THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 21 • FEBRUARY 27, 2019
HITTING THE BULLSEYE Female axe throwers are on the rise Sports, page 15
THE FUTURE OF STREET PARTIES
NEW VP’S HIRED
INSPIRED INSTALLATION
AMBER ALERT CONTROVERSY
SEMI FINAL BOUND
Ontario schools meet to discuss growing issues
Students’ Union hires team of managers
Local artist draws on Chinese culture
Hostile reactions towards search for child
Men’s basketball slashes 43-year playoff drought
News, page 3
News, page 6
Arts & Life, page 9
Opinion, page 13
Sports, page 16
2 •
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
VOCAL CORD If you could create your own Oscar’s category, what would it be?
@cordnews
The Cord
@thecord.ca
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
CordNews
THIS DAY IN HISTORY: FEBRUARY 27 1594: Henry IV crowned King of France. 1816: Dutch regain Suriname from the French after the defeat of Napoleon. 1827: First Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. 1861: US Congress authorizes first stamped newspaper wrappers for mailing.
“Best sidekick or underdog.”
1907: Psychiatrists Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud meet for the first time in Vienna.
–Mark Kinnari, thirdyear communication studies
1992: Tiger Woods, at age 16, becomes youngest PGA golfer in 35 years. 1992: American film production company “Happy Madison Productions” is founded by Adam Sandler. 2018: Barbra Streisand reveals she has cloned her dog twice.
“Best science fiction film.” –Alex Elliott, first-year economics
HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK/NEWS EDITOR
We gave Hayley a camera for a conference last week and this is the end-product we recieved. Meet Tom.
“Best worst ending.” –Eliza Heeney, thirdyear global studies
“Worst film.” –Jenna Maingot, thirdyear global studies Compiled by Margaret Russell Photos by Jackie Vang NEXT ISSUE MARCH 6, 2019
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Emily Waitson arts@thecord.ca
CORD STAFF
OPINION EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino opinion@thecord.ca
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Safina Husein editor@thecord.ca
SPORTS EDITOR Pranav Desai sports@thecord.ca
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sadman Sakib Rahman creative@thecord.ca
GRAPHICS EDITOR Kashyap Patel graphics@thecord.ca
WEB DIRECTOR Garrison Oosterhof online@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Eva Ou photos@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR Hayley McGoldrick news@thecord.ca
ONLINE EDITOR Katherine Weber online@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR Aaron Hagey news@thecord.ca
VIDEO EDITOR Sarah Tyler video@thecord.ca
FEATURES EDITOR Vacant features@thecord.ca
LEAD REPORTER Margaret Russell news@thecord.ca
LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Abdulhamid Ibrahim sports@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jackie Vang photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Sara Burgess copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Vacant editor@thecord.ca CORDCAST PRODUCER Brielle Huang cordcast@thecord.ca
CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Yana Manevska Rachel Burns Victoria Marshall, Jennifer Webb Caitlyn Lourenco Breanna Royes Brittany Tenhage Emma McVicar Fani Hsieh
An explosive start to the playoffs for the hawks by Abdulhamid Ibrahim
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Schummer at care.schummer@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.
COLOPHON The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community. Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Cord is created using Macintosh computers running OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used
for principal photography. The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2006. Any unsatisfied complaints can be sent to the council at info@ontpress.com. The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 4,500 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada. The Cord has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) since 2004.
PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy. The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to
reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on Wilfrid Laurier University, and the community of Kitchener-Waterloo, and with a special ear to the concerns of the students of Wilfrid Laurier University. Ultimately, The Cord will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate. The Cord has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through The Cord’s contact with the student body. The Cord will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of the student press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.
Quote of the week: “What the hell does that even mean?” - Opinion Editor Alyssa Di Sabatino to EIC Safina Husein talking about people who claim they pay attention in class.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
News
• 3 NEWS EDITOR HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK news@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR AARON HAGEY news@thecord.ca
LAW & SAFETY
Universities express concern over street parties MARGARET RUSSELL LEAD REPORTER
With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, Wilfrid Laurier University’s annual, infamous festivities will also be marked on the calendars of many students, visitors, Kitchener-Waterloo residents and local administrative authorities. Although St. Patrick’s Day on Ezra rings significant to many, these celebratory and un-sanctioned events are not exclusive to our school. Unsanctioned street gatherings are becoming in-creasingly frequent, widespread and infamous amidst other Ontario university towns and cities. On Feb. 15, Laurier hosted more than 50 representatives from nine Ontario universities, including Waterloo, Queen’s, Guelph, Western, McMaster, Ottawa, Brock and Carleton, as well as representatives from several municipalities and law enforcements. The day-long conference was organized in order for these representatives to discuss the challenges associated with these events and how to effectively respond and prepare for unsanc-tioned street crowds. “The strong attendance [at this conference] clearly demonstrates that the phenomenon of unsanctioned street gatherings is not
unique to any one university or community — it is a common challenge for many universities and many communities,” said David McMurray, Laurier’s vice-president of student affairs. “The conference also reflects the firm commitment of universities to work collaboratively with community partners and students to find effective solutions to the serious concerns associated with unsanctioned street gatherings.” Some of the more pressing concerns discussed by representatives were the safety and security of students, as well as members and residents of the community. Additionally, it sought to address the burden that is placed on emergency response teams and the public cost of supporting extra ser-vices. Specifically in Waterloo, homecoming festivities that took place last fall required law en-forcement to call in additional support from Peel Regional Police and created substantial delays in paramedic response. As well, the high influx of out-oftown visitors for such celebrations created higher num-bers of illegal activity — 73 per cent of charges laid at last year’s St. Patrick’s Day party on Ezra were against students who don’t attend Laurier. “The conference discussions generated numerous ideas for uni-
versities and community partners to consider … future activities include world-cafe-style community consultations, research into the most effective ways to change the behaviours that lead to unsanctioned street gatherings and ‘townand-gown’ conferences, such as the National Forum on Town and Gown Issues and Opportunities being hosted by Brock University in June 2019,” McMurray said. Municipal and university operational planning and communications messaging will contin-ue to strongly discourage unsanctioned street gatherings and encourage students to make wise choices. “We are proud of our Laurier students, our reputation and the Golden Hawk community we all represent. Past behaviour on St. Patrick’s Day has made it necessary to remind students that the university actively discourages these gatherings,” McMurray added. “As ambassadors of Laurier, please hold yourselves to the highest standards outlined in the Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct — and expect the same of others … Respect the law en-forcement and emergency services officers who are working to keep you and our community safe, and allow them to do their jobs. Respect our community neighbours and their properties.”
