Garbage Is his life It’s all in a day’s work for sanitation worker. Page 13
SPOKE
Fight back this winter
A LEARNING NEWSROOM FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS
Page 6
Cold and flu have a new enemy naturopathy.
Salu tin g the P ortraits o f H onour By JAKE ROBINSON
Behind the faces of the 158 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan is one of an aspired painter who dedicated his time and money to commemorate these troops. Dave Sopha returned home to Cambridge on Dec. 10, after making 122 stops on his across-Canada tour with his painting, Portraits of Honour. Sopha’s painting received a tremendous response across the country as he received hon ours and awards from the mil itary and the cities he visited. The painting is a mural which features 158 faces of the fallen troops in Afghanistan, as well as one poppy petal for every Canadian soldier who lost his or her life from the First World War until present day. Canada has lost over 116,000 soldiers - Sopha currently has 82,136 poppies on the painting and is working toward his goal. Sopha’s inspiration came in 2008 while reading a newspa per. “I looked at the newspaper on Dec. 6, 2008, and it said that we had now lost 100 of our troops in Afghanistan,” he said. “That morning it had all 100 little faces on the front of the paper. The impact that it had on me was so strong I knew I had to do something - it had to be something special.” He started painting the faces immediately on ply wood at his studio on New Dundee Road; however, he decided that he wanted to make a collage of the faces
PHOTO BY JAKE ROBINSON
A mother and daughter comfort each other while looking at the Portraits of Honour painting on Dec. 10 at Waterloo Regional Police Headquarters on Maple Grove Road. Artist Dave Sopha returned hom e to Cambridge after he toured Canada with the painting.
and he wanted it to be big. While acquiring the correct resources to complete the painting, Sopha found a sup plier who donated a 10 ft. by 50 ft. canvas and he received word that the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs of Preston would allow him to open a second studio in their build ing where he could do the work. Eugene Ho, president of the Kinsmen Club of Preston, said the painting gives Canadians the opportunity to say thanks in their own way for the sacrifice all soldiers gave for our freedom. “Sopha is an amazing friend and artist and I am proud of the work he has done on the painting in keeping their mem ories alive and by giving us a lasting memorial,” he said.
Sopha decided to set aside his usual style as an airbrush artist, instead using an oilbased paint for the first time. “Airbrushing will last 30-40 years, but oil paintings have been known to last 500-600 years. By doing it the way the masters did it 500 years ago, I kind of feel reassured that this will be a national treas ure and that it will be around for many years.” While painting, Sopha began to find the process overwhelming. “It became very emotional because I spent about two to three hours studying the face and looking into their eyes,” he said. “When you spend that much time looking into their eyes you get a feeling of how they felt and who they were.”
The tour began on May 28 when Sopha unveiled the painting with the governor general in front of 3,000 peo ple at the Kitchener Auditorium. The painting travelled across the country often pre ceded by parades and speech es from mayors, dignitaries and Sopha. “In my speeches, when I went out there, it was mainly to honour these young men and women that have died and tell people that we’re try ing to raise funds to help those that are coming home with physical and emotional injuries,” said Sopha. Pte. Gordon Franklin was captivated by the painting and was impressed by the hard work and dedication. “It represents the courage of
the troops and their families and will continue to be a sym bol we can honour for years to come,” said Franklin. Although Sopha has had numerous requests for the painting, its future is yet to be determined. He has been asked to bring it to the Canadian Embassy in Washington as well as Juno Beach in France for four to six months where a new war museum will be opened. He was asked to go on another Canada tour to accommodate the cities he didn’t visit on his previous escapade. Sopha is now working to reimburse him self for the money he spent to tour. “The painting has cost me a fortune but it’s been worth every penny - I don’t regret a cent.”
Conestoga’s slow servers slow students By ERIC MCKENZIE
The Angel drop box proved to be far from heavenly this past exam period. After a number of complaints about slow server times on the Conestoga website, the IT department will be contacting teachers in January to discuss alternatives to the drop box feature on the educational soft ware. The new drop box feature added this year on Angel,
which allows students to upload assignments and proj ects for their classes, has been the major problem, said Mike Abraham, manager of the IT department at Conestoga. “Some of those files are rather large so it ties up the server,” he said. Many students found it diffi cult at the end of last semester to keep up-to-date on their grades going into exams and summative projects due to slow server times affecting the
Student Portal as well. “Not having feedback from my teachers and not knowing important marks, such as my mid-term mark, gave me no indication of how well I was doing in the course and there fore how much work I needed to put into the final,” said Adam Sawicki, a third-year business management student. Sawicki suggested that the drop boxes should only be available to students for a twoday window and then two days
off, to allow teachers, who have also been experiencing long waits, to get online and post grades during the busy exam weeks. Another suggestion to allevi ate the activity on the server would be to move the drop box feature to third-party soft ware, said Abraham. Since 2008, when Conestoga switched over from WebCT to Angel, there have been a num ber of upgrades and new soft ware developed that could
work as a third-party, such as My School Binder, Blackboard Learn and other online drop box sites. The update could save a lot of time but could cost a lot of money, which could possibly be passed on to students through tuition increases or other incidental fees. “We haven’t decided on any thing yet but we are aware of the problem and are currently looking into it,” said Abraham.
NEWS
Page 2 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012
NHL lockout loom ing Now deep thoughts Division re-alignment a sticking point ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
What is your New Year’s resolution?
“To create and synthesize a trance song for every one of my friends.”
Zach DowneyHiggins, second-year television broadcast
“Pass everything."
Kyle Moniz, first-year police foundations
“To handle stress better.”
Janelle Hatt, first-year nursing
“To actually come to class.”
Erich Mackinnon, first-year police foundations
“Actually study.”
Graeme Wilson, first-year police foundations
“Quit smoking and hit the gym hard.”
