swimming The region’s bid committee also announced that Conestoga College would serve as the broadcast centre for the summer games and Wilfrid Laurier University
will house the athletes. The evaluation committee will announce which city will host the games on March 30. The games would bring over 3,500 athletes and 6,000 volunteers to the region, as well as $100 million in economic development over the 18 days. The winning city will receive $3 million from each of the federal and provincial governments for necessary improvements to local games facilities, as well as an extra $15 million toward operation costs.
In September 2016, the ONECard office at Conestoga launched Condor Cash. Since then, $264,000 has been loaded onto 1,500 different ONECards, including those of staff and students. Condor Cash can be used at many different places within Conestoga, such as cafeterias, vending machines, The Bookstore, Subway, Pizza Pizza, Pita Pit and Tim Hortons. Off-campus it can be used at McDonalds and possibly Gino’s Pizza, which
is in the process of signing a deal with ONECard that will include delivery with payment by Condor Cash. In other business, CSI’s 36th annual Polar Plunge was discussed. The fundraiser had a goal of $2,500, with proceeds going to a local organization called Nutrition for Learning. This organization provides healthy breakfasts to almost 2,000 students every day. The Polar Plunge raised $1,756.32 and CSI added
$743.68 to help them reach their goal. CSI also approved the decision to purchase another shuttle bus for travel between Doon and Cambridge campuses and residence. The bus will cost $85,915 with a $20,000 deposit and the remainder will be financed over a five-year term. The bus is a 2016 model that seats 18 passengers and two wheelchairs. The bus will be at the school and in use this coming September.
CSI says fees won’t increase in 2017-2018 BY DEEANNA ROLLINS
Good news for students! In the 2017/2018 school year, there will be no CSI fee changes. At the February board of director’s meeting of Conestoga’s Students Inc. (CSI), the student association that represents more than 10,000 full-time students among all college campuses, Cameron Jones, president, said that CSI fees will not be increasing. This means
that the CSI association fee will stay at $110 and the CSI capital development fee at $68.49 per semester. Board members were also told that, as of Feb. 15, the McDonalds on Homer Watson Boulevard in Kitchener accepts Condor Cash, the money that can be loaded onto students’ ONECards.
NEWS
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Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College
Monday, March 13, 2017
FILBERT CARTOONS
Random questions answered by random students
Which Disney or cartoon character would you go on a date with? “Minnie Mouse, because I cannot go out with Mickey Mouse.”
MEDICINE WHEEL USED FOR HEALTH AND HEALING
Kirtan Bhatt, second-year robotics and industrial autonomics
“I would say Prince Charming because that’s what all the girls want. We all want the man of our dreams.” Melanie Couroux, third-year financial planning
“Jasmine. I grew up watching Aladdin. She is pretty. She was part of my childhood.” Aeram Yousufi, third-year financial planning
PHOTO BY SHAFAQ PARWEZ
Christina Restoule, administrative support for Aboriginal Services, a member of Dokis First Nation, an Ojibwe and a fancy shawl dancer, displays a Medicine Wheel that was set up at the Doon campus on Feb. 3. The wheel signifies the four sacred medicines in the aboriginal culture which are tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass.
Logan exciting for adult fans
“Daphne Blake (from Scooby-Doo), because she is funny and charming.”
BY MATTHEW EVANGELISTA
Premraj Markraj, first-year quality management
“Prince Eric. He is the hottest prince, I think.”
