Shop 'til you drop Downtown stores have latest gifts and trends. Page 7
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Suzuki speaks
A L E A R N I N G N E W S R O O M F OR J O U R N A L I S M S T U D E N T S
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Conestoga students help prepare his meal.
HE’S GOING TO FIND OUT who’S naughty or nice
United Way short of goal By BEN STODDARD
Conestoga College fell short of its United Way fundraiser goal this year. The college raised almost $44,000 of the $50,000 goal through student-led events, staff bingo, draws and pledges. Still to come in and be added to the total is $500 from residence and $470 from a Taco Lunch. Jennifer Lowes, a Conestoga human resources assistant, said that staff par ticipation was low. “It wasn't just the participa tion rate for support staff that was low,” Lowes said. “Administration and faculty contributions dropped.” She attributed this to the staff strike and the family cam paign. “Many gave to the family campaign and didn't have the funds to give to United Way.” Conestoga's Family Campaign is asking employees to donate money as an invest ment in students, in the com munity and in the college's future. The campaign goal is $800,000, of which $700,310 has already been raised. “We are still pleased with our fundraising,” Lowes said. While the campaign is offi cially over, there is still a raf fle draw for a Playstation 3 and a notebook computer this week. The Conestoga Gamer's Club is also holding a game day tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Almost $2,900 was raised from student-run events, such as the Minute to Win It on Oct. 20. United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area itself is expecting to receive only $4.9 million of its $6-million goal for their fall campaign this year.
PHOTO BY JAZLYN SLACK
Jolly old Saint Nick made a pit stop in Kitchener on Nov. 19 for the Santa Claus parade. For story and more photos, see Pages 8 and 9.
Battle of the books By ELISSA PEN HOED
Libraries are synonymous with books, but these days, not all of the books at Conestoga College’s Library Resource Centre (LRC) are found on its shelves. Though print books and ebooks are identical in content, e-books, which are down loaded rather than borrowed, are becoming popular with students because of their advantages. They can be viewed by several people at once, unlike a print book, of which the library only has so many copies. They are also available any time, any place where there’s Internet access, including other Conestoga campuses and students’ homes - a feature especially useful for part-time and con tinuing education students, who are not always on cam pus for an extended period, or during the LRC’s daytime hours of operation. E-books are also preferred by many who are visually impaired because the type
size can be increased. The LRC now spends over half its annual expenditures on ebooks and databases and has about 50,000 titles available at its website, www.conestogac.on.ca/lrc. Despite the popularity and advantages of e-books, some students still prefer books in the traditional form. Aileen Barron, a student in the oneyear TESL program, is aware of the e-book option but still prefers the tactile quality of a physical book that she can physically “flip back and forth” between pages. A review is held annually to decide which books on the shelves are still relevant. “Just because a book is old,” Information Services co-ordi nator Rachel Caldwell said, “doesn’t mean it’s not useful.” Older books that are classics or are on historical material are still useful to the LRC. The LRC also has an @Ease collection of novels, maga zines and, more recently, DVDs, made up of mostly donations.
PHOTO BY EIISSA DEN HOED
One of the LRC’s 1,200 weekly visitors, Steve Veerapen, a secondyear accounting student, works on his laptop in a quiet corner.
NEWS
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Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
W h e n is th e rig ht tim e to pu t up y o u r C h ris tm a s tre e ? “Around whenever the first snowfall i s ... because it gets the Christmas feeling going and that’s when Christmas season begins!”
Matt Boniface, second-year police foundations
“Usually around the first or second week of December.”
Aaron Currie, second-year police foundations
“Anytime in December but Christmas is very overrated.”
Rhea Trottier, first-year interior decorating
“Dec. 1 because it sounds like a good time.”
Matt Dowsett, first-year general arts and science
“I usually wait until the first week of December, usually around Dec. 9 or 10 because I don’t like having a Christmas tree up a long tim e.”
Adrian Baker, first-year media foundations
“When I was a kid, I usu ally put it up around midDecember or so. I don’t really like to have a Christmas tree up before that or even after.”
Dustin Wilson, first-year media foundations
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
Monday, November28,2011
Avoid fighting your family By ASHLEY WELFORP-COSTELLOE
The holiday season is upon us and with it comes the stresses of exams, lastminute shopping and trying to figure out how much money to spend on gifts. Then there are the family gettogethers. Sure, sometimes they can be fun. You get to catch up with family you haven’t seen in a while. But there’s always that relative who puts a damper on all the fun. Whether it’s the drunken uncle, the gossiping grandma or the drama queen cousin, almost everybody has rela tives they’d rather not see over the holidays or at any other time for that matter. It’s never an enjoyable expe rience when you have rela tives who can’t get along for some reason and you end up being a witness to their many arguments. David Grisback is a student in the respiratory therapy program. He knows this all too well. “My aunts always fight,” said Grisback. “They have very opposing personalities and they get on each other’s nerves.” Then there’s the individual who nobody in the family can stand. This is usually due to his or her attitude toward the rest of the family. “I have one aunt that nobody particularly likes,” said Mark Raftis, a second-year student in police foundations. “She’s kind of snotty and mean to everyone. We have to see her
every year so we kind of have to power through it.” Nothing says fun like a long lost relative suddenly show ing up. Such is the case for Jaclyn Lowes, who works behind the front desk at Conestoga Residence. One year her long lost cousin who had been disowned from the family decided to make an appearance. What was even more shocking than her sud den appearance was that she had a child. An awkward moment for everyone. But not the only one.
Almost everybody has relativesthey’drather not seeoverthe holidays. Lowes also told the story of when her father decided to invite his brother over for Christmas without telling the family. He thought it would be a pleasant surprise. It was a surprise all right, but pleas ant it was not. It turned out her mother did not get along with her father’s family. They had not been kind to her in the past, so she cancelled Christmas. Unfortunately, most of us can’t avoid our obnoxious rel atives. So we just have to deal with them. According to an article on www.associatedcontent.com, here are a few tips on how to cope with such family members.
