W alking for wishes Proceeds help make children’s dreams come true. Page 9
SPOKE A LE A R N IN G N E W S R O O M FOR J O U R N A L I S M S T U D E N T S
Eat local year-round It is possible even during the winter months. Page 11
IT’S MONSTER MADNESS in elora
PHOTO BY WHITNEY SOUTH
Grim-grinning ghouls and goblins light up the night at Tim Murton’s Twilight Zoo, located at the Elora Centre for the Arts. The exhibit runs until Oct. 31. For story and more photos, see Page 6.
New shuttle services residence, new campus BY MIKE VIELMA
Conestoga Students Inc. is providing a new shuttle ser vice this year for students, staff and faculty who have valid student and employee ID cards. The free shuttle does a pick up every 30 minutes in four locations: the Conestoga residence front door bus stop, outside Doon’s F-wing and Door 3, and at the front entrance bus stop at the new Cambridge campus. The maxi mum capacity is 20 people with no standing permitted. The service starts at 7:35 a.m. every day at residence and has its final drop-off at 3:55 p.m., except on Fridays when it ends at 1:30 p.m. Along with this new ser vice, comes less congestion in the parking lots. It no longer takes 20-plus minutes to get off campus. Five weeks into the fall
semester, the majority of stu dents are now familiar with their schedule. That means positive improvement for the parking lot congestion issue, especially after 3 p.m. Barb Eichholz, Conestoga’s security and parking services supervisor, said another rea son the congestion is decreas ing is because students have met classmates who they are able to carpool with. It makes the ride to and from school more enjoyable and cuts down on the number of cars going in and out of the parking lots every day. Year after year students and staff offer many ideas to the parking services depart ment to keep the traffic flow smooth and steady. “It is suggested almost every year that we stop each vehicle either on entry or exit from the parking lot and use a pay as you go method. However,
the traffic congestion would be much worse than it cur rently is,” Eichholz said. She also said drivers who don’t follow parking regula tions are being ticketed every day. “It is not unusual to issue 200 (tickets) a day,” she said. People are given tickets for not having a permit, hav ing an expired permit, park ing in a fire route or hand icap space, parking in the wrong lot and having forged permits, to name a few. Although it is still mid-fall, winter is fast approaching. Winter driving can slow down traffic because people drive more carefully with the slip pery road conditions. “The facilities management works very hard to ensure that our internal roads our safe and clean,” Eichholz said. Every year there are always minor fender benders in the
PHOTO BY MIKE VIELMA
The new shuttle leaves Conestoga College’s Doon campus after making a stop at the F-wing. parking lots. It is inevita ble with students and staff rushing to class and rushing home. So far this year, there
have been no injuries and only minor damage to vehi cles in parking lot accidents, Eichholz said.
NEWS
P ge 2 ♦ SPOKE
Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
W hat’s your favourite scary movie, and why?
Monday, October 22,2012
Flapjacks anyone? Students flip 20,000 of them BY WENDY CZAKO-MAH
“Saw. It’s so gory and I’m afraid it could actually happen to me!" Sam Dobie, first-year health informatics management
“Paranormal Activity. It’s so realistic and it makes me look in my closet for monsters.” Brie Pointer, second-year graphic design
“It. Because I’m terrified of clowns and I like being scared.” Carley Jackson, first-year office administration executive
“The Crazies. I like mov ies that are really sus penseful and creepy.” Taylor Armstrong, second year broadcast television
“What Lies Beneath. It was the first movie that actually scared the crap out of me.” Cassandra Taylor, second-year nursing
“Alien. Not seeing the alien was the scariest part.” Brendan Cook, second-year advertising and marketing communications
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
As many of us were nestled in our warm beds on Oct. 6, firstyear culinary students from Conestoga College were up in the wee hours of the morn ing preparing pancakes and sausages for the 31st annual Oktoberfest Family Breakfast in Waterloo Public Square. “I got here at 5:30 I was working last night and pretty much had a three-hour nap and then came here,” said Jessy Perez, a student in the culinary program. Others, including chef Philippe Saraiva, had to set up in the rain the night before and arrived at four that morning. “It has to be fresh,” Saraiva said. When asked if this was a requirement for the program, Philippe said, “It's volunteer ing, but they don’t have a choice.” He then chuckled and added, “It is completely vol unteer and the students love to do it, to give back to the community.” Elyse Lapara, who’s in the one-year chef training pro gram, said, “It’s so much fun and all our chefs are awesome, we learn a lot from them.” Many students come back after graduating, including ones who have gone on to open successful businesses. Saraiva, naturally charis matic, went out of his way to entertain those who had been standing in line for almost an hour. Having one of his students stand a metre or two away, he tossed a pancake that she had to catch with a tray. After succeeding, he had her step back so he could throw another one, repeating the process until she missed. This free event had students flipping and cooking approxi mately 20,000 pancakes and 8,000 sausages. Local radio celebrities served them along with syrup and Wellesley apple cider. Saraiva, the program co ordinator, has made pancakes at the event for 15 of the 31 years it has been held. Erin Brown, a second-year student in culinary manage ment, said, “My co-op just finished on Friday, so I was
PHOTOS BY WENDY CZAKO-MAH
Julia Thysman, a student in the culinary program, attempts to catch a pancake tossed by Chef Philippe Saraiva, Oct. 6. Below, she keeps her eye on the flying flapjack as the challenge of catch ing them became harder.
