February 10, 2016

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 56 ISSUE 22 • FEBRUARY 10, 2016

SONGS TO SET THE MOOD Whether it’s sex or love, we have the playlist for you Arts & Life, page 10

FIRST DATE JITTERS What to do (and not do) on a first date Arts & Life, page 11

PLEASURE FROM TOYS Sex toys and their advancement over time Arts & Life, page 10

ENTHUSIASTIC CONSENT Sex should never be forced Editorial, page 12

THE MESSAGE OF LOVE How cell phones have changed the way we date Opinion, page 13

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

2 •

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

VOCAL CORD What is your favourite makeout/love song?

@cordnews

The Cord

Bag O’ Crime

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Location: Parking Lot #3A Reported: Monday, February 1, 2016 @ 11:32 a.m.

SCS received a report of a black coloured 4 door Mazda that reportedly had sustained numerous scratches to the passenger side front and rear door sometime between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 30. CCTV video footage was reviewed with negative results. It’s unknown for certain where the damage occurred.

“How To Touch A Girl by JoJo.” –Elbethel Mulugeta, fourth-year biology and psychology

Location: University Stadium Reported: Tuesday, February 2, 2016 @ 3:52 p.m.

SCS officers received a report of an unwanted person in the front lobby of the building. The attending officers identified the male as a 36-year old local with a severe diminished mental capacity well known to SCS. He was provided transportation back to his group home via a local taxi.

“Hotline Bling by Drake.”

–Cole Wendling, third-year business

CordNews

@cordwlusp

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Vinny Merante is one part of a strong, influential duo of goaltenders leading the men’s hockey team this year.

“Here For You by Kygo.”

–Ahsan Qasi, third-year business

Location: Off Campus Reported: Friday, February 5, 2016 @ 10:02 p.m.

On January 27 a female Laurier student was approached by an unknown male in the driveway of her off campus residence at 38 University Ave. E. The male had asked her out on a date. The offer was declined. Police were not notified at the time. A similar encounter was experienced by another female student on February 5 at 20 University Ave. E. fitting the description of the same male. WRPS is investigating both complaints.

Discover a Career in one of the Fastest Growing Industries in Canada.

“Sorry by Justin Bieber.”

Financial Planning Services

–Ryan Price, second-year business

This 8-month graduate certificate allows you to: • Be fully licensed to sell Canadian Securities and Mutual Funds

Location: Parking Lot #24 Reported: Saturday, February 6, 2016 @ 3:53 p.m.

SCS officers attended to a student residence located at 88 Seagram Dr. for a student that wanted to report that he had been the victim of a scam. A male and a female had approached him in the parking lot driving a white SUV and asked him to purchase some speakers that were supposed to be high-end.

Money was exchanged for speakers that were not as advertised.

• Challenge the provincial Life Insurance exam • Challenge the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam “No More Lonely Nights by Paul McCartney.”

Location: Parking Lot #3A Reported: Thursday, February 4, 2016 @ 5:20 p.m.

SCS investigated a report of two suspicious persons observed attempting to gain entry into a parked vehicle in lot #3A. The suspects, one male and one female, were observed carrying what was believed to be a metal object which they were using to try and gain entry. The suspects left the scene prior to the arrival of SCS. There were no damages to the vehicle and nothing reported missing from within.

APPLY NOW FOR SEPTEMBER!

–Kimberly Hutchings, fourth-year communications and English Compiled by Maddy Cutts Photos by Jessica Dik NEXT ISSUE: FEBRUARY 24, 2016

LOCAL NEWS EDITOR Erika Ymana eymana@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Will Huang whuang@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

FEATURES EDITOR Bethany Bowles bbowles@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Brian Phillips bphillips@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shelby Blackley sblackley@thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Zach Guitor zguitor@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER Maddy Cutts mcutts@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lena Yang lyang@thecord.ca

OPINION EDITOR Mitchell Consky mconsky@thecord.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jessica Dik jdik@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joshua Awolade jawolade@thecord.ca

SPORTS EDITOR Drew Yates dyates@thecord.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Caitlyn Sageman csageman@thecord.ca

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Mynt Marsellus mmarsellus@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Fani Hsieh fhsieh@thecord.ca

CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Severin kseverin@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros apatsiaouros@thecord.ca

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Kira Gelbard kgelbard@thecord.ca

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE:

Manjot Bhullar Paige Bush Mira Busscher Hayley Colussi Jon Coward Ryan Culley Heather Davidson Stephen Diaferia Alex Dulanovic Daniel Johnson Alexandra Juraschka Heather McLeod Christian Paron Marco Pedri Aliaa Sidawi Fatima Soomro Jordan Soufian Caroline Spicer

The journey after graduation by Bethany Bowles

EDITOR’S CHOICE ONLINE: Cord Weekly Update by Brian Phillips

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 6,000 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: “Crying is for losers. And girls.”

- Features Editor Bethany Bowles regarding Photo Editor Andreas Patsiaouros being a whiny baby “Do you buy everything in bulk?!”

- Creative Director Lena Yang regarding Chinese food and socks

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Campus

• 3 CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN kseverin@thecord.ca

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

HIRING

Finding a new leader ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR

Out of the 17,080 Wilfrid Laurier University students, 4,315 voted in this year’s election, a small increase from last year’s Students’ Union election turnout.

Small jump in 2016 elections MADDY CUTTS LEAD REPORTER

The results are in following the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union elections held last week on February 3 and 4, when students from Waterloo and Brantford were given the chance to make their voice count.

Though members of the Laurier community have known since late Thursday evening the results of the election, which saw Tyler Van Herzele elected as the next Students’ Union president and first-ever president-elect from Brantford, the full data detailing how and in what numbers students chose to engage with the election were not immediately available. Voting online opened early morning last Wednesday, with the majority of students choosing not to delay in casting their vote, as evidenced by the site’s traffic data.

“I think we hit triple digits every hour from 9 a.m. until probably around four for people voting,” said Colin Aitchison, chair of the board and chief governance officer. “On day two I think we only hit triple digits one hour or two hours for voter turnout, and the numbers were significantly lower until the end of the day where they increased again at the last minute.”

