140 acts and counting Koi Music Fest continues to grow. Page 15
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23,2013
SPOKE
A L E ARNI NG N E WS R O O M FOR J O U R N A L I S M S T U D E N T S
CONESTOGA COLLEGE. KTTCHENER, ONT.
WWW.SPOKEOL I NE.COM
$ 1,000 richer Student wins graphic design award. Page 10
44TH YEAR - NO. 15
Terry Fox Run raises $26,000 BY CALLIE WRIGGLESWORTH
Cancer survivors, volun teers, families and even pets rallied together in support of the 33rd annual Terry Fox Run in Cambridge. The run took place at Riverside Park on Sept. 15, with more than 200 people taking part. The route travelled through out the park and participants had the option of walking or running one kilometre, five kilometres or 10 kilometres. Emilia Strada, the Terry Fox Run event co-ordinator, was pleased with the city’s response. “The Cambridge communi ty is really supportive of the Terry Fox Run ... It’s really successful here,” she said. There was no minimum donation or entry fee required to take part in the event, but people were encouraged to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation. Eighty-four per cent of donations go directly to the foundation for cancer research. The Terry Fox Run relies on volunteers to make it a success. “Everyone volunteers, even the organizers ... What sets us apart from other runs like this is we don’t have big sponsorships. That’s really not the Terry Fox philoso phy. He didn’t want corpo rations making money with his run, and we have main tained that over the 33 years ... we just rely on local busi nesses to donate supplies, or food or whatever they can,” Strada said. When Terry Fox was diag nosed with cancer in 1977, he was given a 50 per cent
PHOTOS BY CALLIE WRIGGLESWORTH
Runners bolt from the starting line at the beginning of the Terry Fox Run at Riverside Park in Cambridge, on Sept. 15. Runners and walk ers raised m oney for the Terry Fox Foundation. Other runs in the area were held in Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph. chance of survival. In 2013, anyone with the same type of cancer has a 95 per cent sur vival rate. Robert Bailey, a 22-year-old Cambridge man, is living testi mony of this. Bailey is a survi vor of osteosarcoma, the same cancer that Terry Fox had. “The donations are saving lives ... they saved my life,” he said. Bailey was diagnosed with cancer in April 2012, and is currently in remission. “The only difference between me and Terry Fox is 30 years of research,” he
said. Bailey walked the five-kilometre route and raised $455 for the Terry Fox Foundation. He said a few words to the crowd before the start of the race, emphasizing the impor tance of donating to cancer research. “I would just like to say thank you to anyone who has ever donated to cancer research. I am proof that Terry Fox’s wish has come true. Terry Fox and I both had a large tumour growing out of our right leg, and we were both diagnosed with
osteosarcoma. Now, 30 years later, thanks to his vision and your support, I am able to stand here with my own two legs and prove to you that we are winning the fight against cancer.” This year, the Cambridge run raised $26,000 for the foundation. The event, which is in its 33rd year, has raised more than $600 million worldwide. People are encouraged to give year-round. To donate, go to the Terry Fox website, www.terryfox. org.
Robert Bailey, a cancer survivor, speaks to the crowd before the Terry Fox Run.
Cheers Conestoga, a new beer is here The Sanctuary Bar is now the new home of The Conestoga Lager BY COLE FROUPE
Conestoga Students Inc. held its first Nooner Pub of the year on Sept. 5. The air was filled with li v e music, laughter was heard and friends were seen sharing good food and having their first taste of a new, ice cold pint.
It was also the unveiling of a new beer called The Conestoga Lager sold exclu sively in the Sanctuary bar. “We’re premiering our new lager today, Saint Cloud just got off stage, and we’re also giving away some free prizes like a beer fridge and advertis ing KOI fest,” said Conestoga
Student Inc. communications co-ordinator Zach Dodge. Also in attendance at the Nooner Pub was Brick Brewing Co. representatives William Hunter and Kaleigh Bower, who were promoting the new lager. “We’re just now starting to serve these at the Sanctuary here, right now,” Hunter said.
Bower added, “We’re doing an opening day sampling of all our products that are going to be new here.” She said Conestoga Lager is “exclusive this year, so we are pushing our new craft pre mium dark with amber and pilsner as well.” When Risked, about the reac
tion of people Hunter smiled and said “So far so good, noth ing bad.” The new lager will be served at all Nooner Pubs and all events taking place in the Sanctuary for the foreseeable future. The cost is $3.50 a pint and $5 for cans.
NEWS
Page 2 ♦ SPOKE
Now deep thoughts ... with Conestoga College
CSI decides to reinstate sale of bus passes
Random questions answered by random students
BY BRANDON HOMMEL
W ho is the most evil Disney villain of all time?
Instead of bringing a magician on campus, Conestoga Student Inc. demonstrated its own sleight of hand, making bus passes disappear. But it was short-lived, with the passes once again being sold. For the few who didn’t know the passes were not available in the first place, here’s the back story. Conestoga Students Inc. (CSI) didn’t think the price of a bus pass, which was $244 Last year, was justified for the service pro vided, so they took a stand. The student union, which represents all Conestoga students, decided to stop selling bus passes back in the winter semester, hop ing it would force Grand River Transit to change their service or adjust the price of a bus pass. GRT did eventually find a way to subsidize the cost of the bus passes and they are now $40 less than they were last year. With the combination of the price change and students wanting the service back on campus, CSI started selling bus passes again at the start of this semester. CSI president, Jason Wright, said, “I feel that it wasn’t fair to the students to hold back the passes when the bus is such an important service for them to get to and from school.” Students around campus are happy with the new price, especially Shae-Lynn Brading, a first-vear office administration student. “This
“Maleficent - A classy mean bitch with the power to back it up.” Andrew Anstett, second-year broadcast - radio
“The Evil Queen from Snow White. I was terrified of her as a kid.” Daniella Larocque, first-year journalism - broadcast
“Ariel. She willingly flirts with pure evil in order to get what she wants.” Chad Neufeldt, second-year office administration
“Cruella de Ville tries to kill 101 puppies just for fashion. She probably killed Bambi’s mom as well.” Hilary Stahlbaum, second-year broadcast - television
“Scar, because an effective villain is based on how well you can train an army with singing.” Leo Gantioqui, second-year broadcast - television
“Lyle Tiberius Rourke. He is willing to let an entire civilization crumble for his own greed.” Kail Walters, second-year journalism - broadcast
Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!
