Money for a good cause Tournament raises $55,000 for Heart and Stroke. Page 14 M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 6,2012
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Condors fall short Sheridan wins indoor soccer tournament. Page 15 44TH YEAR - NO. 5
Mall staff fear for their safety By RACHEL HENRY
Store employees at Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener are exercising caution after a string of incidences targeting young women. Over the last few weeks there have been several report ed incidences of older men harassing female employees. These incidences have includ ed phone calls and visits to the individual’s place of work. According to the Ontario Department of Justice, the cir cumstances fall under the cat egory of criminal harassment, which includes stalking. “Criminal harassment con sists of repeated conduct that is carried out over a period of time and that causes victims to reasonably fear for their safety but does not necessarily result in physical injury,” the Ontario Department of Justice website said. “It may be a precursor to subsequent violent acts.” Danika Smyth, who asked that her place of employment not be named due to fear for her safety, was taking a smoke break on Jan. 4 when she was approached by an elderly man. “I was finishing my smoke by the doors and he came out and made some comment about how light it was out,” Smyth said. “I just laughed and he introduced himself.
He asked if I had a pen and paper so I could give him my number. I said no, and he said he wanted to tour me around Alberta and kept patting his pockets looking for a pen.” Smyth said she began to feel uncomfortable so she told the man she had to get back to work and, in a moment of panic, flashed her store badge at him before rushing inside. When she returned to her store, Smyth told her manager what transpired. Smyth said her manager offered to call security but she brushed it off. Not 15 minutes later, while she was preparing a customer for an ear piercing, the same man entered the store and approached Smyth again. Marissa Sheehan, Smyth’s manager, said she asked the man to leave four times before calling security. “I called security, who came and asked him to leave at least three times,” Sheehan said. “He completely ignored them too, and had to be escorted out. Not only was he making Danika feel incredi bly uncomfortable, but all the customers in the store knew something was going on.” Sheehan said though the man is banned from their store, he is still permitted to enter the mall. Both Smyth and Sheehan have since seen
PHOTO BY RACHEL HENRY
Marissa Sheehan, 19, waits for her ride at a desolate bus stop at Fairview Park Mall on Jan. 27.
him, and said they avoided contact out of fear of repeat ing the incident. They described him as in his early 60s and well spoken. Fairview Park security, though unable to release spe cific information at this time,
confirmed that there have been several reports of simi lar events. “Unfortunately it’s a dayto-day occurrence and we can’t release information on whether or not it’s the same individual prowling the mall,”
said a security officer, who cannot be named due to the ongoing investigation. Attempts to reach Doug Mandar, security and life safety manager at Fairview Park Mall, were unsuccessful. See HARASSED, Page 3
Summer job opportunities springing up on Internet By ERIC MCKENZIE
For students looking for full-time work this summer, the Internet is the spring board to opportunity. Companies are using Facebook, Twitter and Linked In as recruitment tools for summer jobs, said Christine Walch, an employer relations consultant at Conestoga College. Walch said it works both ways and that students should start creating an online profile. “Linked In is a powerful way for you to start research ing a company. You can start looking at profiles of the peo ple that work there,” she said. Blogging, social media and an online portfolio and resume are the trends of the future for
employment, said Walch. “Make sure that you are ahead of the curve or on trend using these things to your advantage. When someone Googles you, make sure you know what comes up,” she said. This online leverage may be necessary this year for stu dents as the recent layoffs at Research In Motion, Colonial Cookies and Schneiders will likely result in hundreds of lost student jobs. Catherine Aruda, a thirdyear accounting student, worked at Schneiders for her summer job for the last three years and may now have to look elsewhere for employ ment. “Because they’re closing they’re slowly reducing the work in the plant. There’s
also less full-timers taking vacation so they need fewer students,” said Aruda. An icon in downtown Kitchener, the Schneiders’ manufacturing plant will be shut down in 2013 and work shifted to a new location in Hamilton. As more and more manufacturing jobs are lost locally, students will have to look for more skilled work in their educational fields. Many of these skilled jobs can be found online, on web sites such as Conestoga’s MyCareers, which posts full time, part-time and summer employment. “I think we need to get more traffic on that site,” said Walch. Many other local employment opportunities will be posted during the winter and spring
months, through services such as the Student Job Service offered by Lutherwood in K-W and the City of Kitchener. “The city employs almost 200 summer workers, many students, for jobs that range from youth drop-in supervisor to summer camp leader to skateboard park worker,” said Angie Fritz, the co-ordi nator of Summer Playgrounds for the city. A provincially subsidized employment resource is also available from the Government of Ontario called the Summer Employment Opportunity (SEO) team. These are full-time, tempo rary positions that offer a range of working environ ments which include offices, outdoors and unique locations such as laboratories and trav
el information centres. “The Summer Employment Opportunities program pro vides an excellent opportuni ty for post-secondary as well as high school students to work and gain experience in a related field of study while learning about the Ontario Public Service,” said a repre sentative from the SEO team. No matter which jobs stu dents are applying for the golden rule is “apply early” and “apply often.” In a com petitive job market where unskilled labour is not in demand, students should be looking for their competitive edge in the skilled market. “Time is key, be prepared and get organized early. Good luck is hard work meeting opportunity. Start planting those seeds now,” said Walch.
NEWS
Page 2 ♦SPOKE
Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
Who is your favourite Seinfeld character and why?
“Kramer, because he’s got funny hair.” Dave Hiff,
first-year television broadcasting
“Kramer, cause he’s crazy.”
Michael Prange,
first-year business foundations
“Kramer, because of his eccentric w ays.” Enrique Matute,
second-year police foundations
“Jerry. I’ve always liked his standup.”
