Something for everyone Festival features films, music and meet and greets. Page 3 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2016
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A LEARNING NEWSROOM FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS
CONESTOGA COLLEGE, KITCHENER, ONT.
Oh my gourd! Cambridge woman carves 100 jack-o’-lanterns. Page 4
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47TH YEAR — NO. 19
When the Royal Canadian Legion initially heard about the ceremony they became involved and a tradition was born. The service is the first of several in Waterloo Region, and for the last few years has been held on the first day of the legion’s poppy campaign, which raises funds to support veterans and their families. “It’s about remembering the veterans buried here,” said Sandy Pember, Zone C 2 commander of the Royal Canadian Legion. When asked about the importance of commemorative events not held on Remembrance Day, Pember said, “Not everyone can be off on Nov. 11, and maybe this is a chance for the family of the veterans buried here to visit.” The ceremony began with a march of legion members belonging to branches across
the region. Accompanied by bagpipes, the parade crossed the short distance from the funeral home to a small memorial honouring those who served. The march was made bearing the Canadian flag, the Union Jack, the NATO flag and the United Nations flag, each one honouring Canadians who fought and sacrificed under them. Kirk Genereux, sergeant-atarms, Zone C of the Royal Canadian Legion, has been parade marshal for the ceremony for 11 years. “Mostly it’s because I’ve been around for so long,” Genereux said jokingly. Speaking about what Remembrance Day means to him, he said, “My dad was a veteran. He served five years … when he came home he met his four-year-old daughter.” Remembrance Day will mark the 98th anniversary of the end of the First World War, which passed from living memory in 2010 after the last known Canadian veteran died. The country still has approximately 9,000 Korean War veterans and 600,000 veterans of the Canadian Forces. Remembrance Day events at Conestoga will take place Nov. 11 in the atrium on the Doon campus and in the cafeterias at the Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph campuses.
Waterloo Region remembers BY SCOTT BLINKHORN
Over one million Canadians served in the Second World War as part of the Canadian Forces, the merchant marine and other allied forces. In 2014 there were approximately 75,000 veterans remaining, according to Veterans Affairs Canada. It is a war that is quickly exiting living memory. On Oct. 29, Memory Gardens Funeral Home and Cemetery hosted its 11th annual Remembrance Day ceremony. “We have over 400 veterans buried here,” said Darcy Campbell, funeral director at Memory Gardens, “This is about a history of honouring, the veterans we have here with us.” The ceremony began with cemetery officials marking each of the graves of the veterans with a Canadian flag.
PHOTOS BY SCOTT BLINKHORN
A member of the Royal Canadian Legion holds a Remembrance Day flag in front of a wreath laid at a memorial to Canadian veterans, during a ceremony held at Memory Gardens Funeral Home and Cemetery in Breslau on Oct. 29.
CERTIFIED NATURE THERAPY GUIDE
PRACTISES IN HURON NATURAL AREA Shinrin-Yoku, otherwise known as “Forest Bathing,” is a Japanese-based practice scientifically proven to help with the increase of immune function and the reduction of the stress hormone, cortisol. Recent events have taken the practice to Huron Natural Area in Kitchener, with walks by a certified forest therapy guide. For more information, see video at www.spokeonline.com. PHOTO BY NICOLE CLARK
Canadian flags over the graves of veterans blow in the wind at the cemetery. The staff place the flags every year in advance of Remembrance Day.
NEWS
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Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College
Monday, November 7, 2016
FILBERT CARTOONS
Random questions answered by random students
If you could give a group of people one piece of advice, what would it be?