Adrianne Decastris, first-year pre-health
“Flynn Rider, because he is cute and hot.” Mansi Bakshi, second-year mobile solutions development Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
Standing through the sunroof of a limousine a group of young, drunk and rowdy white men glide past a seemingly endless line of Mexicans at the border yelling, in a snobbish stupor, “U-S-A, U-S-A.” This is the first, but not the last, piece of social commentary which tracks alongside the main plot of Logan, director James Mangold’s newest film featuring Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. This movie will conclude Jackman’s 17-year saga playing this Marvel Superhero character. In this R-rated action film two dying old men, played by Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart, must protect a young girl from the genetic-weapons company that created her. For nine films Jackman played the character of The Wolverine (Logan), and this film is just as much of a send-off for the character and Jackman as it is the end of an era. But riddled in between the personal journey of Logan,
Movie Review
his mentor and his daughter, are tales of morality which go beyond good and bad. Logan emphasizes a deliberate rejection of superhero mythology and morality, a choice made by Mangold to highlight the damaging and more grounded effects of Wolverine, his powers, and how they affect him and the world around him. Superman can save people with his strength and speed, but The Wolverine can only do what the blades in his hands were designed for: cut, slash and kill. This character drama and its catalysts are powerful even for viewers not familiar with the character or the series. Logan begins and ends without assuming too much from the audience relating to the series history, a massive boon for
how the characters and story begin and move forward. The violence is done just right, and never feels gratuitous; however, this is still a hard R. There are bloody fights, gory scenes and emotionally distressing moments which include the violent death of a child. However, among all the death and pathos is a hopeful film, specifically in the way the film is shot and edited. Night scenes are always graded with thick bright neon colours, and the days are spent on open highway and field capturing bright yellow savannah and crisp blue/white skies. What Logan promises viewers is more than fantastic and exciting action. It offers pertinent messages relating to the challenges we face to be good people despite our sometimes negative nature, and, most importantly, offers an exciting experience for all viewers, not just comic book fans. To echo the words of critics: This isn’t just a good superhero movie. This is a good movie.
NEWS
Monday, March 13, 2017
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Schools an integral part of community
When one closes in a small town it really hurts the economy BY MEGHAN WEATHERALL
Even after all the protest, Chesley still may lose its high school. At the end of the 2016-17 school year, residents may have to say goodbye to the school, which is located north of Walkerton and Hanover. The Blue Water District School Board listened to the public’s concerns and looked at the logistics of keeping the high school running, but maintained closing the school would be the right decision. Over the last five years there has been a noticeable drop in enrolment. In a report put out by the board, the current enrolment is 159 students. The school was modified to fit around 190 students. Declining enrolment was pointed out almost eight years ago, during the last accommodation review for Chesley. At that time the proposal to shut down the high school and bus students to surrounding towns was proposed, but board trustees decided instead to make the existing high school into a JK-12 school. The students from Kinghurst, formerly known as Elderslie before the amalgamation of the two elementary schools, started attending Chesley District Community School in 2015. The decision to take this route came after multiple protests from students, teachers, businesses and families. The high school at the time ranked fourth in the Fraser report (beating out all other schools residing in their district). This report is based on the student’s averages on provincewide tests at participating schools. Two years after the successful transition into a JK-12 school, the board has decided that keeping the high school going is no longer feasible. School spirit and continuing to top the other schools in grades no longer can keep the school running. The decision to close it has put the small town of Chesley (popu-
lation 1,986) on edge. People, including the MPP and the MP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, have voiced their concern about Chesley’s economy after the high school kids are bused elsewhere. “The closure of a small rural school has a huge negative impact on the community and it can affect not only the young students directly, but also local business and community organizations, undermining the community as a whole,” MP Larry Miller wrote in his public submission to the trustees. In MPP Bill Walker’s statement, he wrote that he was concerned about the impact the school closure will have on the students and community due to the lengthy busing time and how it leaves little room for after-school activities and jobs. Multiple stores in Chesley rely heavily on students patronizing their businesses and as after-school employees. The shifts usually require the student to be available by 4 p.m. Chesley’s grocery store, co-owned by Peter Knipfel, is one of the businesses that will take a hit. The grocery store currently has 12-15 students employed, approximately half of their employees. They have been hiring students since their start 30 years ago. “It will take its toll on us,” said Knipfel. “It will also take a toll on the restaurants and the pizza place. All of these places rely on that lunch traffic to make their business work. We don’t get it all the time. I’m sure the pizza place gets it sometimes, the restaurants get it, but we all share in the lunch traffic. My biggest concern is the economy of this small town. We are faced with severe competition in the larger centres, including Hanover with big box stores like Walmart. We provide a tremendous service by giving more service to our customers. This includes the personal service they get from our students, other workers and carry