______ Monday, September 23.2013
PHOTO BY BRANDON HOMMEL
Jennifer shows her bus pass to a Grand River Transit driver. is my first year here, but the price change is definitely better than it was.” Although CSI’s quota of 2013 GRT bus pass es are sold out, they will have more available in January 2014 at the CSI office. Bus passes are still available for sale at GRT terminals across K-W. For more information involving busing and the passes, stop by the CSI office in Room 2A106 and see Justine Voll, a second-year public relations student who is also a CSI service leader. She assists a large number of students daily, helping them with everything from binding to providing information about the college.
NEWS
Monday, September 23,2013
SPOKE* Page 3
'
PHOTO SUBMITTED
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Conestoga student and Team Canada electronics competitor Johnathan Black checks his work on day two of a WorldSkills com petition in Lepeig, Germany.
Judge and Conestoga woodworking professor Mark Bramer (from left), Conestoga student and com petitor Dustin Sherrard, and Conestoga woodworking professor and coach Mark Forgeron, stand with Sherrard’s half-finished cabinet at the WorldSkills competition.
Talent and skills allow for international travel Conestoga students take on the world at competition BY MARK LORENTZ
Conestoga was once again well represented on the world stage over the summer, in the “Olympics of business and technology .” Johnathan Black, a secondyear computer engineering stu dent, and Dustin Sherrard, a recent graduate from the wood working program, both com peted at a WorldSkills event, held in Leipzig, Germany. WorldSkills is held biannually, and features young adults aged 17-22 competing in various skilled trades. When Black and Sherrard started at Conestoga, neither would have believed their pas sion and dedication to their respective programs would allow them to travel all over the world, competing against fellow students and creating once-in-a-lifetime opportuni ties. Black was approached dur ing his final week of exams by Hameed Al-Aubodah, one of his electronics professors, who asked Black about his interest in competing in the Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC) held at RIM Park in May 2012. The path taken by Black was dif ferent from that of his coun terpart, as Sherrard compet ed against fellow classmates first, then moved onto the OTSC for cabinetmaking. Electronics professor Bob Coons praised the work ethic of Black, saying, “he was con
stantly working on his own time, figuring things out.” He added, “I might have taught him one or two things, but I'm not convinced.” In a strange set of circum stances Sherrard was able to advance out of the Ontario qualifying even though he placed third, since the first- and second-place win ners became ineligible due to becoming 23 years old by the time the WorldSkills event took place this past summer.
" The competition is so close, one small error can drop you several places. " - Mark Bramer Sherrard went on to place first in Edmonton, and advance to Germany. Sim ilarly Black finished second in Canada, but advanced to the WorldSkills event, as the Canadian champion also became too old to enter the interna tional competition. Just like an athlete would train for any major compe tition, setting aside time and having a coach to learn from, so too did Black and Sherrard. Black had Rudy Hofer, a Conestoga electron ics professor, and Sherrard had Mark Forgeron, a wood
working professor at the col lege. Coons believed Black trained for almost a half hour everyday, going over strate gies and scenarios. Mark Bramer, the Canadian judge for the cabinetmaking competition and also a pro fessor at Conestoga, said, “There isn’t a huge difference between first and last, that’s why it’s quite intense.” Sherrard had four days to complete a specific cabinet, being allowed four hours each day to complete certain components, such as build ing the drawer. Black, dur ing his four days of the com petition, had to create a new hardware design, as well as reprogram an alarm clock to play the Canadian national anthem. “(Sherrard) had a strong first and last day; the two in between he got lost for a bit,” Bramer said. Sherrard ended up placing a respectable 12 out of 23. “The com petition is so close, one small error can drop you several places,” Bramer said. Black finished 12 out of 17, stating that ultimately his downfall was time and speed. Black also admitted that he had problems with sol dering, however, he believes more practise wouldn’t have helped. “They just managed to get their stuff done way quick er, which allowed them to go back and check over their
work,” he said. When asked about advice to give to students who may com pete at the next WorldSkills in Brazil, Black said, “Practise stuff you don’t even need to practise, (because) in the end
it all comes down to speed.” Black is currently on his co-op term working at BlackBerry in Waterloo. Sherrard recently moved to Ottawa to pursue his career in cabinetmaking.
FIFA 12 BATTLE IN THE DEN
PHOTO BY GREG STAMPER
Second-year biotechnology technician student Angel Ivan Quintana Valenzuela celebrates after scoring a goal on his friend, Yohan Valencia, a second-year general arts and sciences student, during an intense match of Fifa 12 in the Den at Conestoga College’s Doon campus on Sept. 13.
