Surviving day by day Series examines homelessness in the region. Page 3
SPOKE A L E ARNI NG N E WS R O O M FOR J O U R N A L I S M S T UD E N T S
Young blues busker Performer invited to world-famous competition. Page 11
Breaking gender barriers Comic book store owner is paving the way for geek girls everywhere BY WHITNEY SOUTH
This is the first of a fourpart series on geek girl culture in Waterloo Region.
Surrounded by dozens of neatly organized shelves filled with comic books, Jennifer Haines looks right at home. As owner of Guelph’s only comic book store, The Dragon, Jennifer has prided herself on creating an environment where everyone is welcome and where superhero capes aren’t just for boys after all. The idea that girls are not normally found in comic book shops is still a problem, said Jennifer, who decided to open the shop after noticing that most stores were anything but female friendly. “Store owners are apparently not aware that women also want to read comics and are into this culture,” she said. “When we walk into a comic book store there’s this weird stigma or perception that we’re there to buy for somebody else.” Tired of the attitude, as well as being told what books store owners thought she would like because she was a girl, Jennifer opened The Dragon in 1998. Found deep within the Old Quebec Street Shoppes mall at 55 Wyndham St. N. in downtown Guelph, The Dragon prides itself on being a clean, brightly lit environ ment where every customer feels welcome.
CEEK6IRLS “I really wanted to establish a place where women would feel there was somewhere they could shop and where they could just be them selves,” she said. Despite establishing herself as a successful owner of a comic book store, Jennifer said she’s still flat out ignored when vis iting other stores while male customers are greeted as soon as they walk in the door. While the comic book indus try puts the number of female readers at only two to three per cent, The Dragon is able to boast a whopping 20 to 25 per cent of its customers are women, something Jennifer said is mind-boggling. “It takes a lot for a geek girl to overcome the pressures of mass media and general girl society,” she said. “They’re pushed into a certain mould so for a geek girl to arise out of that is great and we love seeing those people come in.” And the people are coming, along with the accolades. At last year’s San Diego Comic Con, The Dragon walked away with the 2012
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PHOTO BY WHITNEY SOUTH
Comic book store owner Jennifer Haines prides herself on creating an atmosphere that welcomes wom en as customers, something she said is lacking in the industry.
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award (for excel lence in retailing), an honour it shared with a comic book store in Madrid, Spain. Recognized as the “Oscars” of the comic book world, the
awards are named after comic book legend Will Eisner, an American comic writer and art ist, who many consider to be the father of the graphic novel. With only 30 stores world wide having been presented
with the title over the past 20 years, Jennifer said she is especially proud to be the first store that was founded and solely owned by a woman. SEE CHANGING, PAGE 6
New CSI kiosk to open at Guelph campus BY STEPHANIE LEFEBVRE
Students at Conestoga’s Guelph campus will soon be able to utilize more services provided by Conestoga Students Inc. The student union is plan ning on opening a new kiosk which will allow students to print, fax, bind, photocopy and buy various tickets said Ciara Byrne, president of CSI, in an email. These services are avail able to Doon and Waterloo students at their respective kiosks, but will be new for Guelph students. The idea was discussed
at the Nov. 28 CSI board of directors meeting held at the Doon campus. The project was projected to cost approxi mately $30,000. “This is about as much as it cost us on the Waterloo cam pus,” Byrne said. “It’s not off by much.” The motion to finance a Guelph kiosk was carried without debate. It is not known exactly when it will open. As well as the technol ogy needed to create the new kiosk, some board members had asked for some seating similar to that in the Den at the Doon campus. The seat
ing was included in the ini tial budget and will be outside of the kiosk, filling the space around it. Unfortunately for Guelph students, due to the fact that it is a new development, the kiosk will only be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Byrne said it will operate on a part-time basis this semes ter and then the hours will be re-evaluated. Students at the Guelph cam pus pay a lower CSI fee ($18) than students at some of the other campuses. For instance, students at Doon pay $150.
Still, they will get a small return on their investment. Jennifer Chao, chair of CSI’s board of directors, said there should be enough room in the new kiosk area to think about adding a sound system and a stage for future shows and events. The area where the kiosk will be and the sur rounding area do not belong to CSI, but they hope that with the addition of the chairs, they will be able to use the space similarly to the way the Sanctuary is used. Board members hope this will bring more traffic into the area and they will be able
to use the space as their own for any future endeavours or events. In addition to approving the opening of a Guelph kiosk at the November meeting, board members discussed other ways to utilize the space. One idea was to install CSI TV, a new idea that has yet to come to fruition that will notify students of upcoming events and new services available to them. Though it is still in the beginning phase, the kiosk will act as a stepping stone for CSI to bring their services to a broader audience.
NEWS
Page 2 ♦SPOKE
Monday, Januaiy 14,2013
Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
What is the worst thing about hockey being back? “Watching it all the time on highlights instead of other sports, because Canada focuses so much on hockey.” Michael Medon, second-year business - marketing
PHOTO BY ROB MENDONSA
“A shorter season. Sidney Crosby back on TV.”
Robert Bertolas, who is shown in his shop, The Wigs and Hair Studio in Cambridge, is an inspiration to many.
A man with a purpose
Scott Waddington, second-year business - marketing
BY ROB MENDONSA
“A ll the complainers. That they’re not going to watch it, and here they are.” Heather Foell, second-year fitness and health promotion
“People not shutting up about it.” Eric Thiessen (also known as Sunshine), first-year protection/security and investigation
“Probably the mass mobs of people who are going to com plain when their teams lose.”
