to open its doors.
SPOKE
Page 2
A LEARNING NEWSROOM FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS
Appetite for success Student restaurant Bloom prepares
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7,2013
CONESTOGA COLLEGE, KITCHENER, ONT.
Behold 'T he Cube’ Installation shines on top of Kitchener city hall. Page 11
WWW.SP0KE0NLINE.C0M
44TH YEAR - NO. 17
A cycle of sharing BY TONY MCLELLAN
Two years ago, the men and women of The Working Centre had an idea. They wanted to create a transportation pro gram that was not only afford able and reliable, but also easy to use and understand. The result was the Community Access Bikeshare (CAB), a community-driven program that features quick and simple access to sturdy bicycles in the downtown core area. “I think there’s a lot of inter est in this idea of sustainable transportation,” said Adrian Underhill, one of the orga nizers of the CAB program. “The goal is really just to give people access to a bicycle.” When it was launched as a pilot program in 2011, the program had a small yet dedicated 54-member group, whose constant use of the small number of bikes owned by the program helped get it mainstream attention. ‘There’s been a lot of support coming out of the pilot project, as well as positive feedback from our members regarding things they’d like to see,” Underhill said. “We took that informa tion and really funnelled it into the launch that happened this year, which is a slightly bigger project of up to 60 to 90 bikes, and we’re hoping to increase the capacity of the 10 to 12 already existing stations for next year’s launch in April.” The process of becoming a part of the CAB program is simple and straight-forward, with no credit card necessary. You can purchase a mem bership online or in person
PHOTO BY TONY MCLELLAN
Adrian Underhill stands with one of the many bicycles owned by the Community Bikeshare Program. He is one of the founding members of the project, which started in 2011. for $40. The membership lasts from the beginning of April to the end of November and includes a meeting with the co-ordinators of CAB, in which the new member is pro vided with a set of rules and benefits that come with being a full member of the program. After this initiation, the new member will receive a person al membership card, which is used for accessing a key box located near the various CAB locations. The key that
is taken will be the one that is used for the corresponding bike, as well as the lock that comes with the bike itself. While CAB is starting to become more recognized as a reliable and popular program throughout the community at large, Underhill said he and his co-workers plan to take expansion and development at a moderate pace. “We want to grow the sys tem slowly, listen to feedback from members and really
build it incrementally in a way that will set it up for many, many years to come.” While he said that the group is mostly focusing on develop ing stations around the down town Kitchener core, he hopes to expand the reach of the stations throughout K-W in time. He said they are trying to take the various bikeshare programs offered in larger cities such as Toronto and Montreal and adapt them to a small-town setting, especially
one that has such a large stu dent population. Underhill is also interest ed in helping student groups from local campuses start up community bikeshare projects of their own, as a part of CAB or as an independent group. You can contact CAB at 519743-1151, ext. 172, or by email at bikeshare@theworkingcentre.org. You can also visit them at 58 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Monday to Thursday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Students wonder where their money goes B Y CODY STEEVES
Students enrol at Conestoga College for different reasons but the ultimate goal is to gain expertise in a particular field. However, the question that needs to be asked is, “Where does all the money go?” Students around campus are asking the same thing, with very few knowing exactly what their tuition and other fees are used for. According to the 2013/2014 program fee’s chart, students are paying an additional
$1,123 over and above their tuition. These fees get broken down into several categories. Students can only opt-out of one, that being the CSI health plan. Students who are already covered by another plan can get a return of $255. Several other non-optional fees include a technology enhancement fee that costs students $244 per year, a recreation/athletics fee of $131 per year and three nonoptional CSI fees, which alto gether cost $295 annually. These fees are a CSI capital
development fee, a CSI asso ciation fee and a CSI-CSA fee. The fees are in place ulti mately as a means to better the campus or make it more accessible to students, which means having the gym open to students without a need for memberships and also having open-access computer labs. However, some fees are considered by students both surprising and unnecessary. “I thought the gym was free,” said Herman Jansen, a second-year fitness student. “I didn’t know I was paying
$130 on top of going to my own gym.” Yet others had no problem with the fees, claiming that they are less than what they would pay at similar facilities. “I can’t afford a gym mem bership,” said Jordan Von Holstein-Rathlou, a firstyear broadcast TV student. “It was nice knowing I could come here.” The general consensus, how ever, is that there should be more opt-out options available for those who think that they will never use certain facilities.
“There are people here (at the college) in their 30s or 40s and the gym isn’t on their minds,” said Sebastian Kozlowski, also a first-year broadcast TV student. “It’s about getting a better job or finishing their courses.” Another common viewpoint among students is the “it is how the system works, there fore we have to accept it.” But, the question that remains is whether or not Conestoga College should charge students for services they do not use.
NEWS
Page 2 ♦ SPOKE
Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College Random questions answered by random students
What TV shows are you excited about this year?
“Orange is the New Black.”
Caleb Connor, first-year supply chain management
“Grey’s Anatom y.”
Stephanie Nicholls, first-year human services
“The Blacklist.”
Michael Reid, first-year business
“Vampire Diaries, The Originals and Game of Thrones.”
Karlee Tarbett, first-year business
“Avatar: Legend of Korra.”
Drew O’Brien, first-year software engineering
“Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden.”