COMMENTARY
Page 4 ♦ SPOKE
Monday, September 23,2013
Delaying adulthood BY CASEY SCHELLENBERGER
Were you born after 1980 but before 2000? If so, congratulations, you are part of the millennial generation, otherwise known as Generation Y. Maybe you’ve seen the often-parodied Time cover, the one with the young woman on her phone with “The Me-Me-Me” generation plastered above her. And after that, “Why they’ll save the world.” The issue of Time that contained the article written by Joel Stein came out in June, but articles and books discussing Generation Y have been around for years. “I am about to do what old people have done through out history: call those younger than me lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow,” he writes, pointing out how every generation has criticized the one after it. So, the criticism isn’t new. What is somewhat new is the “save the world” bit. Unlike some articles about millenials, this one tries to find some good in their behaviour. As it turns out, that little tacked-on line didn’t stop people from getting angry, which isn’t a big surprise. The final four pages of the article talk about how these aren’t traits that can only be found in people under 34. But even then Stein can’t keep himself from making jabs. “They have less household and credit card debt ... which, admittedly, isn’t that hard when you’re living at home and using your parents’ credit card,” Stein says. People such as Stein rarely have statistics to back this criticism up and rarely examine why millenials are the way they are. Stein mentions how millenials are living at home lon ger, but never gives any reasons as to why. Matt Bors published a comic in July, mention ing Stein’s article specifically, called “Can We Stop Worrying about Millenials Yet?” Bors makes an attempt at explaining why millenials aren’t moving out as early as previous generations. “They’re ‘delaying adulthood’ because the job market is worse than it’s been since the Great Depression,” he says. At least he tried to provide some rationale. Others who plan on writing similar stories should remem ber that context is important, and that this story has already been done to death.
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.
Textbook prices: Almost as expensive as tuition.
Cool people have a valuable trait: confidence What creates that differ ence in people that labels a select few as cool? And what do cool people possess that makes their peers feel inferi or or fortunate to be in their presence? It can be argued that many factors attribute to this desir able label, but I think it can be boiled down to a single aspect — confidence. For some confidence comes naturally. For others it’s just out of reach when needed, and for a few they think it will never be a part of who they are. But I think it’s achievable for everyone.
" Just keep in mind that w e are all people, none of us extraordinary or unusual and it’s OK to have insecurities." Confidence is what makes the cool, cool. As much as I hate to admit that some
Hailey Merkt Opinion
one who exudes confidence makes me feel inferior, deep down I envy something they have that I don’t, and I believe it’s a greater sense of confidence. If everyone was confident and cool, it’s possible that the li n e between the cool and com mon people of our world would diminish (or at least subside until a new high bred of cool invents itself). Wouldn’t it be nice to crush the cool and feel equal? Now I’m not expecting to revolutionize the world, but it would be nice to inspire even just a handful of stu dents or staff to work toward feeling confident as they walk through a large room full of people. Here’s the hard part. I wish there were modern-
day medicines that came with the after-effect of con fidence, but unfortunately, it’s all a mental matter. Just keep in mind that we are all people, none of us extraor dinary or unusual and that it’s OK to have insecurities — everyone has them and always will. We just have to learn to be comfortable with what we have and accept it and then confidence will build. I know it’s impossible to convince every adolescent and adult that confidence is their golden ticket into the sacred group of cool, but per sonally I believe it is. It creates an attractive glow that magnetizes others; it’s truly a magical charac teristic. To be quite honest, some of the most attractive people I’ve met have not been “lookers” per se, but just comfortable people. As American essayist, lec turer and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once said, “The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers.”
SPOKE IS P U B L I S H E D AND P R O D U C E D WE E K L Y BY THE 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, September 23,2013
SPOKE ♦ Page 5
Running out of room for cheap rent No plans to supplem ent student housing in W aterloo Region BY LAURIE SNELL
This is the first of a threepart series on the cost of living in Waterloo Region As summer winds down and the moving trucks pull away, students are beginning to feel the repercussions of their Sept. 1 rental agreements. You can pay a whole lot for a hole-in-the-wall apartment, or pay a little less and forego your privacy. Depending on your financial circumstance, the available housing in the Region of Waterloo probably made that decision for you. A report on housing afford ability, an insufficient min imum wage and a huge increase in the demand for shelter beds, was presented to regional council on Sept. 6. This report emphasized these coinciding trends and found a dwindling standard of liv ing for certain income brack ets within the region. Despite this, the Region of Waterloo is reluctant to supplement hous ing costs for other income lev els, including students. With an influx of almost 55,000 post-secondary stu dents in the area each September, this area’s econ omy feels the burden of stu dents leaving in the sum mer, and the boon when they return. It comes as a surprise, however, that the report did not touch on students or stu dent housing at all, although, it did cover housing for lowincome persons, which is an income bracket that most stu dents fall into.
