Digital Edition - October 21, 2013

Page 1

Abortion controversy Pro-life protest held outside health centre. Page 8

SPOKE

a lea r n i i n g

newsroom

for j o u r n a l i s m

students

Watch out for flying spuds Students test potato launchers. Page 3

An afteroon with Margaret BY LAURIE SNELL

A different kind of Trudeau mania hit Kitchener on Oct. 9. Kitchener Collegiate Institute hosted Margaret Trudeau, former wife of the iconic Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. She took to the stage to speak honestly about her mood swings, depression and bouts of mania in and out of the public eye over the last several decades. The school’s students and staff, health professionals and members of the com­ munity filled the auditorium where powerful images —such as empty shoes on a roof­ top ledge, the sun beaming over a waterfall, large gears turning, young people curled up in sadness and hands in hands - were displayed prior to Trudeau’s speech about her personal experiences with mental illness. Tracy Elop, the Grand River Hospital board chair, welcomed the audience and explained the significance of the images in the background. “Each photo was taken by stu­ dents as an exhibit (of) mental health journeys,” Elop said, adding that it was a compe­ tition to engage students in an understanding of mental health perceptions. Jim Hallman of the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation said, “Talking about mental health and removing stigma (is important) to understanding ... what has amazed me is the determination and desire to overcome obstacles in mental health.” With KCI, the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation and

PHOTO BY LAURIE SNELL

Margaret Trudeau, the form er wife of the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, discusses her struggle with mental illness at a packed auditorium at Kitchener Collegiate Institute on Oct. 9.

Grand River Hospital collabo­ rating on the event, Trudeau began her two-hour talk at the very beginning of her relationship with Pierre at Club Med. At the young age of 18, “I wasn’t relating, I wasn’t connecting,” Trudeau said, at the time, unaware that she would fall in love and move to Ottawa to be with the then-prime minister. “He didn’t know I was going to rush headlong into mental illness - he thought I was perfect and so did I,” Trudeau said, laughing.

After two years of privately dating, Pierre and Margaret wed and she began her life as “the crown jewel of the federal penitentiary system ... I was lonely. He was clear he didn’t want me to have a public life,” Trudeau said, adding that boredom and isolation largely contributed to her mental ill­ ness. “It was like the light had been turned off in me.” Her depression came in waves of mood swings and bouts of mania - where you feel an extraordinary eupho­ ria on the highs, and in con­

trast, a crippling low. “I lost so many pieces of my life by not getting treatment I needed ... if it had been now, I would have been diagnosed right away and there would have been a plan,” Trudeau said. Overcoming the loss of her son Michel in a tragic ava­ lanche accident, Pierre’s death years later and com­ ing to terms with her own mental stability, she finally agreed to three years of cog­ nitive behavioural therapy after a family intervention in

Vancouver. “The shame is not in hav­ ing a mental illness, it’s hav­ ing one and not going for treatment to be better and be the best (that) you can be,” Trudeau said. “I’m already branded so why not surprise people with my recovery.” The purpose of Margaret Trudeau’s talk was to empha­ size that mental illness can happen to anyone and that society needs to remove the stigma attached to it to better understand it. Trudeau left all of five min­ utes for political small talk. “The one thing I’ll say about Prime Minister Stephen Harper - he’s building these super prisons and the crime rate is going down, down, down. One of the biggest rea­ sons crime is going down in the western world is the num­ ber of people on antidepres­ sants,” Trudeau said, explain­ ing how unfortunate it is that we now live in a Two-tiered mental health system. “It’s very expensive to be Mentally well in our country ... and I happen to know someone who may be in government - so I’ll get him on that,” she mused. Trudeau wrote a book about her experiences, to share with others her tragic experienc­ es and struggle to overcome the illness. 'After her key­ note speech the audience was invited to the library for a meet and greet and book sign­ ing. With stacks of her book for sale at the KCI library and a lineup of supporters wait­ ing to meet her, her memoir, Changing My Mind, sold out almost immediately.

Residence uses students to recoup loses BY CASEY SCHELLENBERGER

When damage is done at Conestoga Residence & Conference Centre, it’s the students living there who pay the price. On a month-by-month basis, the cost of any damage, including everything from vandalism and theft to vom­ iting in the stairwell, that can’t be blamed on a specific person, is divided between the students living in the build­ ing. This is known as commu­ nity charges.

“We want to encourage peo­ ple to take responsibility for their actions and mistakes that they make,” said Steve Prentice, residence life co­ ordinator. “But if we can’t, we tend to look towards com­ munity charges to help recoup some of the loses.” Sometimes not all the stu­ dents living in residence are charged. Sometimes it’s only certain floors if they are the ones causing problems. “It doesn’t need to necessar­ ily affect the entire commu­ nity,” Prentice said.

The charge for September would have been 79 cents per student, bringing in a total of $364. Included in that amount was the cost of a table that went missing. “We decided not to charge anything in September,” Prentice said, “just to make students aware of it, so that they kind of understood the idea behind it.” Mike DiFlorio, the resi­ dence’s operations manager, thinks that the charge is an effective deterrent. “There’s a lot of success,”

DiFlorio said. “The students will be upset ... they feel like, ‘Why do I have to pay for someone else?’ and they actually almost police them­ selves.” DiFlorio said that, if they were able to identify a sus­ pect, they would charge that person instead of everyone. “That’s what we prefer to do, but there are times we just can’t identify who did some­ thing,” DiFlorio said. Some students disagree with the charge. Thomas Dill, a first-year

computer p r o g r a m m e r/ an alyst student who lives in residence, wasn’t even aware that community charges existed. However, when told about them, he said, “It’s not fair because I didn’t do it.” Information about the com­ munity charges is in the lease all students in residence sign, DiFlorio said. “It’s not anything new or hidden, they’re signing off saying that they read and understood that portion of the lease.”