CSI decides to change board of directors’ duties By TIFFANY WILSON
Sometimes change is inevitable and sometimes it is the result of a unanimous decision. During the Conestoga Student Inc. (CSI) monthly board meeting on Jan. 25, an excited discussion on change within the corporation and the decline in claims for both the health and dental plan sparked a thought-provoking evening. The immediate change to the governance structure requires the generation of a separate board for the direc tors who will then have no connection to the operations of the corporation. This means that they will attend only the monthly meetings, the strategic planning week end, grand openings and any thing else that requires stu dent representation and stu dent advocacy. The new set of board of directors will start in May. Before the change, directors maintained office hours and did daily tasks, such as creat ing surveys, creating new policies and advocating for students. In order to compen sate for losing their help in operations, CSI is considering hiring one or two full-time interns, starting in the sum mer, and part-time students throughout the school year (duties and responsibilities have not been determined).
Monday, February 6,2012
CSI president, Ciara Byrne, said, if they proceed, they will offer students two different leadership opportunities (as interns). The first opportunity would be for students who want to learn to be on a board, how to manage a company and to make huge decisions. The second opportunity would be for students who want to learn the behind-the-scenes of a company and operations. If hiring more staff is approved, CSI will consider hiring internally first for the summer intern to make it fair for the present board mem bers. However, if no one is interested from the board, they will open the opportuni ties up to the student body, said Byrne. The pros and cons of the proposal were debated for more than five minutes. Trish Crompton, director of external relations, said, “The pros are that more students are going to have more oppor tunities. Don’t get me wrong, that is fantastic, I just don’t like the fact that there is such a huge disconnect between all the different aspects of the corporation now.” However, Byrne said it takes the right people as gen eral manager and president to create a relationship with the board of directors that is not disconnected and has faith that the corporation has the right individuals for those positions at the moment.
In other business, the board was told there seems to be a monthly decline in health claims and a fractional decline in dental claims. This could potentially decrease the cost of the program when they reset the cost for next term. Brian McLaughlin, a repre sentative from Conestoga’s insurance brokers, Gallivan & Associates, said the claims are trending downward. However, no one knows what will happen with claims because it becomes dependent on student needs. He said there are two factors that could have contributed to the decline of 20 per cent in the health claims. “Two years ago, most of the population of the school were second career students and for many of them, the use for the health plan is much high er than students who are just coming out of post-secondary school,” he said. The second factor, which started in September, is all prescription drugs that can be claimed must fall under the Ontario Formulary, McLaughlin said. The Ontario Formulary is a list of prescriptions that are covered under the plan, including methadone, which CSI added to the list. This can potentially bring down the costs in claims, which in turn can potentially bring down the cost of the program.
Networking event helps small businesses
Anthony Decarolis,
By TORIE ROTH
Chartwells employee, cook/porter
“Kramer, I grew to love him. He’s a really funny character.” Mike Good,
first-year police foundations
“Kramer. I like that he burst through the door and ruins the scene.” Brayden Dahmer,
first-year bio-technology
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
The Canadian Networker held its first event in Kitchener-Waterloo at Conestoga Place on Jan. 25 at 110 Manitou Dr. in Kitchener. The Ultimate Networking event has been running for more than three years in other cities, allowing small businesses to showcase their products and services. “You pay a small fee for your table, which gives you the privilege to advertise your company free of charge for three months on TCNW.ca,” said Janet Benedict, execu tive leader at The Canadian Networker. Apart from meeting other individuals with small busi nesses, you have the opportu nity to listen and take advice from guest speakers, such as Sandy Wallace, a brand architect. “I’m talking about branding. In a nutshell, how differenti ating your company is para
mount to good business because it makes you stand out. “Whether you’re a plumber or a heart surgeon, branding is all part of it,” he said. “I will also be speaking about perception being more impor tant than reality and the idea that how you are perceived in the marketplace is more important than how you actu ally are.” Wallace hosted 30-second infomercials at the event, which gave attendees 30 sec onds to announce who they are and what their company does. Small business owners who attend don’t always go in with the sole purpose of selling their products; some do it for other social reasons. “I try to come to as many of these events as possible,” said Karen Nogiec, a Visalus inde pendent distributor. Visalus is a company that sells pro tein milkshakes and vitamin supplements. “Even if I don’t sell any
thing, I always meet wonder ful people and you never know when you’ll need a con tact if you ever decide to take a different path.” Ultimate Networking is also a learning experience for many businesses that are just taking off. The Canadian Networker is an online resource centre for entrepreneurs to connect and share experiences, according to the website; it is a place for sales, purchases and alliances. “I’m still figuring out every thing I don’t know about net working so, these events real ly help to answer the ques tions I have,” said Patti Arbon, founder of pinkcanada.ca, a website that pro motes small businesses owned by women. There will be four more net working events held this year although dates have not yet been decided upon. For more information, visit www.TCNW.ca and click on Kitchener-Waterloo.
