Going back In tim e General store celebrates 150 years. Page 9 Monday, January 23, 2012
Cambridge
S P O K E A LEARNING NEWSROOM FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS
Conestoga College, Ktichener, ONT.
BELLY DANCE YOUR WAY to good health
www.spokeonline.com
If you’re a college or undergradu ate university student, you could be eligible to receive 30 per cent back in tuition grants, thanks to a new initiative by the Ontario govern ment. The new program was devel oped to make education more acces sible and affordable for Ontario families. Students must meet four simple requirements to be eligible. They are: Be a full-time student at a col lege or university in Ontario, have been out of high school for less than four years, be in a program that you can apply for directly out of high school and your parents’ gross income must be $160,000 or less. “I’ll probably keep the money in the bank so that I can use it later to pay off more OSAP,” said Michelle Hannan, a first-year human servic es foundation student at Conestoga. Students who are already receiv ing OSAP do not need to fill out an application, they will be assessed automatically. The grant will then be deposited directly into their account or mailed to their schoolyear address. “There are some loopholes when some students won’t be able to receive the grant, such as academ ic probation, but the majority of students will,” said Laura Black, an employee at Conestoga’s Financial Aid Office. Mature students are not eligible. Students who do not receive
Career workshop is free By KENNETH BELLIVEAU
If you are struggling with your program choice and need some advice on what you could do to improve your situ ation, an upcoming career directions workshop may be for you. Conestoga College is hold ing the three-part workshop to help students who are graduating or struggling with their career choice fig ure out what the next step will be. Career adviser Karen Shoemaker said the main rea son for the workshop is to help students with their main goals.
“We are helping students clarify their career goals and help them decide whether they are in the right program for their overall goals.” Shoemaker said students must apply online and then they will be given the room number. “We didn’t put the room number on the advertising because we want students to register online.” One of the biggest positives is that the workshop offered at Conestoga is free whereas many other universities and colleges have students pay for the workshop. “We are doing something called the Strong Interest
Take a trip back t the ’50s at this retro-style store. Page 13 44th year - NO. 3
Apply for your tuition grant B y T O R IE R O T H
PHOTO BY RACHEL HENRY Belly dancing instructor, A m a n d a Elgie-Boettger, de m on stra tes the dance at Dow n H ips D ance S tu d io in Kitchener. For sto ry and m o re photos, see Page 5.
Nostalgia
Assessment. Most colleges and universities charge a fee for the test. The test takes your interests and relates them to possible career choic es.” Students who want to regis ter must attend part one before they can attend part two. “This workshop is not about resume building. It is about validating and clarifying that students have taken the right program for their ultimate career goal.” The first part of the threepart workshop will begin on Jan. 30. It will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
OSAP could still be eligible if they meet the above criteria, however, an application is required. “I’ve already applied for it,” said Chris Bennedetti, a first-year architecture construction engineer ing technology student. “I’m going to use the money for books and gro ceries or just to add to my savings.” These students must first obtain their own Social Insurance Number as well as their parents’ SIN num bers and the information from Line 150 of their parents’ 2010 Canadian Income Tax Returns. Then they can proceed with the application, which requires going online to www.ontario.ca/30off and registering for an OSAP Access Number, then filling out and sub mitting the online application. After students have submitted the application, they must print out the signature pages — one is to be signed by the student and the other by the parents. Lastly, the pages must be mailed or faxed to the Student Financial Assistance Branch. Students will receive $800 if they are in degree programs and $365 if they are in diploma pro grams. Next year, as tuition increases, students will receive $1,600 for degree programs and $730 for diploma programs. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2012. For more information, call the Tuition Grant Hotline at 1-888-449-4478.
NEW S
Page 2 ♦SPOKE
Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
If yo u could p a rty w ith a n y celebrity, w h o w o u ld it be?
“Jackie C h a n ... It’s not the actor. It’s a Chinese artist.”
Victoria Trinh, first-year gas health operations
“Kenny C hesney... I really like his music and he’s good looking too.”
Jessica DeVries, first-year interior design
Monday, January 23,2012
Building Bridges to friendship By BRADLEY ZORGDRAGER
For many, the main allure of college is meeting new peo ple, partying and trying to forget about school on week ends. But for some, the social aspect seems like more of a chore than the school work. Conestoga College Disability Services offers the Bridges program to help those who are feeling socially isolated. The program pairs a mentor with a student who is socially challenged and they meet once a week to talk, play cards or do other things together. “It’s a very difficult thing to learn - asking for help,” said Stephanie Den Haan, Bridges volunteer co-ordinator and a third-year health informatics student. But those who do can bene fit from a sense of belonging and structure, as well as a friend to look forward to spending time with each week. And as the students come
out of their shell, they can ask to spend more time together, or talk about things they wouldn’t have previously have been comfortable revealing. However, the benefits also extend to the mentors. “It’s important to point out that we get just as much out of the relationship and con nection as do the students that we’re matched up with,” said Den Haan. “It’s a time for us to not concentrate on ourselves, but to actually be able to work with another student. I know for myself, that I get more out of it than I ever thought I would.” Another mentor, Derek MacKay, and Amy Baird, resource co-ordinator for Disability Services, nodded and echoed the sentiment. In addition to the personal connection, the mentors receive training in disability awareness for disabilities such as mental health, learn ing, mobility, sight, hearing and Asperger’s syndrome. While the training helps them in their interactions
CAFETERIA FOOD
with the diverse students they are paired with, the ben efits reach even further. A mentor, who has helped teach younger students, was able to help parents discover their child’s disability. Through information learned in Bridges, the mentor - who asked to remain anonymous out of respect for the child’s privacy noticed some unorthodox social behaviours, which he brought to the attention of the parents. The parents were previously unaware and were able to get a diagnosis of the disability. Consequently, the mentor was able to give the parents and other teachers of the child information they need ed. Baird recruits new mentors in September. Those interested in being a mentee must be registered with Disability Services and speak to a counsellor. They will guide you through the process and there is a chance you will get in this semester, if not next school year.
g ets tw o th u m b s up
“Brad Paisley. I love country music.”
Lindsay Grey, first-year personal support worker
“Robert Downey Jr. for sure!”
Ken Krieck, first-year, personal support worker
“Definitely the Expendables’ cast so I could be in an action movie too.”
Dustin Karpinski, first-year police foundations
“Snoop D o g g ... I’m sure he knows how to party.”