“Disperse.” Stuart Hulbert, first-year protection, security and investigation
Self-defence course held twice a year BY SHAFAQ PARWEZ
“Money talks. It says save me now, so I’ll save you tomorrow.” Brandon Kannenann, first-year protection, security and investigation
“Be prepared for tomorrow but try to have some fun today.” Thomas Irwin, second-year community and criminal justice
“Just breathe … Get it?” Matt Schaefer, second-year respiratory therapy
Conestoga College has held a rape aggression defence course three times since September 2015. And the number of participants keeps growing every year. The course was most recently held at the college on Oct. 18, 19 and 20 in the multipurpose room in the rec centre. It is currently offered twice a year, with Security Services hoping to add a summer session too. Its basic aim is to teach women how to defend themselves against physical and sexual assault. Women are taught various defensive manoeuvres to keep in mind while travelling, at work or even if attacked while sleeping. The course also aims to strengthen women who have been victims of sexual assault in the past, and is a good fit for women who are interested in joining law enforcement agencies. Lorna Campbell, a security representative at Conestoga’s Safety and Security Services,
said the course has been offered for many years. “The college always got outside people to run this selfdefence course,” she said, adding she now runs it with the help of assistant supervisor Susete Araujo-Vizinho. Campbell said she was trained in rape aggression defence at Ryerson in 2014 and has taken additional training in New Mexico (2016) and Michigan (2017). She aims to attend yet another training seminar in Ryerson this February. Campbell identified a few key areas where women need to be more vigilant of their surroundings. She said they need to be careful when they are “out at night alone, in parking lots and in dark areas.” She said her biggest concern is “women going out with their earplugs in and listening to loud music.” She said it nullifies the possibility of escaping assault. Twenty-two participants took part in last month’s session.
With the number of assaults increasing every year, Campbell said, “I hoped more people would sign up.” Women from ages 18 to 60 have taken the course. Students can find out about the winter session through the Co-Curricular Record, posters and LCDs in the hallways. Participants are required to sign up at Security Services in Room 2B10. Classes are held three days in a row from 5 to 8 p.m. A total of nine hours has to be completed to get a course completion certificate.
CORRECTION In an Oct. 31 story on the Kitchener Zombie Walk and Lichwood Grove, a group that plays amtgard, an incorrect time was given. The group meets Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and at noon on Sundays, at 10 Chopin Dr. in Kitchener.
HOCKEY HELPS THE HOMELESS “Live a life you’re proud of.” Brianne Peori, second-year police foundations
“Life is only as good as your mindset.” Paul Sharb, first-year protection, security and investigation PHOTO BY JAMES WELLS
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
Pillers and Electri-Tech, two of the 16 Hockey Helps the Homeless teams, face off at RIM Park in Waterloo at this year’s charity tournament Oct. 28. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.
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Monday, November 7, 2016
SPOKE s Page 3
people and develop their skills. At the opening night, behind the drawn red curtains on the stage you could hear soft footsteps and scraping chairs, a random clinging of a tambourine and a note from a string instrument. The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra was in place, and ready to perform. They played a medley of film-related songs and were led by music director Sabatino Vacca. The curtains raised for another musical guest after Lowdown Tracks was shown. Singer-songwriter Katt Budd busks for a living and although she has an apartment in Peterborough currently, she was homeless for a number of years. She was not able to care for her own children because of living in poverty, and left home at a young age herself. “Satan may have sold my soul, but I’d never go, never go home. Yeah Satan may own my soul, but I’d never grow, never grow old,” Budd sang. Volunteer Jaye Kuntz stressed the importance of this film and said work needs to be done in our community to help. “Everybody needs to see this once,” said Kuntz.
Katt Budd plays her song called My Soul after the screening of the film Lowdown Tracks at the Grand River Film Festival that she was featured in. The film is about homeless musicians in Toronto and their struggles.