Kelly Jarrett, second-year police foundations
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
The National Hockey League could be headed into its second lockout in a decade as tensions escalate between the league and the players’ association. The collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHLPA is set to expire at the end of the year and will need to be renewed if there is going to be a 2012/13 season. The main obstacle that will have to be seriously reviewed over the next few months is the division re-alignment. The NHL came up with a plan that they thought was fair, new and exciting in midDecember, only to have it vetoed by the players’ associ ation. The association claims that the league came up with the plan on their own and ignored association input when they pointed out cer tain issues they had with the alignment over a month ago. The rumblings for a divi sion re-alignment began when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg and became the Jets. Currently, Winnipeg is in a division playing teams such as Florida, Tampa Bay and Carolina and it makes little sense. They are travelling across the continent much more than other teams and they see it as a disadvantage. The proposed alignment creates issues for all 30 teams in the league for a few reasons, but one stands out from the rest. The current alignment has the league being made up of two conferences with three divisions each and five teams in each division; the top eight teams from each con ference move into the post season. The proposed re-alignment would see the league being made up of four divisions. Two of the divisions would have eight teams while the other two divisions would consist of seven teams. The top four teams in each divi-
Andrew Omran
Opinion sion would move on to the post-season. This is a big area of con cern for many hockey fans because the teams in the two divisions with seven teams will stand a better chance of making it to the playoffs. But is there a solution that the league and the player’s association can agree upon? I think that the league is attempting to make too much of a change and they should n’t be trying to shake up a league and a playoff format that has been working for the last few decades. They say the best answer is
often the simplest answer. Bob Mackenzie, a hockey analyst for TSN, has pointed out that simply swapping the Winnipeg Jets, in the Southeast division, and the Detroit Red Wings, in the Central division, would be the quick fix that could solve the league’s problems. There is clearly an issue here that both the NHL and the NHLPA have taken notice of but to this point, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been trying to handle the issue without help from the players. If this issue is going to be resolved, Bettman will have to communicate with the NHLPA and respect their input. With the collective bargain ing agreement set to expire at the end of the season, this is not the time for Bettman to test the patience of the players’ association.
NEWS
Monday, January 16,2012
SPOKE* Page 3
PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRIA DEER
Master contractor Jim Caruk cam e to Conestoga’s W aterloo cam pus on Dec. 13 to speak to students in the trades and apprenticeship programs.
Master contractor doesn’t believe in luck By ALEXANDRIA PEER
Conestoga College is known for many things, one of which is its ability to 'connect its stu dents with real world learning experiences. Last month, stu dents in the carpentry depart ment at the Waterloo campus had the opportunity to learn from an expert in his field, Jim Caruk. Caruk, a master contractor with a successful show called Real Reno’s on HGTV and a judge, along with Mike Holmes, on HGT'V’s show the Handyman Superstar Challenge, was at the college to give a presentation and take a tour of the campus. “I don’t believe in luck. I believe in opportunity,” Caruk said. Opportunity presented
itself to Caruk in 1973 in the form of an apprenticeship, before he had finished high school. He began his career as a sheet metal apprentice. “Serving that apprenticeship actually got me where I am today. It’s a great experience,” he said. According to Caruk, he was living every guy’s dream. At 23 he owned a Corvette, a snow mobile and a boat and he was making more money than his dad. He stayed with the com pany for 15 years, but one day said to himself, “you don’t real ly want to bang tin for the rest of your life.” Caruk wanted the option of being able to start his own business, so he completed his masters in heating, venti lation and air conditioning (HVAC) when he was 27.
Caruk didn’t open his own business right away. He got married, started a family and worked many jobs before he started Caruk Group, one of Canada’s most respected cus tom renovation, home building and consulting brands, accord ing to www.thecaruk group.com. Everybody’s got a dream and everybody’s got a goal. It does n’t matter what it is, just keep it,” Caruk said. “Sky’s the limit.” Drew Albrachtas, a first-year carpentry basics student, said, “Jim had a lot of good advice. He said to never get discour aged and I think that is good advice to anyone starting out in the trades.” While Caruk was touring Conestoga’s Waterloo campus,
he asked Doug White, School of Trades and Apprenticeship chair, what made Conestoga better than all the rest. “I think the three bodies that really make Conestoga the most successful trades school, and very shortly the largest trades school, is primarily our program advisory committee, our staff and faculty and the other thing that makes us No. 1 is senior management,” White said. Wes Hassard, a level-one general carpentry student, was one of the many students who attended Caruk’s speech. “I think it was good. He had some motivational tips and encouragement. I think the biggest thing that he said that I really caught on to was hiring the homeowner because a lot of
times to go into an interview, people say to ask your employ er questions but in trades that usually doesn’t happen. I thought that was a neat per spective,” he said. Nathan Smith, a carpentry instructor at Conestoga’s Doon campus, organized the event. Smith’s goal was to encourage students to contin ue in the trades. “To have someone like Mr. Caruk come in and talk to the students is priceless. I was happy with Mr. Caruk’s mes sage about everyone having opportunities in life. It is up to us to choose which opportu nity is right for us and to take advantage of those opportuni ties,” he said. “It is very encouraging to listen to suc cessful people in our trade.”
Racing for a good cause C S I gives $1,000 to winning team ’s charity By RYAN HORNE
A mini version of the Daytona 500 was on display at the Cambridge campus on Dec. 9. Second-year robotic and automation students had the chance to strut their stuff when it came to their selfmade robotic cars. Teams faced off against each other to see which mighty machine could manoeuver the best around an oval track. Students were able to buy any parts they required, but had to put it together with the skills and knowledge learned in class. The cars weren’t remote controlled, so students spent close to 80 hours planning and troubleshooting their self-propelled cars that
needed both speed and preci sion cornering. Some cars were fast, some could turn on a dime while other cars wouldn’t move at all. Robotics and automation professor, Chris Dobson, said there are so many things to consider when assembling such a complex design. “Something that looks fair ly simple isn’t always so sim ple when you actually try to do it,” said Dobson. Incorporating class materi al such as sensors, motors and drive systems to their robotic cars gives students the chance to learn in a prac tical manner according to Dobson. “Those are the soft skills that they learn by having to implement something,” he
said. Not only did the victors receive bragging rights, but since it was the giving sea son, CSI sponsored a $1,000 donation to a local charity of their choice The winning team, who called themselves Aftermath, left the rest of the competition in the dust with their quick and sharp cornering car. Scott Twynstra, a member of the team, said that the many hours spent planning and problem solving should real ly help when they leave col lege to start looking for a job. “This is basically applied to everything we’ve learned so far,” he said. Second- and third-place were taken by Mean Machine and Ace respectively.