" Finding good land adds more complexity to (the housing issue)." - Deb Schlichter, Region of Waterloo director of housing The report highlighted that low-income persons, who receive social assistance from the government — including a shelter allowance of $300 — do not make enough to meet rent for low-end bach elor apartments in the region. Students are arguably worse off financially than lowincome individuals because of the difficulty in balancing a full course load, part-time job and a social life. This balanc ing act finds students focus ing less on school and more on surviving long days. Director of housing for the Region of Waterloo, Deb SrVhlirht.pr spnd stiidpnts and
non-students alike face simi lar dilemmas in this economy. With housing costs steadily on the rise, supply and demand is at the root of the problem. “It’ll be difficult (for stu dents) in any university town for the same reason — because they’re competing with everybody else for that same base of unit. Students are looking for housing that’s close to the universities and they’re looking for housing that’s suitable, but the supply of one-bedroom units is very tight,” Schlichter said. Some other barriers to affordable housing in the region are minimal vacant land, boundaries on the city in terms of growth and few appropriately zoned proper ties. “Finding good land adds more complexity to (the hous ing issue). (And) there are a lot of obstacles to buying rental units. There’s not a lot of incentives, there’s a lot of obstacles to building it and not a lot of payoff with what type of income students can bring,” Schlichter said. Marty Green, a Remax manager, Realtor, and a land lord himself, has watched the housing market gradu ally increase over the last few years. “The trend for rising hous ing prices is continuing, and in my opinion is starting to get out of reach of the young, first-time home buyer,” he said. “We’re seeing ... there’s very few houses being sold under $200,000 so that suggests to me that there aren’t many in that price point anymore ... People are not able to pur chase their own home so their only other option is to rent, so that’s why the rental market has tightened up,” he said. Green added that rapid transit is a main factor in ris ing housing costs. The Remax Realtor advises students look ing for a rental property to get at least one kilometre away from the college or university, to escape high rent based on convenience. “I • *don’t know if there’s a * * •*> ' * * ! ■■ » # ♦ » ♦ ♦
lot the government can do — that’s a supply and demand problem for housing. The demand is always going to outweigh the supply ... They should be deregulating the rules on tenancy in Ontario because ... the tenancy act is so severely weighted against the landlord,” said Green, who believes Realtors should be leading by example in becom ing landlords, but many are discouraged by the strict laws. The average bachelor apart ment rents for about $644 per month in the area, and even that is hard to come by. The benefits of living alone range from quiet nights to study, keeping the place as hot or cold as you like, par ties, and the obvious appre ciation of having your own personal space. But for some students, even $644 per month is too expensive. Some landlords are beginning to understand this, and are taking the idea of a bachelor apartment and turning that into a makeshift five-bachelor-apartments-inone style suite. This sharedliving accommodation, called a pod, is seemingly a win-win for both landlord and tenant. Students who are willing to lose their privacy and com promise on other elements of living comfortably, ultimately save almost $300 per month. The downside is the shared kitchen and bathroom, per sonality clashes, different study habits and potentially conflicting hygiene standards. Also, creating your own per sonal space requires a hefty deadbolt on your bedroom door and an amazing pair of earplugs. For landlords of pods, mak ing a profit over time is fairly simply. It’s as if rent is pooled by all of the students, but in reality, each student has his or her own contract and pri vate bedroom. Although Conestoga College does not supplement housing costs, nor are the fees com petitive at residence, almost everything is included in the price, including cable, local phone calls and Internet. The suites are fully furnished and offer the convenience factor of being five minutes from school. Traditional residence suites for an eight-month term run about $665 per month, where as private suites are approxi mately $825 per month. The difficulty in this style of liv ing is that there is a com mon kitchen for the whole floor, and few mini-appliances allowed in your suite. “(Residence) offers a safe place for students to test
PHOTO BY LAURIE SNELL
First-year early childhood education student Vicky Frichitthavong opens the door to her home for the next eight months — Conestoga residence — on Sept. 13. boundaries and know that there’s a small community of people (who) they get to meet by name or by face ... they have a lot of support con stantly around them to help them with anything that can come up, especially in that first year transition,” said Stephen Prentice, residence life co-ordinator. Another benefit of living in residence is that contracts are either four or eight months, so students don’t have to sublet over the summer. “If the roommate moves out for whatever reason, they don’t have to worry about their portion of the bills,” said Conestoga residence opera tions manager, Mike DiFlorio. Students also have the oppor tunity to work out payment scheduling for their accommo dations if they find the lump sum payments difficult. F ourth-year accounting, auditing and information technology student, Mike Darling, has experienced two different housing options as a student after moving to the city from Wingham, Ont. “The biggest benefit (of liv ing in Conestoga residence) was the ability to meet peo ple in various programs and different towns and cities,” Darling said. The 20-year-old decided after his first year to move into off campus housing with some friends, but can appreci ate both experiences. “Where I am now is a resi dential neighbourhood, so there’s very few students
around us. When we do have people over, the neighbours get upset ... but with our landlord it’s great — if we have any problems or con cerns he kills them right away,” Darling said. He added living off-cam pus requires the maturity of enduring real world con sequences - such as police shutting down parties, rather than residence advisers. Vicky Frichitthavong, a first-year early childhood education student at the col lege from Listowel, Ont., is living in residence, and is still waiting for her roommate to move in. When deciding where to live, Frichitthavong envi sioned her experience as “... more of an adventure ... I had all these ideas of what it would be like and it’s nothing near what I thought it would be,” she said. The region won’t help stu dents by creating more afford able housing until it is pre dominantly students access ing shelter or food bank ser vices, and the post-secondary institutions find themselves losing potential students to schools in less expensive cit ies or towns. However, with students boosting our local economy for eight months of the year, it is up to the region to facili tate programs that would make housing more afford able, thereby letting students focus more on school and less on their part-time jobs to pay rent. _
NEWS
Page 6 ♦ SPOKE
Monday, September 23,2013
A look into Lower Doon’s past BY TYLER BATTEN
Lower Doon remains a pris tine environment, largely unaffected by urban sprawl. The cityscape has seen defi nite changes over the years yet it remains historic. Little encroachment has occurred, leaving the forest primeval. With its rich display of heritage architecture, distinct hard and soft woods and its contained location, the Lower Doon riverbank community retains its history at every corner. The area follows the Grand River from Old Mill Road onto Mill Park Drive where it eventually merges with Homer Watson Park. Willow Lake was a local swimming hole which exist ed from the beginning of the 1800s until the middle of the 20th century. This popular attraction was a place where young and old would visit
during the heat of summer to swim, sunbathe and high dive. The lake was generated by the damming of Schneider Creek, which powered found ing father Adam Ferrie’s mill — the Pioneer Mill — in the early 1800s. The Cluthe family operated a poultry farm near the lake and used the lake privately. By the start of the Great Depression the Cluthe fam ily decided to monetize their lake and brought in loads of sand from the nearby dunes to synthesize a beach. This beach was complemented by a high-dive platform later on. The lake was used by locals for swimming in the summer and skating throughout the winter. In 1968, during a colossal rainstorm, the Grand River watershed flooded causing the Doon mill to collapse. With
the mill destroyed Willow Lake drained into the Grand River. Just up the road from Schneider Creek sits the his toric Homer Watson House. This homestead and adja cent mill were built by Adam Ferrie in 1834 and were later acquired by Homer Watson, a local artist who was born in Lower Doon. Watson had a deep affinity for Doon and believed “there is at the bottom of each artis tic conscience a love for the land of their birth.” In 1880, Watson finally sold his first painting to governor general Marquis of Lome for $300. This sale secured his life as an artist. The paint ing, entitled Pioneer Mill, was gifted to Queen Victoria and to this day remains in the private quarters of Windsor Castle as part of the royal col lection.