It is now just one day before the U.S. election. The American people especially, but also many around the world, are waiting in anticipation to see the outcome. This election certainly seems to be causing a lot more concern than any in recent history. Uniquely, it is an election in which both candidates have record high disapproval ratings. The question is, how do you vote in such an election? If both of your main party options seem unappealing, is it truly best to vote for what you think is the lesser of two evils? I get the logic of such thinking, but I think in the long term this is a damaging mindset. By allowing politics to be a competition of who’s the least terrible of our terrible options, we still end up with two terrible options. The current American election has perhaps dragged the standard of what is expected from a leader to an all-time low. Supporters on both sides ignore glaring flaws in their own candidate simply because, they say, the other person is worse. These flaws are sometimes ignored
of a mud fight, we had a competition where all candidates were actually widely respected and praised by a majority of the people? Where candidates were held to such a high standard that even partisans from opposing parties could say they liked the opposing candidate. Sadly, it doesn’t even seem possible looking at this current U.S. election. And sadly it never will be if we, as voters, choose to support the lesser of two evils, or three in Canada, rather than the best of the best. At this point it is too late for America to change course. Ultimately they are going to have to elect someone that a majority of Americans disapprove of. The lesson we can take away from this is to vote for people of integrity, vote for someone you believe in. If you don’t like anyone on the ballot, write someone you approve of in. If more people did this, maybe we would have more options in the future, candidates not so corrupt; everyday people who would actually work for the benefit of their country.
Film festival brings more than just movies BY JOY STRUTHERS
The opening night of the 10th annual Grand River Film Festival at the Dunfield Theatre in Cambridge brought a serious issue to the attention of the community, the problem of homelessness. The film Lowdown Tracks by Shelley Saywell showcased homeless musicians in the Toronto area celebrating their music and expressing their vulnerability. Juno award-winning musician Lorraine Segato recorded the stories of some of the people she met and helped them to record their music. She spoke with homeless musicians all over the city, in rooming houses and shelters, on park benches, under bridges and alongside railroad tracks. The stories of these people are heartbreaking and include their problems with mental health issues, addiction and histories of abuse. At the same time, their talent and the beauty they express through their music is a real gift. One musician who is featured is Maryanne Epp who started out in Kitchener and ended up travelling all over the country playing music to stay alive. She talked about
her depression and some of the experiences she has had. She cried openly while being filmed and says she wants people to learn from what she has lived through. “Everyone who is homeless has been hurt,” said Epp. The evening began on Oct. 24 with an introduction by Gayle O’Brien, the MC and a radio host from 107.5, Dave FM, who is a Conestoga College alumnus. She talked about the work that goes into these type of festivals and her appreciation for the films. She admitted she was not really a film person, but the works she has seen at festivals have affected her emotionally. “There really is something for everyone,” she said. The festival was held from Oct. 24-29 at venues across the Region of Waterloo. It featured 13 longer films and showed a number of short ones from the MCAP SHORT shorts competition. There were guest speakers and panels of directors, film professionals and local interest groups. In addition there were musical performances and gatherings with food and drinks. Industry sessions provided learning opportunities for filmmakers, so they could meet
In with the new at the KPL BY DEEANNA ROLLINS
Studio Central is a new creative digital hub that will be added to the main branch of the Kitchener Public Library (KPL) in the near future. It will be an expansion of the current Digital Media Lab. The library plans to add things like 3D printers, mixing and recording studios, a virtual reality room and additional spaces for other creative initiatives. On Oct. 25, the KPL held a kick-off party for the Studio, called Party in the Stacks, in order to help raise money to go toward funding Studio Central. The kickoff party included things like the scanning and 3D printing of people’s heads, a virtual reality booth and many guest speakers, including the senior engineering director of Google, Steven Woods, the mayor of Kitchener, Berry Vrbanovic, and the past president of Christie Digital, Gerry Remers. “It’s clear that the community wants and needs this kind of space,” said Mary Chevreau, CEO of the KPL. According to the latest Pew Research Centre report, entitled Libraries 2016,
approximately 80 per cent of Americans think that libraries should teach people how to use technology and digital tools like computers, smartphones and applications. Fifty per cent of Americans think that libraries should buy digital media tools, like 3D printers, and allow people to use them. “Everything evolves. Dictionaries evolve and definitions evolve and libraries evolve,” said Stephanie Rozek, HIVE Waterloo Region founder and KPL guest librarian. HIVE is a global network that promotes digital literacy. During speeches, Woods said, “YouTube is the new way of learning. It combines people who want to learn with people who want to teach.” The Studio will bring these people together face-to-face, and allow them to use what they’ve learned in practice. “Throughout time, libraries have been synonymous with literacy, and now we have a new type of literacy: digital literacy,” said Bob Egan, manager of community connections and development at the KPL, when speaking about why Studio Central is important to Waterloo Region and the library.