PHOTO BY RYAN HORNE
Second-year robotic and autom ation students watch with great interest as their self-designed cars race at the Cambridge cam pus on Dec. 9.
COMMENTARY
Page 4 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012
Stolen laptops create risk By TORIE ROTH
Between Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 2011, nine laptops were stolen from the Waterloo Region District School Board’s education centre in Kitchener. These laptops contained files with students’ personal information. Details about the break-in were not released to the public until Jan. 6. The personal information of the students was not the target of the theft; it was the laptops themselves. But it is the information on them that is making peo ple uneasy. Exactly what kind of personal information was on the computers hasn’t been disclosed, nor how many stu dents were affected. Individuals and families affected by the theft were to be notified, the board said. Other than the students’ grades, personal information should not be recorded on laptops. These are often the target of thieves because they are so portable. Instead, important information on students should be kept on a mainframe with adequate security measures to prevent hacking. Certain information on each student is needed in any school, such as emergency contact numbers and aller gies. However, only vital, personal information should be recorded. We don’t know what the education centre had in terms of a security system, because the police haven’t released this information. However, being a facility with computers, televisions and other expensive electronics, it should have the best available security. The one piece of good news is highly specialized knowledge would be needed to bypass the security on the laptops. In any situation where personal information is involved, people trust that their privacy will be protect ed. Conestoga College and all other educational institu tions should take note, and ensure the same security failure doesn’t happen here. The views herein represent the position of the newspa per , not necessarily the author.
Letters are welcome Spoke welcomes letters to the
than 500 words.
editor. Letters should be
Spoke reserves the right to
signed and include the
edit any letter
name and telephone
for publication.
number of the writer.
Address correspon
Writers will be contact
dence to:
ed for verification.
The Editor, Spoke, 299
No unsigned letters will be
Doon Valley Dr.,
published.
Room 1C30, Kitchener, O n t,
Letters should be no longer
N2G 4M4
Moving forward in life How staying positive goes a long way Life is like a box of choco lates. You never know what you’re gonna get,” Forrest Gump famously said. People are faced with changes and great opportuni ties to move on in life but tak ing the next step is a hard decision. There’s no clear way to move on but it’s something that a person needs to do both mentally and physically. An example of moving on in life could be overcoming a death in the family or break ing up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. In my circumstance, I was faced with moving on at an early age. When I was five years old, my mother passed away. Being young, I really had no idea what was going on that day but my life drastically changed. I saw my courageous dad take over a family with two young children and lead them down the right path. Since the day my mother died, I have taken the time to understand a lot of things about moving on and when it’s the right thing to do.
Jeff Bomben
Opinion Deaths are hard to overcome and move on from in life but it’s a challenge that every person will face.
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
With a good core behind the person such as friends, family and even teachers, a person will be more open to under standing the need to move on instead of making the mis take of holding on for too long. I live my life a lot like the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not follow
where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” I may struggle with moving on but it’s something that I will continue to work on. Emerson sends a clear pic ture with this quote. He puts in perspective that moving on may be difficult but, that being said, the best is yet to come. So instead of fearing the idea of moving on in life, take that next step and look for ward to the positive aspects rather than dwelling on the negatives. With a positive attitude, a lot more can be accomplished. Taking risks in life is some thing that some people embrace while others fear it but it’s a part of life. Moving on is like taking a risk, some people will love your decision, while others may question it. Ultimately that decision comes down to one person and that person is you. My best advice is not to fear moving on but to embrace the idea. Yes, it is difficult, but it can and will make you stronger.
SPOKE IS
PUBLISHED
AND
Editor: Karen Haynes Assignment Editors: Bradley Zorgdrager and Jazlyn Slack
Advertising Managers: Alex Deer and Torie Roth
Spoke Online Editors: Tiffany Wilson, Brendan
PRODUCED
WEEKLY
BY T H E
Daley, Reyhan Enver, Devon Smith, Andrew Soulsby, Eric McKenzie, Jessica Martin, Sarah Shaw, Ken Belliveau and James Witczak Production Managers: Vanda Dobritoiu, Dan MacLeod, Jake Davidson and Jeff Bomben Photo Editors: Ryan Home, Mariana Morales,
JOURNALISM
STUDENTS
OF
CONESTOGA
Andrew Omran, Elissa Den Hoed, Drew Logan, Ben Stoddard, Rachel Henry, Nicole Jobes, Alysha Miller and Jacob Robinson Circulation Manager: Ashley Welford-Costelloe
Faculty Supervisor and Adviser: Christina Jonas
COLLEGE
Spoke’s address is 299 Doon Valley Dr., Room 1C30, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 4M4. Phone: 519-748-5220, ext. 3691,3692,3693,3694 Fax: 519-748-3534 Email: spoke@conestogac.on.ca Website: www.spokeonline.com
The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of Conestoga College. Spoke shall not be liable for any damages arising out of errors in advertising beyond the amount paid for the space. Letters to the editor are subject to acceptance or rejection and should be clearly written or typed; a MS Word file would be helpful. Letters must not contain any libellous statements.
