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CONVERGED CITIZEN
VOLUME X ISSUE 7
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NOVEMBER 27 , 2014
Cosplayin’ around
Halloween is a chance to dress up and be someone you are not. Unfortunately, for those who want to dress up all the time, Halloween only happens once a year. But hell if Mr. Dressup can do it all year round why can’t everyone else? Costume play or ‘cosplay’ is the act of dressing up as a character from fiction or even reality, though is mostly popular for science fiction, video games and anime genres. The term cosplay comes from the Japanese portmanteau which in English translates to costume play. This term wa coined in 1984 by Nobuyuki Takahashi, who was so impressed by the costumes at Worldcon in Los Angeles that a story of this portmanteau
was published in the Japanese magazine My Anime. It is popular for people who attend geek conventions and also popular on the Internet. Cosplayers sometime participate in what is known as role playing, which is a sub-culture where people act-out characters using storytelling and dialogue on site forums. Mckenna Roberts became interested in cosplay when she heard of an anime convention just across the river in Detroit, called Youmacon. She had always been a fan of anime and when she heard about Youmacon, she wanted to dress up for it immediately. She soon found out cosplay is very time consuming. Not only does it take up a long period of time if you independently design and create your costume, but it does not come cheap.
“The more pieces associated with the costume, the more money it will cost,” said Roberts, who is currently working on a new costume. “Half of it is stuff you don’t even see. For example, the hair piece for her (the costume she is currently working on). People think ‘Oh okay, money for a wig’, but in reality her hair is so big that it requires one very long wig, plus three extensions, along with EVA foam for shape,and pins, and glue. That is just the hair. Everything adds up very quickly.” Despite the long process of creating a costume, Roberts says the best thing about cosplay is it’s always a learning experience. Great detail goes into each costume, unlike Halloween costumes you can just buy for $50. The more she talks to different cosplayers,
Ashley Ann Mentley CP Editor
the more she learns, like which materials work best and how to shape things using different techniques. The work is never over for Roberts; she said as soon as she finishes one costume it is on to the next. She has currently completed two costumes and has another four in the works. Convention organizers usually lay out rules and regulations for cosplayers, which can make somecostumes difficult to finish. Some rules include no folded steel weapons– usually prop-weapons are made of wood– and limited prop sizes as to not take up too much convention space. This year Youmacon made it a rule that while at the convention on the Renaissance Centre premises there were no weapons allowed and no masks that covered faces. These rules sparked some outrage for
Washing your face and hands and brushing your teeth could be contributing to contamination of the Great Lakes. Of the five Great Lakes, Lake Erie has the highest concentration of micro plastic contamination – and research has only just begun said Paul Helm, a senior research scientist at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change office. He spoke Nov. 12 at the Ojibway Nature Centre as a part of the Green Speaker Series hosted by the Windsor Essex County Environmental Committee. Helm addressed the issue of visible plastic contaminants, otherwise known as micro plastics, which are smaller than five millimetres in diameter, in the Great Lakes. Helm said one of the biggest issues is how little is actually known about the micro plastics. “Other than one study collecting it on water in the Great Lakes and another having some pellets wash up on beaches, we haven’t actually done very much yet,” Helm said. “We don’t know the scope and scale of the problem.” What is known, however, are some of the sources of these small, yet visible pieces of plastic. The primary source is micro beads, which come from exfoliating skincare products such as face wash, hand soap and toothpaste. Helm said other sources may be items like synthetic fibres from clothing, fishing lines, plastic bottles, litter and debris.
SEE PAGE 8
SEE PAGE 5
Photo by Sean Frame Three Fan Expo attendees pose in their X-Men costumes at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto on Aug. 30, Sean Frame Managing Editor
Micro plastics in Great Lakes
CONVERGED CITIZEN2
NEWS
NOVEMBER 27, 2014
CCAC to cut nursing visits Citizen Staff The Erie St. Clair Community Care Access Centre is planning to cut services to address its deficit. According to documents acquired by the Converged Citizen the local CCAC has a deficit of $5.9 million. They have been meeting with the Local Health Integration Network to devise strategies to ensure they have a balanced budget going forward. The 11-page document explains how they got to this point and what they plan on doing to balance the budget. It even instructs service providers how to answer patients’ questions about why they are being discontinued or having their visits reduced. The CCAC plans to reduce visits by 33 per cent or 300 visits a week. They also plan to hire seven more care coordinators and reduce the average cost per short-stay patient by 23 per cent. Many of the strategies
include fostering partnerships with community support service agencies and connecting patients with these agencies instead of treating them through CCAC. One such example is respite services. “We can no longer provide respite services as it is a duplication of resources when there are community agencies that provide this service,” according to the CCAC documents. The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County provides many different services, some of which fall under services that CCAC is looking to eliminate, like respite care. Several agency spokespeople said they are not able to comment on the CCAC cuts until there is more information about the effect on their programs. Another community service provider, the Canadian Diabetes Association, offers services and programs to people who have diabetes. Diabetes can lead to foot ulcers and other medical conditions that could require CCAC involvement. In an email statement, Harriet Lee,
the communications manager for CDA, said they are leaders in the fight against diabetes and are aware of the CCAC cuts. “The Canadian Diabetes Association believes people living with diabetes should have access the best health care possible in order to live their lives to their full potential,” said Lee. “We’re aware of the changes CCAC has put in place, and we will be assessing the impact it may or may not have on people living with diabetes in Ontario.” Numerous attempts to contact CCAC for clarification have gone unanswered. If you or someone you know has had their services discontinued or changed by CCAC recently and you don’t agree with the changes you can file an appeal with CCAC on their website at http://healthcareathome.ca/eri estclair/en . This site also has other useful information about CCAC and the services they provide. If you would like to speak to someone in person you can call 1-888-310-7230 for more information.
Windsorites experienced their first Tedx at the University of Windsor which featured many speakers, including a young magician. Tedx is an event much like a Ted Talks, where guest speakers have a chance to share their ideas or discoveries. The event started with the hosts taking a selfie and encouraging the audience to do the same. After many speakers, magician Keith Brown took the stage. He has been performing magic since the age of six and his speech was “The Magic of Thinking.” “Magic and creativity go hand in hand,” said Brown. “In order to be creative I need to be willing to go the distance. I need to be willing not to quit…I need to immerse myself completely because I’ve noticed my creativity evolves over time.” Brown talked not only about creativity, but also other magicians, one being Canadian Dai Vernon, who he considers to be one of the greatest magicians of the last century. “Vernon once said ‘most magi-
Photo by Mark Brown Brian Khan, marketing and special events coordinator of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association and Debi Croucher, acting director, pause outside the DWBIA offices on Pelissier Street, downtown Windsor, Nov 10.