When you arrive at the gettogether, acknowledge your family members accordingly. Some will get hugs and a kiss on the cheek while others get a smile and a nod. No need to go out of your way and make yourself uncomfortable. Be sure to have a game plan in mind should you get cor nered. Try to come up with some very good excuses as to why you can’t speak to them. Also, don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed to simply walk away from certain people. If they have any sense at all, they will eventually figure out why you’re avoiding them in the first place. Remember, you’re not alone in this matter. Chances are this relative has offended other family members as well. You will have allies. Seek out family members who you truly cherish and spend some quality time with them. Keep yourself engrossed in those conversations and do not make any eye contact with the annoying relative. Politely make other family members aware of how uncomfortable you are with that person and ask them to help you keep an eye out, or save you should you get cor nered. Finally, arrange it so that at dinner tables you do not sit across from or next to them. Sit with family members you’re comfortable with. Follow these tips and your holiday get-togethers will be less awkward for you.
NEWS
Monday, November28,2011
SPOKE* Page 3
David Suzuki promotes sustainability Conestoga students help prepare meal for famous scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster By DEVON SMITH
Young and bold met wise and old when students from Conestoga’s culinary program prepared a meal for David Suzuki on Nov. 15. The students also helped prepare a four-course meal for guests of a special event at Borealis Grille and Bar in Kitchener. The dinner was planned by chefs at the restaurant but the event was organized by World Accord. World Accord is an organiza tion based in Waterloo that works with people in develop ing countries to help them cre ate a sustainable way of life. The night started out with a presentation by World Accord, followed by dinner and then a question period with Suzuki, who is a wellknown scientist, environmen talist and broadcaster.
The event brought together people from all over Waterloo Region whose views are in line with that of World Accord. “There are a hundred people here and the majority of them are working, one way or another, around sustainabili ty issues,” said World Accord program officer, Nelson Rosales. “We thought that it was really important to find a way to connect what’s hap pening overseas with the work here locally.” The organizers of the event were very happy that Suzuki was able to make it out. “W e felt really lucky because he only does a couple of speaking engagements every year,” said Rosales. Rosales also said that Borealis was a natural fit for this event because it pro motes sustainability.
PHOTOS BY DEVON SMITH
David Suzuki, a scientist, envi ronmentalist and broadcaster, answers questions at Borealis Grille and Bar Nov. 15.
Ed Jandrisits is the presi dent of the Neighborhood Group of Companies Limited, which owns the Borealis restaurants, and agreed that it was a good fit. “Our founder Bob has always bought local and believes in sustainability and that there’s no planet B,” he said. “He came along and met with the organizers and said, yeah, we’ll do it.” Jandrisits said when they found out that Suzuki was coming, it was just icing on the cake. “We had a lot of local organ ic farmers donate product that they had and from that group of product we devel oped the menu,” he said, “and that’s what the students are helping with tonight.” The menu featured several different cuts of donated Baer’s organic beef for the
Culinary management student Abigail Piticaru, hotel and restau rant management student Jeremy Torres and culinary manage ment student Spencer Wolf helped prepare a meal for Suzuki.
first three courses, and a sumptuous beer float and brownie for dessert. Borealis’s executive chef Mathew Foote helped plan the menu and he appreciated the students’ help. “They were here for eight hours yesterday and almost 10 hours today so I think they did a really good job,” said Foote. “Events like these are always labour intensive because we’re still doing our regular service. I think it’s important for them to see how much goes into putting on events like this.”
There were three students who went out to lend a hand. The students all work in the college dining room, bloom, on a regular basis, but thought this was a really great experi ence and were happy to be cooking for a celebrity. And though Suzuki had a lot of things on his plate that night, between talking about serious environmental issues, answering countless ques tions and signing people’s chests, he said the food was very good and was happy to hear the students had a hand in it.
COMMENTARY
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Monday November28,2011
Suspensions inconsistent inconsistent By SARAH SHAW
Ask any child involved in recreational hockey who they look up to as their idol, and you’re almost guaran teed an NHL player will be their answer. And what better way for youngsters to emulate their favourite stars then to copy their on-ice actions. With a back-and-forth attitude to the headshot debate, it is crucial for the league to take a firm stand on what they consider punishable, in order for hockey’s youth to understand what type of conduct is acceptable. After a hit on Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, fans and players alike were taken aback by the fact that Milan Lucic didn’t receive a suspension for what most called a blatant headshot. After making it clear at the beginning of the season that new vice-president of player safety, Brendan Shanahan, would be putting into action a more strict type of penalization for these types of hits, this is the sit uation the league finds itself in. After suspending James Wisniewski of the Columbus Blue Jackets for 12 games in preseason action for a dirty hit on Minnesota’s Cal Clutterbuck, it seemed that Shanahan did mean business when handing out suspen sions for cheap headshots. However, suspending a player for a hit that didn’t even result in any injuries (although necessary) and then turning a blind eye to a hit causing a top-ranked goaltender to be sidelined, caused an uproar and seems to be doing more harm than good. Penalizing players for serious offences and letting oth ers skate away with it not only confuses NHL players and their fans but puts them at risk. And it’s not just players who have a problem with it. After a hit last March on Montreal Canadiens player Max Pacioretty, Air Canada threatened to revoke its sponsorship (one of the biggest in the league) if Zdeno Chara was not suspended for the hit that left Pacioretty with a severe concussion and other injuries. League commissioner Gary Bettman responded to the controversy calling it “part of the game.” In doing this, the league leaves the fine of what is con sidered proper conduct blurred. With big names making big impressions on the future of Canada’s hockey elite, the NHL must clearly differ entiate what is legal and what is illegal, instead of con tinuing to flip-flop.