NEWS

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Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College

Monday, October 21,2013

THE SUN IS SHINING DOWN on conestoga college i

Random questions answered by random students

If you could be any fictional movie or TV character, who would you be?

“Captain Picard because he’s just awesome, in like everyway.”

Brock Usher, second-year business marketing

“Leonardo DiCaprio from Inception because going in a dream and being able to do whatever you want would be crazy.”

PHOTO BY BECKY SHEASBY

The sun rises over Conestoga College, welcoming students to a new day. This week will continue to be sunny, although there is a chance of rain late in the week and temperatures will be below normal.

Savon Masters-Johnson, first-year broadcast - television

Renew your licence online “Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love because hello, Ryan Gosling.” Sarah Stephanie Joy, second-year early childhood education

“Finn from Adventure Time because he’s awesome and the fact that he can fly to Mars.” Phil Negy, second-year broadcast - radio

“Alfred from Batman because he’s awesome. Plus, I mean who doesn’t love Michael Caine.” Joshua Gofton, second-year broadcast - television

“Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time because she’s so sassy.” Hilary Stahlbomb, second-year broadcast - television

Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!

BY RANDI CLARKE

Forget about having to wait in those long lineups at ServiceOntario. There may be a new way - and possibly an easier way - for you to renew your driver’s licence. Ontario will be the first province in Canada to allow drivers to renew their licences online. Don’t worry about having to retake your photos though. Currently, drivers have to renew their licence photo in person every five years. However, eligible drivers who renew online at ServiceOntario.ca/ driverslicence will be able to reuse their current licence

photo for an additional five years. This means that people will only need to renew in person every 10 years. Renewing online is not the only thing you’ll be able to do on that website. You can also get licence plate stickers and other driver and vehicle prod­ ucts at the same time. ServiceOntario processed more than 1.6 million driv­ er’s licence renewal transac­ tions last year. Having this online availability to renew will make it easier for people to access important govern­ ment services, when they need them. John Milloy, minister of gov­

ernment services, said “We are committed to making it easier and more convenient for the people of Ontario to access important government services.” The new renewal service is added to the more than 40 ser­ vices already offered online. These services are: renewing licence plate stickers, chang­ ing addresses and applying for birth, death or marriage certificates. You can also use Interac online, in addition to major credit cards. For more information, go to their website www. ServiceOntario.ca/driverslicence


NEWS

Monday, October 21,2013

SPOKE ♦Page 3

Potatoes really can fly BY SPENCER BEEBE

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a delicious starchy veg­ etable! On Oct. 8, students from the robotics and automa­ tion program at Conestoga’s Cambridge campus put their building skills to the test. They were tasked, in groups of three, to put together a launcher that could propel a single potato toward a target several dozen metres away. Family, friends and specta­ tors were all invited to watch the potato launch. Henry Kastner, who teach­ es the problem solving and design course and organized the spud shooting, was glad students had created launch­ ers that were functional, orig­ inal, and most importantly, safe.

"They learn a lot from building these." - J o h n Tielemans PHOTOS BY SPENCER BEEBE

“Their task is to fling a pota­ to using mechanical means; no air, no explosions, no elec­ tricity,” he said, adding that each of the launchers had to pass a safety inspection before they were allowed to take a practice shot. The spectators - or spec-taters - were kept behind a line to make sure they were safe in the event one of the launches had problems. There were a wide variety of launcher designs on display; from catapults and trebuchets to giant slingshots. Each of the carefully constructed con­ traptions had two tests - one for accuracy, where they had to launch a potato and hit a target, and one for distance where the farthest launched spud won.

Above, second-year robotics and automation students, left to right, Steve Palmer, Ben Quarrie and Noel Muema prepare their potato launcher, which they named ‘Jim bo.’ Below, Muema prepares to fire his team ’s potato launcher.

John Tielemans, co-ordina­ tor of the robotics program at Conestoga, said the event is a success every year. “They learn a lot from build­ ing these and running them,” he said, “but the real success is that they start to work as a team.” Robotics and automation students have several assign­ ments like this one each year that test their building abilities, including making a device to hold an egg safe­ ly so that it can be dropped from the second floor of the Cambridge campus building without breaking, and creat­ ing a mechanical design that can pour coffee and serve a doughnut.

Get your free shot, it’s almost flu season BY GREG STAMPER

The leaves are falling and the temperature is drop­ ping which can only mean one thing, flu season is just around the corner. Influenza, or the flu, is a viral respiratory infection that affects the nose, throat and lungs, similar to the com­ mon cold. The peak time for the flu is November to April and in extreme cases, hospitalization and death can occur amongst high-risk populations. This

includes those with medical conditions such as diabetes and cancer, or those with weakened immune Systems such as seniors or very young children. The flu differs from a com­ mon cold because of a few distinct symptoms. It is very common for indi­ viduals suffering from the flu to experience high fevers (102° F to 104° F), headaches and extreme exhaustion, while those symptoms are not present during a common cold.