PHOTO BY MEGHAN WEATHERALL
Peter Knipfel, co-owner of the Chesley grocery store, is a longtime resident of Chesley who opened the store 30 years ago. Almost half of his employees are high school students. out service, when we take your groceries out to the car. That’s what we do to be a little different than the big box stores. If we take our high school away and take the kids out of our town the economy will suffer. The chambers of commerce have a survey that they did the last time that we were threatened. It was amazing how much we pay in a year to our students and how much they return it to our economy.” Not only will transporting the high school students out of the town affect the economy, but it’ll affect hours they can work due to the estimated 2-3 hours of travel time. “It would affect the weekday hours for sure,” said Knipfel. “We would have to reschedule our whole staff because the students wouldn’t be able to arrive by four o’clock anymore; and that’s when our day staff go home. We will still employ
After the grocery store, New Orleans Pizza, left, and Stargazer video, right, are two of the stores that will be affected when the Chesley high school closes. At lunch and break times students crowd New Orleans Pizza for pizza slices. At Stargazer, afterschool work shifts are put aside for high school students. PHOTOS BY MEGHAN WEATHERALL
students, they just won’t get as many hours as they used to get. We might lose some student staff because the hours we are going to give them won’t be enough.” Jacqui Knipfel, Peter’s wife and grocery store co-owner, said, “I think it would drastically affect the hours and number of students we hire. We are only open until seven o’clock on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It would drastically cut their hours so they would only be able to work Thursday, Friday and weekends. They wouldn’t have the rest of it because a lot of them wouldn’t be able to get here until almost five o’clock, so we could have them come in for a two-and-a-half-hour shift but not many people are going to want to do that.” Former Chesley high school student and grocery store employee, Sherrylee Walpole,
believes if she would have had to finish high school elsewhere, she would have chosen to find a job in that town and that many other students would as well due to shift availability. “It would be more beneficial,” said Walpole. “Not many places in Chesley would offer a three-hour shift and students who are saving for post-secondary need all the hours they can get.” Rose Albert, a Chesley high school student who is taking an extra year of studies, said, “I worked at Parkview Manor and it was only a five-minute walk from school. If I went to school in another town I wouldn’t be able to participate in after school sports and work since I share a car with my mom.” The board trustees’ recommendation that the high school be shut down will be discussed and voted on later this year.
NEWS
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Monday, March 13, 2017
Library’s fundraiser fun for all First Excess Party features aerialists, fortune tellers
BY BRANDY FULTON
As the Cambridge clock tower struck eight, the library had a line up out the door on March 4. However, the people entering were not coming to study for midterms or check out a movie. Instead they were enjoying the music played by DJs on all three floors and dances breaking out everywhere you turned. This was no normal night for the Idea Exchange. The first Excess Party featured aerialists, interpretive dancers, fortune tellers and fashion shows. It brought the arts and culture of Cambridge to life, bringing in local businesses to showcase their products and services. Beer representatives showcased their art on beer cans, a bartender amazed crowds with his bottle flipping and a new Google Tilt Brush was available to create something new in a virtual reality. The event incorporated new technology and old music that brought art enthusiasts
out from all across Cambridge, Waterloo and Kitchener. A special performance was given by Charlena Russell who used her vocal talents and the help of technical artist Bernie Rohde to create a costume that responded to her singing. She filled the room with flashes of colour and sound. The Idea Exchange has a yearly fundraiser in March to raise money for their programs held each week for children, teens and adults. “It was what we called a community-raiser,” said Sandra Sydor, the co-ordinator for outreach and marketing for the Idea Exchange. Tickets cost $50, or $40 for artists and students, and food and drinks were sold
throughout the night. For the past 15 years a different fundraiser has been held. The formal sit-down meal, called Artigras, featured a silent auction, a raffle and door prizes. “The day of the sit-down meal is over,” said Sydor, adding that she, along with the other co-ordinators of the event, were looking for something that would bring everyone in. “We want to get the students involved in the community again, something they can do with their friends instead of just sitting on the couch texting.” The library’s only goal was to have a night filled with wonder and spur-of-themoment interactions. With promises to never look back and the sit-down meal in the dust, Idea Exchange looks forward to what they can do in the years to come. “Art is always changing, and we won’t have a clue what will be in store until the day of our next fundraiser,” Sydor said.
An aerial performance by Brass Butterflies kicked off the evening. There was a second performance later that night. Right, dancers from the group One Movement perform a moving story about bullying and being controlled.
PHOTOS BY BRANDY FULTON
Neon lights brought this body art to life at the Idea Exchange’s first Excess Party on March 4.