Monday, Jan. 16,2012
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
FEATURE
Page 6 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012
Go ‘au naturel’ with your health care Try some naturopathic medicine to ward off illness this winter By RACHEL HENRY
Cold and flu season got you down? Is swigging Buckley's and popping Tylenol not cut ting it? Before you make a trip to the emergency room or phar macy, man-made prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications may not be the answer to what ails you. According to the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) website, pub lic interest in naturopathic medicine has increased rapid ly in the last 20 years due to patients' desire for greater control of their health care process. A growing dissatisfac tion with high-tech solutions to health problems has result ed in a resurgent interest in the natural methods of pre ventive health care,” the CAND website said. “This trend, has increased demand for naturopathic services as people seek ways to improve their health, cope with dayto-day stresses and avoid ill ness.” Despite some stigmas asso ciated with naturopathic practices, there is much sci entific evidence in support of natural products. Dr. Oz, an American sur geon who has gained world wide popularity with his med ical TV show, said on his web site, “Natural products are often regarded as “alterna tive” therapies that aren't supported by science. However, it is important to note that many of the drugs that are currently available in fact, even the most com monly used drugs - are derived from nature. In the last decade alone, more than 20 newly approved drugs were derived from natural sources, including plants and microorganisms. It has been estimated that 50 per cent of contemporary drugs (those used in the last few decades) are either directly extracted or chemically derived from naturally occurring com pounds.” Theresa Tait, office manag er at Sage Naturopathic Clinic in Kitchener, said they use a holistic approach to diagnosing patients, taking into account mental and social factors, not just the physical symptoms of an ill ness. “Naturopaths treat the whole person, not the symp tom,” Tait said. “They have been trained to treat the underlying issue that causes the symptoms. The services that our naturopaths provide
PHOTOS BY RACHEL HENRY
Drinking tea can help soothe sore throats, ease stom ach pains and boost metabolism , am ong m any other benefits. Pour a cup of tea and com bat cold and flu season this winter with som e naturo pathic remedies.
are much more personal, inti mate and individual.” Patients can visit a naturo pathic clinic for a number of reasons, just as they would a hospital. Symptoms can range in complexity from headaches to emotional stress. Dr. Rahima Hirji, owner and a naturopathic doctor at Sage, said, “Our naturopathic doc tors provide TV therapy for a wide range of issues including headaches and migraines, chronic fatigue and fibromyal gia, chronic stress and burnout, decreased immune function, Crohn's and colitis, sleep disorders and general health. Dr. Chanel Cressman, another naturopathic doctor here at our clinic, offers full gynecological treatment.” IV treatments are docu mented as being beneficial toward recovering energy levels after illness. It has also been linked to improved athletic performance, detoxi fication and purification, immune balance and sup port, digestive disorders, migraines, asthma and aller gies, and Parkinson's dis ease. Naturopathic doctors prefer this method of treatment because it allows nutrients to be delivered directly into the
bloodstream, allowing a high concentration to be absorbed with little to no effort from the body. Naturopathic medicine includes vitamins, minerals, Chinese medicine, balancing the body, acupuncture and homeopathics. “Because these treatments are natural there are little to no side effects,” Tait said. “Most health insurance com panies now offer coverage for naturopathic appointments. I can’t think of any cons. I guess if your coverage runs out then you would have to pay out of pocket.” Tait said she chose to see a naturopathic doctor many years ago, and now sees a naturopath instead of a med ical doctor. “Many people don’t know that you can see a naturopath for any health issue,” Hirji said. So before you spend hours in a waiting room, consider your health-care options. For less severe medical problems, products found in your cup boards may treat illnesses. Drinking tea can provide medicinal properties that can boost your immune system and metabolism, as well as soothe sore throats, nausea,
cramps and other ailments; avocado masks can provide natural skin care; a few dabs of lavender oil at the base of your thumb and neck,
between the eyebrows, or along pressure points in the wrist can ease the stress of the day and is helpful during migraine attacks.
NEWS
Monday, January 16,2012
SPOKE ♦Page 7
Alzheimer’s a devastating disease By REYHAN ENVER
If the human brain was like a video recorder, our memory could retain three million hours of TV shows, according to Paul Reber, a psychology professor at Northwestern University. In an article in the magazine, Scientific American Mind, he says you would need to leave your tele vision running for more than 300 years to fill that space. Although that capacity is available to most of us, it begins to diminish if you have Alzheimer’s. Roughly 60 per cent of Canadians who live with a type of dementia (loss of cog nitive ability) have Alzheimer’s disease. An Alzheimer article on Canada.com estimates that over one million Canadians will be living with some sort of dementia by 2038. The older we get, the higher the risk we have of developing the disease. It is also said that women are more likely to
develop the disease than men. The reason people get Alzheimer’s isn’t clear, nor is there a cure. However, there are many warning signs to look for if you think you or someone you know may be at risk of developing the disease. According to the Alzheimer Association of Canada, make sure you watch for memory loss that affects day-to-day function, difficulty perform ing familiar tasks, problems with language, disorientation of time and place, poor or decreased judgment, prob lems with abstract thinking, misplacing things (such as putting a phone in the fridge), changes in mood and behav iour, changes in personality and loss of initiative. If you notice any of these signs in someone or yourself, the next step would be talk ing to your family doctor. Although there is no cure, there are ways to help treat it and slow it down. It is often hard to notice if someone is developing
Alzheimer’s or any type of dementia in the early stages. It takes a lot of attention and you must be ready to notice subtle changes. Shane Rees, a 23-year-old Waterloo resident whose grandmother has dementia, has seen the downward spiral that these diseases cause. “She would know how to get somewhere for the past 20 years and all of a sudden she would be asking for direc tions,” Rees said. “We really started to think something was wrong when she couldn’t find their house anymore. These days, she has her good days and bad days. On her bad days she can’t remember anyone. There are also days in the middle where she remem bers selective faces. She’s still the person she was, she still makes everyone laugh and she still mothers us all.” Some families also decide to try to remind the member affected by Alzheimer’s/dementia of their life every day.