Watson lived at the Ferrie house until his death in 1936, all the while creating master ful landscape paintings of his surroundings. He is buried in the region’s oldest cemetery, Doon Presbyterian Cemetery, just up Mill Park Drive from the Pioneer Mill. The house was later renamed the Homer Watson House in the late artist’s hon our. Like any city undergoing development, the community has not escaped the impact of urban sprawl. “Pike are very rarely able to cross the barrier at Old Mill Road,” said Chris Bunt of Biotactic Inc., who has studied fish migration in Schneider Creek since 2004. “We have manually transferred them but according to our telem etry work they cannot pass the barrier under most flow and temperature conditions
each (spring.)” A stream barrier, used to slow erosion caused by an increase in storm water, has stopped these fish from reach ing their natural spawning ground. Issues involving the nearby water treatment facility have also caused some controversy. In October 2012 a University of Waterloo research team found male fish to be produc ing eggs downstream from the effluent deposit site of the water treatment facil ity. Gender mutations in male fish have been linked to heavy estrogen in surface water. Many of the names have changed, and alterations made, but the creeks and riv ers and many of the original structures remain, making Lower Doon truly a place of living history within Waterloo Region.
I
dat-ai-Baa-aaiiaaBga
PHOTO BY TYLER BATTEN
The Old Mill bridge, which crosses Schneider Creek in the Lower Doon area, has changed significantly since The Pioneer Mill (shown below) was painted in the 1880s.
.a - ■ —a
.•
rea* x. ~x- ,
•.
^
.. <.
..vX* » . . _______ —u--------------u
.
l
.
u
___ —i.-x a___________________ chat\ A
v x .••_______ u_____1
■*-*«&:::•—i-----
PHOTO BY TYLER BATTEN PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA
The Pioneer Mill was painted by Homer Watson, who was born in Lower Doon.
This is the remaining structure of The Pioneer Mill, which was originally constructed (n 1843 by Adam Feme. It was later destroyed during a colossal rainstorm.
Wednesday, September 23,2013
NEWS
SPOKE ♦Page 7
GLBTQ welcomes students BY DEVON HAYES
PHOTO BY DEVON HAYES
Student Life Centre m em bers (from left) Sandy Lozano, Logan Ardelean, Ashlea Welsh, A m y Baird, Qasem Najem and Kevin Bluck attend the GLBTQ W elcom e Night at Conestoga College on Sept. 10.
Conestoga College’s GLBTQ Welcome Night had a turnout of approximately 50 people on Sept. 10 in the cafeteria’s Blue Room. Conestoga’s Student Life Centre, along with the GLBTQ community, planned a fun and informative evening for both new and returning students who gathered to mix, mingle and share their stories and experiences. Conestoga’s GLBTQ commu nity - which represents the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual and queer students - was created as a “safe haven” for those looking for support and acceptance. The panel consisted of Kevin Bluck, a 2013 graduate of Conestoga’s public relations program, second-year radio broadcast student Logan Ardelean, and Ashlea Welsh, a recreation and leisure stu dent also in her second year. Ardelean, a transgender man, and Welsh, his fiancee, gave some insight into what it means to identify yourself as an individual. “It should be up to you whether or not you want to be referred to as ‘he’ or ‘she,’” Ardelean said. “As a guy, I’m still into everything I was into
before I was a guy.” “People are not made for labels,” Welsh added. Ardelean said being trans gender at Conestoga has been a great experience, but that there are some areas that need work. “There are only two gender neutral bathrooms on cam pus. So if I am in the C-wing and have to go to the bath room during class, I miss at least 20 minutes of my class. We need more resources for people who we may not know exist at the school,” he said. Bluck, who founded Conestoga’s Gay Straight Alliance, said it is important for not only the gay communi ty to be aware and informed. “I wanted that inclusivity - I don’t just want it to be GLBTQ, I want there to be straight allies,” he said. Bluck also stressed that although so many people have so much to learn, we are always moving forward. “Glaciers move slow, but we’re getting there.” For more information about GLBTQ at Conestoga, you can e-mail pride@conestogac. on.ca or visit the Counselling Services website at www. conestogac.on.ca/counsellingservices.
Page 8 â&#x2122;¦ SPOKE
Monday, September 23,2013
ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, September23,2013
SPOKE ♦Page 9
PHOTO BY STEPH SMITH
Marcus Mumford, lead singer of M um ford & Sons, sings their song Roll Away Your Stone on Aug. 24 at the Gentlem en of the Road stopover in Sim coe, Ont.