Other symptoms include a dry cough, stuffy or running nose, a sore throat and aches and pains, all of which are usually present for five or more days. To avoid getting the flu, the Region of Waterloo’s Public Health website urges people to wash their hands frequent­ ly with soap and warm run­ ning water, use an alcoholbased hand sanitizer, gel or wipes to clean their hands regularly, and most impor­ tantly, to get their flu shot. Shannon Oliu, a registered

practical nurse in the Health Services office at Doon cam­ pus, said, “(It is important to get a flu shot) because there is so many strains out there, that your immune system can be surprised by them. It is very important to get one especially for the young and the elderly.” Students, staff and facul­ ty of Conestoga College can get their flu shot for free at the Doon campus on Oct. 22 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Room 3E40, on Oct. 30 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

in Room 2E04, and on Nov. 4 between 12 and 3 p.m. in Room 2E04. Clinics for the Cambridge campus will be held Nov. 6 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Room A2205-9, and at the Waterloo campus on Nov. 12 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Room 1C02. At the Guelph campus, a clinic will run on Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room A16. Although free of charge, you are required to bring your health card to the clinic.


COMMENTARY

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Wednesday, Octobe r21,2013

Food allergies nothing to sneeze at B Y STEPH SMITH

An article was published in the Hamilton Spectator on Sept. 15 about a mom who removed her six-year-old daughter from school because she has severe anaphy­ laxis to dairy, eggs and fish. The girl has suffered from anaphylactic shock seven times, most recently at school last February, and she has to carry two EpiPens (an epinephrine auto-injection device used by people who suffer severe allergies and risk anaphylactic shock) because of the seriousness of her allergies. An allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder where the immune system reacts to substances in the environ­ ment or ingredients in food and medicine. Ninety per cent of food allergies are caused by dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. Unfortunately, many foods contain, or have traces of, these ingredients. They can most commonly be found in baked goods, sauces and dressings, fried foods, season­ ings, deli meats, candy, chocolates, food mixes, cereals, pastas and almost all packaged foods to name a few. According to a 2012 Anaphylaxis Canada study on self-reported food allergies, approximately 2.5 million Canadians of all ages are affected. A huge problem with allergies when it comes to schools and workplaces is that there is no way to guar­ antee that these facilities will be food allergen-free. People who aren't allergic to these ingredients some­ times have little regard for those who are, or sometimes they forget that what they're eating for lunch could cause someone to react. Oftentimes a person’s allergies are so severe that they can cause death. Sometimes it's not even ingesting the food that causes a reaction. Touching a surface that has food residue on it and then eating, or rubbing your eye, can cause a reaction. Sometimes even the smell of the food can trig­ ger one as well. Looking for these ingredients is made even harder because they tend to go by different names. Eggs, for example, can be listed as ovo, meringue and albumin. Avoiding these foods altogether is tough, but not eat­ ing them in cafeterias and other high traffic areas, as well as regular hand washing, can help to alleviate the problem. 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.

Reading definitely matters I enjoy reading, which seems to be more and more rare. It is a source of enjoyment for me, but for children it is so much more. Reading is a key part of early childhood education. There are plenty of statistics that show a direct correlation between a child's reading and their performance in school. A report by an expert panel on early reading in Ontario states this about children who struggle to read during Grades 1 to 3: “Academically, they have a much harder time keep­ ing up with their peers, and they increasingly fall behind in other subjects. They are far more likely to suffer low self-esteem and, in their teen years, are more likely to drop out without completing high school.” There is no question read­ ing is an important part of education. Does it stop being important when you grasp it? Perhaps the school sys­ tem has taught students to read but in the approach has made them feel like reading is purely academic and not for entertainment. It could also be a misunderstanding of what reading a great book

Jody Anderson

Opinion

is like. When I am reading a good book I find it much more exhilarating and generally more involving than televi­ sion. It is simply put, more enjoyable. Television is great too, or can be, but books give the freedom of having your own interpretation of a char­ acter where television gives you an actor's portrayal. Add in the celebrity obsessed culture we live in where you are often seeing these actors out of character and hearing about their real lives and all of a sudden it can be very difficult to have any immer­ sion in a show at all. This isn’t exactly about books being “better,” but more about books being worthwhile. I don't read a ton of books per year myself, I watch sports and play video games and do other things, but I do read regularly and I

do enjoy it. Why is it that a lot of other people don’t seem to? It could be a general reliance on word of mouth and people taking initiative to seek books out. If people aren't reading or talking about books then word of mouth cannot occur. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an example of a fairly recent hit book. It is one of the few I have seen people reading in public reg­ ularly. Why that one? If you look at the one book every­ body went out and read was not much more than a stan­ dard mystery story, though granted, with a magnetic lead character. That book had advertising and word of mouth going for it and then movie adaptations, both American and Swedish. If you are somebody who has read that book and nothing else since, or read the Harry Potter series and similarly stopped read­ ing, ask yourself why. Is it because you are not really into books? Could it be that the spark was never lit? Or is it because you haven’t been told what you should be reading?

SPOKE IS P U B L I S H E D A N D

P R O D U C E D W E E K L Y BY T H E J O U R N A L I S M

Editor: Steph Smith Assignm ent Editors: Casey Schellenberger,

Production Managers: Scott Dietrich, Cole

Bruce Chessell

Josh Bury

Froude, Randi Clarke

Kelsey Dunbar

Photo Editors: Spencer Beebe, Aaron Creces,

Spoke O nline Editors: Ashley Kowitz, Greg

Katrina Edlefsen, Devon Hayes, Laurie Snell, Hailey Merkt, Tony McLellan, Tasha Lunny

OF C O N E S T O G A C O L L E G E

Social Media Editor: Jody Anderson Circulation Manager: Callie Wrigglesworth,

Becky Sheasby

A dvertising Managers: Brandon Hommel,

Stamper, Tyler Batten, Mark Lorentz, Cody Steeves,

STUDENTS

Faculty S upervisor and Adviser:

Christina Jonas

Spoke’s address is 299 Doon Valley Dr., Room 1C30, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 4M4. Phone: 519-748-5220, ext. 3691,3692,3693, 3694 Fax: 519-748-3534 Email: spoke@conestogac.on.ca Website: www.spokeonline.com

The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of Conestoga College. Spoke shall not be liable for any damages arising out of errors in advertising beyond the amount paid for the space. Letters to the editor are subject to acceptance or rejection and should be clearly written or typed; a MS Word file would be helpful. Letters must not contain any libellous statements.


