The Cord February 5, 2020

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 60 ISSUE 17 • FEBRUARY 5, 2020

"AS I WALKED OUT OF THE MEETING WITH MY MOM I TOLD HER THAT ONE DAY, I WOULD BE STUDENTS' UNION PRESIDENT." "ONE OF THE GOALS I HAVE HAD IS THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THE OFFERINGS OF THE STUDENTS' UNION AS I HAD." "I PLAN TO [...] IMPROVE UPON THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE PRESIDENT." "PROVIDE A PLATFORM CHECKLIST ON THE STUDENTS' UNION WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS [...] TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED." "I WILL ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS ON THE WATERLOO AND BRANTFORD CAMPUS WITH AN OPEN DOOR POLICY." "I WILL WORK TOWARDS POLLING SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO GET STUDENT INPUT ON EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING." "WORK TOWARDS MULTI-CAMPUS TRANSPORTATION

FOR EVENTS AND [...] EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTEND."

"I HAVE A DIVERSE WEALTH OF BACKGROUND VOLUNTEERING WITH STUDENTS' UNION [...] UNMATCHED BY OTHER CANDIDATES." "YOU ARE NOT ONLY ELECTING A PRESIDENT TO REPRESENT

BUT A CEO OF A COMPANY THAT YOU FUND."

"I HAVE BEEN UNENDINGLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY."

"KNOWLEDGE [OF] MANY DIMENSIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION."

"ONE GOAL I HOPE TO ACHIEVE [...] IS INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING STUDENTS' UNION OFFERS." "IT HAS BEEN A BLUR. BUT MEETING DIFFERENT PEOPLE ON CAMPUS HAS BEEN THE COOLEST THING." "MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY IS THAT

"MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THIS IS THAT THIS [HAS BEEN] A HISTORICAL YEAR."

"TO HAVE TWO FEMALE [CANDIDATES] RUNNING - IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY."

"HOPEFULLY, THIS IS A TREND THAT CONTINUES."

"[STUDENT'S] OPINIONS MUST BE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE "[STUDENT'S] TO THE DECISION-MAKERS." OPINIONS MUST BE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE DECISION-MAKERS." "TO DESCRIBE THE STUDENTS' UNION

IN ONE WORD, I WOULD USE "YOU"."

PARTNERS [FOR] ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMMING."

"I WILL WORK WITH BOTH ON AND OFF-CAMPUS

STUDENTS TO THE LAURIER COMMUNITY."

"FINDNG MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO INTRODUCE

SERVICES TOWARDS IMPROVING FOOD SERVICES.

"WORK WITH THE STUDENTS' UNION HOSPITALITY "WORK [...] TOWARDS A WILF'S DELIVERY

SERVICE FOR THE [WATERLOO] STUDENTS."

"WORK WITH THE HUB TO PROVIDE

A DEDICATED AMOUNT OF FREE PRINTING." CHALLENGES THAT STUDENTS FACE."

"WORK TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE "I WILL ALWAYS UPHOLD AN

OPEN-DOOR POLICY."

"I AM FASCINATED BY THE WAY THE

ORGANIZATION IS STUDENT RUN." AT MEETINGS."

"USE MY EXPERIENCE TO [RAISE] MY VOICE

TO THE ORGANIZATION."

"THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK "DEEP-ROOTED PASSION

FOR THE WORK."

"INVOLVED

SINCE FIRST YEAR."

"BECAUSE OF THE

ATMOSPHERE."

"THEY REPRESENT EVERY

UNDERGRADUATE."

"MOTIVATES ME TO

WORK HARDER."

"I FEEL LIKE I CAN

SLEEP - FINALLY." WEEKS ."

"CRAZIEST TWO

NOT FELT REAL."

"WHOLE PROCESS HAS "SO, SO

HAPPY."

VIRUS SPREADS CONCERNS

HUMANIZING HOMELESSNESS

PIZZA PIE PERFECTION

AU NATUREL

SWIM TEAM SUCCESS

Escalating fears over global outbreak

Addressing KW region’s lack of resources

New eatery offers tasty slices

Ditching your chemical deodorant

Final tune-up before OUA championships

News, page 5

Features, page 8

Arts & Life, page 10

Opinion, page 14

Sports, page 15

2 •

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

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FEBRUARY 2020

CordNews THIS DAY IN HISTORY: FEBRUARY 5

PHOTO OF THE WEEK SEVENTEEN // TOMBERLIN

AD 62: Earthquake in Pompeii, Italy.

1825: Hannah Lord Montague of NY creates first detachable shirt collar.

OCEANS // RY X & OLAFUR ARNALDS

1846: "Oregon Spectator" is 1st newspaper to be published on the West Coast.

SLOWLY // ODIE

1850: Adding machine employing depressible keys patented, New Paltz, NY. 1869: The biggest gold nugget in history is found. The “Welcome Stranger” was discovered at Moliagul in Australia and had a calculated refined weight of 71.081 kg.

SMALL HOURS // OTTA

I WORRY BOUT YOU // BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

1870: First motion picture shown to a theater audience, Philadelphia.

NO DRUGS // PINEGROVE

1894: Female suffrage organization in Amsterdam forms.

STATIC BUZZ // SNAIL MAIL

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

1919: United Artists is founded.

Charlie Chaplin was one of the film studio's founders.

1921: Yankees purchase 20 acres in Bronx for Yankee Stadium.

EASY EASY // KING KRULE

1922: Reader's Digest magazine first published.

1924: The Greenwich Time Signal is broadcast for the first time. The “BBC pips” are 5 short and 1 long tones that are broadcast by many BBC radio stations to mark the precise start of the hour.

PRETTY PIMPIN // KURT VILE

MOURN // CORBIN

1936: National Wildlife Federation forms.

GLOWING BRIGHTLY // FLORIST

1948: Nature of Things science show premieres on NBC prime time.

1953: Peter Pan by Walt Disney opens at Roxy Theater, NYC.

CUT YR TEETH // KISSISSIPPI

1971: Astronauts land on the moon in the Apollo 14 mission.

1972: Bob Douglas is first African American elected to Basketball Hall of Fame.

1981: Joni Mitchell inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame.

NEXT ISSUE

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Victoria Marshall copyeditor@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

SPORTS EDITOR Mark Cascagnette sports@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Waitson editor@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Jamie Mere graphics@thecord.ca

CORDCAST PRODUCERS Jade Hosick, Victoria Marshall cordcast@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brit Kovacs creative@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Darien Funk photos@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Kashyap Patel online@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Kathleen McCullough online@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Sophia Cole news@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR VACANT video@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Riley Locke news@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER VACANT news@thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino arts@thecord.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER VACANT photos@thecord.ca

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

EVENTS COORIDNATOR

Ranjit Saini

CONTRIBUTORS Katelyn Tufford Amichai Abraham Hayley McGoldrick Jennifer Webb Laura Thompson Jana Ibrahim Ian Schakel Caitlyn Lourenco

EDITOR’S CHOICE "When it comes to summer jobs, connections aren't everything" - Victoria Marshall

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Kurtis Rideout at kurtis.rideout@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.

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples.

"We're really clittin' it up in here.”

- Creative Director, Brit Kovacs, in response to Web Director, Kash Patel, talking about animal sex facts.

• 3

News

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 NEWS EDITOR SOPHIA COLE news@thecord.ca

COMPETITION

Laurier Moot Court Club brings home gold HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK CORD ALUM

Laurier’s Moot Court Club stood out against competitors at the sixth annual McGill Moot Court Invitational as competitors Madeleine Cleland and Laura Goldfarb took home first place, a first-time feat for Laurier.

Goldfarb also placed first individually for her oral advocacy skills, and teammates Sam Stewart and Gabriel Wilson placed just behind Goldfarb and Cleland taking home the second-place honour.

“I think the goal is always to win, I think we felt that way at Capital Cup when we competed in Ottawa in November, we really wanted to win and we carried on that ambition because our success there was actually what got us invited to McGill,” said Madeleine Cleland.