Colton Flynn, first-year software engineering
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
Monday, October 7 ,2013
The fall season is in Bloom at Conestoga BY MARK LORENTZ Everyone has secrets, including Conestoga. Not too long ago, the culi nary program at the college was one of those secrets. It was down to only 28 students, but now it is quickly becom ing one of the fastest-grow ing trade programs offered in Waterloo Region. Philippe Saraiva, co-ordinator, is proud of how far the school has grown since he has taken over. “We score highly every year in multiple national competi tions; people are starting to notice and say, who are those little guys from Conestoga,” Saraiva said. With a 40-guest maximum for any given service, Bloom, Conestoga College’s studentrun restaurant, gives off a high-class feel with its qual ity food. It manages to cre ate an evening setting, since it doesn’t have any windows because it is located right in the middle of the Waterloo campus. First-year students in the hospitality programs provide the product and service at Bloom, which gives them real world experience while still in a classroom setting. “What makes us different from other colleges is that we have a real restaurant, with real people paying with real money to get a product that they paid for. We don’t do pretend, we do real life,” Saraiva said. Bloom opens for business this school year for the first time on Oct. 8. First-year culi nary student Nada Nasser has had experience working for catering companies, but said Bloom is entirely dif ferent. “I’m very excited, it will be a great experience. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.” Bloom’s menu has a French influence and was created by head chef and teacher Paul Torrance. The menu was designed to show first-year students the wide variety of skill and technique that goes into creating a dish. A vast majority of first-year culinary students this semester have very little experience in a live kitchen which Torrance believes is more of an asset than a hindrance. “It’s easier to work with a clean slate, they’re willing to listen. Students who have worked in a kitchen some times bring in bad habits and struggle when learning tech niques properly,” he said. When asked about what stu dents struggle with the most
PHOTOS BY MARK LORENTZ
Thanks to his wife’s encouragement, Jeremy Glasser walked away from the Honda plant where he worked for the past 16 years and followed his passion for cooking. when entering a kitchen for the first time, Torrance said that pan work in the saute section of the kitchen usually brings out the most frustra tion. “The high heat, cooking with the fat, food can burn rather quickly, especially if you have multiple pans on the go,” he said. Matt Worden, the restau rant operations instructor at Conestoga and award-win ning sommelier, came up with the tag line for Bloom, which is “educate, eat, experience,” something that Worden said sums up Bloom perfectly. “Of course, ideally we want to have perfect service every time we go live,” Worden said. “However, I love mistakes. Mistakes help the students learn. We can go back after and see what went wrong and pick through it, to help fix the problem next time.” The price for a three-course meal at Bloom, which is of the same standard and quality that would run close to $50 a plate at a Charcoal group res taurant, is $14 a plate, with wine and alcohol options. Worden said the reason the price is so low, is the college gets it main source of income from tuition and student fees. The money made by the res taurant itself pays off the basic operating costs. H ow ever, he said, “Marketing is a tough one. We’re trying to get the word out there, but the school sees the people who come in here to eat as secondary custom
First-year culinary student Rob Aubow prepares a healthy dish. ers, our income really comes from the students.” The same menu items are available for both lunch and dinner; lunch service begins at 11:45 a.m. from Tuesday through Friday, with dinner service starting at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. Once the kitchen goes live for the first time, nerves and anticipation will finally sub side, something that first-year student Roxanne Minaker is looking forward to. “I’m definitely nervous,” she said, but added the more she is in the kitchen practising, the more her nervousness subsides. Bloom is open for nine weeks during the first semester, with a new set menu each of those weeks. For more infor mation, visit www.bloomatconestoga.ca
NEWS
Monday, October 7,2013
Taxi service a bad idea BY KATRINA EDLEFSEN Trying to save money is always on the minds of col lege students and sometimes the lure of a few extra dollars can lead them to try and earn money in some very unusual ways. Around mid-September one such student who needed to both earn and save money came up with an unusual idea that was posted to the Conestoga College Facebook group. The post advertised a Friday and Saturday night taxi service that was being run entirely by students with fares costing 10 cents less per kilometre than a regular taxi. This post quickly caught the attention o f CSI president Jason Wright, who was quick to point out one of the major flaws in the idea. “Unless he has a licence that states he is an authorized taxi service it is illegal to charge people to go from one location to another,” Wright posted to the group. The legality of the whole idea was Wright’s first con cern, his next issue with the idea was the fact that par ticipating in an unlicensed program has risks for stu dents as they would be riding in a vehicle that would have no insurance to cover their safety as a passenger in case of an accident. “Would you drink at a bar that isn’t regulated?” Wright posted to the group. “Because
this is pretty much the same thing ... the idea is great if it’s legal ... but if it’s not regulated then it’s the safety concern that has me worried for the students of Conestoga College.” Conestoga College profes sor Carlo Sgro agreed fully with Wright and posed the big question: was saving money really worth a person’s safety? “The travelling difference is 10 cents per kilometre,” Sgro posted. “You have to decide whether the savings is, worth possibly not having insurance coverage if you get into an accident.” School officials were not the only ones concerned with the whole idea. Many students also brought up very valid points, including secondyear journalism broadcast student Kail Walters, who pointed out that the driver of the taxi would likely not be nearly as well trained as real taxi drivers. “I’m not saying all parents are like mine, but I feel very confident, in saying my par ent who has roughly 40 years of driving experience, is more experienced and safer than your drivers,” Walters post ed. Though the basic idea behind a student-run taxi is clever, it really turns into a lesson of ‘just because you can does not mean you should’ and that goes double for when it involves the safety of oth ers.
