Considering a tattoo? Know the risks and where to go to get the safest service. Page 9
SPOKE
A LEARNING NEWSROOM FOR JOURNALI SM STUDENTS
W ord on the S treet K-W ’s 12th annual literary festival has a new edge. Page 8
PHOTO BY KEILA MACPHERSON
Second-place winner Dane Dillon (left to right), first-place winner Derek Rafla and third-place winner Thom as Yeo stand with their hands held high after being presented with their trophies for the junior (23 years and under) category at the 2012 GNC Ontario Natural Bodybuilding Championship at Mohawk College on Sept. 22.
Conestoga student best in Ontario BY KEILA MACPHERSON
PHOTO BY KEILA MACPHERSON
Conestoga College student Derek Rafla does a side-triceps pose with his trophy after winning the overall m en’s bodybuilding title at the bodybuilding championships.
Conestoga College student Derek Rafla had a hat trick this weekend, but not in a traditional sport such as hockey or soccer. Rafla won first-place trophies in the junior men’s bodybuild ing, light heavyweight and overall men’s bodybuilding categories at the 2012 GNC Ontario Natural Bodybuilding Championship, held at Mohawk College’s McIntyre Theatre on Sept. 22. Rafla came in first place in his weight class and in overall men’s bodybuilding at the Henderson Thome Classic last year and he was a guest poser at the same competition on July 7 in Ancaster. When he performed his routine near the beginning of the Sept. 22 show in the junior (23 years and under) category, Rafla won the crowd over by encouraging cheers and enthusiasm. “I pulled that routine off the top of my head,” Rafla said. Still, the crowd went wild each time he came onto the stage. When the time came to announce the overall bodybuilder title, the crowd was on the edge of their seats in anticipation. Some were shouting Rafla’s competitor num
ber, “One thirty-two! One thir ty-two!” and “Go Derek!” When Rafla was announced as the winner, the theatre erupted into applause, cheers and hollers. “We Are the Champions by Queen played as Rafla received his trophy.
" He definitely has the ability to become a pro bodybuilder... " - Mike McCready After 15 weeks of a strict diet and training regiment, Rafla said it was the best feeling. “There’s no other way to say it: serious euphoria,” he said. He started working out full time to become a bodybuilder after he was injured while on the power lifting team at his high school, Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute in Guelph, when he was 17. After the injury, Rafla said he wanted to keep up his strict diet and exercise regiment, and that’s when he was introduced to body building. Natural bodybuilding is body
building without the use of dmgs or steroids. Competitors are tested by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), the same organi zation that tests Ontario’s Olympic athletes. Gary Aguto and Mike McCready, both bodybuilders and current trainers at Stayfit True 24/7 Gym in Guelph, coached Rafla on pos ing for competitions and helped him with his diet. McCready said all of the hard work that Rafla put into training showed on stage. “He definitely has the ability to become a pro bodybuilder if that’s what he wants to do,” said McCready. Rafla is in his third year of the accounting and audit information technology business program at Conestoga. He said balancing school and training means his life is very scheduled and he lives by strict regiments. “It spills into all aspects of my life. When I’m focused on that it helps me have a really regi mented kind of life. Everything will be scheduled out, like school and homework. I’m always doing something progressive and it keeps me positive. I love it,” Rafla said.
NEWS
Page 2 ♦SPOKE
Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
What is your favourite movie and why?
“The Notebook because I’m a sap for rom ance.” Angie Humphries,
first-year health office administration
“A Walk to Rem ember because it has a good storyline.” Stacey Wushke,
first-year health office administration
“When Harry Met Sally. It’s mine and m y boyfriend’s m ovie.” Shanon Hunter,
first-year media foundations
“Priest because it’s a very gripping storyline. Lots of action.” Cory Kalte,
second-year protection/security and investigation
“Tristan and Isolde. I like that it has not only history but it has romance and action as w ell.” Shaunasee Janssen,
second-year protection/security and investigation
“Top Secret because I never saw a satire film before.” Matt Nixon,
first-year general arts and science
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
Monday, October 1,2012
Spoke TV launches Oct. 10 BY RYAN BOWMAN
Since 1968, Conestoga College’s newspaper, Spoke, has been a cornerstone of the school’s journalism program. Now, nearly half a century later, the college is bolstering its brand with the launch of Spoke TV. Spoke TV is a new compo nent of the journalism broad cast program for students in their final year. The weekly webcast, which will begin airing Oct. 10, will consist of six 90-second news pack ages produced entirely by the students. The live-to-tape broadcast will be recorded on Tuesdays and uploaded to www.spokeonline.com within 24 hours. Rachelle Cooper, who has been teaching in Conestoga’s School of Media and Design since 2007, pitched the idea of the webcast to journalism co ordinator Larry Cornies last spring. “I always thought the broad cast journalism students were at a bit of a disadvantage,” Cooper said, comparing them to their print program coun terparts. According to Cooper, the opportunity to work on the school newspaper gives the college’s journalism print students not only valuable industry experience, but also a solid portfolio of clippings to present to potential employ ers. Broadcast students, on the other hand, graduated with lots of radio experience but very little in television. Cornies agreed, adding that the pressures of working in a newsroom environment better prepares students for careers upon graduation. “Our journalism broadcast students will get to under stand more fully what it means to identify with an audience, work with a producer in tai loring stories for that audi ence, delivering their product to industry standards, then being responsive to the audi ence and accountable for their work.” While other colleges across
Ontario have adopted a tele vision component into their journalism programs, Cooper said none are of the quality she envisions for Conestoga. “A lot of colleges have news shows, but the brand is not very established from year to year. In my research, I couldn’t really find a program of the quality I’m trying to strive for.” Cooper, who worked as a producer for Canada AM and CTV National News, said she spent much of the summer designing the program. Her first goal as executive produc er of Spoke TV is to establish a tone and an image for the newscast. “The target audience is col lege students, so we want sto ries that will appeal to their demographic,” she said. “I don’t want it to be a stuffy newscast, wearing suits and acting formal. I want it to appeal to our demographic so I think the stories will be more fun, the language will be less formal and it will appeal to students.” The program is structured in a way that will allow stu dents to gain experience in a multitude of roles, including anchor, reporter, videographer, assignment editor, news director, technical producer and online producer. In addi tion to covering three beats each, the students will rotate positions every week. To give them as real a work experi ence as possible, the program will also include writing and social media components. “Eventually they’ll have to tweet about each of their stories,” Cooper said. “I also want them to write small syn opses about their stories for the website. Those are both things broadcast journalists are expected to do. You can’t just shoot and edit to tell a story, you’ve got to write about it as well.” Mike Szeles, a second-year broadcast journalism student, said he is looking forward to taking ownership of the prod uct his class puts online. “The fact that we really get
to make our own newscasts, start to finish, is exciting. We get to play all the different roles and do it all.” As for the role he’s most excited about? “Anchor would be fun,” Szeles said, “but I think I’m looking most forward to being news director. I’m a perfec tionist and I think I can coax people to do what needs to be done.” One of the issues in decid ing whether or not to launch Spoke TV was whether it could potentially create com petition with the print stu dents and their weekly news paper. “The answer, of course, is no,” said Cooper. “We have the same mandate, which is to inform the college commu nity about what’s going on in the college. It’s all for the greater good of the college.” Cornies said the convergence between the print and broad cast programs will both build the Spoke brand and strength en the online presence of the program as a whole. “It also reinforces the notion among our students that, in today’s journalistic environ ment, all journalists must learn to deliver stories using a variety of different tools and techniques,” he added. As far as objectives for the program go, Cooper expects the experience will give her students a leg up on gradu ates from other colleges. “Your portfolio now is so important. It’s what spe aks for you,” she said. “If you can say, I was a videographer for Spoke TV’ as opposed to T did stories for my news produc tion class,’ it’s completely dif ferent.” Szeles said there is some pressure being one of Spoke TV’s guinea pigs, but it’s an experience he hopes to embrace rather than fear. “Hopefully being the first guys doing it we don’t sink the ship before it sets sail,” he said. “I would really like to knock it out of the park and set a hurdle for next year’s class to follow.”