“That really fuelled our fire to have that ambition to win but winning in general was an astronomical feeling. We put in so much work in the weeks preceding the competition that it was such a validating experience.”

Moot court is a simulation where two opposing duos, this time from different schools, are put through an appeals experience and test their understandings of law in a real case.

“The other schools like the University of Toronto or McGill always win these competitions and always do really well so Laurier didn’t have that reputation of being a winning school, the fact we won and have done well in other competitions this year is really special,” said Laura Goldfarb.

Many of the moot court participants are law or political science students, but Laurier’s Moot Court Club is open to any student interested in law practices.

Invitation to the McGill competition was based on Cleland and Goldfarb’s performance in the quarterfinals of the Capital Cup Undergraduate Mooting Competition in Ottawa in November.

The duo outscored another successful pair from the University of Toronto, solidifying the hard work Laurier has put in to make a name for themselves in the moot court world.

“There’s a totally different atmosphere when you’re actually competing versus when you’re meeting people between rounds because competing you’re trying to undermine your opponents and view them as adversaries,” Cleland said.

The club, created in 2017, aims to give students real world experience in the law field to ensure

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

students are prepared for life after undergrad.

The club will be sending ten teams who will compete on Feb. 8 and 9 in Toronto during the University of Toronto cup and they hope to repeat their success from Montreal.

“Laura and I both only joined as executive members last year in third year, it was such a drastic

change, even if I could compare it to how I was succeeding in my course work, things I would deal with in political science were the exact same issues we would deal with in a case,” Cleland said.

“It prepared me to be able to finish my course material quicker, and taking these skills into the career field or going to law school, it also helped me realize that this is

something that I wanted to do; a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to do that.”

The final test for Laurier will be the Osgoode Cup National Undergraduate Mooting Competition, taking place at Osgoode Law School at the beginning of March and will be the last competition for many seniors like Cleland and Goldfarb.

tomers and store managers were pleasantly surprised by the lack of backlash. “[We have had] no backlash at all whatsoever, which we were kind of shocked and surprised at,” said Rob Kerr, store manager at the Sobeys Bridgeport location in Waterloo.

“We actually had people calling us the day before to ensure that we were actually going to follow through with it, and they were very happy and pleased to see that we did.”

Following this first step to reduce the use of unnecessary retail plastic, Sobeys Inc. will begin working towards phasing out the use of plastic grocery bags in other banners, such as FreshCo, Foodland, IGA and Farm Boy, and replacing them with paper bags.

“So many of our customers and our employees have told us loud and clear -- they want us to use less plastic -- and we agree with them,” said Michael Medline, President and CEO, Empire Company Limited in a press release.

“This is a first step, and we plan to make meaningful progress every year to take plastic out of our stores and our products. We decided to act now instead of taking years to study and only make long-term commitments. We’re taking action now, making a tangible difference today and into the future. This is a

significant first step, but it’s only a first step. We need to go further, and we will.”

Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags when grocery shopping, and they will be available for purchase at the Sobeys checkout. Paper bags can be purchased for 10 cents each, small reusable bags for 25 cents and large reusable bags for 99 cents.

In the future, Sobeys plans to make more changes in order to reduce plastic waste in other areas of the store, such as introducing reusable produce bags made from recycled water bottles.

At select locations in Quebec, Sobeys banner IGA has launched a reusable container pilot program where customers can bring in their own reusable containers when purchasing products from the fresh food area or deli, as well as a program to incentivize the use of reusable bags when shopping.

Some of these incentives include designated parking spots for customers with reusable bags, rentable reusable bags and promotional offers.

Depending on the success of these pilots, implementation of policies in alignment with these programs could be the next step to increase sustainability and waste reduction in Sobeys Inc. stores across Canada.

SUSTAINABILITY

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

Sobeys eliminates use of plastic grocery bags SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR

As of Jan. 31, popular grocery chain Sobeys has discontinued the use of plastic grocery bags in its 255 Canadian stores, making them the first national grocery chain in

Canada to do so.

Sobeys Inc. announced their plan to eliminate the use of plastic grocery bags on July 31, 2019, and have followed through with their goal, meeting the January 2020 deadline which they had set for themselves.

This move is estimated to reduce the amount of plastic grocery bags in circulation across Canada by 225 million per year, helping to reduce the massive amount of harmful plastic waste produced by Canada.

Locally in Waterloo, the changes have been well received by cus-

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 2020

MEDIA

Podcasting hits Brantford campus creativity hub HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK CORD ALUM

Laurier Brantford’s Creativity Hub is getting new programming in the form of a podcast studio and a podcaster-in-residence program featuring Avery Moore Kloss as the first podcaster.

Laurier’s Creativity Hub, located inside the newly opened OneMarket space on the Brantford campus, offers a space for both those in the Laurier community as well as members of the community to access services that include equipment, networking and other resources.

“Adrian and I were hired just over a year and a half ago to develop a creative hub for the Brantford campus. Through that investigative process of what the project should look like it’s changed a lot but we’ve talked to over 450 people including staff, faculty, students and community members,” said Tamara Louks, coordinator for the Creativity Hub. “The idea was for a space that allows community members to come in and operate their creative business within a creative hub and students would benefit from having experiential learning and placements there.”

This space will be open for industry professionals, educators, non-profits and other organizations as part of an agreement in receival of a $15,000 grant from the Samuel W. Stedman Foundation in 2019.

“We were able to secure that important fund to build the podcast studio and that’s really been our test facility for the larger project that we are envisioning,” Louks said.

The Brantford campus is home to many creative industries when it comes to educational programming, like the user design experience or digital journalism programs, and the Creativity Hub looks to expand into more experiential learning opportunities for both students as well as those from the community who are integrated

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

into Laurier.

“The reason why we started with a podcast studio is because from the conversations we had with people around the creative mediums they would like to explore, podcasting was listed as the number one most people are interested in,” said Adrian Beam, coordinator for the Creativity Hub. “It allowed us to test a lot of different models of operating and memberships as well as the residency program because we have that space that is an investment that isn’t as expensive as other

Enough $$$ for some sweet new beats. waterloo.ca

spaces.”

Another grant of $3,000 from the City of Brantford Grants Program will also be put towards the space, which allows for not only renting the space or purchase of equipment but allows there to be studio drop-in hours for anyone to be mentored by Moore Kloss on Thursday afternoons. The dropin program will run until Apr. 30 from 1 to 4:30 p.m., available for the podcaster-in-residence to give advice and lead lectures or workshops outside of the time dedicated to pursuing their own projects.

VS

“We’re supporting local creatives but we’re also supporting students, staff and faculty here at Laurier, so the great thing about a residency is that the artists get to have professional development opportunities through the experience, but they also get to give back and provide learning opportunities to the greater community,” Louks said.

Though the studio and program exist on the Brantford campus, another part of the programming put in place for the podcaster-in-residence program is also to involve multi-campus participation.

“It was a step that when we were evaluating the information that we collected from various stakeholders, it was a way that we could continue to grow the ecosystem that we know is going to be so important for the overall project,” Beam said.

“Knowing that we can bring someone with Avery’s credentials onto campus working with our students and community kickstarts all these projects that people either don’t have the resources, skills or knowledge for, it lowers a lot of the hurdles people face.”

One loud party.

(AND A $490 TICKET FROM BYLAW)

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 PUBLIC HEALTH

Novel Coronavirus sparks concern SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR

The recent outbreak of a novel Coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China has become a cause for concern across not only China, but the world.

The novel Coronavirus is a new form of Coronavirus which attacks the respiratory system and displays evidence of limited human-to-human transmission. Symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing and fever, similar to that of the flu and other common respiratory infections.

There is no known cure for the novel Coronavirus at the moment, and complications of the virus can result in pneumonia, kidney failure and, in some cases, death.

So far, there have been 139 people who have undergone or are undergoing testing for the novel Coronavirus in Ontario, with 90 cases confirmed negative, 12 cases presumed negative, 34 currently under investigation and only three confirmed positive cases.

Wilfrid Laurier University is closely monitoring the situation and while Public Health Ontario has named Ontario a low risk area for the time being, Laurier is appropriately prepared to act in case this changes.