“This is a great time to do that, we’re leading up to the holidays,” said Croucher. “For folks who are Windsor’s downtown business looking for that perfect gift, perassociation is calling attention to haps folks would have seen a parthe diversity of the neighbour- ticular restaurant and consider a hood’s restaurants while reaping gift card.” The buildup to the holidays the benefits of the recent film fescomes in the afterglow of the tival. The Downtown Windsor Windsor International Film Business Improvement Festival which had its run earlier Association is using social media this month at the Capitol Theatre. FOLLOW US AT HTTP://TWITTER.COM/THE_MEDIAPLEX to promote the uniqueness of Croucher said downtown busieateries in the downtown core. nesses got a real boost from the Debi Croucher, acting director of eight-day event. “It’s been huge,” said Croucher. the DWBIA, said participants can benefit from showing off “Restaurants, particularly those on University, Pelissier and Chatham Windsor’s restaurants. “We really wanted to use social have raved about the attendance, media to spread the word,” said which is really encouraging. They Croucher. “A lot of ‘foodies’ enjoy always do well with WIFF taking photographs of the meals because of the demographic that that they’re having. What we the independent film attracts.” Restaurants that are popular with wanted to do was encourage them to post those photos to Twitter, the downtown lunch crowd saw an increase in business during the Facebook or Instagram.” Croucher said the promotion, film festival. Brian Khan, coordiwhich runs throughout the month nator of special events and marPhoto by Kristine Klein of November and is called “30 keting at the DWBIA, said the Keith Brown preforming his teleporting card trick in front of the Days Dining Downtown,” is very response at some places exceeded audience at the Tedx at the University of Windsor on Nov. 8 user-friendly and anyone with a expectations. “Frenchy’s (Poutinery) had a cians stop thinking too soon.’ He formance. If it really was magic, cellphone can take part. “Just snap a photo,” said lineup outside the establishment believed that magicians were shal- the audience will never know low thinkers instead of deep because a good magician never Croucher. “It (the restaurant) has to because of the film fest. And this is be within our boundaries, then around 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. thinkers, that magicians would set- reveals his secrets. tle with the first possible answer as The goal of a Tedx event is to they would tag it ’30 Days Dining when they open on a Tuesday,” the answer instead of an answer as change your life with something Downtown.’ At the end of the said Khan. “This is not a normal one of many,’’ said Brown. “What exciting or different. Jenny Van, a month, we will pick an overall crowd that you would have on a if this doesn’t apply to just magi- U of W student, said that she will winner and then a number of win- weekday.” Croucher said she is hopeful the cians, what if we all can stop think- be participating in the 30 day chal- ners would win gift cards to varienergy provided by the film festiing too soon?” lenge, with was part of a pre- ous establishments.” Croucher said the response to the val will carry over into the upcomBrown said his goal is to get the recorded video shown at the event. people of the world to believe in It is a challenge where you do program has been varied so far. ing Winterfest, set for Nov. 29 his show. something for 30 days to create a Among the restaurants that have with the traditional Santa Claus “My job as a magician is to give good habit or to do something had photos sent in are Maxim, Parade. The “30 Days Dining Terracotta, Windsor Star News you every single opportunity to interesting. entertain the idea that what I am “The 30 day challenge really Café, Squirrel Cage, Naturosweet Downtown” promotion runs doing really is magic,” said stood out to me… My 30 day chal- and Chanoso’s. Croucher said the through Nov. 30. For more inforBrown. lenge will be to take photos every- program is also a terrific way to mation, contact the Downtown Brown successfully made the day with friends because I don’t promote Windsor’s downtown Mosaic offices at (519) 252-5723 visit Tedx audience believe in magic by take many photos with them,” said restaurants ahead of the holiday or www.downtownwindsor.ca. season. the show of hands after his per- Van.
A ‘magical’ experience at the U of W Kristine Klein Citizen Staff Reporter
Downtown restaurants get support from WIFF
Mark Brown Citizen Staff Reporter
NEWS
CONVERGED CITIZEN3 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
LaSalle council reflects, looks forward Taylor Busch CP Editor
Photo by Johnathan Hutton Dave Antovski, 42, stands in front of his recently sold residence in South Windsor.
Windsor-Essex County housing market is booming Johnathan Hutton Citizen Staff Reporter Home sales in WindsorEssex are up 6.22 per cent since September and are predicted to continue rising, according to the Windsor Essex County Association of Realtors. Windsor has been hit hard by the 2008 recession which led to the closure of its General Motors transmission plant in 2010 and several other business resulting in job losses and layoffs. As a result many Windsorites lost their homes or had to move elsewhere. According to Cindy Sorkopud, a realtor from Royal Lepage Realty in Windsor, after the all time market low in 2008, they have no where to go but up. “Windsor is currently a balanced market, leading towards a sellers’ market. There has been a shortage of inventory but there is also supply and demand,” said Sorkopud. Other reasons Sorkopud gave included lower interest rates for home buyers. “Of course supply and demand always drives the market, but I think low interest rates have helped also, said Sorkopud. The interest rates have been low for quite some time. I think right now you can get
a five year mortgage for 2.89 per cent.” According to a study done by Statistics Canada in 2011, about four in five people who bought a home between 2006 and 2011 had a mortgage. Favourable interest rates encourage home buyers to sell and buy new homes. A study by the WECAR showed that the housing market in the region is making a comeback. In one year housing sales have increased by 12 per cent. This demand for homes in Windsor is reflected in the prices of the homes, which have slightly increased. According to the WECAR, the average price of a home has increased by $9,005 since last September. The most common price point of the year so far for houses are the ones that are between $100,000 and $139,999, with 782 being sold so far this year. New housing developments have been springing up to meet these demands. Typically home buyers tend to be older as they are usually the ones with greater job security. Statistics Canada shows that 31.5 per cent of recently purchased households between 2006 and 2011 were by people less than 35 years old. This
means that approximately 70 per cent of all home owners in Canada are over the age of 35. “For me, my demographic market is more between age 40 and 60,” said Sorkopud. Many buyers who can’t find what they are looking for in this demanding market are deciding to build their own homes. Dave Antovski, 42 , is a resident of south Windsor and has researched the housing market for over three years. Although he and his wife tried to find a home in the south Windsor area, they were unable to find the house they wanted in the area they preferred. “It was this indecision that helped us decide to build our house instead of buying,” said Antovski. “It was important to move into a home that was specked out exactly the way we wanted. We dictated the layout, how big the rooms were going to be and what features we wanted to add to it.” Eventually they bought a property in LaSalle that he said was close to friends and family and in a nice area. Whether people are looking to build their own homes or buy them, they should be prepared to pay a little more to get the home they are looking for.
In the weeks following the election, LaSalle councillors reflect on their town’s recent purchases as they decide what to do next. Dale Langlois is the current deputy treasurer and manager of finance for the town. He said the outgoing council did a good job of putting away money for unexpected purchases and the new council should do the same. “We had to take on some debt for a new building but we didn't fully fund it with debt,” said Langlois. “For other building projects around town we will make sure we have the money available before we spend it. That's just sound financial planning.” In addition to growing costs and staff wages, Langlois confirmed that the council will announce increased spending in other areas. In LaSalle’s 2013 final budget, the town reported spending less than $100 on employee training and $2,500 on tuition fees. This year, the council planned to spend roughly $1,000 on employee training and $5,000 on tuition fees. “We have a program where if people take a course and it's related to their employment the town will pay for it, and more people have been taking advantage of it,” said Langlois. “It's a very minimal part of our budget and it benefits the town.” Newly appointed deputy mayor Mark Bondy said he thinks the new buildings were a good investment for the town. He believes more investors will be drawn to LaSalle as a result of the development. “We spent a lot of money on new facilities, but if we want investors to come to our town we have to invest in our town which we’ve done,” said Bondy. “If you talk to other municipalities they might not say it publically, but off the
record they're saying they want to emulate LaSalle financially.” According to Langlois, no departments are expected to spend less than they did in 2013, but some of the departments expected to spend nearly the same amount. New sidewalk construction is expected to cost $200,000, sidewalk repairs $60,000 and trails $50,000. “I think we've been building those items up over the last 15 years,” said Langlois. “Our town slogan is ‘Healthy, Vibrant and Caring,’ so we want people to get more active. And because the program has been around for about 15 years, some of the stuff is starting to need to be replaced.” Re-elected Mayor Ken Antaya said he does not feel pressure from residents to decrease spending this term because of the overwhelming support he received from voters during the election. Not unlike Eddie Francis during his term in office, Anatya said new buildings are the key to drawing more businesses and big-ticket events to LaSalle. “Over the past four years we reconstructed all of our municipal buildings. It cost us over $30 million, but now we are set for the next 30 or 40 years,” said Antaya. During the election, one of the concerns raised by LaSalle residents was a lack of transparency in spending. Langlois said residents can view the town’s budget at each council meeting or by visiting their website. “I don't know how we could be more transparent,” said Langlois. “All projects go through council and every single cheque that's written is included in the council's report each meeting. Everyone is welcome to go to the council meetings and voice their ideas on how to make things more transparent if they have any.” LaSalle’s next council meeting is scheduled for Dec. 1. The current agenda calls for new councillors to be sworn in, property taxes to be debated and the 2015 proposed budget to be announced.