SPOKE ♦Page 3
Spoke coming to a phone near you BY STEPH SMITH New media technologists at Conestoga College are cur rently working on the design and development of an app that will allow Spoke and Spoke TV to be directly acces sible on the smartphones of students, faculty and staff. The team, composed of tech nologists Chris Martin and Quinn Battersby said the app will be available for those with iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows operating systems. The app will notify the user of new content published to spokeonline.com, giving them access to articles, vid eos, archives and information regarding Spoke. “The main goal of the
Spoke app will be to bring overall brand awareness to Spoke, as well as the ease of, access to articles,” M artin said. “In an effort to meet the demand of as many devic es as possible we will want to make the Spoke Online website a web app first,” Battersby said in an email. “It will not be in the app store or Google Play store initially. What will happen is when a reader visits Spoke Online on their mobile device, they will be presented with a mobile version that is built to provide a user-friepdly expe rience on their device.” Battersby said they will be delivering a native version (meaning it is accessed, down
loaded and upgraded through the use of an app store) of the web app for the device plat forms that they feel are in the most demand. Both Martin and Battersby said that marketing the app will come in the form of Quick Response (QR) codes (a matrix barcode readable by cellphone cameras or smartphones with a QR scanner app), which will be inserted into the newspa per as well as on posters. “We’re certainly excited and we know it’s a new platform for students to consume media about them. We know there is a need,” Battersby said. He added they are still final izing the app and that it will hopefully be released in the near future.
PHOTO BY STEPH SMITH
Spoke staff Brandon Hommel and Hailey Merkt show off what a new Spoke app screen might look like.
PHOTO BY KATRINA EDLEFSEN
Darian Newman, a second-year practical nursing student, looks up the phone number for a taxi service at the college’s Doon campus.
COMMENTARY
Page 4 ♦SPOKE
Monday, October 7,2013
From foe to friend: BBM on iOS BY GREG STAMPER Nothing can last forever; at some point even the world’s mightiest empires must fall. In the tech world, it is no different. Early on in the summer BlackBerry announced that it would be releasing its formerly exclusive instant messaging application, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), to rivals Android and iPhone in the coming months. On Sept. 18 BlackBerry made it official, announcing that their iconic BBM app would roll out on Androids’ Google Play and iPhone’s App Store on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 respectively. However, an unofficial leak of the BBM app to the Play Store put the axe to that, and now the releases have been pushed back to an unknown date. All setbacks aside, the release is a highly anticipated one. In spite of the Android app being an unofficial leak, it received almost 1.1 million downloads in just eight hours on Google Play before being deleted. The question is why has the once gigantic smartphone empire finally decided to sell its most elite product to the companies that are their main competition? The answer boils down to exactly what you would expect, money. The name BlackBerry does not carry as much influence and power as it once did. Despite being the original creator of the smartphone, BlackBerry stuck with simplicity in their phones’ operating systems for far too long and was left in the rearview mirror once Android and Apple decided to take over the game in the past five years. BlackBerry attempted to rejoin the ranks of Androids and iPhones with the release of the BlackBerry Z10, but it was a complete failure. Their stock price reflects this, currently sitting in the $8 range, a far cry from the $145 stock price in mid-2008. Now all hope may rest on the BBM app. The task is a tough one, but the 1.1 million downloads of the unofficial app provides some hope for BBM to thrive. BlackBerry recently received a $4.7-billion offer from Canada’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., which already owns 10 per cent of the company, to assume full control and go back to being a private company, removing itself from the pressures of the stock market. The proposed offer gives shareholders the peace-of-mind of knowing they can sell now and avoid further loss as well as giving the company the happiness of knowing it will stay BlackBerry, at least in the near future.
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.
“Thanksgiving"
Seems all you see is sex on TV And it’s invading bookstores and theatres too Generation Y is too over sexed for its own good. The way sex is being portrayed in the media is having a direct effect on the millennial generation. Television shows such as 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom , have turned the serious issue of teen pregnancy into a way to gain fame. S & M, sexual role-playing, and other private, sexual acts have become sensation alized in pop-culture through music, film and erotic novels, such as 50 Shades of Grey. Things that used to be con sidered downright inappro priate now go unnoticed. The 1953 movie release of From Here to Eternity includes a famous scene where Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr kiss passionately in the sand, wearing only bathing suits, as the surf rolls over them. What is now considered one of the most romantic movie scenes in history was a major cause for controversy in 1953, when it was branded too provocative. In contrast to new media today, the public barely flinches when 21-year-old Miley Cyrus swings naked on a wrecking ball and gets hot and heavy with construction
Tasha Lunny Opinion
supplies in her new music video. This is considered the norm. Times have definitely changed. Sex in the media has hit an all-time high, and the truth is generation Y has been overloaded. According to Sexuality, Contraception and the Media, an article published Aug. 30, 2010 by the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, studies have shown that exposure to sexual content in the media can double the risk of early adolescent sex. Not only is our generation having sex younger, but long-term rela tionships are becoming a thing of the past. According to Statistics Canada, in 2005, 36 per cent of 18- to 19-yearolds admitted to having mul tiple partners in one year. We are also the generation that leads the new digital world. Social media is a pathway for everyone to be in contact 24-7. A Pediatrics
journal survey showed that 20 per cent of the American teens and young adults asked admitted to having sent or posted nude pictures or vid eos of themselves. This has sadly become a trend that often has caused cyber bully ing. This past year the media has written about the deaths of several Canadian teens who committed suicide due to these types of situations. Though the media is sexing up TV, it can also be a good avenue for sexual education. The millennial generation might be hav ing sex at a young age, and with multiple partners, but the teen pregnancy rate has actually fallen and, accord ing to Statistics Canada, 80 per cent of 15- to 19-year-olds reported using condoms. From Madonna’ s scandal ous 1984 performance of Like a Virgin, which ended with her hip thrusting the stage in a wedding dress, to the age of social media where celebrities commonly post half-naked photographs to Twitter, our generation has become desensitized to sex. It’ s clear that the age-old cliche “ sex sells” is true, but at what price are we willing to buy it? I think the answer to that question is at the expense of the next generation.