Matthew Chominic, first-year electronics engineering technology Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
PHOTO BY VANDA DOBRITOIU
Nick Brodhagen (left to right), Brittany Stairs and Sarah Mihaly are impressed with the cafeteria food at Conestoga College.
HEALTH
Monday, January 23,2012
SPOKE* Page 3
Nature’s pick-me-up By KAREN HAYNES
The annoying buzzer on your alarm clock sounds and in a groggy state you repeat edly hit snooze until you can no longer remain under your warm, comfy covers. Many Conestoga students can relate to this regular, early morning occurrence and can attest to their ensuing sluggish pace on a day-to-day basis. And yet boosting low energy levels is as simple as chang ing some basic eating habits, said Peggy Kotsopoulos, a registered holistic nutrition ist and health educator, dur ing a food demonstration at Fiddleheads in Kitchener on Jan. 9. “If your body functions more efficiently internally, you’re going to have more energy externally,” Kotsopoulos said. Increasing a variety of minerals and nutrients,
including iron, vitamin C, water and chlorophyll, in your diet can drastically increase your energy levels, she explained during the demonstration.
If your body functions more efficiently internally, you’re going to have more energy externally. - Peggy Kotsopoulos
As it helps in the movement of oxygen throughout your body, iron is a staple mineral our bodies need. Those who struggle from iron deficiency or those who do not incorpo rate enough iron into their diet consequently face fatigue, according to a Hamilton Health Sciences’
It’s potty time As I was using a women’s washroom at the college the other day, I thought to myself, “If my journalism career doesn’t work out, I could always take my writing skills to the washroom.” I was completely inspired by the words “I love S.T. so much. Forever and ever babe.” Not. Really ladies? We’re not in public school anymore. Is it not enough that you have Facebook and Twitter to declare your love to your sig nificant other? Is it really necessary to defame the stalls in public washrooms? While I’m relieving myself I don’t care about your rela tionship status or what inspi rational quote you heard that day. Actually, I probably wouldn’t care even if I wasn’t sitting on the throne. And that’s just the begin ning. Many women have become experts at hovering over the toilet seats rather than sit ting on them while they pee. My mother is one of them and has mastered the tech nique without, dribbling. However, if you are not my mother and you accidentally dribble, please wipe it off. If I walk into a stall and see any kind of liquid or object on or around the toilet seat, I will not sit on it and I will not wipe it off. My next point is a fairly simple concept but it seems as though some college stu
Alexandria Deer
Opinion
dents haven’t learned it yet. After you use the toilet, flush it. I’m sure everyone learned how to do it when they were potty trained. Bye-bye pee! Also, please do not stick your used feminine products to the walls, the side of the toilet or throw them on the floor. Feminine napkin dispos al units were screwed into the walls for a reason. Use them. I have also noticed that many women choose to boy cott the sinks on their way out of the washroom. That’s just disgusting. How can you avoid the sinks? They’re the first thing you see when you walk out of the stall. The reason for the boy cotting may be because there is almost always water all over the countertop. Where does all the water come from? Now I’m not bashing the cleaning staff. I see them in and around the washrooms all the time and they certain ly do their best to keep things clean, but whoever was play ing in the sink is making it pretty hard for them. Ladies of Conestoga, while you were being kind to your behind, I think you’ve forgot ten a few rules of washroom etiquette. Brush up on them because we all need to use the washroom at some point.
report from 2006 (www.ham iltonhealthsciences.ca). “Eat iron-rich foods coupled with vitamin C. The vitamin C will actually help to increase your body’s absorption of the iron,” Kotsopoulos said. She suggested you pair a breakfast of oatmeal, an iron-rich food, with fresh strawberries or blackcur rants. Both fruits have more vitamin C than oranges, she said. In addition, drinking more water will help curb low ener gy levels. “The number 1 cause of fatigue is dehydration. We should be drinking half our body weight, in pounds, in ounces.” By this calculation a 120pound individual should drink 60 ounces or roughly eight glasses of water each day, she explained. “If you weigh more, drink
more. If you are active, drink more to replenish your body’s water supply.” Kotsopoulos suggested drinking coconut water as a naturally flavoured water alternative. It is high in elec trolytes, including calcium, potassium and magnesium, and is far healthier than other flavoured water options such as Crystal Light, she said. Also, eating foods with high chlorophyll content will help boost your low energy levels. For those needing a mental jog back to high school sci ence, chlorophyll is the green pigment found in most plants. It provides light absorption to provide energy. When we eat chlorophyllrich foods, commonly termed “greens,” we increase our red blood cells and help in the movement of oxygen through out our bodies, similar to iron’s effect.
During the demonstration Kotsopoulos outlined a list of greens that increase in value based on their nutrient densi ty and chlorophyll levels. The bottom tier of her hier archy consists of dark leafy greens: kale, spinach, mus tard, etc. Second are spouts: sunflower, pea, broccoli, etc. Third are sea veggies: kelp, wakame, arame, etc. Her fourth and highest tier consists of algae, including chlorella. Kotsopoulos looks at many ways food affects the body and mind in her book titled, Must Have Been Something I Ate. Included in her book are many recipes that bind together her message. “When you eat clean, it qui ets your stomach. When you have a quiet stomach you have a quiet mind, and when you have a quiet mind, you can listen to your heart. And your heart speaks the truth.”
Hang up your hangover By REYHAN ENVER
Most people who party would agree that hangovers are the biggest buzz kill when you want to have a night out drinking. At least that’s what researchers at Bytox University believe, which is why they’ve cre ated a patch to prevent hangovers. Bytox University is not a real school, it is simply what the company decided to call themselves, taking on a collegiate theme. The company called this patch Bytox, a hangover remedy. For those who want to enjoy a couple of drinks and still be ready to face the next day, you simply put the patch on a dry, hairless spot on your body, at least 45 minutes before you begin drinking, and keep it on for eight hours after your last drink. There’s no need to take care of the patch because it is water-proof, sweat-proof and dance-proof, according to the company web site, www.bytox.com. The patch continuously delivers nutri ents to your body up to 24 hours. It is meant to replenish everything that alcohol takes out of your system and is all natural as it is made from 12 different organic ingredients. The patches are available to order online and come in packs of five for $13.49, 10 for $24.99 and 50 for $124.99. The new remedy has gained a lot of atten tion both online and in the media, being fea tured on Fox News, in the New York Times and on many websites. The product already has 1,300 “likes” on its Facebook page. “It’s a good idea but it’s odd. I’d try it,” said Carla Perdomo, a first-year design founda
tions student at Conestoga College. “It could work but I’d have to try it before I would be fully convinced.” The doctors who helped create the patch, including Dr. Sam Zakhari have tested it, but also say that customers will have to take their word for it until they are able to try it themselves, according to an article in The Daily, a tablet newspaper (www.thedaily.com). Dr. Leonard Grossman, who also helped create the hangover remedy, tried the patch for himself. “We went out and had a few shots, all in the name of science. I’m well over my college days, and I really only drink wine with my wife. In a matter of one hour, I had six shots of vodka wearing the patch. I was pretty amazed because the next morning I was absolutely crystal clear,” Grossman was quoted as saying on the Miami New Times blog. “We’ve given out thousands of these patch es to friends and everyone raves about it.”