TANZEEL SAYANI/FILE PHOTO
St. Patrick’s Day 2018:
22,400 Peak Attendance
248
15,000 619
Calls for Service in the St. Patrick’s Day perimeter
In attendance in 2017 with
208
Total Charges
total charges according to The Cords coverage
62
Highway Traffic Act offenses
435
Liquor License Act offenses
18
Criminal Code offenses
45
By-Law offenses
50
Trespass to Property Act offenses
4 • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
BRIEFS
ECONOMICS
KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR
Here’s what you missed over the break: Bike Lane Bollards to be installed in Uptown Waterloo The Region of Waterloo has tentative plans to install bollards — sturdy, short, vertical posts used for protection — along the bike lanes that are currently operational in uptown Waterloo. Following approval at the next city council meeting, the region will begin installation of the barriers along the existing bike lane area in uptown Waterloo sometime this year. As construction continues down from Bridgeport Road to University Avenue, the bollards will be added following an evaluation of their efficacy in protecting cyclists and pedestrians. This was seen as a necessary by many residents of the region, especially those who actively participate in cycling — especially since the region invested nearly $11 million into the construction of segregated bike lanes and expanded sidewalk areas. This change to the current bike lane system was decided upon due to two main concerns: vehicles using it for parking or an idling lane, as well as risk of injury from cars. The bollards will provide greater physical separation from roadways, which will provide an additional layer of safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The current expected cost of the project is $250,000, but that figure may change in the future. In a release from the Region of Waterloo following the approval of the 2019 budget on Feb. 19, the region stated that these kinds of changes “will help provide the enhanced citizen services and infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of our community.” “We are listening and responding to community needs,” said Karen Redman, regional chair, in the release. “We continually monitor and meet demands for services to ensure a high quality of life for the people of Waterloo Region.” Compiled by Aaron Hagey
Waterloo Region sees salt shortage this winter Due to unpredictable weather patterns which have caused dangerous road conditions, as well as a region-wide shortage of winter rock salt, sidewalk and road safety have become a pressing issue within Waterloo Region this year. This has left Kitchener-Waterloo residents, businesses, city contractors and commuters with the unfortunate consequence of dealing with more hazardous travelling conditions — and may have lasting effects on the future price of salt. Nicole Amaral, interim communications director at the City of Kitchener, released a “Winter operations – status update” on Feb. 20, providing information behind the cause, impact and implications of this shortage. Amaral noted that the cause of the shortage in the municipalities is “due to difficulty in obtaining adequate volume from [their] supplier.” Furthermore, the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge are currently cooperating in the hopes of fixing the issue as soon as possible and to maximize salt supplies. Beyond the mix of snow and rain that the region has been enduring this year, the extreme temperature drops have further complicated the effectiveness of traditional road salt. “In extreme cold (-12 or colder) salt is ineffective in melting ice, creating a reliance on sand to address issues on residential/priority 3 roads,” Amaral said in the release. Residents have been particularly vulnerable to this, as the city noted a sliding scale in the priorities of clearing roads: priority one, which includes “mains and arterials”; priority two, which includes “hills, curves & GRT routes”; and priority three, which are residential or “backstreet” roads. Citizens of the region may have to endure the salt shortage for the time being. Unfortunately, a coordinated response to this incident may come without a solution for an indefinite period of time, especially since the issue appears to be province-wide at the least.
HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK/NEWS EDITOR
Tammy Schirle of LCERPA introduces keynote speaker Craig Alexander at the 2019 session of Economic Outlook.
Canada’s competitive challenge HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR
On Wednesday, Feb. 20, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics in partnership with the Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis (LCERPA) held their annual Economic Outlook event for the year 2019, titled “Canada’s Competitiveness Challenge.” Craig Alexander, the chief economist and partner at Deloitte, was the keynote speaker for this year and has been a speaker for the event many times in the past, including the 2014 and 2015 presentations. Each presentation talks about the economic outlook for the following year from esteemed professionals in the industry, and Alexander’s points included a fear of a recession, though the trend
From an event like this, the average students gets an idea of what’s going on in the economy and what they’re heading into in the next couple of years. -Tammy Schirle, director of LCERPA
shows one seems to happen every decade or so. Economically, 2018 was one of the best years in Canada; although many researchers do see a decline in the economy for 2019, Alexander reassures that this is on trend for the economy and it will recover.
“In part, we do these events because the proceeds help to support our students in research jobs, but one of the main reasons we like to do these events is to bring together people from our community with the academics and with other economists who do research,” said Tammy Schirle, the director of LCERPA. “In terms of what is going on in our economy, it brings together these conversations we don’t get to have everyday so it’s really nice to bring everyone together.” LCERPA uses the ticket sales from the event to help hire student researchers for co-op and other endeavours, as well as to enhance and advance economics at Laurier as, out of the 6,000 students enrolled at Lazaridis, only a small percentage are economics students. The luncheon included many students, faculty and members of the community that represented many different sectors of the local economy. Main sponsors of the event included the Chamber of Commerce, Communitech and TD Canada Trust, to name a few. “From an event like this, the average student gets an idea of what’s going on in the economy and what they’re heading into in the next couple of years, which is probably good to be aware of. They get a sense of the bigger purpose — and what we’re teaching them,” Schirle said. “We focus on trying to bring out a lot of our economics students, in part because they get to see that a lot of what we’re teaching them in our classes ends up being used in the industry — and with a lot of the groups that are here today they are interested in seeing those skills at work.”
The keynote discussed beneficial Canadian economic growth, the downfall of the US economy and threats to global growth that may cause consequences like a recession.
... a lot of what we’re teaching them in our classes ends up being used in the industry ...
-Tammy Schirle, director of LCERBA
However, Alexander educated participants of the impact the economy has locally, though even in the case of a regressing economy, unemployment rates will still remain relatively low and are not something that people should be overly cautious of. Another title sponsor of the event was Laurier Alumni. Many credible alumni have worked alongside Alexander as well as in many other economic positions after their graduation from Laurier. “As Craig Alexander mentioned, we have a lot of our alumni working at the TD Bank and all these organizations that are watching how the economy is working and how policy plays a role in that,” Schirle said. “That is where a lot of our students are heading so that’s the role that they play in the broader labour market and we hope that they do really well there.”
NEWS • 5
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019 INITIATIVE
“Rolling up the Rim” to help homelessness MARGARET RUSSELL LEAD REPORTER
Tim Hortons™ has launched its annual “Roll Up The Rim To Win” promotional campaign, commencing a call for those on campus and in the region to collect and donate their winning rims for a good cause. Cec Joyal, a development officer at Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as her twin sister have relaunched their annual campaign, collecting winning roll-up tabs and giving them to the homeless of Kitchener-Waterloo. “About 20 years ago, we started an Out Of The Cold program: giving the homeless a place to sleep and eat every night of the week,” Joyal said. “The following year I was rolling up a rim and I won a free coffee and there happened to be a homeless person sitting outside of the Tim Horton’s, so I gave him the rim.” “Then I got to thinking that we could do something on a larger scale, so I started collecting rims and putting up posters around campus…and it really started to grow,” she said. Over the duration of Joyal’s time running the campaign, there has been an estimated 7,500 total tabs collected. “One year, we got over 2,500 rims … it’s been really, really successful,” Joyal said. Since the fruition of this initiative, students, faculty and members of the Kitchener-Waterloo community have become increas-
About 20 years ago, we started an Out Of The Cold program: giving the homeless a place to sleep and eat every night of the week ... -Cec Joyal, development officer at Wilfrid Laurier University
project for their students. Social media and the Out Of The Cold program’s website have allowed for the campaign to “spread like wildfire” over the last
four or five years, making donation collecting much easier for Joyal and her team. The Out Of The Cold program is run by various churches in Kitch-
ener-Waterloo, providing winter aid for those without shelter. It’s there where the tabs are distributed to the homeless, alongside a hot meal. Tabs are also handed out on a daily basis at the St. John’s soup kitchen on Queen Street South. The campaign sees the bulk of its donations and distributions nearing the end of Tim Horton’s campaign. “By the time I collect enough rims to start handing some out, I need at least 40 or 50 — I would like to give out one coffee and one food [tab per person],” Joyal said. “It takes a while [to get started], so I’m usually not handing them out until the beginning of March.” Donations can be sent to Joyal directly to her office mailbox at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Alumni Hall on the Waterloo campus, as well as to the Brantford campus mailboxes of Penny Friesen or Janice Vilaca.
industries, [they] prepare for over a year for these sorts of things,” said Tammy Schirle, director of the Laurier Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis. “Not every school may do that, but we do, so it’s a lot of hard work put in and it paid off.” Stephen S. Poloz, the governor
of the Bank of Canada, personally presented the winning award to the team of Wilfrid Laurier students and respected the hard work and intelligence of these future economists, saying there is a place at the Bank of Canada for them to work in the future if they continue to achieve at such a high level.
In the span of a week, Laurier teams of business students claimed the title at the Governor’s Challenge in Ottawa, as well as second place at the Heavener International Case Competition in Florida, putting Wilfrid Laurier University on the map for business excellence.