NEWS
Monday, October 1, 2012
SPOKE ♦Page 3
Z o m b ie s to invade Cambridge BY ROB MENDONSA
Zombies and zombie killers are planning to invade the streets of Cambridge on Oct. 13 in search of organs, but they are not for eating. These zombies are on the march for the Kidney Foundation of Canada, helping raise organ donation awareness, and just having a good old zombie time. The dead are scheduled to meet at the Hespeler Masonic Hall at 1 Groh Ave. (across from the Tim Hortons) at 2 p.m., where they will crawl or shuffle down Queen Street to the downtown area then loop around back to the hall where an after-party concert is scheduled to take place. The zombie walk itself is free to anyone wishing to partici pate, but the concert, which features four local bands, is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. The zombie walk is being organized by the merchants of the village of Hespeler, which is part of Cambridge, in par ticular Alison Saunders of Rowan Photography Studio, Kerri Mercer of Black Orchid Designs and Jodi Cross of The Cat, The Book and The Candle.
Various customers have expressed interest in a walk after hearing about one in Toronto. The whole zom bie culture has increased in popularity, which included requests to Rowan’s Studio for Santa zombie Christmas cards.
“It’s going to be a weird and wacky time of pre-Halloween craziness where Hespeler gets ravaged by a bunch of zombie wannabes. I’m glad to be a part of a creative and stranger way of doing some thing that includes music, art and community,” said VandenBerg. As well as just a fun event the zombie walk is also being used as a way to bring aware ness to the organ donation problem in Canada. According to Candice Coghlan, the funds develop ment officer for the Western Ontario chapter of the Kidney Foundation, on average, 4,300 Canadians are waiting for organ transplants. Of those, 80 per cent are waiting for a kidney. Also, every day 16 people are told that their kid neys are failing. These are all sobering statistics that most people aren’t aware of until it hits someone close to you. “This is just a great way to raise awareness and bring PHOTO BY ROB MENDONSA a comical note to something Alison Saunders takes a bite out of Kerri Mercer during some pre that isn’t all that humour zombie walk fun at Rowan Photography Studio’s in the village of ous, especially when it affects Hespeler, which is located in Cambridge, on Sept. 23. someone you love,” said Coghlan. For this reason people are “When we first s ta rt artists,” said Saunders. ing talking about this we The four bands playing at reminded that your driver’s thought this was the first one the after party are Alanna licence is no longer used to in Cambridge but we quick Krajewski, Credit Valley, notify emergency personnel ly found out that there had Valkyrie and Save The of your desire to donate your been attempts in the past Humans. Daryl VandenBerg, organs. Instead you should a second-year journal register at www.beadonor.ca with limited success. “Zombiewalk came togeth ism-broadcast student at during the walk where there er very quickly between the Conestoga College, is a mem will be computer stations set business holders with the ber of Save The Humans, up where people can register idea that we wanted to tie the which, given the event, is an online. community to business and appropriate name for a band. Also along the route, the
Iron Chef competition Oct. 4 each restau ran t,” said Philippe Saraiva, professor As the largest Bavarian fes and program co-ordinator of tival in North America, this Conestoga’s culinary arts pro year’s Kitchener-Waterloo gram, adding that extra stu Oktoberfest is likely to be dents will be on site to make another unforgettable cele sure the event runs smoothly. bration. And while the festival While the competition’s does not officially kick off until “secret” ingredient - Ontario Oct. 5, Conestoga College’s turkey - is not so secret, culinary arts students will according to Saraiva, the start their Oktoberfesting restaurants are only given a early, and in a tasty way. week’s notice to come up with On Oct. 4, the students their ideas. “They are only given the will participate in the second annual Iron Chef competition. main protein,” Saraiva said. The event, which will take “All the rest is provided by place at Bingemans’ Marshall the restaurants, and they can Hall in Kitchener, will feature bring anything they want.” Not only is this event an some of K-W’s most talented chefs, including those from exciting opportunity for the Bauer Kitchen, Blackshop public to come out and taste Restaurant, Borealis Grille some great food, but it is a & Bar, Gusto Catering unique experience for the stu Company Inc., King Street dents who are taking part. “This competition will give Trio, Lancaster Smokehouse, Sole Restaurant and Wine students a different way Bar, Verses, Waterloo Inn of looking at things,” said & Conference Centre and Borealis Grille & Bar’s head chef, John-David Jacobsen, Wildcraft. “About five to six stu adding that it is a positive dents will be paired with educational experience for BY CALEIGH MCLELLAND
these students to be working with different chefs. This will be Jacobsen’s first year competing in the Iron Chef competition, but with originality and 13 years of experience as a head chef behind him, Jacobsen is con fident that his team will win. “I am going to bring some thing that no one else will focus on,” said Jacobsen. Along with the celebrity judges, audience members will also have the opportu nity to share their opinions on which team they think should receive the award for the sec ond annual Oktoberfest Iron Chef. Tickets are $65 per person or $800 for a reserved table of 10 people and can be pur chased online at www.bingemans.com. Last year’s Iron Chef com petition raised $10,000 for scholarships for students in Conestoga’s culinary and hos pitality programs. This year, co-ordinators hope to raise between $15,000 and $20,000.
Kidney Foundation will have donation boxes and will be selling glow sticks for the kids to help raise money for the foundation. A makeup artist will be available one hour before the walk for those looking to get especially ghoulish with pack ages ranging from “two feet under to four feet under, all the way to six feet under.” As well, Saunders will be avail able at the hall and have the photo studio set up for anyone looking to have their zombie look saved for future admira tion. People can expect to see everyone from little kids to seniors and everyone inbetween. Organizers remind people to dress according to weather conditions and said that props are great but remember that arms or legs may seem like a good prop idea, but after you’ve walked for half an hour carrying them you may not feel the same way. Also, don’t forget your water bottles, as organizers don’t want any real people lying on the streets due to dehydration. The concert is all-ages and tickets can be bought at the following locations: Rowan Photography Studio,Black Orchid Designs,The Cat The Book & The Candle, Maskerade Manor, Pops Music Shop, Java Garden, Millpond Records and Books, Spun Turtle, 2nd Star To the Right, Krajewski Gallery, The Vault, Dehleas Boutique and Natural Vibe. Tickets are limited.