“Essentially, the risk is still low in Ontario and in Canada at large and at Laurier we’ve got a work group that is preparing and is monitoring the situation right now,” said Tony Araujo, vice-president of finance and administration at Laurier.

“We go by the health professionals and what they tell us, so our public health unit is telling us that it’s a very low risk right now, and we trust in that fact and we’re preparing for it, and we’re ready if we need to respond to something much more than that.”

Laurier is following the advice of public health agencies at local, provincial and federal levels, who have been conducting lab-testing and infection-control procedures.

As of right now, the Canadian government has issued a travel advisory stating to avoid all non-essential travel to China and to forego all travel to the Hubei province as a whole.

Laurier has followed suit, cancelling all university-sanctioned travel to China for staff, faculty and students alike.

The university travel ban includes exchange, research activities and placements, field courses, conferences, university business and any other travel approved or authorized by Wilfrid Laurier University. Currently there is no time estimate regarding when university-related travel to China will resume.

“We are really going to take our lead from the federal government, and you know, how Canada [proceeds],” Araujo said.

“It’s very hard for us who are here and not really understanding the full scope of how things are unfolding in China, it’s difficult to make those choices. But at

some point, I would expect that we would resume some level of cautious travel, if not wide-open travel in the future, but we’re just not there yet.”

Despite the fact that Laurier prides itself on its diverse and inclusive community, there have been local reports of racism directed towards people of Asian and Chinese descent in reaction to the novel Coronavirus.

We go by health professionals and what they tell us, so our public health unit is telling us that it’s a very low risk right now and we trust in that fact ...

CPMTRIBUTED IMAGE -Tony Araujo, Vice-President, Finance and Adminastration

Whether this racism is a product of fear or misinformation, this kind of behaviour is condemned by the Laurier community as a whole and people are encouraged to educate themselves on the virus and treat others with respect rather than prejudice.

Essentially, the risk is still low in Ontario and in Canada at large, and at Laurier we’ve got a work group that is preparing and is monitoring the situation right now ...

-Tony Araujo, Vice-President, Finance and Aministration

If you are a student at Laurier who has experienced racism, there are resources on campus which are available to help, including the Dean of Students Offices, International Student Support, the Centre for Student Equity Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Dispute Resolution and Special Constables Service.

In order to stay healthy, Students are encouraged to follow basic flu season protocol, such as washing hands, carrying hand sanitizer and avoiding close contact with others exhibiting flu ike symptoms.

For more information and updates on the novel Coronavirus, visit Laurier’s designated Coronavirus page.

5 Ma nito u D r | 158 5 Vic tor ia S t N | S tagS h op .co m

6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

AARON WAITSON I’m incredibly honoured and lucky to have been given the chance to run for a second term as President and Publisher of WLUSP. Being involved with WLUSP, and all its various publications has been a considerable point of pride during my university career and it has given me the chance to grow a number of my own skills.

My platform, if I were to return,

would be based upon a few fundamental principles, building on the foundation that I have established this past year.

This includes consistency, communication, growth, reliability, and transparency.

As many people may realize, one year is hardly sufficient to fully learn everything coming into these roles.

The overwhelming philosophy tends to be, “as soon as you learn how to do your job correctly, the year is already done.”

With each passing week as President, I’ve learned more and more — not only about myself, and what I am capable of and can improve upon, but what is expected of the role and how to better hold this organization to the highest standards of quality and excellence that we can achieve.

Moving forward, I’d like to work on my consistency.

Time management and organization are two huge facets of this element of leadership.

Consistency in maintaining office hours, ensuring equitable representation between both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses, communicating important information and following through with goals would be among my first priorities.

Confidence is another area of personal growth that I would like to work on strengthening.

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In order to be an effective leader, maintaining confidence in both execution and followthrough is a must.

A lack of confidence often comes from issues with experience or ability: coming into the role for a second time, these problems would be negligible or nonexistent, as I would already have the training and knowledge necessary to be confident in my decisions and actions.

I would like to continue expanding my knowledge about each publication as much as possible to ensure that I’m learning the best and most effective ways to assist each department based on their individual needs.

Prioritizing the development of Laurier Student Poll especially, is an aspect that I would like to commit more time into adapting, so that students are interested in helping to build its overall potential.

Since I ran for President and Publisher in my first term, communication has been at the heart of my platform, and one of my most essential priorities.

Maintaining open lines of honest communication, from administration, to department heads, to management and senior staff, is one of the principle responsibilities of the President.

I’d like to build on this structure of communication throughout the publications — to not only encourage myself but others as well — to ensure that stronger professional, personal and community bonds are created amongst the organization.

I’d like to work on fostering closer relationships with department heads and staff by facilitating more one-on-one meetings, bringing back camp WLUSP (or a similar equivalent), organizing more socials and encouraging as much cross-department collaboration as possible.

In any organization, but especially one built on strong foundations of tradition and consistency, change can be both intimidating and a major concern.

However, I fundamentally believe that embracing change is the key to ensuring the longterm growth and sustainability of WLUSP. Given the unexpected complications of the Student Choice Initiative this year, the concern for change that followed represented a significant challenge for our organization.

Our publications embraced these unprecedented circumstances phenomenally, operating conservatively and cautiously to ensure the fiscal health of WLUSP as a whole. With the SCI recently being deemed unlawful, and potential for our funding to be secure once more, I’d like to ensure that each of the publications has the tools, resources and equipment that will demonstrate and solidify the value of our organization to potential volunteers and investors.

As such, investing in capital assets will be another significant

priority during the summer period, so that publications will have what they need in the following fall and winter periods.

Reliability and honesty go hand-in-hand as elements of my platform.

The President, among all others, is expected to embody and uphold these qualities, as they are the person who is required to be a resource and support whenever the need arises — no matter the situation or circumstance.

This term, I have endeavoured to be honest with my limitations in regard to these aspects of leadership.

Communication has been a key part of these discussions. Further, I have worked to be fair and reasonable when approaching the limitations and expectations of others, especially given that WLUSP is an organization founded on values such asw volunteerism, ethical behaviour and student contributions.

As a leader, I place a lot of trust in the individuals who are given the opportunity to work within this organization.

I do this because I have faith in those who have demonstrated a passion for student media, volunteering and excellence. If elected again, I will continue to support the hard-working staff and volunteers with the tools and resources they require to uphold the high standards that WLUSP embodies.

This year has been one of growth and understanding. I’m extremely proud of the team that I hired this year, as well as the teams that they hired, managed, trained and led.

I’d like to continue building the fantastic campus, community and organization-wide relationships that I have been lucky enough to be a part of.

Because of all these things, I encourage others to be highly critical of my performance — including my strengths and areas of growth — and to let me know what their expectations, desires and goals are for the next year.

My professional and personal improvement relies upon the many incredible voices who have helped shape the needs and requirements of this organization, and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to talk to me about how WLUSP can be made stronger through a commitment of high-quality leadership.

Similar to last year, I am eager to demonstrate the value that I can bring to another year in this position.

With a strong foundation going into this term, I am confident that the consistency provided by another term as President would be highly beneficial in ensuring that WLU Student Publications can maintain steady and positive growth in the 2020-2021 period.

I look forward to seeing the challenges and opportunities that the next period presents and hope that you will once more allow me to represent your voice, and your media for another year.

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 SUDOKU (HARD)

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.

Dear Life, Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb In the shape of an “L” on her forehead Well the years start coming and they don’t stop coming Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running Didn’t make sense not to live for fun Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb So much to do, so much to see So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?

You’ll never know if you don’t go You’ll never shine if you don’t glow Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shooting stars break the mold It’s a cool place and they say it gets colder You’re bundled up now, wait till you get older But the meteor men beg to differ Judging by the hole in the satellite picture The ice we skate is getting pretty thin The water’s getting warm so you might as well swim My world’s on fire, how about yours?

That’s the way I like it and I never get bored

Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid All that glitters is gold Only shooting stars break the mold Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show, on get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shooting stars Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas?

I need to get myself away from this place I said yep what a concept I could use a little fuel myself And we could all use a little change Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running Didn’t make sense not to live for fun Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb So much to do, so much to see So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?