able to come. It’s just one of these fun things that I just love to do.” Although the event was free,
patrons were asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
NEWS
Monday, October22,2012
SPOKE ♦Page 3
Social media a double-edged sword Technology gurus explain its pros and cons at communications summit BY RYAN BOWMAN
From Facebook and Foursquare to YouTube and Twitter, social media is becoming a popular way for companies to target potential customers. On Oct. 11, more than 100 students and fac ulty from Conestoga’s School of Media & Design attended the college’s inaugural Social M edia Com m unications Summit to learn how. The summit, which took place in the Blue Room from 2 to 4:30 p.m., was streamed live online and allowed view ers to submit real-time ques tions via Twitter. The col lege’s second-year broadcast television students produced the event from start to finish. Kim Denstedt, co-ordinator of Conestoga’s integrated marketing communications program, said she pitched the idea for the event because of the ever-growing relevance of social media in marketing. It targeted not only the students in her program, but those in public relations and advertis ing as well. Denstedt, who has a back ground in public relations and organized the event, likened social media to the moving sidewalks in airports. “Social media is continu ally moving,” she said. “The ground is always moving underneath your feet, so I think it is something we’re going to have to continue to address.” The summit featured three keynote speakers who covered everything from how to use Facebook to increase sales to using Twitter responsibly, as well as a panel discussion fea turing experts from various corporations and non-profit organizations. Shaminda (Shum) Attygalle, a digital engagement spe cialist with Christie Digital, kicked off the event by explaining how Foursquare, an app which rewards cus tomers for “checking in” at local businesses, is revolu tionizing experiences as sim ple as dining out. By using the free application, he said, restaurants can attract cus
tomers who never would have heard of them. Attygalle said Foursquare is a great tool because it engages its users and can win new customers without the cost of traditional advertising. “When you check into a place to redeem a special, you have to actually inter act with a member of the staff,” he said. “And in that moment of interaction, busi nesses can really convert these customers into brand advocates, and perhaps even delight them.” According to Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of Spark Plug Consulting, social media can be a double-edged sword. She talked about Twitter’s potential to either bolster a brand or trigger a public rela tions disaster, depending on how it is used. Moss, whose firm special izes in reputation manage ment, said responsible use of social media is equally impor tant for hopeful employees. Three out of five employers, she said, check the Facebook and Twitter accounts of job applicants. “Managing your digital imprint is what could get you the job or not,” she told the room full of students. “There’s a lot of power and opportunity in social media.” “Don’t have pictures of you doing a keg stand,” added Sourov De, a managing partner at marketing firm StryveGroup and former fac ulty member of Conestoga College. De said StryveGroup, which he co-founded in 2008, is among the 60 per cent of com panies that check candidates’ Facebook pages before inter viewing them. “Incidentally, we’re hiring,” he said. “And I am going to Facebook-creep you.” According to De, students should be blogging, tweet ing and creating online con tent while they are in college or university so they have a portfolio to show potential employers. “You’re going to be sepa rated by your ideas and what you’ve produced,” he said.
PHOTO BY RYAN BOWMAN
Shaminda Attygalle, a digital engagement specialist, describes how Foursquare can boost business at Conestoga’s inaugural Social Media Communications Summ it Oct. 11. “When I’m hiring, I look for initiative in your personal life as well as your professional life,” Moss added. Lydia Frey, a first-year advertising student at Conestoga, said what inter ested her most about the summit was the impact YouTube could have on a business. “It opens up lots of new ideas,” said Frey, who assists her friend in running a cater ing business. “It got me thinking how to use videos in advertising.” Denstedt, who plans on making the summit an annu al event, said there was a lot of information to take away from it. “I think the students who were there should have got ten value out of what they were hearing,” she said, add ing that the IMC program’s Twitter account gained 20 new followers overnight. “I was really pleased at the end of the day with the speakers and the panel discussion.” Despite the limited success of the live stream, which drew 27 viewers, Denstedt said they will probably try it again next year. “It wasn’t as many as I would have liked, but it’s the first year for it,” she said. “I think it has the potential to grow if it becomes known and established.”