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The international space crew wrapped up 520 days of isolation and eating canned food as part of a test to determine their readiness for a Mars trip. achieved the same results.
A year's residence at Conestoga College would
have
Do we expect too much? Nothing ever seems to be good enough for our genera tion. The latest and greatest technology is still not good enough. It seems that as technology keeps rapidly advancing, people’s expectations are increasing just as quickly. For example, the iPhone 4s were released with a dual core processor, the speed of a computer and an 8-megapixel camera (some digital cam eras don’t even have that), but it wasn’t good enough. 3D televisions were released with glasses, but that wasn’t good enough either. Having to wear glasses to see 3D was just unacceptable. BlackBerry messenger (BBM) doesn’t work for a day? Well, it’s not like we can just text. We have to be able to see if the recipient of our text read our message! We have been taught to want the latest technology these days, which although is not always necessary, is acceptable. However, when we have the world at our fingertips and we are still asking for more, it just comes off as greedy.
Reyhan Enver
Opinion We’re asking for cellphones to do our homework and basically cook dinner for us, before text messaging prob lems are even fixed. If my phone can Google something as fast as my computer can, why can’t I make a phone call without it dropping or cutting out? Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and the advances we are making, but we are moving along too quickly. Before a problem on a device is fixed, version 2 and 3.4 are already released. It’s not just the companies’ faults, but also ours because con sumers are far too demand ing. Neither is solely to blame, the two together are the cause of this problem. We need to be able to slow down and fix the things that are vital in our day-to-day lives. When BlackBerrys went
down for a couple of days, the problem shouldn’t have been that BBM wasn’t work ing, but rather that businesspeople and companies could not reach those that they needed to due to email being down as well. Teenagers and young adults expect everything to come to them exactly the way they want it, when they want it. We need to realize how good we have it. If text messaging had come before phone calls, we would have been astounded when we could hear each other’s voic es through the phone once calling was invented. Instead, barely anyone calls each other because texting is easier and anything can be done from behind a screen rather than face-to-face. So, unless you work behindthe-scenes at a technology company such as RIM or Apple, where you know what’s going to come out next, the devices we have out should be enough to hold you over until something else is released. Your phone can send a message through space to your friend. I’d say that’s pretty cool on its own.
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NEWS
Monday, November28,2011
STAY WARM THIS WINTER with bookstore swag
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
The Trailer Park Boys are back in town By BRENDAN DALEY
PHOTO BY SARAH SHAW
Laurie Maier, a clerk at Conestoga’s bookstore, models some of the fashionable ways to keep warm this winter. Fun hats as well as many other cold weather essentials are for sale at the store.
I love Christmas even in October Most people hate that Christmas is shoved in their faces starting in October. However, I love walking through any given mall or shopping centre and seeing snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, Santa Clauses wav ing to me as I look through window displays and red stockings tacked from every counter. Combined with the Christmas music, I feel like I’m walking through a winter wonderland. Coffee shops such as Tim Hortons and Starbucks have switched their regular cups to the holiday cups and decorat ed with reindeers and snowflakes. Kids have started wearing their thick jackets and their furry Santa scarves. The decorations, Christmas lights and music in public places create a cheery holi day atmosphere, enticing us out of our homes during the gloomy winter months. Aside from the horrifying snowstorms, that, if you’re as skinny as I am, send you fly-
Vanda Dobritoiu
Opinion ing across the street, winter is a wonderful season. It’s all about warm clothing, family coming together, decorating the Christmas tree, eggnog and, of course, presents. If you’re a bit more adventur ous, add a pair of skis to the equation and you’ll have the best of times. To top it all off, every sin gle shopping centre has amazing Christmas and win ter sales which make it easi er for us students to afford presents for our loved ones. Although retailers force Christmas on us right after Thanksgiving, it definitely puts us in the holiday spirit and gives us something to look forward to until we see the sun again.
Hide your children. Canada’s trailer park trio is coming back to town - and this time they’re bringing a couple of guests. In anticipation of the holi day season, Centre in the Square will welcome back the Trailer Park Boys - including Lahey and Randy - on Nov. 30 for the Dear Santa Claus, Go F#ck Yourself Tour. According to Julian (John Paul Tremblay), “Ricky wants to go to jail for Christmas, but we’re trying to get him not to do that. So that’s one of the reasons we’re going on tour I guess.” Launched in Nova Scotia on Nov. 24, the Dear Santa Claus tour will take the Boys west into Ontario before departing for the UK and Ireland. While this isn’t their first tour, this is their first time sharing the stage with co-stars John Dunsworth (Mr. Lahey) and Pat Roach (Randy). Based on past episodes of the Trailer Park Boys series, the show will explore the dif ferent perspectives that each character has on Christmas. “Christmas means one thing to me and that’s to make money,” said Julian. “Bubbles, he’s right into it and he’s always trying to
teach me the Christmas spir it, but I don’t fall for it. And Ricky, he believes in Santa Claus. I don’t know what Bubbles is going to do about this whole Santa thing but Ricky thinks that he’s going to meet Santa and that we’ll be in the North Pole.” In past years, shows have included a number of acts such as musical performances by Bubbles and audience par ticipation segments that all tie into a major theme. “We hope everybody comes out to the show. We’re not sure exactly what’s going to happen, but we plan on hav ing a fun night,” said Julian, adding that it will be a great time for anybody looking to get drunk or high. Although the Trailer Park Boys series ended in 2008, diehards will be pleased to hear that the Boys aren’t going away any time soon. In addition to their new TV show, the Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour, which launched this year on Action, the cast of Trailer Park Boys has been throwing around the idea of a new movie. Tickets for the Dear Santa Claus, Go F#ck Yourself Tour start at $39 and can be pur chased online at www.centresquare.com or at the Centre in the Square box office.