COMMENTARY
Page 4 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 23,2012
Tuition grant benefits m any By JAKE DAVIDSON
We all need to give a quick thank you to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty because, thanks to him, col lege and university students are going to have a little bit of extra cash to spend. Students have until March 31 to sign up for a grant worth 30 per cent of their tuition. Anyone already get ting OSAP will receive the grant as a cheque or direct deposit come Jan. 31. The grant will continue into the foreseeable future and will be 30 per cent of the current tuition of college and university students. If a student is not receiving OSAP then they’ll have to apply and provide the government with the following information: Their Social Insurance Number. Their parents’ Social Insurance Numbers. And the amount on Line 150 of their parents’ 2010 tax returns. Students not receiving OSAP can apply online at www.ontario.ca/30off. They also need to print out the declaration and signature pages that have to be signed by the student and their parents and mail them to the address listed at www.ontario.ca/30off. This grant will be extremely useful to students, espe cially those who plan to go onto careers where money can be rather scarce, or those who sign up for volunteer work to earn their work experience hours. With text book costs on the rise, the extra money will help buy the books that some students are having trouble obtain ing. Also the problem of getting something to eat with out asking a friend who works at a restaurant for left overs or having to purchase the ever cheap instant noo dles will be slightly less prevalent. People living with their parents will still be staying at home but now they’ll have extra cash to buy food and books that they couldn’t previously afford. The grant does have its drawbacks. The money has to come from somewhere. This is bound to stir up some con troversy, with some people saying the money could be better spent elsewhere. And the opposition could work to eliminate this grant to gain votes come election time. But from where we sit, it’s a great thing. Students can breathe a slight sigh of relief and go get some of the necessities with their extra spending money. Don’t forget to thank the Premier and the others who thought that students deserve a little help. 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 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. Address correspon dence to: The Editor, Spoke, 299 Doon Valley Dr., Room 1C30, Kitchener, Ont., N2G4M4
‘Shut your mouth, war is hell’ In recent days a video that went viral showing four United States Marines uri nating on dead Taliban sol diers has caused outrage all over the world. Apparently the video was taken last year in Afghanistan yet is only being seen now. Two of the Marines have been identified and it’ll only be a matter of time before the other two are as well. U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said she was in “utter dismay” at the con duct, according to a Jan. 12 article in the Washington Post. Apologies have been sent as well as talk of punishment for these soldiers. However, not everyone is enraged. Allen West, a Florida con gressman, said the four Marines should receive some form of punishment, which could include a reprimand or reduction in rank to loss of pay or extra duty. However, he also said the act wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened in the world, and lambasted critics, saying: “Unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
Mariana C. Morales
Opinion War is definitely hell. There have been many events throughout history where a soldier has commit ted inhumane actions against a dead person. It’s not videotaped all the time, but it does happen. Does this qualify as a war crime?
Unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell. - Allen West In an article posted in the Washington Post on Jan. 13, the reporter, Sebastian Junger, who several times a year spends time with a pla toon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, discussed how your mind changes when you’re in combat because of the things you see. Soldiers
would cheer seeing their enemy in pain. Although that sounds wrong, it can be also seen as this enemy could no longer take down an American soldier. They cheer that they are alive and that they are one step closer to going home. We don’t like to speak of it, but there are other times in history where the dead have been dishonoured such as the time Somalia militia dragged the body of a U.S. soldier after a Black Hawk helicop ter was shot down in 1993. Texas Governor Rick Perry found the video to be disturb ing but also thinks that call ing it a criminal act is going too far and that similar actions had been seen before. He said that General George S. Patton, a U.S. Army offi cer during the Second World War, urinated in the Rhine River during a march into Germany. Sensitivity training is need ed, but it won’t prevent simi lar conduct in the future. There’s always one rogue sol dier who takes things into his own hands. That is why the video is sad, but not surprising.
SPOKE IS
PUBLISHED
AND
Editor: Karen Haynes Assignment Editors: Bradley Zorgdrager and Jazlyn Slack
Advertising Managers: Alexandria Deer and Torie Roth
Spoke Online Editors: Tiffany Wilson, Brendan
PRODUCED
WEEKLY
BY T H E J O U R N A L I S M
Daley, Reyhan Enver, Devon Smith, Andrew Soulsby, Eric McKenzie, Jessica Martin, Sarah Shaw, Ken Belliveau and James Witczak Production Managers: Vanda Dobritoiu, Jake Davidson and Jeff Bomben Photo Editors: Ryan Horne, Mariana Morales,
STUDENTS
OF C O N E S T O G A
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, January 23,2012
FEATURE
SPOKE ♦Page 5
Shake what you’ve got and get down with belly dancing Build strength and self-esteem with fun moves BY RACHEL H ENR Y
u
Belly danc ing instructor Amanda ElgieBoettger demon strates the dance technique at Down Hips Dance Studio in Kitchener.