Fire in smokestack causes Doon road closure BY KRIS MANUEL
A small fire at the powerhouse on Doon campus Sept. 26 forced the main road and pathways to be closed. The fire was reported to Security and Parking Services at about 3:10 p.m. “There wasn’t a lot of smoke at all because it was in the smokestack,” said Barb Eichholz, supervisor at security servi ces. “There were employees in the powerhouse but there were no injuries and no health concerns.” The Kitchener fire department responded with its aerial lad der truck and staff from Facilities Management were also on the scene. The cause is still under investigation.
_________ videos_____ On Spoke Online (www.spokeonline.com) this week: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Get som e health tips for cold and flu season. Conestoga celebrates its fifth anniversary of the Respect Campaign. Guelph eliminates plastic bags with a new garbage bin program. Learn all about what Disability Services has to offer. Intramural indoor soccer kicks off.
COMMENTARY
Page 4 ♦SPOKE
Monday. October 1,2012
Occupy movement has people talking BY HEATHER KENNERY
“We are the 99 per cent!” This phrase was shouted in financial districts around the world one year ago. The Occupy movement start ed gaining leverage in New York, as thousands of regular Joes and Jills stood on Wall Street, trying to bring awareness and change to the financial injustice of big corporations getting tax benefits, and this little piggy getting none. They spoke of how governments were openly allowing the rich to get richer, while at the same time the poor got poorer. Now the question is, one year after the Occupy move ment started, what change did it really bring? In all honesty nothing really has changed. It did start a conversation - conversation that we think was needed. After the global recession ended in 2009 many cor porations were shaken, some even crumbled. Some companies were able to pick up where they left off, but others were helped by governments which paid off their debts. This all happened while thousands of people were forced into bankruptcy, losing their homes. After learning what a CEO really makes, includ ing their yearly bonuses, people got informed, and angry. The Occupy movement wants that wealth shared equally. According to an Aug. 22 Globe and Mail arti cle, “Statistics Canada numbers show Canadian nonfinancial corporations with a cash hoard of $526 bil lion at the end of the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 43 per cent since the recession ended in 2009.” Why is all this money just sitting around rather than being put back into the pockets of the people who need it most? The Occupy movement today is still making people talk, especially about financial fairness. As people say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Change may take a long time, but that doesn’t mean we stop trying. Keeping this conversation at the forefront will make a difference. Let’s just hope it’s sooner rather than later. 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. Email letters to: www.spokeonline.com with the subject line “Letter to the Editor,” or bring them to Room 1C30 at the Doon campus.
There are advantages to adopting an older dog over a puppy.
You can always teach old dogs new tricks Most kids grow up wanting a dog for a companion. But when they get said dog, it is usually a puppy because, for whatever reason, people seem to think that it is easier to train a puppy than a fullgrown dog. This isn’t true. You can always teach an old dog a new trick. Dogs of all ages are smart and with a little consistent training they’ll learn quickly what is OK and what is not OK to do. You can compare it to raising a toddler because you would have to teach the child what is right and what is wrong. And, there definitely are some great perks that come with adopting older dogs. For instance, they know they’re supposed to go out side to do their business, because usually a previous owner has trained them to do this. A second perk is they are not as expensive as getting a puppy. The price for a puppy, especially if it’s a purebred,
able because everything would be new to him or her; the house, the people, the yard and maybe even anoth Kelsey Heeley er animal. Opinion I have personal experience with adopting an older dog. I got my shepherd-collie cross from the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society when she can be $1,500 or higher. was two years old. I won’t lie, The price doesn’t include their shots or spaying or neu it got frustrating sometimes but she did catch on pretty tering. quick and she already knew how to get along with other animals. I think it was the Dogs of all ages " better choice. All dogs deserve a loving are smart and with home, so for those of you who a little consistent training are considering getting one, why not stop by your local they’ll learn quickly." humane society and take a look at some older animals who will truly appreciate it and love you for it. One last perk is that older The humane society in dogs will often have experi Kitchener-Waterloo is located ence being around children. at 250 Riverbend Dr. They will know how to You can contact them by handle and react to children much better than a puppy. phone at 519-745-5615 or by email at info@kwhumane. A puppy would be far more com. hyperactive and unpredict
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STUDENT LIFE
Monday, October 1,2012
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
Healthy food closer than you think BY HEATHER KENNEDY
The first month of school is coming to an end, and some students are still learning how to live on their own for the first time. Making meals is often one of the biggest adjustments. It’s why so many students rely on Kraft Dinner. In reality students can make healthier meals. With local farmers and mar kets surrounding K-W, we are given multiple options to choose healthier and more sus tainable ways to eat. Foodlink Waterloo Region is a non-prof it group that promotes eating locally. On their website www. foodlink.ca, they talk about why knowing where your food is grown is important. It says that local food not only tastes better due to having less pre servatives, but it also helps to support local businesses and decrease your personal eco logical footprint. An ecological footprint measures how much natural resources you use, and how that affects Earth’s ability to continuously renew those resources. From filling up your tank with gas, heating your home, and even knowing where your clothes are sewn and shipped from; becoming informed is never a bad thing. Conestoga College is joining the local food wagon too. With a new garden, Conestoga Acres, which blossomed this summer, students are learn ing how to grow their own food, and enjoy it too. Jana Vodicka, environmental co ordinator for Conestoga College, is helping to bring awareness to students about sustainable food. “It’s really about taking con trol over one of the most fun damental life necessities, and finding out that it’s not that difficult,” said Vodicka. After starting the garden, Vodicka said choosing local should really be an easy one. “It’s our choice of purchase that determines what farm ers will grow and if they will grow anything. Supporting the local farmers supports our community and our overall health,” she said. When choosing local food one option is visiting the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. It is open on Thursdays and Sundays, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and offers an abundance of fresh and locally grown veg gies, fruits and meat. Going to a farmers’ market is a great way to see how much
PHOTO BY JESSICA REDIKER
When cram sessions take their toll it’s easy to turn to a caffeine and sugar rush, but this isn’t necessarily efficient.
Eating healthy not hard BY JESSICA REPIKER
PHOTOS BY HEATHER KENNERY
William Mane, a local farmer in K-W, shows off his produce at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market on Sept. 15.
local farmers depend on their community. The market also gives students a cost-effective way to eat healthier food. Jillian Moffatt, a practical nursing student in her first year, said being a student means looking at the dollar signs. “I’m price driven right now. If the price was right on local food I would choose it, but it’s about the money.” If you’re a student who is using the bus to get around, you can also find local food at the grocery store. Stickers on food tell you where it is being farmed, and, therefore, how far it has travelled before it ends up on your plate. A few kilometres is always better than a few thousand kilometres. HERE’S WHAT’S IN SEASON NOW ■ Apples, bok choy, sweet corn, tomatoes (field), cucumbers (field), green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, radishes, onions, celery, lettuce, spinach, peppers (field), squash, pumpkin, potatoes, leeks, sweet potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, garlic and mushrooms.