PHOTO BY JOY STRUTHERS
The best of the worst Roland Fleming
Opinion to the point of absurdity. Interviews have been done with supporters who say that there is literally nothing their candidate could say or do that would stop them from voting for that person. I think voters deserve better from their leaders. But if citizens continue to vote for people they don’t like, then there will be no motivation for leaders to raise the bar. The same applies for any country. If suddenly tides of voters refused to vote for any major party, you might see a surge of new parties emerging. Maybe the major parties would work a little harder to get votes, instead of simply digging up dirt and flinging it at the enemy. They may actually have to get things done, and make real change happen. Can you imagine an election where instead
NEWS
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Monday, November 7, 2016
Ariel isn’t the only thing under the sea BY SHARON SAMUEL
How many pumpkins did you carve for Halloween? One, two? Meet the woman who made 100 jack-o’-lanterns to raise money for charity. Kara Klypycz, 39, of Cambridge, has been raising money since September for the United Way of Cambridge and North Dumfries, an organization that improves the lives of people in the community. “It’s a non-profit. They work with about 20 agencies in this area to help people basically move out of poverty,” she said. “So, there is a connection with the food bank, they help with some adult literacy programs, they also work with children’s social programs.” Klypycz has been carving multiple pumpkins for years, and last year carved 75 of them. The media, including the Waterloo Region Record, and many area residents came to see the display, she said. So, Klypycz and her husband came up with the idea of raising money for charity and doing something for the community that would last a little longer than Halloween night. “Last year I didn’t do a campaign. We were in the paper as an artist,” she said. “People (were) coming to see the display. Since last year was my biggest attempt, 75 pumpkins, the media came. So just seeing all the people come and getting all the feedback, this year we decided to raise money.” People could donate any amount. One little girl who came to the door dressed as Elsa from the movie Frozen dropped a $5 bill into the donation box and asked Klypycz to carve a princess. “Most of my carved (pumpkins) in the last couple of years have been focused on
things my son is interested in,” said Klypycz. “Last year he was just three and he wanted superheroes. So, I did all of the heroes and all of the villains.” Aidan Lindhardsen, her son who is now four years old, was obsessed with sharks this year and so Klypycz decided to carve creatures in the sea. “I have got some sharks that I have already carved,” she said. “I have carved jellyfish, tropical fish, whales, more sharks, stingrays, sea horses, octopus, anything under the sea you can think of.” These carved pumpkins were on display on the night of Halloween outside her house, on the front lawn. Klypycz said she was dressed like a mermaid and her son was a shark. Her husband joined them by being a pirate. On Oct. 2, the family went to harvest pumpkins at Snyder’s Family Farm, which supports her by giving her all of the pumpkins for free. “We go out into the fields with our gloves and our workboots and we pull them right off (of) the vine and put them in the truck,” said Klypycz. “We have done that since Aidan was able to walk, all together as a family. It’s a pumpkin harvesting day.” She said she always finds ways to do things to the fullest and since residents come and see her display of jacko’-lanterns, she wanted it to benefit others as well. “We all come together for Halloween, so why can’t we come together every other day,” said Klypycz. “They (the United Way) are great supporters and they have these connections that put people in the right programs; it just seems like a perfect match.”
PHOTOS BY SHARON SAMUEL
Kara Klypycz, shown with her son Aidan Lindhardsen, sits with the pumpkins she carved outside their house in Cambridge. The pumpkins were only on display on Halloween night.