On Spoke Online (www.spokeonline.com) this week: Check out the rough and tumble Tri-City Roller Girls in action. Watch the mayor of Cambridge chow down to raise cash for Meals on Wheels. Enter the world of optical illusion at a Conestoga museum exhibit - can you see it? View Humpty Dumpty’s great fall at the Conestoga campus. Visit Kitchener Market’s annual PumpkinFest. See what Conestoga students are doing for Halloween.
COMMENTARY
Page 4 ♦SPOKE
Monday, October 22,2012
Schools’ food bans are just nuts BY ALLANAH PjNHORN
The days of spreading some peanut butter and jam on a few slices of bread and sending it in a paper bag with your child to school are long gone. Most of us know someone with a peanut allergy, and all of us are well aware of the nut ban that exists in most elementary schools nowa days. But this month an even more extreme measure was handed down from on high at a Kitchener Catholic school: kindergartners are no longer allowed to bring food items containing dairy or eggs. The parents of the affected boy’s classmates were even given a list of allowable foods: soy yogurt and puddings, vegan margarines and substitutes, whole grain breads, a small list of allowed deli meats and specific brands of snacks such as cookies. Most were organic, more expen sive and only able to be bought from specific stores. They must be joking. Anaphylaxis is serious, deadly serious, and we sympa thize with parents of children suffering from potentially fatal allergies. Many of us even have them ourselves, but children - growing children - can’t really be expected to eat practically vegan lunches, can they? Peanut butter is sticky, it’s oily and it can readily be transferred by little fingers. It is also a far more common allergy. But being anaphylactic to eggs and dairy is almost unheard of and to impose what amounts to a new lifestyle onto 20 or more students due to one little boy seems like a knee-jerk reaction to an otherwise manageable problem. Even the boy’s father agrees. In a statement to the Waterloo Region Record earlier this month he said he had no intention of creating a problem for other parents. He simply wanted his child’s classroom to be a safe haven, meaning students shouldn’t be eating lunch in there. Brilliant. Simple. But this wasn’t the school board’s reaction. Because their policy is that kindergartners must eat separate from the rest of the school, they issued a ban instead. What they need to do is change that policy instead of instilling new ones. Have the children eat outside their classroom, heck, even have the allergic child eat in an aller gy-safe room with a lunch buddy or two. The two sides should work together to come up with a compromise that works for all. Or soon our students will be eating in solitary confinement. 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.
The cost of our future C h a n c e s o f h ig h e r e d u c a tio n lim ite d b y w a lle t s ize Ever since we were young, we were told that education is important. It will get you a well-paying job and help you succeed in life. Don’t get me wrong, everyone who told us that was right, however, not everyone can get that post-secondary education that they deem so helpful. The main reason is that the cost of tuition is ridicu lous. Every year students are expected to fork out thousands of dollars for an education to help them get a great career. That’s all well and dandy if you have the money, but what if you don’t? Many students rely on OSAP, but unfortunately these students will be pay ing that off for years to come. Tuition alone is in the thousands every year and that doesn’t include books, living expenses and trans portation. In my opinion I think we should be paid to go to school. I know that sounds a little far-fetched but could
Cassie Tulecki Opinion you imagine how many people could go to school and better their lives if they didn’t have to pay. I bet there are thousands of kids who have brilliant minds and would thrive with a better education but due to their financial status they can’t enrol in post-second ary studies. There are so many stu dents who deserve the right to go to school, so why charge so much money? It’s cruel to tell kids all through grade school and high school that if they go to college for the job they want they’ll be set for life. Personally that’s what I got out of high school; they constantly drilled into our heads that it was necessary to go to college. But if you can’t afford
it and your parents can’t either, what are you sup posed to do? Yes, a parttime job will help but that money will be gone pretty fast and working a job and going to school is difficult, especially at exam time. The added need to make our parents proud is a con stant push to keep us striv ing for the best. The worst thing you can hear is “I’m disappointed” from your parents. No one likes hear ing it, especially when it comes to education. My point is, everyone deserves a higher education. Most of us want a future where we’re not stuck doing a job we hate. Since we are going to be working for most of our lives we need to have all educational doors open to us. We all deserve that chance to be the best that we can be regardless of where we came from and the upbringing we got as chil dren. Your financial status shouldn’t define the rest of your life.