Whether you slept in and forgot to pack a lunch (for the fourth time in a week,) or you’re living with roommates who constantly steal your food, purchasing your meals can be a common choice, but it doesn’t have to be an unhealthy one. Navigating your way through the sea of options to the selec tion of healthy menu items available at Tim Hortons, Pizza Pizza, Mr. Sub and the main cafeteria can be difficult. Temptation lurks around every corner, waiting to pull its vic tims into a world of chocolate, trans fat and soft drinks. In a moment of cram-ses sion exhaustion, it is easy to reach for a sugar rush, but this is one of the common temptations students should fight off, according to Katie Neve, president of An Apple a Day Nutrition, a nutrition centre in Kitchener that helps clients achieve their dietary and health goals. “When we eat too many car bohydrates, which may come in the form of breads, pizza dough, pastries or, in its pur est form, simple sugar, then we tend to have high spikes in our energy levels and then large crashes. The body is only designed to process carbohydrates in two-hour stints,” she said, explaining that taking in a lot of sugar will only ever give a two-hour “high,” followed by a crash. This is why protein is the nutrient a student should reach for, especially when they are lacking sleep. “Protein helps to level out these sugar spikes in our bloodstream,” Neve said, add ing that protein can come not only from meats, but nuts, seeds and cheeses. However, carbs should not be avoided, and according to Neve, should actually make up about 50 per cent of a meal, while only 30 per cent of the meal should be protein. The other 20 per cent should be made up of good fats such as those found in cheeses or meats. So what are the best dining
options to fulfill the recom mended plate proportions? Eric Wood, executive chef at Conestoga College, said the easiest way to eat a nutritious meal is to buy food from plac es where there is an element of personal control over what goes onto the plate. “The first place you should come if you’re really inter ested in health is the stir-fry station, because it’s entirely customizable,” said Wood, adding that there is a selec tion of fresh vegetables and meats available. However, Wood does not see eating healthy as any hard and fast rule, he believes in personal responsibility. “No one should be sur prised that burgers and fries are not the greatest things in the world to put in your body, but I think that people should be allowed to please themselves and practise things in moderation,” said Wood, who is responsible for the planning and creation of Menutainment’s daily spe cials. Neve agrees that modera tion is important and that pleasing yourself with a treat now and again isn’t all bad. “I always encourage people to have a guilty pleasure food that they treat themselves to once a week ... It’s amazing how knowing you have a treat coming will make you stick to your guns,” said Neve, who approves of a weekly trip to Pizza Pizza as a treat food, but recommends opting for a slice with lots of veggies. Mr. Sub, Tim Hortons and Coyote Jack’s are all safe des tinations as well, as long as students are choosing items that are high in carbs and protein, and low in fatty extras such as creamy salad dressings and fried foods. Above all else, both Wood and Neve stress that eating with nutrition top of mind is not an exact science, and each person is different. Personal preference, dietary concerns and convenience all vary from person to person, and when someone is unsure of what options are available, they should ask a chef.
Page 6 ♦SPOKE
FEATURE
Monday, October 1,2012
It’s never too late to succeed BY KRISTIN MILAN!
PHOTO BY KRISTIN MILANI
Even after a long day of class, web development student Paul Ramcharitar spends his leisure time on the computer.
From tragedy to recov ery and success, Paul R am charitar has proven that it’s not impossible to get back on your feet. Not only a Conestoga com puter application develop ment student, he is also a Learning Commons English conversation partner and a former summer intern. In May 2012, he started working alongside four other interns to help create the new Virtual Learning Commons service for stu dents. During the summer he did a lot of hard work including HTML coding. While working in the Learning Commons, he said the most gratifying experi ence was during the final summer intern meeting. “We shared our experienc es and what we learned. I felt very grateful for all of the support from all of the staff as well as my fellow interns.” Even while being a father of two young girls, he is an accomplished student and is on the Dean’s List at Conestoga with a 3.91 grade point average. Senior web developer/ analyst Andreas Kyriacou was there to guide and assist Ram charitar during his internship, and said Ramcharitar seemed to be very passionate about what he was doing. “He always seemed very interested to learn and to prove himself,” he said. Ramcharitar first realized he was good with comput ers when he was 12 years old. He became interested in word processing programs, the paint program and video games. Since then, comput ers have always been a key part of his life. In 1991, he began study ing at McMaster University for his bachelor of science degree. After graduating in 1996, he changed course and went to Bible college in Calgary, Alta, to become a pastor. He decided not to finish. Instead, he returned to Ontario and went to Shaw College for computer n et working, his first post-grad uate program. In 1999, he graduated as valedictorian and was on the Dean’s List. Ju st before graduation, he got a job at Canadian Automobile Association’s inform ation technology branch. After, he contin ued doing contract work then later worked for the Waterloo Regional Police. He spent four years as a consultant for the collision reporting centre. One of his
tasks included entering data into spreadsheets for motor vehicle collision reports. Although he has accom plished a lot in his life, it didn’t come without difficult setbacks. On July 14, 1994 around 3 a.m., he had just finished his night shift as a security guard and sta rt ed driving home. He later gained consciousness in the hospital. Doctors couldn’t exactly tell what happened but speculated that he fell asleep behind the wheel before hitting a concrete post. His family doctor said he was a walking miracle. “It was a very gruesome ordeal,” Ramcharitar said. He later found out th at he had punctured his right lung, had a hairline frac ture in his arm, shattered some bones in his left foot and broke his upper jaw and many bones in his face including his nose. He spent a week and a half in inten sive care and two and a half weeks in the burn and traum a unit. “My mom said when she first saw me in the hospital, she could only recognize me from my feet. It was that bad but I am here to live and tell the story.” He had reconstructive sur gery to his face as a result of the accident. His upper and lower jaw had to be wired together, wiring was done above his eye and a metal plate was placed near his cheekbone. The nerves in his left eye were damaged which affected his periph eral vision for the past 18 years. Due to the nerve damage, it took him five years to com plete a three-year program at McMaster because of how difficult reading was. He still has double vision when looking down and struggles with exercise because of the damage to his foot. He has also been living with Type 2 diabetes since 2007. After finishing his cur rent postgraduate program, he hopes to own his own business as an educator in web design, web technolo gies and potentially educa tional technology. He wants to help people who want to web design or just use the Internet. “My dream job would mean that I’m happy with what I’m doing,” he said. He has also considered sta rt ing a non-profit organization to teach seniors in nursing or retirement homes. “There are always people who want to learn the soft ware or they want to design something but they just can’t afford to do it.”