The (new) great folk-rock revival Mumford & Sons leads the way with their Gentlemen of the Road tour BY STEPH SMITH
Folk-rock revival today looks a lot like it did in the 1950s and ’60s: bluegrass, old-timey instruments and formal attire. In 1960s’ America, folkrock music was heavily influ enced by folk-protest singersongwriters such as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. In the late ’50s and early ’60s, folk music developed from country blues, jazz and ragtime, using conventional instruments, such as acoustic guitars, fiddles, banjos and harmonicas, or improvised instruments including the washboard and the washtub bass, to name a few. By the mid-60s, the popular ity of folk bands being backed by electric rock instruments grew with artists, such as Dylan, who left the traditional acoustic sound of folk, show ing that poetic lyrics could be blended with rock ’n’ roll.
Today, many folk-rock bands have been heavily influenced by the guitar-picking styles of folk and blues artists such as Guthrie and Dylan, and still use a blend of conventional and improvised instruments. Bands such as Mumford & Sons have taken the music industry by storm with their toe-tapping sound and cre ative lyrics, which have influ ences from classic literature such as Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , to name a few. “They take a very simple concept and mould it into their own sound. The subject matter is straightforward, yet they find unique and interest ing ways to express it, which takes a great deal of skill and talent,” said Nick Siebert, an independent musician from Listowel, Ont. “The lyrics are very powerful and often make you stop and think about what you are listening to.”
The booming popularity of bands such as Mumford & Sons have shed new light on older bands such as Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac and Dylan, for example, with some of these bands influenc ing Mumford & Sons’ musical style. The Gentlemen of the Road tour, a two-day music festival “celebrating local people, food and culture, where everyone pitches in and everyone gets something back,” according to the description on the offi cial Facebook page, was cre ated by Mumford & Sons in an attempt to bring people together, with each stop over being likened to 1969’s Woodstock. Their only Canadian stop over, and one of five across the U.K. and North America, was held in Norfolk County’s larg est community, Simcoe, Ont. “The band likes to do events and shows in places that haven’t been used for music
concerts,” said Jim Merlis, Mumford & Sons publicist, in an email. The two-day festival took place on Aug. 23 and 24, at the historic Norfolk County fairgrounds. The lineup included 11 other bands, well-known acts such as Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Vancouver singer-song writer Dan Magnan, with Mumford & Sons headlining. Saturday alone saw 35,000 people, making it the biggest stopover to date, according to Merlis. But what makes Mumford & Sons so popular? “They have come out of nowhere, but it’s the fact that they keep getting better,” said Jeff Bomben, a graduate of the journalism print program at Conestoga College. In their DVD The Road To Red Rocks —a film comprised of live footage from interviews and shows that the band did
while on their 2012 GOTR tour and journey to Red Rocks amphitheatre in Colorado the band noted that the most important part of Mumford & Sons is the collaborative exchange between them and other bands. At the end of the night, Mumford & Sons had all 11 of their supporting acts come onto the stage for one special, final song. Everyone picked up their instruments and readied their voices for The Weight by The Band. What was the significance behind this song? Rick Danko, one of the founding members of The Band, was born in Green Corners, Ont., located in Norfolk County. “I think the reason Mumford & Sons are so popular is because they are doing what Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan did in the ’60s: bridg ing the gap between folk and pop music, only for today’s generation,” Siebert said.
STUDENT LIFE
Page 10 ♦ SPOKE
Monday, September 23,2013
PHOTO BY BECKY SHEASBY
Kevin Tom e a third-year graphic design student at Conestoga College, poses beside his award-winning Dead Elephant beer packaging design which is featured in one of the college’s display cases. The award included a $1,000 prize and he even got a job offer from one of the judges.
Conestoga student wins big Nabs $1,000 at graphic design competition BY BECKY S H E A S B Y
Awesomeness has emerged from Conestoga College in the form of award-winning talent. Kevin Tome, a thirdyear graphic design student, is the winner of the Quarry Communications Award for western Ontario. “Typically all the keeners from various graphic design schools around the province summit to it, so typically your work has to be pretty tight,” Franklin Flitton, a third-year Conestoga College graphic design student, said when asked if the competi tion is tough. RGD, or the Association of Registered Graphic Designers, is the hub for hosting and distributing graphic design awards. RGD gathers a jury of 50 award-winning creative professionals to decide the 17 winners. There are a vari ety of graphic design catego ries, such as typography, web design and motion graphics, and the prize money is $1,000 per winner. “I heard about it, and instantly I wanted to do it, because I had this one project that I thought could go the distance,” Tome said. Conestoga College graphic design professors encourage second-year and third-year students to submit to the RGD competition. Not only is the competition free, but winning involves more than just a cash
reward. The exposure is a huge advantage in the competitive industry of graphic design. “It opened up a lot of oppor tunities, because I’m getting featured in a magazine, and actually got a job offer from one of the judges,” Tome said. Tome won the Quarry Communications Award with his submission featuring a package design for Dead Elephant beer. He took his inspiration from the beer’s name and Matthieu Bessudo (professionally known as McBess), an illustrator who does cartoons with a classic Mickey Mouse feel but with a dark spin. “I thought that could be real ly interesting for the branding of Dead Elephant. And, it’s this beer based off of Jumbo the Elephant, who was a cir cus elephant and then died in a train crash, I thought that was pretty interesting, so I wanted to use that style, because it really evoked that story.” RGD has distributed over $215,000 in cash awards to bring professionals and developing designers togeth er to encourage the upcom ing generation to strive for success. If you are inter ested in getting involved or sponsoring the awards for 2014, contact H ilary Ashworth, RGD’s executive director, at hilary@grdontario.com .
PHOTO BY KEVIN TOME
Above is the black and white beer package design that won Kevin Tom e an award at the RGD competition.