Working out can help you heal By JAKE DAVIDSON
Yoga can be good for the body and the mind, good for your life and for your soul. If you’re feeling tired or stressed you should give it a try. A demonstration by Veronika Grafinger, a yoga instructor at the Cambridge YMCA, was held on Jan. 7 at the Cambridge Library, in the foyer. “This is the time of year when we’re taking a look at our bodies and maybe making some changes but wanting to take a look at our mind as well,” said Karen MurrayHopf, the future cultural pro grams and special events plan ner for the Cambridge Library, when asked why the library was holding the demonstra tion. ‘The YMCA is not only an amazing place to work on your body but to work on your mind as well and we want peo ple to be aware of that.” Yoga unites the mind, the body and the spirit. Instructors believe that if the mind and body are united and that given the right tools and taken to the right environ ment, the body can find har mony and heal itself. Yoga is a science that has been prac tised for thousands of years and originated in India. It consists of ancient theories, observations and principles about the mind and body con nection which is now being proven by modern medicine. There is research being con ducted into the overall health benefits of yoga. Those who
participate find it helps them relax even when under stress, it decreases their cho lesterol, lowers their blood pressure, makes them more flexible and helps them feel
more fit. “It’s just good for everyone and anything,” said Grafinger. For more information con tact your local YMCA.
PHOTO BY JAKE DAVIDSON
Veronika Grafinger, a yoga instructor at the YMCA, does som e stretches at a yoga demonstration held at the Cambridge Library on Jan. 7.
“We put a collage in her room of every family member, so whenever someone comes over they can point to their picture to let her connect a face to a name if she can’t remember,” Rees said. According to the Alzheimer’s Association of Canada, form ing routines is a good way to help someone know what to expect. Someone with Alzheimer’s should be given some sort of consistency. For starters, it’s good to keep cer tain events at the same times every day, such as when they wake up and when family vis its, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. January is Alzheimer’s awareness month which reminds the public that it is important to know exactly what Alzheimer’s is, despite all the myths, so that we are able to help those in our lives who may have to deal with the disease. To gain more awareness about Alzheimer’s, go to www.alzheimer.ca.
M YTHS AND TR U TH S Myth: Because someone in my family has Alzheimer’s dis ease, I’m going to get it. Tr uth: Only a small percent age (five to seven per cent) of people will develop Alzheimer’s due to genes. M yth: Only old people get Alzheimer’s. Tr uth: Age creates a much higher risk of developing the disease, but even people in their 40s have been diagnosed. M yth: There’s a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Tr uth: There is no cure yet. M yth: You can prevent Alzheimer’s. Tr uth: You cannot prevent it; you can only lower your risk by making certain lifestyle choices. M yth: All people with Alzheimer’s disease become violent and aggressive. Tr uth: Everyone is affected differently. Myth: Alzheimer’s isn’t a fatal disease. Tr uth: Actually it is fatal.
Page 8 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012
Monday, January 16,2012
SPOKE ♦Page 9
NEWS
Page 10 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012
It’s N ational N on-sm oking W eek By JEFF BOMBEN
“The best way to stop smoking is to just stop — no ifs, ands or butts,” says author Edith Zittler. This week, the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control (CCTC) is celebrating National Non-Smoking Week with the theme being, “Breaking up is hard to do.” The CCTC was founded in 1974 by non-governmental organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Bartek Kubat, an 18-year-old stu dent at the St. Louis Adult Learning Centre and Continuing Educational Centre, was a smoker for over two years but decided to try quitting after a scary hospital experience. Kubat had asthma for a while but never had to use his puffer until one week when he had not one but three asthma attacks. After the attacks, Kubat knew it was time for a change, so he cut down on his smoking and is on the right path to quitting. Kubat is in full support of National Non-Smoking Week. “This week is good to have because smoking is just bad in general. It does kill and maybe this week will let people have more knowledge of the risks involved with smoking,” Kubat said. Second-year architecture-construc tion engineering technology student, Patrick Bronicki, lost his grandfather
to lung cancer before he was even born. His grandfather was only 50 years old when he died and he smoked a pack a day while he was still living. On top of smoking, Bronicki’s grandfather didn’t live a very healthy life. He drank a lot of coffee and wasn’t sticking to a healthy diet. The cause of his grandfather’s death made Bronicki rethink his decision to smoke. He has cut down on his smok ing and is ready to move forward in his life. But, like most smokers, it hasn’t been easy for Bronicki. When he turned 19 in late March, he started smoking more frequently. But he quickly got back on the right track. “My best advice to people struggling with quitting smoking is to stay active, eat healthy and try your best to stay away from even second-hand smoke,” Bronicki said. According to the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS), 17 per cent of Canadians who are 15 years or older were smokers in 2010. That number dropped only two per cent over the past five years. According to the survey, men are more likely to smoke than women. According to CTUMS, the number of smokers in Canada has decreased over the past 10 years. The most recent survey compared the smoking population from 1999 to 2009. Over the 10-year span, almost two-million people stopped smoking.
PHOTOS BY JEFF BOMBEN
Bartek Kubat, a student at the St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Centre, takes a puff of a cigarette in Kitchener on Jan. 7.
Conestoga student Patrick Bronicki stops to sm oke while walking to the park in Kitchener on Jan. 7.
However, almost five million people in Canada still smoke, including four
million who are smoking on a daily basis.