WEBSITE The town of LaSalle’s website: www.town.lasalle.on.ca
NEWS
CONVERGED CITIZEN4 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
Sports centre’s future debated at meeting Mark Brown Citizen Staff Reporter The fate of a sports and recreation complex was a key component of the agenda at Monday night’s town council meeting in Lakeshore. Lakeshore Town Council voted 6-3 to begin the process of seeking the help of a realtor for the listing of the Puce Sports and Leisure Centre, which houses the Lakeshore Academy of Fine Arts. The operator of the school, Sarah Ilijanich, had been hoping to purchase the building and renovate it, but council stuck to its bottom-line price tag of $500,000. Ilijanich had told council members at Lakeshore Town Hall she had access to up to $300,000 to renovate the building, but members believed renovations, including asbestos removal, would push the cost up further. Ilijanich said her only concern is keeping her school an important part of the Lakeshore arts scene. “I’m not asking you to build me a building,” Ilijanich said in front of council. “All I’m asking is that you quote me a price. I’m here fighting for the
arts. I’m here fighing for Lakeshore.” Ilijanich had offered the town one dollar for the building earlier this year, similar to the arrangement Windsor made with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra for the Capitol Theatre downtown. Council rejected that proposal. Ward 4 Councillor Steven Bezaire told Ilijanich that her latest proposal will not work. “Some things just aren’t meant to be,” said Bezaire. “It just doesn’t seem viable…this is not the right building for you to buy.” Steve Salmons, Lakeshore’s director of community and development services, said the Puce Sports Centre had been appraised for $860,000, and a similar building in the area had sold for $1.2 million. Ward 2 Councillor Dave Monk noted the asbestos present in the building and that the cost of its removal would account for much of the purchase price. Council members eventually passed a motion to turn the process of selling the property over to a realtor. Councillors Bezaire, Monk and Dan Diemer voted against it. Ilijanich said she was disappointed and is already looking
Photo by Mark Brown Members of Lakeshore Town Council confer following their meeting Monday, Nov 10. From left, Councillors Dave Monk and Charles McLean, Mayor Tom Bain, Chief Administrative Officer Kirk Foran, Councillors Steven Bezaire and Linda MacKinlay. to relocate elsewhere. “I have $300,000 to spend and it won’t be in Lakeshore anytime soon,” Ilijanich said outside council chambers. She said that she has been talking with a casting director about working in London, but she believes in
the Windsor-Essex area and has spoken with an unnamed company about the possibility of moving the school to St. Clair Beach. The meeting was the first regularly-scheduled one held in Lakeshore
since the Oct 27 municipal election. Councillors Bezaire and Charles McLean did not win reelection, though Mayor Tom Bain and Deputy Mayor Al Fazio will join the remaining councillors and return for another term.
British theme lost on Fox and Fiddle REVIEW Sharon Ramirez Citizen Staff Reporter I have been in the Fox & Fiddle restaurant twice now and both times I was impressed with the food. The first time I was able to get a soft drink, the potato boat appetizer, the macaroni and cheese and dessert for $40, including the tip I gave to my sweetheart of a waitress. The second time, I tried the spinach, cheese and bacon dip as appetizer, a glass of wine and the mushroom cheese burger which came to around $38 including a tip. Not only did I get so much for little, I got some incredibly delicious food.
At other restaurants, I would have paid a $100 or more for all of that. Despite the delicious food at low prices, the restaurant’s theme was far from British. Fox & Fiddle calls itself a British-style pub, but if they had removed the nameplate from the building, I would have thought I had entered a themeless, no-name restaurant. When I think of a British pub I think of old, cherry or mahogany tables, Victorian-style, black wrought-iron chandeliers with light bulbs meant to look like flames. I also think of a more rustic feel, one exhibited through autumn-coloured walls. Instead, what I got was a bar with a white marble counter top, black leather
seats and black and grey walls. I’m assuming the point was to take the original old-English, Britishstyle pub and modernize it, but in doing so they lost the British aspect altogether. The only thing that felt British to me was the live band playing instrumental songs reminiscent of old English pubs. This band only plays on Tuesday, so on any other day they play the same music I hear on my radio. The waitresses wore kilts that were incredibly short and not made for manoeuvrability when they had to clean the tables. For a British pub, the kilts were culturally off-base, not to mention completely impractical. Despite their attire, the
waitresses were very sweet. My second time there, one drew a heart and a smiley face for me on my bill, so that was new. I’ve definitely never had that before. The British theme was more obvious on their menu, offering Shepherd’s pie, fish and chips and a
beef and Guinness pot pie. I give this establishment seven out of 10 because although the theme was lacking, their food was incredible. I would recommend it to those who are interested in great food and able to overlook the inability to match their establishment to their theme.
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HEALTH
CONVERGED CITIZEN5 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
Breast cancer awareness Iesha Coburn Citizen Staff Reporter
The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Although many people are aware of what breast cancer is, the National Breast Cancer Association is taking the extra step by making the whole month to inform people on how to check themselves to prevent it, and to educate on the fact that even men can get breast cancer. They also fundraise for the whole month of October. Breast cancer is a malignant tumour that can start in the breast tissue. Malignant means that it may spread. It is the second most leading cause of death from cancer for Canadian women. On average, 67 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every day. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, men can also develop breast cancer, although less than one per cent of breast cancers do occur
within men. That is what makes Breast Cancer Awareness Month so important. Knowing these statistics, St. Clair College held multiple breast cancer awareness fundraisers by selling tshirts, popcorn and cotton candy at both the Main Campus and the TD Student Centre. Sarah Ryrie is the Student Representative Council President at St Clair College. She organized the fundraiser and feels very fortunate to come from a family that has minimal family members that have been affected by cancer. I do have friends who their families have been torn apart from cancer so it’s a vicious cycle and it’s something that needs to end. I have friends who have lost friends, I have friends who have lost moms, I have best friends that their families have been torn apart from this disease so although I’m not a scientist and I know that I don’t have it in me to develop a cure, said Ryrie. She
does as much as she can to help. “Whether it be cotton candy or making popcorn and selling it to students for minimum donations of 50 cents cause we want students and know that that they don’t have a lot of money to spare, but we’ve had a lot of people giving $20 bills for a 50 cent popcorn or cotton candy, it gives me chills but it just goes to show that people are being affected,” said Ryrie. One of the things that Ryrie thought to help girls be fully aware of their bodies is putting posters in the bathrooms of the school showing how girls can check their breasts for lumps, etcetera. She understands that college students can’t be as proactive as desired because of classes and other daily activities that may take their time and money. “People may not have the money to give us but their time, everybody as a little bit of time- if you have time to
the Cure she was one among 127,000 participants and volunteers that had come together to show support, and according to CIBC’s Run for the Cure website over $25 million was raised this year. “Everyone was smiling and crying, different teams had different names. My favourite team was called “Steps for Strength” and then they had this part where all of the people who had cancer were on top of this stage and they were holding up signs and everyone had ‘I’m still fighting’ signs or ‘I’m going to get through this in months.’ There was this girl that was there that had four different types of cancer. It was just emotional and then laughter, everyone had fun,” said Broski. To find out more information about Breast Cancer such as where to research prevention, risks, signs and symptoms, or even on where to donate, you can go online to http://www.cancer.ca/.