Matt Hobden, first -year protection/security and investigation
“It’s a tentative deal and there’s not a full agree ment. This can happen again whenever they want.” Jonathan English, second-year protection/security and investigation Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
It’s 1987 and a doctor is having the unenviable task of telling a 19-year-old boy that he has multiple sclerosis. To be told this at such a young age is devastating for most teens, but Robert Bertolas was not your average teen. For him, it was just inspira tion. Inspiration to help him lose over 60 pounds. Inspiration to train for marathons in Toronto, New York and New Castle, England, then cap it all off with a run, bike and roller blade, 9,653-kilometre trip across Canada to help raise money and awareness for MS. It’s in The Wigs and Hair Studio in Cambridge, owned by now 44-year-old Bertolas, still looking young and fit, and Suzanne, his wife, busi ness partner and tour manag er on his run across Canada, that he begins to describe how happy he is with where life’s road has taken him. He has no regrets about the cards that life dealt him. In fact, he welcomes them and plays them out as they’re given to him each day. “Life is fun, but if you let the bad consume you then you’ll have no room for the good,” he said. “Sometimes you just have to brush it off and let it go.” Looking at pictures of him as a teen though you would never guess this was the same per son. At one point he was over 260 lbs. but, after his doctor said he should lose the weight to help cope with the MS there was no turning back. Bertolas doesn’t believe in doing something if you’re not going to give it your all. So not
only did he lose the weight he went on to train and run three major marathons. He then points to pictures on the wall of the Victory Tour across Canada and begins to describe how it was conceived in 2007. After jokingly saying to Suzanne one night, “we should run across Canada,” by the following day she was busy laying the ground work, complete with police cruisers and media stops in every major city along the TransCanada highway. “If you want 10 months of excitement in your life, where you’re seeing Canada as fast as you can bike or run, then this is the thing to do,” Bertolas said chuckling. “When biking through Rogers Pass in B.C., where it took six hours to get uphill then 45 minutes to come down the other side at 80 km/h, I thought, I should probably slow down. But then I thought naw, and just let it drop and let it fly (and think ing) if I crash, it will just be a better story for the papers.” “No one can take these memories from us,” said Suzanne. “It took me a year to plan this all out, over a 100 newspapers, radio and televi sion stations in every major market including Breakfast Television, and we did it all without any help from outside sources.” Whereas some would have given up and accepted their fate, Bertolas said “no, I won’t let this disease beat me down.” Sitting on the couch bitterly waiting for MS to take over his body was not an option. That same determination and drive led Bertolas to seek the controversial Liberation Treatment which involves
opening up neck veins in patients suffering from MS, thus allowing blood to flow more freely to the brain which some people believe alleviates some of the symptoms associ ated with the disease. The therapy, which is $13,000, is not funded by the Canadian government and so the Bertolas travelled to Poland in 2010 to have the procedure done at their own expense, with help from a couple of corporate sponsors and some fundraising events held prior to their departure. “It all comes down to choic es,” said Bertolas. “You can choose to accept your fate and let things happen to you, or you can be the master of your own destiny. If there is something out there that even remotely might help me then it’s worth trying.” Bertolas feels some of his symptoms have been lessened since having the treatment in 2010 “My life has been great, the cross-country trip, the mara thons, I’ve lived three lives, but this would have never happened if I didn’t get diag nosed with MS,” he said of his life journey. “I like to think of it like this. When you’re travelling down the road of life and everything is good you’re going straight. Then all of a sudden you hit a major problem in your life and now you have choices, you can go left or you can go right, which forces you down a different road. Now, something good happens to you, and you’re all happy, but you would never have gotten to that happy place if first you didn’t hit that problem back down the road. That’s what life is.” .
NEWS
Monday, January 14,2013
SPOKE♦ Page 3
Struggling to survive - one day at a time Homeless man never thought he would be in his situation
BY RYAN BOWMAN
This is the first of a five-part series examining the causes and consequences of homeless ness in Waterloo Region.
At 53 years old, Mike looks like a man on the brink of giving up. Swallowed by an oversized gray sweater, his scrawny shoulders are stooped for ward, his head hanging like the withered bulb of a dying flower. His tired eyes are dark and void of any emotion, even as he speaks of the bouts of depression he battles on a daily basis. “I would like to think I have a future beyond homeless ness,” says Mike, who prefers to keep his last name con fidential. “But when you’re doing all you can to survive day in and day out, it’s hard to look ahead.” But as lonely as Mike may feel, he is not alone. Dennis Watson, co-ordinator of the Trinity United Church location of Waterloo Region’s Out of the Cold program, says the number of people who used the overnight home less shelter in November and December increased by 30 per cent over the same period in 2011 . According to Watson, who keeps statistics for each of the program’s nine sites, Out of the Cold has sheltered 3,722 people over its first two months this season. He says the number of people who have needed beds has risen steadily over the course of
the program’s 15-year exis tence, a trend he calls “both ersome.” But while the stats seem to suggest a rise in homeless ness, Lynn Macaulay, hous ing services co-ordinator at Lutherwood, says it’s a diffi cult demographic to measure. “The number of people who actually sleep outside in Kitchener-Waterloo is very, very small,” she says, esti mating it may be around 100 at any given time. “There’s always that whole other group which includes people who are couch surfing, people who have no private space or no permanent address, or people who are living in places not designated for human habita tion or places which are not safe.” According to Macaulay, the vast majority of the homeless population is without shelter only temporarily. She says only 22 per cent of people who used emergency shel ters at any point during 2011 returned to the shelter in the same year. “Sometimes life events just happen to people,” Macaulay says. “There’s a job loss, there’s a death, there’s a fire or a huge trauma or victim ization, and that’s just the last piece that pushes people into homelessness.” For Mike, who was one of 36 guests to spend the night at First United Church in
PHOTO BY RYAN BOWMAN
People line up outside the St. Louis Roman Catholic location of Waterloo Region’s Out of the Cold program on Jan. 6.