NEWS
Monday, March 13, 2017
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Brothers urge you to be a donor BY JOY STRUTHERS
Every day, an average of 14 people learn their kidneys have failed in Canada. For many, it is due to diabetes which is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Greg Allt knew the day might come that his kidney would fail because of damage from diabetes but through diet, exercise and medication he stayed healthy for as long as he could. “They thought I would be on dialysis in 2005 but I stuck to the regime rigorously so I was lucky,” said Allt. Allt was on dialysis at home for just over a year. This treatment removed waste and water from his blood, which is a job his kidneys were no longer doing effectively. He had great caregivers and was able to work from home as well. However, he became very weak. “I had no energy, I slept most of the time,” he said. One time he accidentally doubled a supplement he was supposed to take and ended up hospitalized. “I was living in a twilight zone,” he said. “I couldn’t say things properly … I didn’t know what was going on.” He was on dialysis for three days straight in an effort to clean his blood. His condition stabilized and he was able to go home again. Doctors had a plan in place and were preparing a donor by that time, for when he needed surgery. Years ago, his brother, Guelph councillor Phil Allt, said he would get checked out to be a donor. “My other brother stepped up and said if Phil doesn’t work out, I’ll get checked. I had a number of people come forward to offer,” said Greg.
PHOTO BY JOY STRUTHERS
Coun. Phil Allt (left) poses with his brother Greg Allt in front of the Art Gallery of Guelph on Feb. 16 with the Begging Bear sculpture created by Carl Skelton. The bear is often dressed up and has long been a beloved icon in Guelph. The brothers dressed the bear in a T-shirt to promote beadonor.ca. Phil donated a kidney to Greg last December. They urge everyone to sign up to be organ donors. His brother was a really good match. “First of all they did psychological testing to determine whether I was under threat or blackmail or pressure … and also to determine I didn’t have a god or hero complex,” said Phil. It is an important part of
the process for doctors to figure out if the potential donor is prepared for the surgery. They don’t want anyone to do it for the wrong reasons or have any regrets. Then came the more physical requirements. Luckily the brothers share type B blood, which is rare.
The surgery was performed Dec. 7, 2016 and for Greg it went perfectly. “They told me he would instantly recover. The truth is he did. I, on the other hand, took weeks, because I was far more compromised,” said Phil. Phil had a complication and was in surgery for longer than expected. He ended up with a collapsed lung. When he spiked a fever they began searching for a perforated bowel and blood clots. He isn’t very clear on everything that happened. “That was probably the worst day of my life,” said Phil. He describes the recovery as if he had been in a knife fight. “For the first little while I couldn’t get out of the chair. I had to kind of push myself up with my elbows. Getting out of bed I had to roll over, put one foot against the wall and sort of prop myself up because I didn’t have any capacity to use my abdominal muscles at all,” he said. It has been a hard winter for Phil because he had to limit his activities but slowly he has returned to good health. He has a number of dietary restrictions and is aware of his physical limitations. He can still have up to seven alcoholic drinks a week, which he is fine with. He has to reduce his caffeine and cream intake but the one thing he said he wouldn’t do is switch from butter to margarine. A big surprise for Phil was that he couldn’t have black licorice. It contains something that affects blood pressure. “Beyond that, life is normal,” he said. “I can do every bit of physical activity I always did.” Greg is confident this kidney will keep him going for a long time. “It’s been a life changer,” he
said. He felt better immediately after the surgery and is returning to work soon. It has been a long journey for him and, as he is still diabetic, he will always have dietary restrictions and some medical needs but the cost to him and the government will be greatly reduced. “It costs about $70,000 a year to do home dialysis which is the cheapest form of dialysis,” he said. “That doesn’t include … doctors and blood work. In Canada the cost to get a kidney transplant is $38,000. Now, right there you can see the savings.” Obviously people think about the human cost, and helping someone as the biggest incentive for donation, but there is also this saving of health-care dollars which is very important to the Allt brothers as well. In Canada if you need medical help you will get it, although there may be a waiting period. If there is an emergency people get treatment right away. “I’m praising the Canadian health-care system,” said Greg. Both brothers urge people to become organ donors. “All that I really want out of this is for people to sign their donor cards. Just sign them. “There’s no excuses,” said Phil. “They need to go to www. beadonor.ca. It is so important,” said Greg. Being a living donor might not be for everyone, but becoming an organ donor takes two minutes online and in the event of a tragedy up to eight people’s lives could be saved. “I’m not a hero,” said Phil. “People think I’m a hero. I’m not a hero at all … Life gives you choices. In this case I had one choice. That’s it.”