NEWS

Monday, October 21,2013

SPOKE ♦Page 5

Holiday time depresses students Counselling Services can help you get through the tough periods B Y CODY STEEVES

The holidays are seen as a time for relaxation, a chance to get away from school and your job and spend some qual­ ity with family. However, stu­ dents don’t always see it that way. With encroaching deadlines, exams and the possibility of not even returning home, some students dread the holi­ days, more so, than the rest of the year. According to Marshall Chanda, a counsellor at Conestoga’s Counselling Services at Doon campus, the holidays mark the peak of activity. Approximately 12 per cent of the student body is expected to use the services provided by the counsellors during that period. “Each year we see more students coming to school full-time but also trying to maintain some level of work involvement,” Chanda said. “The challenge of that, is obviously there is a finan­ cial need on their part to do that, but it is very difficult to maintain that commitment to almost full-time work as well as being a full-time stu­ dent.” Chanda believes that this causes students a lot of stress. If you add the demands of see­ ing family with that, students are likely to push themselves to their limit much faster and

cause themselves to fall into a depression. “A lot of times students are coming back from holidays and getting set for mid-term exams,” Chanda said. “For some it doesn’t feel like a real nice relaxing break.” Another problem some stu­ dents have who are not local is they may not have the opportunity to return home to their families during the break. Whether due to financ­ es or lack of time, certain stu­ dents are stuck alone during this time. So how do these students deal with these problems? Some talk to friends and some deal with it themselves. However, the most appropri­ ate solution is for students to seek the help of counsel­ lors at their campuses. It is a confidential, free and vol­ untary solution. No one will force the student to return. However, counselling is bene­ ficial if students are becoming overwhelmed or are suffering from depression. Studies have proven that counselling is the most effec­ tive way to relieve stress and help cure depression, compared to consulting with friends and family or dealing with the problem by your­ self. The stigma that surrounds counselling still exists. The belief is that others will look down upon individuals sim-

PHOTO BY CODY STEEVES

Marshall Chanda, a counsellor at Conestoga College’s Doon campus, studies his busy schedule.

ply because they cannot deal with their own problems effectively. That stigma is outdated and shouldn’t affect whether a student seeks help or not. To find out more about Counselling Services on your campus or to book an appointment, visit the respec­ tive office and speak with the secretary or visit www. conestogac.on.ca/counsellingservices/.

Conestoga College fundraises for the United Way Human services foundation students and Student Life plan ghoulish activities BY KELSEY DUNBAR

Since 2008 Conestoga’s Student Life department has worked with the human ser­ vices foundation program to raise money for United Way. Ian Kearney and Janina Robinson are both Student Life co-ordinators who assist on campus with the fundraiser. Debashis Dutta, program co­ ordinator of the human servic­ es foundation program, said his students will hold Halloweenoriented activities Oct. 29-31 in the Student Life Centre. The students are split into three groups: organization and logistics, sponsorship and advertising, and community

liaison. “The HSF program is a one-year certificate program designed to help students who are oriented to commu­ nity service to discover their program of choice and to hone their interest in such pro­ grams as early childhood edu­ cation, recreation and leisure or social services amongst others,” Dutta said. Agencies who benefit from United Way funding will set up booths in the Student Life Centre at this year’s event. They include the House of Friendship, the KitchenerWaterloo M ulticultural Centre and the Guelph Wellington Women in Crisis. Representatives think it is

important to be on campus to educate and connect with students. The human services founda­ tion students will fundraise by asking passersby to play short games or buy raffle tick­ ets to win prizes. Student Life and the human services foundation program have contributed an average of $1,600 toward the college’s total in years past. Last year, Conestoga’s overall goal was $50,000 and they exceeded that thanks to student efforts and faculty and staff contributions. This year’s campaign official­ ly kicks off Nov. 11 and runs until Nov. 18. Officials have set a goal of $50,000 which will go to the K-W United Way.


NEWS

Page 6 ♦SPOKE

Monday, October 21,2013

PHOTO BY STEPH SMITH

Monica Neil and her Grade 6 class from W.T. Townshend Public School examine a tree root that was oozing sap on Oct. 10 at the Waterloo Region M useum’s Forest Festival.

Educational festival celebrates regional forests BY STEPH SMITH

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? This question went unanswered as the Waterloo Region Museum's forest was filled with students. The Waterloo Region Museum held its second annu­ al Forest Festival on Oct. 9 and 10 in partnership with the City of Kitchener, the City of Waterloo, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), the Waterloo Stewardship Network and the Children's Water Education Council. The two-day festi­ val teaches students several key messages about the for­ est resources in the Region of Waterloo. “The goal is to try to educate students on forest resourc­ es, ecology and biodiversity issues,'' said Dave Neufeld, the education co-ordinator at the Waterloo Region Museum. Neufeld said the festival is directed at Grade 6 and 7 students because the material learned at the stations covers topics in their school’s science curriculum. There were stations set up throughout the Doon Heritage Village, located directly behind the museum, which had hands-on activities for the students. At the Medicinal Forest, an area set up behind one of the houses in the village, stu­ dents learned about the dif­