FANI HSIEH/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY
ingly involved to provide more of their support. Several local elementary and secondary schools have also joined in over the years by making it a
COMPETITION
Laurier team wins Governor’s Challenge HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR
Five Laurier economics students were crowned victorious in the Governor’s Challenge hosted by the Bank of Canada on Feb. 16, 2019. Though this was only the fourth annual running of the event, this is the second year in a row that a team from Laurier has been victorious. The team of Cindy McCormick, Michael Davenport, Colleen Spencer, Andrew Foran and Tanzin Kabir were the judges’ choice, due to their monetary policy advice and economic outlook for the Bank of Canada. They were coached by Laurier economics professors Ke Pang and Christos Shiamptanis, who coached the winning team for the previous year as well. Laurier brought home the title last year as well, in a challenge that brings students from all over to a simulation of holding positions on the bank’s governing council, where they analyze the current and future economic situations and overall let the judges know whether they should change their
key interest rate — or leave it the same. “The Governor’s Challenge was designed to promote understanding of the role that monetary policy plays in Canada’s economy, and it gives Canadian students a learning opportunity that they might not otherwise have as part of their undergraduate program,” said Rebecca Spence, a media relations consultant for the Bank of Canada in an email statement. “Over the years, we’ve heard from participants that getting to work on something experiential and applied to their fields of study, as well as working with a team to give a professional-grade presentation to senior executives from both the Bank and academia, have been standout experiences,” she concluded in the statement. Laurier’s recommendation to the bank was to keep their interest rate the same, at 1.75 per cent, while last year Laurier’s recommendation was to raise the rate from the former 1.25 per cent to 1.5 per cent. “We do have these big challenges for our students. These students are geared up for working in the
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
6 • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
BUSINESS
DRIVE Conference HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR
The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, along with the Lazaridis Institute and the company Hockeystick, hosted the first ever DRIVE Conference at Lazaridis Hall from Wednesday, Feb. 20 to Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. The conference focused on global scale-up ecosystems: companies that have increased their value by over 20 per cent in the last three years and are no longer considered a start-up company. Kim Morouney, the managing director of the Lazaridis Institute and Raymond Luk, the founder and CEO of Hockeystick, co-chaired the conference and curated the events that happened during the three-day event. “The dean of the Lazaridis School and I — I used to be the associate dean for international and for programs — and we have for a long time, wanted to have a conference — an international conference. We would like to do more partnering internationally with schools that are located in tech hubs around the world, so that is an idea we’ve had for a long time,” Morouney said. “When I took over this job, it became looking at things like in order to put together a consortium of schools located around tech hubs. Let’s start with looking for other institutes who are global and who are looking at some of the same issues we are.” DRIVE had attendees from all over the globe, including countries like Sweden, Ireland, South Korea, Kenya, France and Israel, who were all eager to get different global perspectives on what works
and what does not in the world of scale-ups. Kitchener-Waterloo is one of the most booming economies for startups in Canada, though the rate of start-up success versus scale-up success is a question that DRIVE aimed to answer, as it was referred to as an “everyone but Silicon Valley” problem.
... Seeing people I’ve met from around the world, to see them get along with each other and network with each other ... was so rewarding. -Kim Morouney, managing director of the Lazaridis Institute
HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK/NEWS EDITOR
Catherine Mahgu had given a lunch keynote speech at the DRIVE conference about being a woman in technology.
The tech community located in the region is largely in part why the conference was held here, but the goal for DRIVE is to move globally to give access to other tech hubs to see how they operate. “We don’t want to hold it in Waterloo every year. We had academics, researchers, government people, investors and tech CEOs come, but our goal is to build better connections to make those globally. So, we think it would run better if one year we had it in the United Kingdom, one we locate in South America, in Asia,” Morouney said. “That way, we can build stronger connections. I don’t know if we’ll be able to turn it over to a global partner next year — maybe we’ll
do it twice in Canada just to get a model that works well.” The conference hosted many keynote speakers and panelists on topics such as ‘whether accelerators and incubators are beneficial or inhibitors of start-ups,’ ‘changing immigration policies in countries to bring in new technology talents,’ ‘women succeeding in technology positions’ — and even had an interactive session with the Minister of Taiwan, who answered questions about helping entrepreneurs in dealing with social and government issues. Despite the success of the conference and the positive feedback from attendees to the co-chairs, there is still room for improvement when it comes to the next year and building for future successes. “One thing we would change would be to get going a lot sooner;
we did this really with very little time. Sponsorship is helpful because we actually tried to defray the costs for all of our international people — that is very expensive. We did have quite a few sponsors show up, but it’s important because we want people to come who may not have the money to come,” Morouney said. DRIVE’s aim was to bring different global perspectives to fellow academics, CEOs and other who work in technologically driven industries, as one country may have the answer to a problem another country is currently facing. Though some panelists and keynote speakers came from overseas, some speakers were Laurier’s own faculty, like Shohini Ghose, a professor in physics and computer science. Overall, the DRIVE conference
brought together professionals in many different sectors to try and achieve one overarching goal of helping others be successful. Through asking questions, networking and learning from tech professionals with many years of experience, many attendees left the conference with new ideas to help their businesses succeed. “Looking out into the audience and seeing people I’ve met from around the world, to see them get along with each other and network with each other, which is really the goal, was so rewarding,” Morouney said. “Technology and humanity is where we have to go; it can’t be all technology and we can’t be luddites and say we don’t want to get into technology — and sometimes that fear is there, so you need that balance.”
RESEARCH
NCHA survey evaluates the health, wellness of students PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR
Wilfrid Laurier University is participating in a National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey in an effort gain a better understanding of the health and wellness needs of students. Laurier participates in the NCHA every three years. The survey was launched on Feb. 11 by Laurier Student Wellness. The university released the following statement regarding the survey: “Laurier Student Wellness wants to better understand the needs of Laurier students and where we can offer support to improve well-being and academic and personal success. We are conducting a student health survey,” the statement read. “On February 11, 5000 students were randomly selected to be invited to fill in a questionnaire. The results will help provide programs and services. The survey is completely confidential and takes about 30 minutes. You will get a chance to win a prize.” The randomly selected 5000 stu-
dents have until Mar. 1 to complete the NCHA survey. Laurier Student Wellness also held a promotional event on Feb. 26 in the concourse, giving out donuts to promote the survey and other mechanisms to provide feedback about student services. In addition to the NCHA survey, Laurier is also launching a “Thriving on Campus” survey. This survey is a province-wide study being done in an effort to better understand LGBTQ2S+ university students’ experiences. Michael Woodford, an associate professor of Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work, is leading the research team doing the work behind the scenes on the survey. The research team has also attracted the interest of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, who is now assisting on the study. Additional funding has been provided by the Tri-Council Research Support Fund and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Engage Grant. The idea behind the Thriving on Campus survey is to increase the support from the university to-
wards students’ mental health. The best way of doing that is to learn about the students’ experiences and how those experiences have impacted their quality of life. Although the awareness around the well-being of individuals in the LGBTQ2S+ community has been increasing exponentially over the past few years, this survey will provide people with first-hand experiences of LGBTQ2S+ university students and the possible hardships that they have had to face. The survey encompasses numerous aspects of the well-being of LGBTQ2S+ university students by examining how those students feel about fitting in to university culture, social pressure, discrimination, etc. The research team is aiming to release fact-sheets from the survey, along with doing some extra interviews in the fall of 2019. The ultimate goal behind the Thriving on Campus study is to create positive change in the longrun for the LGBTQ2S+ university students’ community. The survey has been launched and is available for completion.
KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR
NEWS • 7
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019 STUDENTS’ UNION
Meet your 2019/2020 student management team
EVA OU/PHOTO EDITOR
Featured: Shannon Leest (Left), Twan Dieker (Middle-Left), Zemar Hakim (Middle-Right) and Shawn Cruz [Right]. MIssing: Kara McDowell and Andre Thames. AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR
Wilfrid Laurier University’s Students’ Union has officially hired their student management team for the 2019/2020 period as of Feb. 13, introducing five new team members to provide the foundation of services and operations for the Waterloo and Brantford campuses. They will be assisting the incoming president & CEO, Zemar Hakim, as he sets out to actualize some of the goals and promises that he outlined during his campaign period. The new hires include Twan Dieker, the incoming VP: programming & services for the Waterloo campus; Andre Thames, the incoming VP: programming & services for the Brantford campus; Kara McDowell, the incoming VP: clubs & associations; Shannon Leest, the incoming VP: finance & administration; and Shawn Cruz, the incoming VP: university affairs. Dieker and Thames will be responsible for overseeing, supporting and managing the student-driven functions on the Waterloo and Brantford campuses. “I’ll oversee the eight programs and services: the Food Bank, Foot Patrol, ERT [Emergency Response Team], as well as A-Team’s First Year Project, Peer Connect, Shinerama and Eco-Hawks — and then O-Week will also fall under my portfolio,” Dieker said. Thames, in particular, is excited about the opportunity to develop the newly-found identity that is beginning to emerge at the Brantford campus. “Because at the end of the day, we’re trying to make sure all of our members are empowered to achieve, as well as look up to their expectations and goals,” Thames said. McDowell will be taking over the implementation of The Perch as introduced by the former Students’
Union management team, assisting all the clubs and associations on both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses with their day-to-day operations. “Of course, Sarah and the clubs and associations team are really looking to push it this year to get all the clubs and associations’ presidents making pages for clubs and then pushing it towards their general members and then getting people to use the website,” McDowell said. Leest will be overseeing the hiring and recruitment committees on both campuses and will be assisting in the budgeting process for the Students’ Union committees in the upcoming fiscal year. The incoming VP of University Affairs will be responsible for advocating to the provincial and federal government on behalf of Laurier undergraduate students. Cruz believes that students need to be made aware of the benefits they derive from being a part of the union. This role will be especially relevant in the coming terms due to the changes in the new Student Choice Initiative, which will offer new and imposing challenges regarding what are considered essential services to the school. “One of the things we’d like to look at is establishing landlord/ tenants rights as an essential service. Right now, we’re in the early stages of seeing what that might look like; it might take the form of perhaps some sort of legal service that Laurier students can opt into, similar to what the University of Waterloo’s Federation of Students has recently implemented,” Cruz said. With numerous changes being made by the provincial government which will affect student governments and organizations as a whole, their team cohesion, perseverance and overall effectiveness as a student executive team will be put to the test in the next year.
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8 •
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
Arts & Life
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR EMILY WAITSON arts@thecord.ca
MUSIC VIDEOS
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Finding art in the Carters’ “APESHIT” music video BREANNA ROYES STAFF WRITER
The 2019 Grammy Awards aired on Feb. 10 and awarded Best Music Video to Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” While “This Is America” deserved to win for its modern-day portrayal of racism in America, I believe that in a more discretized manner The Carters video, “APESHIT,” brought the racial tension within the Louvre, society and history to light. However, while the Louvre has a collection of the most prized artwork, it also displays the white hierarchy that exists throughout art history. The video starts with the camera looking upon the Louvre’s dramatic ceilings and flashing to glimpses of caucasian figures amongst various paintings. Once the song begins, the camera slowly focuses on the Salle des Etats Gallery, where Beyoncé and Jay-Z stand in front of Leonardo De Vinci’s Mona Lisa. In a room full of European culture, Jay-Z and Beyoncé stand as the only representation of African ethnicity.
Additionally, the Carters challenge the most popular painting in the world as they make their own space in the gallery that shines a light on the black community. In one of the song’s most repetitive scenes, Beyoncé lounges in front of The Winged Victory of Samothrace. When the sculpture was founded on the Greek island of Samothrace in 1863, archeologists believed that its original sculptor intended it to be placed on a cliff for ships to see it from afar. It was therefore symbolically placed at the top of the Louvres Daru staircase, to be greeted by eager tourists. Beyoncé had a similar idea as she gracefully placed herself in front of the sculpture, so all attention is on her instead of the white marble angel. In front of The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David, several females of various brown complexions line up beside Beyoncé. The singer dances directly under the spot where Napoleon, one of the most persistent colonizers in all of history, is being coronated. As Beyoncé is also referred to as ‘Queen B,’ this image reflects her
own success as an artist and icon amongst women, especially those of colour. While other dancers wear nude coloured body suits, Beyoncé is dressed in England’s high fashion Burberry brand. Beyoncé’s choice to have simple nude bodysuits around her own Burberry ensemble suggests that the singer is not interested in keeping up with the Louvre’s regal aesthetic, but instead, she is likely trying to draw attention to the beauty in different skin tones. Throughout most of “APESHIT,” Beyoncé and Jay-Z stand out amongst the artworks. Yet in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities, where the couple stands in front of the Great Sphinx of Tanks, they embrace Egypt’s role as one of the primary hosts of Africa’s art history. Jay-Z raps the majority of his verses in front of the Raft of the Medusa. Theodore Géricault’s contemporary painting displays the real events that occurred after the Medusa ship sank in 1816, leaving 146 passengers on a raft due to a shortage of lifeboats.
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The painting shocked the Paris Salon with its harsh subject matter of 14 survivors, some dead, some resorting to cannibalism, others looking for help on the horizon. Amongst the 14 people stand two African men in contrast beside the lighter figures. One black man’s head peeks out from behind the shadows while the other man is lifted up to wave a flag towards rescuers. The black man in the shadows emphasizes the neglect of black individuals in Western art and society while the African man holding the flag that would alert a boat in the distance highlights the artist’s views towards the abolition of slavery. The Raft of the Medusa hangs in the Louvre as one of the only paintings that attempted to push Africans out of the background of art history and address the pressing issue of slavery. Therefore, Jay-Z rapping in front of the historical significant painting acknowledged its significance in art and early civil rights movements. When the camera eventually returns back to the Mona Lisa, a
black man sits in a chair while a black woman cuts his hair. This intimate scene displays a popular occupation amongst black communities. Having such a casual scene in front of the Mona Lisa enhances the popular cultural practices that are representative of the black community. Throughout the video, Beyoncé is the main attraction. Her success has granted her the privilege to rent out the Louvre and to stand out amongst some of the world’s most magnificent art pieces. Yet, amongst the beautiful paintings and sculptures, Beyoncé constantly reminds viewers of the underrepresentation of black people in Western art, society, and culture. Together, Beyoncé and Jay-Z illustrate a powerful example of the progress that the black community has made since the days of slavery. While “This is America” was deserving of the Grammy award for Best Music Video, I believe that The Carters “APESHIT” would have been just as worthy due to its detailed display of racism in Western art history.
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ARTS & LIFE • 9
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019 EXHIBIT
Heaven and Earth art installation leaves an impression on viewers BREANNA ROYES STAFF WRITER
Xiaojing Yan is a Chinese Canadian artist working and living in Markham, Ontario. Between Jan. 7 and Feb. 8, Laurier’s Robert Langdon Art Gallery hosted Xiaojing Yan’s installation piece, Heaven and Earth. Combining her previous works, Far From Where You Divided and Mountain of Pines, Heaven and Earth reflected a unified mixed media installation exhibit that drew upon both Chinese and Canadian culture. The Heaven and Earth exhibit primarily consisted of silk organza, which flowed elegantly down from the gallery ceiling.
Intricately inserted into the silk were thousands of pine needles which Yan collected from the forest near her home.
JACKIE VAN/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
Intricately inserted into the silk were thousands of pine needles which Yan collected from the forest near her home. The placement of the needles within the silk transformed the sheer-medium into a mystical realm of mountains and clouds. The lights and shadows in the gallery added an additional dimension to the mixed installation
exhibit. Yan expressed that lighting is always an important element in her work, because it acts as a material of its own. At this exhibition, in particular, the gallery lights made the silk glow, while the pine needle shadows appeared as distant misty mountains on the walls. Not only did these shadows expand past the exhibits primary materials but the shadows became art themselves, resembling traditional Chinese watercolour paintings. Amongst the silk organza stood eight sculptures in a silk enclosure. Within the silk box stood sculptures of a young child and woodland animals. By boxing the sculptures in, it emphasized their presence within the gallery. Yan moulded the sculptures out of a wood chip paste, which took a total of two years to complete. She explained that the young boy along with his five animals companions is a testament to youthful imagination and cultural integrity. Within both Western and Chinese culture, animals are often associated with fairytales and mythology. Additionally, the young child, as well as the woodland animals within the piece, symbolized youthful curiosity. Between the mountainous landscape, clouds, and misty shadows, the sculptures unified the three-dimensional space. When looking closely at the sculptures one would be able to see mushrooms sprouting out of their moulds. Yan harvested lingzhi mushrooms onto the sculptures wood chip paste in a period of five to seven months.