It’s a life: in or out of the womb The overwhelming grief that comes with the loss of a life often feels unbearable. But when the death could have been prevented is when it truly becomes a tragedy. The majority of ethical debates have a grey area, but for me, abortion is black and white. About 100,000 abor tions happen in Canada every year according to the Abortion in Canada website. That’s 100,000 innocent lives intentionally being snatched and destroyed yearly, and that’s only in our country. Luisa D’Amato wrote an article in the Waterloo Region Record on Dec. 23 about Kitchener Centre MP Stephen Woodworth and his desire for Parliament to have a discussion on the human rights of the unborn child. Woodworth said existing law does not consider a child to be a person until he or she has made it fully out of the mother and into the world, and until then, there is no protection for the child under the Criminal Code. D’Amato’s article sparked
Jessica Martin
Opinion interest among readers and flooded The Record’s web page with comments and debates on the ethical dilem mas surrounding the issue. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing to debate. Eighteen days after concep tion the baby has a heart beat. Six weeks following the conception, brain waves can be measured. Eight weeks after conception, the baby’s stomach, liver and kidneys are functioning and finger prints have formed. Nine weeks into a pregnancy, the baby can feel pain. According to Abortion in Canada, the latest results showed 90 per cent of all abortions reported in Canada in 2004 happened between six and 14 weeks of the preg nancy.
It’s not just a bundle of cells that you’re killing. It’s the beginning of a human life that you’re ending. The argu ment is often made that in cases of rape, abortion is completely understandable. It’s a sensitive issue and it’s not that I don’t have sympa thy for the victims, but is the baby not also a victim? Is tak ing the hope away from the unborn child logical and fair? Adoption agencies are always an option, and there are always loving people who can’t have kids looking for a child to raise, nurture and love like their own. As far as I’m concerned, Woodworth brings up a good point. “Now that science has, to put it mildly, improved, we might be able to do better for that unborn child than apply the crude distinction of granting it human status only once it is outside the mother,” he told D’Amato. Woodworth is right and the distinction should be dis missed: a life is a life, in or out of the womb.
Monday, Januaty 16,2012
ENTERTAINMENT
Listening to Bon Iver does not make you a hipster
SPOKE ♦Page 11
AINT NO REST for the committed
Vanda Dobritoiu
Opinion PHOTO BY REYHAN ENVER
According to Urban Dictionary, hipsters are a sub culture of men and women typically in their 20s and 30s who value independent think ing, counter-culture, progres sive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativi ty, intelligence and witty ban ter. Now, if you listen to one song by Bon Iver, Two Door Cinema Club, Vampire Weekend or any other of these bands, you are not a hipster. I often hear people saying things such as “Oh my god, I’m such a hipster,” after hearing one song by Bon Iver, in most cases their most popu lar. What is this obsession with being a “hipster?” Also, if you purchase cloth ing from H&M or Forever21, you’re not a hipster, as most genuine hipsters buy their clothes at discount shops or the Salvation Army. The hipster phase was always around, but it grew stronger a few years ago. Fringy clothing, upside down crosses, cats, plastic sun glasses, combat boots and indie music are only a few of the characteristics that align with the new trendy term. The “hipster” trend brings forth good fashion, and inspires people to swallow life in big gulps. Most of the hip sters I’ve met have a great passion for life, art and music, which is incredibly refreshing from where I’m standing. What annoys me, and this comes with every trend, are the wannabes. The ones who have heard 25 seconds of a Bon Iver song and walk around wearing mismatched clothing and proclaiming they are “hipsters.” Or, better yet, the ones who wear the fake 3D glasses with the lenses popped out. I’ve always respected origi nality in a person, and while it’s good to fit in with a crowd, do it for the right reasons and make sure you and your crowd share the same values.
Ben Hovinga, a first-year culinary skills - chef training student at the W aterloo cam pus of Conestoga College, looks over one of his textbooks in preparation for the second semester.
Page 12 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012
FEATURE
Monday, January 16,2012
By ELISSA PEN HOED
Another day, another dump ster. He roars into driveways in his enormous green Mack truck, lifting garbage contain ers lid over bottom with two metal prongs and turning the fallen garbage into mashed potatoes with a hydraulic packing blade inside the vehi cle. If you happen to look at the driver’s side door, you’ll know who it is. “Manny,” it reads. That’s Manny Cavaco, to be exact. Like many in the waste industry, he started out in a completely different field, hotel management, with a degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. Now he collects solid waste from apartment, retail, industrial, church and even the occasional private home or farm dumpsters for a living and says he’s content. Dressed in a reflective neon-yellow hoodie and green work pants, Cavaco, up and at ’em since 3 a.m., is still fighting yawns in the early winter morning at the Waterloo Waste Management headquarters at 5:30, the time his workday begins. An immigrant to Canada at 12 years old, he still has a trace of a Portuguese accent. He’s a joker and a teaser with both his co-workers and customers and will laugh loudly many times throughout the day. The moon, an orange sliver, still hangs in the black sky as he heads down the highway toward Cambridge, his first stop of the morning. Not a cold weather person, he blasts the heat. As he drives, he explains why he quit the hotel busi ness: too many customers were picky and complained. “People with the most money,” he adds, “complain the most.” At least one good thing came out of it: it was in the hotel business where he first met his wife.
A friend led him to a job at Waste Management, where he’s now a 20-year veteran. He started at the bottom, collect ing blue box recycling, then garbage, then driving residen tial waste trucks. His latest role, collecting dumpster waste in a front-loader, is the secondlast rung in the career ladder, but Cavaco, who enjoys the simple life, says he isn’t inter ested in advancing to an office position and being “stuck behind a desk” all day - not to mention dealing with the office politics and administrative headaches. “Aw, forget about it!” he says good-naturedly, flipping his hand dismissively. After picking up a load of junked wood pallets and tak ing them to a recycler, it’s off to Guelph for the rest of the day. It’s a bumpy ride in his garbage galleon, and Cavaco likes to drive fast. The heavy truck bounces and rattles vio lently over every manhole, pothole and crack in the road along today’s route.