You’ll never know if you don’t go (go!)

You’ll never shine if you don’t glow Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shooting stars break the mold And all that glitters is gold Only shooting stars break the mold Sincerely, What are ye doin’ in ma swamp Dear Life, I have no idea what I’m going to do with my future and it’s freaking me the fuck out. A lot.

How do people just know what they’re meant to do for the rest of their lives after school?

Sincerely, Dazed and Confused

HUMANIZING

HOMELESSNESS

IN KW REGION

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, EMILY WAITSON, TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT HOMELESSNESS IN WATERLOO REGION

Last year, the region of Waterloo set a tious goal to end chronic homelessness 2020.

That objective could not be met by th projected timeline, as the issues that pe periencing homelessness are facing are complex than what can be solved in a m months or a year.

As well, shelters are seeing longer sta pled with an increase in the number of b are required, which complicates the reg ability to adequately address the needs individual.

With the growth and development of er’s downtown core, the gentrification o has caused a noticeable social divide.

For a city that has built and establishe notable support systems for those who a periencing and impacted by urban pove prioritization of building more high-pri dominiums in order to fit the growing d to “revitalize” downtown Kitchener seem contributing to problems that are being looked, rather than working towards att long term solutions.

For people experiencing homelessne Waterloo region and cities across Ontar are also faced with a multitude of variou atic challenges and setbacks.

Steve Abdool, RN, MA and Ph.D. staff cist at St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Hospital believes that the social percept homelessness can be one of the most lim factors in terms of putting valuable assis place for those who need it.

“I think the first thing they experience human beings — our brothers and siste ents and children, it’s not ‘us’ and ‘them experience a lot of stigma, labelling, dis nation — stigmatization is very, very hig society,” Abdool said.

“Another thing, around stigma and la is [the belief ] that these people are a thr violence and dangerousness in our soci that’s not the case at all. Hundreds of stu

an ambis by Jan.

heir eople exe far more matter of

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shown they are not at [higher] risk than the rest of the population for dangerousness and violence to others in our society. So we need to dispel that [myth].”

For people who are also living on the streets with mental illnesses, the difficulties they face are prevalent and made more complicated as well.

“Oftentimes they can’t afford the[ir] medications, and because they have no fixed address, they [can’t] get an OHIP card — so we need to

No, they don’t have ready access to care, treatments, support, compassionate care and teaching them the skill sets to be more hopeful, rather than [feeling] helpless ... There’s a lot of work to be done.

-Steve Abdool, Ph.D. staff bioethicist at St. Joseph’s Health Centre

look into those systemic issues,” Abdool said. “[As] a community, we’re so intolerant of these people who have serious and persistent mental illnesses, that we label them and discriminate against them.”

As someone who has lived in DTK for most of my life, these prejudices are starkly apparent and visible when walking through this area of the city.

People who are visibly experiencing homelessness are ignored, harassed and discriminated against as though they aren’t human beings.

The municipal and local perception often seems to centre on the notion that these people are unpleasant fixtures who should be ignored and pushed out in the process of refurbishing

a city that would rather have a flourishing tech community, along with rising living costs, than care for a struggling community that’s continuing to expand.

“As our society becomes more and more ‘Trumpian’ in its orientation — very capitalist in its orientation — there’s going to be a bigger divide between the ‘have’ and the ‘have nots.’ When you look at the wealth in Canada … something like seven per cent of Canadians own [roughly] 90 per cent of the wealth in Canada. That makes you think ‘how about the rest?’ … that’s a big issue,” Abdool said.

“Studies have shown that more and more people are becoming homeless, and more and more family members — not just individuals … we know that more and more children are accompanying people to [food banks] … so now they have to modify what they’re giving out, especially during the winter months.”

Providing effective care and connections to those who need them are fundamental for people who are experiencing homelessness in order for them to be properly supported.

“Access to supports and resources. In this whole area here, not unlike Toronto, it takes eight months to see a psychiatrist, an addictionologist … in a meaningful, practical way for these people who are marginalized, homeless and faceless. No, they don’t have ready access to care, treatments, support, compassionate care and teaching them the skill sets to be more hopeful, rather than [feeling] helpless … There’s a lot of work to be done,” Abdool said.

Continued education surrounding homelessness and the issues that those who are living and experiencing it is also essential for sustainable progress, especially for first responders.

“A lot more education, a lot more learning opportunities for our first responders, our policemen, our firemen — a lot more in the way of identifying these people, not in a stigmatizing way, but as needing supportive care, rather than to criminalize them and put them in the criminal justice system, where they’re only going to go to

prison without treatment, or back on the streets the next day … We ought to take a different approach … we need to do a lot more in the way of meaningful education, in the way of de-stigmatizing, getting rid of some of those myths associated with these people,” Abdool said.

“We’ve come a long way: we’ve included education to police officers and first responders, some of them with mental health training now — it depends on what the call has been about, not unlike with marital discord … but we still see an increase in [for example,] police shooting homeless people carrying a knife … as a matter of fact, those who are chronic victims of mental illness and addictions in our society, they have learned that one effective way to commit suicide is to brandish a knife, and it’s become a common way, now, to be killed … lethal force is lawful.”

Ultimately, having compassion for these people is what needs to be encouraged in order to achieve the goal of ending chronic homelessness in the region. Cheap, short-term fixes won’t result in long-term solutions, and adequate consideration should be implemented beyond finding people beds for one night in shelters that are already overcapacity.

Casting judgement towards others who are suffering from a rising issue that has the potential to affect anyone is what sets us back as a society from productively resolving it.

“Morality and ethics are about values, it’s about [the] choices we make ... one of the key messages that we need to [acknowledge] ourselves and share with people we [others] is that we have absolutely no moral authority to judge anyone, be it other family members, in society [etc.] … we cannot stand in judgement of anyone, and we have to start recognizing that at a personal level,” Abdool said.

“The best measure, the best litmus test, for a truly enlightened and civilized society, [the only way] we can make that claim, is how well we protect, serve, and support the most marginalized within that society.”

GRAPHICS BY KASH PATEL / WEB DIRECTOR LAYOUT BY BRIT KOVACS/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR

10 • ARTS & LIFE

Arts & Life

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO arts@thecord.ca

FOOD SERVICES

A slice in the right direction Golden Dough Pie Co. on campus is serving up some fresh choices ALYSSA DI SABATINO ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

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On Jan. 13, the newest pizza spot on campus, Golden Dough Pie Co., had its grand opening at the Terrace Food Court.

This is the latest on-campus dining initiative by Laurier Food Services to create Laurier-exclusive options for students.

“It is a brand that is exclusive to Laurier. There’s no other Golden Dough Pie Co., just like how we have Byte75 and Frank’s Coffee Haus, we wanted to make sure that these brands were fitting the Laurier energy and environment and community,” said Nicolette Tsafantakis, Marketing Coordinator at Laurier Food Services.

“Golden Dough Pie Co. allows for personalization, more options and a grab-and-go type of option that I feel like students appreciate ... we felt like a customizable option would appeal to Laurier.”

The menu includes “signature selection” dishes, which allow students to order items that have already been curated for the menu.

Students also have the option to personalize their own pizza with protein, toppings and finishes by filling out a form with a list of ingredients.

The menu also includes a unique selection of dessert pizzas for those who are craving something sweet.

Gluten-free options are available for those with dietary restrictions as well.

The menu includes “signature selection” dishes, which allow students to order items that have already been curated for the menu.

“We have good quality toppings, good quality ingredients, it’s cooked within 90 seconds on the spot and it’s made fresh every single time so it’s something that we’re definitely proud of,” said Tsafantakis.

Tsafantakis explained that Aramark, the dining service that Laurier Food Services has a contract with, has certified chefs who create concepts and dishes to put into the field. Golden Dough Pie Co. has become a sort of “pilot location” for these recipes.

“So, before we actually built Golden Dough we had a pizza tasting with Students’ Union and whoever they wanted to invite as well as a few students that were hanging

around, and we used that feedback towards the completion of the new location,” Tsafantakis said. “[It] definitely helped us in the long run, because we heard that feedback and said, ‘okay, what can we use to improve the concept that we already have?’ because at that time we didn’t even have a name.