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The mushrooms are not only on the sculptures to add another natural element to the exhibit, but the mushrooms also connected the piece back to Yan’s Chinese origins. In Ancient China, mushrooms were believed to contain a higher level of immortality; they were seen as something that never ages or dies.
By boxing the sculptures in, it emphasized their presence within the gallery.
In present-day China, mushrooms still have similar connotations that surround them, including that of healing powers in modern medicine. Overall, Heaven and Earth illustrated a combination of Yan’s Chinese culture and the one she has embraced here in Canada. Being a migrant, Yan has encountered two different cultures in her life. The exhibit also exemplifies how Yan has responded to the environment. Her art is focussed between her time spent in British Columbia admiring the mountains to her childhood memories of rural China. “I would like people to stop and think about their origin and culture,” Yan said.
10 • ARTS & LIFE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
AWARDS
The 2019 Oscars did better than expected EMILY WAITSON ARTS & LIFE
The ninety-first Academy Awards aired this Sunday and even though the show garnered controversy before it even aired this year, for the first time in years, it felt more refined and less drawn out than ever before. With Kevin Hart let go from his original position as host due to previously-posted homophobic tweets and debate about whether or not the show could go on without someone leading the awards night at all, the general attitude towards this year’s Oscars was one of uncertainty. However, despite everyone’s weariness and a few awkward moments scattered throughout the live show, the 2019 Oscars went smoothly. Hostlessness seemed to define the evening as a refreshing shift from the norm, especially from viewers who felt that it was less “politicized.” Queen headlined the show with Adam Lambert — in place of an opening monologue — and played “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions” as a nod to the top
Oscar-winning film of the night, Bohemian Rhapsody. This year’s awards also broke records in the best ways possible. Women won a groundbreaking 15 Oscars in total, which is the most in the show’s 91-year history. Racial representation at the Oscars was also a positive step in the right direction this year, with people of colour winning a majority of the acting awards. Regina King, Rami Malek and Mahershala Ali took home awards for their respective performances in If Beale Street Could Talk, Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book. Ali is the first black actor in history to win twice in the category, and Malek is the first actor of Egyptian descent to win a performative Oscar. Spike Lee won his first non-honourary Academy Award for BlacKkKlansman, delivering an impassioned speech that gave praise to the black ancestors “who helped build this country,” which earned him a standing ovation. Donald Trump took it upon himself to tweet at him, calling Lee’s speech “racist.” One of the most pleasantly
surprising moments of the evening was when Olivia Coleman won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in The Favourite. Delightfully humble and flustered by her win, Coleman endeared the audience with a scattered but charming acceptance speech where she made everyone watching fall in love with her, even if they didn’t know who she was before she won. Lady Gaga stole the spotlight for the majority of the evening, winning the award for Best Original Song and sending a flurry of speculation and countless memes about her relationship with Bradley Cooper across social media following their heartfelt duet of “Shallow” from A Star is Born. Overall, the night didn’t have any infamous fuck-ups, like the unforgettable Best Picture mixup from 2017 or Anne Hathaway and James Franco’s disastrous hosting in 2011 and it was easier to watch than shows from past years. The ratings seem to reflect these improvements as well, with 29.6 million viewers who watched the live broadcast — an 11 per cent increase from last year.
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GAMES • 11
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
Dear Life Dear Life is your opportunity to write a letter to your life, allowing you to vent your anger with life’s little frustrations in a completely public forum. All submissions to Dear Life are anonymous, should be no longer than 100 words and must be addressed to your life. Submissions can be sent to dearlife@thecord. ca no later than Monday at noon each week.
I am CONFUSION.
Dear Spring, I’ve been waiting patiently for you since November. This long distance relationship is getting really difficult. Please visit me soon.
Dear cord staff, Pls Stop cyber bullying me
Dear News Editors,
Sincerely, Love Letter Dear Mayley,
Sincerely, A lil stupid boi
Pls send Gary ONLINE TITLES.
Dear a lil stupid boi,
Sincerely, Parnav
We love you n ur lil stupid polls. Keep doin your lil thang.
Dear World,
Sincerely, Can you like me yet
Sincerely, Your king
Sincerely, a sad fourth year
U guys are just too good and I am jealous of how much u get along please include me and give me love thank you so much
Sincerely, A sad man
Dear Haylie,
Rap is still alive.
SUDOKU
So Sorry for poking your ear. Sincerely, Ha Dear Safina, Sorry I let you down. Sincerely.
Dear School, I hate you but also I am so sad that I only have five more weeks of youl
Sincerely, Squat Queen
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12 •
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
Editorial
OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca
Editor’s Note: Value in job searching er, finding the right job can result in creating important connections and spending time working for employers and jobs that will help you in the future. Even if you aren’t working a job in your direct field, working for an employer that will look good on your resume and enhance any type of skills is going to be relative after you’re done school. Although it can seem easy to work mindlessly throughout the summer at a retail job or go back to your high school employer, finding new jobs that are going to set you a part can make a huge difference when applying to graduate programs or full-time jobs after school. Applying to jobs can take a long time and a lot of effort. However, doing work ahead of time like updating your resume and writing a generic cover letter that’s easy to change and tweak to make it suitable for different jobs can save a lot of time. Having the work complete can make applying to jobs as soon as you see them easy and quick, taking the stress of job applications away. With that, setting email or jobalert notifications can also keep you up to date with any new job opportunities in your fields of interest. As well, setting aside weekly slots to search for new jobs can ensure you stay organized and on top of things. Although the process might seem daunting and can be a lot of effort, I think finding a summer job that will help you in the future is worth your time. In the end, saving money might be the most important, but you might as well try to find a way to develop your skills and your portfolio in the process.
SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
With this cold and crappy weather outside, the summer feels far away. However, the end of the term and the summer months are closer than they seem. And with the end of the school term, many of us will be thinking about finding summer jobs. With exams, assignments and midterms the priority, it can be easy to procrastinate looking for jobs and writing endless cover letters in order to line up jobs starting in May. For students, having a summer job can be crucial in order to save money and gain experience when on a break from school. But for a lot people, thinking about jobs is often put on the back-burner until April or May when the stress of exams is over. However, if you’re looking for a decent job in your field of interest or a job that has skills pertaining to your degree, waiting until the winter term is over will limit your options. In many fields, summer internships open up as early as October and November, while many summer jobs that I have applied to have opened up as early as December and January. As a result, many good placements and jobs at prominent organizations will have deadlines that will have long passed come May. Searching for summer jobs can seem pointless, being that regardless of where you are employed you’re able to save money. Howev-
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EDITORIAL CARTOON
KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR
Being a tourist vs being a critic SADMAN SAKIB RAHMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Working with The Cord has given me the opportunity to travel to many different places for free. Among these, the most notable was our trip to Calgary at the beginning of this year. Thankfully, I had to bear no burden for the expenses of the trip. This allowed my mind the freedom to explore the whole journey in a more critical sense. Let me explain. From the moment our trip started with us making our way to the Waterloo Airport, it was a brand new experience for me at every single turn. I had never been to Calgary before, so I was looking forward to arriving in the 4th most livable city in the world. I’m not going to lie, I had very low expectations. I envisioned Calgary to be plain and empty with very little to see or do, but I knew I was wrong the moment I saw the sheer amount of lights beaming out of the city when we were flying over it just before landing. I spent the whole duration of my stay admiring the city, but I was
also filled with questions. Why is it so empty here? Why is the mall empty during a weekend? Why do I not see anyone working inside the commercial buildings? Is this city hiding something? All these questions forced me look on the internet only to find that Calgary is home to one of the greatest outdoor shows in the world, known as the Calgary Stampede. Calgary also has the strongest economy in all of Canada. So the people there work, just not when I’m looking.