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 S T U D E N T S OF C O N E S T O G A C O L L E G E Editor: Steph Smith Assignment Editors: Casey Schellenberger,
Bruce Chessell
Josh Bury
Froude, Randi Clarke
Advertising Managers: Brandon Hommel,
Circulation Manager: Callie Wrigglesworth, Becky Sheasby
Kelsey Dunbar
Photo Editors: Spencer Beebe, Aaron Creces,
Spoke Online Editors: Ashley Kowitz, Greg
Katrina Edlefsen, Devon Hayes, Laurie Snell, Hailey Merkt, Tony McLellan, Tasha Lunny
Stamper, Tyler Batten, Mark Lorentz, Cody Steeves,
Social Media Editor: Jody Anderson
Production Managers: Scott Dietrich, Cole
Faculty Supervisor 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 7.2013
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
Cold, broke and nowhere to go Demand for shelter services increasing at an alarming rate in the area BY LAURIE SNELL
This is the last in a threepart series on the cost of living in Waterloo Region Each year Canada spends $7 billion on homelessness - a figure that shocks many but means little to the thousands of homeless who have fallen between the cracks. The dispar ities between the upper class and lower class speak volumes of our capitalist society, but fail to identify the increasing gap between the low-income and subsistent poor. A significant number of people are in a con stant state of survival - unsure of where they will find their next meal, have a safe rest or receive appropriate care. The $7 billion that is spent on emergency shelters, social services, health care and cor rections is not enough. About 2,880 people are classified as unsheltered - meaning they sleep in cars, parks or on the street. Almost 15,000 home less people stay in emergency shelters each night and 7,350 stay in violence against women shelters. Another 4,464 home less people are provisionally accommodated in hospitals, prisons or interim housing. A report released to Waterloo Region Council on Sept. 6 indicates that Ontario’s insuf ficient minimum wage and rising housing costs in the region are increasing the harsh reality of homelessness and causing the standard of living to decline. The number
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Hub. Because the report is the first of its kind, it relies on certain approximations including an estimate that almost 200,000 Canadians access shelters each year. Less prevalent situations, such as hidden homeless, are difficult to accurately include in these figures. The Homeless Hub estimates that nearly 50,000 Canadians are among the hidden home less. Couch-surfers or individ uals who reside in very tempo rary locations, such as a hotel, would fall into this category. The needs of the hidden home less are less prevalent because they often avoid social assis tance - another barrier to col lecting accurate data. Kendra Foord, services man ager at Reaching Our Outdoor Friends (ROOF), has seen a rapid increase in demand for their resources. ROOF is a Kitchener-based program for youth between 12 and 25, providing outreach, drop-in, essential services and shelter to those experiencing or are at-risk of homelessness. The
If we don’t start building more affordable housing for people, things are going to get w orse... " - Melissa Small, community support worker
of overnight stays in emer gency shelters in Waterloo Region has increased by 45 per cent - from 63,277 in 2008 to 91,697 in 2012. Another shocking revelation from the regional report is the 300 per cent increase in children from families using shelter services. In 2008, 105 children used these resourc es, and in 2012 there were 420. The number of women at emergency shelters — who often use these resources out of poverty or violence - has increased by 33 per cent, jumping from 596 in 2008 to 795 in 2012. There are more than 30,000 homeless in Canada each night, according to the report,
The State of Homelessness in Canada: 2013 - the first extensive Canadian report card on the issue by Homeless
shelter accommodates 15 at capacity, where the average occupancy was seven to eight youth per night a few years ago, and has since reached peaks of 13 to 14 occupants each night. While some peo ple only use these facilities one night, the average shelter stay lasts about 50 days. “(Homelessness in the region) has a lot to do with the finan cial downturn that happened a few years ago ... usually it takes a few years for us to see the actual impact of a financial crisis in the emergency shelter sector,” Foord said. “The region has a vacancy rate that is very low and then a lot of the new housing that’s being built is in the high-end price range ... (and are) now remarketed to a different group ... So (it’s) been pretty tough on young people and
families looking for affordable housing on the rental market.” Vacancy rates measure the health of the rental housing market - which is significant because renting provides a less expensive housing option for people who cannot afford their own homes. The region’s current vacancy rate is 2.4 per cent, but a rate of 3 per cent is required to ensure the market is competitive, something that hasn’t been up to par in years. Melissa Small is a commu nity support worker for the House of Friendship, where she allocates tenancy for com munity housing programs from the Region of Waterloo’s wait lists. Small witnesses first-hand the frustrations of co-ordinating housing for lowincome persons with a short supply and high demand for these accommodations. “If we don’t start building more affordable housing for people, things are going to get worse in the community over all,” Small said. Getting into supportive hous ing in the area takes about seven years, and Small under stands how easy it is to be over looked while you wait. In that seven-year span, many appli cants become hidden homeless, becoming nearly impossible to contact when spaces come up. “The thing is, it kind of goes back to money. The money isn’t there to do anything more than what we’re doing - these are the people who really need support and are probably costing us a lot more in the long run,” Small said, calling the current solution a bandage approach to this multi-faceted problem. The current housing cri sis in the area and a general minimum wage of $10.25 are propelling homelessness in Waterloo Region. Relational attributes - such as traumat ic events, domestic violence, mental health or addictions often coincide with everyday finances, increasing the risks. Without proper support for these causes, individuals leave even the most stable of homes. The causes can be further broken down into structural and systemic failures, with the lack of co-ordination between government bodies as a main attribute. Housing affordabil ity and inadequate wages, combined with lsporadic eco nomic shifts, are some of the structural factors at play. The system failures are the result of unsuccessful transi tions through mainstream sup port resources — such as child welfare, improper hospital discharge, lack of funding for mental health, poor rehabilita
PHOTO BY LAURIE SNELL
Reaching Our Outdoor Friends services manager Kendra Foord poses in front of a homelessness mural at ROOF on Sept 27. tion, addictions or misguided immigrants in employment services. It is often a compila tion of both individual, struc tural and systems failures that work against the individuals, causing homelessness. However, it is not a short age of resources, the Region of Waterloo has ample amounts services - such as the House of Friendship, the food bank and the working centre and has even won a national award for the Support To End Persistent Homelessness pro gram. But the problem lays in structural and systemic issues that are deeply rooted and require a strong, collaborative effort from politicians. There is a lack of forward thinking from the government, where the range in perspectives on the issue allows a great deal of suggestion, but little action. The response to homelessness should be proactive and perma nent, rather than reactive. Marty Green, a Waterloo Remax Realtor and landlord, takes a different approach to the housing crisis. “It all comes down to supply and demand. I’m a big supporter of capitalism ... (but) it needs to regulate itself,” Green said. “If they would just give a little bit on the tenancy act’s restric tions, there would be so many more landlords who can afford lenience here and there (to) price their units accordingly.”