Of the 17,080 students enrolled across all of Laurier’s campuses, a total of 4,315 students voted in the election, making for a 26.14 per cent turnout rate, an approximate two per cent increase from last year’s 24.2 per cent turnout.

“Seeing the two per cent increase was nice, seeing as we had the exact same amount of presidential candidates as last year,” said Aitchison. “It’s not where I wanted it to be. It’s tough though when you only have two presidential candidates and their

campaigns aren’t big and flashy.

I found that they both ran really similar campaigns, and it’s not to say that they ran bad campaigns because they were both really well run.”

Though the turnout rate increased, the jump was not as much as election organizers had hoped for given the extensive marketing campaign launched earlier this year by the Students’ Union. The campaign, #LaurierVotes, was modeled after McMaster University’s #MacVotes initiative, where turnout last year at their respective Students’ Union election reached 44 per cent.

Initially unveiled to encourage voter turnout among university community members for the federal election last October, the same promotional tactics were used once again for Laurier’s own elections for Students’ Union president and board of directors, as well as

Laurier’s Senate and board of governors.Though the results weren’t evident with this year’s engagement, the campaign will continue to be used in the years to come in a hope that consistent branding will be accompanied by greater engagement between presidential campaigns and the student body.

“We can only do so much on our end to get a certain amount of students, and then we have to rely on the candidates to get others out,” said Aitchison. “A lot of the time we’re compared to schools like McMaster, who have six, seven candidates at times, who all have extremely flashy campaigns so they can draw from a bigger proportion of their school population.

I think that we did the best that we could to engage students.”

The full election results for all positions were ratified at the Students’ Union board of directors meeting on February 5.

ELECTIONS

LazSoc to conduct hiring process MADDY CUTTS LEAD REPORTER

The election process for Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis Students’ Society president came to a halt last week following the disqualification of candidate Jerin Baby.

Though there were initially two candidates running for LazSoc president, news of Baby’s disqualification came midday on February 4, more than halfway through the election period, rendering all votes cast null and void. With the news of Baby’s disqualification, which was reportedly due to 10 demerit points having violated election period policies, came the announcement of a second vote to be held the following day.This vote was a simple yes/no question regarding whether students were in favour of the election of the remaining candidate, Simon MacLeod, to the role of LazSoc president.

At this same time, another campaign of a different nature was launched: a page and petition were set up online in an effort to ‘Bring Baby Back,’ citing transparency issues throughout the appeals and disqualification process as grounds to re-establish the candidate. The page has since been taken down.

“The real intention behind the campaign was simply just to raise awareness about what had occurred. And essentially just that we wanted, we were looking for a fair

election. This wasn’t about a particular candidate, this wasn’t about the elections teams, what it was about was the fact that the policies weren’t necessarily as black and white as they could have been,” said John Pehar, a representative for the Bring Baby Back campaign.

“There was some discrepancies and miscommunications throughout this whole process, and we felt like based on what had happened, the best circumstance was simply for us to say, let’s revisit this and let’s try and push potentially for either another election or a revisitation of the policies that are in place.”

Despite the campaign’s efforts, the acclimation vote carried out on February 5 only had 590 students respond.Though an announcement was released over MyLearningSpace to all business administration and economics students on February 4, communication was slowed the day of the acclimation vote. A reminder announcement was not released until the late afternoon and no emails sent, with LazSoc relying primarily on their social media to keep students updated.

“Because it was a Friday night, we weren’t able to access any of our usual means through the BBA office or the econ office or MyLearningSpace, everyone was closed,” said Vanessa Buttinger, current president of LazSoc. “There was a lot of stuff last week where

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

we were getting it out as fast as we can, but there was a lot of time taken in the decisions that we were making.”

MacLeod’s acclamation was rejected with 50.17 per cent of student’s voting ‘no,’ a decision which was won by a single vote, forcing the LazSoc advisory board to instead design an alternative election process.The board’s decision was to appoint a selection of representatives to a committee, which will now carry out a hiring process for the future president.

“This was a brand new process for everyone sort of at this point and what’s come out of it is that there is going to be talk and

discussion when we rebuild our constitution and go through all the election policy for the future,” said Buttinger.

Any candidate who had originally run in the presidential race will have to state their interest in participation by the deadline of February 10 at 5 p.m. Anyone who did not run but had attended the all-candidates meeting held prior to the election period is welcome to submit a nomination package by the deadline, after which time all hopefuls will undergo an interview process with the selection committee. *Disclaimer: John Pehar is a member of WLUSP board of directors

Board of governors to establish search committee KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

With Max Blouw nearing the end of his second five-year term as president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University, the board of governors will be starting the process of establishing the search committee to find Laurier’s next leader.

“The internal processes for forming the search committee will take place over the month of February, and we expect the committee to be fully populated by March 4, 2016,” said university secretariat Rebecca Wickens and members of communications, public affairs and marketing in an email to The Cord.

According to the board of governors approved procedures for searches and reviews of senior administrators, the search committee is established when a search is undertaken for a university position up for competition, such as president and vice-president.

The board will appoint the president following advice of the university Senate.

Like Blouw, the upcoming president of the university will also serve as the chief executive officer for five years per term.

The president has supervision and direction of academic work and general administration of the university, including members of Laurier’s faculty, staff and students.

On behalf of the board, Wickens will be contacting those involved in the appointment of president to seek nomination for committee membership.

The search committee will be composed of 15 voting members, including the chair of the board, three external board members and two members holding the office of vice-president, dean or university librarian. Their responsibilities include screening and interviewing potential candidates.

This process will involve a string of meetings, most of which are expected to commence in March until December.

Wickens explained the nominations process for the search committee will depend on the constituency represented.

“The board of governors appointees are reviewed and recommended by the board nominations committee. The faculty members are elected by the University Faculty Council according to the procedures of that body. The student representatives are appointed by [Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union] and [Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Student Association], according to the procedures of those organizations.”