Monday, September 23,2013
Share your hobbies
NEWS
STUDENTS PARTY WITH PIZZA a t
SPOKE ♦ Page 11
Co n e s t o g a r e s id e n c e
Meet others doing what you love recently moved to the area from Seattle, Wash., is the In the hallways and class leader of the DJ Club. “I rooms of Conestoga College, started this club to bring students are starting to together the school’s DJs, as gather; sometimes games well as those who share the are played, other times interest and would like to important conversations are see first-hand what it’s all about and learn the art.” being held. In terms of size, the largest Conestoga Student Clubs and Societies, a Conestoga club that has been formed at Students Inc. committee that Conestoga in the past is the overseas clubs at the college, Christian Fellowship Club. presents all students, both Currently the Conestoga new and returning, with an Gamers Club holds the most exciting opportunity to make open access events every new friends and join a group month on campus. F orm ing whose a club or m e m " I have had students come in s o c i e t y bers all free of share a and express interest in everything is charge and common CSI will interest. from a unicycling club give sup “It is to a Latin club." port via a great club train way to - Lisa Steele ing, start enhance up funds, the colf u n d r a is 1 e g e experience by finding the ing support, website promo ‘glue’ that keeps them on tion, club days, Get Involved campus and connected to fairs and a poster printing their student association account. “Being a member of a club (CSI),” said Lisa Steele, leadership development co showcases a student’s ability to manage time and pursue ordinator for CSI. Currently, there are something they are passion only a few active clubs ate about - traits that any at the college, includ employer would be thrilled ing the Conestoga College to have in an employee,” Accounting Association, Steele said. Students wishing to form a Conestoga South Asian Students, the International new club or society can pick Students Club, Otaku up a clubs manual from any Frenzy 2.0 (fans of anime CSI service hub or download and manga) and the ever the manual from conestopopular Conestoga Gamers gastudents.com. Upon completion, students Club; however, Steele said there are many other clubs, must submit it to Lisa Steele such as the Conestoga DJ at their nearest CSI office Club, that are still in the at any point throughout the 2013/2014 academic year. applying process. If students are looking to “I have had students come in and express inter simply join an existing club est in everything from they can find the information a unicycling club to a online at conestogastudents. Latin club,” Steele said. com under the leadership > Andrew Smith, a first-year college service leadership > accounting student who join a club tab. BY GREG STAMPER
PHOTO BY CASEY SCHELLENBERGER
Christopher Luczon (from left), a first-year health information sciences student, Kendra Terpstra, a first-year public relation student, and Sarah McCabe, a first-year health information sciences stu dent, enjoy the food at the Toonie Pizza Party held at the Conestoga Residence and Conference Centre on Sept. 12. The three all reside in residence.
STUDENT LIFE
Page 12 ♦ SPOKE
_______ Monday, September 23,2013
Heart of the library is the staff BY TASHA LUNNY
PHOTO BY TASHA LUNNY
First-year biotechnology technician student, Ivan Samur, browses through books at Conestoga’s Library Resource Centre on Sept. 12.
As book rentals slowly become obsolete, Conestoga’s library staff are helping guide students into the elec tronic age. The Doon campus Library Resource Centre offers stu dents more than just a place to study. Although the LRC offers many services to stu dents from computers to rent al DVDs, Linda Schneider, library director, insists the best available resource comes from the staff. “We have really helpful, knowledgeable, friendly staff and they are there to assist the students and support fac ulty,” Schneider said. Library staff offer students an easy way to narrow down ov erw h elm in g In tern et searches with research help guides. A vailable online, students can access prese lected resources that are related to their program.
Students can also stop in at the “one-stop-shop” service desk for in-person assistance, or go online with the askON chat for any research ques tions. In addition to the print books housed on the shelves of the LRC, the online data base offers thousands of ebooks, articles and jo u r nals on almost every topic. A four-digit pin, available at the service desk, can also give students access to these electronic documents from the com fort of their own home. S econ d -y ea r b u sin ess foundations student, Rojin Abdullah, said the online database has provided her with a variety of information for past research projects. “ ... They gave me different points of views of things I wouldn’t have thought about myself,” Abdullah said. Rachel Caldwell, manager of client services and oper
ations, urges students to take advantage of the staffs assistance^ and said research skills are transferable not only between classes, but in future careers. “We can have all the resources in the world but if people don’t know how to use them effectively and efficient ly, what’s the point? That’s why we’re here ... to help demonstrate and teach how those resources can be used to the best possible advantage,” Caldwell said. As society continues to progress toward the online world, resources at the LRC are adapting as well. They have recently introduced stream ing videos available online to faculty and stu dents. But th at’s not all th at’s g o in g d ig ita l, item s reserved by faculty for stu dents to reference m ight be available online in the near future.
PHOTO BY TASHA LUNNY
First-year biotechnology student, Jordan Zaear, checks out a book with the help of library staff m em ber, Shannon Matthews, on Sept. 12, in the Library Resource Centre.