Turn your diploma into a degree NEWS
Monday, February 6,2012
By REYHAN ENVER
If you’re looking to get a degree, don’t think your diploma years were a waste. A university workshop was held in the atrium at the Doon campus on Jan. 23 to inform students about options for their futures. Knowing which universities will honour your college cred its can save time and money. At the workshop universi ties from across Canada and the United States set up booths where students could obtain brochures and charts as well as free pens, buttons, stress balls and other items. Students learned there are many schools that will take your credits and transfer them easily and almost equal ly as long as you have good marks and are applying for a similar program. “What I’d recommend is stu dents who have a two- or three-year program/diploma should look for a university who will accept your credits so that they don’t have to start over again,” said Christopher Marx, director of
transfer articulation at Davenport University in Michigan. “There are many reputable universities that will work with students.” Schools in Canada usually do not match credit for credit, however, some do get close. “Algoma is one of the most generous in the country; one year equals 30 credits,” said Paul Quesnele, admission adviser at the university. For students who are look ing to leave the country for school, your credits will most likely transfer straight over. “United States schools bring in your full diploma,” said Daniel Toland, dean of admis sions at Northwood University in Michigan. “They’ve always worked with transfer stu dents, but it’s newer to Canadian schools. We also have a transfer scholarship that you automatically receive depending on your grades.” Universities are good at accommodating college stu dents who have already com pleted college courses, so make sure you do your research before switching schools.
Employees harassed
♦ Continued from Page 1
Fairview Mall stores have since adopted new and less lax procedures to ensure the safety of their employees, such as always working in pairs and not giving out per sonal information to cus tomers. Security will also escort employees to their vehicles as needed. Hayley Weiner, another Fairview Park Mall employ ee, said her store was receiv ing anonymous phone calls asking for the personal infor mation of women working on the sales floor. “They would call and ask, ‘What’s the girl’s name that’s wearing the pink shirt?”’ Weiner said. “We’ve had a couple of staff meetings addressing the situation since then, and we’re not allowed to give out names of anyone that works here, over the phone or in person.” In 2010 Stats Can reported an increase in cases of criminal harassment, while there was a reported decrease in murder, serious assaults and robbery. Though unsure of how the situation would have escalat ed if the man had gotten her personal information, Smyth was disturbed by the events. “I’ll never be able to be alone at the mall at night any more,” Smyth said. “It creeps me out.”
PHOTO BY RACHEL HENRY
Danika Smyth, 19, works hard at Fairview Park Mall putting stock away. Smyth said she is uncomfortable working alone following an incident with an elderly man on Jan. 4.
Should an individual become uncomfortable with the conversation or actions of another individual with a rea sonable fear for their safety, Waterloo Regional Police ask you to call 519-653-7700 to make a report, or if within the mall, contact security. If there is an immediate risk to anyone’s safety, call 9-1-1.
SPOKE ♦Page 3
PHOTO BY REYHAN ENVER
Paul Quesnele, admission adviser at Algoma University, stands at the university’s booth, providing information to Conestoga students who were interested in getting a degree Jan. 23.
COMMENTARY
Page 4 ♦SPOKE
Monday, February 6,2012
Research In Motion treading water by J essice
M artin
Heavily criticized. Publicly scrutinized. Reputation downsized. Changes needed to be made after Research in Motion’s disastrous performance in 2011 landed with a thud on the doorstep of 2012, calling for a desperate revamping of the company in order to gain back everything that was lost. Canada’s premier high-tech company had to prove and reassure everyone — consumers and investors alike — they were willing to make changes in order to meet and beat the challenges facing them. Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie resigned as RIM’s co-chief executive officers and co-chairs of the board, allowing for Thorstein Heins, who has worked at RIM for the last four years, to step in as the new sole chief executive officer. It’s easy to nag from the sidelines, point out flaws and say boot out the guys who “caused” all of the problems, but what Lazaridis and Balsillie have done is phenome nal and the impact they have had is huge. Building a globally successful company and employing thousands of people, they have contributed greatly to the economic wealth of the region and the country. Mistakes were made but it’s time to move on. Many large corporations go through a restructuring and the change in leadership gives RIM the fresh start they need. Reversing the trouble with late product launches and general instability doesn’t happen overnight, but with time, energy and critical decision-making, RIM can return to the powerhouse it was. Along with the NHL Players Association, RIM recent ly unveiled the new Player’s Playbook campaign, an online video series that follows the off-ice adventures of five different NHL players, all recorded and edited using the Playbook. Since it was launched in April 2011, the Playbook has battled Apple’s iPad but ultimately lost. However, get ting NHL players to endorse the product, including Toronto Maple Leaf Joffrey Lupul, is a start. Although shares have plunged and many investors have given up hope, RIM is still profitable with 75 mil lion users worldwide, a strong global brand and a wide range of products. However, with the future of the company in jeopardy and all eyes watching, Heins has a tough road ahead. We wish him and the company all the best. The views herein represent the position of the newspa per , not necessarily the author.
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Prime M inister Harper's proposal to raise Old Age Security to 67 is expected to get unanimous approval from the Senate.
Constant cellphone use is rude People always seem to find something negative about a good thing - and that’s exact ly what I’ve done. Over the past two decades, cellphones have evolved from giant novelty phones into small computers. Although this provides convenience and a constant source of entertainment, it coincides with a side-effect which reads, “may distract you from everyday life.” Even tasks as simple as walking to your next class are hindered by checking text messages, email and twitter. Instead of taking in the beau ty of your surroundings, your eyes are glued to the screen of your phone while occasionally looking up to make sure you’re not about to walk into a wall. As an avid cellphone user myself, I am aware that I have been frequently guilty of the alleged. On Jan. 26, between 3 and 3:30 p.m. I walked around the school and began to count the number of people who had their phone in hand. I was surprised by my findings as I counted 108 peo ple while I ironically tallied the results on my phone. Cellphones are often praised
Jake Robinson Opinion
for giving people the opportu nity to be more social; howev er, it may do the opposite. Cellphone users are often neglecting their immediate company to talk to other peo ple via text. Although it may sometimes be hard to ignore the temptation of checking your phone, the person who you are spending time with deserves your full attention. Although I am once again guilty of doing this from time to time, I’ve begun to make an effort to neglect my phone instead of my company. I decided to attempt an evening without my phone on Jan. 23, when I went out for dinner with my friends. By the time I got to the restaurant I found myself already reaching for my phone that wasn’t there. After repeating that same action a few more times, I began to get entranced in con versation. By the time I got
home, I had no urge to look for my phone. Linda Frillman, a non-cellphone user, said she has been frustrated while at a dinner with her friends who were more interested in their phones than conversation. “There were 10 people at my table and five of them had their cellphones out — I think that’s rude,” said Frillman. “When I’m at home I use my computer a lot, but when someone comes over to visit me I don’t sit at my computer. So I don’t under stand why if I’m sitting at a table with someone, pulling out a cellphone and texting isn’t equally as rude.” Cellphones can be a great resource because we now have so much information at our fingertips. There should be no shame in using them from time to time, however, we should begin to recognize our surroundings and choose the right moments to use our phones. Make sure to take in what is around you and engage in conversation because time goes by fast you don’t want your best memories to be looking at your phone.