MEDIAPLEX CONVERGED TEAM
FROM PAGE 1 “These things that wash our face and help us look pretty are having a huge impact on the Great Lakes,” Helm said. Sherry Bondy, Ward 4 councillor in the Town of Essex, addressed what she called “a disconnect” between Essex County towns and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, the organization responsible for conducting the research. “As a councillor in the county, and my family lives on Lake Erie, I’m surprised how disconnected the local municipalities are to the Great Lakes and how disconnected their elected officials are to the Great Lakes (and St. Lawrence Cities) Initiative,” Body said. It’s kind of upsetting.” Various locations in the U.S. such as Illinois, New Jersey and New York have begun to introduce legislation that will require companies using micro beads to remove them from their products. Helm said the argument is that micro beads are present in the Great Lakes and they’re coming from products that don’t need to be there. “As a result of that kind of public awareness and advoca-
change your Facebook status or upload an Instagram photo, you probably do have spare minutes of your day that may be promoting the things that are happening around the county,” said Ryrie. Amanda Broski is a St. Clair College student and talked about her experience this month raising awareness for breast cancer. “You know you just have to give support. I did the breast cancer run and it was very emotional but I think that what people have to understand is you have to be aware, you have to help them and you can’t look at it as a sentence you can’t be like, ‘I’m affected now I’m done, you have to know that there is hope,” said Broski. Run for the Cure is a national fundraiser for breast cancer. It not only raises money for more innovative research but it brings a lot of emotions and has different ways of getting more people involved. When Broski attended the Run for
Photo by Josh Teixeira Paul Helm speaks to an audience at the Ojibway Nature Centre on the cause and concern of micro plastics in the Great Lakes. cy, the industry has said, ‘You’re right, we can find alternatives,’ and so many of the companies have committed to removing them from the products starting in January 2015,” Helm said. Ontario has yet to create such legislation. Stefan Grigorakis is studying micro plastics for his master’s degree at the University of Windsor. He agreed with Helm that one of the biggest obstacles is how little is currently known about the topic. “There’s only been a handful of fresh water studies of micro plastics and all of those have been pretty much quantifying how much is in the water…” as opposed to looking into sources or effects, Griogorakis
said. He is more interested in researching the effects of chemical build up and how to remove the micro plastics, whereas Helm’s studies are focusing largely on the sources of the plastics. “We don’t really see the micro beads, but we’ve heard a lot about them,” Helm said. “It’s easy to show that these things are there, it’s not so easy to show what kind of effects there are. It’s very difficult to make claims that it’s having a huge impact at this point.” Helm said this current lack of information about the contaminants and the potential effects should not stop people from taking the issue seriously and acting responsibly.
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CONVERGED CITIZEN6
GALLERY
NOVEMBER 27, 2014
We will remember them Dan Gray Managing Editor
Veterans and citizens came out by the hundreds to take part in a solemn Remembrance Day service at the Windsor Cenotaph. The City of Windsor held their annual Remembrance Day ceremony at 11 a.m on Nov. 11. It started with a Howitzer firing to mark the beginning of two minutes of silence. There was a noticeable spike in attendance upon the previous year and a highly visible police force. The police were on rooftops, among the crowd and shut down much of the downtown core during the ceremony. A poll conducted by AM800 listeners says 93 per cent of their listeners believe events in Ottawa and Quebec had something to do with the
increased turnout across the area. Ministers of parliament and ministers of provincial parliament joined veterans and citizens in the act of remembrance, wreath laying and the playing of last post. This year’s event also held the opportunity for those gathered to re-affirm their citizenship to Canada. It was reported at the service that three World Ward 2 veterans had died in the past week. Their diminishing number was noticeable from the previous year’s event. Although not a World War veteran, Ray Silvius served during the Korean War. He sat proudly in the front row in his uniform during the event. There were 516 Canadian soldiers killed in Korea including some from Windsor and
Essex County. He said it is important that we don’t forget those sacrifices. “I think that we should remember what everybody died for, so this country could stay free,” said Silvius. “I believe that emphatically.” Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis was attending his final Remembrance Day as mayor. He said although this is one of his last ceremonies as mayor every Remembrance Day is more than a ceremony to him. According to Francis he views this as an opportunity to work closer in hand with the veterans after he’s done in office. He doesn’t view attending as something he does as mayor but as a good citizen. Although he’ll be in a different position he believes it is important to continue to help the veterans and remember them.
“I think it’s important for all of us to personally recognize the sacrifices of vets the sacrifice of the men and women that are in service and to recognize what we do for all of us so that we are able to enjoy the freedoms that we are enjoying,” said Francis. “I’ve heard many, many stories told by so many vets as to what they faced and what they had to deal with and what they had to deal with when they came back home and are still dealing with. For me and for this community we owe them a tremendous amount of gratitude and thanks.” The mayor’s thoughts were echoed by veterans including Ken Knighton, a former army mechanic who spent time as a peacekeeper in Israel. “It’s important for people to understand that the memory of these people cannot go away.”
Windsor indignitaries comemmorate Remembrance day at the Cenotaph in Windsor on Nov. 11. Photos by The Converged Citizen Staff
GALLERY
CONVERGED CITIZEN7 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
Gathering shows respect Caleb Workman Citizen Staff Reporter
November 11 is a day to remember and many in LaSalle took time to make it out to the new Cenotaph to pay their respects. The commemoration of all who have sacrificed took place at Cenotaph Park, the new park outside of LaSalle Town Hall. The ceremony started at 11 a.m. and veterans, old and new, stood alongside the civilians of LaSalle to look back and remember the service of those who fought for the country. Retired Master Corporal of the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment and current town council elect, Mike Akpata, was there to remember his service and the service of those he fought alongside. “During the moment of silence, I usually think specifically about the 22 Canadians that were killed on my tour in Afghanistan. The ones whose ramp-ceremonies I attended,” said Akpata. “My mind starts to expand to the 158 killed in total, but then I look at what I call the senior veterans whose friendships I’ve made… So it starts off intimate and small and it begins to grow as I look at the losses of members of the military community who have served.” Akpata said he was very happy with the number of people who made it to the cenotaph. “It says that people care. It says that
people, despite the busy-ness of life, will stop by,” said Akpata. “It says people will remember. It says that people understand the sacrifice that has taken us to this point where we can gather in a beautiful place free and unafraid.” Among the people gathered at the cenotaph was silver cross mother Theresa Charbonneau, mother of Cpl. Andrew Grenon who died during his last tour in Afghanistan in 2008. “Every year, as I prepare for Remembrance Day, my feelings do get stronger and get more resolve,” s a i d Charbonneau. “I feel more fortitude and I realize that when I s p e a k , because of what I’ve b e e n
vicemen and veterans that the see.” Charbonneau said she hopes to see everyone remember, not just today, but throughout the year as she does. “If you saw my house, you would see remembrances everywhere, front and back,” said Charbonneau. “Every time I see somebody who I recognize is a veteran, who I know is a serviceman, I always give them a hug and a kiss and I thank them.” Charbonneau said she feels it shouldn’t take a specific day for people to take the time to remember those who have laid down their life. “Every citizen should react when they see a uniform. That should be all it takes,” said Charbonneau. Lasalle’s mayor, Ken Antaya,
through, I’m hoping that I teach and I give others a reason to remember and a means for them to thank present ser-
said he remembered his uncle, who had served during the First World War, during the moment of silence.