p
-
tempo, exotic music pulses through the speakers as brightly coloured coin belts jangle, tied loosely around the waists of a dozen women. Participants, ranging in age from their teens to their 50s, are scattered throughout the well-lit studio, clad in black yoga pants and Tshirts with bare feet resting on hardwood floors. They are gathered at Down Hips Dance Studio in Kitchener, attending the studio’s most popular class led by belly dancing instructor Amanda Elgie-Boettger. She cheerfully walks the beginners through the basic move ments and muscle isolations that characterize the dance. The women practise the smooth, flowing, complex and sensual movements of the torso, with alternating shaking and shimmying of the hips, shoulders and chest. “If you’re going to be wiggling your boobs in front of people you’ve got to be cute about it,” Elgie-Boettger calls out, making the dancers laugh. The origins of belly dancing, though unclear, can be traced to the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Africa. Paintings in Egyptian tombs and Persian paintings sug gest that belly dancing was part of their culture, dating back to 13th and 14th century BC. Though largely associated with harems, belly dancing for Saudi women was consid ered to be sacred and not intended to be seen by men at all. Since the turn of the century, belly dancing has grown enormous ly in popularity worldwide. Belly dance festivals, workshops, les sons and semi nars attract large audiences of both women and men. Mandy Habermehl,
owner and dance instructor at Down Hips, said though 99 per cent of her students are female, she does have the occasional male dancer. “We have a few male belly dancers in the area who are a lot of fun, one of whom is also a teacher,” Habermehl said. “This past session was our first time having a male stu dent in class, however, every one was very accepting. He even danced in the student recital and is coming back for another session.” Regardless of gender, age or dance experience, Habermehl said the hardest part for all new belly dancers is to have their bodies listen to them. Because belly dance utilizes isolations and muscle groups like no other dance style, everyone starts at ground level, she said. “A lot of the exchanges of weight and isolations are opposite the muscle memory we have built up over years,” Habermehl said. “It’s a lot of fun though, students laugh it off when they stare at a body part telling it to move and nothing happens — it takes time and practise. It’s defi nitely exciting when it hap pens.” From building core strength and flexibility, pro moting weight loss and social interaction, the dance has numerous benefits not only health-wise but for self esteem. Habermehl said she initial ly lost 45 pounds in less than two years as she began danc ing more, staying active and healthy while building strength. “For me it was the confi dence,” Habermehl said. “When I was larger, I was belly dancing and the group of women, the belly dance community and the pure passion for belly dance made me feel that no matter what I had to shake, that I could be graceful, beautiful and accepted. I was able to get on stage, and I even chose to bare my belly at the size it was, (and I was) proud of myself and my body. Belly dancing was the first time in my life I had accepted and come to love my body at the size it was. Everyone was, and is so incredibly support ive of one another, that I grew to love and accept myself. The weight loss happened on its own.”
PHOTOS BY RACHEL HENRY
Brightly coloured coin belts flash and jingle at Down Hips Dance Studio. The belts can be beneficial to beginners who are still learn ing the technique. Wearing a coin belt and listening to it jingle while executing a “hip drop” can indicate whether the dancer is doing it correctly. They also make beautiful accessories, providing a fun pop of colour.
STUDENT LIFE
Page 6 ♌SPOKE
HAPPENINGS
Monday, January 23,2012
IN A N D A R O U N D C O N E S TO G A
PHOTO BY REYHAN ENVER
Sheena Sonser, CSI service co-ordinator, pours syrup on students’ pancakes on Jan. 13, at a free pancake breakfast.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Teams of second-year robotic and automation students designed line-following robotic race cars and then competed against each other to see which designs followed the line the most precisely and were fast at the same time. The winning team consisted of members, above, from left, Zeyang Zhang, Scott Twynstra and Aaron Gee. CSI donated a prize of $1,000, to be given to the charity of their choice. The team chose the SickKids Foundation in Toronto as their recipient. Established in 1972, the foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children.
PHOTO BY RYAN HORNE
First-year CAD student, Santiago Diaz, plays Ping-Pong in the Conestoga College rec centre on Jan. 12.
Monday, January 23,2012
SPOKE ♦ Page 7
FEATURE
Page 8 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 23,2012
F a c t
B
o x :
Did you know: ■ Peter Bregg has been a m em ber of Photosensitive since 1990. ■ 1.5 million children under the age of five die each year as a result of diarrhea. ■ Forty per cent of Kenyans do not have access to clean water. One in 22 women in subSaharan Africa die while giving birth due to lack of sanitary
W
a
water.
t e r
|
■ A Canadian use 350 litres of water each day; many African families survive on 20 litres or less. Every year an estimated 443 million school days are lost worldwide because of water illness.
f o r L
■ Thirty-thousand litres of water is used to make a car.
i f e
How much do you waste when it come sto water ? tography. Pictures of WaterCan’s success projects When was the last time you could be seen throughout the had to get your water from a 40 pictures. “I didn't want to show peomurky roadside pond? An exhibit called ple 40 pictures of sad WaterCan’s Water for Life: moments and despair, I want An African Photo Exhibit, ed to show them that there is focused on East Africa’s water also hope in Africa as well,” sanitation crisis last week at | said Bregg. Kitchener City Hall. Bregg is an active member The exhibit featured photog of PhotoSensitive - a photo rapher Peter Bregg, who dis collective that uses photogra played 40 photographs of the phy to support charitable 3,500 he had taken while causes. sin erct touring the WaterCan project a fE A “Anything I can do to help others is a blessing in my eyes,” said Bregg. WaterCan is a Canadianbased organization that helps the poorest countries gain access to clean water. They do this by digging fresh water wells. The exhibition of their charitable work has been touring across Canada since 2009. ‘WaterCan basically asked me if I would go to East Africa to take pictures for them, and I graciously accepted. I love when I am able to help others out with my eh tfon v s-O work.” B y DREW LOGAN
world's ) .om ter(cn a w
population
does ' r-h w cestoln a not have k -b fv g cu ,1 4 h .Isd n 0 9 8 tely im rox p a
going to complain about my coffee being too cold,” said Erin Timmons, who was walking through the exhibit. “It’s definitely an eye-open er,” she said. WaterCan hopes that through the exhibition people will become concerned for the millions of people around the world who don’t have access to clean water at the turn of a tap.
Anything I can do to help others is a blessing in my eyes. - Peter Bregg
tact WaterCan toll-free at 1800-3 7 0 -5 6 5 8
PHOTO BY PETER BREGG W ater and san itation facilities are few, causing disease.
P H O T O BY P E T E R B R EG G A yo u n g boy ba thes in the R aviaia R iver in K enva.
“AND TO THINK I W AS G O IN G TO COM PLAIN AB O U T M Y C O F F E E ...”
Millions o f w om en spend hours each day walking to fetch water from distant rivers and streams. And this is why Bregg hopes that Canadians will be moti vated to get involved after seeing theS mexhibit. g sp lerv ocia l m g u b on B y th iserC v d a Canadians had it bad, but in Africa there is a world where people wash their feet and quench their thirst at the same time. "I just can't imagine a single Canadian who doesn't have access to clean water. Even The homeless here have access to fountains," she said.