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COMMENTARY
Monday, February 6,2012
CAA has great winter driving tips
The winter wonderland Canada is known for hit us Jan. 27, and a four-car pileup near St. Jacobs is a reminder that along with the snow comes a whole new set of driving conditions. With many students being relatively new to driving — some braving their first win ter on the roads — it’s impor tant to know exactly what “prepared” means when it comes to winter driving.
Alysha Miller
Opinion
information including winter driving tips, common sense, items to keep in a vehicle, things drivers can do to increase safety before leaving for their drive and more. The most important aspect to driving safely during win The most important ter is common sense, which aspect to driving safely though often obvious, is also often overlooked. Things such during winter as waking up earlier, not only to have extra time to get from is common sense. point A to point B, but to scrape the snow and ice from car windows before leaving, Thankfully, the Canadian are important. Automobile Association It’s also important to keep (CAA) provides a guide to extra windshield washer help people out. Their website, www.caas- fluid and basic winter sur co.com/automotive/auto-main- vival necessities in the vehi tenance/winter-driving-guide- cle. Anything from a dirty to a broken windshield could tips.jsp, provides lists of
strike at a moment’s notice, and it’s best to not be caught in the cold with not even a blanket. (Being a commuting college student, the blanket or sleeping bag can come in handy at parties as well.) Another thing to mention is the beauty of a membership with CAA. Receiving a little card instead of an Xbox for Christmas might disappoint some, but that little CAA card is reason to celebrate in my family. My sister has had to call them three times in a single day to retrieve her car keys after locking them inside her vehicle. We all must remember that the term “winter wonder land” is used to describe the season because the outdoors becomes a whole new world, complete with its set of dan gers. With such a high num ber of commuters coming to Conestoga every day, stu dents need to remember this in order to get not only them selves, but everybody else, to class safely.
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
Slow down when driving
Winter has arrived and so have the bad drivers. It happens every winter. You think the majority of drivers on the road are bad until the first heavy snow fall, and then their driving gets even worse. Suddenly it’s as if they have forgotten everything they learned when they received their licences and you start to wonder why they were ever allowed on the road in the first place. I don’t know if any of you have noticed, but we live in Canada; it snows. Most driv ers act as if they’ve never seen the white, fluffy stuff before. There are the people who drive unnecessarily cautious ly, going a maximum of 30 km/h in a designated 80 km zone. Then there are the people who completely disregard the weather conditions and drive like mad men spinning through the streets and winding up in a ditch.
Alexandria Deer
Opinion
The Ministry of Transportation’s website, www.mto.gov.on.ca, states that there are three things you need to know about driv ing in winter. Stay alert, slow down and stay in con trol. Those are good, sensible rules to remember when driving in winter, the prob lem is people should keep those in mind when driving year-round. Eating, using a cellphone and driving while sleepy are just a few of drivers’ risky behaviours. I don’t expect all of you to be perfect drivers like me. I’m simply saying use your brain when you buckle your belt.
NEWS
Page 6 ♦SPOKE
Monday, Febiuary 6,2012
Classical guitarist’s sound plucks at the heartstrings By JAKE DAVIDSON
PHOTO BY JAKE DAVIDSON
Emma Rush, artistic director of the Guitar Hamilton series, plays the song Garuda at the Cambridge Library on Jan. 25.
For one hour Emma Rush played her guitar in a way that would soothe even the hottest of tempers. The demonstration by Rush was held at the Cambridge Library on Jan. 25. A classi cal Canadian guitarist, Rush was invited to perform as part of the library’s concert series that is held in the fall, winter and spring. From January to May six concerts are held at the venue. “I think it’s fabulous, it’s a way to engage the City of Cambridge, to invite the com munity to listen to music,” said Karen Murray-Hopf, the cultural programs and events planner for the Cambridge Library. The concerts are free to attend. Rush played several songs on her guitar including Garuda, a piece she had some trouble with in the past due to its complexity, but loves to
play. Garuda is rather long, lasting over seven minutes, and features shifts in volume along with changing tempo. The last song in her pro gram was one of her favourites that comes from South America. She has tried to take it off the program before but she can’t because she enjoys it so much. I think it’s fabulous. It’s a way to engage the City of Cambridge, to invite the community to listen to music. - Emma Rush
“I enjoy performing, it’s my chosen career and I’m always excited about playing at a new venue,” said Rush, who is also the artistic director of the Guitar Hamilton series, an organization that celebrates the rich beauty and com
pelling versatility of the clas sical guitar, when asked why she is playing at the library. Rush has performed in the United States and all over Europe but finds it hard to find places to play in Canada. She first started playing instruments at five years of age when she signed up for a strings and piano class at her school. “I love the sound of the cello and also I find the oboe to have a haunting sound I enjoy,” Rush said when asked what her favourite instru ment was. She gave up playing other instruments and started to focus on classical guitar because it’s tough to learn and she chose to pursue the study of guitar. For more information on Guitar Hamilton check out www.guitarhamilton.com. For more information on Rush go to Emma-Rush.com and for more information on concert week visit www.cambridgelibraries.ca.