“You never heard a word of complaint from the guy and that’s what you find from most of the veterans,” said Antaya. “Even though a portion of their lives was taken away by being injured, by service, or by seeing a friend die next to them they never complained.” Antaya said he was very happy with the day’s event and was proud of all the people who came out. “It was moving. Well done, well organized by the Legion. We were proud to be part of it and I think that it was a great day to launch our cenotaph and I think everybody is embracing it,” said Antaya. The new cenotaph, placed at the northern edge of the park, honours World War One, the Second World War, the Korean War, the United Nations Peace Keeping Missions and the newly added Afghanistan War. “It’s beautiful just to see Afghanistan at the bottom,” said Akpata. “To have Afghan on it, in the year 2014, without problem, without political crash or fighting, is a testament to those gentlemen for what they fought for to get Korea included on their cenotaphs.” “It’s been a phenomenal day, as it always is,” said Charbonneau. “It’s not over yet though, and we will remember.”
ENTERTAINMENT
CONVERGED CITIZEN8 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
RPGs provide access to other worlds Kenneth Bullock Citizen Staff Reporter You are an extension of yourself, transcending what limits you in real life. If you search online for Dungeons & Dragons, video game role playing games or cosplay, entire followings can be found. This is because RPGs and roleplaying in general are a lifestyle. The feeling some get from RPGs is almost magical. Clinton Hammond, a longtime D&D player said he first tried the imaginative game back in 1979. Hammond said he enjoys the game for the social aspect and the ability to make characters based on your personality. However, he said there are too many rules
to the game and it takes away from the openness role play brings. “Running a fast and loose game for people who have never played before can be thrilling when you watch them open up,” said Hammond. “It’s when they lose themselves in the story and exhibit some truly lateral thinking. The longer Hammond played RPGs for, the more he realized their one glaring flaw: The idea of having a game system in general. The hardcover rulebooks and accessories drew away from the stories Hammond immersed himself in. After this epiphany, he threw away character sheets with numbers and focused more on the
descriptions of the characters themselves. The purpose of an RPG is to place yourself in a different world and mindset. Aside from RPGs, there are also people who merely role-play online. Care Schrei, a cosplayer and online roleplayer said one of the reasons for her love is to break away from the norm.There are story-role plays people can participate in, but Schrei prefers one-onone roleplaying. “I like seeing what will happen with different actions and reactions,” said Schrei. “It’s sort of like a book written by two people.” Schrei explained how important is to have similar interests with someone, or else it’s difficult to co-ordi-
Nun-busting comedy Caleb Workman Citizen Staff Reporter When people think about church, humorous nuns are not usually their first thought, but Put the Nuns in Charge might change that. The improv comedy play written by Chicago. resident Vicki Quade will be coming to St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic High School’s Festival Theatre on Nov. 28 and 29. Quade is the creator of the longest-running religiouslythemed Chicago play Late Night Catechism. That play has been in theatres across North America for over two decades with positive reception and a 4.2 rating from ticketmaster.com. Put the Nuns in Charge, which came after Late Night Catechism, is regularly performed at its home theatre, the Royal George Theatre, in Chicago. It has been traveling around North America due to its positive reception and family-friendly nature. The play’s religious background tries to teach the world about certain religious aspects through laughter. “I love writing religious comedies and it’s just a nobrainer to do something on the seven deadly sins,” said Quade. “We take a look at the seven deadly sins and take a modern spin on relaying the story.”
Quade said she tries to identify the worst sins that are being carried out by people in the world now and, through the play, teach the audience how to avoid continuing with these sins. The play is a two-hour, onecharacter show which features several actresses. The school in LaSalle will be visited by Kathleen Puls Andrade, an actress who has been with the show for almost ten years. The Chicago native considers herself a “Jill of all trades.” She has been involved in acting since the mid-90s and is also involved in writing, voice acting and teaching others to voice act. “About ten years ago I asked Vicki Quade, the writer and producer, if she was hiring,” said Puls Andrade. “She was coming up with a new show called Put the Nuns in Charge, so I auditioned and I’ve been doing it ever since.” Puls Andrade said audience participation is essential for the play to be carried out the way it was intended to be. “It’s almost as if there is another character in the show which makes it a lot of fun,” said Puls Andrade. “You have to suspend yourself from disbelief as an audience member and enjoy yourself.” Puls Andrade said she believes a lot of people enjoy the show because the show has a way of bringing up old memories. Although the play
has religious ties, the main goal is to get everyone to laugh. She said it doesn’t matter if people are Catholic, the play is intended for everybody. “The tagline is ‘laugh your sins off’ but it is really meant for anyone,” said Puls Andrade. “No matter what background they come from, everybody laughs. It’s very respectful to Catholicism and people will come up to me after the show and ask me if I’m a real nun.” The play itself takes place in a classroom setting with the character Mary Margaret O’Brien, an ex-nun who still has nun-like qualities about her. While the audience learns about the seven deadly sins they take part in the play’s overall outcome. “Each show is different,” said Puls Andrade. “It’s because each audience is different. In essence, no two shows are alike, but everyone still laughs and has a good time.” Quade said she hope the show does well in LaSalle so they can bring more opportunities here. “We have tons of shows and we hope to be bringing entertainment there for several years to come,” said Quade. “Bring your kids, bring your mother and bring your grandmother. It’s going to be a good time
nate a story. Another important facet of doing a roleplay is setting guidelines. Trying to improvise without some kind of plan will not end well. An amateur roleplayer may want to make their character invulnerable. Schrei calls this “godmoding.” A potential for death makes a character more realistic and closer to life. Roleplaying isn’t about breaking every limit of the human experience, but rather making little tweaks to give you more leeway while still keeping life-like limitations such as emotion and injury. Some people will take an established idea, like from an anime or television show. Others will create an entirely new concept. D&D was one of the first forms of RPG to
appear. “Who your guy was, what he was good at, what he wasn’t good at, as Game Master, I had a pretty good handle on what was probably going to happen,” said Hammond. “The better players were at creatively impacting and interacting with the storyline, the more things tailed to them.” Hammond said he has more fun when his character has many different limitations. One of his favourites was a legless warrior, riding around on a saber-toothed cat. When asked what Hammond would say to someone who wanted to try out D&D, he merely said…“Do you wanna play?”
FROM PAGE 1
Photo by Sean Frame Mckenna Roberts poses in her Faith Connors costume from the series The Mirror’s Edge on Nov. 3. several Youmacon attendees, according to Roberts. Her advice was “Rules for costumes change based on the event organizers and venues, so before attending a convention, everyone needs to familiarize themselves in order not to cause any problems.” CEO and founder of Z-Day Production Micheal Reeve is well-known in Windsor for his very detailed costumes. He was recently featured on The Comic Book Syndicate sporting his Deathstroke costume. For Reeve, cosplaying is having fun and paying homage to characters you enjoy. “I got into cosplay from expanding my enjoyment in dressing up for Halloween to other events that allow me to have more fun and more often making and dressing
up in costumes,” said Reeve. “Generally I wear my costumes anytime I have a justifiable reason for it. Any costume party, event or anything that can be construed as a reason to wear one. ” According to Reeve, most of the time he spends working on a costume goes into research. Research for Reeve is watching the source material, finding a design version of the character and deciding whether to stay true to the source material or make his own version. Instead of dressing up and celebrating due to a holiday, cosplayers truly try to replicate their characters. Replicating these characters is more than just specific detail on the costume, they also reflect the characters movements and mannerisms. Cosplayers are truly dedicated to playing dress up.