From the moment our trip started with us making our way to the Waterloo Airport, it was a brand new experience for me at every single turn.
I remember stumbling into a club late at night with my colleagues and much to my surprise, it was packed and booming. I had a moment where I looked at the dancefloor and just said to myself, “So that’s where everyone is.”
Yes, I was a little drunk, but the point is the night life in Calgary is fantastic and I would have never known if I hadn’t kept trying to figure out where all the people were.
I realized I missed out on so many details when I visited different places in the world because I was too busy being an arrogant tourist...
Near the end of the trip, I asked myself if being this critical towards a place I’m visiting for free made me ungrateful, but I’d like to think otherwise. If I hadn’t been so curious, I would never have known about all the little facts and details that made Calgary so special. Looking back I realized I missed out on so many details when I visited different places in the world because I was too busy being an arrogant tourist and not someone willing to ask questions, research and explore. So, what truly matters, that insta-worthy picture or how a place really made you feel?
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
• 13
Opinion
OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca
The Amber Alert complaints are disappointing EMILY WAITSON ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
On Feb. 14, a province-wide Amber Alert was issued across Ontario, and caused phones to loudly sound at 11 p.m., succeeding in what it was designed to do — get people’s attention. An 11-year old little girl, Riya Rajkumar, went missing and police reached out to the public to help them find her. The Amber Alert was successful in aiding the police in finding and arresting Riya’s father and abdutcor, but it was too late. Tragically, Riya was found deceased in her father, Roopesh Rajkumar’s, Brampton home. The only takeaway and emotion from this incredibly unfortunate circumstance should be remorse for her family and upset that Riya wasn’t found sooner. However, over 300 people called 9-1-1 over the alert to complain. A mother took to Twitter to whine about the alarm waking up her sleeping child and the lack
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of consideration the alert had for mothers and their resting babies. The irony attached to this sort
of selfish complaint is almost too much to bear. Regardless of whether or not the alarm woke up a few
children and adults that night, they woke up safe in their homes, unharmed and protected. Those children were able to be put back to bed by their parents and the most they had to put up with was a minor annoyance. Riya was not that lucky. Her mother will never be able to tuck her in at night again and parent her like she should have always been able to do. Not only is calling 9-1-1 for this purpose a blatant abuse of emergency services, but it also trivializes the value and purpose that Amber Alerts have in finding missing children who are in potentially life-threatening danger. The alert was the direct reason that Riya’s father and alleged abductor was found and arrested as he was fleeing on the highway. Police reported that they were able to find Roopesh’s vehicle as a result of tips given by people who recognized the information that was released through the Amber Alert. Any criticism that exists about this issue should have nothing to do with alert itself, and everything to do with when it was sent out. Riya’s mother notified the police about her disappearance early in the evening, around 6:30 p.m. and
the logical question that remains is whether the alert was issued quickly enough. Although the policies surrounding Amber Alerts were reviewed in 2012, it may be necessary to have them revisited since a child’s life was taken. The crime committed by this father was an unbelievably cold and barbaric one, but it deserves recognition so that similar instances like this can be properly recognized and hopefully avoided in the future. To the people that griped about this because it bothered them, disturbed their sleep or whatever other meaningless reasons were given to emergency dispatchers or blasted over social media, the answer is simple: get over yourself. The world has bigger problems than whether or not you were startled awake before your morning work shift. The whole purpose of the alert being loud is to get your attention and make sure you actually check your phone so that you can give any information that might aid the police in finding a missing child. The life of another human being will always be more important and valuable than a person’s delicate sensibilities regarding a noise that briefly interrupted their night.
morning class, you can reflect on what needs to happen for that to be realized. Regardless of our individual goals that diversify us and our interests, we’re all working towards the same, greater goal of finding truth. Truth is found in the study methods that work best for you, the time you go to bed to feel most vibrant in the morning, classes that excited you the most, connections that brighten your life and habits that leave you feeling good at the end of the day.
Opportunity to find truth is everywhere in university, and building a community of others with similar goals can help you articulate, practice, refine and achieve your own goals. The importance of building community while at university fulfills more than an individual satisfaction. It helps connect the greater narrative of human understanding together. Investigate your curiosities. The people you see all around can help clarify your goals. Be brave today and say hello.
Finding your interests at school EMMA MCVICAR STAFF WRITER
University is nothing if not a community. Strangely enough, many people see this world of opportunity as nothing more than a place to spend money while working towards a piece of paper. University may give you an accolade at the end of the day, but the importance of making connections while here is the real lesson. We’ve all come to Wilfrid Laurier to achieve a higher level of understanding, but in what? Think about your major. How does the subject you’ve chosen to learn resonate with you? What is your goal in taking these courses? When you look around, consider this. Many other people in the room are interested in the same things you are. They have similar goals. This means they are your community. They are likely to have similar values, similar thoughts, but perhaps very different conclusions. The best thing you can do for your education while in university is to befriend these people who are following the same paths you are, and utilize their perspectives to deepen your own. Maybe the people you see in
your political science courses share your interest in investigating world problems and discussing solutions. Your fellow psychology students may share your passion for understanding motivation. Perhaps you take biology courses because you want to improve life on a cellular level. Whatever courses you’re in, there are people within those groups that share your values.
This is a time of opportunity. The four years during which we are here provide us more pathways than just a simple strategy for obtaining a job.
At university, there is more meaning than meets the eye. While you sit in classes preparing for the midterm, you’re also integrating yourself in ancient discussions about human life. How do we better ourselves? How do we cooperate? What is the best way to live? Each course is a piece of the greater framework that attempts to understand human life. It is a narrative greater than our own daily lives, our own society. These
are ideas transmitted from thinker to thinker, and we are fortunate enough to be attending university and participating in the discussion. This is a time of opportunity. The four years during which we are here provide us more pathways than just a simple strategy for obtaining a job. But to properly utilize these pathways, you have to have a goal, build a community that helps you achieve it and allow yourself to learn from your mistakes. Keep your eyes open to the relationships you build within the community of the classroom. Investigate the information that tickles your curiosity. Never be afraid to be brave and play your way through university. We are here to explore, to take classes that expand our knowledge or introduce us to something entirely new. Having a stable career in the future is a good goal, but it’s not the only one to work towards in university. These four years are a series of tests we can adapt to by setting goals and learning what methods do or do not help us obtain them. Maybe you want to have a more vibrant social life so you’re looking for ways to meet similar individuals. You might want to do better on this midterm than any other you’ve done, so you take a serious look at your habits and stop the ones that waste time. Even if your goal is to wake up on time for that
KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR
14 • OPINION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
Richard E. Grant’s enthusiasm is refreshing BRITTANY TENHAGE STAFF WRITER
Every awards season, there’s a “darling.” They’re at the top of everyone’s winner list, everyone talks about them and they’re all over social media. This year’s darling, however, is not who we expected. Richard E. Grant is a 61 year old British actor, who’s been active for 39 years. I used to mention his name and have to google him in order for people to realize who I was talking about. Not anymore! Richard E. Grant starred alongside Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, a role that has earned him several best supporting actor nominations, including the Academy Awards. What makes him this year’s darling is how incredibly humble and excited he’s been on this journey. When he received his Oscar nomination, he posted a wonderful video standing by a squat he once lived in thanking the Academy for
their nomination. He posted a fan letter he mailed to Barbra Streisand at age 14 alongside a selfie by her house on his social media, and cried when she responded to his tweet calling his letter beautiful and congratulating him for his nomination.
Instead of being aloof and self-important, Grant has been humble, kind and absolutely selfless on this awards journey.