Comedy 4 Cancer attracts full house BY MATTHEW EVANGELISTA
Conestoga’s marketing students hosted their Comedy 4 Cancer event in Conestoga Students Inc.’s Doon campus Venue Oct. 18, donating all proceeds to Canadian breast cancer research. The Venue was a full house. Although admission was free, the marketing students asked for a toonie donation from attendees at the door and during the event. It was also the first day The Venue started serv-
ing beer this year, attracting more of a crowd than previously expected. Sandy MacFarlane and Conestoga alumni Tige Wright, both comedians from Rusty Nail Comedy, a KitchenerWaterloo comedy group, were the afternoon’s entertainment. They both got the room roaring with laughter with jokes ranging from the relatable to the outlandish. “Very early on I started to reach out to some charities,” said the founder of Rusty Nail Comedy Alex Mac. “The rea-
son was as a comic, I, myself, had been booked on charity shows. They were always awesome. The crowd is always there with a lot of support, and I know it sounds cheesy or cliché but it really did feel good to give your time to a good cause. The great thing about comedy is everyone is laughing, and that’s the best part when you are doing shows for serious causes.” October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, bringing attention to the disease which affects one out of every 30
Canadian women. The proliferation of breast cancer awareness has helped increase the survival rate to 88 per cent, according to The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and as high as 90 per cent in the two largest diagnosed age brackets of 40 to 49 and 60 to 69. The marketing students’ mission was to use laughter to “reduce any pain and suffering.” With a healthy donation from the students, and plenty of laughs as well, it’s clear the event was a success.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW EVANGELISTA
Rusty Nail comedian and Conestoga alumnus Tige Wright delivers a room-roaring joke during Comedy 4 Cancer, a breast cancer fundraiser held in The Venue on Oct. 18.
NEWS
Monday, November 7, 2016
United Way jitterbugs to 75
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CRAVING SOME GRASS?
PHOTO BY MEGHAN WEATHERALL
Fact: Cows and humans share 80 per cent of the same genes. Thankfully we don’t share a diet of grass.
PHOTO BY MELODIE LARIVIERE
Ang and Tom O’Brien spin across the dance floor at United Way’s 75th anniversary on Oct. 27. BY MELODIE LARIVIERE
United Way Kitchener Waterloo and Area celebrated its 75th anniversary by going back to the beginning. The fundraiser, Social Graces, was used to both celebrate and give back to the variety of agencies they support. “It is a fundraising event but it’s really more about the recognition of the people who help us out,” said Brian Bourke, United Way’s media and communications specialist. Organizers brought it back to the very beginning of the agency with a 1940’s theme. In 1941, the KitchenerWaterloo Federated Charities was created to raise money for the war work being done by local organizations. With the end of the Second World War, they continued to raise money for local social service agencies, including charities.
It was then in 1969 that their name changed to Federated Appeal of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area. They decided to join United Way/Centraide Canada and become United Way Kitchener Waterloo and Area on June 12, 1984. With live music from the K-W Big Band Theory playing songs from the ’40s and everyone dressed for a shindig, attendees had a blast. With women wearing birdcage veils and men in suits and top hats, you really were taken back in time. “It is crazy how this is what people did in the 1940s,” said Jan Vainer, CEO of the organization, as she watched a group of supporters shuffle on the floor. Supporters took part in a silent auction of many different prizes, from play tickets to paintings, with all proceeds going to support United Way charities. “This is a combination event
in some ways, it’s partially kind of to celebrate United Way’s 75th anniversary and to get a chance to invite our donors out, our people who you know have been generous with us in the past,” said Bourke. They had many different booths to entertain their donors, including food provided by Little Mushroom Catering, games, a dress-up photo station and the dance floor where lots of swing dancing took place. The 45 supported charities are ones that provide food, shelter and counselling, as well as over 140 human care services. Supporting United Way is simple. To make a donation, go to their website, uwaykw. org. You can also show your support by holding an event to raise money. You can do this by filling out an event proposal on their website.
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Did we forget?