NEWS
Monday, October 1,2012
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First years at risk o f assault BY LINDSAY TESSiER
The first year of college or university can be an exciting time, but it’s also when young women are most at risk of sexual assault. “The post-secondary expe rience can be the highlight of many young people’s lives, but unfortunately, statistics show that every year some will be sexually assaulted,” said Casey Cruikshank, direc tor of the Waterloo Region Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre. Many students have never been away from home and are unaccustomed to their new found independence and some may be experimenting with
alcohol and sexual activity for the first time. “We know from our stats that first-year students are more vulnerable and at risk and we wanted to reach out to them and let those who are assault ed know that we’re here to help,” said Cruikshank. Last year, the centre helped about 200 victims of sexual assault - a third of whom were between the ages of 17 and 25. According to Statistics Canada, one in three women will experience some form of sexual assault after the age of 16, but fewer than one in 10 are reported to police. While common safety tips - such as walking with a friend or avoiding binge
Security Services looks to improve parking experience BY KRIS MANUEL
As another school year began so too did long line ups, including those at the bookstore, at Tim Hortons and, for those who drive to school, at the parking permit desk. However, Safety and Security Services has been working to make purchasing parking permits easier for stu dents. This year they created a new online system. Instead of filling out a hard-copy form to get a parking permit, stu dents were directed to the nearby laptops or they could purchase their parking pass online in advance to avoid lin ing up. Don Willis, the director of Safety and Security Services at Conestoga College, said this new system has been working really well this year. “The other thing that we’re offering too this year, which is something new, is that you’ll be able to pur chase your permits online all year.” Willis said online sales usually only last for a certain time period and stop around the first week of classes in September. However, students are now able to purchase online if they decide to buy a parking permit anytime during the year. “We’re trying to improve customer service,” he said. One issue students continue to have is the cost of park
ing permits. Leah Feeney, a first-year bachelor of science in nursing student, said, “It’s really expensive to park here for the eight months of the year that we’re here.” A permit for an annual des ignated lot including HST costs $444 and a semi-annual permit costs $235. Willis said he has heard that before, but explained the reason they charge for park ing permits is to help pay for parking lot costs such as the lights, security guards, paving the parking lots and painting lines. However, the cost of parking permits did not increase very much this year. “We’ve hardly had any com plaints about the cost of the permits this year and that’s a first,” he said. Willis said the goal is to look at other ways to run the school parking system more efficiently. “Right now the college money goes to your educa tional experience, and that’s the priority. So things like parking, I do my best to run at the most efficient cost so that I don’t have to take money from the educational end of it.” Feeney also said she thought that Safety and Security Services did a good job main taining the parking systems and ticketing drivers who park without a permit. “It’s a pain in the butt for them but I like it,” she said.
drinking — are good ideas, they are not guarantees,” said Cruikshank. “People who follow all the rules still get assaulted,” she said. “It’s the perpetra tor who is to blame, not the victim.” The centre offers services in the emergency departments of St. Mary’s and Cambridge Memorial hospitals. Victims of sexual assault or domes tic violence will receive rapid access to a specially trained nurse and social worker. They are treated in a safe space away from the bustle of the emergency room that offers quiet and privacy. The care team provides emotional support, medical
examination and collection of forensic evidence to those who have been sexually assaulted. They also provide ongoing counselling and can link vic tims to community services. The team also works closely with Waterloo Regional Police to support those who choose to report an attack. Barb Eichholz, the security and parking supervisor at Conestoga College, said there are many services in place on campus to help keep students safe. The Walksafe service pro vides escorts to staff, stu dents and visitors at Doon campus during the school year between the hours of 6:45 p.m. and 10:45
p.m. Monday to Thursday. Walksafe teams are locat ed at Doors 1 and 6 and can escort you anywhere on college property, to the Conestoga College Residence and to nearby homes. Security staff is also present at both Guelph and Waterloo campuses in the afternoons until midnight. Any member of the college community can request a security escort to their vehicles during that time. There are phones in each classroom and 16 emergency phones across campus, includ ing in the parking lots. A push of a button will alert security to where you are so they can respond immediately.
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FEATURE
Monday, October 1,2012
Festival turns anewpage Word on the Street introduces poetry slamming BY RYAN BOWMAN
Much like the leaves chang ing colour or the scent of pump kin spice latte, Kitchener’s Word on the Street festival is a sure sign that summer has begun its annual surrender to autumn. The 12th edition of the city’s literary celebration, which drew hundreds of people to its new downtown location, was held Sept. 23. Despite a bit ter breeze and temperatures around 11 C, event co-ordinator Julie Marshall said the turnout was comparable to last year’s - a feat she attrib uted to the festival’s change of scenery. “Having it right at city hall made it really accessible,” she said. “We thought it was a great way to engage the downtown businesses and add a bit of an urban feel to the festival.” According to Marshall, that desire for an urban feel also spawned Word in the Alley, a new, “edgier” component of the festival which featured a workshop on how to DJ, a Q and A session with a DC comic book artist, and a panel discussion on digital storytell ing. The final performance at Word in the Alley, and per haps the most unique, was a poetry slam featuring local group The Flying Vs. Poetry slamming, which is gaining popularity among urban communities across the country, is essentially com petitive spoken-word poetry. Contestants are given three minutes to perform a poem, often from memory, on which they are rated by a panel of judges and audience reaction. Scores are based on every thing from rhyme and rhythm to tone and syntax to diction and delivery. The Flying Vs, who are preparing to represent Kitchener-Waterloo at next month’s Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Saskatoon, Sask., say they hope to rede fine the landscape of poetry slamming across the country. For starters, said group mem ber Lindsay Jack, they want to change some of the stereo types associated with slam ming. “Slam culture is male domi nated,” said Jack. “The con tent we bring to the stage is considered pretty unique, and our approach to running the events is really different from
Local children’s author and entertainer Erick Traplin gets the kids jumping.