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 B Y T H E J O U R N A L I S M Editor: Stephanie Lefebvre Assignment Editors: Keiia MacPherson and Ryan Bowman Advertising Managers: Kris Manuel and Joanna Dittmer Spoke Online Editors: Sara Hanafi, Caleigh
McLelland, Brad Coughlin, Michael Vielma, Lindsay Tessier, Jessica Lanthier, Jessica Rediker Production Managers: Ryan Goodyear, Wendy Czako-Mah, Mark Fitzgerald, Kelsey Heeley, Wesley Butler, CassieTulecki Photo Editors: Allanah Pinhom, Dylan DaCosta,
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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 22,2012
T'was the night before
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
puck
drop (As of Spokes deadline, the NHL Players Association and the NHL had not reached an agreement.) T’was the night before puck drop, when all through the arena, Not a player could be found, not even Pavel Kubina. The cable bill was paid, and new flat screen bought, In hopes that hockey brawls soon would be fought. The commissioner was nes tled all snug in his bed, While visions of union bust ing danced in his head. And I in my Leafs jersey had just settled in, For another regular season with barely a win. When out of NHL headquar ters there arose such a clat ter. No games to be played, not even in Phoenix where games barely matter. Away to my television I flew like Gilmour, Turned to Sportsnet and said, “Please say it no more!” The light from the television illuminated my tears, As Bob McKenzie confirmed my worst fears. The owners locked all the doors and turned off the lights, “Go away fans” they shouted “we care not for your plight” Owners and players jostled and fought, While the fans worried for the tickets they’d bought.
That would surely prove we’d had enough.
Rob Mendonsa Opinion “More money,” the own ers cried from their private yachts. If we make any less, no second Ferrari the players thought. And on and on they fought like brats, And used the fans as their mats. “Please, please,” the fans cried, give us back our Saturday night. But owners and players said to the fans “Go away, this is not your fight.” No Toronto, No Montreal, No New York or Boston, No Winnipeg, No Anaheim, No Vancouver or Edmonton. From the top of the podium Bettman did call, “Now go away, go away, go away all.” And as I sat and watched our game die, My heart broke I cannot lie. For if they could take away our game, Then there could truly be no greater shame. Then in a twinkling it came to my brain. What can we do that will make them feel pain? What if we just stop buying their NHL stuff?
No jerseys, no coffee cups, no toques or lunch bags, No beers mugs, no key chains, no ball caps or flags. To the top of my rooftop I shouted my plan. No more, no more, no more from this fan! Then one by one the lights flickered on, Success, I ran to my door and out to my lawn. And what to my wondering eyes did appear, But a limo carrying Bettman with a look of fear. He was all dressed in Armani from head to foot, And accompanied with eight tiny lawyers to boot. A cease and desist is what they had for me, “Stop this foolishness, or you’ll be up a tree.” And so you may ask, what’s all the fuss? The owners and players care not for us. True this may be, but one thing they forget, If the money stops coming they’ll notice I bet. And with that... Bettman sprang to his limo, to his lawyers he whistled, Then they jumped in their limo and flew like a missile. But I heard him exclaim as they drove out of sight, “Maybe by Christmas, you’ll see Hockey Night.
ZOMBIES INVADE CAMBRIDGE Hespeier downtown busi ness owners organized a “Zom bieW alk” to raise aware ness of organ donation. Above, Zombie special forces Cliff Morris and right, roller girl Jere Kools, are on the march for vic tims on Oct. 13. Below, Zombie bride Amanda White and her bridesmaid, Dinah Swartzentruber, prepare for their ghoulish wedding.
PHOTOS BY ROB MENDONSA
FEATURE
Page 6 ♦ SPOKE
Monday. October 22,2012
THE MONSTER GUY RETURNS BY WHITNEY SOUTH
arkness falls over the quiet village of Elora this month, with grimgrinning ghouls and goblins standing ready to delight and astound visitors at their Melville Street home, The Twilight Zoo. Lurking about the grounds of The Elora Centre for the Arts, the zoo is home to doz ens of wire and paper sculp tures representing everything from menacing monsters to scary spiders. The creative mind behind these creatures belongs to none other than artist Tim Murton, whom the local children have affectionately dubbed “The Monster Guy.” It all began 16 years ago when Murton’s doctor suggest ed he create something with his hands in order to help him relax. After working as a sce nic artist on over 40 feature films, including The Piano, the movie business had taken its toll and had left him in need of a creative outlet. “I made four little ghouls and hung them around my house down by the river, and the neighbours went bonkers over them,” said Murton. “So the next year I made a few more and it just kept getting bigger and bigger.” To create the sculptures, Murton makes a wire frame and then covers it with cheesecloth. Once the cloth is stretched and the form begins to take shape, it is glued onto the frame. The sculpture is then built up with layers of paper and more glue, creat ing a compound skin over the wire, which Murton said has very good lighting properties. After adding more layers of cheesecloth, normal tissue paper and even more glue, the piece is ready to be lit and take on a life of its own.