ENTERTAINMENT CONVERGED CITIZEN9 Pushers hosts first Holistic retreat teaches how to live happy life fashion show NOVEMBER 27, 2014
Shelbey Hernandez Associate Managing Editor
Photo by Ryan Brough Katrina Kryza is seen walking in the fashion show held at Pushers Collective Saturday Nov 15. It was the release of the clothing line Tie Brain. Ryan Brough Photo Editor
Pushers Collective held a fashion show to help bring local fashion designers to the public. Pushers Collective had their grand re-opening on the afternoon of Nov. 15. Pushers is a clothing line, record label, idea shop and production company founded in 2011. They released their new clothing line Push or Starve. Doors opened at 2 p.m. and by 5 p.m. the place had customers coming in and out frequently. The store’s owner and founder, Ali Ahmed El Gamrini, said the release of their new clothing line was very successful. “We had a great turnout and were pleased with the amount of supporters. We sold out of all our promotional clothing from the Push or Starve collection,” said Gamrini. One of the artists releasing his new line-and his first linewas Anthony Di Fazio. Di Fazio, the designer of Tie Brain, is an artist on many platforms. Born and raised in Windsor, he is currently working on a book, performs in two local bands, draws, paints and has just released his first clothing line called Tie Brain. He said he wants to do film next.
“This is a cool way to release some art work, to have people wear it, it’s just so cool,” said Di Fazio. When Di Fazio displayed artwork at the Alley Art Show last summer, one of his customers turned out to be Ana Stulic. Stulic is the owner and founder of Chelsea Studios, which organized the fashion show. Stulic got in touch with Di Fazio shortly after purchasing his art work at the Alley Art Show. A couple of months later, Di Fazio’s first clothing line, Tie Brain, was released at the Pushers event. Di Fazio admitted he had no idea what he was getting himself into but was excited to get started. “It was a lot of work but I didn’t mind, I felt like this is a sign,” said Di Fazio. Stulic’s fashion background comes from studying Fashion Design at Istituto di Moda Burdo in Milan, Italy. She has worked in Paris, Montreal, and Toronto and also worked for a label called Minga Berlin, in Germany. Stulic is currently working on her online store and getting Tie Brain in shops around Windsor. Next for Pushers, they plan to expand and have Pushers flagship stores in all major cities in North America.
People can increase their happiness by paying attention to their health, wealth and consciousness. During a day retreat at Gesstwood Camp and Retreat Centre, three women who practice holistic medicine focused on how individuals need to regain control of their lives and do what makes them happy. This retreat was called a holistic retreat, with a focus on spiritual elements. Those who practice holistic medicine believe if someone’s emotional or spiritual self isn’t working correctly, it can affect the physical body. Using yoga, meditation and crystals is common in holistic practices. Holistic therapy does not use medications to help with ailments. Nearly 40 per cent of American adults use some form of alternative medicine which includes non-tradition-
al therapies. Although some people support the use of alternative therapies, others argue there is no proof holistic therapies help. When people say the therapies help them, it’s often assumed to be a placebo effect. A placebo effect is when someone is told something will react a certain way and because they are told that beforehand, their body mimics the reactions. The host of the event, Heather Chauvin, is a mental health and self-esteem expert with a bachelor’s degree in social work and a number of holistic therapy certifications. Chauvin also works on the medical advisory board for Enchanted Makeovers, a notfor-profit organization that transforms women’s shelters by funding renovations. In her presentation, she talked about how dealing with cancer changed her. She also said it is important for mothers to not feel guilty taking time for themselves and that people should not let their lack of
confidence get in the way of doing what they want. Heather Nodello is a spiritual counselor who helps people deal with family, relationship and divorce issues, she created Truthful Healings in 2010. She and two others, use a holistic approach to counsel people by focusing on what they really want in life. At Truthful Healings she offers services including intuitive readings, counselling and emotional freedom techniques. She said people assume the more friends they have, the happier they will be. However, according to Nodello, the need to get approval from others can actually do more damage to someone’s happiness. Chauvin said the retreat was able to teach women about things they may not have been taught before. “I think health, wealth and consciousness are three main areas of our lives that we kind of don’t know how to bring
SEE PAGE 12
Rogues Gallery Comics is expanding Sean Frame Managing Editor A little over nine years ago Shawn Cousineau and two of his friends opened up Rogues Gallery comic book shop, at 327 Chatham St. W., with a start-up fund of around $30,000. With help from a self employment assistance program, Cousineau put $10,000 towards the company, and two others put up $20,000 collectively. According to an article written by Chuck Kosanski, owner of Mile High comics online store a smaller comic shop costs roughly $50,000 to start up with $10,000 for fixtures, such as racks and shelves, $30,000 for basic inventory, $5,000 for advertising and a safety reserve of $5,000. In the article Kosanski also said most comic shops end up buying their fixtures secondhand due to the high cost for new equipment and the labour involved in putting the fixtures
together. A basic breakdown of the monthly cost for Rogues Gallery Comics is $21,600. This includes rent for the month at $1,600 and the cost for stock each week being $5,000 on average. Based on those overheads, Cousineau would have started off in the negatives. “My biggest struggle upon starting up was money,” said Cousineau. ” Having enough money each week to make my stock orders was a bit of a struggle.” For a new store owner, Diamond Distributors, where most comic shops get their stock, offers a 40 per cent discount for stock and as the store gains momentum the discount may raise as well. For 500 trades, which would be a startup in order to stock the store, and each trade paperback on average costing $19.95, cost for trades would be $9,975 at full retail. With the dis-
count, owners would still owe $5,985 to the distributors and 500 comic trades is roughly only one copy of each popular comic title. A single issue comic cost roughly $2.99, and on average a store stocks more than 200 issues a week. According to Kosanki’s article, a successful comic shop won’t only stock books but collectibles as well to bring in a wider demographic of customers, adding to the cost of an already expensive stock. Currently, Cousineau is the sole owner of Rogues Gallery and spends most of his time at the store, which has cut labour costs for him. Every month Cousineau makes a profit, but it took almost four years for him to start earning a profit. Now, Rogues is one of Windsor’s most popular spots for comic books, in a prime location close to downtown and right across from the bus station.
LIFESTYLE
CONVERGED CITIZEN10 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
Networking and awards night funding sought Shelbey Hernandez Associate Managing Editor For the eighth annual Journalism Awards Night to happen, journalism students will have to make more than $700 per month by April. Last year, JAN cost more than $4,000. Former JAN president Sarah Ryrie had made a little more than $1,000 but was able to make up the money she didn’t have by selling the JAN tickets according to Ryrie. These tickets were $40 each and there were approximately 180 sold. Food alone made up 92 per cent of the total cost for JAN. This year, although the club is close to making $1,000 from the first semester, there is still a long way to go. The JAN club is a journalism student club that works to raise money for an end-of-theyear event. This event is called the Journalism Awards Night, where students from each year are presented awards for a
variety of categories. Last year, some of the categories included Bell Media Journalist of the Year, Beat Reporting, Convergence Technology, CP Editing and Photojournalist of the Year. At last year’s event, there were many media outlet representatives present, such as Dan Appleby, the news director at CTV and CBC’s David Common, who was the guest speaker. Taylor Busch, the current president for the club, said part of the problem was not having any money at the beginning of the year. Everything had to come out of her own pocket for the first event which cost approximately $300 to put together. Busch also said she may not personally know how much she has to raise, but she does have a goal in mind. “My goal is to make about $500 every month and I only came up with that because for the barbecue thing which we were hoping to break even, we
made $400,” said Busch. “So my goal is to do a little better than that every month going forward.” Ryrie said when she was the JAN club president, one of her main issues was not having much help. She only started with $14 in the bank, so like Busch, she had to pay for a lot of things. Last year, many students were unhappy with the cost of JAN tickets, but Ryrie said she had no choice. She had hoped to have extra money for the next year’s club, but it was impossible. She was a fulltime student, a vice president for the student government, the JAN club president and worked part-time so she never had enough help. Since she had to do so much with little help, she said it upset her when people complained. “There was times when I was doing so much JAN stuff that I didn’t even have time for my own stuff. My grades definitely even took a toll… and that’s why it bothered me that
Photo by Shelbey Hernandez JAN club president Taylor Busch poses for a picture, dressed up in costume to exhibit school spirit during the journalism program’s newspaper day on Oct. 31, the people were complaining,” said Ryrie. “I was like, ‘You don’t have to do any of this. You get to go to bed at a decent time. You get to just go to your work.’ It was so hard to work and do all of this at the same time.” Ryrie also said the awards night is crucial for students to develop future careers. At that event, she said journalism students are able to make connec-
tions with potential employers so it is important for students to support the JAN club. “At the end of the day, we go to school because we want to get a job and our Journalism Awards Night really helps people make those connections and increases our chance of getting a job. We’re not in an easy field, so we need to do as much mingling and meeting people as we can.”