COMMENTARY
Monday, November 7, 2016
BY BRANDY FULTON
The clock strikes 12, and Halloween is over. That is, for the most part. A few parties trickle into the early hours of Nov. 1, children are passed out from candy comas, parents are left eating the scraps that remain, and stores seem to explode with all their holly jolly Christmas spirit. The music, lights, decorations and lovely commercialism that all come along with retailers and this festive time of the year seem to magically appear the morning after the spooky holiday. Now, there is nothing wrong with this. Christmas brings many people closer to their family and friends, and something about this holiday just lightens people’s moods. However, the timing seems a little off. On Nov. 11, 1918, the First World War came to an end. Over nine million soldiers and seven million civilians died in that war, not to mention the number of victims of huge genocides that took place. Since then 26 countries have devoted Nov. 11 to remembering veterans. Schools hold assemblies, workplaces and other facilities display their respect for those who fought for our freedom. Overall, people take a minute on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to recognize those who gave up their lives. Unfortunately, as the years go on more people continue to work through that one minute. Children don’t understand why they are wearing red flowers over their hearts or sitting in silence while a stranger plays the trumpet. Fewer people truly understand what Remembrance Day is and why it is so important to our history as not only Canadians but as a world. In Ontario, Remembrance Day is not a holiday. Legions think many people will take the day off and not see this time as a moment to respect those who were in the war. In 2015 there were approximately 8,500 students enrolled at Conestoga College’s Doon campus. At 11 a.m. a Remembrance Day ceremony was held. However, only two and a half per cent of students attended. Last year’s firstyear journalism students were given a task to interview people around campus about why they wear a poppy. The students almost ran out of time due to the lack of people wearing them. Many students claimed they wear poppies because they always have, not for any reason. We are losing more veterans as the years go by. We no longer have veterans of the First World War and the number for the Second World War is quickly falling. We shop like crazy for our perfect Christmas gifts but forget about Remembrance Day. Once our children grow up are they going to remember veterans or is it going to be a “back in my day” kind of moment. We walk around for a few days saying “lest we forget,” but it seems as though many of us already have. 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
If Trump wins tomorrow’s election.
The feminist and government command
I am a self-declared feminist who wholeheartedly supports Trudeau’s Liberal government. What I can’t get behind is the change to the national anthem. Women’s rights have improved drastically over the years. During the start of the 1900s women were considered less valuable then a cow. We went from having no rights and being considered an alien in our own country to having the right to vote, own property, have time off to care for a child, and be in positions of authority. The Prime Minister’s fight for equality is admirable. The equal number of female and male cabinet members shows that he isn’t just all talk. He even recently supported Emma Watson’s He For She campaign in Ottawa. The campaign focuses on women’s rights and calls for the world to come together in promoting the issue. His actions to bettering women’s rights continues to give me hope for the future, but is it
Meghan Weatherall Opinion
necessary to change the national anthem? Does, “All thy sons command,” really make women feel less equal? Should they not be focusing their efforts on something more life changing? The lyrics of a song can’t hurt us. What can is still not being paid equally and being rejected for jobs because of our gender. Or having taxes on sanitary products that women need but barely can afford. There are more concerns that are being put on the back burner so a lyric change to the national anthem, words that aren’t against women’s rights, can be debated. The government should be looking at issues like relations with other countries, assisted death, the
fight against ISIS, and our First Nations living conditions. The original song was in French and then in 1906 an official English version was written. The first version included the lines, “Thou dost in us” before being rewritten as, “All thy sons” in 1908. The reason for the first rewrite was due to the government hoping it would persuade young men to enlist for the First World War. If they wanted a change, could they not have just changed it back to the original? Also, if we are going to change it to be more inclusive, then how about we take out all the religious references. Not all Canadians pray to the same God, some of us don’t believe in any greater being at all. We can’t just go halfway when talking about equality. If we are going to change lyrics for one group then we should make sure the rest of the song is just as inclusive for everyone else in Canada. It is 2016.
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IS PUBLISHED AND PRODUCED WEEKLY BY THE JOURNALISM STUDENTS OF CONESTOGA COLLEGE Editor: Joy Struthers Assignment Editor: Scott Blinkhorn Advertising Manager: DeeAnna Rollins Spoke Online Editors: Matthew Evangelista, Andrew Benney
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FUN & GAMES
Monday, November 7, 2016 SPOKE s Page 7
Useless Facts
Oh Cliff!
Horoscope
On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
Week of November 7, 2016
Aries
March 21 April 19 Due to your active and aggressive nature, today a dog will follow you home.