As long as there’s people on this planet, there’s going to be garbage. - Manny Cavaco
Cavaco checks his stops off on a clipboard as he goes. Some containers are less than half-full; others are overflowing. Cavaco never knows exactly what he can expect to find at the end of each driveway. The biggest scare he remembers having was when a man jumped up from inside a dumpster he was about to lift. He’d been sleeping in it. A joystick to the right of the steering wheel controls the lifting arm. As the contents fall from a dumpster, the
truck shakes; it feels like a minor earthquake. The odour, surprisingly, is minimal to none. Around nine, after an unloading at the Guelph transfer station, Cavaco starts thinking about coffee. “Tim Hortons, here we come!” As he finishes the last of his large double-double, Cavaco admits that not all days go this smooth. One icy winter day, his truck was halfway up the hilly driveway of a farm when it started sliding back down. And then there are the quirky customers he occasion ally deals with - such as the client who warned him not to turn around in his parking lot because the truck’s tires left marks on the asphalt. Today while he empties a dumpster in a narrow apart ment driveway, a car approaches from the other direction with barely enough room to scrape by. “He’ll find a way,” Cavaco says. And it does. Barely. Seconds later, a taxi approaches and squeezes by as well, scraping the curb as it does. “People,” Cavaco says, shaking his head. He empties each dumpster with a calm, practised profes sionalism, but is quick to admit that he’s made some mistakes in the past - like the time he accidentally dropped a dumpster itself into the truck, and had little choice but to compact it with the rest of the garbage. Nearing the end of the day, a sports car speeds past Cavaco’s truck and for no clear reason, its driver flips him off. “He’s not a very nice guy, is he?” Cavaco pouts, not losing his humour.
SPOKE ♦Page 13
At Cambridge Pallet, the unofficial last stop of the day, a forklift driver stops by the truck to say hello and Cavaco hops out to have a quick chat. “Why does everyone want to talk to me?” he jokes when he returns to the cab. I ' m just the garbage man!” (He also goes by the title “environmen tal engineer”). The day ends around 5:30 p.m., 12 hours later. Cavaco, visibly tired after one of his longer days, works 10 to 12 hours Monday to Friday, as well as the occasional week end. “There's good money in
garbage,” he says. “And as long as there’s people on this plan et, there’s going to be garbage.” His twin boys, 23, have already begun filling his steel-toed boots: one collects residential garbage and the other drives a bulldozer, both for Waste Management. When asked when he will be ready to retire, Cavaco laughs and said, “This job is like retirement!” “Ah, it’s a job,” he says, of the profession he describes as sitting on his bottom all day and drinking coffee. “I love my job.”
Manny Cavaco poses with his truck at the end of the workday. O nly six years old, the truck is showing wear and will soon be sold to a competitor as a backup vehicle.
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 14 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012
Celebrating entertainment’s best Top Five Countdown- 2011’s best movies, TV shows and albums Top Five Movies
Top Five Albums
5. X-Men: First Class In fifth place is X-Men: First Class. This film introduces us to many new characters and has bril liant acting and storytelling. The X-men series has been in need of a revamp since the disastrous Origins flick. Now with a set of characters already established, it seems to me like a new set of X-men films will be in the works. And that has me excited for future films. 4. Moneyball This is essentially the David vs. Goliath of sports movies. You have the $39-million payroll of the Oakland Athletics vs. the almost $ 150-million budget of the New York Yankees. Brad Pitt stars as the confident Billy Beane, the Athletics manager who is forced to work with the small budget. It is the story of how believing in something may be all you need to make it work. 3. The Help Emma Stone is the new Hollywood it girl. The Help and Stones’ captivating performance fall in at number 3. Stone gives her character of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan a voice, and reminds everyone how powerful one person’s voice can be. The Help has a darling cast and is well-written. 2. The Rum Diary The Rum Diary falls just short of number 1. Johnny Depp stars in this adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s novel of the same name. With the film set in sunny Puerto Rico, the antics of Paul Kemp are a fun throwback to the laid-back atmosphere of the ’60s. Depp and his cast mates perfectly portray these well-designed characters. Amber Heard is very appealing in her role as Chenault; her beauty instantly captivates Kemp and their connection is established. Their forbidden romance blossoms throughout the film. 1. 50/50 In a year that was filled with blockbusters such as Harry Potter and X-Men it was a small comedy that caught my attention. 50/50 gets the number 1 spot for its ability to make me laugh and almost cry all with in the same movie. Joseph Gordon-Levitt perfectly balances an upbeat Adam with an emotionally tom apart Adam. He provides just enough A-List appeal and buddy-like personality to make this work.
INTERNET PHOTO
Kenneth Belliveau
Opinion
Top Five TV Shows 5. Criminal Minds Season six was marred with exits that made little sense. Two cast regulars left and fans were in an uproar. This season both Paget Brewster and A.J Cook have returned. With them back Criminal Minds has also returned to form going back to the reason they were successful in the first place, origi nal and compelling storylines. There is a dynamic amongst the cast that was not captured during sea son six. 4. Two and a Half Men With Charlie Sheen out and Ashton Kutcher in, this show drew a lot of attention from people. The premiere had 28 million viewers, the highest rat ings yet for the show. It was a good, refreshing pace for a show that had grown stale over eight seasons. With Charlie in the lead it seemed like it was always the same storyline. With a new character it has been exciting to see his relationships develop with all of the old characters.
5. Hope and Ruin by The Trews Nova Scotian rockers The Trews came back with a slower and smoother album. The melodies are slower but the love of music is still apparent. A solid turnaround after their acoustic album Friends and Total Strangers. As the band gets older their music reflects their thoughts on life, love and friendships. 4. I’m with You by Red Hot Chili Peppers Nothing was more rewarding than hearing a new Chili Peppers song. Despite the fact longtime gui tarist John Frusciante had left the band the Chili Peppers were able to find a new sound with Josh Kloffhinger. It may not be their best album of all time but it is still a well-written and well-paced album. 3. Going Out in Style by The Dropkick Murphys This is a concept album telling the trials and tribulations of the band through a fictional char acter. It is their seventh studio album. Adding the concept has kept the album fresh and worth a lis ten. 2. Take Care by Drake Drake continues to rap about fame and fortune and how it has changed his life, except this time around it is a slower, more emotional approach to what fame has brought him. The emotion on the song is well done because of Drake’s actor roots. The album proves how versatile Drake can be as an artist.