Prior to advertising the position of president, the committee will talk with the Laurier community and stakeholders to find exceptional qualities for their new leader.

4 • PHOTOS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

#LAURIER VOTES

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR, ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR, PAIGE BUSH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Local

• 5 LOCAL NEWS EDITOR ERIKA YMANA eymana@thecord.ca

INITIATIVES

Kit created for mental health PASS kit for panic, anxiety and stress LENA YANG CREATIVE DIRECTOR

First aid kits may be a staple in most institutions, offices and homes, but first aid kits for mental health are sorely missing despite a rise in awareness and support for those suffering from mental illnesses in recent years.

University of Waterloo students Tina Chan and Alaaddin Sidahmed realized the lack, so they created the PASS kit, which stands for Panic Anxiety and Stress Support kit. Chan and Sidahmed first conceived the idea for the 2015 Big Ideas Challenge, a pitch competition hosted by the University of Waterloo’s faculty of applied health sciences.

“We thought … so everyone carried around, or should be carrying around, a first aid kit, but they aren’t carrying around a lot of things that help their mental health. So we decided to roll with that idea and have the mental health first aid kit. After doing further research and getting advice from UW counsellors we put this together,” said Chan.

The kit includes an eye mask, earplugs, a stress ball, flash cards and a card with all of the mental

health crisis hotlines in case someone needs help the kit cannot offer.

The eye mask and ear plugs help reduce anxiety when outside influences such as loud roommates are being disruptive, while the stress ball and gum help keep individuals occupied in times of high stress.

“If I’m using the kit and I see you using the kit, we have a common understanding even if we don’t talk a lot.”

-Alaaddin Sidahmed, co-founder of PASS kit

The flash cards are a unique feature of the kit. Each card offers tips and exercises like muscle relaxation to help people work through stress and anxiety on their own.

“The flashcards are essentially just different tips and ideas for what you can do,” explained Sidahmed.

“They’re condensed because we realized although there is a lot of literature around mental health, most of it is pretty dense.”

MARCO PEDRI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Co-Founders of PASS kit, UW alum Alaaddin Sidahmed and fourth-year student Tina Chan, plan to expand to WLU.

The kit was distributed to firstyears in the St. Paul’s University College for the pilot study to help students deal with their transition from high school to university, which can be a highly stressful time. Not only is it a significant leap in lifestyle and practices, but it is also happening in a period of time that is formative for students.

“During their times of need when help is unavailable, we offer a glitch-free solution to guide them away from unhealthy work behaviours and toward healthy ones,” Chan explained.

Rather than aiming to replace counseling services or professional

assistance, Chan and Sidahmed both hope the kit will be able teach people how to manage and assist their own mental health needs on a day-to-day basis by practicing healthy coping mechanisms.

Spreading awareness is also one of the major aims of the PASS kit, as despite continuing efforts to bring the prevalence of mental illness to light, there remains a large stigma around mental health.

“If I’m using the kit and I see you using the kit, we have a common understanding even if we don’t talk a lot. We both know we’re dealing with something or we’re doing our best to get through it,”

said Sidahmed.

Although only a handful of firstyears at UW were included in the pilot study, Chan and Sidahmed are hoping to expand to Wilfrid Laurier University and the tri-city universities in the future.

“For a lot of institutions it’s definitely becoming an issue they don’t know how to manage maybe because the first solution people come up with is counseling. There is never going to be enough counsellors to meet the demands of students so there has to be something else in that period of time to assist students and that’s what we’re hoping the kit will do.”

RESEARCH

Emotional complexity is based on focus Other-focused cultures are considered to be more emotionally sophisticated and balanced ERIKA YMANA LOCAL NEWS EDITOR

People who are able to differentiate their mixed emotions tend to be more emotionally sophisticated and in-depth, according to a research paper conducted at the University of Waterloo.

Igor Grossmann, assistant professor in the department of psychology at the University of Waterloo and lead author of the paper, along with his colleagues, wondered what it meant to have “mixed feelings.” Is it a sign of indecision or a “complex” representation of one’s emotional experience?

Grossmann said quite often, mixed feelings are thought of as indecision, which is just a western and self-focused way of thinking.

The research was centred around whether emotions are really up to the individual and are an innate experience, or if it is attuned to one’s social environment.

The project involved a set of

“The driving force here seems to be the point of self-focus.”

-Igor Grossmann, associate professor and lead author of the paper

“Within the black, angry is not the same as sad and you don’t report experiencing that to the same extent in every single situation.”

-Igor Grossmann, associate professor and lead author of the paper

FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR

studies — text-analysis and other studies focused on the way individuals would report their emotions, if they were able to differentiate mixed feelings and how they reported on positive and negative experiences.

In surveying different cultures and countries, the research revealed that self-oriented cultures — Canada, United States and Australia — were less emotionally complex in comparison to otheroriented cultures such as Japan, Singapore, Russia and India, for example.

Other theories were considered when testing for emotional com-

plexity, such as the innate nature of emotions or if it is influenced by cultural or religious differences.

However by testing a range of countries, researchers were able to come to the conclusion that emotional complexity and signs of mixed emotions come from social relations and one’s connection to their social environment.

Grossmann indicated that with emotions, there is a spectrum from black to white. Emotional sophistication refers to the ability to differentiate a variety of emotions rather than seeing experiences as black or white. It also refers to being able to understand how the

situation matches the emotional experience.

“Within the black, angry is not the same as sad and you don’t report experiencing that to the same extent in every single situation. Happy is not the same thing as calm, and calm is not the same thing as excited,” he said.

If one is unable to differentiate the negative emotions, they tend to suffer from emotional regulation problems.

According to Grossmann, these individuals tend to be clinically depressed.

The ability to differentiate allows individuals to have an emotionally

rich and balanced life.

“Not everything you do is because of a certain belief system and even if it is, it has to come from some sort of psychological reality.

It is one thing to believe in yin and yang, but there is another thing that manifests itself on the level of individual psychology,” Grossmann said.