truth, you better be prepared for some feedback.” According to Lee, who has been writing poetry seriously for six years, it can be difficult to decide whether or not your truth is always worth speak ing. “The big question you need to ask before you write a PHOTOS B Y R Y A N B O W M A N poem for the stage,” said Lee, Peter Jarvis, a.k.a. Silver Elvis, busts a move in front of Kitchener City Hall at the city’s 12th annual “is, ‘Am I comfortable sharing Word on the Street Festival S ep t 23.. this?”’ Given the different person alities and life experiences of the Flying Vs, whose ages range from 20 to 32, the group’s content varies great ly; one of the member’s poems tells a comical tale of her “breakup” with gluten and dairy due to a dietary intoler ance, while other monologues explore more serious issues such as body image and capi talism. And while all five members of the group have significant portfolios of poetry and a gen eral sense of which pieces they will recite at any given competition, they say they need to have the flexibility to adapt. “If the poet who went right before us did some patriarchal bullshit poem, we’re gonna pull out a really hard-ass fem inist poem to respond,” Lee Poetry slam m ing team, The Flying Vs, perform at the festival’s new Word in the Alley. Members said. include (left to right) Lindsay Jack, Janice Lee, Beth Murch and J.T. Jones. Wordsmiths at heart, all of what you would see at a run- to your community.” they disapprove of either the the members consider slam of-the-mill slam.” ming an art form in and of One way for the community content or its delivery. Team member Janice Lee to get involved, said Jack, is “We have given our audi itself, but agreed it is not one said the all-female group also to give members of the audi ence tools to negotiate their they want to be defined by. “I don’t consider myself just hopes to make the art form ence a voice, even if they don’t experience, which is part of less about competition and have a microphone. The group community care and keeping a slam poet,” said Jack. “I more about communication. consider myself a storyteller.” does this at their own events it democratic,” Jack said. “It is not first and foremost by promoting a type of audi “If you’re spouting stuff peo a competition with us, it’s ence feedback known in slam ple don’t agree with, they will For more information about a community-building poetry ming circles as “pissed hiss let you know,” added group The Flying Vs and poetry event,” said Lee. “It’s freedom ing,” where audience mem member Beth Murch. “So slamming, visit kwpoetof speech with accountability bers hiss at the poets when if you’re gonna speak your ryslam.com
Monday, October 1.2012
FEATURE
SPOKE ♦Page 9
Think before you ink artist is looking out for the best interests of their clients. Some With yet another new tattoo shop tattoo and piercing businesses are opening its doors in downtown operated in homes and have never Kitchener, the average Conestoga been inspected by Public Health. College student now has dozens of “I ’ve seen all kinds of hor places to choose from to sit down rible stuff,” said Higgins. and get that special piece of ink. “KW-Cambridge has no shortage The problem is that most of them of kitchen magicians and base don’t know what to look for. ment wizards who will chum out Statistics Canada estimated that some haggard, choppy-looking the majority of eligible Canadian stuff. There’s always horror sto voters in the 2012 census would ries.” have a tattoo. This means that Donna Webb has been the views are changing regarding the receptionist at Thrive Studios in tattoo industry, which continues Cambridge for seven years. Being to grow and become more socially on the front line of a tattoo shop acceptable. has taught her a lot about the Gone are the days when only importance of research as well as sailors and bikers would darken the financial commitment of get the doorways of local tattoo par ting a great tattoo. lors, creating a diverse market “This is something that’s going place for a young person looking to be with you for the rest of your for some artwork to call his or her life,” she said. “There’s no msh very own. on it. There’s no price that you Regardless of the continuing shouldn’t be willing to pay to popularity of tattooing and pierc have something that’s beautiful, ing, Ontario is still behind the that means something to you, that times when it comes to regula you’re going to love for the rest of tions. Decisions made before even your life.” Webb said a lot of people try entering a shop can help protect clients from not only getting a to add meaning to their tattoos, bad tattoo, but from serious health something she feels isn’t neces sary. issues. “Celebrating a milestone, cel ebrating someone who you love, celebrating yourself is probably C " elebrating yourself is the best reason for getting a tat probably the best reason too.” Jesse Villemaire, owner of to get a tattoo." Thrive Studios, encourages pro spective clients to visit several - Donna Webb shops and talk to different artists in order to find out what’s ‘right for them. “Find somebody who will talk Health Canada states some prob lems can arise from tattooing, to you about it first instead of including allergies to tattoo pig just mshing and jumping into ments and scar tissue formation, not something,” he said. “I always tell to mention hepatitis C. Malignant people to make a life decision by melanoma, a type of cancer, has also doing research on it.” Villemaire said a lot of people been linked to tattooing. Colin Higgins has been a tattoo have the misconception that they artist for five years and currently can recognize good art or they works out of Berlin Tattoos in know what a tattoo is supposed to look like. This is why looking at downtown Kitchener. According to him, clients need artists’ portfolios is so important. Researching an artist’s work to think long and hard about where they want to spend their money is easier than most people think. in order to get the best results. With pictures, resumes and cus Deciding on the right design is just tomer testimonials readily avail one step in what should be a very able online, there’s no excuse to not educate yourself. thorough process. “There’s a lot of shops out there “If you walk in and you think the shop’s dirty, then it’s defi in the industry now so there’s a nitely dirty,” he said. “Cleanliness lot of people who are starving for should always be the first thing money,” said Villemaire. “It’s a big market. Everybody is trying you’re looking for.” If the shop employees give you to undercut everybody right now.” The first question artists are usu attitude, just leave. “It’s not necessarily that the ally asked is about cost, something customer’s always right, it’s just that can vary greatly from place the fact that (the artists) should be to place. “Never shop by price, shop by appreciative. There are enough jack ass tattoo artists out there who will quality,” said Villemaire. “It’s not treat their clients like dirt because like buying a pair of jeans, you’re they feel like they’re in a position of not just looking for the cheapest authority. They should be nice, they pair and walking out.” Overall, it’s important to ask should be cordial and they should questions. Owners should be listen to what you want.” Unfortunately, not every tattoo proud to show off their steriliza BY WHITNEY SOUTH
PHOTO BY WHITNEY SOUTH
Local tattoo artist Andy Gibson take great care outlining a client’s teacup tattoo at Thrive Studios in Cambridge, Sept. 22.
WHAT YOU NEED TO LOOK FOR Checklist for a safe ink experience:
PHOTO BY WHITNEY SOUTH
Thrive Studios owner Jesse Villemaire is proud of the cleanliness of his shop, something he said should always be a studio’s num ber 1 priority. tion rooms, equipment and the talent of their artists. Villemaire wants people to understand that there are no stupid questions when it comes to per sonal safety. Asking for the shops’ latest autoclave results, watching that only fresh ink is used and sterile needles are opened in front of the client are just some of the
ways to make sure it’s a safe envi ronment.
“This industry is not reg ulated whatsoever, not one piercer or tattoo artist in Ontario has to do any school ing to pierce you or tattoo you,” he warned. “No one is looking out for you except yourself.”
■ Does the artist always wear gloves during each procedure? ■ Do they have an autoclave (a sterilization unit that sterilizes the equipment)? ■ Are the floors and other surfaces clean? ■ Are all of the needles new, disposable and made for single-use only? ■ Is the overall shop clean? ■ Are water, ink, ink cups and gloves used only once? (these items should never be reused) ■ Does the ink used come from a bottle that’s poured into a small cup for each tattoo project? ■ Does the staff appear attentive to your needs and questions? ■ Are needles properly disposed of? ■ Does the artist provide aftercare instructions?