Waterloo on Nov. 2, the life event that sent him spiralling toward homelessness was quitting his job of 14 years with a local manufacturing company. “I made the mistake of actu ally quitting my job about three years ago and found out it’s harder to get a job now than it used to be,” says Mike, who managed to find occasional work with a temp agency but couldn’t maintain a consistent income. “I never, ever thought I’d be in this sit uation. Even after I initially quit my job and started hav ing to stay with other people, I figured sooner or later I’d find a permanent job. “I really did not, until the first two or three nights on the street, realize that I was literally homeless.” Macaulay says that while there are a multitude of rea sons for homelessness, it often comes down to the sim ple matter of money. “If you’re spending 90 per cent of your income on hous ing, chances are very good that at some point you’re going to get behind on rent and you’re going to get evict ed. If you have no support, you end up on the street or living out of shelters.” According to the most recent census data, the average cost of a home in Waterloo Region was $237,913 and the average rent for a one-bedroom apart
ment was $787. The current monthly shel ter allowance from Ontario Works for a single person is $376. Add to that the region’s miniscule vacancy rate of 1.7 per cent, and it’s no wonder people like Mike are unable to find adequate housing within their budget. , While Mike says he doesn’t entirely blame the govern ment for his homelessness, he doesn’t think its programs do enough to help people in his situation. “Unless you go looking for resources, you wouldn’t know they’re there,” he says. “There doesn’t seem to be a lot of OW (Ontario Works) going the extra mile. I find you get more help at the soup kitch ens and the other outreach programs than you get from social services.” And while the government has tried to help Mike find places in rooming houses over the past three years, he says he would rather remain homeless than live in the cramped conditions govern ment support would afford him - accommodations large enough for a bar fridge, a sin gle mattress and little else. “There’s been a couple times they tried to get me rooms, but I wouldn’t live in them if they paid me extra money,” he says with a shake of his head. “Just because they have lim ited resources doesn’t mean I should have to live like a rat.” Macaulay says the problem of getting people with limited income into affordable hous
ing is two-pronged. “Completely blaming social policy, I think, is a bit mis guided,” she says. “But at the same time, the other extreme that says, ‘The reason you’re homeless and you’re poor is because you can’t pull your self up by the bootstraps and get it together,’ is also false. The reality is a combination of the two.” And while Mike and doz ens of others have come to appreciate programs such as Out of the Cold, Macaulay says they are merely a Band-Aid solution to the social wound that is homelessness. ‘You can spend dollars one of two ways,” she says. “One is to keep the homeless people more comfortable, the other is to try and move them from homelessness to housing. “We have decided, as a region, that we really want to move people from homeless ness to housing. We see that as a much better, long-term, more humane, more dignified solution.” As for Mike, he says he is grateful for the program and would be sleeping on the streets if it didn’t exist. “At least you know there’s a place you can go to sleep and get a decent meal,” he says. “It’s probably the big gest thing I looked forward to this past summer.” Next week, learn about the stigm a and stereotypes facing Waterloo Region's homeless population on a daily basis
P a M * SPOKE
Amendment is stuck in the past
Monday, January 14,2013
COMMENTARY
BY JESSICA REPIKER
“Right to bear arms.” These four words cause more controversy with every passing year since their initial inscription on the United States Bill of Rights in 1791 and 2012 was no exception. When Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, in December, he had people around the world ques tioning the importance and relevance of the Second Amendment, including the President. Following this tragedy, President Barack Obama assigned Vice-President Joe Biden to the task of reas sessing the United States’ gun control policy and strate gies - and it’s about time. Aside from the obvious need to have a more stringent screening process for individuals seeking gun owner ship (including comprehensive background and health checks that have already been proposed by Biden,) the White House should also look into bringing this amend ment into the 21st century. In 1791, mindless killing sprees were simply not a legitimate concern. At the time, guns were five feet long, weighed up to 11 lbs. and had to be stuffed with gunpowder before they could send bullets into bodies that is, if they didn’t backfire on the shooter. They were meant for combat, not personal vengeance. If this were the case today, the term “school shooting” wouldn’t even exist, let alone require a page on Wikipedia to explain it or list its occurrences worldwide. Regardless of whether or not guns are truly necessary for self-defence, it must be addressed that the times have changed. Guns are more portable, concealable and fast, fir ing much more rapidly than the 1700’s standard of three or four times per minute (if you were a deft gunman.) The White House won’t be taking Wite-Out to the con stitution anytime soon, and understandably so - The National Rifle Association is a feisty organization that clings to their beloved amendment and gets up in arms when anyone seeks to infringe on it - but, by slowly changing the definition of arms and who has the right to bear them, we might hear less about young children being shot and more about how people are upset that they can’t purchase their rifles at Walmart anymore - a fair trade. The views herein represent the position of the newspa per, not necessarily the author.
Letters are welcome Spoke welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be signed and include the name and telephone E number of the writer. Writers will be contact ed 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. mail letters to: www.spokeonline.com with the subject line “Letter to the Editor,” or bring them to Room 1C30 at the Doon campus.
Americans must get over their gun fetish.