Monday, February 6,2012
FEATURE
SPOKE* Page 7
A momtomany Cambridge woman has hosted more than 100 foster children PHOTO BY ELISSA DEN HOED
Sandy and Reid Falkiner display some of the art made in the art room in their basement, reserved for their foster girls to practise creative expression and occasionally vent.
Sandy says, to kids and youth who are in foster care - that it's rowing up, she wanted to because they've done something have her own orphanage. wrong, and “That’s never the Sharing her home with case.” Often with teens, she over 100 children over the last said, it's a parent-child conflict 18 years, she's come close. that causes the separation. Curled up on a couch in her It wasn't just the kids them south Cambridge home, Sandy selves that took getting used to. Falkiner, an easygoing woman Each girl came with an “army” with light brown, greying hair of people: their child service in a loose ponytail, says her worker, their own doctors and passion for helping kids led her dentists and for many, their to fostering. It's a passion she's own lawyer. shared with her husband Reid, The agency provided her with her son and their two a resource worker as a mentor, Australian shepherds. and covered expenses such as A single mom when she began clothes and school trips. Sandy (her son was seven), she recalls still continues training (she when Reid asked her how many receives a raise periodically as kids she had and she replied, an incentive to keep learning). “One; sometimes two; possibly She and Reid also enjoy a year ly foster parent appreciation three ...” With a day job as a physi dinner, which includes “enter cian's secretary, she soon found tainment and a free meal!” the double responsibility too much. “At the office I was around all these ailing The fun thing about patients, and then I came home to ailing children.” Rather than fostering teens is giving some of her kids up (“How could I decide which you develop relationships. ones to send away?”), Sandy - Sandy Falkiner quit her job. She now works from home writing transcripts for court reporting. When she tells people she's a foster parent to teen girls, she Two of Sandy’s current often gets one of two reactions: charges are “Smurf’ and “Oh, that’s so good!” or “Are you Melissa (a.k.a. “Hurricane”). crazy?” Smurf is a short (hence her Having an average of four to nickname), shy blond with five teen girls in the house at braces and a soft, child-like one time, Sandy admits there's voice and personality, despite the fact she’s 17. She arrived at often a lot of “drama.” Patience and a sense of Sandy’s house at 13, and the humour are important, she nickname, given to her by Reid, notes. Many of the girls start stuck. out angry and “It's important When asked what makes a you don't take it personal.” Her good foster parent, Smurf says, motto is “Hope for the best; pre “You gotta have the feeling you can trust them,” then adds, pare for the worst.” “There’s a stigma attached,” tellingly, “They won’t kick you By ELISSA PEN HOED
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out if you're having a bad day.” “She calls me Mama Smurf,” Sandy says. “Melissa calls me Mamma Mia.” Melissa, in contrast, is tall, brunette, and sassy - but does n't show an ounce of the bad attitude she came to Sandy's house with. “I was crazy!” she says. “I was always angry.” She's nicknamed Hurricane because, according to Sandy, ‘You can tell where she's been.” She says while some girls eventually return home, preparing them for a future life on their own is something she makes a priority. She helps the girls make appointments, gro cery shop and do laundry. Everyone has chores. If some body skips school without per mission, Sandy grounds them and “hides the TV,” Smurf adds, who is an A student. Sandy also makes time for one-on-one conversation with each girl, often in the form of shopping or coffee. Reid is an outdoorsman, and “he does the fun stuff,” she says with a chuckle. Sandy's had to learn to use social media to keep in contact with her tech-sawy girls. “I had to learn a new language,” she says, referring to text-messag ing. She plans to keep fostering until she can no longer keep up with the learning. A lot of people balk at the idea of being foster parents for fear of the effect it will have on their own kids. “My son is the better for it,” Sandy insists. He learned about the dark side of life at an early age but it was a “healthy learning experience.” Her son considers some of the girls sisters and, according to what Sandy’s heard from his girlfriend, he's grown into a “sensitive and kind” young
man. “The fun thing about fostering teens,” Sandy says, “is you develop relationships.” Her first foster child, now 31, has three kids and still keeps in contact, calling Sandy her ‘Young Nana.” Smurf once made a poem for Sandy about “house number three” (the Falkiners being her third foster home). Smurf recites a line, bringing a beam ing smile to Sandy's face: “If you're looking for the house to be, it's house number three.” For more than 100 kids, Sandy's home has been the eye in the storm of their young lives. The house to be, indeed.
• Approximately 350 fos ter families are active in Waterloo Region, but Family and Children’s Services is always recruiting new ones. • Gay and lesbian par ents are welcome, as well as families from diverse cultures and reli gions. According to Sandy Falkiner, many Mennonites in Elmira foster babies. • Even college and uni versity students can make good foster par ents, especially when the student and child are striving toward similar career goals.