The two main points from the study Grossmann performed were that mixed feelings are not a sign of indecision, but rather those who show mixed feelings have a greater ability to differentiate their emotions.

Also, there are systematic differences in how people report mixed feelings, but they have nothing to do with belief systems.

“The driving force here seems to be the point of self-focus. The less you focus on the self and the more you focus on the environment, the more it seems you will be able to differentiate, and also report a multitude of different experiences,” said Grossmann.

6 • GAMES

SUDOKU

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

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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 Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, If you want to build Canada’s best business school, a good place to start would be to eliminate Saturday and Sunday midterms.

Sincerely, I wonder if they care about health and wellness?

thecord.ca

Dear Life, Congratulations! A+ to the person(s) who took away all the old litter in the Science building “C” staircase, but an F for sure to the idiot who left their lunch garbage and unfinished drink there today.

Sincerely, Did you even graduate from high school?

Dear Life, Why is it so impossible to stay on top of part time work, full time school, friendships and significant others simultaneously. These four factors should work together, instead of pushing each other apart with vicious claws. I’m tired of half assing every aspect of my life.

Sincerely, A fourth year student hanging on by a thread Dear AUS exec team, Figure out how to fulfill your responsibilities and support the clubs you already have before initiating new programs. You have an hour long meeting filled with mostly useless information and promoting events to the most involved students on campus. Why don’t you promote those events to people who don’t already have a shit load to do? Why didn’t you promote voting in the Students’ Union elections since you get all your funding from the union?

CICDA put a bad taste in everyone’s mouths and AUS will do the same if you don’t stick to actually supporting your clubs. LazSoc (formerly SBESS) has a giant exec and supports their clubs well which is why business students like LazSoc. AUS is doomed to the same fate as CICDA if you don’t start fulfilling your basic responsibilities.

Sincerely, A pissed off club president

HAVE A SAY IN YOUR STUDENT MEDIA

Dear Life, Trees deserve to live!

Sincerely, Stop using paper. Technology was created for a reason, man.

WLUSP’S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Dear Life, All the small things True care, truth brings I’ll take one lift Your ride best trip Always I know You’ll be at my show Watching, waiting, commiserating Say it ain’t so, I will not go, Turn the lights off, Carry me home Sincerely, Na na na na na na

FEB. 9 @ 6 PM HAWKS NEST

Dear Life, I have nothing to complain about this week. This is good.

Sincerely, The high is better than the low

By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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AD • 7

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Will you be my

va l e n t i n e ?

Yes no maybe* *maybe does not mean yes!

What is consent?

It’s more than saying yes or no. It’s about being able to fully communicate what you want and don’t want sexually without feeling afraid, pressured, or in any way coerced. Enthusiastic consent means not only should a person be free to say yes or no to sex, but that conditions should be present so that when they say “yes”, they mean yes!, and that a “no” is welcomed and respected. In order for enthusiastic consent to be a possibility, open and honest communication is required, even in the case of a one-time sexual encounter.

www.lspirg.org/consent

8 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/BETHANY BOWLES/BBOWLES@THECORD.CA

THE JOURNEY AFT

Features Editor Bethany Bowle an undergraduate degre

As the winter term reaches its midpoint, it’s becoming more and more evident that in two and a half months, I will complete my undergraduate degree.

And I’m absolutely terrified.

As much as I know the last four years at Wilfrid Laurier University have helped my personal and intellectual growth, I can’t help but question what an employer could possibly see in me. I can’t help but automatically deem myself unemployable. When I look at the words “successfully obtained an Honours English degree” on my resume, I wonder how that looks to future employers.

Do they think all I can do is read and write? If there are jobs out there that require me to analyze Hamlet for a living, sign me up.

While I loved working hard to get my degree in a subject that I am passionate about, I find myself constantly staring at my line of credit, wondering if I will every be able to pay it off. I feel as if the only suitable answer is to get some form of higher education that makes my resume more impressive and more unique.

Like most university grads, I question what my next step is: do I let my undergraduate degree stand alone as my sole hiring feature, or do I seek a post-graduate program that could make me seem more attractive to employers?

A statistical perspective

Every year, the Career Centre at Laurier polls grads to see what they’re up to and the response rate is rather high. Out of all the students to graduate with an undergraduate degree in 2014, 84.9 per cent of them provided the Career Centre with useable data.

Of these graduates in, 61.4 per cent are employed in some way, 33.3 per cent are doing further education, 3.3 per cent are unemployed and two per cent chose “other,” which can include various things such as travelling, taking a year off or exploring alternative options.

The results are a mixture of all programs and faculties, which generalizes the results. They do, however break down these results by faculty, which helps to give more individualized data.

Of arts graduates in 2014, 49.8 per cent are employed, whereas 45.6 per cent sought further education.

In comparison, 83.5 per cent of business administration graduates from 2014 are employed, whereas 11.3 per cent sought further education.

Additionally, 31.3 per cent of science graduates from 2014 are employed, whereas 62.6 per cent sought further education. 37 per cent of music grads from 2014 are employed, whereas 58.9 per cent sought further education.

Finally and most outstanding, 95.7 per cent of graduates from the bachelor’s of education program from 2014 are employed, whereas 1.1 per cent sought further education.

This can be daunting, but the decision to seek further education after obtaining an undergraduate degree is visibly circumstantial. That decision depends on your program and your own vision of where you see yourself in the future.

A professor’s perspective

A master’s program always seemed so prestigiously daunting. Maybe that comes from a lack of understanding.

When looking at post-graduate programs, there are two popular routes. The first is to remain at the university level, which would be to go on and get a masters or graduate degree. The second popular option is to go to a college and obtain a post-graduate diploma or certificate.

Joan Norris, the dean of the faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies at Laurier, described what she found to be the difference between the two routes. She explained colleges offer diplomas or certificates, often that require an undergraduate degree.

“But, they’re very skill based …They’re really focused on practical skills,” she said.

However a master’s degree, according to Norris, has a “blend of the applied and the practical,” as well as the theoretical approach of university. “[There’s] a lot more focus on either doing the research or becoming a very good consumer of the research.”