3. Community Simply one of the best shows on TV. Community always keeps the humour relevant. Danny Pudi continues to be the standout as Abed, while John Goodman was a stellar addition to an already amazing cast. The only sad thing is Community has been put on hiatus until further notice, which could be the first step to its impending cancella tion. 2. Breaking Bad Just when you think Breaking Bad has done it all it comes back with an even more explosive conclu sion. Season four ended with Walter White finally going insane because of his lifestyle. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul should once again be front runners come Emmy nomination time. Cranston has won for the previous three seasons of Breaking Bad and season four probably won’t be any different.
INTERNET PHOTO
1. The Walking Dead Ten months was a long wait for season two, but immediately it started with a bang. Shattering basic cable records worldwide season two of The Walking Dead has been much slower than the first, allowing time to explore the characters. No ending scene was better than the one in episode seven, entitled Pretty Much Dead Already. The search for a missing Sophia has been concluded, and the only way you can understand the emotional impact it had is to watch the show.
1. Camp by Childish Gambino Rapping under the pseudonym, Childish Gambino, actor/writer Donald Glover proves he is more than just a one note star. His album Camp focuses on his growing up and his views on cur rent society. Like many rappers Glover talks about struggles growing up; unlike many rappers it is about how his family struggled to improve themselves while giving their children everything they could. Camp is honest and real from start to finish.
ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, January 16,2012
SPOKE ♦ Page 15
He Is Legend back in the studio By RACHEL HENRY
Look out metal heads, rock and roll underground’s He Is Legend is ready to head back to the studio. After the 2009 release It Hates You, amidst swirling Internet rumours of problems with their label, Tooth and Nail Records, North Carolina’s He Is Legend took a musical sabbatical. “To be honest, we never exactly broke up,” said Matt Williamson, He Is Legend’s bassist. “We just didn’t book any tours and weren’t ready to do a new album. We also didn’t dispute any rumours on the Internet that stated we were broken up’ or ‘on hiatus.’ We never made a public deci sion on any of that. We just took a much-needed break.” The band is presently unsigned, and for the time being, plans to stay that way as they work out the process of recording their next album. “The game plan is simply to write and record a new album. Personally, I would love to stay unsigned,” Williamson said. “If there is any way for us to record and
put out this record ourselves. ... Release the record online (or) something similar, then that would be something that interests me over trying to get signed to a label, so they can fund our record and put it out, and I’ll owe them thou sands of dollars for the next 10 years of my life.” Putting out an album and touring is a costly endeavour and without a label to finance them can present a challenge, but He Is Legend remains undaunted. “That’s not really on my mind right now,” Williamson said. “Shows in the local and regional area, sure, but as far as going out on a two-month long tour, that’s not in my main focus just yet. Making this record is what we are going to focus all of our ener gy on.” “We haven’t collectively writ ten any full songs together yet. But we are just working out how we’re going to do this. How are we going to record? How are we going to put it out? The easy part is writing the music. We’re good at doing that together, but figuring out everything on our own is going
INTERNET PHOTO
North Carolina’s He Is Legend has announced an end to their musical sabbatical and will return to the studio to record a new album.
to take some time.” Lead vocalist Schuylar Croom echoed the sentiment of timeliness. “We are taking our time working out a game plan on doing this record ourselves,” he said. “(We’re) so over
whelmed at the amount of interest from y’all!” Though quiet on the touring front, gears have slowly been turning behind the scenes for He Is Legend. “We played a show in December 2010 and one in
October 2011. So I mean, we didn’t disband or break up. We were simply occupying ourselves with other things until we felt it was the right time to do something again,” Williamson said. “This feels like the right time.”
Get ready for big blockbusters The new year is here and we are all celebrating. There are positive expectations and there are negative ones. Apparently the world is going to end but that seems to be the case every year. While we wait for doomsday, we can sit down and watch some movies. Films entertain us, educate us, and even inspire us with stories we can relate to. 2011 had many releases that peo ple were waiting for such as Captain America, Transformers, Thor, Pirates of the Caribbean and the final Harry Potter. This year brings more eagerly antici pated movies we really want to see. The Dark Knight Rises by director Christopher Nolan is one of them. Its predecessor The Dark Knight, was an amazing movie and even won AFI Movie of the Year in the United States. Heath Ledger was my favourite as the Joker and won an Oscar posthumously at the Academy Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. The Dark Knight Rises is set eight years after the events of the previous movie, and features the villain Bain as he forces Batman to come out while he terrorizes Gotham City. The movie comes out in July.
Mariana C. Morales
Opinion “Keep it secret, keep it safe.” Lord of the Rings fans would know Gandalf said those words. The trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey went viral in December and thrilled many followers everywhere. I am excited about this movie. It follows Bilbo Baggins on his jour neys to the Lonely Mountain and features characters famous to the series. However, we have a long wait for this one, unfortu nately. It comes out in December this year —if we are still alive that is. From the Marvel universe, the long awaited Avengers also releases this year in May. I’m curious to see how this movie will play out since it has so many popular actors and characters in it, including Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Chris Evans as Captain America. It is a league of superheroes taking
INTERNET PHOTO
Anne Hathaway joins Christian Bale as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises.
on the villains. I hope they don’t disappoint us. I loved how each movie tied into the other in the Marvel universe. This is one movie you don’t want to miss. There are so many other movies releasing this year that I could fill this entire page. Other notables include The Amazing Spider-Man and Skyfall (the next James Bond). Whatever you choose to watch, it should be worth your time. You’ll be enter tained and inspired and taken to worlds where any thing is possible.
Page 16 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 16,2012