ferent medicinal plants that our forests have to offer by following a series of clues. “Trees provide the basis for pharmacology. They’re worth so much more than just fire­ wood,” said Peter Pautler, a resource interpreter with the GRCA. “The bark from the willow tree was the basis for Aspirin. White pine needle oil is an ingredient in Buckley's cough syrup.” The Forest Feast table fea­ tured nuts, berries and other edibles that can be found in our forests. Here, Daniel Brockerville and Benjamin Cecile, two student volun­ teers, asked the students var­ ious questions about the nuts and plants. “What can be sauteed with garlic?” Brockerville said. “The answer is puffball mush­ rooms.” “What can you eat right off the branch after you pick them?” Cecile said. “Hickory nuts.” There was also a table that displayed the different types of woods that our forests con­ tain, such as maple, walnut, cherry and ash. This station showed the different colours, textures and hardness of the woods. “Have you ever looked at the rings of a tree before? The white gap shows how much the tree grew in the summer. The black rings show how much it grew in winter,” said Evan Legare, a student vol­ unteer. Legare said in wood, such as

that of the walnut tree, there are two types. The sap wood, which is white and stores the nutrients and water, and the hardwood, which is black and the hardest part of the tree. One of the indoor stations was on archaeobotany, a type of archaeology that looks at the identification of plant remains found on archaeo­ logical sites. This station had various specimens of ancient walnut shells, plum pits and grains, which were compared to specimens from today. Rudy Fecteau, the archaeobotanist operating the archaeobotany station, said that participating in the festi­ val was a real thrill. Fecteau’s wife, MargaretAnn, said that it was great to see how the kids reacted to the station’s charcoal speci­ mens. “The charcoal is about 2,000 years old, and their teacher said, ‘what year is it?’ and the children replied that it was 2013,” Margaret-Ann said. “When their teacher asked them what year the charcoal was from, they said, ‘13.’ They were so amazed.” The kids ran around with excitement the whole after­ noon, rushing from one sta­ tion to another. “They're learning biodiver­ sity in school, so I thought it would be good to bring them here where the real biodi­ versity is,” said Monica Neil, a Grade 6 teacher at W.T. Townshend Public School in Kitchener.

PHOTO BY STEPH SMITH

Daniel Brockerville, a student volunteer at the Forest Feast table, shows students a jar of sumac, one of the many edible plants that can be found in our forests.


FEATURE

Monday, October 21, 2013

The 45th annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day parade was held on Oct. 14, start­ ing at 8:30 a.m. at King and Erb streets in Waterloo, and finishing five kilometres away at King and Madison streets in Kitchener.

SPOKE ♦Page 7

The Goodlife Fitness float travelled along King Street as part of the parade. Volunteers collected 15,600 pounds of non-perishable food and over $14,500 in cash donations for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

oktoberfest parade was wunderbar

Photos by Laurie Snell

Performers in lederhosen and dirndls danced on King Street. The parade also featured floats, marching bands and singing groups, which entertained the thousands who lined the route.

The Ontario Provincial Police marched in the parade, which was attended by more than 150,000 people.

Oktoberfest Barbie leads the way in an overly-decorated float dur­ ing the parade. Unfortunately for them, the TD Kitchener Bluesfest float won the People’s Choice Award and the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Maypole float won the best float award.


NEWS

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Monday, October2 1 ,2013

Abortion debate not dead BY TYLER BATTEN

The abortion debate is not dead, it’s alive and kicking. Ranata, a middle-aged, Roman-Catholic woman who refused to give her last name or allow a photo of her face to be taken, stands on the steep and angled roadway before the squeezed valley bridge of Freeport, just behind the health centre. With a sign that reads “abortion kills a baby,” she’s sending a clear message to all who pass. The name Renatus, which translates from Latin to born again, was the name Renaissance philosopher Rene Descartes took when prepar­ ing to write his Meditations on First Philosophy, a book which largely investigates a priori knowledge, a type of knowledge that one has before experiencing it — the knowl­ edge a baby would have — and to exhibit an argument which he believed was a proof for the existence of God. “If abortion was imposed (on you or I, we) wouldn’t be here — everyone wants to live,” Ranata told me as another car barrelled by, driver’s fist out­ stretched, horn thundering in

the valley. “The (drivers) have the same view, it’s alright.” Many of the recent out­ pourings of abortion protests across the city and worldwide are affiliated with a campaign called 40 Days for Life. Forty Days for Life is also a book by motivational speak­ ers David Bereit and Shawn Carney. The authors are working hard at making it a bestseller. In a public letter addressed to patrons of the movement, Carney said: “DAY ONE is the most important day of sales for a new book. Let’s rally together TODAY to set sales records and start 40 Days for Life up the bestseller charts.” The Forty Days for Life cam­ paign has a self-estimated fol­ lowing of 575,000 people. Their website claims that 41 abortion clinics have been closed since the movement’s inception. “From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. people are coming here, they want to voice their opinions,” Ranata said. “Even if I’m raped, why add more misery?” Freeport Health Centre, which is owned and operated by Grand River Hospital, has an abortion clinic which per­ forms procedures on a semi­

PHOTO BY TYLER BATTEN

Ranata, who didn’t want her last name published or a photo of her face taken, prays to end abortion on King Street.

regular basis. “It’s not exactly new; this demonstration has— taken place for a number of years,” said Mark Karjaluoto, direc­ tor of communications for Grand River Hospital. “We acknowledge their perspec­