So, it was quite a process, but it was definitely worth it.”

The name itself is a nod toward Laurier’s Golden Hawk mascot, similar to the way in which Frank’s Coffee Haus was named after Laurier’s second president, Frank Peters.

In the last few years, the space that is currently housing Golden Dough Pie Co has undergone many franchise changes — it was once a Smokes Poutinerie, then a Pizza Pizza, and is now Golden Dough Pie Co.

We felt like the terrace would be a great place to have a new addition, something new, something exciting — a customizable option...

-Nicolette Tsafantakis, Marketing Coordinator

“I’ve been here for that whole transition of the one location as well and, simply put, we felt like we just needed something brand new and exclusive and something that Golden Hawks can be proud of. So yeah, there’s really no definite answer for it, it’s just that it was time for a change and an update to the Terrace,” said Tsafantakis. “[We’ve] made design changes as well that contributes to brightening up that whole back area of the Terrace. I feel like when you first walked in a couple years ago it was kind of dark up there, but now with the new update it’s fresh and exciting.”

Thus far, feedback for the new space has been largely positive, with students commending the newest food court addition online, on outlets such as Reddit and Instagram.

“We’ve done updates to other areas to the school, and implemented locations that are Laurier exclusive everywhere except for the Terrace. We felt like the terrace would be a great place to have a new addition, something new, something exciting — a customizable option, and we feel like we integrated it pretty successfully into the community,” Tsafantakis said.

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 ENTERTAINMENT

Cheer, country and the cowboys of today IAN SCHAKEL ARTS AND LIFE CONTRIBUTOR

The streaming services we have today are the most recent innovation in the media landscape. With this being the case, platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ have a closer association with modern lifestyle trends than older services, such as theatres, concerts or even the spectacle of live sports.

This isn’t to say the latter haven’t adapted to keep up with the times, but that streaming is the media of today; it was created for metropolises, the lands of high housing prices, internships and Amazon prime.

Data regarding household income and access to high-speed internet provides a simple answer as to why these distributors are such an urban and suburban phenomenon, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say this reflects a growing trend in how and where people across Canada and the U.S. are choosing to live.

These trends may raise concerns among those with personal connections to the culture of days gone by, who worry about its survival and, perhaps more importantly, its legacy.

While the heyday of more traditional entertainment has passed, its influence is still showing in some surprising ways.

An outstanding example of this would be the hit hip-hop/country song “Old Town Road.” Fusing elements of trap and country music,

it set records on Billboard’s Top 100 and generated conversation around what we mean when we say ‘country’, a genre which hasn’t seen the explosive growth that hiphop has.

Its reception added to a long list of cases where creators, including Solange, Cardi B and Kacey Musgraves, use country aesthetics to complement their work. This has been dubbed by some on Twitter as the ‘Yeehaw Agenda’, a movement claiming the hats, the boots and the horses in the back, but which doesn’t define itself by what these things traditionally represent.

Of course, the freedom and independence we associate with the cowboy figure is part of the appeal, and the art is meant to be stronger by liberating these parts of the image from other stereotypes surrounding it.

A similar case to this would be Netflix’s recent docu-series Cheer.

It follows a team of competitive cheerleaders in the small town of Corsicana, Texas, where they introspect about their pasts, their futures and try to come together to win the national title in cheerleading.

I can’t think of a series from Netflix which dealt as organically with the topics of abuse, neglect and depression, which can be credited in part to how modestly it handles these themes. The emotional poignancy doesn’t come from a clever storyline; what we’d normally expect — the slow, climbing tension

and dramatic peaks of action — is blown away by life’s own disdain for three-act structures.

Instead, we see the team deal with chaotic accidents and mental fatigue by pulling on a sense of pride and belonging that connects deeply to why each individual started cheerleading.

In a way, each member of the team respects the idea of cheerleading more than anyone else, even if they don’t fit the historic idea of what a cheerleader should look like.

The context of their training, a small, charming town in Texas, is as important to the character of the show as the sport itself; through its setting, the show puts on display the character of a part of North America not often given the light of day in mass media.

The distinct tone of Texan Americana is something the show’s viewership is always conscious of, but which has never been articulated so honestly and in such a human manner. Beyond novelty, the lasting impact of less metropolitan ways of life provides a type of show which simply couldn’t come from city life.

The memetic influence of older culture is experiencing a kind of resurgence. More people have access to an increasingly diverse media landscape than ever before.

People have an appetite for the unfamiliar, and it falls on entertainment to provide for that; so even if our stories keep changing, the past won’t fade away just yet.

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

VISUAL ARTS

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

Book Room at Robert Langen Art Gallery shows stories in a new light KATELYN TUFFORD ARTS AND LIFE CONTRIBUTOR

Book lovers and non-readers unite.

There is an exhibit on our very own campus that you have to check out.

On a cool Thursday evening where the snow was hitting like tiny ice pellets falling from a gloomy sky, I wandered over to the Laurier library to get a coffee and

kill some time. I had heard of a so-called “book room” exhibit from a social media post and thought it sounded interesting. How ironic: a book room within a book building.

Nevertheless, as I walked into the library, there was a doorway to an open room on my left.

This room, as some may know, is the Robert Langen Art Gallery.

This art gallery is Laurier’s own

visual arts centre. Some of you may recognize the name or the space, but many people have never stepped foot inside. No shame, visiting the Book Room was my first time visit to the gallery.

When I entered the room, there was a small table against the wall with a series of brochures and information sheets where I learned that the artist behind this exhibit

was a Toronto-based artist named Rochelle Rubenstein. After picking up a couple brochures, I turned to enter the exhibit and stopped at the sight of the beauty that took over the room.

I am convinced that you do not need to be a booker lover to fall in love with this sight. As soon as I walked into the gallery, it wasn’t just about seeing a room of books anymore. It became an experience: one of love, hate, sadness, light, darkness, and serenity.

From floor to ceiling I stared at the pages of books, removed from their spines and strung together in vertical strands where each page illustrated a different story, back and front. Covering the papers were illustrations of birds, animals, fruit, architecture, furniture, people and more. They were each drawn in their own unique and colourful ways.

Amongst the drawings of life were pages filled with words. A series of fonts covered the surface.

Dark, thick, thin fonts — sometimes underlined with wire and sometimes covered with papers to create a flap on the page.

The pages were hung to create divisions in the room. On each length of the room was a corridor where one wall was drywall and one was a string of stories. There were cushions on the floor that I think were placed there for people to sit and sate.

At least I hope they were, be-

cause I sat there for an hour just staring at the stories of love, loss, and heartache. “Wake up” read one page. “There is no repetition, just resistance,” read another.

Rubenstein created an exhibit out of something that so many people take for granted. Books aren’t just for school and readings...

Rubenstein created an exhibit out of something that so many people take for granted. Books aren’t just for school and readings — they are beauty and art in their own form.

After taking part in this experience, my message to you is that there truly is beauty in everything.

It is all around you. Sometimes all it takes to feel something new is to try seeking familiar things from a new perspective. Try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes every so often. Most importantly, listen to what other people have to say.

Rubenstein found a way to display books — something I’m sure every one of you have — in a way that makes you see new stories in a different light.

12 •

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

Editor’s Note: KW one of the

EDITORIAL CARTOON

worst safe places for women

EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Trigger warning: This story contains mentions of sexual assault and violence.

I recently read a news story in The Record titled “Kitchener man sexually assaulted two high school students” that reaffirmed the fears that I’ve had since I was a young teenager.

The article discusses a 39-yearold male who attacked a female student just two months after being released from prison for committing the same offence in April 2016.

The first incident occurred inside Resurrection Catholic Secondary School, and the second in a railway tunnel in the middle of the afternoon.

Unsurprisingly, this is a pattern of behaviour that is very unlikely to stop without continued supervision and criminal intervention.

According to what he told the police, “the victim was simply there ... he just felt like doing it … [his] victim pool is any young woman he comes across.”

I used to walk back and forth to school throughout grade seven to grade twelve, and even though I only lived about a twenty-minute walk away, I was always on edge.