Distractions have become the norm in our society Like most people, I shop; but sometimes shopping makes me a little anxious. Walking down mall corri dors, bright sale signs catch my eye and mannequins wearing flashy new trends are displayed behind every glass window. I walk into a store and there are different coloured sections of clothing at every turn and shelves lined with all kinds of items to pur chase. Everything is demanding my attention and I don’t know where to look first. It can be hard to focus and overwhelming. Advertisements are everywhere from inside your home to outside on the streets while waiting for the bus. There’s always something new. The cycle never stops. There’s always a constant demand for corporations to compete with other brands or even compete with their own products. Whether it’s a newer and better iPhone, Mac or iPod, sometimes all they have to do is change the
Now, children can play Beanie Babies games on an iPhone app. It used to be if children were bored, they Kris could play in the park or Manuel colour in a colouring book. Opinion Now it’s Facebook or touch screen gizmos. In the company of friends, at least one per size and each time, people son will play games on can’t wait to upgrade their her phone or update her gadgets to a new launch or Facebook status, but we version. And I’ll admit, I do some won’t think of it as a big times find myself lost in deal - it’s become a normal consumerism, spending part of our society. what money I have on more stuff I don’t need. The Internet has made Everything is " everything easier, from looking up a phone number demanding my attention or address, to communicat and I don’t know ing with people anywhere around the world. where to look first." But the Internet can also be a huge distraction. From Facebook to YouTube, online surfing is what most of us do We’ve become so distracted with all the new technology to pass the time. and hype that we forget what In today’s society, chil dren have actually caught life was like without it. We sometimes forget to appreci up to our tech-savvy gen eration. ate the little things we have in life, a clear sign that we When I was their age I used to have Beanie Babies. have too much.
SPOKE IS P U B L I S H E D A N D P R O D U C E D W E E K L Y BY T H E J O U R N A L I S M S T U D E N T S OF C O N E S T O G A C O L L E G E Editor: Alianah Pinhom Assignment Editors: Lindsay Tessier, Caleigh McLelland
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NEWS
Monday, January 14,2013
Woman shares her eating disorder story BY JESSICA LANTHIER
A sad truth about today’s generation of women is that it would be difficult to find one who has never been inse cure about her weight or body image, What’s more, accord ing to a study by Statistics Canada, the majority of females who have a •nega tive body image are between the ages of 11 and 15. But as National Eating Disorder Awareness Week approaches (Feb. 3-9), there are brave survivors who feel compelled to share their stories about this potentially deadly mental health issue. Natalie Lawson, for exam ple, overcame anorexia ner vosa and feels it is her duty to help other women find the strength to do so as well. Lawson, who is a 26-yearold manager at a retail store in Waterloo, was blessed with athletic talent when she was in middle school. She was an avid basketball and soccer player and played on both teams in her hometown of Thornhill, Ont. While her par ents were supportive of her passion for sports, Lawson said they always put pressure on her to stay in shape. Her father, the coach of the bas ketball team, was especially hard on her. “I knew at the time that he just wanted me to do it to the best of my ability, but he would always make little comments whenever I would eat junk food,” Lawson said. At the age of 14, Lawson weighed 120 lbs. and start ed to feel like she needed to lose weight. “I was starting to grow into my natural curves and take on a more feminine shape,” she said. “But what I was seeing in the mirror wasn’t pretty to me.” She began reducing her calorie intake by giving away the majority of her lunches at school, eating only the fruits and vegetables that her moth er packed. At dinner time, she would eat very little and fill up on water. Lawson’s mother, a res taurant owner at the time, wasn’t home often and didn’t have a close relation ship with her daughter. “My parents never realized at this point,” she said. By the time Lawson was 16, she was down to a fragile 105 lbs. and still felt like she wasn’t thin enough. People around her were beginning to notice her frail appearance and some even questioned her about it. Although she knows how horrible it was, she felt
PHOTO BY JESSICA LANTHIEH
Lynn Robbins White, a coun se lo r at the Doon campus of Conestoga College, is always ready and willing to help stu dents with their persona! and professional issues, including eating disorders.
victorious when people would comment on her weight. “It’s ridiculous to even think, but the only time I actually felt good about myself was when people would come up to me and tell me how skinny I was,” she said. The breaking point came when her soccer coach final ly became concerned with her gaunt appearance and called her parents. They arranged a meeting and tried their hardest to con vince her to see a counsellor for her eating disorder. “When my coach forced my parents’ eyes open to the situ ation, they were stunned,” she said. “My mom cried and kept tell ing me how sorry she was for not realizing that I was quite literally skin and bones.” Lawson started seeing a doctor and a psychologist and was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. She went to support groups with other teen girls who were trying to find stable relationships with not only food, but with their body image as well. “There is a lot of shame around eating disorders because it’s a mental health issue and it’s such a personal problem,” she said. “But girls need to know that there is a way to get out of the problem with a healthier outlook on everything.” She is never shy about tell ing her story and hopes more women feel the same way. “We’ve got to stick together on this because only we know what it feels like to be women.” Anyone on campus with an eating disorder or who is inse cure about his or her body image should make an appointment to see a counsellor in Counselling Services, located in Rm. 1A101 at the Doon campus.
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
New year brings new trends BY SARA HANAFI
The first of January marks a fresh, new calendar, and for some, a new wardrobe to match. Less than a month into the new year, shopping malls are almost as hectic as the pre-holiday shopping sea son, as people are in search of the trendiest clothes. Some stores are still offer ing Boxing Day sales on mer chandise leftover from 2012, which, as Waterloo resident Daniella Machado said, gives people a good incen tive to go back to the mall so soon after Christmas. “It’s a good time to shop, because you can still get the same merchandise on sale
that you could during the height of Boxing Day mad ness,” she said. So what exactly are the trends to be looking for in 2013? Jessica Meneses, a 21-yearold fashion design student from Ryerson University, said ruffles are the No. 1 trend to watch for. “Towards the end of the winter season, ruffles are going to be all the rage,” she said. “Frilly necklines and flounced skirts will be everywhere.” Also topping the list, con trasting looks, such as black and white, clashing prints, and over-the-top embellish ments, according to Meneses. “Prints are already a huge
hit,” she said, “but combining them in an outfit, like wear ing stripes and floral, will be the new challenge for trend setters. Designers will try to outdo each other on the run way and the public will try and copy that eccentric style.” Machado’s 19-year-old daughter and self-proclaimed fashionista, Lauren, said that now is the best time to start looking for upcoming trends. “All the stores are restock ing for the beginning of the year,” she said. “They have brand new designs and different styles and colours. If you want to get a head start on the pop ular clothes for this year, now is the time to start browsing.”