Taurus April 20 May 20
Sometimes it’s best to just let it go. But not too much or you will end up stuck on the couch.
Gemini May 21 June 21
Today will be a strange day for you. As you walk along the sidewalk you’ll realize you still haven’t left your bed.
Cancer June 22 July 22
Try not to enlarge any difficulties you may be having. You may just end up playing with your dog anyways.
Leo
July 23 August 22 Living like a king isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Virgo
August 23 September 22 Loosen up champ, they’re not judging you. Just admiring your sick accessories.
On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
Libra
September 23 October 22
Ninety per cent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.
Try not to argue with anyone today. You may get yelled at.
Thirty-five per cent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
Scorpio
October 23 November 21 You’re not that misunderstood. Stop being so intense once in a while.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
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.
Today would be a good day to just calm down. Try not to run away from home for once.
Capricorn December 22 January 19
You’re sweet, but maybe you should listen to what others are trying to tell you.
Aquarius January 20 February 18
We get it, you’re the only one with your head screwed on right. Beware of getting too uptight.
Pisces
February 19 March 20 Try not to get too involved in others’ problems, you have to take care of your hair first.
Ephram Strange dabbles in forces beyond mortal comprehension on a regular basis. He also enjoys young adult novels and taxidermy.
Word Search
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NEWS
Monday, November 7, 2016
Time to kick it old school
BY BRANDY FULTON
Canadian country singer-songwriter Tebey Ottoh invites music lovers everywhere to kick their Reebok pumps on the dash, sip on some Snapple and plug in their Walkman radios, but instead of Nirvana, listen to his new album Old School. At seven years old Tebey was rocking out to whatever music he could find, anywhere he could. Whether he performed at competitions or in front of his family and friends, he knew that one day he was going to make it big. At 15 he packed up and headed to Nashville with his dad. Since that big move from Burlington, Ont., this country star has played with a variety of artists from different genres including country superstars Big and Rich, Canadian pop star Shawn Desman, and international boy band phenomenon One Direction. However, his fame did not come for free. “There is no handbook that tells you about the music business,” said Tebey, now 29, in an interview before his show in Kitchener on Oct. 19. After two years of little success Tebey and his dad returned to Canada. He con-
tinued high school like any other student until his friend talked him up in the music industry and he was signed by BNA Records. He said the industry is constantly up and down. “Sometimes songs don’t sound right, or they don’t do as well as you hoped. There are always struggles and always days when you’re not sure if it is worth it.” But that did not stop this singer-songwriter. Tebey released two albums before Old School. His first single in 2002, We Shook Hands (Man to Man), won him a Country Music Television (CMT) nomination for Best New Male Country Artist, however, the single did not break the Top 20. Tebey moved back to Toronto where he continued to work hard in the industry. “I had no plan B,” he said. After another hit single in 2006 and a surprising but exciting call from one of his former co-writers, John Rich of Big & Rich, Tebey returned to Nashville in 2007 for good. In his online biography he clearly states his career intentions: “I really wanted to be true to myself making my own record. I didn’t want to feel like it had to fit into a certain box,”
Tebey says. “I’m definitely a country singer, but I grew up listening to everything and I like to write in all genres, so I wanted to push the envelope some and make a record that fell on the far contemporary side of country.” Tebey said it is easy to make a song that is straight down the middle, something you know that the radio will love and will shoot to the top in no time. But, he added, “I’m not writing music and singing for the radio. Although it is nice to hear my songs over the air, I do it for the fans and listeners, and for myself.” His most recent album, Old School, features an image that sends you back to the ’90s where times were easy and there wasn’t a care in the world.