For further information con-
PhotobyDrewLoganErinTim m onswalksthroughtheexhibitandtakesam om enttostudythepiecesintheW aterforLife:AndAfricanPhotoExhibitLocatedatKitchener'sCityHalllastweel.
Monday January 23,2012
FEATURE
SPOKE ♦ Page 9
S t r o llin g
T h e s e w a g on s, m a d e by th e D ave Martin Mennonites in Wallenstein, are not o n ly a p o p u la r item at th e g en era l store, but they a re also distributed throu g h H o m e H a rd w a re sto re s a nd sold acro ss Canada.
Located on th e c o m e r o f Line 8 6 a n d H ergg ott R o ad in W a lle n ste in , th e W a lle n ste in G e n e ra l S to re ha s had s te a d y b u sin e ss e ve r sin ce it w a s built in 1 § 6 1 as a hotel.
same name 20 minutes north west of Waterloo, is exactly how t’s not similar to most stores you would imagine an old-fash college students walk into. ioned general store to be. In fact, the pitchforks hang “From bulk food to farm boots, ing on the wall and homemade from wrenches to farm fences,” toboggans parked out front are is their motto, and rightfully so. just a few of the things that Groceries, hardware, books, make the store different from cleaning supplies, toys, dishes and more line the shelves in the modern shopping. Strolling through the front tiny store located at the only doors of the 150-year-old build intersection in the tiny town. Alice Martin, co-owner of the ing feels like taking a stroll back in time. The friendly eyes and store since 1990, joked around genuine smiles welcome you about renovations to the old immediately and fill you with a building. “I’m going to build out this sense of belonging. The chime rings as you step way and that way and to the inside and although you might sky. W ell be the metropolitan feel like you belong, you proba Wallenstein General Store,” she bly don’t look like you do. The said with a deep, hearty laugh. Mennonite workers move swift “But no, we can’t do that ly around the store, their floor- because it’s on a corner and the length dresses blowing gently property isn’t big enough. We’d behind them and hair tucked have to buy the next property and build another store and neatly up in bonnets. The Wallenstein General then we’d lose our old time Store, located in a town of the value. It would definitely By JESSICA MARTIN
/
Alice Martin (left) and Elsie Martin, co-owners of the Wallenstein General Store, proudly stand in front of the building that just passed its 150th anniversary.
into the p a st change and it wouldn’t be good.” The store was first built in 1861 for a cost of $600 and was exclusively used as a hotel. When Wallenstein saw increased activity in 1906 after the railway line from Guelph to Goderich was routed through the village, the hotel turned into a store and post office. The train was then able to bring in sup plies that were needed and offered a form of transportation other than horse and buggy. The store has had continual, steady business ever since then. Martin walks behind the count er and starts flipping through small pieces of paper, or what locals know as charge cards. “We have about 200-300 peo ple who pay by charge cards,” she said. “These are mainly local people who just pay their bill at the end of every two months.” The locals aren’t the only peo ple who come to the store. Martin said a lot of tourists pay
Marilyn Brubacher slices up smoked turkey for a customer. The store has a mini deli where many locals come to buy their meat.
a visit because it’s “not similar to any other in the area.” Most tourists come in the summer and fall, which is also when the peach season is in full bloom. Selling about 2,000 bushels of peaches each year, the cashiers never have a dull moment. “It gets busy around here but I love it. I love the variety of peo ple we serve, taking care of cus tomers and managing and ordering products,” she said. A mischievous twinkle comes to her eye as she laughs and adds, “and ordering the people around too.” Walking out of the store, the sweet smell of crisp country air mixed with the pungent odour of freshly spread manure delight your senses and combine with the aura of the 150-year-old building to complete your trip into the past. Snapping back to the present, your next stop is most likely Walmart or the mall.
An array of colours and different patterned material line the side wall.
PHOTOS BY JESSICA MARTIN
Page 10 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 23,2012
Monday, January 23,2012
ENTERTAINMENT
SPOKE ♦Page 11
INTERNET PHOTO
Waterloo singer/songwrlter Nate Hall has many plans for the coming year.
Local musician strikes the right chord By VANDA DOBRITOIU
Local artist, Nate Hall, has many plans up his sleeve for 2012. His new single will be released mid-February, and an EP will follow shortly after that. A tour is also in the planning stages. The 19-year-old’s love for music started five years ago when he was attending Xavier Rudd’s concert in Toronto. “I was amazed,” said Hall. “The next day I picked up my guitar and started learning how to play. I’ve been playing ever since.” The youngest of three chil dren, Hall decided to pursue his dreams right out of high school. “My family and friends were very supportive,” Hall said. In August 2011, Hall was named the Bell Media Emerging Artist of the Month for his first single, Keep Moving On, which gave him radio play across Canada. With over 100,000 viewers on his YouTube channel, Hall plays mostly pop music, but tries to pull from different genres as well, trying to cre ate a unique sound. This past December, Hall opened for Keshia Chante, a famous pop singer, at a Faze Magazine event. Hall plays mostly at Maxwell’s in Waterloo, but travels as far as Calgary and Ottawa to share his dream with others. When asked to describe Hall in three words, Zubin
Thakkar, his manager and producer, said “fresh, fierce and fun.” In addition to being involved with his music, Hall also takes part in community events. Recently he was involved with the Waterloo Region’s Police Services anti-drug campaign. His other song, called Things, was the theme song for the I Stop campaign put
together by Missing Children’s Society Canada. The singer enjoys working in studio, performing live with his friend Riley Donelson, and interacting with the audience. In the future he plans on continuing to make music and keep sharing it with people. “I regret nothing,” said Hall. “I learned a lot, and that’s the way to do it.”
INTERNET PHOTO
Hall opened for Keshia Chante at an event held by Faze Magazine last December.