Any region can have all of the resources possible, but without a co-ordinated sys tem, many people will lose one of the most basic human rights - shelter. The current and consistent approach lacks depth and sees many people falling through the cracks. “We need to focus on building affordable housing ... and then beyond that we need to increase mental health services because that has so many ripple effects of people holding jobs, (and) keeping their home, and then doing better things to secure food for people. Food and shel ter are basic rights and there’s a number of people in Waterloo Region who go to bed hungry or go to bed without a solid roof over their head - and that is unacceptable,” Small said. To eradicate hom eless ness, the problem needs to be addressed with permanent solutions in mind, rather than the repetitive cycle of unco ordinated public systems. The Homeless Hub suggests that managing public resources effectively would make fac tors of homelessness disap pear - such as affordable housing, sufficient wages and improving awareness of sup port programs. If all levels of government combine their efforts and implement clear plans to end homelessness, the standard of living will improve dramatically.
ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, October 7 ,2013
SPOKE ♦ Page 7
Fall is about expressing yourself Oversized sweaters, darker colours will dominate this season BY BRANDON HOMMEL At Conestoga, fashion statements are simple, but stand out. With fall layers arriving and summer shorts being tucked away, Spoke made it its duty to find the most bold and stylish stu dents and get their take on w hat’s going to put the shivers down our spines this season. For some, fall fashion is the best time to dress up and stand out. So why not take fashion advice from Jessica Pearcy, Anastasia Dao and Rogaid Elgadi, three o f Conestoga’s most stylish students? When Spoke first met up with Pearcy, a first-year b u sin ess a d m in istra tion student, she was w earing a beautiful, carnation-pink cardigan, ch arcoal cig a rette leg pants with accent buttons, a black top and a pair o f m atching black flats. Around her shoulder hung a light brown purse with gold studs; around her neck was a charm ing ster ling silver butterfly neck lace. W hat really brought the outfit together was the one accessory she had that money cannot buy, the dim ples that appeared when she smiled.
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My favourite trend
is comfy, cozy oversized sweaters. Nothing like feeling at home while on the go." - Anastasia Dao This season Pearcy p re dicts knit sweaters and gold accessories w ill be musthave item s. She w ould love to see people wearing browns, beiges and reds in big com fy sw eaters, with long necklaces and plenty of bangles. W hen asked what this fashionista’s favourite fall trend is, Pearcy said, “Brown knee-high boots.” W hen thinking o f Anastasia Dao, a first-year business a d m in istra tio n stu d en t, only one phrase comes to mind, “all black everything,” and that is exactly what her outfit scream ed du r ing her interview. She was w earing an elegant black dress, paired with a m atch ing black overcoat and black flats with gold studs around the heels. Her arm held a sleek black leather purse. Her wrist gave the outfit a splash o f colour thanks to a
gold, diam ond-faced watch. And who could forget her m idnight-blue eyeshadow taking a daring leap away from this season’s typical brassy colour scheme. Fall trends to Dao are all about being comfy and m ak ing a statement with bold colours, oversized pieces and big, chunky accesso ries that say, “I’m here.” Dao likes neutral colours, but loves seeing the bold colours of autumn on oth ers. Brands aren’t im por tant to her either. Just wear what you have and make it work. The one thing she will recom m end to C onestoga students this year is, “ALL BIG EVERYTHING.” Don’t be afraid to wear oversized clothing. Fall is the time for being comfy. As a fashionista, Dao said, “My favourite trend is comfy, cozy, over sized sweaters. N othing like feeling at home while on the go.” W hat can we say about Rogaid Elgadi, a first-year general arts and science stu dent, other than his swagger is on another planet, orbit ing his hair. Elgadi is in a land all of his own when it comes to style, bringing back a very vintage look with his 1960s afro, right down to w earing an antique vest. But it doesn’t stop there. His look brings back high socks and oversized, longsleeved shirts, giving those into fashion som ething to consider. What really makes Elgadi’s style stand out is his single gold tooth. The fashion gods truly blessed him with a little som ething extra, and we thank them for that. Elgadi predicts this fall browns and darker colours will be worn in new ways that we haven’t seen before. He would love to see people wearing what makes them feel com fortable and confi dent, because that’s what fashion is all about: self expression. W ith that being said, he wants to see some creativity too, with people thinking outside of the box. R elax on the accessories though, too much of som e thing isn’t always a good thing. W hat is this fashionista’s favourite fall trend? Elgadi said, “It would have to be the faux furs. Y ou ’ll see those being worn by yours truly.” So, grab your oversized sweater and make a state ment. Fall is about experi menting not only with colour, but with your own personal sense of style too.