Detroit, a city rising from the ashes OPINION
Mark Brown Columnist The news on Nov 7 that a bankruptcy judge approved the process that helps the city of Detroit emerge from bankruptcy did not particularly surprise me. I knew that the Motor City was resilient and could bounce back from any challenge. The city’s motto is Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus. Translated from Latin, it means: We hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes. The 313 has been to hell and back many times over its 313 years of existence, and Windsor-Essex has been along
for the ride for much of that time. The motto goes all the way back to the early 1800s and was penned by a Frenchborn priest who would later become a U.S. territorial delegate – Father Gabriel Richard. The town of Detroit was destroyed by a fire in 1805, but was quickly rebuilt. The seal of Detroit depicts this event by showing two women – one grieving over the ruined remains of Detroit, the other happier and looking toward the future… We hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes. Throughout the early 1900s, Detroit became the city that put the world on wheels, a city of unbelievable work ethic and where Henry Ford introduced the $5 work day. But the Great Depression hit Detroit hard like it did almost every American city. It took the Second World War to show that Detroit could reinvent itself and produce the weapons that fought off fascism and anti-Semitism. Detroit became the Arsenal of Democracy…
We hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes. Detroit had a population of almost two million when it celebrated its 250th birthday in 1951, but it’s been declining ever since. The exodus of residents moving to the suburbs began at this time, while in tandem, the pressure cooker of racism began to rise throughout the ’50s and ’60s. It all exploded on a hot summer night in July 1967 when the city burned for over a week in what was then the deadliest civil unrest in US history. It took the city rallying around a baseball team that won the World Series the following autumn to help the city heal… We hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes. Since then Detroit has dealt with rising crime, raciallybased politics, widespread urban blight, poverty and unemployment. TV crews would come to Detroit from all over the world to watch a city setting fire to itself around Halloween each year. The city’s downtown is certainly undergoing the renaissance
that was meant to have been started by the opening of the RenCen, but all that has been outweighed by corrupt, greedy politicians and gross civic mismanagement. That mismanagement brought Detroit into bankruptcy. True to the motivation that guided her through three centuries, Detroit is now out of bankruptcy… We hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes. Being a native Detroiter, the news of Detroit conquering bankruptcy is good for me, because it means that a Detroit treasure will be protected – the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum’s priceless collection
was at risk of being sold to appease creditors. Now that the collection is safe, I’ll still be able to enjoy it as much as I did while I was growing up. While watching WDIVTV’s coverage in 2001 of Detroit’s 300th birthday party, a montage was run of great moments in the city’s history. When it was over, anchor Carmen Harlan tearfully said into the camera, “Happy birthday, Detroit.” I get that feeling as well whenever I read the city’s motto, which is pure testimony of a city that refuses to quit under any circumstances… We hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes.
FEATURE
CONVERGED CITIZEN11 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
Vegetarianism, an alternative lifestyle Shelbey Hernandez Associate Managing Editor Everyone has probably had their mothers tell them, “Don’t forget to eat your vegetables!” But can eating just vegetables be bad for you? Although some studies have shown that following a vegetarian lifestyle can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and obesity, other studies have shown getting specific vitamins is much harder to do on a vegetarian diet. Plus, with fewer options to choose from, many vegetarians may resort to eating easy and cheap boxed food. Even with these issues, it is still possible to become a healthy vegetarian. You just have to know how to do it right. # 1 Ask yourself why you want to be a vegetarian There are a few reasons why people become vegetarians. Some do it for philosophical reasons, some to improve their health and others, like Leesa Larochelle, do it because eating meat appears to make
them ill. Larochelle is an employee at Carrots n’ Dates, a gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan café. She has lived as a vegetarian for almost five years. At first, she stopped eating red meat because she said it made her feel “dense” and “sick.” Later, she cut out all meat, including fish. “…I kind of stopped eating red meat and I was feeling better and it was a natural progression,” said Larochelle. “…it’s definitely allowed me to come into a whole lifestyle of it as opposed to just not eating meat.” According to Trisha Wilson, a registered dietician, it is important to consider your health if you want to be a vegetarian. For example, some people may want to lose too much weight, so Wilson said you may need to talk to a dietician or doctor before changing your diet. # 2 See a dietician or doctor Even though you may have done plenty of research, it is still important to see a dietician or a doctor.
For every type of vegetarian, there are different nutritional needs. These nutritional needs change depending on how restrictive a vegetarian diet you have. A vegan’s nutritional plan will be much different from a pescetarian, for example, who has access to more alternatives. # 3 Ask yourself what kind of vegetarian you want to be Vegetarians are more than ‘herbivore hippies’ and their motives, beliefs and practices vary. According to Wilson,there are three types of vegetarians. The first are lacto-ovo vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy, the second are pescetarians who eat fish and the third are vegans, who don’t eat anything that is made of, or comes from, an animal. Think about these categories and decide which one would work best for you. In the case of Larochelle, by not eating any meat, she says she feels much better. “Emotionally, I feel better. Mentally, my head’s clearer, physically, my skin’s better, my hair grows longer, I’ve lost
weight over the years,” said Larochelle. “I have so much more energy.” # 4 Do your research Vitamins such as B12 and iron are found in much higher concentrations in meat than in plant-based foods. Wilson also says the body only absorbs half of the iron found in any single plant-based food source, so you have to double your plant intake to get the right amount of iron. To help with absorption issues, she suggests taking Vitamin C. If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian or a pescetarian, it is much easier to get B12 because it can be found in eggs, dairy and fish. For vegans, these vitamins are harder to get. Also, vegans can often have issues getting essential amino acids. However, there are soy-based substitutions which can provide these acids. # 5 Remember that just because you’re a vegetarian, doesn’t mean you are automatically healthy Many people assume that becoming a vegetarian is always a healthy choice.
However, if you are a lactoovo vegetarian, you can still have cake and Kraft Dinner, among other unhealthy food choices. To combat this issue, Wilson says she uses the quarter plate method. The top half is all vegetables and the bottom half is divided into two separate quarters, one quarter for protein, the other for starch. For pescetarians, the protein quarter which is usually for meat will be replaced with fish, eggs if you’re a lacto-ovo vegetarian, or nuts, seeds and soy if you’re a vegan. Although mothers are right to tell their children to eat their veggies, it is important to know that there are certain vitamins that need to be supplemented accordingly when on a vegetarian diet. It is not enough to eat those dreaded lima beans. You have to do your research, see a professional and find some supplements so you can do it right.