Psychic enlightening BY BRUCE CHESSELL

Psychic Dan Valkos stunned Conestoga students in the Sanctuary by telling them their futures, the catch being that the students were only allowed to ask three questions. Valkos has been involved with the paranormal since 1969, was the director of the Paranormal Enlightenment Centre for seven years and was also the chief investigator for the Association of Psychic Investigative Researchers. He has also appeared on over 1,500 radio shows, performed and lectured at over 1,200 col­ leges and was the host of The Universal Psychic, a televi­ sion show that ran on Rogers TV for six years. Valkos has written three novels, the latest titled The Psychic World and How You Can be Apart of It which has recently been released on Kindle. He was also voted the second best psychic in Canada, and 52nd in the world. Students lined up in front of the bar leading up to the stage to have their reading by Valkos. Diana Eby, a social services student in her second year at Conestoga, was one of these students who wait­ ed in line to ask Valkos her

three questions. When asked if she believed in the para­ normal after getting her read­ ing, Eby said, “I was on the fence before. I tend to wait for something to change my mind before I make up my mind. I’m not sure if I believe in it, but I do believe that there are people who have really good insight.” Taylor Gosnell, another social service student in her sec­ ond year, was less skeptical before going up to see Valkos. “I believed in the paranormal before, and I believe even more so now.” She went on to add that it was a great experience learn­ ing about her future. “It was something I’ve always wanted to do, but I’ve never had the opportunity to do it and he blew my mind a little bit.” When asked to describe what he does as a psychic Valkos said, “I’m a controlled precognitive, which means I deal with probabilities and potentials of future events. Basically when the students ask me a question I go with the impression I get.” Valkos went onto add, “I’m right eight out of 10 times, no psychic is right 100 per cent of the time.” Valkos also said that every­ one is psychic to some extent. “We all have within us the potential to trust our own small

voice within. The only differ­ ence between you and I is that I’ve been practising my abili­ ties for a lot longer.” In addi­ tion to giving readings Valkos teaches psychic development and reincarnation workshops at Conestoga’s Doon campus and online, “The first thing I do is to teach people to trust their own gut hunches. Then there are little exercises, little games you can play and little things you can do to trust your instincts more. It’s not that difficult to learn if you simply trust.” And for everyone who is skep­ tical about Valkos and psy­ chics in general, Valkos said he was too when he was starting out. “I got involved as a skep­ tic, thinking everything was a bunch of garbage and everyone was running a hustle on every­ one else. I was proved wrong very early on in my career.” Valkos also ran for Parliament in the 2000 fed­ eral election for the Green Party. “I knew I was going to get thumped, but I had a riot in the debates. It was fun and it made national press because I was the only psychic ever to run for Parliament.” Valkos is scheduled to appear at Conestoga’s Guelph campus on Nov. 20. You can also check him out on his website, www. danvalkospsychic.com.

tive, we provide this service and our standpoint is to make sure patients have access to the service.” Abortion was legalized in Canada by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau government in 1969. The push to legalization was

argued by an academic belief called the Donohue-Levitt hypothesis which argues that legal abortion reduces crime. Eighteen- to 24-year-old males are most likely to com­ mit crimes. Eighteen years after abortion was legalized, crime began to dramatically decline in both Canada and the United States. The cold fact is children who aren’t wanted are *aborted instead of put up for adop­ tion and often neglected, or pushed into the streets at a young age. Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region, a local pro-choice orga­ nization, was unavailable for comment on the abortion pro­ tests widespread across the city. A recently added poster on their Facebook wall reads “Sexual education classes in school should just be listening to a baby cry for five hours straight while watching the same cartoon on repeat.” As more cars zipped by honk­ ing horns and more supporters flooded down to support the campaign, Ranata looked at me and said “maybe one day I’ll be born again — become a better person than I am already.”

PREPARING FOR o k t o b e r f e s t

PHOTO BY JOSH BURY

Jose Coronel cleans appliances in a sausage stand on Frederick Street in Kitchener in preparation for the beginning of the 45th annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 10.


NEWS

Monday. October 21,2013

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No more opting out at Conestoga Deadline passes for student benefit plans BY TYLER BATTEN

Sorry, your chance to opt out is up. Conestoga Students Inc.’s benefit plans provided in partnership with Gallivan & Associates Student Networks cost full-time students around $250 a year. According to a staff person at CSI’s Health and Wellness office, “around 3,500 full-time students opt out” each year. For all post-secondary insti­ tutions, mandatory student health and dental benefit plans are created after a stu­ dent referendum. Without a majority in favour, benefits for those who really need it would be less and the policy would cost more. According to studentcare. net, a similar private health­ care plan would cost an indi­ vidual around $900. Many colleges and univer­ sities mandate international students to have, on top of the student union’s health care plan, a University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP.)

UHIP costs a single interna­ tional student $456 per year. The University of Toronto’s St. George campus is one of the few institutions that does not require undergraduates to buy additional health care beyond OHIP, provided the student does have OHIP.

"

Even when I

was enrolled in it I never used it." - Melinda Tomlinson Most student benefit plan providers advise that cover­ age is not a replacement but rather an extension of OHIP. Most student plans provide medication subsidies, eye testing and $200 toward eye­ glasses. In Conestoga’s case, discounted naturopathic care — a form of alternative medi­ cine licensed only in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan — is also covered by the plan.

Wilfrid Laurier is at the lowcost end, where a general stu­ dent benefit plan costs $209. The University of Waterloo’s costs around $293 at the top-end, while University of Guelph students sit with Conestoga in the middle at around $247. “I opted out of the dentist­ ry part only in my last year because I didn’t realize it was an option for my first three,” said Melinda Tomlinson, a former U of G undergradu­ ate and current University of Ottawa School of Law student. “I didn’t care enough because I felt OSAP wasn’t real money, so I just paid for it. Even when I was enrolled in it (the plan) I never used it.” University of Waterloo stu­ dent Breanna Martin said she uses her health plan regularly and has never considered opt­ ing out. “OHIP doesn’t subsi­ dize birth control pills.” Around a third of full-time Conestoga students are suc­ cessfully opting out, but there’s no available data on how many want to, but don’t have the

PHOTO BY TYLER BATTEN

Students pass by a crumpled up Conestoga Students Inc. health plan opt-out ad one day after the deadline.

option due to insufficient proof of comparable benefits. Nor is there available data on stu­ dents who “just don’t care,” or are unaware of the option. “This year I filled out the form to opt out of it for the first time,” said Alexandra

Sran, who is in her second year of insurance - prop­ erty and casualty studies at Conestoga College. Sran attributes her decision to the opt-out advertisements which were posted in front of CSI throughout September.