FEATURE
Page 6 ♦SPOKE
Monday, Januaiy 14,2013
Changing all the rules ♦ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Amy Chop started work ing at The Dragon almost 12 years ago and is currently the store manager. Over the past decade, Amy said she has developed a strong relationship with the customers and products in the store, something she takes great pride in. Sharing Jennifer’s passion for the business, Amy said she appre ciates Jennifer’s high stan dards when it comes to the quality of work she demands of her staff and herself. “My first impression of Jenn was that I had found a woman I could look up to in the comic book world,” she said. “She has a lot of traits that I strive to find in myself, she breaks moulds and defies cliches in a business that thrives on them.” Jennifer met her husband Robert at the Hyatt hotel bar at San Diego Comic Con in July 2006. The bar had turned into a meeting place for Canadians during the convention and mutual friend Kevin Boyd, owner of the Comic Book Lounge in Toronto, introduced the two. MShe breaks moulds and defies cliches in a business that thrives on them.?? - Amy Chop
Robert said in the 15 years since his wife opened the store business is better than ever despite the challenges of operating in a smaller city like Guelph. “Jennifer and the store itself are leaders in the com ics industry, not just local ly but on a national and international level,” he said. “Guelph has a real jewel located downtown, and it’s due to a lot of hard work, vision and Jenn’s passion for this community.”
Robert said the store owes a lot of its success to great customers as well as a great leader who has achieved a fun, family-friendly and judg ment-free space for all of the city’s various communities. “I’m very proud of Jenn,” he said. “It takes a very special person to achieve all of this, along with a great support net work of friends and staff. We take a lot of pride in making The Dragon the best it can be.” Despite being comman deered into every event involving the family business, Robert said he sees his wife as an inspiration. “I know no person who is more dedicated or works harder,” he said. “Jenn juggles so many tasks that she is passionate about, all with a baby and basi cally running our household. I’m very lucky to have her.” Even with women becoming more involved in geek culture, Jennifer said the comic book industry still has a long way to go. At a panel featuring the cre ators of AMC TV show The Walking Dead at San Diego Comic Con, the retailers were asked what kind of merchan dise they wanted to see. After one store owner mentioned a need for more T-shirts in women’s sizes, Jennifer’s interest was piqued only to be disappointed by his additional suggestion of more womenfriendly designs such as “I heart zombies.” “It was ridiculous. Women like zombies. They want a shirt with gore and guts on it,” she said. This is the type of stereo typing Jennifer said she wants to stop. “There’s this weird stigma that women are into very spe cific things and they should only go in that one direction,” she said. “I want my store to be a place where every person who walks through the door is a customer, no matter their age or their gender. None of that matters.” For more information on The Dragon, visit www.thedragonweb.com.
PHOTOS BY WHITNEY SOUTH
Jennifer Haines’ store, The Dragon, was awarded the 2012 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, an honour it shared with a comic book store in Madrid, Spain.
THE DRAGON’S TOP 20 COMICS OF 2012 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Over 10,000 titles line the shelves at The Dragon comic book store in Guelph.
Known for its bright, clean and organized environment, The Dragon offers products for m any different collectors and hobbyists.
The Walking Dead, Vol. 1 The Walking Dead, Vol. 16 The Walking Dead, Vol. 17 Adventure Time, Vol. 1 The Walking Dead, Vol. 2 Saga, Vol. 1 Underwater Welder Amulet, Vol. 5 Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise,Vol. 1 10. The Walking Dead Compendium, Vol. 1
Monday, January 14,2013
FEATURE
SPOKE ♦Pag e 7
SNOWY SKATING
A Guelph couple takes advantage of a snow y winter day to skate hand-in-hand at the Market Square outdoor rink. A father helps his son practise his skating technique at the out door rink in Guelph.
PHOTOS BY LINDSAY TESSIER
The outdoor skating rink opened for seasonal operation on Dec. 1, and weather permitting, will be open for the duration of winter from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
FEATURE
Page 8 ♦ SPOKE
FREE FUN f o r
th e n ew yea r
Monday, Januaiy 14,2013
Walk safe in your city BY KEILA MACPHERSON
PHOTO BY KRISTIN MILANI
“Nurse Krystal” spent the day at the Waterloo Mayor’s New Year’s Levee at RIM Park painting the faces of children. Many kids left happy including Diego Torres who became Spider-Man, Jan. 6. The local annual event featured free food, live music, skating and other activities. The City of Waterloo also celebrated the launch of its new website.
Slipping and falling on hid den ice isn’t the only danger winter brings ... shortened daylight hours can also make for a cautious walk home. Familiar walking routes from school or work are well lit at 5 p.m. in late sum mer to early autumn, but can become unfamiliar when the sun sets around 5 p.m. in the winter. The feeling of compromised senses and vulnerability is felt mostly by females. “I don’t like walking alone at night - it’s my last option if there’s absolutely no one to walk me home. I do walk home from school every day, but it’s light out and at least there are people I kind of know,” said 15-yearold Maddison Braga, chair of the YWCA Cambridge Girl’s Council. “In the dark you can’t see properly if someone’s behind you.” On Dec. 6, the YWCA Cambridge Girl’s Council went on a safety audit tour of the downtown Galt area.
PHOTO BY KEILA MACPHERSON
One w ay to ensure your safety while walking at night is to walk with friends along public streets that are well lit.