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FEATURE
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The Thinred
PHOTOS BY NIOOLE JOBES
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S m o k e rs m o ve closer to C on estoga d o o rs as chill sets in By NICOLE JOBES
With winter finally here to stay, it seems students lighting up a cigarette near Conestoga’s entranceways are migrating closer and closer to the doors. It is legal to smoke cigarettes, and indeed every Canadian is entitled to do as they please within the means of the law. However, where is the line of personal freedom drawn? Is it not unfair that someone who chooses not to smoke cigarettes has to inhale the second-hand smoke from someone who chooses to light up near a doorway? “I personally think it’s disgusting,” said Justin Finnegan, a second-year integrated telecommunications and computer technologies student at the college. A smoker himself, he is still aggravated when he has to pass through another per son’s exhale when he enters the school. “I’m slightly a germaphobe ... cigarette smoke smells disgusting, even though I smoke,” said Finnegan. “When it seeps inside the doors it’s nasty.” The Smoke-Free Ontario Act states that “no person shall smoke or hold lighted tobacco in a school.” This includes but is not limited to any common areas. The leg islation mainly covers indoor public places in schools, including hallways, cafeterias and residence buildings; however, it extends to entrances of colleges and universi ties as well. Signs depicting the prohibition of smoking in
certain areas are required by law, and it if the responsi bility of the proprietor to ensure that people comply.This is extended to ensuring that anyone who disregards the signs and warnings is removed from that location. Safety and Security Services at the college is in charge of enforcing this bylaw and making an effort to enforce this act in its entirety; however, according to supervisor Barb Eichholz, it is not always the easiest to enforce. “The issue is that when we get a call and respond, by the time we get there the person is gone,” said Eichholz. Students often dip out for a quick drag before classes or during breaks and are quick to finish during the cold months of winter, so security often is not able to apprehend the individual. “We ask people who notice others smoking across t h e line to politely and respectfully ask them to move back out side the line,” said Eichholz. The motto of Conestoga College Safety and Security Service is posted for all to see in their office on the Doon campus and reads, “prevent, educate and serve.” Signage and a thick red line mark where people can and cannot smoke near entrances of the college, but not much else is being done to “prevent” people from migrating clos er to doorways in the cold and snowy conditions. If an indi vidual from security is walking rounds and spots a smoker too close to an entranceway, he or she is asked to move.
However, it is not something that is closely monitored because security officials don’t want to “tie up resources,” according to Eichholz. People smoking outside of entrances also pose an an occu pational health and safety hazard for college employees. As clearly stated in the Smoke-Free Ontario Smoke Free Act, an employer has the same obligations to its employees as it does to the public, meaning the same rules for prohibition in certain areas of the college campus apply to the work place. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the workplace is smoke-free and safe for employees; this includes enforcement of the policies. Is enough being done? According to many Conestoga students, the answer is no. “The red lines are not far enough from the doorways,” said Zachary Clark. As a health sciences graduate who is now training to be a paramedic, he is still always at the col lege visiting friends and every time he comes or goes he is greeted and bid adieu by the aroma of cigarette smoke. “It is inconsiderate,” he said. “Just because they want to put their health at risk by smoking doesn’t mean they should put everyone else’s (at risk).” Currently there is no red line indicating a no-smoking area at any of the F-wing doors. However, as soon as the ground is dry and winter is over they will be painted.
SPORTS
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Canadian alleys have to be innovative By DREW LOGAN
In 1909, Canadian inventor Thomas Ryan invented fivepin bowling. Today the Canadian sport is trying to regain its popu larity with new upgrades being added to bowling cen tres across the tri-cities. Companies are finding it hard to bring new customers in with just bowling. Some have tried to manage their costs better by switch ing to cheaper bowling lanes. The usual traditional highmaintenance wood lanes have now been turned into synthetic lanes, which pro vides a much cheaper alter native to real wood. Alley owners now also aim for better quality customer satisfaction and sales from food and services, said John Dobos, owner of Dickson Bowl. “We’ve tried to provide our customers with more than just bowling, by adding entertainment facilities and extending our birthday area,” said Dobos. “We’ve had issues bringing new cus tomers in so we’ve been changing our business.” Changing the contents of
bowling alleys has been the trend for years. For example: Palasad, a 10-pin alley in London, Ont., was just a simple bar until it added billiards, a gaming centre and bowling alleys. “Palasad has been around for at least 15 years, but has been adapting to what is seen by the public as a good time,” said bar manager Lindsay Patterson. Another alley in Cambridge, known as iBowl, has installed glow in the dark mini-golf on four lanes to keep up with the times, said owner Neil Pinhiro. “Over the last 20 years, iBowl has been under con stant renovation. Bowling alleys have to learn to diver sify and that’s what we did. The change was made two years ago,” he said. “It’s improved our incomes during the winter, so it was a good move on our part.” For five-pin, each player receives three attempts to knock all five pins over. Knocking all five pins down with the first ball is a strike, worth 15 points. The bowler uses a smaller, hand-sized ball that is easier to hold and throw than 10-pin bowl
ing balls. However, since there are less pins, more accuracy is required. And if you have horrible aim, there are always bumpers you can put up to stop you from getting a gut ter ball. Five-pin bowling has been around for over 100 years, and the businesses hope it will last for 100 more.
The following are some inter esting bowling facts and tidbits:
■ A foul line violation in fivepin results in a 15-point penalty. ■ Five-pin was rated No. 4 on CBC’s list of Canada’s 50 greatest inventions. ■ The “Weber Cup” is 10pin’s major world famous tournament. ■ Ten-pin bowling has an international ranking system just like professional tennis.
PHOTOS BY DREW LOGAN
Local bowling, both 10-pin and five-pin, is available all across the tri cities. Above, Brandon Beeso practises prior to league play.
An empty lane indicates a decline in activity at local bowling alleys.