Anastasia Dao, a first-year busi ness administration student, poses in all black.
Rogaid Elgadi, a first-year gen eral arts and science student, looked swagged out on his way to class.
PHOTOS BY BRANDON HOMMEL
Jessica Pearcy, a first-year business administration student, mod els for Spoke at the Conestoga College Sanctuary.
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Women of K-W demand safer streets BY ASHLEY KOWITZ “Tri-Cities unite! Take back the night!” That was one of a number of chants that could be heard down King Street on Sept. 26 as more than 200 people took to the streets as part of the 30th annual Take Back the Night rally and march. Take Back the Night is an event that focuses on the rights of women and trans people to be safe without vio lence, regardless of age, creed, location, numbers or attire. The first Take Back the Night event in KitchenerWaterloo took place in 1983, the same year that the law changed, making it illegal for spouses to commit an act of sexual assault against their wives. While the event has shed light on the topic, sexual assault is still prevalent in Canada. According to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASCWR), it’s expected that 27 per cent of women in Canada will face sexual assault at some point in their lives. Statistics Canada noted that sexu al assault is vastly under reported, with only 6 per cent of sexual assaults actually being reported to police. This is one of the facts that was addressed during the rally. “Take Back the Night pro vides a space for women’s voices to be heard on the issue of violence against women and provides an opportunity for women to stand together in solidarity to address gen dered violence in our commu nity,” said Sara Casselman, public relations and opera tions manager of SASCWR. The event began in Waterloo Park with keynote speak er, Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran and moved through the park led by the Tri-City Roller Girls. The march then made its way along King Street from uptown Waterloo and through down town Kitchener, ending at the Victoria Park Pavilion. The march drew a lot of attention, bringing people
from their homes and out of businesses. Drivers honked their vehicle horns to show their support and some spec tators clapped and cheered as the group passed. “I think it’s important for my daughters to see women standing up for themselves and each other. They need to see that,” said Sue Jenkins, a Kitchener resident and moth er of two, who brought both of her daughters to the event. Jenkins also said that it’s important for her daughters to know their rights. Casselman said, “Too often sexual assault prevention work is focused on women; we know that men have a critical role to play in ending male violence against women.” Mike Hyde was one of the men who came out to show his support during the march. He and two friends stood along King Street with a ban ner that read “Ending sexual assault is men’s responsibil it y ” “I do think there are steps male allies can take now like talking to or even mentoring the boys and young men in their life to provide an alter native to that gender condi tioning,” Hyde said. “Holding abusers accountable and chal lenging misogyny and trans bigotry within their organiza tions, groups and circles of friends is also very important.” Take Back the Night brings these topics to the foreground, along with making women aware of their rights and reminding them they’re not alone. ‘While progress has been made on some fronts (such as sexual assault support services are now available to survivors), much remains to be done to change the societal norms at the root of violence against women,” Casselman said. And Take Back the Night along with SASCWR will con tinue to challenge these soci etal norms hoping for change. To reach the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region you can visit their website at www.sascwr.org or their crisis line by calling 519741-8633.
Take Back the Night marchers move down Caroline Street in Uptown Waterloo.
PHOTOS BY ASHLEY KOWITZ
Marchers hold one of many signs carried during the Take Back the Night march against gender violence on Sept. 26.
Supporters stand along the march path and display a banner during the event.
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More students, more countries BY CASEY SCHELLENBERGER Conestoga College has had a 40 per cent increase in firstyear international students compared to last year's fall semester, bringing it closer to its goal of having interna tional students make up 10 per cent of the student popu lation. “Last year it was eight per cent and we're just below 10 per cent now," said Alan Vaughan, vice-president of Enrolment Management and International Education. Besides the 40 per cent increase in first-year stu dents, there was a 33 per cent increase in international students in all years, and a 36 per cent increase in English as a second language (ESL) students. V au gh an cred its this increase partly to the devel opment of the recruitment network which attracts inter national students, not only to Canada, but to Conestoga specifically. “It's a big world, and you can't be everywhere, so we've
concentrated in some markets that have been promising for us," Vaughan said. Traditionally, China and India are where most of the international students come from. But, the college is see ing more students from coun tries such as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Russia. “We're developing a repu tation as a really good place for international students to come to school.” Vaughan also attributes the rise in international stu dents to the services offered by the college. “It's much more than just going out there and having good recruitment and market ing," Vaughan said. “We see our goal as get ting students off to a smooth start, but also that our office is a safe haven for them so that they always know they have someone they can come to if they’re having some dif ficulty. “They face a lot of chal lenges that Canadian stu dents don't face.” B esides the support
PHOTO BY CASEY SCHELLENBERGER
Alan Vaughan, vice-president of Enrolment Management and International Education, points out India on a map in his office located in the Student Client Services Building on Sept. 26. The second highest number of international students at Conestoga come from India. a sp ects, In te r n a tio n a l Student Services puts on events throughout the year with the goal o f “internation alizing” the campus which,
Power to the plants BY HAILEY MERKT About 50 years ago Grover Cleveland Backster, a worldrenowned polygraph expert and CIA interrogation special ist, revolutionized our percep tion on plant and human inter action. Backster's polygraph experiment proved that plants can “feel pain” and have extra sensory perception (ESP). The experiment has been conducted numerous times since then. In 2007, The TV show, MythBusters, replicat ed Backster’s plant experi ment for viewers. They began by hooking up a person and plant to a polygraph machine. Then they had the person sub ject the plant to physical and mental harm. First the per son slapped the plants leaves, then sprayed it with a fire extinguisher and lastly, just envisioned the plant catching fire. All three of these tests made the polygraph needle race up and down, showing significant levels of stress. Understanding exactly how people and plants can inter act on an emotional level has left many scientists in a debate. Megan Piercy, owner of Chrysalis Therapies in Kitchener-Waterloo, which provides everything from counseling and psychothera py to energy healing and hyp notherapy, strongly believes there is a deep spiritual