NEWS
Page 6* SPOKE
Monday, November28,2011
Tool and Trades Expo an experience By ALEXANDRIA PEER
The fourth annual Tool and Trades Expo was held at the Roofing Centre at Conestoga’s Waterloo campus, Nov. 16, to give students a fun and inter active experience using tools that they will potentially use in the workplace. “This is really about, and for, students and to give them time to use and experience
tools that are out in the industry,” said Doug Lockston, an instructor for the School of Trades and Apprenticeship. “This year we succeeded in having over 500 students attend the show.” Josh Vezsenyi, a first-year carpentry student, said, “I thought it was a lot better than what I was expecting. I quite enjoyed seeing all the tools here and seeing all the
vendors. I thought they were pretty sweet.” There were 20 vendors at the expo including Milwaukee, DeW alt, Stanley/Proto and Ridgid Tools. Keith Potts, a national trainer from Milwaukee, thought that the expo was a great success as well. “There was good interest. It was good to see all the trades
at once,” Potts said. The expo was not only a great experience for Conestoga students in the trades and apprenticeship programs, but for post-grad event management students as well. Ashleigh Carson is one of three students in the event management program chosen to help run the event. “I’ve helped out at a couple
of events but I’ve never done anything sort of like an expo. I got to see basically the process behind an entire event. “It’s good for me because I’m totally new into this program. It was a good building block,” Carson said. The event was free to all Conestoga students, but donations to the food bank were welcomed.
PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRIA DEER
Above: Nikki Weiler, a WIST student, tries out a drill at the Tool and Trades Expo on Nov. 16. Above left: Wes Hassard (left) and Josh Vezseny, both carpentry students, use a hack saw at the Expo. Left: Josh Vezseny practises his hammering skills at the event.
Runner finishes 52nd at
REDUCING STRESS, one balloon at a time
Donation invaluable By JAMES WITCZAK
nationals By JAKE ROBINSON
She ran to get to British Columbia. Stephanie Mason represent ed Conestoga College at the cross-country nationals on Nov. 12, at Thompson Rivers University in B.C. In a field of 114 runners, Mason placed 52nd in the five-kilometre run with a time of 21:42. Although her highestplaced race this season was seventh during an invitation al at Fanshawe College on Sept. 23, her best time this season was 21:02 during a race at St. Lawrence on Oct. 29.
PHOTO BY REYHAN ENVER
During the Health and Wellness Week, groups of students from the pre-health program held different games and booths in the atrium and E-wing. These students (above) had a stress booth where they tried to make people laugh by dressing up and handing out balloons.
Lockheed Martin is giving Conestoga College $3.7-million worth of electronic courseware products. The global aerospace, defence, security and advanced technology compa ny hopes the donation will help students learn the skills required by employers, specifically those in the engi neering systems skills indus try. At the college’s board of directors meeting on Nov. 28, members were told the dona tion is part of a government policy that requires compa nies to reinvest the same amount of capital back into Canada as its government contracts. Other highlights of the
meeting included the approval of two new pro grams — an educational assistant diploma program starting in January 2012, and a green management certifi cate program starting in September 2012. Conestoga College president John Tibbits also said at least three Chinese universities are showing interest in a partnership with the college. “Part of our mandate is to internationalize,” he said. An example he gave was a three-year program being set up with the universities, where students would study in China for the first two years, and then come to Canada for their final year. Though nothing is on paper yet, Tibbits said talks are pro gressing.
FEATURE
Monday, November 28,2011
SPOKE ♦ Page 7
PHOTOS BY BRADLEY ZORGDRAGER
Braedon Sharpe, an employee at The Catacombs, shows off some of the patches they offer in the store located in downtown Kitchener on Nov. 18. Sharpe said, ‘People should come downtown to keep places like this open. We need the foot traffic to pay the bills.’
Discover your downtown By BRADLEY ZORGDRAGER
Do you get downtown? Then you should get downtown! If you don't get downtown, Mark Garner, executive director of the Downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Area, hopes that you soon will. With the upcoming Christmas season, he's aim ing to attract students down town for a unique shopping experience and then keep them coming back for more. “You might be going to Toronto, you might be going to Hamilton to try and find that vibe. ... We don't want you to get into the car; we're just building it downtown.” Though he noted there are already plenty of “great shops” downtown, Gamer hopes to fill the empty retail spaces with the stores the public wants to see. The BIA is partnering with the City of Kitchener to do a public consultation on what they want downtown. He said the focus is “hipsters” and the
post-secondary demographic. “You guys can determine what this place means to you and what you want it to be.” But to determine what you want downtown, you first have to experience what it has to offer. Garner highlighted 10 mustvisit stores for the college stu dent: Cafe Pyrus, Encore Records, X-Disc-C, Out of the Past, The Catacombs, Gloss Boutique and Salon, Rarefunk, The New York Pita Co., Civilian Printing and Casablanca Bookshop (see sidebar for more details). If none of them float your boat, there might be some thing else for you among the many unique bars, authentic restaurants and diverse stores. Additionally, the BIA is try ing to attract other businesses from different cities to open extensions of their brand here. “Do I want to bring a Banana Republic downtown? No, it’s not going to sell. But do I want to bring snowboard ing shops and that type of stuff? Ya, that’s what we’re
going for. That’s what we want,” Garner said. If you don’t have the extra money to splurge at these stores, you could attend one of the many events downtown. In addition to the KOI Music Festival, Garner hopes to partner with Chicopee Ski and Summer Resort for a weekend “Snow Jam.” He wants to build a snow hill in a parking lot next to a stage where bands will play on a Friday, before moving the event to Chicopee for the remainder of the weekend. “Lawyers don’t really like when you truck in 20,000 tonnes of snow and put a rail ing on it and say, ‘Go for it,’ and blast music. But it’s per fect. Where else can you do that stuff? Nowhere.” He said this isn’t the only unique feature to a downtown he describes as “authentic, eclectic and organic.” “Come discover your down town. There’s places for you. There’s places for me. There’s places for everybody,” said Garner.