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 12 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 23,2012
CJIQ reggae DJs win PEABO awards B y ERIC M CKENZIE
Two Conestoga radio deejays were recognized this past year for heating up the inter national reggae scene. DJ Vibe and Super V, deejays of two of CJIQ’s most hidden gems - Heat Radio and Vibes Radio - were given Caribbean Promoter Entertainer and Business Owner (PEABO) awards in November for contributions to local and worldwide radio programming. Linval Livermore, a.k.a. Super Vibes or Super V, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the second annual PEABO awards for his over 30 years of work developing reggae music in the tri-cities. Super V hosts the Vibes Radio show on CJIQ every Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m., which consists mostly of “oldschool” international and Canadian ska and reggae music,' comparable to Bob Marley or Peter Tosh. “I listen to Super V for underground reggae artists other stations won’t play and try never to miss a show,” said Vinderpaul Singh, a third-year documentary and videography student. DJ Vibe, a.k.a. Daryl Pooran, won a PEABO award as well for his influence in radio and leadership in the Caribbean community. When Super V’s relaxed music ends, DJ Vibe’s dancehall and reggaeton speeds up the beats on the Heat Radio show Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. Pooran has been hosting the Heat Radio show since 2007 and in that time has received numerous commendations from people and organiza tions, such as Universal
DJ Vibe hosts Heat Radio on 88.3 CJIQ Saturdays from 6 to 8 p.m. Music in Toronto, who active ly contacted the show. “They said ‘wow, we can’t believe the way you are repre senting,’ and they were floored,” said Pooran. Universal helped Heat
Radio and DJ Vibe connect with big names such as Keshia Chante and Lil’ John, who recorded personalized liners for their broadcasts. Through Heat DJ Vibe also got the chance to interview
ship for Heat Radio and DJ Vibe. Due to some highly sex ual and underground gang content Heat Radio has been at risk of being shut down in the past by higher-ups that deemed the show too racy for some listeners. “I thought a few times that they might yank it. There’s some stuff that’s pretty slack and pretty gully,” said Pooran. Although he understands that some parents may not approve of the lyrics, DJ Vibe and Heat Radio continue to play controversial songs to provide an alternative avenue to listeners. “This is a show that when I was a kid I would have killed for. That’s why we do the show the way it is,” said Pooran. Although the show has received worldwide acclaim, with listeners in Miami, Fla., Trinidad, Guyanna and New York City, exposure on a local level has been difficult, said Pooran. “It’s been a constant uphill battle trying to get promotion for a show of our calibre and to get publicized,” he said. Although, through the Internet, Heat Radio and Vibes Radio have reached a global audience many people in the tri-cities are still unaware of the shows, includ ing students at Conestoga College. “I’m a huge fan of reggae PHOTO SUBMITTED music and had no idea these popular radio stations exist ed in my city,” said Rachel a first-year Lady Saw, a popular Shedletsky, Jamaican artist who also early childhood education worked with Gwen Stephani student. For more information about on the song Rich Girls. Although there have been where DJ Vibe will be playing many good times, there has live, go to facebook.com always been a risk of censor /heatradio.djvibe.
Com ics entertain sparse crowd at C om edy N ooner B y ALYSHA MILLER
Going back to school after a month, during which some students hibernate, can be tough. By the middle of the first week of trudging through the cold to get to class, students were far from amused. To lighten things up a lit tle, a free 90-minute Comedy Nooner was held in the Doon campus Sanctuary on Jan. 11 by CSI. The event started with a full house as students ate lunch between classes, but emptied over time. Dillon Mandlsohn, a
Canadian comic who has appeared at comedy festivals from Boston to Seattle as well as at Just For Laughs Montreal, headlined the show. Joining him was Christina Walkinshaw and Alex Pavone from Toronto. Mandlsohn’s act included jokes about his car being stolen after he left it running in his driveway. “The cops don’t care. I called them, thought I accidentally called Bell.” He also talked about why students should avoid an education in the arts if they’re expecting to make money, making fun of him self for doing that and sug
gesting nursing or science as alternatives. “Nurses - they may say no, but they never say, ‘Ew.’” Pavone also talked about education. Before reminisc ing on how much he hated construction work, he shout ed, “Stay in school!” He also compared himself to Super Mario because of his mous tache, saying his mom called him a pedophile, and made fun of American security at sports events. Walkinshaw talked about performing at military bases in Korea, explaining that the people there love Canadians - which she loved too - until
she heard, “This is awesome, you’re from Canada! You can tell me what’s going on in hockey right now!” “I’m from Toronto, we don’t have playoffs here,” she replied. Though he was the main act, Mandlsohn performed to the smallest audience. “And you’re going to class.” “Oh, you have class? Too bad,” Mandlsohn joked with the students who had to leave his show. “I was assessing the audi ence earlier but it’s com pletely different, I can’t make fun of the firemen now,” he said as a group of
firefighting students left. Most of the people laughing along with the show had no idea it was taking place until they had taken their seats to eat their lunches. There were posters around the school to advertise the event, but these were mostly, if not entirely, overlooked. “Many students have accounts on Facebook and Twitter, both of which CSI also use,” said Nicci Price, a first-year graphic design stu dent. “I would have liked to have seen an advertisement there. I don’t usually have time to read all of the posters around the hallways.”
FEATURE
Monday, January 23,2012
SPOKE ♦ Page 13
Deja vu at Cambridge retro store By ELISSA PEN HOED
It’s like a trip back in time, to a period that is likely well before your time. Cambridge Nostalgia & Co. is a small store in the Southworks building on Grand Avenue which is stocked wall-to-wall with new ’40s, '60s and ’60s retro-styled goods. Doug Harding, the owner, is a soft-spoken and reserved but moody man with greying hair and a Gepettolike moustache. His wife, Laura, teaches in Conestoga College’s visual merchandis ing program. Small appliances and retro candy such as Milk Duds, Fez and Laffy Taffy are popular with customers, but the store stocks everything from park ing signs to poodle skirts to popcorn machines. For the hardcore retro devotee, Cambridge Nostalgia offers a full line of ’50s-style Northstar kitchen appliances, which are Energy Star rated and made in Canada. Most of the store’s products are sourced from North American companies. Some of the store’s most impressive items are its four models of CD jukeboxes, which have the same look and quality as their antique vinyl playing counterparts. One model holds 100 CDs at a time. At prices upwards of $7,000 (the Harley-Davidson model costs $1,000 more than
PHOTO BY EUSSA DEN HOED
Doug Harding, owner of Nostalgia & Co., stands proudly with the Bubbler jukebox in his Cambridge store. Merchandise runs the gamut, from appliances to candy. the others because it’s licensed), it’s no wonder Harding doesn’t sell many a year. Most of the ones he does sell are to restaurants. Cambridge Nostalgia has competition in big box stores that sell retro goods, such as HomeSense, but edges them out in price. “If I can’t beat the big box stores (on an
item), I won’t sell it,” Harding said. Harding believes he can sell anything as long as it’s good quality and reasonably priced. To prove this, he once offered an authentic dinosaur skeleton - a small one that museums weren’t interested in - for sale. “It’s the one thing I sold,” he added, “that I
wish I hadn’t.” Harding also owns Southworks Antiques. He started Cambridge Nostalgia & Co., now in its 11th year, to satisfy the customers who had a passion for retro design but wanted items that were fully functional and repairable - in other words, new. Though a much smaller store than Southworks Antiques, Cambridge Nostalgia has more traffic per
square foot. Part-way through the inter view, Harding’s cellphone rings. The phone he extracts from his pocket is shiny, black and modern, but the ringtone, fit tingly, is of an old-fashioned telephone. In true retro fashion, Harding said he isn’t a big fan of social media, and that he still prefers a physical book to an e-reader. Picking up a catalogue, he explained, “I can flip through this catalogue a lot faster than I can go through an ereader.” Harding manufactures some of his own merchandise, and is working on a rocketship coffee table. He also does custom work and ships world wide thanks to an online cat alogue. Harding said the farthest he’s sold in Canada was to the Yukon Territory, and that he has more sales success in Muskoka cottage country than he does at home in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Many of his items are rentable, and some have been used as props in plays, includ ing on Princess Cruise Lines’ ships. Harding accepts items for repairs and sells parts for doit-yourselfers. Harding would like you to visit soon. Just be sure to catch him on a good day. “I shouldn’t be in retail,” he said. “I used to have a sign outside that said, ‘Forget the dog; beware of owner!”’