‘Strange feeling’ sparks a YouTube sensation Klay Coyle Citizen Staff Reporter Have you ever felt a light tingle shiver through your body from the tip of your head and down through your spine? If you’ve experienced it, the sensation may seem random—a reaction without a noticeable cause or pattern. For those who have developed a greater awareness of this physical phenomenon— known as ASMR—there’s a growing community dedicated to helping people reproduce these feelings. ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response, is a sensation that often occurs first during childhood. Generally discovered by accident, ASMR can be a very calming experience produced by a variety of audio and visual stimuli commonly known as triggers. If you’re having trouble understanding what this means, imagine the clicking sound of fingers on a keyboard. How about the distinct yet soft sounds produced by flipping through the pages of
a magazine. Do any of these sounds trigger a reaction? Perhaps hearing them simply produces feelings of calm. These are examples of triggers that have been effectively delivered in videos and used by people to make them relax. ASMR content creators, also known as Asmrtists, create ASMR videos with either a single trigger or a combination of multiple sounds or actions, such as hand movements. A common trigger, found in most ASMR videos is whispering or soft-speaking because of the mood it creates. Everyone has their own personal triggers, so experimenting with multiple videos is a good way to find what can set off your ASMR. Max Percy, 21, discovered ASMR by chance when his babysitter introduced him to Bob Ross videos. Ross is known for his soothing narration while teaching people to paint. At the time Percy, didn’t know that he was experiencing ASMR, but now he’s rediscovered it through videos developed for YouTube. Percy
likes to listen to ASMR videos as background for when he is gaming. “Normally I use it to relax when I’m playing a game that doesn’t have much in-game sound,” he said. “I’ll just listen to that and relax. It’s awesome.” Percy’s favourite triggers are the sound of scissors snipping and the variety of soft sounds created during role-plays. When it comes to the ASMR community, there are as many different kinds of triggers as there are Asmrtists to recreate them. Justin M, 25, is an Asmrtist known as FatFr33Pudding who makes ASMR videos for YouTube. He does this parttime while attending college. ASMR has had a positive impact in his life and he wants to share his experience with others. “I’m hoping to pave a way in the ASMR community,” said M. “Help invigorate it and help shine a light on the benefits of what we as content creators can provide.” M has been experiencing
Photo by Klay Coyle Max Percy listening to ASMR while he plays a video game in his home on Oct. 29, in Windsor. ASMR since he was young, usually using it to help him focus while doing school work. He thinks that ASMR helps people in many different ways, even if they don’t experience the tingle effect normally associated with it. According to M, ASMR can help with relaxation, anxiety control, insomnia and destressing after a long day.
Other things I’ve heard from people in the community are relief from headaches to reliving childhood memories of experiencing ASMR,” he said. The ASMR community is ever-growing with new videos and Asmrtists surfacing regularly. With such a large variety of content, chances are anyone can find something that gives them the shivers.
SPORTS
CONVERGED CITIZEN12 NOVEMBER 27, 2014
Windsor Legion youth boys team earn gold
Justin Thompson Production Manager NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — The Windsor Legion Track and Field Club’s youth boys team took home the gold at the Athletics Ontario Cross Country Championship Nov. 16. Track and field clubs from across Ontario met at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls for the Cross Country Championships, where the Windsor Legion placed seventh overall. Miles Matthews, 16, placed third overall in the six kilometre youth boys race, despite facing injuries. “My shins have been in pain but it was a pretty good battle of a race,” said Matthews. “Four guys were battling back and forth and I ended up sprinting right at the end and getting beat by a second or two. It was a good race but it could have went better.” Matthews said he was unsure if he would even race that day and decided to as a “game day
decision.” Matthews’s main focus now is the Canadian Cross Country Championships in Vancouver on Nov. 29. “Just hopefully heal up a bit and I’ve got a few more workouts over the next two weeks,” said Matthews. “I’m just really looking to prepare. It’s eight kilometres, so two kilometres longer. There’s going to be more competition there but I’m hoping to finish in the top six.” Matthews said the extra two kilometres is a big difference and feels more difficult in the middle of the race than at the end. If Matthews finishes in the top six in Vancouver, he will qualify to represent team Canada in the North American Central American and Caribbean Championships. Miles’s father, Brian Matthews, coached the club temporarily because the club’s full-time coaches were attending a coaching clinic in Montreal. Brian said he first started coaching as a volun-
Photo by Mandy Matthews Miles Matthews (left) approaches the finish line of the six kilometre race at the Athletics Ontario Cross Country Championship in Niagara Falls, Ont. on Nov. 16. teer when he was in college. “We know we’ve got a real strong team, the youth boys are the strongest in Ontario,” said Brian. “We ended up winning the gold medal today so that was very good. That was our focus coming in today to this meet.” Brian said he spends a lot of
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time with all of the kids at practices but had to shift his focus from being a parent to a coach for the day. “I had to definitely make sure I caught everybody today because sometimes my focus is on Miles by quite a lot,” said Brian. The Windsor Legion will
continue training and making preparations for the trip to nationals. The club is hoping to capture a team title in Vancouver. “We want to win a team title there,” said Brian. “We’ve won six years in a row so it will be our seventh in a row if we happen to win there.”
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Chelsea Lefler Sports Editor
Eight-year-old Maiysn Spencer lost his battle with cancer early Monday, Nov. 17. Spencer died from NonHodgkin lymphoma. This cancer affects the lymphatic system, that filters out bacteria and viruses from the body. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma makes the cancer cells start to grow uncontrollably. If a child is diagnosed with this cancer it is likely their siblings could develop it too. Acording to the Canadian Cancer Society website, says Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the fifth most common cancer with 8,000 people diagnosed a year. Spencer was a supporter of the LaSalle Vipers and the team is paying its respects by wearing green skate laces and using green stick tape.
Photo by Shelbey Hernandez Health, Wealth and Consciousness Day Retreat speakers Heather Chauvin (left) and Christa Realba (right) join participants at the Gesstwood Camp and Retreat Centre on Nov. 16. Photo by Chelsea Lefler Maiysn Spencer’s siblings Maddiysn and Mackennze deliver the puck to the referee on Nov. 19, at the Vollmer Recreation Complex in LaSalle. The Spencer family was at the Vollmer Recreation Center for the LaSalle Viper game. His two siblings Maddiysn and Mackennze, delivered the official game puck to the referees and there was a moment of silence for Spencer. “That kid has been a huge fan for us since he was born, …, everyone is pretty sad in the room. I’m sure we will be rocking green for the rest of
the season,” LaSalle Viper forward Brett Primeau. Vipers forward Brendan Harrogate said it’s important to recognize him, because he came to a lot of the games. “We try to give back to our community and to our fans,” said Bill Bowler head coach of the LaSalle Vipers. “It’s a little gesture, the guys love doing stuff like that and hopefully it was a good moment.”
abundance to and we’re not really taught these things. We’re not taught in school, it’s not in the mainstream typically and it’s all connected,” said Chauvin. “When you understand how to better them, your whole life is transformed.” Near the end of her talk, Nodello had the participants meditate. She also had people take a 10 minute walk. She said in every retreat, she has tried to get participants to go for a walk because doing so helps them get connected to nature.
“When you go out for walks, nature and energy go together. So when you’re out for a walk, especially on a retreat, I like that break so that people can go in their own thoughts,” said Nodello. “The outside helps them because it just increases everything plus it’s a beautiful setting so every retreat I make people go outside.” The last speaker Christa Realba, a yoga instructor, encourage participants to have confidence in themselves and worry less. “We create a life we love by doing what we love,” said Realba. “It’s not rocket science.”