Tamara Minns, owner of Rarefunk, sits with many of the stuffed animals the store offers. Minns said that stu dents should come downtown because it’s ‘full of unique shops and unique places to visit, and you’ll find a lot more independent businesses downtown. There’s a real com munity feel in a down town core.'
Cafe Pyrus: A cafe that offers organic, vegan goods and bottomless coffee and invites bands in to play. Encore Records: A store that stocks new and used CDs and vinyl records that might not be available elsewhere in the city. X-flfco-C; Another music store that has a lot of vinyl and CDs you won’t find in chains. Out o f the P a st A vintage clothing store that also has a huge selection of body jewellery and pipes, bongs and smoking acces sories. The Catacombs: A store focusing on music and entertainment clothing and paraphernalia. Gloss Boutique and Salon: A unisex clothing store that offers “product lines and brands that you cannot find at the mall,” according to owner Rebecca Lofsnes.
Rarefunk:
Rebecca Lofnese, owner of Gloss Boutique and Salon, poses with some of the clothes they offer at the store. Losnes said, ‘I think the reason that students and others should come downtown to shop or to eat is because they're missing out on a whole lot of cool businesses, and it's more of an independ ent feel than going to the mall.'
Danielle Archer, an employee at Cafe Pyrus and first-year Conestoga College design foun dations student, said the most important reason to go down town is, ‘You're supporting y o u r. community.'
A quirky store which sells unique items from over 100 Canadian artists, running the gamut from cellphone cases to clocks. The New York Pita Co.: A restaurant offering pitas, burgers, salads and sides with multiple toppings and sauces. Civilian Printing; A printing company that will help make your ideas a real ity on anything from T-shirts to tote bags. Also offers Arc Cloathing Co. merchandise. Casablanca Bookshop: A bookstore that tries to keep costs low and pass the savings on to the consumer.
Page 8 ♦SPOKE
NEWS
Monday, November 28,2011
The 53rd annual Kitchener-Waterloo Santa Claus Parade was held on Nov. 19 on King Street at 11 a.m with 46 floats, 11 bands and a total of 115 entries.
Santa csom HClaus re By JAZLYN SLACK
Hundreds lined up along the street awaiting the big man’s arrival. Children jumped up and down, over flowing with joy and excitement as well as candy canes and sweets. Santa was coming to town. It was 10:15 on Saturday, Nov. 19, 45 minutes before the parade was scheduled to begin and already King Street in Kitchener was full of people who were anxious to see jolly old St. Nick. Some sang Christmas carols while they were waiting. Others drank hot cocoa and huddled in their blankets as the chilly morning air brushed against their faces. ‘T love the parade! Santa’s my favourite part,” said April, 4, who was braving the cold waiting for the jolly old man to pull up on his sleigh. The next 45 minutes flew by and the parade began, right on schedule. Jam-packed with 46 floats, 11 bands and 115 entries all together, the Kitchener-Waterloo 53rd annual Santa Claus parade was a success.
One little girl sat on the curb with a gigantic grin on her face for the entire parade, while others buried their faces in their hands when a clown walked by; especially the band of clowns. “I hate clowns, there's just some thing about them that I don't like," said Denise Sayers, a first-year recreation and leisure student at Conestoga College. “I still bring my sisters to the parade, they love the excitement." Giant lions, snowmen, penguins, the Grinch and even Mr. Peanut all showed up to support their local group - from the Lions Club to hockey associations to mid-wifery and animal shelters. “I love what the parade brings to the city and how much everyone gets involved and supports it,” said Vic Bovingdon, parade chairman and Lions Club president. The parade concluded after an hour and a half of Christmas carols, “merry Christmas'” and “happy hol idays," not to mention the candy canes and pamphlets. Toys, canned food and letters to Santa were all collected to make Christmas better for everyone. Cambridge also held their Santa Claus parade Saturday.
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PHOTO BY RACHEL HENRY
A drum circle was held at Conestoga College on Nov. 16. Above, students participate in exercises, such as clapping with your neighbour with your eyes closed.
Drum circle gets college groovin’ By RACHEL HENRY
You feel the rhythm as your palms strike the smooth face of the drum. Voices sing out, chanting in time with the hol low beats emitting from beneath your hands. Dancers, clothed in traditional African kaftans, swoop and sway, their whole bodies moving in synch to the sounds. Opening your eyes, you are transported from Africa back to the Student Life Centre, where you sit in a circle, fac ing peers. Between everyone’s knees is a djembe, a tradition al West African drum. On Nov. 16 Katherine van Lemmeren, co-founder of Organic Groove, a workshop that provides creative outlets such as drum circle lessons, led a drum circle at the college. The djembe (pronounced jem-bay) used were from Ghana, and consisted of one solid piece of wood. They were beautifully hand carved, with goat skin stretched over the
PHOTO BY RACHEL HENRY
Organic Groove co-founder Katherine van Lemmeren led the students in pounding out rhythms.
top and ropes for tuning. ‘When we play the drum we tilt it - we open the drum’s mouth so it can sing,” van Lemmeren instructed the cir cle. The group, which was com prised of Conestoga students, took part in jam sessions and learned to play different beats to the chants “I love my djembe,” and “I love maca roni, I love cheese.” First-time djembe player Prashanth Sanka said he loved the changes in tempos and different ways of playing. “It was awesome,” Sanka said. “I felt like I was involved in the music. I liked it a lot.” The African drumming cir cle workshop was held in con junction with Diversity Week, which Student Life describes as “a time to embrace, cele brate and recognize cultural diversity in our campus com munity.” The week also included activities and dis plays showcasing world cul tures.