D
" lt’s embracing the dark side and having a giggle." - T im Murton “Working with wire is like drawing in air,” he said. “It’s very immediate and expres sive and when you stretch the paper over the wire, it shrinks so it stretches between high points so it hides a multitude of sins.” People came from all over the area just to catch a glimpse of the artist’s back yard menagerie. After tak ing a year off and actu ally receiving com plaints, Murton said he realized he
PHOTO BY WHITNEY SOUTH
Elora artist Tim Murton, who was a guest on Martha Stewart’s 2011 Halloween special, stands nose to nose with one of the dozens of Halloween sculptures he created for The Twilight Zoo at the Elora Centre for the Arts. The exhibit runs until Oct. 31. had a kind of responsibility to the community. Murton’s partner, Julie Denneny, helped find, orga nize and manage volun teers and workshops for the Twilight Zoo and Monster March Parade. When the two met about six years ago, Murton had already created quite a collec tion of critters. “He was having folks come into his yard for a small fee in hopes of recovering the cost of putting it together,” she said. “He wasn’t making enough to even pay for his material, never mind the hydro.” A natural problem-solver, Denneny suggested they move the zoo to The Elora Centre for the Arts. “Since I had been doing the Monster March Parade for the previous two years,” she said, “I combined the two into a new event called the Scare Fair, with all that it offers on one weekend.” The Scare Fair is- a week end-long Halloween event organized by Denneny each year, and includes a Monster March Parade down Metcalfe Street and along Mill, leading guests to the arts centre and its Twilight Zoo. This year’s fair was held from Oct. 19-21. Special guests included ven triloquist Tim Holland, the Puppet Tamer and magician Zoltan the Adequate. Denneny said the zoo is not only an incredible sculp ture exhibit during the day,
but an outstanding lantern show at night. “Tim is a very creative and talented artist,” she said. “He is very charming, funny and even a little mad. He can focus on a creative project and produce things that are truly amazing.” Murton said his monsters are designed to be silly and unpolished so people are inspired to go home and cre ate their own. In fact, the centre offered three lantern-making classes this year, with the Monster Guy as instructor. “This year we did spiders and skulls and rats,” said Murton. “People work hard and at the end of it they take something home that has been challenging and reward ing at the same time.” Inspiration for the exhibit came from Murton’s love of the area he called home and its need for an economic boost in the autumn months. From the end of summer until Christmas, the village would experience a significant decline in visitors. Murton said he figured Halloween was the perfect time to bridge the gap. “I’m a great believer in eco nomic development through the arts and making the arts work,” he said. “People who come to Elora expect some thing kind of weird and wacky. They come for eccentric kind of experiences, so we just give them what they want.” Murton said he sees the
PHOTO BY WHITNEY SOUTH
A ghoulish sculpture grins through glowing jaws at Tim Murton’s
Twilight Zoo in Elora. work as a little window in the cultural calendar where everybody gets to be creative and makes sure he keeps the ticket price down so families can afford it. “Kids get to see art in a very intimate environment, it’s not like going into a gal lery and looking at a painting on the wall,” he said. “It’s a
good opportunity to support the arts and to see something that’s kind of weird, but it’s embracing the dark side and having a giggle.” For more information on Tim Murton’s Twilight Zoo, including ticket prices and directions to The Elora Centre for the Arts, visit www.twilightzoo.ca.
FEATURE
Monday, October 22,2012
SPOKE ♦Page 7
CreativeCostuming You don’t have to gut your wallet to dress up this Halloween BY JOANNA DITTMER
Saving money isn’t easy, especially when you have to buy that perfect costume. Halloween is just around the corner and many of us are still deciding whether to cre ate a costume or buy one. Since money is usually the issue - because let’s face it, costume prices are ridiculous ly high - creating a costume at a fraction of the cost may be the way to go. Twiniverstiy.com (a site for parents of twins) suggests shopping at a consignment
or thrift shop. According to the website, there are many treasures, such as old, ratty shirts for zombies and cheap fancier dresses for princess es, to be found that would be perfect for a Halloween costume. Dawn Robinson, a 47-yearold Kitchener mother of twins, said she would make her chil dren’s costumes rather than buy them. “Costumes are expensive to buy, especially when you know that your child is only going to wear it once, so instead of buying a new
$50 costume every year, I made them from odds and ends around the house, or I bought them from some where like Value Village, for maybe half of that,” Robinson said. “It’s ridiculous to spend over $50 on an outfit that your child will wear once and never again.” According to parentingsquad.com, it doesn’t take a seamstress or tailor to create a great Halloween costume. The website advises to look at photos of costumes and then see if it’s possible to make a
INTERNET PHOTOS
You can still have a fun and unique costume by buying inexpensive materials and making one from scratch, such as the hamburger dress (bottom right), or using things you have lying around the house, which was done for the zombie sleepover girl (top left). Thrift stores are a great place to buy cheap clothing that you won’t be afraid to cut up and get creative with.
costume from things around the house. Another way to save money this Halloween is to swap costumes with another fam ily or to use hand-me-down costumes. According to parentingsquad.com, young chil dren are happy to dress as whatever their older sibling, cousin or family friend has worn. TJ Wight, a second-year student in Conestoga’s protection/security and investi gation program, said she pre fers to make her costumes to help save money.