I can’t count the number of times that I was catcalled, aggressively yelled at or made to feel unsafe in some way.

It didn’t matter what I wore, if I took a different route or if I pretended to be on the phone with someone. And despite the fact that I was walking, most of the time, in the morning or later in the afternoon, that never seemed to deter any street harassment that was directed towards me. It happened routinely, regardless of what I was doing at the time.

Whether I was walking with

friends, listening to music and doing everything that I could to ignore it, it really didn’t matter. This behaviour continued and came from a variety of men.

Multiple times, I was sure that I was being followed either to school or back home and I was terrified that I would be harmed in some way.

What happened to the girls in this article is what women are repeatedly warned about from the time they gain any sort of independence and become aware of the world around them.

Yet, when we vocalize these fears to others, we are often brushed off and invalidated for “overreacting.”

A high school boyfriend of mine couldn’t believe some of the precautions I would take when I would walk home and laughed when I would tense up if a group of older men would pass by us.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” he would ask me jokingly.

And despite utilizing every tactic that I assume she was taught to implement during an assault while fighting back against her attacker, the second girl was overpowered and only left alone when the assailant was caught by someone walking into the tunnel where she was being assaulted.

This is an undeniable problem that needs to be taken far more seriously and addressed with the appropriate severity when teenage girls are sexually assaulted in their own schools or while they’re walking home.

No matter what the time or the place, this shouldn’t be happening, ever. And when it does, the punishment should fit the crime.

And currently, I don’t believe it does.

Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge was rated one of the worst in a recent report on safe places for women.

Women and girls should not be put at risk by simply existing, and this is an issue that the region needs to be addressing with the criticalness it needs and deserves.

THE CORD IS PUBLISHED BY WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 205 REGINA ST. N., WATERLOO

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TREASURER Kashyap Patel

CHAIR Aaron Waitson

PRESIDENT Aaron Waitson president@wlusp.com

VICE-CHAIR Alyssa Di Sabatino DIRECTOR Arshy Mann DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne DIRECTOR Emily Crump

FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com

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JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Editorial: The hype for TikTok is real KATHLEEN MCCULLOUGH ONLINE EDITOR

In the span of the past few months, TikTok has taken off. The most popular videos have surfaced on other platforms via Instagram and Twitter which helped market the app.

Although, at first glance, it was quite easy to roast the app by what kind of viral dances and the types of teens who were becoming famous.

Eventually, many of us came to admit joining the app and even creating the entertaining TikToks ourselves.

Posting with certain hashtags and at the right moment may result in your video getting hundreds of views.

This is exactly how many teens who have TikTok and have gotten popular, who have millions of likes, are then considered “TikTok Famous.”

A group of these famous teens

on the site have created a ‘Hype House’ for a space to create videos.

The demographics of people on TikTok range immensely. There are personal trainers sharing facts about how to eat healthy, celebrities being goofy on sets of TV shows, and even those who share secrets about the businesses they work at.

Unlike other social media apps, this one seems to be a lot more interactive.

There are functions to mirror other videos along with live streaming and shared hashtags.

The most popular videos have surfaced and been shared through other platforms via Instagram and Twitter. In terms of competition, these social media apps all range with the types of specific content spread.

In the past, TikTok had issues with security.

It was very easy for hackers to take control of other accounts, especially the camera.

This didn’t scare users away, though, as it is a running joke for society nowadays that our phones are already watching and tracking us constantly.

Like other apps, there is major censorship with what can go on that could upset current political figures and countries of what could be shared to millions of users.

Tiktok is also strict about what content can be published, like Instagram, but with even more strict guidelines for people to follow.

Yet there are ‘challenges’ that have led parents and news outlets to be cautious and nervous. As a recent challenge, called the #pennychallenge, by putting a fork and a coin in an electric plug to see how quickly a fire could erupt.

My favourite challenge is the weighted blanket challenge, in which participants throw a heavy weighted blanket on top of themselves and struggle to stand up.

Most of the users of the app have generated posts based on the previous post you like, similar to Instagram and other social media apps, which is helpful in limiting what should and should not be viewed.

So, if you are trying to get a new perspective on social media, then TikTok is your newest download.

Just don’t be shocked when you end up spending hours on the app.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Opinion

13 • 13 OPINION EDITOR JADE HOSICK opinion@thecord.ca

#MeToo has had a positive influence on the workplace environment JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

The #MeToo movement has been in the press for a few years and has allowed many victims of sexual assault to come forward and address what has happened to them by saying ‘me too.’

Unfortunately, most cases of sexual harassment will not receive the same amount of attention as cases that involve famous people, like the Harvey Weinstein trial that is currently happening. But, there is some evidence to show that the movement has been a positive influence in the workplace environment.

Tanya van Biesen, executive director for Canada at Catalyst states that through her experience of consulting with workplaces, she sees that many are taking the movement very seriously and are trying to update their policies for their workers.

It’s no longer about just the

human resources people caring.

People at the top of the companies are really focusing on improving the environment. t could be argued that they are only doing it to save the headache later, after an incident has occurred, but regardless, at least it is happening.

But she also mentions that there is no empirical evidence to say there has been a substantial behavioural change.

The movement therefore has been very influential in the way that businesses are run. Yet the behavioural and cultural changes have yet to be seen, which is really to be expected: change does not just occur overnight.

But, a bigger change is coming soon with Bill C-65, a bill that sets out responsibilities for all federal public service employers and other federally-regulated private industries in hopes of preventing harassment at workplaces.

The bill is requiring employers to do three main things: try to pre-

vent incidents of harassment and violence, respond effectively when incidents occur and support the employees who are impacted.

This is a major step forward: the bill is requiring employers to prevent sexual harassment before it occurs, not just deal with it once it has happened. Dealing with harassment only after the fact is a huge issue that we are seeing, as when the cases aren’t discussed until a victim brings it forward, the harassment is likely to repeat itself.

This bill is especially important for the protection of employees, as everyone should feel safe and secure in their work environment.

If the bill passes, employees of federal and federally-regulated corporations will have the ability to be protected from a wide variety of harassment. It might also have the power to change peoples’ attitudes towards workplace sexual harassment, and not allow people to use the excuse of “it happens everywhere.”

When it comes to summer jobs, connections aren’t everything

VICTORIA MARSHALL SENIOR COPY EDITOR

It’s February. For some of us, the hunt for a summer job is well underway. For others, like myself, it has just begun.

Securing solid summer employment is difficult for most students, unless you’re one of the lucky few who have a connection that can get you a job without the stress of multiple interviews and monthslong application processes.

Thankfully, my high school years consisted of working for a wonderful small business. I’m lucky that my bosses played by the rules, were lenient in scheduling and often went above and beyond in their kindness towards myself and the other ladies who manned their bakeshop’s counter.

But when I realized it was time to branch out (and that it would be nice to work somewhere without ovens running eight hours a day), I was scared. My parents’ jobs have provided me with a lot of great things, but connections leading to summer employment were not one of them.

Since I didn’t know where to start, my mom helped me out. She suggested I apply to a summer student program with the local police force in my hometown, and given my interest in a potential legal career, I was all in. Before applying, I proofread my resume for the nth time, ensuring it was decked out with my personal accolades, and hoped for the best. When I

received my invitation to interview, I was ecstatic. I totally thought my hard work paid off.

Despite this, I was far from confident. Given that my only prior job interview involved me discussing the best concerts I went to that summer, I had little experience in the world of formal interviews. At my mother’s advice, though, I went in with an open mind.

There were 25 spots available for the program, and given that part of the interview was essay writing, I thought I would have no problem moving on to the next stage — but when I got to the police headquarters for the session, something wasn’t sitting right with me.

I quickly realized that I did not have the same leg up as the other candidates. It was January, and it was cold. I was standing outside waiting to get in the locked doors, and in the meantime, other applicants’ parents came up to the door, unlocking it for their kids with a pin code.

As many summer students often do, I tried my best to not let it shake my confidence — but it did. It also didn’t help that the first question on the application asked if I had a parent currently serving as a police officer. I had a feeling I was one of very few in the room who answered “no.”