PHOTO BY HAILEY MERKT
Tessa Williamson, a first-year office administration legal student, gives mother nature a hug to illustrate she cares about plant life. explanation. “Everyone has the poten tial to communicate and con nect with their surroundings, though some more than oth ers,” Piercy said. “Some peo ple can tap into their ability through their unconscious.” Piercy also believes that every living thing is connect ed in a spiritual dimension. “It makes sense that people and plants can connect emo tionally. Some natives can communicate with plants for
medicine and have for thou sands of years. It's called, the spirit that moves in and through all things. This is not uncommon.” Piercy also said that Buddhists believe in life ener gy that connects us all. Jordan Snider is a thirdyear computer programming/ analyst student at Conestoga College and also a practising Buddhist. Snider said there is no doubt in his mind that “this study justifies the coex istence of life ... not just spe cies.” Snider believes that a less literal form of reincarnation can explain how people and plants connect and commu nicate. “We all become some thing else,” Snider said. “And our energy becomes many forms of life, not that a human would literally reincarnate into a plant.” “Most times people are too busy in their lives to take the time to listen, but all life speaks. Not always in ways you can hear, but you just know it's there.” Just three weeks ago, Macleans posted an article online about a new plant intelligence study that proved plants keep time, count and even know themselves. So, think twice before snap ping a limb from a tree or ripping the dandelions from your front.
accordin g to V aughan, means, “ (making) an envi ronm ent where Canadian students and international students w ill mix more."
“In tern ation a l students want to meet more Canadian friends; they say that in surveys, they say that over whelm ingly," Vaughan said.
HARVEST TIME IN WATERLOO
r e g io n
PHOTO BY TASHA LUNNY
You can still purchase locally-grown produce and fruit. Above, Eric Sorenson of Tasha Thorne’s Farm Fresh Produce, packs a bag of vegetables at St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market Sept. 28.
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Apple butter and cheese ... What more could you need? BY TYLER BATTEN Apple and cheese is at the heart of any southern Ontario Mennonite community. For some, it is considered a lifeblood on which many commu nities thrive. This is so true for the village of Wellesley that the unlikely pairing has witnessed an annual festival in their honour steadily grow for the past 38 years. The Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese festival took place Sept. 28. Besides the obligatory craft vendors, antique car show, tractor rides and smorgasbord of colloquial culinary cuisine, the festival featured music from all genres, a puppet show for the kids, a friendly 5- km run, a quilt auction, steam-powered engines of all sorts, a model boat regatta, pony rides and live clogging — a type of folk tap dance. The air was filled with the essence of apple-cinnamon and sounds of joy - children laughing, people sharing sto ries and simple music. The festival was created in 1975 when the Wellesley District Board of Trade was fundraising to build a new $350,000 arena and commu nity centre. W ellesley Brand Apple
Products and the J.M. Schneider cheese factory part cnered in the creation of the festival to raise funds for the project. The festival was modelled after the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival and the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale which are two very popu lar events in their own right. Since the festival s inception all of the proceeds have gone toward community building projects for the Village of Wellesley. A large portion of the village volunteers at the event, including players from the Wellesley Apple Jacks — the local junior ice hockey team. “The crowd was up a bit over last year, which was a very good year for our festival,” said Bob Reid, the festival’s chairman. “Most of our food booths sold out and talking to other vendors, their sales were up. We have to wait until all our bills come in before we find out our profits.” Apple butter and cheese, rich smells and fine music, history at every corner and happy young families sharing stories with the old, describes not only Wellesley but the many and varied festivals during southern Ontario’s
PHOTOS BY CALLIE WRIGGLESWORTH
Judy Pearce (left) and Vikki Macdonald sew a quilt during the KW Quilt Show at RIM Park on Sept. 27.
Not your average quilt ers BY CALLIE WRIGGLESWORTH Animals, portraits, patterns and vibrant colours were only some of the many unique quilt designs on display at the KW Quilt Show this fall. Hosted by members of the Waterloo County Quilters’ Guild, the biannual show took place on Sept. 27 and 28 at RIM Park in Waterloo. The guild started in 1984 with 20 members, and has since grown to over 240 mem bers. Its main goal is to pre serve the quilting tradition in Waterloo Region, and uses the quilt show as a tool for that. The show is a major fund raiser for the guild to aid in paying educational expenses. Three years after the guild was founded, the first quilt show took place. “Our first show was in 1987, and it started in St. Jacob’s at the St. Jacob’s Community Centre. We have been here (RIM) for 10 years,” said Colleen Robertson, a co-chair of the show. All of the quilts on display were submitted by guild mem bers. This year, 163 members registered for the quilt show. “Some don’t enter, but many others put in five or six quilts,” said Marg Cassel, a co-chair of the K W Quilt Show
In addition to the quilts on display, there were a number of vendors selling sewing sup plies, fabrics, books and other tools. Other activities included a tea room, silent auction, small quilt draw and demon strations of sewing machines and hand quilting. There was also a quilt raffled off with all proceeds going to a charity called Parents for Community Living, which provides homes and support for developm entally chal lenged individuals. Everyone working at the show was a volunteer from the guild. “The quilt show represents what the members are able to do,” Robertson said. Judy Pearce, the co-presi dent of the KW Guild, had a number of her quilts on dis play at the show. Pearce used to be a portrait drawer, but became interested in quilting about four years ago when she switched to fabrics. Many quilts that she now makes are portraits of people. “I start with a photograph. I blow it up and just draw it in a little puzzle. I start putting all the pieces together. It is really fun,” she said. Pearce makes about five quilts per year, for family or
Judy Pearce displays her portrait quiit of figure skater Diane Szmiett during the KW Quilt Show. as gifts. Some are auctioned and donated to charities. The W aterloo County Quilters’ Guild meets on the third Wednesday of every month, excluding the summer and December, at the Albert M cC orm ick Com m unity Centre in Waterloo. “We have workshops and we have speakers at our meet ings,” Robertson said. “We have a number of professional teachers in our guild as well. We are very fortunate.” There are two meeting times, one at 1:30 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. “People are welcome to come and see what we do,” Cassel said. To attend as a guest it costs $7.