“I think that they (Halloween costumes) are overpriced, that’s for sure. Especially when it comes to girls’ costumes because you pay $70 or so to wear barely any clothes. So I’d much rath er make my own costume, not only because I’d end up spending less money but also if I were to make my own costume, I could make it dif ferent than everyone else’s,” she said. “Buying them pre-made, everyone looks the same; I’d rather stand out than be the same.”
NEWS
Page 8 ♦ SPOKE
Monday, October 22,2012
Halloween is looking very sticky but also very creative this year BY ASHLEY CURRIE
Many people think of duct tape as something used only for hasty repairs, but there is a whole other side to the sticky tape that not many ^people are aware of. Duck brand duct tape comes in more than 50 different colours and patterns, and that wide variety has inspired some people to get creative. Grafters use the tape to make everything from deco rative flowers and wallets to clothing and accessories, and Halloween is a big occasion for such items. In Canada these colour ful tapes can be purchased in stores such as Michaels, Staples and Wal-Mart, and they range in price from about $5 a roll for basic colours such as red and blue all the way to $13 a roll for the new glow in the dark tape. . Once you learn the basics of working with duct tape, it only takes a little practice before you can move on to big projects such as creating your own costume. Jonathan Webster, 22, of Philadelphia, Pa., got started creating with duct tape when
he was just 13. “A friend of mine showed me a wallet that he had made. I thought it looked cool so I went home and started making things, and have been doing it ever since. I keep doing it because I enjoy the creativity and being able to make any thing out of it,” he said. Webster now runs the most popular duct tape channel on YouTube where he posts duct tape tutorials and collections videos to show off what he’s made and show others how they can make their own. You can see his videos at www. youtub e.com/duettapestuff. Webster said he’s never made a whole costume out of duct tape but he has made different accessories that could be used for Halloween. “I have made a few different things that could easily be incorporated into a costume like a Captain America hel met and shield, Thor’s ham mer and an Arc Reactor from Iron M a n ” he said. Webster said making your costume out of duct tape has some benefits over purchasing a costume. “Using duct tape will make your costume total ly unique and also gives you a
way of customizing it any way you like. It’s also typically a lot cheaper than buying an entire costume and props.” Sadie Pos, a 22-year-old Guelph resident is a fre quent Michaels shopper. She said she never thought of using duct tape to make a Halloween costume, but she thinks it’s a good idea. “It might be cool to create a mask or something from it. I come to Michaels and I see all the different colours and pat terns of tape that they have. There’s definitely enough to work with,” she said. “I try to put as little effort into my costumes as possible. Duct tape seems like an easy way to add some creativity to a store bought costume,” Pos said. Duct tape isn’t only for Halloween costumes; it can also be used to create decora tions or even to embellish a pumpkin. Duck brand runs a contest each year for pump kin decoration; the current contest is accepting entries until Nov. 1. For the rules or to enter your own pumpkin, visit the Duck Brand page at www. duckbrand.com /Prom otions/ stick-or-treat.aspx.
PHOTO BY ASHLEY CURRIE
It’s am azing what people have learned to do with duct tape. Such a simple home improvement tool is now a staple in fashion.
NEWS
Monday, October 22,2012
SPOKE ♦Page 9
PHOTO BY DYLAN DACOSTA
Participants embark on their walk during Kitchener’s Wishmaker Walk for Wishes on Oct 13. The walk raised money for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.