Norris undoubtedly spoke highly of Laurier’s graduate programs, but a master’s program is really only suited for students who are very much passionate about a specific subject.

“Even if you have a major as an undergraduate, you aren’t studying as intensely in one particular area as you would be in a master’s program,” Norris stated.

“You take your interests, which were broader at the undergraduate level, and you focus them more at the master’s [level].”

A master’s program can also be daunting due to the price tag that comes with it. Norris explained while you do have to pay the tuition up front, research-based programs at Laurier offer funding for every student. In a mixture of scholarships and a bi-weekly salary for being a TA, this can amount to roughly $14,000 that the school is giving back to the student.

Norris also explained the employment possibilities for students who graduate with a master’s program are higher, but may not be better, and depend on the discipline.

“When an employer looks at your resume, or application letter, you would mention some of the things that you did during your graduate work. I think what an employer is going to notice is that you can think more independently, you can show more leadership in a position. They would just expect more of you.”

URES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 • 9

TER GRADUATION

es investigates whether or not ee is valuable on its own

The Career Centre’s perspective

Laurier’s Career Centre has services students can use, including an entire component on what you can do with your degree.

Katherine St. Louis, manager of career resources and operations at the Career Centre, stressed the decision to go on to a post-graduate program is highly dependent on your individual situation. This question does not have a black and white answer, which is comforting yet stressful at the same time. She also expressed it’s a concern many students approaching graduation have. “[Students ask] is my degree actually going to get me a job?” she said. “The short answer to that is most definitely, yes, but the qualifier in that is what kind of job you want.”

St. Louis said the decision to choose college or university after obtaining an undergraduate degree is highly dependent on the job you wish to have. For example, students interested in human resources can get a one-year post-graduate certificate from college and get an HR certification. While there are HR programs at the university level, the certificate is usually the popular choice.

“There certainly are fields where there is a more clearcut answer,” she stated.

The narrowness of college programs shouldn’t deter students, however. College programs still teach students transferable skills.

“If you think you have an interest in an area, you’re going to find something in that certificate program or that master’s program that’s going to be helpful in your career,” she said. “Even if you don’t end up working directly in the industry or occupation that is connected to that educational program.”

Laurier has a wide range of differing faculties. Arts graduates and business graduates cannot be slotted into the same category. They graduate with varying skill sets. With business, St. Louis explained, the skills are more black and white, such as accounting or marketing.

With arts, skills gained are referred to as soft skills, such as communicative skills or critical thinking.

After graduation, a business student can look at a job posting that requires accounting experience and know they are eligible to apply to that job. When an arts student looks at a job posting, they find themselves more confused as to what their skills are, which is why a lot of arts graduates seek further education.

“Arts students, I think, are well equipped. They might not have the programming or technical skills that a tech company might want, but they have the ability to think

outside the box and to think critically and problem solve. Those are skills that tech firms need just as much as they need the technical skills,” she said.

She further explained most employers are looking for soft or transferable skills, like interpersonal skills or communication. Job-specific skills are trainable.

“The key is how you learn how to market yourself in your resume, your cover letters and then in interviews so that employers are able to interact with you and connect,” St. Louis said.

Altogether, having a stand-alone arts degree doesn’t make you unemployable, but if you don’t know how to market yourself, you won’t be as successful. There may be skills that you obtained during your undergraduate degree that you didn’t even know you had, and it’s important to understand what those are.

“You might have a different academic background, but the right skills and personality that the company is looking for,” St. Louis said.

Many of the professionals I spoke to couldn’t really provide a tangible answer. But the reality is, no one can tell you whether or not your undergraduate degree is good enough to stand alone.

St. Louis explained it’s hard to say where students will end up. A student may take a degree in one field, but end up in an entirely different career. But the tools are what remains constant.

“The reality is that people’s careers paths are really not very linear anymore … so it’s figuring out how to have the tools to know what about yourself drives your decision making, so you can make one decision,” she said. “You might do something for two, five, 10 years and then you say, I’m going to reinvent myself and I’m going to make a lateral move into a different industry, try a different job, try a different career, maybe go back into a certificate in five years … careers paths look more [scattered] rather than in a straight line. The way you manage that yourself is the process of knowing yourself.”

Graduating students need to take a second and step back from the stress. Step back from your parents asking what your plan is for the future. Look away from your friends who are anxiously applying to grad school. Avoid the booths in the Concourse shoving their brochures down your throat. Just take a moment and congratulate yourself for graduating university.

You don’t have to make a decision right away. If you don’t know if you should pursue a post-graduate education, that’s okay.

GRAPHICS BY LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

10 •

Arts & Life

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ZACH GUITOR zguitor@thecord.ca

PLEASURE

Smart-tech sex toys have arrived ZACH GUITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

They call it the Womanizer.

Travis Machado, a sales representative at the Love Shop in Waterloo, reached for the highest shelf behind the counter, presenting a sex toy unlike anything I’ve seen before. The shape was akin to an otoscope — the light a doctor uses to look in your ear — but was rather bloated and featured a silicone tipped hole, barely a centimetre in diameter.

“It’s the one toy that guarantees orgasm every single time with women in 60 seconds or less,” said Machado. “They put the guarantee on the toy.”

The Womanizer creates an air-seal around the clitoris and stimulates by sucking in and out.

Machado described it as “touchless technology.”

To call the Womanizer a fad would do it a disservice. The toy is in fact so popular, they’ve teamed up with Swarovski to bedazzle the beloved toy.

Although the Womanizer is evidently revolutionary, it is limited to pleasuring just one person at a time.

And this is just one sex toy that can be recognized during the “season of love.” For couples, Machado pointed to the We Vibe 4 Plus as the ultimate solution. Machado snatched the clamp-like, siliconeladen device from the middle shelf and began to show off the toy’s malleability and versatility.

“They can insert the one end into the vagina, the other side

sits outside against the clit, both sides vibrate simultaneously,” said Machado.

“It’s a couples toy because the male partner can take his penis and slide it underneath while they’re having sex.”