Conestoga makes playoffs, but exits early BY

scon DIETRICH

In terms of races to the play­ offs, Major League Baseball has nothing on OCAA wom­ en’s soccer. Only one win sep­ arated the first place team from the sixth place team in the east division on the final day. The Condors finished the season in fourth place in the OCAA’s east divi­ sion and made the playoffs. Conestoga had the chance to finish in first place if they beat Humber in their final game on Oct. 5, but settled for a draw, putting Humber in first place instead. The cor­ nerstone of their success this year was their defence; they

ranked seventh in the OCAA with just eight goals allowed in eight games. “It’s always been that way,” said assistant coach Kerri Lantz. “The team always has a really good defence. We also had great goaltending this year.” Head coach Aldo Krajcar thinks the team had it in them to make second, but simply fell short of their potential in the last game ver­ sus Humber. “We are happy but not impressed, we could have won second with a little more focus,” he said. They had plenty of chanc­ es to pull out more victories this year but settled for a lot of draws, the most in the

OCAA with three. The team had difficulty scoring goals, racking up just 12 over their eight regular season games. Krajcar said this is not an unusual outcome, when the team has 17 rookies on a team with 22 roster spots. “I think the reason we had a lot of draws this year was we didn’t score enough goals. The reason we didn’t score too many goals (is) because we have a lot of rookies playing midfield or forward.” The playoffs got underway on Oct. 12, with four qualify­ ing round games being played across Ontario. Conestoga drew Mohawk College and lost the game in overtime by a score of 1-0.

PHOTOS BY SCO n DIETRICH

Alicia Lodder (above and right) dribbles the ball toward the net prior to taking a shot at a wom en’s soccer team practice on Oct. 9 at the sports field at Conestoga College’s Doon campus.

The w om en’s soccer team finished the season in fourth place in the OCAA’s east division.


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GARBAGE ART MADE ENTIRELY OF TRASH

Mental health gets $27-million boost BY AARON CRECES

PHOTO BY JODY ANDERSON

Trash is being turned into art at the Berlin Tower Artspace in Kitchener City Hall. Susan Coolen’s Litter-Arti exhibit will run through October.

Monday, October 21,2013

The Ontario government has announced that they will provide $27 million in fund­ ing over a three-year period for additional mental health services and aids to post-sec­ ondary students across the province. The plan, announced by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities on Oct. 4, will improve access to mental health facilities and help students identify untreat­ ed mental health issues. This plan also includes a provincewide telephone ser­ vice known as Good2 Talk, which students can call 24 hours a day every day, to talk about their worries regarding student life, health or mental health concerns. Conestoga College is set to receive $122,000 of this fund­ ing over a two-year period to develop a project which will engage, screen and assist stu­

dents with autism spectrum disorder and other mental health problems. “Over the past several years, all colleges and universities, including Conestoga, have seen an increase in enrol­ ment of students with autism spectrum disorder,” said Shawna Bernard, co-ordinator and counsellor at Conestoga College’s Counselling Services in an email. Bernard said one in four people will experience mental health issues in their lifetime and that the government’s recent announcement is good news. “In addition to students with autism spectrum disorder, we also recognize that depression and anxiety can be quite com­ mon in our student popula­ tion ... So it is important that we talk about these issues to reduce the stigma and also to know that help is available.” The province is also setting

a Youth Suicide Prevention Plan in motion to help college and university students. This plan will provide the training and funding and will educate communities on how to come together to prevent youth sui­ cide. “Research indicates that sui­ cide can be the second lead­ ing cause of death for youth, and Canadian Mental Health Association reports one in seven Canadians have seri­ ously considered suicide,” Bernard said. “It is important that we talk about these issues to reduce the stigma and also to know that help is available.” Students who feel that they need to talk to someone about their mental health and well­ being can visit Counselling Services in Rm. 1A101 at the Doon campus, or visit www. conestogac.on.ca/counsellingservices/. You can also call Good2 Talk at 1-866-925-5454.

Art for all, and all for art BY CALLIE W RIGGLESW ORTH

Organizers of the BOX Art Show and Sale invite guests from all over Waterloo Region to join them for a free week­ end filled with art, food and fun. The regional show began in 2009, and takes place annu­ ally. “The function of the show is to help promote visual arts in the Waterloo Region,” said Cathy Farwell, BOX Art founder and general organiz­ er. Local artists submit four pieces of art, which include sculptures, photographs, paintings and media. “The work is diverse and it’s from artists all over the region,” Farwell said. The art is then judged by a panel of art professionals and those who are chosen submit additional art to BOX. This

year, 33 artists have been chosen to participate. “Each of those artists will have an average of about eight works of art on display at BOX, so it’s a really big show,” Farwell said. People submitting art must be residents of Waterloo Region. Artists of all experi­ ence levels are welcome to submit their creations. Artists are given the opportunity to display and sell their work, and are also offered help to develop their skills. Each year, BOX joins with a different charitable organiza­ tion and invites them to be a part of their team. This year, the chosen charity is the Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region. The charity’s statement, “Helping People with Disabilities Achieve Independence,” is in line with Box’s goal of assist­ ing local artists. The artists

of BOX give 20 per cent of their sales back to the char­ ity. “It is an amazing, highcalibre show, but it doesn’t have any of the intimida­ tion factors that often keep people from going to art gal­ leries,” Farwell said. “It’s a lot of fun and people are always surprised when they go in ... it’s a very different thing for Waterloo Region.” The BOX Art Show and Sale, being held at 41A Ardelt Place in Kitchener, is a free event and open to the public on Nov. 16 and 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. Before the show, there are free talks that the public may attend, and people can also pre­ order a $5 gourmet lunch. Artists will be present to answer guests’ questions. For more information about the art show and sale, go to www.boxartshow.ca