Making wishes come true BY DYLAN DACOSTA
Kitchener’s streets were filled with walkers on Oct. 13 as people came out in force to support a good cause, Kitchener’s Wishmaker Walk for Wishes. A p p ro x im a te ly 300 “Wishmakers” took part in a walk around the streets of Kitchener near the Kitchener M em orial A uditorium Complex to help raise money for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada (also known as Children’s Wish.) Children’s Wish aims to pro vide children living with lifethreatening illnesses with the chance to have their wish grant ed and enjoy something that will increase their happiness. These wishes come in three categories; travel, item or celebrity. Once a child has had her case medically approved, she gets to choose a wish in any of the three categories. The cost of a wish, on aver age, is about $10,000, mak ing fundraisers such as the Wishmaker Walk for Wishes all the more important. Wade Cullen and his fam ily attended the walk - their sixth time now - and they know the importance of rais ing funds for ill children. The walks became more important to the family when their daughter became sick. The experience of having to take her in and out of hospi tals opened the family’s eyes toward children who were struggling with illness. “It’s hard to look at kids who are really sick and not feel sympathy,” said Cullen. “Seeing what some of these kids go through made us feel like helping out.” At the end of the walk, all
of the participants went back to their starting location, the Kiwanis twin-pad at the audi torium complex, to celebrate. Participants were served lunch and snacks, but the cel ebration was also emotional and featured multiple speak ers, one of which was a family who experienced first-hand the importance of Children’s Wish. “The emotion that is exhib ited at the event is just unbelievable,” said Anne Boehm, regional specialist for Children’s Wish in Kitchener and also organizer of the event. “It is especially emotional for the families who have lost a child to a serious illness.” Every year there are thou sands of Canadians between the ages of three and 17 who are diagnosed with life-threat ening illnesses, and since 1984, Children’s Wish has granted over 18,000 wishes. The event is of great impor tance to Children’s Wish - it is the largest of their nation al fundraisers. The walk has a direct effect on how many children actually get the opportunity to have their wishes granted. The Ontario branch of the organization has over 500 pending wishes, 74 of which are from the KitchenerWaterloo area. These kids are depending on the success of Kitchener’s event. Boehm hopes this year’s walk will raise around $25,000, which would be up from last year’s total of $23,000. She urges more people to come out and participate in future walks. “Nobody is ever sorry to come out,” said Boehm. “When people come they say that they can’t believe how amaz ing the day is.”
NEWS
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Monday, October 22,2012
Breast reconstruction a viable option BY JESSICA REPIKER
For many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, a mastectomy is con sidered an eternal loss of their breasts, but it doesn’t have to be. Breast reconstruction sur gery is an elective procedure that can recreate the appear ance of natural breasts, from whatever state a woman’s chest is in after partial or full removal of one or both of her breasts. This procedure is available through hospitals, but the problem is many women are unaware of this option and how accessible it is. According to Dr. Robert Shenker, a plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon at The Cosmetic Surgery C linic in Waterloo, between 10 and 20 per cent of women who have had a cancer-relat ed breast surgery have had reconstructive surgery. This is a number that Shenker has joined the fight to increase. General surgeons ... will take a half or a third of a woman’s breast off and say 'you’ll be fine,”’ said Shenker,
outlining one of the reasons women aren’t well informed about their options. “We don’t amputate some one’s leg and let them go, we give them prosthesis. But yet we chop off a woman’s breast and say 'Goodbye, have a nice life,”’ he said. Shenker has been perform ing reconstructive surgery for 15 years and said that a low level of awareness isn’t the only problem. While some women may not know about their surgery options, women who know the procedure is available may have a lot of misconceptions about it. One of the major myths sur rounding breast reconstruc tion is that it costs the same amount of money as a cos metic procedure, but in fact the process, from start to fin ish, is completely covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. The misconceptions don’t end here, they continue on once a woman has made the decision to have reconstruction. Reconstructive surgery does not need to be put off for even a week after a mastectomy. “The best way to do it is on the day of your mastectomy.
PHOTO BY JESSICA REDIKER
Supporters of breast reconstruction dance flash-mob style on Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day in uptown Waterloo on Oct. 12. Women think 'if I could lie down and go to sleep with this breast, it would be great if I could wake up with one,” said Shenker. The debunking of some of the related misconceptions is one of the reasons Shenker is
joining the campaign to raise awareness of breast recon struction - a campaign that kicked off with some fun on Oct. 12 in uptown Waterloo. A flash mob of enthusias tic dancers at Waterloo Town Square captured the atten
tion of passersby at approx imately 12:15 p.m. While people watched curiously, flyers were handed out for the Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day dinner on the 17th, where Shenker was the guest speaker.