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Attend Groups Day at college BY COLE FROUDE It’s been proven that when students get involved with clubs they succeed more in their classes than their col leagues who don’t get involved. Conestoga College has a wide range of groups that anyone can join as was shown on Sept. 25 during Groups Day held in the Sanctuary. The Gamers Club meets every day in the Den at 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome no mat ter what type of games you are into. Cards, board games and video games are all avail able to play. Conestoga College also has a Unicycle Club. “The unicycle club is where we teach people how to uni
cycle, juggle and even solve a Rubik’s Cube,” said Matt Corbett, leader of the group. There has not been a date set for the first meeting of the club but more information will be released soon. Online Gaming Anonymous is a new group created this year to help with video game addictions. “We help people who have issues controlling how much they play video games,” said Brianne Dietrich, a first-year electronics tech nology engineering student. “We discuss how to moder ate your time playing, what works and also make steps to overcome gaming addiction.” Online Gaming Anonymous uses the same measures that would be used in an actual
Alcoholics Anonymous envi ronment. The group meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m.
"
You have an opportu
nity while at Conestoga College to develop the leader that we believe is in each of you." - John Tibbits Conestoga College is mul ticultural and so are some of the groups such as the Latin American Students club where members learn some Spanish and how to dance. There is also a group
Kitchener has a flashy cube BY BECKY SHEASBY As dusk settles across Kitchener, a flicker of light shoots from the top of Kitchener city hall. High in the sky, imag es and videos splash across city hall’s giant grey square; they call it, The Cube. The Cube sits atop the build ing and harbours a mechanical room. The outside features two plain grey walls during the day, but at night, those walls grab people’s attention. The twosided outdoor surface lights up every evening with a show of videos, photos and advertise ments from powerful projectors. The Cube’s projectors were donated by Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. and installed by Sherwood Systems. When Christie Digital found out about Kitchener’s plans, they quickly jumped on board to support the digital media field. “Christie Digital employs 700 people here in Kitchener,” said Rod Regier, the execu tive director of Economic Development for the City of Kitchener. The Cube has brought jobs and entertain ment to downtown. The Cube was first discussed five years ago. There was a lack of showcasing for digital media in the Kitchener area so city hall staff began to brainstorm. Kitchener decided to spearhead the region’s one and only out door digital art gallery. The Cube both promotes the digital media arts and draws attention to the new developments hap pening downtown in a creative and unique way. It has also hosted its very first art gallery exhibit this past sum mer. Called the Sky Gallery, it featured local artists, photogra phers and digital media artists in an official gallery.
PHOTO BY BECKY SHEASBY
Kitchener resident Jennesa Dyck poses in front of Kitchener city hall while pointing to The Cube on Sept. 26. “I had no idea it was there, it’s such a good idea,” said Jennesa Dyck, a Kitchener resident when The Cube was pointed out to her. The Cube shines every night at dusk except for nights hold ing city-sponsored events.
Local artists and other cre ative individuals can submit photos or videos to be shown by The Cube by contacting Hilary Abel, city hall’s down town marketing and program co-ordinator, at 519-741-2200, ext.7097.
on Facebook called Conestoga Latin American Students. On the website students can see all the information and future meeting dates. Otaku Frenzy is an anime group which also has a cul tural aspect. “We watch, discuss anime and make friends,” said Hilary Stahlbaum, president of the group. “We also hold a manga day and also go into Japanese culture and talk about some cultural superstitions.” Otaku Frenzy meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Room 2D14 and is open to everyone. The Music Club is for any one who wants to play and even learn an instrument. The club plays every day at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary and
everyone is welcome no mat ter what their skill level is. Conestoga College President John Tibbits said on the Conestoga College’s website, “You have an opportunity while at Conestoga College to develop the leader that we believe is in each one of you.” If you are still searching for your leadership qualities, the Young People Revolution Group is for you. Focusing on team leadership and skills, this group helps people reach their dreams through entre preneurship. “We are trying to get people more involved on campus,” said Alyssa Allen, one of the group leaders. “We meet on Tuesdays and Fridays in Room 2A122 at 4 p.m.”
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THE ONLY CREATURE b u s ie r
than students
PHOTO BY CODY STEEVES
A bee hovers from flower to flower collecting pollen as winter quickly approaches. However, this week’s temperatures will remain above average.
PATIENCE IS ALWAYS A VIRTUE
PHOTO BY CODY STEEVES
A praying mantis remains stoic as it prepares to strike at the next prey that wanders too close to it. A predator with amazing patience, it is no surprise they are very hard to spot.