INTERNET PHOTOS
This retro Tokheim 850 gas pump and this leg lamp from the movie, The Christmas Story, are just some of the items sold at the store.
SPORTS
Page 14 ♦SPOKE
Mo;nday, January 23,2012
Knights taking over the Midwest division By JEFF BOMBEN
Midwest Division Story: The London Knights look to be the front-runners in the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Midwest division as the season gears up for the playoffs. Four out of five teams in the division look playoff bound. From the worst team in the league, the Erie Otters, to one of the best young teams, in the London Knights, the Midwest division has a little bit of everything this season.
Season Outlook: The biggest disappointment in the OHL this year is the Erie Otters? Forty games into the season, the Otters have only managed five wins and changes are needed in order for this team to have any suc cess. With 20 games remain ing, the Joshua Ho-Sang watch is now on in Erie. Biggest Disappointment: Head coach, Robbie Ftorek, is one of many reasons that Erie is failing this season. For Erie, they have the pieces to be good in the future but, that being said, at the start of the year, they had playoff expec tations and failed under head coach Ftorek. Future Watch: At 16 years old, Nick Betz is devel oping into a monster of a hockey player. The 2011 sixth round draft pick is starting to find his game after struggling early in the season. Listed at 6’5, Betz will only continue to improve his game and transform into a power forward. Trade Deadline Activity: General manager Sherry Bassin pulled off multiple deals to improve the future of the franchise. On Jan. 5, Bassin traded captain Greg McKegg along with two other players to the London Knights for young forward, Dane Fox and 6’7 defenceman Troy Donnay. That same day, the Otters parted ways with overaged defenceman Derek Holden as they shipped him to Windsor for a draft pick. But the trading wasn’t done there; just three days later, veteran forward Mike Cazzola was traded to Ottawa for three draft picks. On Jan. 10, Bassin and staff made the team’s final deal by acquiring 18-year-old defenceman Jimmy McDowell from the Oshawa Generals for picks.
Season Outlook: At the start of the year, many pre dicted that Guelph Storm’s head coach Scott Walker and his staff were in for a chal lenge to get this team to the playoffs. With 20 games remaining in the season, the Storm sit eighth in the Western Conference and only five points behind the fifth place team. The Storm has bought into Walker’s system and has looked like a good young team moving forward in the long run. Biggest disappointment: Goalie Brandon Foote serves as one of Guelph’s overaged players but has only seen nine games of action this sea son. With the emergence of goalie Garret Sparks, Foote has seen more bench than game action this season. Future Watch: First-round pick, Hunter Garlent, is start ing to grow into the player that the Storm drafted. Garlent is very crafty with the puck and uses his 5’8 frame to sneak around play ers. The Thorold native is very reliable and has seen time with Guelph’s first powerplay unit. Trade Deadline Activity: The Guelph Storm made no moves, deciding to stick with their young core of players.
Season Outlook: So far, so good for the Rangers as they continue their 2011-2012 sea son. The Rangers currently sit third in the Western Conference but have a tough stretch of games ahead of them. Steve Spott and his staff of coaches have the fans believing in Kitchener. The Blue-Shirts were expected to be a lower-tiered team but with two strong goalies in John Gibson and Franky Palazzese, the Rangers have been better than originally expected. Biggest Disappointment: Brandon Francisco was trad ed to Kitchener in the offsea son to add scoring to the team. So far Francisco only has three goals and has bounced around every line. The Bradford native is just
too inconsistent and needs to find out what type of player he needs to be to have success in the future. Future Watch: Kitchener Rangers first-round pick Brent Pedersen is starting to come into his zone after a strong Under 17 championships with Team Ontario. The Arthur native will only continue to get stronger and has power for ward potential written all over him. Trade Deadline Activity: The Kitchener Rangers were pretty quiet when it came down to the trade deadline. They received news that over aged forward Tyler Randell was going to be returned from the Boston Bruins’ farm team, Providence. The team then shipped out steady defenceman Julian Melchiori to the Oshawa Generals for a package of draft picks. Spott was rumoured to be looking at Austin Watson from the Peterborough Petes but couldn’t offer what the Petes’ demanded.
Knights for the next few years. Trade Deadline Activity: The London Knights were one of the busiest teams when it came down to the trade dead line. The first move the team made was trading for all-star forward, Greg McKegg, goalie Tyson Teichman and veteran defenceman Brett Cook from the Erie Otters. This gave the Knights a top six forward, a quality backup goalie and a steady veteran defenceman. But one trade was not enough for London as they made another splash, acquiring Nashville Predators prospect Austin Watson for young for ward Chase Hatcher and a package of picks. General manager Hunter knew that he had one overage spot open so he added injured player, Josh Hishon, to the roster. Hishon got hurt the end of last season and hasn’t played a game this year. Last year, the Colorado Avalanche prospect added 37 goals with the Owen Sound Attack.