Machado went on to share that the 4 Plus could also be used for anal stimulation or worn across the throat. It appeared the possibilities were endless, but what truly made this a sex toy of the future was its Bluetooth functionality, remote and smartphone application.

Users can download the We Vibe app on their smartphone and control the toys strength patterns from anywhere in the world. The app also has a built-in video chat functionality, taking phone sex to a whole other level.

Machado also showed off toys that were sound responsive and so advanced they could respond accurately to music “as complicated as Skrillex.”

But why would anyone want or need a sex toy this technologically advanced? In the words of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “because it’s 2016.”

Year after year, smartphones become faster, stronger and more integrated into our lives — the same could be said about sex toys.

Just a few years ago, the thought of an app-enabled vibrator wasn’t feasible, but advancements in technology have proven that a smarter and more integrated sex toy experience is both possible and more satisfying.

Looking towards male pleasure, Machado sticks by Fleshlight, the

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

brand that made “pocket-pussies” mainstream.

“They’re the best of the best mainly because they’ve patented a lot of stuff,” said Machado.

For the uninformed, Fleshlight and other brands create artificial vagina sex toys, which emulate the feeling of vaginal sex for its users.

The toys are normally made from silicone, feature ribbed or bumpy linings and some are designed and molded to mimic the look of famous porn stars’ vaginas.

Admittedly, I was a little disappointed at first. It seemed the tech for male toys had yet to reach the height of sophistication of toys like the Womanizer or We Vibe. That is, until Machado presented the Autoblow 2. Through use of “motionbeads” and internal springs, the Autoblow will clench to the user’s organ and “suck your dick for you.”

But Machado insisted men are still yearning for better toys.

“They’ve been working on

internal stuff for guys like prostate stimulation, but that only goes so far because it’s still technically taboo,” said Machado.

Although Machado has been working in sex shops for just under two years, he has taken a great interest in sex since a young age.

Looking back, he insisted that the biggest improvement in the sex toy industry has been in the quality of materials.

“In the 70s, they actually had toys that had phthalates in them, which is a carcinogen. It’s not good for your body at all,” said Machado.

Looking to modern and safe materials, he recommended silicone, polyvinyl chloride and even glass. In fact, Machado insisted glass is the safest, as it isn’t porous and can be easily disinfected to avoid transmitting any infection or disease.

As sex toys continue to advance, people fear the extinction of intimacy. Machado mentioned a radio

program he heard a few years ago, which spoke about the potential of “sex-slave robots” becoming the standard of pleasure by 2055.

Despite realistic human dolls and advancements in artificial intelligence, Machado doesn’t think anything will ever compare to the real thing.

“Sex toys give you a sense of relief, where intimacy gives you that sense of connection, it doesn’t even compare,” said Machado.

As well, sex toys will and should be seen as a valuable stepping stone towards intimacy, or as a means to create more diverse and exciting intimate experiences.

“If somebody is uncomfortable with interacting with people, they can still experience that self-relief, that gratification of just releasing,” said Machado. “If you can find a way to be more comfortable with your body ... you find out what you like, then you can teach someone else what you like.”

PLAYLIST

MAKEOUT MIXTAPE WATER FALL ANDERSON .PAAK

PILLOWTALK ZAYN

If being listed as an “Interlube” isn’t enough of a hint at the intentions of Anderson .Paak’s “Water Fall,” the not-exactly-subtle metaphors in the refrain should arouse suspicions. The smooth, funky guitars are content to meander in the background, while the seductive vocals take over and make you feel an urge to grab the nearest man, woman or inanimate object and gaze deeply into their soul.

Running for just under two minutes, the length of the song could be considered a minor drawback, but if we’re being honest, sometimes two minutes is all you need.

-Jon Coward

This track may rub fans the wrong way as it is a digression from Zayn’s previous style, but after a few listens this single will get anyone in the mood for a good time.

The song has major R&B influences with downtempo, electronic production, coupled with the soft yet dominating voice of Zayn. If this style isn’t your thing musically, give it a listen while watching the music video to see if you can set the mood and create the perfect atmosphere for this season of love.

-Ryan Culley

KISS IT BETTER RIHANNA A good love song has the slow progression you need to maintain the mood — but a great song is multi-faceted with interweaving melodies guiding you to speed up and slow down. Rihanna does not hold back in "Kiss It Better," delivering a performance of raw emotion, which pours out of your speakers and into your body. It pushes you head first into a world of uninhibited vulnerability, making for the purest of experiences.

-Manjot Bhullar

UNDER THE SHEETS HOMESHAKE Are you tired of the same old songs about catching grenades for people? ‘Every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you’ — how about a melodramatic Sting boasting about voyeuristic practices? Well what I’m about to propose isn’t much different. Homeshake is on a mission to seduce you with their slow jam “Under the Sheets.” With a pulsating trance as the core hook of the song, it’ll be tough to get discretionary between all the head-nodding. Peter Sagar sure loves intimacy, especially as he coos "[your] baby loving [you] under the sheets." The gist? I’m not sure, but it sounds dangerous. As such, this would be the only circumstance in which having Sting watching you sleep might actually save your life.

-Jordan Soufian

UNTITLED (HOW DOES IT FEEL) D’ANGELO The king of smooth, sultry R&B made a recent comeback. Although he’s traded his abs for a dad bod, he hasn’t forgotten how to make your body move. Whether it’s a well-timed guitar trill or a seductive falsetto run, D’Angelo knows. Looking at his back catalogue, the one song that is likely to end up on both your parents and your own playlist is “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” Outfitted with every imaginable D’Angelo “sex-ism,” “Untitled” teleports you to a world where it rains cocoa butter and it perpetually smells of brown sugar.

-Zach Guitor

HONOURABLE MENTIONS BODY PARTY CIARA TALK IS CHEAP CHET FAKER

WHITE BLANK PAGE MUMFORD & SONS

MOTIVATION KELLY ROWLAND

This song isn’t suitable for that random you take home from Phil’s.