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DIVERSITY WEEK brings the world’s crafts to conestoga
PHOTO BY ASHLEY WELFORD-COSTELLOE
Tara Halstad, who is in accounting, and Korinne Webb, who is in supply chain operations manage ment, stand in front of an origami display featured during Diversity Week.
Classic game revived Ten years later and Halo: Combat Evolved has made a comeback. The first Xbox came out in 2001 and the hottest game to have for the new system was the first Halo. The remastered game includes the original game’s levels but with new high quality features. The big dif ference is that the developer of this game is 343 Industries instead of Bungie, the usual makers of Halo games. The remake is selling for $39.99 instead of the full price of $59.99 for a new video game release. For gamers who have been playing Halo from the begin ning, the remake is definitely worth taking a look at. Seeing the original campaign and multiplayer levels with helpful changes as well as newer guns and features is still nostalgic. The new updates make nav igating around levels easier; such as Damnation now hav ing ramps instead of ladders. While playing the remas tered campaign, players can push the back button on their controllers and get a look at what the game looked like 10 years ago. There is the choice of playing with the original look from 2001 or the updated levels and
Reyhan Enver
Opinion graphics, which is a great feature for remakes to have. In a matter of seconds, play ers can see what the game originally looked like and how far Halo and technology have come. When you switch back and forth from the version 10 years ago to present day, even the subtle changes are evident. Diehard fans can be at ease
knowing the storyline is exactly the same as the origi nal with no major changes. Even the script of each char acter is word for word. Although the developer changed, they stayed true to the classic game Bungie cre ated 10 years ago. For fans that also own Halo Reach, you are able to down load the Combat Evolved maps and play them only using your Reach disk, incor porating both games’ levels. I recommend this game for any longtime Halo fan look ing for a throwback to the old days or for any new Halo fan who is just starting out and wants to see where the game started.
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Radiothon offers holiday help to community By SARAH SHAW
‘Tis the season to help a child in need. While most of us are out Christmas shopping and planning holiday festivities, it is important to remember those who might need our help during this magical time of year. Family and Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region kicked off their 19th annual Tree of Hope cam paign sponsored by CHYM FM in an effort to ensure that no child goes without during the holiday season. “In a perfect world, every
child would be nurtured by a loving family,” said Christa Hicks, promotions director of CHYM FM, who added that this campaign is “really to ensure children and their families are provided a better opportunity then they may be experiencing now.” On Thursday, Dec. 8, Fairview Park Mall will kick off the two day 96.7 CHYM Tree of Hope Radiothon where listeners across Waterloo Region can tune into hear the heart-warming stories of children and youth who have benefited from the services of Family and Children’s Services. Stories of
bravery, hardships and tri umphs made possible by peo ple in the community will be shared with both shoppers and listeners. With a goal of $275,000, this year’s campaign encourages residents to get involved by lending their support to the radiothon. “This is a great cause because so many children have parents who aren’t working right now and any time we can make children smile it’s always a good thing. Giving is the nature of the season,” said longtime Fairview Mall shopper, Allison Nolan.
Donations will be accepted by Visa, Mastercard, American Express and per sonal cheques. People can stop by the live broadcast located near the Lenscrafters entrance at any time to donate a gift or lend their support. If anyone is unable to make it to the mall on Thursday, donations can also be dropped off at any TD Canada Trust bank and requesting it be deposited to account 5201667, branch 0067. For anyone wondering what their donations and efforts benefit, Hicks is proud to say that the money
raised from the community “goes to help programs offered by Family and Children’s Services,” which include family fun activities, adoption and support of fam ilies in need. Hicks also said that through donations they are able to fund these programs that “enrich children’s lives.” There are numerous other ways to donate to the cause including simply volunteer ing your time or getting your workplace involved. For more information visit the Family and Children’s Services website at www.facswaterloo.org.
M 83’s new album repetitive, cliche M83 isn’t just the designa tion for a spiral galaxy 15 mil lion light years away - it’s also the name of a French indie pop band whose latest release, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, is reminiscent of music that blared through cassette decks and radios 30 years ago. Known for their heavy use of reverb effects and gentle vocals played over loud instru ments, M83’s latest effort will not disappoint longtime fans. However, it may come as a shock to someone who isn’t expecting the attempt to rein carnate a style of music the British press dubbed “shoegazing.” The term was coined due to the rise in elec tronic bands during the ’80s and early ’90s who relied heavily on foot pedals to add in reverb and other effects to their music during concerts, restraining them to one spot on the stage while staring at their feet. The album begins with a track aptly named Intro that sets the course through 72 minutes of vast astral electronica with a few speed bumps made of songs that could have easily made thenway into a John Hugh’s angstdriven teen melodrama movie soundtrack. Midnight City, the first sin gle, and so far only song to be made into a video, is pure sex. It’s catchy with an undeniable tension created by Anthony Gonzalez’s soothing vocals played through a myriad of different synths that all scream ‘Dance!” If only the entire album was as fun to lis ten to. Unfortunately, the album, with a few exceptions along the way, is more of a novelty one would find in an antique store titled, “Things no one
Andrew Soulsby
Opinion cares about anymore.” While the majority of the album could be sneaked into a local club’s retro night playlist, it will be mostly missed by younger genera tions and anyone else who deems the ’80s as nothing more than a decade full of ter rible fashion mistakes, copi ous amounts of cocaine and music that could pierce eardrums and shatter glass if played too loudly. In an interview with the Guardian, Gonzalez, one of the band’s founders, told the British publication that he went to Joshua Tree for inspi ration. For those of you who are unaware of what Joshua Tree is, it is a national park in California that is synonymous with isolation and sometimes hallucinogenic drug use. It is a popular destination point for artists and those seeking the “truth.” Gonzalez was quoted as saying, “It’s so cliched, I know, but it worked. I would rent a small cabin in the mid dle of nowhere, and I was just making music there, by myself. Those were the best moments. It was a good way to be inspired by something else, the energy from a differ ent landscape.” For those who enjoy the album, the quote might explain the vastness of the melodies and overall ambient feeling the album conveys. For those of you who don’t, however, it will explain how repetitive and cliche the album actually is.