you deal with your stresses. “Relaxing should be a priority,” said Petriw. “It helps us cope in stressful situations.” 2. Write it out. Literally. Take a pen and write down everything that’s stressing you. “Admit the problem,” said Keystone. “Sometimes that’s easier to do when it’s written out and you can see it right in front of you.” 3. Talk it out. “Talk therapy raises serotonin levels in your body,” said Keystone. “It makes you feel heard.” Talking to people about what’s stressing you can be very difficult, don’t do it unless you’re ready. Talk to people who aren’t involved in your stresses. For example, if you’re stressed about school, don’t talk to your classmates. Instead, talk to others who might have a different perspective than you do. 4. T-charts are your friend. Think about positive and negative ways that you personally deal with stress. Write them down. Come up with more ways you can positively reduce stress levels and try to avoid using the negative tactics you wrote down. Talk to friends about ways that they deal with stress, they might
be able to help you find a new way to relieve your stress. 5. Twenty-one days to make a habit, 21 days to break a habit. Scientifically, all it takes to make and break a habit is 21 days. That means that if you use one of the things on your positive list for at least 21 days straight, it will become something you do regularly. 6. The ACBs of stress. Antecedent: What triggered a reaction? What were you doing when you became angry/sad? Consequence: How did you react to the trigger (antecedent)? What were the consequences? Belief: How do you come to terms with what happened? What do you do to yourself that could be making the situation worse? Take control of your triggers by thinking about the ACBs. Think about what triggered a certain reaction, how you reacted to the trigger and how you can stop it from happening again. “And remember: it’s only a problem if you make it a problem,” said Keystone. Which means that it only becomes a thought in the back of your mind if you make it so.
PHOTO BY BRANDY FULTON
Stressed out?
BY DEEANNA ROLLINS
It is the most stressful time of year for students. They’re stressing about money, health, family and, of course, school and their grades. It’s the time of year where you see stress workshops popping up all over the place. One – held at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener – was called the “How to not give a shit” workshop, which took an untraditional spin on the classic, heavy title of “How to relieve stress” or “Stress and anxiety workshop.” Kate Petriw, one of the three co-founders, said they wanted to “take away the heaviness of the workshop by naming it something that everyone could relate to. Something that would stand out and actually make people want to come.” Petriw, along with the other co-founders Robin Keystone and Alison Fosbery, made this workshop all about the attendees, their stresses and ways to get rid of or embrace those stresses. Here are their ideas: 1. Sometimes it’s productive to not be doing anything. When you are stressed out, just take a break and don’t do anything. It helps to slow your breathing and heart rate, which in turn can help
PHOTO BY DEEANNA ROLLINS
Tebey Ottoh, a Canadian country singer-songwriter, whips out his guitar during his First Come, First Served concert on Oct. 19 at the Stampede Corral in Kitchener, alongside band members Dan Sadowski and Randie Van Gorp (in photo above left). Tebey will perform a soldout show in Peterborough on Nov. 17 for his last show of the First Come, First Served Tour. Fans had to tune into their local radio stations to win tickets or buy a meet and greet pass.
“If you think of it, we let people come for free this year (by winning tickets), they tell their friends and share the songs, and just have an absolute party. Then maybe when we come back next year our crowd will double in size.”
Tackling Crohn’s and colitis BY SCOTT BLINKHORN
November is Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month. Conestoga in Action (CIA), a club dedicated to creating positive change in the local community, will be holding a fundraiser throughout the month to try and help find a cure. The event, called #give a (poop emoji), will take place every Wednesday in November in the atrium on Conestoga’s Doon campus. CIA hopes to educate students on the difficulties that Crohn’s and colitis sufferers go through while keeping the event fun and upbeat. The booth will feature games as well as a draw for prizes. Donations will be collected for The Gutsy Walk for Crohn’s and Colitis, an annual event
to raise funds for research on the diseases. The walk will be held in June 2017. Colitis causes inflammation in the large bowel. The pain can sometimes be severe enough to require the removal of part or all of the large bowel, though medication can often provide relief. The cause of colitis is still unknown, and surgery is the only known cure. Crohn’s affects a larger area than colitis. Sufferers can experience pain anywhere along the gastrointestinal track. Like colitis the cause of Crohn’s is unknown; unlike colitis, however, it has no cure. “We have decided to hold this event because it is a disease that very few people talk about due to the nature of the symptoms,” said Tom Hemingway, vice-president of CIA.