Season Outlook: The London Knights have contin ued their strong season as they currently sit first in the Western Conference. The Knights have rallied behind goaltender Michael Houser who has played in almost every single game for the Knights this season. Mark Hunter took over as a head coach after Dale Hunter accepted the head coaching position in Washington. The Knights have looked strong from the start of the year and the young team doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down anytime soon. Biggest Disappointment: Colin Martin put up 41 points during the 2010-2011 cam paign. A year later, Martin has 7 points, which is a 34point drop in one year. The London native has also served as a defenceman this year. His leadership is a key factor for this team going any where in the playoffs. Future Watch: When the Knights traded for former first-round draft pick, Max Domi, a lot was expected out of the 16-year-old forward and so far, he has exceeded those expectations. Domi plays the game at a high level and has an excellent hockey IQ. At 5’10, the Toronto native plays a crafty game and will be leading the
Season Outlook: The 2010-2011 OHL champions are having a good season as they currently sit fifth in the conference and only two points behind the fourth place
team. The Attack are a big, physical team that are built for another long playoff run. The team still uses the twogoalie system with both Jordan Binnington and Scott Stajcer getting starts. With a good core of their team still intact, Owen Sound will be hard to beat in the playoffs. Biggest Disappointment: Binnington was expected to be the starting goalie coming into the year but hasn’t been consistent enough to keep the starting job. The 18-year-old has the potential to lead his team but needs help with rebound control. The Richmond Hill native will have every chance to grab the starting goalie position for the playoffs, but the question remains if he will take the opportunity and run with it. Future Watch: Seventeenyear-old Jarrod Maidens con tinues to improve and has big potential for the future. Maidens plays a smooth twoway game and is hard to get off the puck. The Ridgeway native has been one of the most consistent players the whole year for the Attack. Trade Deadline Activity: The Owen Sound Attack were quiet at the deadline but made a pretty surprising move by sending veterans Matt Petgrave and Geoffrey Schemitsch to the Oshawa Generals for a package of picks and 18-year-old defenceman, Kyle Hope. This trade may have people think ing that the team is looking toward the future rather than trying to repeat this season.
SPORTS
Monday, January 23,2012
SPOKE ♦ Page 15
Snow tournament golfers far from teed off By JAKE ROBINSON
Old man winter came to play golf during the second week of January. The Preston Kinsmen and Kinette’s Annual Snow Golf Tournament for Cystic Fibrosis was held on Jan. 14, at the Grand Valley Golf and Country Club in Cambridge. The event, which included 10 teams of four to six play ers, raised over $800, dou bling last year’s total of $411. The round of golf challenged all 42 participants to play a game of best ball on the backnine of the course in two inch es of snow. Putting was excluded during the tourna ment as the green was replaced with a target in which the golfers had to land their shot. The 12th year of the event saw temperatures of -10 C. Despite the cold weather, the golfers were in good spirits as they joked about the weather and golf balls, often referring to them as, “your balls.” They compensated for the winter season by making tees out of piles of snow and replacing pull carts for their clubs with sleds. The first-place team finished the round with a score of 28,
beating the course’s usual back-nine par of 35. Event co-ordinators Mark Stansbury and Erica Kelly were pleased with the sup port they received from the competitors as they exceeded their goal of participants. ‘We were hoping for at least 40 golfers and we’re now over which is excellent,” said Kelly. This year also saw a new feature, a kid’s team compet ing for the first time. The round of golf began at noon and continued into the late evening. After the event, the golfers went back to the Kinsmen hall on Hamilton Street in Cambridge for din ner, the presentation of the first-place trophy and prizes. The prizes varied as contest ants got to pick their award in order of their placing. The Preston Kinsmen and Kinette Club will be hosting another fundraiser for cystic fibrosis on Jan. 27, where they will have dinner and a silent auction. ‘It’s our opportunity to give our donation to their charity,” said Stansbury. The dinner also provides the opportunity for a family mem ber, or someone who is associ ated with a person who has the disease, to be honoured.
PHOTO BY JAKE ROBINSON
The Preston Kinsmen and Kinette Club held their 12th annual snow golf tournament for cystic fibrosis on Jan. 14, at Grand Valley Golf and Country Club. Forty-two golfers participated in the event and raised over $800 for the charity.
SPORTS
Page 16 ♦SPOKE
Monday, January 23,2012
Tim Tebow - NFL quarterback or pop culture personality? There will be no more “Tebowing” this season in the Mile High City. The biblical Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos were eliminated from playoff contention after a 4510 thumping against the mighty New England Patriots in Foxborough on Jan. 14. I guess God can only work so many miracles during a NFL season. The loss marked an end to the fairy tale ride for Tebow, a second-year quarterback who made up for his lack of football skill this season with miraculous fourth quarter comebacks that some say are inspired from the hand of God since Tebow is such a devoted Christian. Now that the season is over in Denver, the questions will begin. Is Tebow a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL or was what we saw this year just a blip on the radar? Is he known more for his “Tebowing” praying ges ture - that has become a worldwide pop culture phe nomenon - then his ability on the field?
Ryan Horne
Opinion Tebow has done some great things on the field this sea son, capping it off with a mas sive upset against the defen sive savvy Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round of the playoffs. He had his best game of the season, throwing for 316 yards, including an 80 yarder on the first play in overtime to win the game and send Denver into a state of bedlam. All of this happened while a former Bronco’s great, John Elway, stood on the sidelines watch ing Tebow’s every move like a concerned father. People never gave Tebow a chance as soon as his college career came to an end. He slipped to 25th overall in the 2010 NFL Entry Draft as many thought his game wouldn’t be successful in the
pros. Yet in his first full sea son in the NFL, the great sta tistics may not have been there, but the wins were. But, there were also many points in the season where he looked dazed and confused. Missing open receivers with shaky and wobbling passes was the other side of Tebow that you never saw in the highlight reel. The Broncos backed into the playoffs by losing the last three games of the season and finishing with a .500 record. If Tebow happens to be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos next season, I don’t believe “Tebowing” even from the entire nation will lead them to the prom ised land. Tebow is an aver age quarterback who hap pened to strike a pot of luck this season. Everybody’s luck runs out eventually and I think that time has come for the young straight-edged quarterback from Florida. It’s been a great story, but I don’t think it will end in a Super Bowl championship. On the other hand, Tebow is
INTERNET PHOTO
It will be interesting to see if Tim Tebow will be back as the Broncos' QB next year. great for the game as a role model. In this day and age where it seems so many highprofile football players have allegedly done this or done that, it’s nice to see Tebow having success while living
his life in a way that kids can aspire to off the field. And if nothing else, at least Tebow has given us the latest pop culture trend to Tweet and to put on our Facebook walls.