Monday, February 6,2012
NEWS
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It’s the year of the dragon By MARIANA C. MORALES
Gung Hay Fat Choy! This New Year’s greeting, meant to wish others good fortune and prosperity, is always heard at Chinese New Year celebrations. One of the most important Chinese holi days that is celebrated every where, it features 15 days of feasts, traditional foods and traditions. This year marks the year of the dragon which is considered the luckiest year in the Chinese Zodiac. On Jan. 28, there was a Chinese New Year Gala held at RIM Park in Waterloo. It was presented by the Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre (COCCC) and was a celebration with entertain ment. Attendees were able to eat a buffet-style dinner with food sponsors from Manchu Wok, King Wok, Hong Kong Restaurant and many more restaurants throughout the city. In addition to celebrations in the city, some people such as Florence Chou have their own celebration at home. “I have decorations in my dining room for the Chinese New Year.” According to the website ChineseZodiac.com, the drag on sign represents character traits such as dominance and ambition. In the legend, there were 12 animals that appeared before Buddha and the dates represent the times each animal arrived. The
PHOTO BY MARIANA C. MORALES
The Central Ontario Chinese Cultural Centre held a Chinese New Year Gala on Jan. 28, and served a buffet-style dinner sponsored by various local restaurants to celebrate the year of the dragon.
order is: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. For more information on Chinese Zodiac and personal ity traits, visit www.Chinesezodiac.com. The year of the dragon was celebrated at the gala. Various dances were per formed by several groups showcasing different styles in Chinese culture. Dancers, musicians and the Children Folk Dance Group enter tained the guests in celebra tion. The COCCC is a non-profit charitable organization that offers special courses to its members and non-members,
including Chinese painting, Chinese calligraphy, tai chi class and even ballroom danc ing. They also support the Chinese community of Kitchener and Waterloo with translation services and a Canadian citizenship course. The COCCC currently has over 170 members in Waterloo Region and wel comes anyone who wants to learn about Chinese culture. A family of up to four people can pay $30 a year to receive discounts to events and activ ities run by the COCCC. The membership is $20 a year for individuals. For more information, visit www.coccc.net.
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STUDENT LIFE SPENDING SOME FREE TIME g a m i n g
Monday, February 6,2012
b etw een classes
PHOTO BY JESSICA MARTIN
The Gamer Club at Conestoga College invited students to play video games in the Atrium from Jan. 23-27, enticing ‘the little gamer in all of us.’
STARTING THE DAY w i t h
PHOTO BY JESSICA MARTIN
Scott Davis, left, a first-year computer programming student, and Chris Montroy, a first-year IT innova tion and design student, were two members of the Gamer Club who enjoyed some down time playing video games.
a ja v a jo l t
PHOTO BY ALEXANDRIA DEER
Dave Pollock, a second-year telecommunications student, grabs a coffee before a class on Jan. 27. The cafeteria sells decaf, mild, medium and bold coffee.
NEWS
Monday, February 6,2012
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SPLISH SPLASH W E’RE H A VIN ’ AN ICE COLD BATH PHOTO BY TIFFANY WILSON
It takes bravery, courage and some real thick skin to jump into a swimming pool filled with ice cold water. Participants at the 2012 KW Polar Plunge, held on Jan. 28 at the Waterloo Town Square, displayed all of that and more. Donations went to KidsAbility. The event was held after a race to attain 500 followers on Twitter between Greg Lehman, representative of Spring Mobile, and Ashley Csanady, a reporter at the Waterloo Region Record. It was agreed that the loser would participate in a polar plunge of the winner's choice. However, they couldn't find any sched uled 2012 polar plunges in the region, so Lehman and Csanady decided to hold their own.
All eyes are B y ANDREW OM RAN
The 2012 NHL central draft rankings have been released and the player listed fourth overall is found right here in Kitchener. Rangers forward, Radek Faksa, has impressed scouts across the country in a season where he has been scoring at a point per game pace. Despite his terrific play, the Czech forward wasn’t expect ing to show up near the top of the draft ranking but he knows what he has to do to continue producing at this level. “It was a big surprise right away so I’m very happy but it’s just half the season ... I must give hard work always. It’s hard because I’m tired from lots of games and last season I did not have lots of
games so it’s different now. I hope I have good condition ing,” he said. Faksa’s success to this point has not gone unnoticed by head coach, Steve Spott. “I think Radek Faksa’s one of the smartest players we’ve had in the organization for a long time ... He’s big, he’s strong and he plays the game hard,” he said. Spott said Faksa has a bright future ahead of him. “He has all the NHL intan gibles. He trains extremely hard off the ice, he works on his game in practice and ulti mately, his hockey sense is at a world class level. “He has the chance to be a great NHL second-line centreman.” Just like any young player, Faksa has a lot to work on to prepare to play at the NHL
PHOTO BY ANDREW OMRAN
Rangers forward, Radek Faksa, has his sight set on the NHL
on Faksa
level. “He’s got to stay in the weight room,” Spott said. “He’s got to continue to physi cally develop. He’s a tall kid but he still has room to grow on that body. It’s a matter of working on your skating like all players do and then obvi ously getting stronger in the
weight room.” Faksa is currently second on the team in scoring, only trailing teammate Tobias Rieder, in a season where he has brought goal scoring and a physical element to the team to go along with some much-needed experience. Having played at the World
Junior Championship in Alberta this past December, Faksa now has some familiar ity with playing in high-pres sure games. “It was very good experience because I was young and it was in Canada so lots of peo ple ... it’s a very big experi ence for me,” Faksa said.
NEWS
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Monday, February 6,2012
Hockey for heart
PHOTOS BY RYAN HORNE
Former NHL star Marcel Dionne and the rest of the Pro Stars prepare for their charity hockey game on Jan. 28 at the Aud.