NEWS
Monday. September23,2013
SPOKE ♦Page 13
DIY is alive in Waterloo next month BY ASHLEY KOWITZ
Local Do-It-Yourself art ists are getting together this October for an event that will showcase the Tri-Cities’ DIY talent. DIYDAY is an event that gives local indie artists and bands an outlet for sharing their work and a chance to meet other artists. But it also gives people in the community an interactive way to discover and support local artists. DIYDAY is being held at Chainsaw on Oct. 26 between noon and 5 p.m. It’s an all ages event with a “pay what you can” cover charge. Artwork on display will include series of dioramas by Kitchener-Waterloo art
ist John Hendy and por traits on wood and other reclaimed materials by anoth er Kitchener-Waterloo artist, Chris Austin. Other mediums represented during the event will include indie-labels and silk-screeners. There will also be a zine library where visitors can browse old issues of zines, but there will also be current zine creators displaying their work. DIYDAY will also have interactive activities for guests to get involved in, such as a booth to make your own buttons and a stand to have unflattering caricatures of yourself created. There will also be live music per formed by The Famines and
Hawkeyes. Marc Lecompte, owner of both the Princess Cafe and Cheeses Murphy, is the orga nizer. He has been hosting non-profit events since 2005 with concerts, comedy shows and breakfast shows. He became involved in the local DIY scene by putting out a zine called CTRPLLR and holding events to accompany the issue’s monthly releases. “The response from the com munity was great and people’s willingness to be involved in that sort of thing made me want to keep doing it,” Lecompte said. He also hosted live music events at venues in Waterloo such as Jane Bond, the Button Factory and the Princess Cafe.
Between his businesses and family, Lecompte hasn’t had much time for his own artistic DIY projects, which is why it’s important for him to hold such events. He hopes DIYDAY will inspire more people to start projects of their own. He said, “I think, at the end of the day, people who want to create things will just do it. It might not always see the light of day, so hopefully events like this can encourage people to share their ideas.” If interested in participat ing or if you have any ques tions about the event, you can contact Lecompte by email at princessmarc@gmail. com or join the event page oni Facebook: www.facebook.com// events/712897265393688/
PHOTO BY MARC LECOMPTE
DIY Day is being held at Chainsaw on Oct. 26 and will feature local artists and bands.
NOT ON A WALL THIS TIME
PHOTO BY HAILEY MERKT
A cold cicada clings to a tree, awaiting some form of warmth to heat its body and bring it back to mobility. The photo was shot at Woodland Cemetery in Kitchener Sept. 15.
Learning Skids
Page 14 â&#x2122;¦ SPOKE
Monday, September 23,2013
ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, September 23,2013
SPOKE ♦ Page 15
KOI Music Fest has astounding growth B Y CODY STEEVES
In three short years KOI Music Fest has become a major part of the KitchenerWaterloo music scene thanks to astounding growth. The festival, held on King Street in downtown Kitchener, started with 135 bands in 2010. The roster consisted of a few larger bands and a wide array of local talent. This year, big names in the music scene such as Cute Is What We Aim For, Classified and Emmure were present, as were a long list of local bands and acts. On Sept. 14 the growth of KOI was easily seen. Acts could be found everywhere and they were all different. The festival had bolstered its original nine stages in 2010 to 12 this year and had 140 acts play to a seemingly endless crowd that swarmed down town King Street. “We have absolutely zero interest in doing something in Toronto like this,” said Cory Crossman in an e-mail. Cory and his brother Kurt are the founders of KOI Music Fest. “The point of this festival is to give people another reason to come to Kitchener or to give people from Kitchener a rea son to stay here and support their own community.” “KOI is our favourite day of the year. It is an opportunity for musicians of all genres to play to a diverse audi ence at an incredible festival run by some super down-to -earth promoters,” said Robb Pugh, the lead vocalist for local band Gracefield. “The Crossman brothers have been around the local music scene well before many of us picked up our first instruments and they are giving back to the community doing what they do best. Vendors, artists and concertgoers from far and wide come to Kitchener to experience an awesome week end in which we all attend to enjoy quality music and the company of great people.” “The festival has definitely come a long way in four short years,” said Brandon Gatten, the lead vocalist of Three Crowns, in an e-mail. “I think it’s something that every local band in southern Ontario looks forward to being a part of every year, either playing or attending.” The number of people in attendance has nearly dou bled every year. In 2012 near ly 7,000 people were pres ent .in downtown Kitchener.
A very vibrant setting, filled with music, friends and respect, KOI has grown to be a reputable festival and is drawing attention to the local music scene. “We are a heavily commu nity-engaged event and we put a strong emphasis on local talent at the fest,” said Cory. “We want to support those great artists and build Kitchener as a music destina tion for all to enjoy.” “I think it really helps to put Kitchener on the map, instead of being known as the small stepping stone between London and Toronto,” Gatten said. “Festivals are always a ton of fun. To be able to play to a festival crowd full of all our friends and in our home town? It doesn’t get much bet ter than that.” The festival is also a place where onlookers can unwind. “Being a kid is hard. Hell, I’m 26 and I still feel like a kid,” Pugh said. “Music still helps me through all sorts of things going on in my life and there’s nothing like a solid album or concert to clear my head and make me smile when I’m stress ing out or feeling under the weather.” Gracefield has been an act on the stages of the KOI Music Festival for three consecutive years, each year playing new and old fan favourites. This year they played a lot of new material as they get ready to release their upcoming album, Parasites. Even late into the Saturday night the festival was still swarming with people full of energy and excitement. The latest act was scheduled for midnight and people stayed in the downtown even later, talking with both new and old friends. “There is a strong follow ing here in the K-W music scene and at times it can seem very small when you attend certain events in the city,” Pugh said. “Different people are into different kinds of music for different reasons and the guys over at ARC do a really good job at bringing in a diverse lineup of artists both locally and internationally.” ARC Cloathing Co. is a company founded by the Crossman brothers and is a major supporter of KOI Music Fest. “We look forward to KOI every year and we can’t wait for next year,” Pugh said.
PHOTO BY CODY STEEVES
Nick Ghanbarian, bassist of Bayside, played late at night on KOI Music Festival’s Pabst Blue Ribbon Stage in Kitchener.
PHOTO BY ASHLEY KOWITZ
Cute Is W hat W e Aimed For played at KOI Music Festival in downtown Kitchener on Sept. 14.
Page 16 â&#x2122;¦SPOKE
Monday, September 23,2013