Reserve it for that steamy make out or hookup that actually means something. "White Blank Page" starts off slow, essentially mimicking foreplay. Marcus Mumford’s voice is soft and tender, like the essential oils that you’ll rub on your sweetheart’s naked back.

Slowly, the song rises, turning into an anthem of passion and romance. Keeping your clothes on throughout the entirety is a game every couple should play. I for one, never thought a banjo could be so arousing. ​"White Blank Page" is a musical representation of sex, making it the perfect track to have playing in the background while getting down and dirty.

-Bethany Bowles

DANCE ON ME GOLDLINK SHE SAID OK BIG BOI BABY DONNIE & JOE EMERSON GOOEY GLASS ANIMALS TURTLES FLYING LOTUS LET'S GET IT ON MARVIN GAYE CONTRIBUTED IMAGES

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 DATING

GUIDE

HOW TO GET LAID AT LAURIER START HERE:

IS THERE SOMEONE YOU WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH?

YES

JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

First impressions are everything ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS PHOTO EDITOR

First dates are no foreign concept to us, yet to this day, people still stress over how to leave their date with a strong first impression.

Dates can be an exciting time to get to know your possible significant other, but the fear of rejection can sometimes be overwhelming.

I, the explorer of love, will guide you through the journey to master the first date.

Making plans

Make sure to start off on the right note.

“If you want to ask a [person] on a date, specify it’s a date. Don’t use the words, ‘let’s hangout,’” said Cristina Almudevar, a Wilfrid Laurier University alumna.

No one likes confusion so it’s better to just avoid it altogether by being clear with your intentions.

Choosing the right place or activity could be imperative to the date’s success, as well.

“I think any sort of fun activity [is] just a more interesting date and you remember it,” said Adam Nicolou, a fourth-year business administration student.

Take note because this guy knows what he’s doing. When you’re out of your comfort zone, you really get to show more personality.

Conversation

You can gauge a date by conversation. A friend of mine told me about a first date incident where the most interesting thing the guy said was his mother used to be a stripper — you can see why this would be highly problematic.

Being boring isn’t going to allow a spark to form and sharing too much personal information certainly won’t either. People generally don’t need to know about your exes, fetishes or stripper moms.

Such missed opportunities lead to dying alone, which isn’t the main goal here.

It’s always good to base the conversation around common interests. If they bring up something you really aren’t a fan of, don’t shoot it down. It’s good to be open to what they like and to understand why. Don’t correct a person either, just chill out and let it go.

It’s not a bad thing to share, but when you are really into the date you might ramble on excitedly.

“Don’t dominate the conversation. Don’t go on a date and just ramble on, it’s awful,” said Almudevar.

Avoid bragging. It’s going to be a turn off if you talk about turning down Harvard to go to University of Guelph because the people there were too snobby. Yes, that happened to me and it wasn’t pleasant.

Manners

The little things really do matter.

Don’t be on your phone — your

date deserves your full attention.

Otherwise, why are you on the date? Regardless of gender or sexuality, it’s always good to hold the door open, pay for or split the bill or to just be a little generous.

Awkward situations

Being prepared to deal with an awkward mistake is something we don’t usually think about, but can be extremely useful. Awkward screw-ups do happen sometimes.

That’s just life. So, what is the best way to correct your mistake?

“I guess he got nervous because he spilled his glass of water onto himself and me,” said fourth-year criminology major, Darlene Melo.

Melo felt that it’s not good to be too quick to throw someone out the window for screwing up.

Spilling the drink wasn’t the main problem because she understood, but since he was too nervous to make a comeback, it made the rest of the night awkward. Turning it into a joke or making a witty remark can help redeem yourself. That way it would turn into a funny memory rather than an awkward one.

In contrast, Nicolou spoke about his date with a girl he met on Tinder. The initial plans were to go skating in uptown Waterloo and grab some dessert afterwards.

The date took an unexpected turn right from the start when his date showed up with her index finder bent back out of place, as if broken.

She had slipped on the ice and hurt herself, but kept her cool like a champ. They went to the hospital and killed time waiting by getting to know each other.

“We talked about everything from our favourite colour to favourite food,” Nicolou explained.

Her finger ended up only being dislocated and the doctor popped it back into place. He assumed after that traumatic experience she would want to go home, but to his surprise she wanted to go back to skating and finish the date. He held her hand the entire time to protect her from falling and they made jokes all evening about the unexpected start to their date. They have gone on many dates since and things have blossomed into something more.

Not many dates that involve dislocated fingers and trips to the hospital would be deemed romantic. The ability to turn something awkward into a funny first date memory is a brilliant way to salvage a date gone wrong. If you’re willing to get to know the other person, things may just fall into place.

The ‘follow up’ text

Don’t do it right away. Wait a little so you both have time to reflect on the evening. You’ll usually be able to know when it’s the right time.

It’s great to send one, especially asking them if they got home safe and telling them you had a great night.

DO THEY WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU(YET)?

SOCIALIZE! MEET NEW PEOPLE

NO

DO THEY LIKE YOU? (ROMANTICALLY)

YES YES

OK, JUST MAKE SURE THEY’RE DOWN #CONSENT

BUT I DONT THINK I’M READY FOR SEX

ARE YOU WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL THEY’RE READY?

YES

NO IT’S NO RUSH! THIS IS A BIG DECISION SO WAIT UNTIL YOU’RE READY

OKAY, I MET SOMEONE

I ASKED, THEY AREN'T

I ASKED, THEY ARE

NO

START OVER

ENJOY THE SEX

CELIBACY IS A-OK! WORDS BY ZACH GUITOR

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12 •

Editorial

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

Deconstructing the social ‘taboo’ around virginity fear being exposed as “sexually inexperienced” and are willing to do whatever it takes to defeat this negatively perceived label — even having sex when they’re not sure it’s time. Being “ready” no longer seems to matter. Sex has become as casual as having a drink with a stranger. Romance and sex have become two separate relationships, with external forces continuing to pressure students into doing what they may not want to do.

It’s important to realize virginity is circumstantial. Everybody develops differently and every person carries different ideals of what sex means to them.