ENTERTAINMENT
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Monday, October 1,2012
Behind the Okfoherfest parade Weiler said even through the stress and organization The one thing everyone of the parade, she likes peo can count on every year ple to see the finished prod in Kitchener-Waterloo is uct. “My favourite part is the Oktoberfest. This year will mark the 43rd annual celebra kids,” she said. “The facial tion of the Bavarian festival, expressions and how excited including the Thanksgiving they get, I’d just like to bottle up their energy and use it on Day parade. However, no one gets to adults sometimes.” She doesn’t think people are see all the time and energy put into the parade before that interested in how much it goes down King Street at work goes into putting a float 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving together, but Eric Scheffler, the vice-chair, has a different Monday. view. “The thing that a lot of peo " The thing that a lot of ple can’t appreciate is the day of,” said Scheffler. “It starts people can’t appreciate at four in the morning and is the day of. It starts at getting everything to come together is really exciting.” four in the morning and He said the job of delegating and co-ordinating is stress getting everything to come ful. It’s the timeline and get together is ting everyone together to get things done that takes time. really exciting." “You got a huge list of things that have to happen,” - Eric Scheffler Scheffler said. “We’ve pulled all-nighters before.” That’s not the way he likes From the signs to the floats, there is a whole team to do things, but this year of about 150 volunteers who they are in really good shape. PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LEFEBVRE There are still unforeseen Eric Scheffler, vice-chair of the parade committee, inspects fioats in the warehouse on Sept. 23 in make the largest parade in Canada happen. They spend issues that could happen, such preparation for the Oktoberfest parade. months planning, organizing as floats breaking down and and putting floats together fixing them on the fly. One This year it will start at Though things may go wrong ries or major issues is always to delight the people lining year the Miss Oktoberfest the corner of Erb and King float blew a belt in the engine and the committee may need a big relief. the street. Entirely run by volunteers, streets in Waterloo and fin Jean Weiler, parade direc as it was going downtown. a contingency plan, the big gest concern is keeping the the parade, more commonly ish at Madison Avenue on But Scheffler is optimistic. tor, said it’s a year-long job. “When things go wrong, volunteers safe. Scheffler said referred to as the Oktoberfest Oct. 8. For a detailed map of “I think a lot of people think the parade just hap we always solve the prob after all is said and done, suc Parade, is broadcast nation the parade route, go to www. pens,” she said. “They call us lems. So far we’ve been very cessfully getting the parade ally and attracts thousands of oktoberfest.ca/parade_map_ popup.html. down the route with no inju spectators. lucky.” the one-day wonders.” BY STEPHANIE
LEFEBVRE
Time for Peter Gabriel’s 'Back to Front’ BY ALLANAH PINHORN
1986 was a big year. The Challenger space shuttle exploded, the Phantom of the Opera debuted in London, England, I was born and Peter Gabriel released “So,” his bestselling and multi-plat inum album. Now, to mark the 25th anni versary of the “So” release, Gabriel has launched “Back to Front,” a North American tour featuring not only the original band members, bass ist Levin, guitarist David Rhodes and drummer Manu Katche, but also the entire album, played front to back, including Gabriel’s arguably biggest hits “Sledgehammer,” “Red Rain,” “Big Time,” “In Your Eyes” and “Mercy Street.” However, the night, hosted at the Air Canada Centre, began on a different note. With no fanfare Gabriel stepped onto the stage, sat down at the piano and pro ceeded to play my personal
favourite, “Come Talk to Me,” a lament about the frustra tions he felt trying to connect with his daughter. He out lined the evening: a mostly acoustic set, then something a bit more electric, drawn from his entire discography and finally, the “So” album. The plan was a treat to fans like myself, who love the deep, introspective and worldly songs that exist out side of the “poppy” “So.” During the pre-pop set Gabriel stalked the stage, like royalty. His voice soared above the crowd, a school boy grown; gravel drenched in caramel. Joni Mitchell can’t do it anymore, neither can Stevie Knicks, but Gabriel can: piercing cries that lift into the rafters, undaunted by age or wear. The stage setting, by Gabriel standards, was minimalistic. Unlike previous tours, where he was known to enter the stage via a bright red tele phone booth, or crowd surf in a giant bubble, “Back to
Front’s” setting was primar ily dominated by large boom lights equipped with cameras. They cast an ominous tone over the night, like beings in their own right. The lighting was white, stark against the black stage, and the booms cast strange reflections onto the scrim, cre ating shadows of a dystopian, broken city, toppled buildings and trees. Whether this was intentional or not, it worked, and fit well with the frac tured, stop motion images on the screens around the arena. It only changed for moments: when Gabriel lay on the stage, bathed in purple, while sing ing “Mercy Street,” or during “Red Rain,” when the crowd was cast in blood-like light, like a flood had washed over. They were drastic, and power ful, changes to the bone-white light of the electric set. The audience’s biggest reac tion of the evening came when the opening strains of fanfavourite “Solsbury Hill” rang out, which then led right into
the “So” content, without a break or even a notion that it was beginning. The songs of “So” were accompanied by an appropri ate flashing, neon and pixelated look, taken right from the MTV screens of the day. The exception was “We Do What We’re Told” (Milgram’s 37), which played host to the lighting rigs, piloted by stage hands, and a dense guitar sound, which would only be repeated during the grating and heavy “Tower That Ate People,” played as an encore. The biggest moment of the night came when Gabriel sang “Don’t Give Up,” his famous haunting duet with Kate Bush. Guest-vocalist. Jennie Abrahamson took Bush’s role and showcased her absolutely soul-stirring voice. It gave me goosebumps. Gabriel then fin ished with the boombox ballad “In Your Eyes,” another pleaser that got the crowd going. Not to break habit, the last encore of the evening was Gabriel’s “Biko,” a protest
and rallying song about anti apartheid activist Steven Biko, who was killed in police custody. An almost indescrib able experience, during the tribal refrains of “Biko,” Gabriel lead us, singing with fists in the air, in unity; in defiance of the hate that led to Biko’s death. “As always, what happens now is up to you,” were Gabriel’s parting words. Then he slipped offstage, leaving just us, together, cel ebrating in song until the lights came up. The night was a complete and powerful Gabriel expe rience for any kind of fan, with songs from the lesser known to the radio-friendly. However, missing in my opin ion were some softer songs, such as “Downside Up,” or “Father Son.” The Back to Front tour con tinues until Oct. 14, includ ing a stop in Detroit. If you can make it, go. You won’t regret a moment of the expe rience.
FEATURE
Monday, October 1,2012
SPOKE ♦Page 11
Kitchener museum displays rare exhibit BY RYAN GOODYEAR
If there is one thing the residents of Kitchener need to do before March, it is to visit the downtown museum’s Treasures of China exhibit and catch a rare glimpse of the 1,000-year-old handcarved statues. Provided with an incred ibly rare and exceptional opportunity, the Kitchener museum has been loaned 48 handpicked statues from the Dazu County in China. The statues represent a col lection of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucius beliefs; and date back to the seventh and 10th centuries, with the old est statue on display being around 1,200 years old. The statues were handcarved by monks and are in exceptionally pristine condi tion with eloquent designs; some even retain their origi nal paint. They will be on display until March.
The exhibit also showcases numerous contemporary oil paintings where the artist has climbed the Dazu Mountains and painted there. These paintings focus more on the Buddhist aspect of the show case, and some are so big they fill entire walls. The museum has also recent ly signed a friendship agree ment with the Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing. “It’s a city of 32 million people, and we have just finished signing a friendship agreement with them,” said David Marskell, CEO of THEMUSEUM. “They have loaned us 50 colourful prints and paintings depict ing rural life in the country side.” The incredibly bright and eye-catching peasant paint ings focus solely on Chinese folk culture and rural Chinese lifestyle. Throughout the exhibit’s run the museum will be host ing regular programming
to go along with the display including Buddhist ceremo nies, dances, films and guest speakers. A more detailed list of what is offered is avail able on their website at THEMUSEUM.ca. The staff at the museum are ecstatic about this unprec edented opportunity. After all, in the world of museums this deal has moved at light ning speed, with conversa tions starting in China only 14 months ago. Marskell is delighted by all the support within the com munity and hopes the show case will draw people in. “This is over the top for PHOTO BY RYAN GOODYEAR us, and certainly punching David Marskell, CEO of THEMUSEUM, along with staff members over our weight, and I just hope that the community and Kim Fellows and Shaun McFee, stand with the statues from their those who read about it come treasures of China exhibit on Sept. 21. and see it because it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportu nity. Once it’s done here, it goes right back to China, you won’t be able to see it any where else.”