Cost of Alzheimer’s to balloon to $153b by 2038 BY WESLEY BUTLER
Alzheimer’s disease has a significant impact on friends, families and society. It costs $15 billion per year to sup port people with Alzheimer’s in Canada, and it’s expected to cost $153 billion per year by 2038. The cost is rising due to people living longer and because there will be a high er number of older adults at that time, according to Jill Mercier, public education co ordinator of the Alzheimer Society of Cambridge. She explained what Alzheimer’s is, its impact, and how to prevent it, during her visit to Trinity Anglican Church in Cambridge on Oct. 13. “If someone is worried about themselves, or a friend or family member, they really should go see a physician,” she said. “But when they begin to see the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, that’s when they need to get checked out.” The 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are mem ory loss that affects day-today abilities, difficulty per forming tasks that have been familiar to someone their whole life, problems with simple language skills, disori entation, impaired judgment, Problems with abstract think ing, misplacing things regu larly, changes in mood and
behaviour, changes in person ality and loss of initiative. If someone thinks he has Alzheim er’s disease, or a friend or fam ily member thinks he does, the per son should have a series of medical tests. Typically, doctors will want to know the person’s medical his tory, as well as his mental status. He will then have to take part in a physical exam and several labora tory tests. Less often, he will have to go through psy chological evaluations. Mercier explained why it’s important to have an early diagnosis. She said a person could reduce the risk of delir ium, car accidents, errors in medication and even financial difficulties. “When someone has Alzheimer’s disease, their finances are often misman aged because they have trouble doing it themselves,” said Mercier. “Upon diag nosis, that person is able to relearn how to perform basic financial tasks.” An early diagnosis also allows people time to adjust to having the disease, and provides them with the oppor tunity to plan for the future. Mercier described various ways to prevent and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s dis ease. She said people need to think more about their
brain health and activity, and make healthy food choices by following the Canada Food Guide. It’s also important for someone to keep their brain active, stay physically active and socially connected, and take charge of their overall health. Reducing stress and being serious about safety are also key factors in preventing Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Society of Cambridge offers volunteer opportunities, support groups and counselling. “We support research to find the cause and cure for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Mercier. “We also offer educa tion to professional caregivers and families of people with the disease.”
PHOTO BY WESLEY BUTLER
Jill Mercier (left) explains what Alzheimer’s disease is, and what the Alzheimer’s Society of Cambridge does, at Trinity Anglican Church in Cambridge on Oct. 13.
NEWS
Monday, October 22,2012
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You can eat locally even in winter BY CALEIGH MCLELLAND
These days it seems that almost nothing is “Canadian” and almost everything is “made in China.” Even the food we eat often comes from tens of thousands of kilome ters away, and because of this, Canadians are able to eat exotic fruits and vegeta bles year-round. While im porting foreign food is beneficial for the world economy, it is also important to buy locally-pro duced food. And eating local is easy, even in the winter. According to Foodlink Waterloo Region, “you can eat local food at every meal on any given day of the year. It’s just a matter of being prepared.” Even with cold temperatures fast approaching and markets closing down for the season, there are countless foods that are available, and even har vested, throughout the winter months and year-round. Potatoes, for example, are generally harvested until Nov. 15, but are always avail able. Carrots, garlic, leeks, pears, soybeans, squash, sweet potatoes and turnips are also available locally until late winter. And don’t forget about meat, eggs and dairy, which are all produced and available from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.
For those foods that are only available throughout the summer and fall months, Foodlink Waterloo Region suggests loading up on fresh fruits and vegetables “as they become available in the sum mer, and either freeze or pre serve the excess for winter consumption.” Not only does eating as locally as possible benefit our farmers, it is also gives buy ers a more environmentally friendly option. “Transportation and fuel is an issue,” said Tim Beirnes, owner of TJ’s Farm Fresh in Cambridge, adding that eat ing local is a “green idea.” Locally grown produce is also healthier. “Canada is not under the same rules,” said Beirnes. “Pesticides in South America or China wouldn’t be legal or available in Canada.” And according to Bill Stevens from Thames River Melons in Innerkip, locallyproduced food is fresher. “If the food is fresher, it is therefore healthier,” said Stevens, adding that locallyproduced food is not nutri tionally depleted in transport. In a Jan. 18, 2012 CBC col umn on eating local food in winter, Sarah Elton gives even more options for keeping meals as local as possible dur ing those cold months. “There are greenhouses that
PHOTO BY CALEIGH MCLELLAND
Bill Stevens and LeeAnne Charron show off som e of the locally grown produce they grow at Tham es River Melons in Innerkip. Available items at this time of year include leeks and squash. produce vegetables all yearround,” she said, “including lettuce, greens, sprouts and cucumbers. Ontario green house tomatoes and peppers will start growing in March.” If you are interested in eat ing more locally-produced food, there are many options
TAKING IN THE BEAUTY OF FALL ON CAMPUS
PHOTO BY ASHLEY CURRIE
Conestoga students are treated to a blaze of colour as they walk to class on the chilly fall morning of Oct. 15. This week, expect clouds and scattered showers with a high of 17 C.
available including farms, markets and even restaurants in Waterloo Region such as Borealis Grillhouse & Pub in Kitchener. For more information, pick up a “Buy Local! Buy Fresh!” map from your local farm ers’ market, or contact the
Region of Waterloo. You can also visit Foodlink Waterloo Region’s website, www.foodlink.ca, to find out where you can buy specific items and at what time of year. There are also recipes and information about food storage and nutri tion.
Page 12 ♦ SPOKE
Monday, October 22,2012
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