Millennials care more than people think
BY SCOTT BLINKHORN
A recent poll conducted by the Manning Centre suggests that 83 per cent of young Canadians think that the federal debt is too high. The poll, which is part of a larger survey, was released on Feb. 25, and surveyed 2,000 Canadians aged 15-25. The results of the poll may be surprising to many as young Canadians are usually thought to be in favour or unconcerned with the debt level and deficit spending. According to a report published by Abacus Data called The Next Canada, young
voters aged 18-25 heavily favoured the Liberal party in the 2015 federal election. During the campaign, the Liberals advocated for what they called “moderate deficits” of less than $10 billion for each of their first three years in power. So much for that promise. In March 2016, the Liberals projected that the total deficit spending for the next three years would be $113 billion. “I feel like they should stop major projects because those are what are costing so much,” said Matthew van Vuurean, a first-year advertising student at Conestoga College.
The participants of the poll were asked, “Which of these statements do you think best describes the federal budget deficit and the national debt?” The options respondents were given were “major problem – address now,” “major problem – address when economy improves,” “minor problem” and “not a problem.” Forty per cent of those surveyed said they would like to see the problem addressed now. Forty-two per cent said that they would like the debt to be addressed when the economy improves. Thirteen per cent felt they debt was
only a minor problem and only five per cent felt the debt was not a problem. A provincial breakdown of the respondents found similar numbers across the country. Alberta had the highest number of those answering that the debt was a “major problem” at 88 per cent, while B.C. had the highest percentage of respondents who felt that the debt was a “minor problem” at 21 per cent. “It’s encouraging to see that millennials seem to understand they’re going to be left with the bill for the federal government’s rising debt levels,” said Preston
Manning, founder of the Manning Centre and former leader of the Reform Party of Canada. According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the country’s federal debt currently stands at $639 billion. The average Canadian’s share of the debt is $17,609. It is unclear whether the results of the poll will reflect changes in voting patterns in the next election. However, several candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada think it will be a major election issue and made balanced budgets part of their campaign platform.
COMMENTARY
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Monday, March 13, 2017
Hydro showdown BY SCOTT BLINKHORN
Ontarians have been crying for relief from the squeeze put on them by rising hydro rates. On March 2, Premier Kathleen Wynne delivered. One can hardly blame people if they choose to look this gift horse in the mouth, as it turns out it has rotten teeth and a bad leg. The summer will see electricity prices cut by 17 per cent for residential customers, which will work in harmony with the eight per cent sales-tax reduction that took effect in January. Together, the savings should provide the relief people need but it does nothing to solve the underlying problem and simply flips the bill to future generations. The Liberals plan to pay for this plan by lengthening the financing agreements for past contracts. This means Ontario will pay more but over a longer period, around $25 billion in interest over the next 30 years. Rather than bleeding customers like Dracula, the Wynne government has elected to cover everyone in Ontario with leeches, wait three decades and check to see if anyone is still alive. The plan also calls for $2.5 billion in additional funding to help subsidize costs for low-income and rural households, according to a press release issued by the office of the premier. This subsidization will not only make taxpayers responsible for their power usage, but that of their neighbour’s. So, a family struggling to keep their household budget under control and who remembers to turn off the lights when they leave the room will have to help pay for a family down the road who simply can’t be bothered. Fortunately, if nothing else, the measure will stop consumers from having to choose between food and electricity. This move has many critics complaining that the measure is little more than a shameless attempt to buy votes in the 2018 election. Supporters of this measure have said it is like throwing struggling Ontarians a life preserver, completely overlooking the fact that the same woman who so courageously threw the preserver was also responsible for running the ship straight into an iceberg. The simple fact is that the Liberals were well aware of rising hydro costs and the burden they had placed on Ontarians when they implemented a cap-and-trade system in the province and when they handed out ludicrous subsidies to generators of wind and solar power. In 15 months, voters will have the chance to give the Liberals the trial the captain of the Titanic never had. 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
U.S. invites Canadian snowbirds to stay in U.S. longer, but this puts their health benefits at risk.