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The power of We By KAREN HAYNES
They came from over 200 southern Ontario schools and returned home inspired to change the world. In its fifth year, We Day, an annual youth empowerment event, will travel across Canada and bring together over 62,000 students in Vancouver, Toronto, Waterloo Region, Winnipeg and Montreal by March
2012. We Day in Waterloo Region inspired over 6,000 students at the Kitchener Auditorium on Nov. 16 who learned about the world’s most pressing issues, including world droughts, human rights, child soldiers, Canada’s Aboriginal people and HIV-AIDS, and how they as a collective group have the power to make a change. The power of “we,” thinking and acting as a group, was the thread that knit together each speaker and entertainer of the day. “You are the architects of the future. You are the title generation that will change the course of history,” said
Mia Farrow, actress, activist and a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, as she support ed the cause of refugees in countries struggling with conflict. Students were encouraged by the event’s organizers, Craig and Marc Kielburger, co-founders of international children’s charity, Free the Children, to return home and participate in the We Schools in Action program. Last year students involved in the program raised $2 million to support local initiatives and $3.4 million to support global causes, said the Kielburger brothers. Looking forward, motiva tional speaker Spencer West, who learned to walk on his hands after losing his legs at the age of five, chal lenged the students at the Aud to redefine what’s possi ble. “I stand here as living proof that we can redefine what’s possible,” he said. West plans to climb Africa’s tallest moun tain, Mount Kilimanjaro, with two friends in June
2012.
PHOTOS BY KAREN HAYNES
Students wait outside the Kitchener Aud on Nov. 16 for We Day to begin.
The day’s keynote speakers included Magic Johnson and Canadian Lt.-Gen. Romeo Dallaire and featured enter tainment by Shawn Desman, Neverest and The Midway State. The event was primarily sponsored by Research in Motion and had free admis sion.
Kilby'S back on Wii Get ready for an adventure with Kirby that was 11 years in the making. Kirby’s Return to Dreamland first started development in 2000, right after Kirby 64 was released. In 2006 the game was taken off the list of releases for the Nintendo GameCube. A year later, when most people were expecting it to be out on the Nintendo Wii, it again failed to appear. Finally on Oct. 24, 2011, the long awaited game hit the shelves and promptly flew off them. The game opens with a spaceship crashing into the planet Pop Star. Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede and a waddle dee go to investigate the crash site. There they find Magolor, a resident from another dimension, out exploring the universe. He asks them to retrieve the pieces of his ship, the Lor Starcutter, that were scatted over the planet’s surface. Kirby is more than happy to help and sets off on his adventure. Kirby’s friends only truly appear in the opening cutscene although they appear in co-op mode acting like a permanent form of one
Jake Davidson
Opinion of K rby’s abilities. Meta Knight is Sword, Dedede is Hammer and waddle dee is Spear. K rby has also gained some new enemies to inhale and steal new powers from. Spear can go through walls and kill several enemies at the same time. Leaf allows you to hide behind a bush or summon a vortex of leaves to slice everything but your friends to pieces. Super enemies who give enhanced powers when inhaled appear in certain lev els. With Ultra Sword, K rby summons one of several large weapons to slice ropes and any hapless creatures that are in the way. Snow Bowl turns K rby into a ball of snow to roll over obstacles. The visuals are beautiful. The designers clearly spent hours perfecting everything. Normal levels are usually very bright and colourful, with some of the enemies
looking like a box of crayons exploded on them. The later levels are full of fire and machinery, which, while cartoonish, are very detailed down to the smallest crack and screw. The bonus areas are mostly grey and have odd backgrounds reminiscent of a whirlpool made of lines being sucked into a point of light. Playing with your friends is exciting and enjoyable. Players can be one of K rby’s friends or another differently coloured Krby. Up to four players can work together to explore areas and crush ene mies. Players can ride on another player’s back to form a totem pole if you have enough people. You can also perform a combination attack by holding down the correct button and releasing it in sync with your friends. K rby’s Return to Dreamland is something any one who enjoys running, jumping and exploring-type games should play. It may have taken over a decade to be released but that time was spent making this a feast for the eyes and fun for anyone who picks up the con troller. I give this game a 9.5 out of 10.
A student participates in the activities of We Day, an annual youth empowerment event. He was one of 6,000 students from over 200 southern Ontario high schools who attended.
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PHOTOS BY JEFF BOMBEN
Above: Grant Vlasic, Brandan Clarke and Rajvir Singh, all third-year students, offered advice to students before they showed off their Rube Goldberg designs on Nov. 18 at the Cambridge campus. Right: Spider-Man was the head man for leading team Ramrod’s Rube Goldberg design.