The tour started at the Girl’s Centre, went to the Ainslie Street Terminal and around to city hall. There were some spots along the safety walk that the girls felt safer. Braga said she felt comfort able around the well-lit city hall area because in addition
to good lighting there were security cameras and a guard nearby. There were also places where the girls said they would feel very uncomfortable walking alone at night, such as the Cambridge Farmer’s Market parking lot or the lot behind the Girl’s Centre building, even walking down the main street. “Even though we were in a big group of people and we had adults present it was still intimidating because we still had people whistling at us,” Braga said. Kim Decker, executive director at YWCA Cambridge, led the girls around the down town core and explained some key factors in what deter mines a safe space. “It’s about looking at the physical space; if there’s pub lic transportation around, if it’s well lit, if there are any places that people could be hiding, et cetera.” Decker said the most important thing to remem ber is to be aware of your surroundings. This should be practised regardless of gender. Phil Mihaly, a Cambridge resident, said he enjoys walk ing at night, but always pays attention and is aware of what is around him. “For a guy the main thing to be concerned about is if someone was going to jump him and steal his money,” he said. “Generally speaking guys are more physical and girls are more emotional ... in terms of being in danger I can understand why they would be scared.” Although men generally feel less threatened walking alone at night, there is still concern for all genders and an empha sis on being aware of personal safety. For the cautious on campus, Conestoga College’s secu rity department provides Walk Safe to help students feel safer around campus at night. It is available at Doors 1 and 6 from 6:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m., from September to April, excluding holidays. More information on Walk Safe can be found online at conestogac.on.ca/security/ tips, by calling 519-7485220, ext. 3357, or by vis iting Room 2B10-6 across from the library at the Doon campus.
Monday, January 14,2013
NEWS
SPOKE ♦Page 9
The cold truth about winter tiros BY CALEIGH MCLELLANP
Winter has arrived in full force, and according to the Weather Network, “Canadians are in for a more ‘typical’ winter this year.” With last winter’s lack of snow, people may have been given a false sense of security when it comes to preparing their cars for this winter season. But, with a handful of heavy snowfalls over the past couple of weeks, the allseason versus winter tire debate has been revived. According to a February 2012 study by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, enti tled Winter Tires: A Review of Research on Effectiveness and Use, “in a braking test (from 50 km/h to a full stop), the car with winter tires took 18 metres to stop whereas the car with all-season tires took 27.1 metres.” Studies similar to this one also show the efficiency of winter tires. But buying a new set of winter tires can be costly. So is it possible - and safe - to keep those all-seasons on through
out the winter months? “If people can’t afford winter tires, all-season tires will be OK as long as they are careful in winter conditions and take their time,” said mechanic, Martin Boissonneault. “Even with winter tires, it doesn’t mean you won’t slip and slide everywhere,” he added. The difference between allseason tires and winter tires is the compound makeup of the tire. According to mechanic Shawn Bilyea of Cambridge, because winter tires stay softer in colder temperatures, they have a better grip than all-seasons. For this reason, Quebec, along with several European countries, have made winter tires mandatory. The benefits of winter tires are undeniable: a better grip in slip pery conditions, a discount from some insurance companies for drivers who switch to winter tires PHOTO BY CALEIGH MCLELLAND annually, and longer lasting tires At-home mechanic, Shawn Bilyea of Cambridge, winterizes his car in his garage on Jan. 6. for those who use both sets of tires throughout the year. the country, snow tires would be a But if you can’t afford win “Winter tires are important,” conditions.” ter tires, Bilyea believes people said Bilyea. “But if you can’t “It also depends where you better option, but all-season tires afford them, drive to the (road) live,” he added. “If you live out in are adequate for city roads.” should just drive with caution.
Drive safe this winter BY KELSEY HEELEY
With winter here that means snow, ice and slush will be making the roads slip pery and harder to drive on. Learning how to drive safely in winter is important because your driving not only affects you, but the other drivers on the roads too. According to www.mto.gov. on.ca, there are three things you need to know about win ter driving. One is to stay alert because weather condi tions can quickly change, put ting more demands on your driving skills and vehicle. Secondly, slow down. Driving according to the weather con dition is one of the smartest things you can do. Lastly, stay in control by making sure you know how to properly handle your vehicle in all weather conditions. Properly controlling your vehicle can be the difference in whether or not you skid into the middle of an intersec tion or four-way stop. When approaching a red light or stop sign, braking earlier than you normally would is always a good idea. If the road is too slippery and you go into a skid, you need to regain control of your vehicle as soon as possible. Once you’re in the skid, steer ing into the direction of the skid can help stop you. To accomplish this, you’re sup pose to look where you want the vehicle to go and steer toward that spot, being care ful not to over steer.
It is also recommended that you carry a winter survival kit because it can mean the differ ence between life and death, especially in cases where you’re stranded in a remote location. Some items to include in the kit are: an ice scraper or snow brush, a small-folding shovel, sand or road salt (or cat litter), a rope or chain for towing, booster cables, a cell phone charger, road flares or warning lights, gas line anti freeze, LED flashlights and batteries, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a small tool kit, extra warm winter clothes and fdot wear, a couple of blankets, a Swiss army knife, matches, candles and non-perishable energy foods such as granola bars, bottles of water, juice boxes and dried fruits. Christina Tibbitts, a former York Region Transit driver, said, ‘You have to make sure all your windows and mir rors are clear of snow and ice before you go anywhere. In the winter, having maximum visibility is important.” Tibbitts also said to slow down and look at the traffic that is farther ahead. “With no doubt, other driv ers may get irritated then decide to go around you and speed ahead, if you’re not going the speed limit, even in the winter. But that’s reckless because of how slippery roads get in the winter,” she said. “Let them go ahead, it’s safer to go slow and take your time getting to your destination. It’s better to arrive late than not at all.”
Tarantino strikes again BY KRISTIN MILAN!