After I finished what I thought was a well-structured, meaningful essay about my love for the law, I felt pretty good — but there’s nothing worse than getting an email immediately saying you 1. weren’t going to progress, and 2. would not be given a reason why.

Truthfully, I knew why I didn’t make it. The reason was likely based on my answer to the appli-

cation’s first question.

I then did what a friend recommended to me: I applied for summer student jobs through the province. Although my friend used her experience to help me write my resume with the right keywords (thanks, Katie!), I had little hope.

Two months later, while checking my email in class, I read “INVITATION TO ATTEND INTERVIEW” and freaked out. After what became two long months of interviews and security screenings, I had my first adult-ish job. I wasn’t serving croissants — I was serving justice at an iconic Toronto courthouse.

Actually, I was photocopying parking tickets. But it’s the same thing, right?

I had a few chats with my supervisor during the summer about why she hired me out of the dozens of students who applied for my position. She told me that at the interview, it didn’t come down to experience: it came down to character.

She also assured me that when an interview is done fairly, connections mean nothing.

My boss and group leader at the courthouse, who came to be one of my favourite people in the office (and, like, ever), also told me that it really is your attitude that lands you the job — not your qualifications.

She sent me a text the other day, just to check in and wish me good luck with the semester. “Stay as sweet as you are!” was how she ended the message. It made my day knowing that I was remembered in the office not for simply being competent, but by coming into the office with an open mind

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

and smile on my face (and the occasional espresso with her name on it).

Looking back on it, my first mistake in job hunting was believing that all institutions hire fairly. After my first interview experience, I realized this was naive.

My second mistake was believing that employers would care more about awards and GPAs than how people enter the room and answer their questions.

Thankfully, if your future supervisor has a level head on their shoulders, this will be a myth you can bust yourself.

If there was anything I learned

last summer other than how to get out of a speeding ticket, it’s that connections aren’t your stepping stool into the real world: your attitude is.

Go into that interview with an open mind, a genuine smile, and express that you are always willing to learn. Despite the stresses interviews bring, I’m excited to do this all over again.

That’s because I’ve learned firsthand that being a kind, hardworking individual will never do you harm; and, frankly, employers who care more about who you know than who you are don’t deserve the time of day.

14 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

A case for switching to natural deodorant SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR

Deodorant is one of those products that everyone — or almost everyone — uses.

It’s such an automatic part of our routines that it hardly crosses our minds most of the time — that is, until you forget to put it on and realize you stink like body odor halfway through the day.

And while most people reach for their deodorants without a second thought, maybe we should be thinking about what we’re putting into our bodies day after day.

Most commercial deodorants we see in drugstores boast bold scents and promises to keep customers smell-free for up to 48 hours.

Some types of deodorant, or antiperspirant, even promise to keep you from sweating all together — not like that’s a natural bodily process which serves an actual purpose other than to stain our grey t-shirts, right?

It’s very easy as a consumer to reach for these products without giving them a second look, and that’s what most of us wind up doing for most of our lives.

It wasn’t until I actually took the time to read the ingredients on the product I mindlessly reached for everyday, that I realized I might need to start paying more attention to my deodorant.

Most common deodorants contain harmful ingredients, such as parabens, fragrance and aluminum.

These ingredients have been linked to side effects such as skin irritation, allergic reactions and potentially increase risks of cancer and Alzheimers disease.

Since the armpits are such a porous part of the body, it is easy for the products you put on your skin to absorb into your bloodstream.

Simply type one of these terms and “deodorant” into your search engine of choice and see for yourself.

Apart from all those scary side effects, there are some boring yet inconvenient ones too.

After years of use, your body will become accustomed to using these products and begin to rely on them. So, if you miss a day, guess what? You’re going to smell even worse than you would have before and you will probably sweat a whole lot more that you should.

That’s because your body is now overcompensating to compete with these products which are clogging your sweat glands and messing with your microbiome.

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So how do you avoid these things without relegating yourself to a life of smelling like a mens change room? Go natural.

Now I know what you’re all thinking: natural deodorants don’t work.

It’s a common misconception that all natural deodorants perform worse than their commercial counterparts, but that is a load of crap.

There are plenty of natural deodorants which work even better than commercial deodorant, you just have to find them.

Typically, the natural deodorants you see in the drug store aren’t going to be great, but if you look on Amazon or check out your local natural health and beauty store they will have some quality options.

The best natural deodorant I have come across is by the brand Routine.

They come in a variety of scents which can be used for any gender and will keep you smelling fresh throughout your longest days and heaviest workouts. Plus, they come

in recyclable packaging so no unnecessary waste!

Another positive side effect I have had since switching to natural deodorant is that when I miss a day, I sweat a lot less and hardly smell at all. I can go multiple days without applying deodorant and (if I’m not doing any intense exercise) you couldn’t tell.

Overall, if you want to smell better, sweat less and not worry about the things you’re putting into your body on a daily basis, natural deodorant is your best bet.

Donald Trump signs to move USMCA forward JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

On Jan. 29, 2019 Donald Trump had officially signed the USMCA, which was passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) is an updated version of NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement.

This updated trade agreement was something that Donald Trump had promised to change during his 2016 presidential campaign, as he called the previous agreement the “worst trade deal ever made.”

NAFTA has been a target of Trump and others who believe that it encouraged American companies to move to Mexico and set up factories there, as opposed to giving jobs to American citizens.

The process of updating the agreement was set to end in 2017, but it went on until the following year.

Mexico was the first country to ratify the deal back in June 2019, but the U.S. Democrats refused to sign it until there were stronger labour provisions and environmental protections.

Now, the USMCA is not finalized – as Canada has yet to ratify it – but

if it does pass in Canada it will go into effect 90 days later.

Here’s a brief overview of what this agreement contains: New ‘country of origin’ rules state that all automobiles must have 75 per cent of their parts (a jump from the 62.5 per cent under NAFTA) made within the three nations to qualify as tariff-free.

Labour provisions have changed and require 40 to 45 per cent of all automobile parts to be made by employees who earn at minimum $16 per hour by 2023.

It was also added that United States farmers will now get more access to the Canadian dairy market.

The deal also extends the terms of copyright, changing it to 70 years beyond the life of the author (it used to be 50 years). It also adds new provisions to deal with the digital economy.

Lastly, the deal has added in the ‘sunset clause’ which states that the terms of the agreement will expire after 16 years and is subject to review every six years.

The sunset clause was designed with the thought that, unlike NAFTA, USMCA will not become outdated, unbalanced or politically unpopular. The only way for the agreement not to expire after sixteen years is for each of the countries involved to affirmatively state that they wish to renew it, and then the 16 years will begin again.

Adding on the sunset clause is a very smart move in my opinion,

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as the main issue surrounding NAFTA was that it was outdated and no longer served the needs of the public.

Reviewing it every six years would also give the option of

allowing new presidents and prime ministers to review what was written and make changes in accordance with what their country needs currently, not what they needed 26 years ago.

This agreement is not completely ratified as stated before, but with the way this is going I see Canada signing the deal very shortly and therefore putting the USMCA into effect pretty soon.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

SPORTS • 15

OUA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Solid team performance has swim team prepared for provincials MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks swim team travelled to Toronto two weekends ago and put together an impressive performance in what was their final tune-up before the OUA Championships.

Over three days of competition at the Toronto Grand Prix and the University of Toronto Invitational, the Golden Hawks were able to achieve five top five finishes in five different events.

“Coming off of our Christmas training, the team was prepared and put forward some great performances over the three days,” head coach Cathy Pardy said of the team’s overall performance.

A number of Golden Hawks swimmers performed well including third-year swimmer Ellen Lafroy from Thunder Bay, Ontario and fourth-year swimmer Jasmine Raines from Kitchener, who were the lone Laurier swimmers to find the podium in Toronto.

Lafroy finished third in the 400-metre individual medley with a time of 5:31:05 seconds. Jasmine Raines joined her with a medal as she placed third in the 50-metre breaststroke event with a time of 33.81 seconds.

Raines continues her incredible career now in her fourth year with the program.