Local artists entertain at harvest fest ing. Panwaves Steelband per formed in front of Monty’s on In the Hespeler part of Queen while at the same time Cambridge, smiles and danc other musicians performed ing were seen as people gath on a musical stage next to The Company of Neighbours ered in the downtown area. Live music from local artists Hespeler Heritage Centre on filled the air. There were also Tannery Street. local vendors, carnival rides Amanda R am narine, and other entertainment on whose fiance is a member of Queen Street, which was Panwaves Steelband, said it’s closed for the third annual a good and inexpensive family Hespeler Harvest Festival on event in Hespeler with local Sept. 15. artists and lots of activities The free annual event was for the kids. “It’s good for celebrating the organized by the Hespeler Village Neighbourhood end of summer, to celebrate Association. the end of a season and the “We do this event to bring us start of a new one.” all together as a community New this year was the and to promote community Harvest Festival Passport. spirit,” said Amanda Horne, Participants were able to the association’s recreation travel to each business on the passport and receive a stamp co-ordinator. The festival featured a on each page for a chance bouncy castle, kiddies fun to win two VIA Rail tickets trak, balloon animals, face along with other prizes. Horne painting and cupcake decorat said the association was able BY KRIS MANUEL
to build sponsorship with at least 14 other businesses in the area. They also added a veggie station, where locally-grown harvest was sold, and a colouring contest for the kids. Ken Boyle, treasurer, said the association was also looking at adding hayrides for next year’s festival. The participants weren’t the only ones who benefited from this event. The businesses on Queen Street remained open during the festival and sup ported the association. “The merchants make money and we let the kids have fun,” said Boyle. “The best part about it is seeing the kids, the looks on their faces.” For a small downtown area, the crowd was big. He said the turnout was almost dou ble this year over last’s. “Each year it’s growing big ger,” he said.
PHOTO BY KRIS MANUEL
The Relative Minors play music for kids of all ages on the musical stage at the third annua! Hespeler Harvest Festival on Sept. 15.
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Monday, October 1,2012
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NEWS
Page 14 ♦ SPOKE
Monday, October 1,2012
Teepee-raising falls short BY SARA HANAFI
The smell of food and sounds of drumming and chanting filled the air during a tra ditional Aboriginal ceremony that was held at the college on Sept. 21. Conestoga’s Aboriginal Services held the “Welcome Back” celebration to raise a teepee and kick off the new school year. Students, faculty and members of the Aboriginal community attended and were encouraged to take part in the traditional festivities. Guests were treated to homecooked food, such as corn soup and fry bread, as well as beef sliders. Jan Sherman, an elder from the community, was a spe cial guest at the ceremony. Having been a former early childhood education teacher at Conestoga, Sherman had attended previous traditional powwows, but the teepee-rais ing ceremony was her first at
the school. But Tina Allardyce, a stu dent in the criminal justice program, is no stranger to tra ditional celebrations. “This is my fourth teepee raising ceremony,” she said, adding that the actual raising took much longer than at pre vious events. The ceremony began at 10 a.m. and guests, with the help of Aboriginal Services man ager Myeengun Henry, began to construct the teepee. Almost everyone in atten dance lent a hand by putting up the poles and holding them in place until the rope was tied and the poles were secured. The first attempt to raise the teepee was halted after nearly two hours due to an uneven surface; the tarp that wraps around the outside of the poles didn’t reach all the way around. After a much-needed break for food, the second attempt on flat ground was much
more successful and quick er. However, just before the stakes were put in the ground to stabilize the teepee, it top pled over. “This has never happened to me before,” Sherman said. Spirits were not broken, however, and it was decided that everyone would try again another day, as the celebra tion had passed the scheduled ending time of 2 p.m. Roxane Shawana, the liaison officer for Aboriginal Services, said it’s great having a tee pee at the college. “Students come out here with the elders for study groups and drum circles,” she said. Located beside the pond at the rear of the school, Shawana said, “It’s in a great spot because you can see it from the highway. We get a lot of comments.” Once up, the teepee will remain standing until midNovember when it will be put away for the winter months.
PHOTO BY SARA HANAFI
Lois MacDonald, the Aboriginal Services administrative support clerk, serves guests traditional corn soup at the teepee-raising cer em ony on Sept. 21.
Laptops vs. PCs: which is best? BY KELSEY HEELEY
Computer technology has advanced rapidly over the past 20 years, from the desk top monitor and tower com puter to laptops. Victor Dinh, computer supervisor at Best Buy who grew up with either a high performance computer or a portable computer, said that computers nowadays have found the sweet spot.
" I can get a PC that is a lot more powerful and a lot less expensive than a laptop." - Amanda Whaley “In my generation, you had your conventional laptops which were the 15.6 inch that would give you your best bang for your buck, but the netbooks were much more portable around the 10-inch range.” However, he said netbooks were of limited use because of their processing power due to a single core processor. A netbook usually only had two or three gigs of RAM (ran dom access memory) Dinh said, while the conventional laptops had plenty of extra RAM but weighed a lot and
were too heavy to carry. So, the laptops that are sold today meet in the middle. With technology innova tions, companies that con struct laptops are able to make smaller, more portable laptops without sacrificing good performance or battery life. However, Dinh said newer laptops are required to reach a certain benchmark. They’re supposed to be under a cer tain weight, under a particu lar thickness and be able to start up in a certain amount of time. Dinh said these new laptops are also a little more costly. Amanda Whaley, a WalterFedy administrative assistant, thinks otherwise. “I type for a living. I can get a PC that is a lot more powerful and a lot less expensive than a laptop. You’re constrained by battery life and, depending on how much you need open to get your task done, that can wear it out and it will not only slow it down but it will chew on your power faster. I also find that the screen sizes are kind of small.” Whaley said laptops are great if you need to be por table at all times, “Portability is absolutely a hands down sell, but for me, for not being a huge laptop user, the portability is the only feature that sells it.”
SPORTS
Monday, October 1,2012
Intramurals underway BY MARK FITZGERALD
The dodgeball court has been buffed and the ice rink has been resurfaced; it’s time for intramurals. Conestoga’s intramural pro gram kicked off this semes ter with a decent turnout. Topping the participant list this year are indoor soccer and ice hockey, as usual. The same sports will be offered again in the winter semester, giving all teams a fresh start. Winter term intramural signups begin the first week back in January. liana Romanow, athlet ic technician at Conestoga College, is running the intra mural program and said even though intramural sports are recreational, they are still very competitive. She said one student has signed up for three sports and plans to do more in the winter term. It is possible to start a new intramural sport if there is enough interest behind it. Romanow said that basketball would probably be the next
one to join the list. “I would consider basketball. We have a lot of people come in to play, but there is no com mitment for any teams,” said Romanow. She also said she would like to start a new program involv ing swimming if Conestoga had a pool, but at this point in time, that idea is going to have to sit on the backburner. Brandon Jaekel, a first-year pre-service firefighting stu dent, has suggested that the college add ultimate frisbee if there is enough interest. “I love ultimate frisbee,” he said. However, other students are happy with the current lineup of sports, particularly ball and ice hockey. “I like hockey, so I’m pret ty much covered,” said Steve Pyne, another first-year pre service firefighting student. If you have new program ideas or would like to be a timekeeper or referee for these games, contact liana Romanow at iromanow@conestogac.on.ca for more information.
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SEE THE WORLD A L L
AR O U N D
PHOTO BY JESSICA LANTHiER
Mike Taylor, a 21-year-old acting student at Humber College, does impressive backflips at his bestfriend’s house in Kitchener on Sept. 23.
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Monday, October 1,2012