Building a better mousetrap By JEFF BOMBEN
The pressure was on. With only 32 seconds to prove themselves, Conestoga students showed off their Rube Goldberg designs, leaving the school buzzing. Goldberg was an American cartoon ist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor, who was best known for his cartoons featuring complex gadgets that performed simple tasks in indi rect, convoluted ways. These devices are now known as Rube Goldberg machines. 'A t the Cambridge campus on Nov. 18, the mechanical engineering tech nology — robotics and automation second-year students showed off their
Student design project challenging Rube Goldberg machines. Each one had to have eight stages. For the final stage, the students had to find a way to transfer coffee into a cup. For extra marks, the students were challenged to slide a doughnut onto a plate. The students only had 32 sec onds to complete the task. They were given three weeks, no budget and little class time to plan and design the machines. The stu dents were divided into small groups to complete the task. For some, they found it to be a real challenge. This included Kelly Hornblower who was wearing a cape
during the event. He talked about his group’s struggle to put the project together. “It was both difficult and fun. The planning was amazing, it was great to plan it out but it was so hard to get all the pieces to work together, especially the mousetraps,” he said. “It was hard but in the same frame, it was just entertaining to do some thing completely ridiculous for once.” Engineer-technology teacher, Henry Kastner, was excited to see every thing in motion. As the students were being judged, only a few teams had slips up and
each team showed a strong knowledge of what they were doing. David Zivoin of team Ramrod said members did a great job listening to each other and made late changes when they needed to. He said by the end of the week everyone was so drained but they knew that they needed to stick together and finish the project. Zivoin had a blast with the project and said he cannot wait until round two. “It was a lot of fun, I loved it. We tried to incorporate a couple of things. I am happy with the water levels and the marbles racing. The only thing we failed was the mousetrap and maybe on round 2,” Zivion said.
Team Angry Pirates used a golf ball in their design.
Kelly Hornblower, Michael Bourque, Donovan Leeming and Matt Henry, all MET robotics and automation students, pose for a photo after showing off their designs.
SPORTS
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Condors bring home the silver By JAKE ROBINSON
This is what movies are made of - a first year sports team, clearly the underdog, playing in the gold medal game against the defending champions. The Conestoga Condors won silver in women’s rugby as they lost 24-19 against Humber in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship game on Nov. 13. The game was the third time Conestoga and Humber played each other this season; Humber won all three of the
games on their way to an undefeated season. Conestoga had a strong start to the season, winning their first two games against Seneca and Mohawk. However, they followed with a three-game losing streak, two of the games being against Humber, but pulled it back together as they defeat ed Mohawk 70-12 on Oct. 29. The Condors finished the reg ular season with a 3-3 record, placing second in the West Region Conference. The team’s first playoff game was against the East Region’s top team, St.
Lawrence. Conestoga won 3522 at the Nov. 6, match. The team’s season also saw some great individual per formances as flanker Danielle Pauze was named the OCAA player of the week after she scored the game-winning try in the first game of the sea son. Athletic director Marlene Ford was happy with the team’s performance as this was the first season that Conestoga participated in women’s rugby. “I am extremely proud of how well the girls did this year,” she said. “For a first-
year team and a first-year program it was a positive start and women’s rugby has a bright future at Conestoga.” Paul Osborne, director of athletics and recreation, com plimented the team on their progression throughout the season. “It has been an amazing inaugural season,” he said. “We went from wondering how many would show up for tryouts to fighting to the last second of the last game for the gold medal. The players and coaches worked very hard all season and deserved the success they achieved.”
The Condors were hopeful before the season began as the team’s assistant coach, first-year general arts and science student Brittany Conrad, said that they were “going for gold.” The head coach, Josh Kirk, also noticed the team’s talent prior to the season and pre dicted correctly when he said that they expected to finish in the top two in their divi sion. Although they didn’t strike gold, they secured silver and showed they are one of the powerhouses in the West Region.
Conestoga lets one slip away By JEFF BOMBEN
A few spikes away from vic tory, the lady Condors showed lots of determination but let one slip away during a thrilling five set loss to Mohawk College. The Conestoga College women’s volleyball team host ed their home opener on Nov. 16 as they played the Mohawk Mountaineers. Conestoga lost the five-set match, 21 to 25, 25 to 12, 18 to 25, 27 to 25 and finally 18 to 20. First-year head coach, Marek Gwozdz said after the game, “It’s a -heart-breaking loss. Everyone thought we had it but I guess we didn’t come through at the end. I think what really let us down was the execution in the critical moments.” After winning the second set, Conestoga couldn’t keep the momentum as the
Mountaineers took control of the third set and looked determined to win the match. But the Condors dug deep in the fourth set to extend the match to a fifth set. The thrilling fourth set included continuous lead changes, lots of timeouts and multiple rallies. The Condors fought their way through the set and came out on top 2725, after winning the final three points. With the support of the spectators during the fifth and final set, Conestoga looked determined to steal the match away from the Mountaineers. The Condors started slow and it looked like it was going to be a quick set. However, they rallied and continued their strong play by taking a brief lead but couldn’t hold on. Conestoga excelled at their defensive game but, accord
ing to coach Gwozdz, it’s still something that they need to work on and it’s something that the team will continue to practise moving forward. The Condors struggled to put the Mountaineers away, Gwozdz said. Their attacks were considered weak and the players didn’t score allowing the other team to run their offence more effectively. “In the end that’s what caused us to lose in the fifth set,” he said. The soft-spoken coach was confident that his team will be able turn it around for the next match. “This is the difference between two points; one team has to lose, and one team will win. It’s a hard loss but we will definitely be back against this team and I think we can beat them. Too bad we didn’t do it in the home opener but we will not let that happen again,” he said.
PHOTO BY JEFF BOMBEN
Second-year student, Danielle Pauze, spikes the ball during a game at the college on Nov. 16.
PHOTO BY JEFF BOMBEN
Tiffany Pinksen (left to right), Danielle Pauze and Samantha Singthong prepare for a serve during their volleyball home opener versus the Mohawk Mountaineers. Left, second-year player Julia Struyf prepares to serve during one of the games.
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