He’s been to several nominee dinners and lunches, and at every meal, he posts selfies with fellow nominees. Instead of being aloof and self-important, Grant has been humble, kind and absolutely selfless on this awards journey. Along with videos thanking everyone who’s nominated him for awards, he’s posted sweet videos thanking
his fans for their support. His Instagram feed is overwhelmingly full of a behind-thescenes journey of what an awards season is like for a nominee, keeping no moment of joy from his fans and making sure we know how grateful and humble he is. Not only is he humble and kind, but also deserving. He has been acting for a very long time, and his first large role, Withnail & I, is also Oscar-worthy. He deserves every nomination he gets, but he has never acted like he deserves them. Despite not winning the Oscar, Richard E. Grant graciously smiled, waved and clapped for his category’s winner, Mahershala Ali. He was up against some heavy hitters in his category and didn’t appear to care about whether or not he won — he was just happy to have his talent recognized. He did win the award at several other awards shows, such as the Independent Spirit Awards and the Chicago Independent Film Circle Awards. Having an actor be this humble, thankful and enthusiastic is such a refreshing change during the Awards season. I hope we get someone as kind and excited as he is every year.
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Morrissey calls seal hunt barbaric
ALYSSA DI SABATINO OPINION EDITOR
After his 13 year vow to never tour Canada again, The Smith’s former frontman Morrissey has scheduled a tour across the country, starting in April. Steven Patrick Morrissey, known primarily as Morrissey, vowed to never perform in or buy products from Canada back in 2006, right around the time Stephen Harper was elected into office. He claimed his vow to be a form of protest “against the barbaric slaughter of baby seals.” This “seal slaughter” he is refer-
ring to is known as seal hunting or sealing. It is practiced in nine countries around the world, with the most seal hunting occurring in Canada and Greenland. When most people think of seal hunting, they probably associate it with seal clubbing and commercial sealskin trade, but this is a misconception. The practice of commercial seal hunting actually became illegal in 1987, which prevented commercial hunters from hunting seals with violent methods, such as seal clubbing. This legislation put a legal quota on hunting as well. Also, it is illegal in Canada to hunt baby harp or hooded seals, but once they begin to moult their fur they can be commercially hunted. Inuit seal hunting accounts for a large majority of seal hunt-
ing across the world, but their small scale hunting methods are sustainable compared to southern Canadian hunters. Their method is non-industrialized and as humane as possible. This is different from Canada’s commercial seal hunt. During peak hunting season alone thousands and thousands of seals are hunted en masse. It is sometimes falsely stated that seal hunting in Canada only occurs during the peak season in spring, which is untrue. Inuit Canadians can hunt all year round, but the commercial seal hunt season is from November to May. To be clear, I don’t think Morrissey is necessarily wrong in his vow for animal justice, but I do think him and other activists who are fully against seal hunting are misguided.
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In 1983, Greenpeace and other activist groups campaigned to get the European Union to ban seal skin products, and they ultimately succeeded in their campaign. The new legislation only banned products from white coat harp seal pups but the campaign damaged the reputation of all seal skin products, and little thought was put into how this would affect Inuit hunters. Inuit filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril directed the film Angry Inuk. She aimed to break down the portrayal of seal hunting by animal welfare groups as evil and inhumane — which is far from the truth. The film touches on how crucial seal hunting is to the Inuit economy, as well as it’s cultural and traditional importance. It also focuses on the nutritional value that seal meat provides for Inuit communities in the Arctic, one of the most food insecure places in the country. Since the market collapsed it’s been difficult for Inuit designers to sell their sealskin clothing, but Inuit people still use the fur to stay warm and dry, as the skin is waterproof and biodegradable. One of the biggest misconceptions of all might be the belief that seals are endangered, but this is not the case. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the population is stable and healthy, and none of the seals that are commercially hunted are at risk of being endangered. I couldn’t help but think of the typical tropes of Indigenous culture when Morrissey called seal hunting “barbaric.” While he probably didn’t consider Inuit seal hunting when he made this claim, his use of the term barbaric is reflective of the racist stereotype of the “Savage Indian,” which portrays Indigenous people as excessively violent.
This is as far from the truth as possible. Inuit hunters only hunt what is necessary for their survival. In addition, they hunt seal in a way that is the least painful it. This means that they don’t participate in seal clubbing, which is excessively harmful to the seal. In a letter written in 2014 to the federal Fisheries Minister for Canada, Morrissey called Canadians ineffectual, greedy, brutal and barbaric because of our seal hunt laws.
When most people think of seal hunting, they probably associate it with seal clubbing and commercial sealskin trade, but this is a misconception.
That’s kind of interesting coming from him, because he’s known for his controversial ideologies. He once called halal meat evil, he has defended alleged sexual abuser Kevin Spacey on Twitter and he compared seal hunting to the Holocaust, but I digress. After his decision to return, Morrissey admitted that his protest “was ultimately of no use and helped no one,” but that he would be using proceeds from his ticket sales to donate to animal protection organizations. At least he’s doing something useful with his ticket proceeds. As much as I believe Morrissey’s ignorant comments should be taken with a grain of salt, it’s harmful opinions like his that contribute to the overall misunderstanding of Inuit seal hunting.
15 •
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
Sports
SPORTS EDITOR PRANAV DESAI sports@thecord.ca
SWIMMING
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MacDonald competes for Canada PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR
Wilfrid Laurier University’s fourthyear men’s varsity swimmer, Tyson MacDonald, got the opportunity to represent Canada at the World Para Swimming Series which took place in Melbourne, Australia from
Feb. 15 to 17. MacDonald competed at the 2019 OUA championships and then made his way to Melbourne as soon as possible since there was not much of a gap between the two competitions. “It was a little bit of a balancing act, between going from the OUA [championships] and going to
Melbourne for international classification. In the end it worked out. I got my national classification and I performed well at both the OUA championships and in Melbourne,” MacDonald said. International classification is an important achievement as it now allows MacDonald to represent
Canada at the Swimming World Championships and Paralympics. Representing your country is every athlete’s dream and MacDonald is one of the elite athletes in Laurier’s history who received this once in a lifetime opportunity. “Growing up you always think you’re going to be an Olympian one day, but in reality, there’s only a small percentage of athletes that are actually able to reach that level. Now that I have competed for Team Canada, things are just starting to fall into place. It’s a new territory for me which is kind of cool,” he said. Although it was a bigger stage than usual for MacDonald in Melbourne, it was just business as usual once he got past the smaller details. “Luckily for me, I didn’t compete on the first day so I got to see the first sessions and how they worked. For us, it wasn’t a full-on para meet, it was more of an integrated meet with able-bodies swimmers which is similar to our national and provincial level meet so I was familiar with that part. Some of the smaller things like a bigger stage, brighter lights, banner displays and different country flags everywhere stood out. But once you get through the first race, it’s business as usual.” The Tillsonburg, Ontario native has had an excellent four-year tenure at Laurier, highlighted by a team MVP award in the 2016-17
season. MacDonald is one of the many bright talents on the Golden Hawks swimming roster. Although he was unable to qualify for the U-Sports national championships, he still made his way to Vancouver after his Melbourne experience to cheer on fellow Hawk Jasmine Raines as she captured an impressive third-place finish in the 200-metre breaststroke race. “Getting to witness the best of the best in terms of U-Sports swimming was incredible to watch. Being there in-person, you get to see many Olympians compete. Swimming is probably one of the biggest sports in Canada that has Olympic representation,” he said. “Being able to see a dozen or more swimmers that have been on the national team was really exciting to see. Obviously Jasmine [Raines] representing Laurier and getting a bronze medal in a competition that featured another Olympian was really exciting as well.” Although the 2018-19 varsity swimming season is now over, the training and hard work does not stop for Tyson MacDonald, as he has his sights set on bigger things. “I am coming back for a fifthyear [at Laurier]. For swimming, that leads perfectly into the 2020 Olympic trials in April. I’m just going to continue training into March and April next year when after my varsity career [is over] and see what happens from there,” MacDonald concluded.