She swept the breaststroke events in the last meet at the DeBray Divisional Championships that took place in Guelph back in November.

Raines was able to finish first in the 50, 100 and 200 metre breaststroke events for the fourth straight year at that competition.

Lafroy also finished in the top ten in three events a few months ago in Guelph, including a top five finish in the 200-metre butterfly event.

Along with their podium fin-

ishes, Lafroy had a strong weekend overall, securing two top 10 finishes in the 200-metre butterfly event and the 200-metre individual medley.

Raines finished fifth and ninth respectively in the 100 and 200-metre breaststroke.

When asked about Raines and Lafroy’s performance, Coach Pardy applauded their work ethic.

“It was a very busy time for them balancing university life and academics with swimming, and they were a part of a few of our swimmers who have put in a ton of work this year and have come out and performed well.”

Raines has her eyes set on the provincial championships next week, as she will likely be named an OUA all-star again.

During her illustrious career here, Jasmine Raines has won the swimming team MVP for the past three seasons and was named the 2019 athlete of the year for her results last season.

“We will look for Jasmine to come out and be victorious at provincials in her signature event, the breaststroke,” Coach Pardy said of the upcoming OUA Championships.

Along with that, Raines has won various weekly awards and was honoured by USPORTS, being named an academic all-Canadian after last year.

In her previous three seasons with the swim team, she has already left her legacy and only continues to improve at each and every competition.

Raines is in her final year of academics with the Golden Hawks but has a big decision to make next year: whether or not she will return and swim for the Golden Hawks a fifth and final year. Coach Pardy is hopeful of her return.

“We would love to have her back and will try our best to persuade her to compete another year with

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us,” Coach Pardy said.

On the men’s side, veteran swimmers Mitchell Gour and Tyson Macdonald each secured top five finishes.

Macdonald finished fifth in the 400-metre freestyle with a time of 4:24 seconds.

Gour finished fifth in the 50-metre backstroke with a time of 27.37 seconds, while also securing a top five finish in the 100-metre backstroke.

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For Tyson in his fifth year with the program, Coach Pardy mentioned that he has worked consistently hard and will have another opportunity at representing Canada in the Paralympics this summer. a feat he has already accomplished last year.

“This is an exciting time for Tyson, as he has eyes set on competition with Canada, after provincials are over with,” Pardy said.

With great results all around,

Coach Pardy is looking forward to the OUA Championships later this week.

The performances by the veterans of the club have encouraged Coach Pardy and are reason for optimsm headed into this week’s provincials.

These provincial championships will take place over a three-day competition hosted at the Toronto Pan-Am Sports Centre, starting this Thursday, Feb. 6.

16 •

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR MARK CASCAGNETTE sports@thecord.ca

MEN’S FOOTBALL

Laurier alumnus Galloway returns as teams new OC MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks’ football team has a new addition to their coaching roster with the hiring of Todd Galloway as the new offensive coordinator and student-athlete development.

“We had a very good candidate pool for the offensive coordinator position here at Laurier, so we went through an interview process and coming out of it, although there were some other great candidates, Todd Galloway stood out for a variety of reasons,” said football head coach Michael Faulds.

“From a coaching and technical standpoint, his track record speaks for itself. They had success at McMaster this year and he was a part of their offensive staff [and] for all the years he was with the Guelph Gryphons they also had a lot of success.”

Galloway, a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier, played for the Golden Hawks from 2000-2003 and was on the coaching staff during the team’s 2005 Vanier Cup win.

“Him being a Laurier alum weighed heavily, obviously the connections he has here and the comfort he has here on campus as well as the recruiting,” Faulds said.

“That’s what the university coaches do, when one season ends you’re thinking of the next crop to bring in and Coach Gallowaywherever he’s been- he’s always been a really good recruiter.”

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His coaching expertise comes from working with many other USPORTS schools including St. Mary’s University, the University of Guelph and most recently McMaster University, the reigning Yates Cup champions.

The Golden Hawks went 4-4

last season, including an overtime thriller to win the Battle of Waterloo after losing the year before, but are looking to improve during the 2020 season.

“We’re adding another person in and around the program 365 days a year. What that does is it allows

everyone to coach a little bit more and for our players to get more coaching,” Faulds said.

“Coach Galloway will take care of the offence during the season and on gamedays and what that does is now frees up my availability as a head coach to see things from

a different level and manage things as well as handle things like sponsorship and alumni relations.”

Galloway’s work with McMaster quarterbacks last year led to their starting quarterback ranking top three in the country in completions, yards and touchdowns.

The 2019 season marked the second time the Golden Hawks had missed the playoffs in as many years, after having not missed the playoffs since 2013.

The two-year drought is something the coaching staff is looking to snap with Galloway’s hiring.

“Finding the recruits and having them come into Laurier, we have roughly 20 signed commits, which means we’ll finish in the mid-20’s, and then from our returning veterans they’re all working extremely hard,” Faulds said.

“Everyone is trying to get themselves in the best physical shape they can while balancing school, then at the end of March beginning of April we’ll have our outdoor spring camp practices so everyone’s gearing up for that as well.”

The Hawks also look to continue to reload as many players graduate and go onto CFL camps.

The coaching staff’s focus for the remainder of the spring is to continue recruiting and get their players in sync for their next training camp.

The Golden Hawks kick off the 2020 season against the University of Toronto on Aug. 30 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto at 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Coach Paton remains optimistic despite winless home record MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR

Heading into their final two home games of the season this past weekend, Coach Kelly Paton and her players were still in search of their first home win.

In 10 previous games at the Waterloo Memorial Recreational Complex, the Golden Hawks team could not get a win, losing several tightly contested games.

Laurier entered this final weekend with games against Ontario Tech and Queens.

Coach Paton mentioned the importance of the final games at home, knowing that the team was unsuccessful there so far.

“Internally, as a group, we really want to get a win here at home and the girls are all aware and will try our hardest in order to get that done,” Coach Paton said before the game against Ontario Tech.

On Thursday, the Golden Hawks played one of their best offensive games of the season, as they were able to put 40 shots on Celine Tessier, the Ontario Tech netminder.

The 40 shots by Laurier was their highest total in nearly two years,

but Tessier made crucial stops throughout the game, leading the Ridgebacks to a 3-2 win.

Coach Paton had her players prepared as they came out with energy and had a sense of passion.

They looked like the better team throughout the game and opened the scoring on a Chloe Davidson goal.

After two early third period goals by the Ridgebacks, the Golden Hawks stayed focused and fought hard.

Rebecca Hall tied the game scoring her biggest goal as a member of the team with just over three minutes left.

“Overall I think the game went on par with the season, staying competitive, going into the third period and having a chance to come out with the win,” Coach Paton said of the game.

In the seven-minute overtime frame, Laurier was gifted a penalty shot and a powerplay, but still could not beat Tessier.

With 14 seconds left in overtime, Alex Frigon for the Ridgebacks beat Laurier goalie, Victoria Keaiditis and broke the hearts of Golden Hawks players.

Coach Paton was frustrated after the game. “We are making progress, but it is challenging to not be able to see that translate into results,” she said.

On Saturday, the Hawks had one more chance of winning at home and honoured six graduating players pre-game in what would be their final home game with the Laurier hockey program.

“The team did a really good job recognizing the seniors today, they did some stuff pre-game, that made some of the seniors emotional, which is really good to see, because it shows the staff and I that they care,” Coach Paton said.

Laurier came out with energy again and opened the scoring again, however they gave up three goals and lost 3-1.

Laurier finished the season 0-9-3 at home this season but were competitive in nearly every game.

Coach Paton was disappointed in that statistic becoming a reality but remained optimistic along with her team.

“We have been much more consistent in the second half of the season, we just need to do a better job in close games and pressure

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situations. Offensive puck skills are an area of growth for this team going forward,” said Coach Paton.

Coach Paton mentioned that it was a transition year for the program and it will be important to step back and realize who they are

as a team, in order to continue to build a team that needs some help in getting back to where they were a decade ago.

Laurier will play Western on Thursday, before finishing the regular season against York on Feb. 15.