Judging others just plain wrong Judgments are everywhere – from the deeply rooted aspects of life such as religion and culture to the mundane happenings of our daily lives. We, as a society, have started judging everyone and everything, collectively, and have labelled it as a “freedom.” What we do not realize is it will not get us anywhere. I remember sitting with my friends in the café at this posh college in Karachi and judging our juniors who were struggling during their first week on campus. I remember sitting at home with my maternal aunts and indulging in lengthy sessions of gossip, having a good time. We would discuss everything under the sun; people we never really knew and why they made the choices they did. But we made it our business and enjoyed judging and assuming. I never realized how dependent I was on these “gossip sessions” which were deemed completely harmless by us when, ironically, gossiping is labelled as backbiting in my faith and we will be accountable for it on the Day of Judgment. But even
Shafaq Parwez
Opinion from a moral perspective, I knew gossiping was wrong but I just did not know that I started doing it every time I got together with my friends or family. It was becoming a part of me. I must elaborate on one thing here, I wasn’t pure evil. I was just … wasting my time! I would discuss such mundane and meaningless things such as somebody’s reaction to something equally mundane and meaningless. Or somebody’s makeup skills which were, of course, completely irrelevant to me. It was six years ago that I began to see what I was doing was wrong. I found out others were gossiping about me, people who I had grown emotionally attached to. It hurt. I guess it’s true nothing affects you unless it happens to you. Or to somebody you
love immensely. It took me more than six years to gradually shed that thick, rude skin which was never really a part of me to begin with. Almost seven years down the lane, a dear friend said she liked me purely because I never engaged in gossiping. And then it struck me, my efforts to actively stop myself from judging people had begun to pay off and that other people around me chose me as their friend because of it. I have been a happier person ever since. Minding my own business has made me grow in ways I never knew was possible. No matter what the reason was for my bad habit, I am delighted it is no longer a part of me. All the people I used to engage in gossiping with are still very much a part of my life. A few of them have realized it is doing them no good. However, the majority continue to gossip, believing there is nothing wrong with it. This makes me wonder how and where this vicious cycle started in the first place and how many generations it is going to take to stop it.
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
Production Managers: Matthew Evangelista, Roland Fleming Photo Editors (print): Joy Struthers, Nicole Clark Photo Editors (online): Andrew Benney, Riley Linseman, Wendy Huenul-Valdes
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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, March 13, 2017
Page 7 SPOKE
Useless Facts
Oh Cliff!
horoscope Week of March 13, 2017
Aries
March 21 April 19 Don’t wait for it to happen, make it happen. If you need any help, get your squad and do it.
Taurus April 20 May 20
The thing you are looking forward to will definitely happen. Don’t rush it, don’t wait for it, it will happen when it has to happen.
Gemini May 21 June 21
2017 just got better for you. Are you ready for your adventures?
Cancer June 22 July 22
No one knows you better than what you know about yourself. Don’t settle for less than what you want.
Leo
July 23 August 22 There are two sides to a coin; see both sides and act accordingly.
Virgo
August 23 September 22 A bottle of your favourite beverage and a hockey game is all you need to get through this rough week.
The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It’s like a human jumping the length of a football field.
Libra
September 23 October 22
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
A sword will cut through anybody’s body irrespective of who holds it, so get out there and do what you believe.
Starfish don’t have what humans would technically define as a “brain.” The average person’s left hand does 56 per cent of the typing.
Scorpio
The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life.
October 23 November 21 You are nothing but extraordinary. Keep going and the world will follow you to the places you wanted it to.
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.
Be proud of who you are and believe in yourself. Don’t trust what you hear and change yourself.
Capricorn December 22 January 19
Anything that comes in the way of your career is not worth it. Focus on what you have been fighting for for so long.
Aquarius January 20 February 18
A rough start will always have a better ending. Do not be distressed, have a cup of coffee and get back to work.
Pisces
February 19 March 20 Forgive and forget. Don’t be hard on yourself for what others have done to you.
Diodonna Winona dabbles in forces beyond mortal comprehension. She also enjoys people watching and coffee. .
Word Search
NEWS
Page 8 s SPOKE
Monday, March 13, 2017
A healthy mind and body lead to happiness BY MATTHEW EVANGELISTA
Therapy is important to a healthy mind, but just as important is a healthy diet and plenty of activity. Research has shown that exercising can improve mental health, and improved mental health can result in a healthy lifestyle. “A lot of times it is those around them who notice before they do how much exercise is changing them for the better, especially with activities of daily living or that they personally notice how much happier they feel since starting to exercise,” said Josh Terry, a personal trainer in Kitchener who has been certified for over 11 years. He also has a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a masters in osteopathic manipulative sciences.