NHL alumni spread awareness at tournament fundraiser By RYAN HORNE
Paul Schnarr will never for get what happened on Oct. 2, 2007 because it was the day he almost died. There was three minutes left in the inaugural game of the KW Old-timers season. Schnarr, a lifetime hockey fanatic, was excited about the upcoming season and playing with his buddies. He passed the puck, took a few strides and then he fell, stricken by a heart attack. “I was lucky that my team mates realized that I was having a heart attack right away and they started CPR,” Schnarr said. A rink attendant grabbed an automated external defibrilla tor and shocked Schnarr’s heart back into rhythm, but he didn’t wake up. He was sent to the hospital and doc tors had to put him into a coma by packing his body with ice. “They talked to my family and said not to get too excited about my recovery,” he said. “I had about a five per cent chance of making it.” But, Schnarr did make it and was a big part of the third annual Hockey for Heart tournament which took place at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Jan. 28 and 29. It was a weekend filled with shinny hockey, a few past greats from the pros and awareness of the importance of heart health. The tournament raised more than $55,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, surpassing their goal of $54,000. It also
offered average hockey-loving Joes the chance to get a team together and raise money for heart and stroke research. This year 22 teams took part in the festivities and surpassed last year’s fundraising efforts of $50,000. The top 15 fundraisers got the chance to play against some impressive NHL alumni in the Pro Stars game on the Saturday night. “It’s a great opportunity for the participants because the more they fundraise, the bet ter chance they have to play with the pros,” said Megan Lacoursiere, a Heart and Stroke Foundation employee. “So it’s great for them and it’s great for us.” Marcel Dionne was the headlining player at the Pro Stars game this year. The Hall of Famer, who played in Detroit, New York and Los Angeles, was ecstatic to be a part of the event. “Now these tournaments are everywhere across the country,” said Dionne. ‘It’s really a great way to do it (spread awareness and raise money) by playing hockey and get your heart going.” The 18-year NHL veteran has never been affected by heart issues, but says it could happen to anyone at any time. “I failed my physical that’s why I got to lose 15 pounds,” joked Dionne. “But seriously, you’re surrounded by it and you never know, you just never know.” Tournament founder, Roger Weir, started the fundraiser after his father died while suffering a massive heart
attack during a pick-up hock ey game at the age of 46. The tournament started in 1995 in the small region of Durham. But, it wasn’t until 1999 when a group of local NHL alumni, led by Pete Conacher, came on board and really started to get the ball rolling. “As we grew this program and had more cities start up we just tried to get different alumni from all across Ontario involved,” said Weir. Over the past 17 years the
tournament has expanded to 10 cities in 2012 and they have raised nearly $2 million for heart and stroke research. Heart disease and stroke are two of the three leading caus es of death in Canada and 1.6 million Canadians have had heart disease or are living with the effects of stroke. One of the main improve ments that the tournament and Schnarr have helped cre ate is the addition of defibril lators at arenas and others places in the community.
The defibrillator that saved Schnarr’s life was installed just a month before his attack and he was the first person in Waterloo Region to be saved by this medical breakthrough. Four years ago, at the time of his heart attack, there were 42 defibril lators in the region, now there are 124. “Defibrillators are so impor tant,” said Schnarr. “I believe if that defibrillator wasn’t at Rim Park, that I wouldn’t be here today.”
Monday, February 6,2012
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SPORTS
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Monday, February 6,2012
Condors fall short during indoor tournament By JEFF BOMBEN
PHOTO BY JEFF BOMBEN
Third-year player, Jordan Taylor, attacks during his team’s second game of the day against Canadore College on Jan. 28.
On a day that featured lots of snow, Sheridan College made matters worse, ensur ing everyone except them selves went home feeling the winter blues. Conestoga College hosted its 15th annual indoor soccer alumni tournament on Jan. 29 which had Conestoga, George Brown, Canadore, Sheridan, Fanshawe and Centennial all participating. Sheridan College was crowned champion after defeating Fanshawe College 2 to 1 in the finals. The alumni teams were split up into two divisions, each with one alumni team. These teams had older, more experienced players who took control in their early games and showed that experience helps. The teams also scored wins, including the second alumni team over taking Conestoga in a close game. That same team con tinued their strong play but it wasn't enough. The alumni lost the semi final match to the eventual champions, the Sheridan Bruins. Conestoga College was in
tough during their first game of the day, tying George Brown College 0 to 0. A few hours later, Conestoga battled Canadore College as the Condors fought their way to victory, winning the game 1 to 0. We win together, we lose together, and it’s my fault just as much as theirs. - Aldo Krajcar
Things were looking up for the Condors as they went into their third game of the day against an alumni team. But experience showed and Conestoga lost a thrilling match that featured solid goaltending and amazing chemistry on the court. With the lose, Conestoga had to sit and wait in the stands to see if they were going to move on to the next round. George Brown defeated Canadore College 1-0, elimi nating the Condors in the process. Head coach, Aldo Krajcar,
talked about his team losing focus during the home tour nament. “I am a little disappointed, not because we lost, it was the way we lost. I don't think the focus was there. “At our last tournament in Centennial, the players were playing against better teams and we did better,” he said. According to Krajcar, the Condors' defence was the main reason for the team's loss. The defence turned the ball over, especially during the game against the alumni. The coach called defence the “springboard” to getting more pressure on the opposing team that will eventually lead to better scoring chances. The coach said the team will continue to train hard and work on different defen sive techniques during prac tice in the weeks to come. After the team was sent packing, Krajcar wasn't will ing to lay the blame on any individual player. “We win together, we lose together, and it's my fault just as much as theirs. I am never going to blame anyone for losing and I am never going to praise too much for winning,” he said.