NEWS

Monday, October 21,2013

CONESTOGA promotes oktoberfest

PHOTO BY CALLIE WRIGGLESWORTH

Johnny Dam from K-W Oktoberfest’s marketing committee, shares information about Oktoberfest with Rebecca Ingham, a first-year health options student. Conestoga College offered students a shut­ tle service to Oktoberfest events in the area.

A Day to Remember, album forgotten BY C O P Y STEEVES

After three long months, American rock band A Day To Remember has released its new album Common Courtesy. The three-month delay was due to court appearances where they fought their cur­ rent label Victory Records for the right to release the new­ est instalment privately. They eventually earned the rights to the album, but did not break free from their fiverecord deal. Although the band has released five records, the label is refusing to count their two live releases toward the tally. This ruling was possible only because of the loopholes found within the contract that binds A Day To Remember to Victory Records and the vagueness that outlines the terms of agreement. The band is most wellknown for its unique mix­ ture of metalcore and poppunk. This album's tracks are more defined than their previous releases with their songs being more defined as a single genre, rather than their unique mixture. The first song on the album, City of Ocala, and the fifth track, Best of Me, hold true to their pop-punk sound and songs such as Violence (Enough is

Enough) and The Document Speaks For Itself are purely metalcore. The album seems to divide itself between the two genres rather than mix­ ing them like they previously did on their albums Homesick and What Separates Me From You. Another interesting differ­ ence with Common Courtesy and the band’s previous releases is the amount of acoustic and relaxed songs found on the track listing. Fm Already Gone, I Surrender and End of Me are three acoustic tracks found on the album, where previous albums as those only contained maybe one or two. What separates this band from every other metalcore band, is A Day To Remember’s ability to make a song flow and change styles so quickly between metalcore and poppunk. The flow of the tracks was still present, however, with the songs being more genre independent, they

removed one of the most prominent features that sepa­ rated them from other bands. The album itself flowed nicely, however, the vast majority of the songs that are considered heavier felt very generic and underwhelming. Containing open chords and common breakdowns, they felt lackluster and had “just another track” feeling. The pop-punk-oriented songs had a similar feeling of genericism and didn’t make a large impact that would separate them from any other poppunk band. For the most part those songs followed common beats and chord styles found within the pop-punk genre. The only tracks that were considerably different and stood out were the acoustic tracks. They were soft and melodic and the track End of Me showed the hard rock side of the band throughout the chorus. Despite the fact that the band fought so hard to release the album independently, the album itself felt like they took away some of the aspects that made them so strong origi­ nally. Hopefully, in the future they return to their prom­ inent mixture of metalcore and pop-punk and stay away from dividing the styles.

SPOKE ♦Page 11

An erotic and erratic charade I am sick and tired. Sick and tired of Miley Cyrus, sick and tired of the media’s over sexualisation of women, and I’m sick and tired of us as a society just soaking it in. Today’s media culture has become increasingly saturated with women and girls being put into sexualized positions. The perfect and most readily recognized example is this entire Miley Cyrus situation. I know she has been the apple of the media’s eye lately, and thus, the apple of ours. In her most recent music videos, Wrecking Ball and Cant Stop, Cyrus is drenched in provocative themes, sexual dancing and just straight up nakedness. Most people were surprised at this sud­ den transformation from cute little Disney star to hammer­ licking crazy person. But is she a crazy person? I’ve heard every theory in the book. “She’s just trying to find herself,” “She just wants attention,” blah blah blah. Let’s be real for a moment though. Cyrus is a fully grown, mature woman. She has been raised in this indus­ try and is surrounded by both female and male busi­ ness people. All of them are conducting this charade right down to the strange money sandwich. Each erotic and erratic move she has made, has been intentional and for profit. And she’s undoubtedly making a lot of it. Cyrus’s behaviour is unac-

Becky Sheasby

Opinion ceptable for a plethora of reasons, but a serious one is she is telling girls and women that the way to get attention and fame is to be selfish, strange and sexy. It is true that people can do what they want, but some­ one who is jabbing their per­ sonal image into the public eye needs to be aware of the impact they are having on society. Cyrus’s actions are impact­ ing the way young women seek attention and what they deem to be the “good life.” The simple fact that we eat this up and give into her business strategy is a sad reality. By letting her crazy be the centre of our conversa­ tions and by giving her the publicity she wants, we are showing just how shallow we are. I would like to remind everyone that Miley Cyrus being completely inappropri­ ate doesn’t matter. Her life is her life, not something that should rule our social stan­ dards. So let the news be about the news. Let the media be about important matters and encourage moral standards. I’m sick and tired of soaking in everything else.

BUSINESS LOUNGE A big success

PHOTO BY GREG STAMPER

A group of Conestoga students sit and enjoy the new Conestoga Business School lounge located in the downstairs cafeteria at the Doon campus.


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Monday, October 21,2013


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