Quentin Tarantino is a legend for writing and direct ing clever, witty, original and extremely gory movies. His most recent film, Django Unchained, released in the atres Dec. 25, is no different. Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds are his most suc cessful films but are now looking at some strong com petition. Django Unchained is a spaghetti western set in the pre-Civil War era in the south and is based on bru tal American slavery. It is one of his most violent mov ies to date but Tarantino’s blood bath accurately depicts what black people suffered through. The film is about a freed slave, Django (Jamie Foxx), who assists white bounty hunter Dr. King Shultz (Christoph Waltz) in tracking down criminals. After becom ing a bounty hunter himself and getting revenge on slave owners, Django wants to rescue his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from vicious plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Dr. King Shultz and Django begin their mis sion to find her, almost get ting killed several times in the process (in true Tarantino style). The remain der of the film is packed full of suspense as you watch the fate of Django unfold. Foxx delivers a stellar per formance, showing the audi
Leone spaghetti western. It was a holocaust. My ances tors are slaves. Stolen from Africa. I will honour them.” Despite the negative back lash, Django Unchained won over audiences internation ally. As of Jan. 6, the film was estimated to have earned ence why he was chosen as $106.4 million at the box the lead. It is his best role office and is on track to since he played the iconic Ray Charles in Ray back in become Tarantino’s highestgrossing film. It earned $20.8 2004. Waltz’s performance is just as brilliant as it was million opening weekend and the No. 2 spot after in Inglorious Basterds. He has proven himself worthy of The Hobbit: An Unexpected becoming one of Tarantino’s Journey. Oscar nominations for regulars along with Samuel Django Unchained have yet L. Jackson, who also stars in the film as the despicable to be released but it looks house slave, Stephen. It goes as though it has a fighting without saying that DiCaprio chance at racking up awards, is fantastic as well. All four including one for Tarantino, actors make the film as real who hasn’t lost his flare one bit. I give this film 4.5 stars as it can get. out of five. As for the directing and the behind-the-scenes work, impeccable. Tarantino and the crew captured the time period remarkably well. The costumes, soundtrack, screen play, set designs (and it’s safe to say everything else) are flawless. One word of warning, how ever. The “N” word is used 110 times in the film causing controversy. As uncomfort able as it is to hear it used extensively, it is realistic. Tarantino’s fearlessness when it comes to his material is admirable. Well-known director Spike INTERNET PHOTO Lee criticized the film on Django Unchained is up for best Twitter saying, “American picture at the Oscars. slavery was not a Sergio
ENTERTAINMENT
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Monday, January 14,2013
Stay fit and have fun this chilly season BY HEATHER KENNERY
After the holidays most of us feel the effects of too many turkey dinners and glasses of eggnog. A Dec. 22, 2011 CNN article said that, on average, people gain between one and five pounds during the holiday season. Going to the gym and hop ping on a treadmill is an easy solution, but for a more fun workout you can visit many places around K-W and enjoy inexpensive winter activities. Skating is a great group activity and is also a good cardio workout. During good weather conditions visiting an outdoor rink such as the one in front of Kitchener City Hall is ideal. It is free and has a heated locker room to lace up. A schedule for free public skating in arenas can be found at www.kitchener.ca. Public skating for adults generally costs $6 per person. Want to avoid the bruis es on your bum from hitting the ice, visit Laurel Creek Conservation Area in Waterloo for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Laurel Creek is open on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on week ends from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Adult admission is $5.50. Need to rent ski equipment?
They charge $13, and suggest you call a day ahead if renting on weekdays. If you have a need for speed, Chicopee Tube Park is the place for you. If you purchase your pass on Tuesdays before 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays between 8 and 9 p.m. the tube park offers a student deal of $19 for three hours of pure, fast fun. For an extra workout skip the moving side walk and march up the hill, it will make the ride down even more enjoyable and keep you warm on a cold night. On the other side of Chicopee you can also buy a pass to ski or snowboard. For a full day pass it costs $40 with your own equipment. They also offer four- and two-hour pass es for less money. You can visit www.discoverchicopee. com for rates on rentals. Chicopee also offers Winter Disc Golf. Disc golf involves throwing metal discs at a standing net to get points. This can be a group activity or be done as a single-person sport. It costs $7.50 for a full day pass and you can also PHOTO BY KRIS MANUEL rent discs for $5. A skater zoom s around the Market Square rink, enjoying som e post-holiday winter fun in downtown If your funds are in the red Guelph on Dec. 27. The rink, which was unveiled last year, is open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily. from Christmas try looking in your garage for a sled or Crazy Carpet. You can visit any hill out. On www.fitday.com it hour of tobogganing. your jeans a little looser while with a group of friends, with says that an average person All of these activities can help giving you hours of fun during the plus side of a good work burns over 350 calories per get your belt a little tighter and the next couple of cold months.
ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, January 14,2013
SPOKE ♦ Page 11
On the road to Memphis BY RYAN GOODYEAR
At only 18 years old, Brendan James Stephens has led a more colourful life than most people twice his age. Driven by a passion for old blues and folk music, Stephens has hitchhiked all over Ontario sharing his own personal brand of one-man band music. After picking up his first gui tar at the age of 12, Stephens spent the first two years just fooling around on it. By 14 he was taking guitar lessons and playing harmonica. However, never intending to end up where he is today, he was concerned more with instrumen tal music than anything else. “I didn’t start singing until I was 15,” he said. “At first I just wanted to play instrumental music with my guitar and har monica, then in Grade 9 1 took a vocal class for kicks and I even tually thought it was awesome.” Like most people his age Stephens was introduced to the world of music through clas sic rock and spent hours play ing his favourite Led Zeppelin albums, meticulously picking them apart, trying to find what made these bands so magical. It was while listening to Bob Dylan one day that Stephens had the idea to trace the sing ers’ influences back to their roots to find out what it was he had been listening to. At this point Stephens discovered the music of Woody Guthrie and other artists of that era - music he truly fell in love with. “Once I started tracing the music roots I just kept going further and further back in time until I found a frame of music that I really loved,” he said. With its deep connection to folk and blues musicians, it was only a matter of time before Stephens landed on old ragtime music. It’s this era
that influences his music and his slick, dapper appearance. By the time he was 18, Stephens knew school simply wasn’t for him. Wanting a future in music meant the best way to make sure he stuck with his plan was to drop out. He figured if he didn’t have a high school diploma he would have to work at his music because he would have noth ing to fall back on. Shortly after leaving high school Stephens moved out of his mother’s home and start ed busking around the city. It was eventually through bus king and getting his name out in the public that he was introduced to the Grand River Blues Society, which helped him get his first big break. “My friend Richard Garvey, who’s like a local folk musi cian, emailed me this message about a competition back in March of 2012 and said, ‘You should try this out, it’s a blues competition.’ So I just showed up there with my guitar, a harmonica and a suitcase and did my thing,” he said. This wasn’t just any compe tition. Stephens would be com peting for a spot on the main stage of the Kitchener Blues Fest, a popular blues festival that swallows up a majority of Kitchener’s downtown core every summer and includes well-known bands and singers from all over the world. At the end of his half-hour set, Stephens was told he had the position and would be playing the main stage as well as receiving $500 for his performance. After playing Blues Fest Stephens spent the rest of the summer hitchhiking and playing different markets and outdoor venues across south ern Ontario, going as far as his thumb and the kindness
of strangers would take him. When he returned from a busking trip in Bruce County, he decided to record a demo. After borrowing a zoom record er from his cousin, Stephens sat down in his friend’s laun dry room and hit record. “I was staying at my friend’s house for the summer because I didn’t really have anywhere else to go,” he said. “So I’m sit ting in his laundry room, I hit record and recorded 10 songs, took a disc, burned them onto it, and I had my demo.” By the end of this past sum mer, Stephens had played Blues Fest, hitchhiked all over Ontario, cut a demo and was booking paid gigs at bars, pubs and anywhere else that would have him. Yet, even with all of this, Stephens didn’t know he was about to
Newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder and having lost his job, home and wife all in the same year, Pat is understandably lost. He struggles with taking his medication and insists he can heal himself with a regimen of exercise and reading. He is intent on winning back his estranged wife, Nikki. There’s just one small hitch. The restraining order she has filed against him. Russell (Three Kings, The Fighter) delivers a refresh ingly real portrayal of men tal illness, never mocking the seriousness of Pat’s condition or painting him as a tragic figure. In fact, what makes Silver Linings unique
wants to reconcile with his wife. Tiffany offers to pass along a letter to his wife if Pat agrees to be her part ner in a local dance compe tition. The film somehow man ages to avoid the predict able cliches usually found is that it comes across not in romantic comedies. The as a film about mental ill familiar material feels ness, but as a genuine and fresh and new in Russell’s funny movie that happens to capable hands and his witty have characters with mental script and complex charac health issues. ters elevate the genre to a Through friends, Pat whole new level. The film meets Tiffany (Jennifer is almost bipolar in nature Lawrence), a young, griev - freewheeling from lows ing widow suffering from to highs without missing a her own mental imbalances. beat. The two of them hit it off, Cooper gives the best per but Pat insists he still formance of his career
PHOTO BY RYAN GOODYEAR
Brendan J. Stephens, winner of the competition, Road to Memphis, will be travelling to Memphis to represent Waterloo Region in a blues competition. Above, he practises in his rehearsal space.
receive his best news to date. One day, while playing his regular gig at The Boathouse, Stephens was approached by members of the Grand River Blues Society and told that they wanted him to partici pate in a competition that would give him the opportu nity to represent the Grand River Blues Society in one of the world’s biggest blues com petitions in Memphis. After competing against some stiff competition, Stephens was informed he had made the cut and would be taking the trip to Memphis at the end of January. He will be play ing in both the youth and solo sections of the competition as well as sharing the stage with people from all over the world. When asked how he felt about winning the competi
tion Stephens’ face glowed “It felt awesome. Like I never graduated high school right?" But my mom was there and she was crying and so happy and was saying ‘y’know, this is more impressive than a high school diploma,’ and that just meant so much to me. It felt like getting a university diploma or something. It’s something that says you can go on in life doing what you love to do. This is what I’m studying; I’m studying music, just in a different manner. It’s like getting a golden ticket; you know people care about what you’re doing.” Stephens will be playing one last show in Kitchener on Jan. 26 at the Imbibe restaurant on King Street before heading to Memphis. All proceeds from the show will go toward his trip.
Silver Linings Playbook delivers crazy good love story BY LINDSAY TESS8ER
Writer-director David O. Russell breathes new life into a tired genre with Silver Linings Playbook, a darkly funny romantic comedy with an unconventional love story. The movie stars Bradley Cooper as Pat, a former high school teacher who has spent the last eight months in a psychiatric hospital after a violent attack on his wife’s lover. As the film opens, Pat is released into the care of his blue-collar parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and goes to live with them in the Philadelphia home where he grew up.
thus far - playing Pat with a frenetic and physical intensity that is, at times, painful to watch. Lawrence is incredible as Tiffany, the grief stricken widow desperate for under standing and connection. She is sexy, fierce, vulner able and incredibly compel ling. Unexpected and charming, the film is made with a love that shines through every scene. It is that rare crea ture: a feel good movie that is as smart as it is satisfy ing. I give Silver Linings Playbook five out of five stars.
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Monday, January 14, 2013