Terry notices everyday as a personal trainer that the happiest and most confident individuals push themselves to be better. Evidence from studies involving clinical samples indicates that the psychological benefits associated with exercise are comparable to gains found with standard forms of psychotherapy. Hence, for healthy individuals the principal psychological benefit of exercise may be that of prevention, whereas in those suffering from mild to moderate emotional illness, exercise may function as a means of treatment, according to a study conducted by John S. Raglin, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University Bloomington, for the International Journal of
Sports Medicine. Another study from Stockholm University College of Physical Education and Sport in Sweden concluded that individuals who exercised at least two to three times a week experienced significantly less depression, anger, cynical distrust and stress than those exercising less frequently or not at all. Furthermore, regular exercisers perceived their health and fitness to be better than less frequent exercisers did. “I know this is difficult for some, because individuals who identify with depression typically have a lack of motivation to do anything, but I find that once I work through the underlying emotional stuff, and they start to get
into a better state, then I find that incorporating even 10 minutes of physical activity into their routine is possible,” said Leanne Sawchuk, a registered psychotherapist in Kitchener and graduate of the University of Toronto with almost a decade of experience in her field. Working out is also a great substitute for antidepressants or getting off anti-depressants. Even light activity, like yoga, is a great natural activity to keep your body and mind active, said Sawchuk. Aside from psychotherapy Sawchuk is an art therapist. This therapy is another form of activity that keeps the mind active, helps people express themselves and is a substitute for people who can’t or don’t
like working out. “Sometimes people with disorders such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), find articulating their thoughts into words really challenging. Going through their experience saying it to me is hard so we work through art instead,” she said. Studies done on the effectiveness of art therapy have been positive. The results of a study done on female breast cancer patients at Umea University in Sweden showed that art therapy enhanced the effectiveness of a patient’s psychotherapy, improving their coping resources. “I think all health-care professionals need to work together within our scope of practice,” said Terry.
Mental health being ignored
Trying to get better in the mental health unit of Grand River Hospital is hard when the only thing you have to stare at is late-80’s cafe style coffee art. The walls are painted a sad brown latte colour that doesn’t brighten anyone’s mood. And God forbid they check you in on a weekend because you won’t get any answers or real help until Monday. Canada’s health-care system is failing patients with mental health problems. The common room in the mental health unit at Grand River Hospital is dismal, making it hard for patients to rest, which is the main goal of the patient’s stay in the unit. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) reports, “While mental illness accounts for about 10 per cent of the burden of disease in Ontario, it receives just 7 per cent of healthcare dollars. Relative to this burden, mental health care in Ontario is underfunded by about $1.5 billion.” This is becoming a huge issue with death by suicide being the second leading cause of death in Canada. If the hospital, a place people go to get better, can’t provide all of the options for someone with a mental health problem, who does? The lack of help leads many people to stay silent and live their lives undiagnosed. Not knowing where to get help is debilitating to someone who suffers from depression or anxiety. Imagine if people who broke their leg didn’t know where they could go to get help – it’s apparent how this would be a problem. Why isn’t mental health
Wendy Huenul-Valdes Opinion
treated the same? In Canada the total number of 12- to 19-year-olds at risk of developing depression is 3.2 million. It’s unfortunate that at such a stressful time for students there hasn’t been any real discussion on how to lighten the load. Between school, needing to work to pay rent and working at a co-op job, students are drowning in responsibilities
and unable to find a proper place to rejuvenate. According to CMHA, of Canadians who reported having a mental health need in the past year, a third stated that their needs were not fully met. And only half of Canadians who experience major health episodes receive “potentially adequate care.” We are in midterms now, things are starting to wrap up and the pressure of school is really starting to become the hum in the halls. If you are suffering in silence, get help. If you are a Conestoga College student, Counselling Services can help you – and all it takes is booking an appointment. You can contact them at 519748-5220, ext. 3360.
HORSING AROUND AT WINTERLOO
PHOTO BY RILEY LINSEMAN
Nathan Kueffer of St. Jacobs Horse Drawn Tours took kids for a carriage ride during Winterloo, a three-day festival held on Feb. 26. Conestoga’s integrated marketing communications students held an Amazing Race contest. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.