RECREATION
The rise of women taking part in axe throwing SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Female athletes in axe throwing are on the rise. Axe throwing, like many other sports, is largely a male-dominated sport. However, many female athletes have come forth with success stories within the sport which has been growing in interest. In Kitchener, BATL axe throwing provides an opportunity for individuals to take part in the sport of throwing axes. For Jayme Wallace, Kitchener BATL is where she throws axes weekly within the Kitchener league. “Overall, my experience [axe throwing] has been really awesome. The community no matter which BATL I go to or which axe throwing place I go to everybody is really super welcoming,” Wallace said. Wallace explained that it can be nerve-wracking to throw around men; however, her experiences thus far have demonstrated that, like many sports, axe throwing has a formed sense of community. “Everybody is really helpful and if there’s anything you ever have questions about, no matter who it is, they will stop what they're doing and help you out,” Wallace said. “I just honestly don't have more good things to say about axe
throwing because it’s a community … there’s so much love and I just love it so much." Within the Kitchener league, Wallace said the female-to-male ratio is approximately one to three. However, the stigma that men are more competent within athletics does not necessarily hold true within this accepting and welcoming community. "Of course, a lot of our top throwers are male, but I do now know that throughout all our locations we have awesome female throwers. Sometimes we don't quite stack up to them but we still do really awesome,” she said. In all athletics, having female representation is crucial. In this sense, axe throwing is no exception. “I think it’s really good for young girls to see that no matter what you want to do, whether it’s a sport or anything, that if you put your mind to it you can do it. And it’s really awesome just to show everybody how much support we do get from males as well,” Wallace said. Courtney Bruce, athletes services and events assistant for Laurier Athletics, also echoed the importance of empowering females and ensuring young women have mentors to look up to within athletics. “I think the way to be successful
as a female athlete is to have a support team around you,” Bruce said. “Society has this whole [mentality] that girls are against each other and i think it’s important that we come together and we support each other because we rise by lifting others,” Bruce said. In specific, having women athletes with success stories inspires young women to set goals and see realities in which women are flourishing. “I think that having mentors who are female so that you can see where are they are … I know for me growing up all of my coaches were male, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but there was never a point where I could fully be like “oh that’s where I'm going to be” because at that time I didn't see anybody,” Bruce said. “For young girls especially to see females in sport and our leaders in sport that is amazing to see because it also translates to life.” For both men and women, sports and athletics teaches important life skills such as teamwork, commitment, hard work, and more. As a result, it’s important to foster environments where all people feel welcome and able to participate and thrive. “Skills that you get from sports helps you translate into every day life which I think is a huge part of
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confidence which obviously goes to the commitment and it helps
you with your road to being unstoppable,” Bruce said.
16 • SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019
BASKETBALL
An explosive start to the playoffs for the Hawks ABDULHAMID IBRAHIM LEAD SPORTS REPORTER
With their first-round bye done and over with, time had come for the Laurier men’s basketball team to take care of their home court against a familiar face: the McMaster Marauders. Having played each other in last year’s wild card and getting blown out, and this year splitting the season series, the Marauders were looking to end Laurier’s historic season. That did not turn out to be the case as the Hawks pulled out a 95-89 win to advance. Despite the tight score, McMaster managed to take a vice grip from a momentum perspective in the first quarter playing tight defence and taking the air and flow out of Laurier’s offence. This went on to continue in the second quarter as the veteran Marauders squad got after it. “That’s what they do, they’re trying to get the flow out of the game. We did practice that the whole week, trying to take away Ali [Sow] as much as possible and trying to get him back into the rhythm. I thought Ali did a great job not forcing anything. A lot of times, he was okay being away from the ball and let other guys create and get their confidence up in terms of being able to make plays,” coach Serresse said. This was until the last two minutes of the second quarter where Laurier took over with a 7-0 run to take the air out of the Marauders team and go into halftime up 45-36 behind Kemel Archer’s 18 points and five rebounds. “So I thought the defence got us going and then we got some transition, we got stuff going on and that’s what really made the difference, is keeping that eight, nine, 10-point game and we kept that gap throughout the whole game. That gap at the end of the second quarter was huge for us to get the major stops and a few stops in a row,” coach Serresse said.
In the third quarter, the Marauders came alive as their level of intensity rose and they started to press Laurier, chipping into their once 13-point lead, at one point, even cutting it to four. The Hawks still managed to hold onto their lead though behind some big momentum plays such as Ali Sow’s big dunk, keeping the energy in the Athletic Complex sky high.
I thought Ali did a great job not forcing anything. A lot of times, he was okay being away from the ball and let the other guys create ... -Justin Serresse, Laurier men’s varsity basketball head coach
The fourth quarter was an offensive clinic for both sides as they combined for almost 60 points. It started out with Laurier taking their five-point lead and making it 11, early on. As the Marauders had done in the third though, every time the lead increased, they got to chipping at it. This was the trend of the fourth. Unfortunately for McMaster, Ali Sow reached his peak in the second half. Behind a strong defence making big plays when it mattered most, Ali Sow’s 25 second half points (36 total) and Ntore Habimana’s 12 second half points (22 total), Laurier went on to win and advance. Ali Sow, in what was another historic performance, tied the Laurier single-season record for points in a playoff game with his 36 points. “Him being away from the ball and not being so ball dominant, allowed him to play good defence for 40 minutes, allowed him to also be clutch down the stretch and when we needed big buckets, and when we needed big free throws
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and attacking the rim, it was fresh, he was making the right decisions so I was happy with that for sure,” stated coach Serresse. The Hawks are now the number 8 team in Canada following this massive victory. Next up will be the number 3 ranked Ryerson Rams who will be coming to the Athletic Complex on Feb. 27, to play in Wilson Cup semifinals to see who goes on to the title game. The Hawks will be looking for revenge on the Rams as Ryerson demolished Laurier on Nov. 10 by a score of 97-52. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at the Athletic Complex. It was a different story for the women’s basketball team on the other hand. One and done season has dawned upon us in the world of OUA women’s basketball and the Laurier Golden Hawks ran
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into a familiar foe once again: The Brock Badgers. Splitting the regular season series seemed to mean nothing this time around though as Brock took care of home court winning by a score of 54-35. While the score says one thing, the game itself went a lot different than most would assume. This matchup looked pretty similar to the previous two matchups these two teams have had: tight, close defensive games. This was the case of the first half at least. Despite Brock dominating the glass, Laurier used their defensive prowess to keep them in the game and go into halftime being up 25-23 after holding the Badgers to nine second quarter points. “I thought we played a really good road first half—in terms of keeping it tight, defensively, not giving them a lot of opportunities and we came out with a two-point lead. There was a couple of things we wanted to clean up. One was the defensive boards, they had a bunch of offensive rebounds, and another was to be a little bit more efficient on offence but generally, we were pleased with the first half,” coach Falco said. The third quarter saw Brock make an attempt to pull away a bit as they managed to get a little more out of their offence than they were able to in the second quarter. Laurier on the other hand was not able to do much offensively at all as they were held to seven points. Despite this, they went into the fourth quarter only being down seven. “At the end of the third quarter, as poor as we had played offensively, we were still only down 7 points because our defence was pretty good. So I told the girls, ‘we had a poor third quarter, we have lots of time to bounce back, let’s get back on track,’” coach Falco stated. The fourth quarter saw the Golden Hawks do the opposite of what they had hoped. After only scoring three points but managing to keep themselves in it only being down
41-35 with five minutes left in the game, the Badgers smelled blood and finished the game on a 13-0 run to win by 19. The Hawks biggest downfall was the huge offensive drop off they suffered, going 2-26 from the field in the second half to the tune of 10 points and only three in the fourth quarter.
This was definitely a transition year for us ... I was pleased with the girls’ effort all year and I think we played a good brand of team basketball. -Paul Falco, Laurier women’s varsity basketball head coach
“We came into that second half and it’s funny because Brock didn’t actually do much different. You look at our output offensively, it really dropped. Defensively, we were similar, I thought, until later in the game. It was just our ability to finish, inside, outside, everywhere.” “It was just not there. I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of just missing shot after shot. That was the big difference and I think by the last four minutes of the fourth quarter, the girls were pretty deflated and then you saw their defence start to drop and then Brock sort of gapped us.” Following another solid year under coach Falco, it will be interesting to see how this roster changes for next season. “This was definitely a transition year for us. I think we lost six veterans from last year, so we were asking our third years and second years to step into the leadership role and take on a bigger role in terms of on-court play. I was pleased with the girls’ effort all year and I think we played a good brand of team basketball.”