We are not saying that sexuality should be silenced, we are saying that remaining a virgin is something that should not be considered taboo. It’s important to understand when sex is a public, societal aspect and when it’s a personal choice. Pressure shouldn’t be the catalyst to something that makes you feel uncomfortable.

It’s your body. Don’t let the noise of other opinions decide what you want to do with it.

Considering all of the pressures within university culture, students often feel obligated to give in to the social expectations of the “college experience.” Drinking, partying and perhaps most significantly, sex, seem to weave together in a common system of imposed expectancy. Expectations for exploring your sexuality are perhaps most prominent within a university setting, where relationships are not only encouraged, but socially enforced. Why is this the case?

Many consider the days living on their own as a chance to “find themselves,” to live their life to the fullest and stack on as many experiences as possible to help them grow as students and people. However, in searches for self-discovery, physical impulses should not be the only basis of exploration.

There’s no denying the social pressures for people to lose their virginity before a certain age.

Somewhere within the influences of our adolescence, it has been widely misconstrued that virginity correlates with social status and “being personable.” People

Student voting engagement requires improvement seemed to be the only external student club taking part. While this is great for coverage, if the Students’ Union wants to connect with students, they have to be willing to partner with campus groups, department advocates and other student organizations that are not solely there to supply unbiased coverage.

Reaching out early in the application process, through a widespread email just like the one to vote, can also help students feel more a part of the student politics bubble.

Professors, academic advisors and department heads have always taken a step back when it comes to Students’ Union politics, but maybe they should be used to better inform students on the importance of casting a vote — even on the student level. It’s easy to be apathetic to voting when we don’t see constant change.

But it’s important for students to understand that their vote counts and the people who take on the positions can help make some type of a difference to their student experience.

If that difference is not widely understood, interest will not generate on rates beyond 26 per cent.

With the most recent Wilfrid Laurier Students’ Union elections officially wrapped up, it’s important to assess what needs improvement. While an increase in voter turnout occurred, from 24.2 per cent in 2015 to 26.15 per cent in 2016, there is still a large amount of students that do not have engagement with the political process.

This lack of student engagement is problematic when it comes to making decisions about who can lead our school.

The Students’ Union marketing team, board of directors and executive team took valuable steps towards increasing voting engagement.

Campaign posters were wellrecognized over campus walls, social media platforms were utilized and aimed towards keeping students alert and constantly updated, while root beer and ice cream was served at the ballot table in the Concourse to lure students in like the sugar-craving vultures we all are. But what else could’ve been done to hear from a larger chunk of the student body?

There is consistently a clear separation from “Laurier Votes” and campus clubs. Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications

These unsigned editorials are based off informal discussions and then agreed upon by the majority of The Cord’s editorial board, including the Editor-inChief and Opinion Editor. The arguments made may reference any facts that have been made available through interviews, documents or other sources.

The views presented do not necessarily reflect those of The Cord’s volunteers, staff or WLUSP.

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

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Bryan Stephens VICE-CHAIR Abdiasis Issa DIRECTOR Rafey Sattar DIRECTOR John Pehar

DIRECTOR Tom Lillo

DIRECTOR Angela Foster DIRECTOR Fred Kuntz DIRECTOR Gary Doyle

PRESIDENT Bryan Stephens president@wlusp. com FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Caroline Schummer care.schummer@ wlusp.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@ wlusp.com HR MANAGER/ CORPORATE SECRETARY Emily Crump hr@wlusp.com

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Don’t feel bad for me MYNT MARSELLUS MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

It’s been two weeks since #BellLetsTalk day and some of the events that transpired that day have stuck with me.

While I am reticent to talk about some of the problems I see with a billion dollar corporation creating one day to talk about mental health, I did participate.

I used the hashtag on Twitter and I posted my own story on Facebook, telling the world I’m bi-polar — recently diagnosed but long symptomatic.

In October, using the resources that Wilfrid Laurier University provides for me in the Wellness Centre, I saw a psychiatrist and began taking lamotrigine, a mood stabilizer that has helped increase my quality of life immensely.

My story is an incredibly positive one.

I noticed the symptoms myself, went to a counsellor who referred me to a doctor, who referred me to a psychiatrist, who put me on medication that is helping me.

Yet, every time I tell people I’m bi-polar, I get a really concerning reaction: “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

I understand the instinctive sympathetic reaction at work here.

But the more people reacted this way, the more I realized how stigmatized mental illness is.

Even in people who think they’ve become allies. Even in people who tweeted hundreds of

I can do anything that I did before I started treatment, and now I can actually do more.

times for #BellLetsTalk day.

Even in people who are personally connected to mental illness through family or friends.

I take a pill every night before bed that lets me function the way I want to.

My diagnosis means I no longer suffer without help. When I tell you I’m bi-polar, don’t be sad for me.

Be happy.

I’m not nearly as concerned for the people who recognize they need help and have gotten that help as I am for those who suffer in silence.

Those who can’t sleep properly because of thoughts of self-hatred — yet they don’t think they might be depressed.

Those who avoid social interaction and cancel plans at the last minute because of crippling anxiety — yet they think that is just how they are.

Those who have fallen into alcohol dependency, but don’t realize there is help out there.

I can’t help but see the reactions to my mental health issues as a weird fetishization of mental illness as tragedy.

Why would anyone want to be open about their health issues if

people are just going to pity them for the rest of time? It is exhausting being pitied.

Whenever someone feels bad for you and tells you so, there’s an implicit expectation of reciprocal thanks.

You’re sorry that I’m bi-polar, I thank you for how thoughtful your response is even as I see you don’t look at me the same anymore because in your eyes I’m now broken.

That’s what stigma looks like.

Sure there are still people who are outwardly prejudiced against people with mental health issues, but for me at least, it wasn’t those people I was worried about.

It was the people who would show concern and then treat me like I wasn’t capable anymore that worried me.

I can do anything that I did before I started treatment, but now I can actually do more.

I don’t fall into pits of depression and lethargy anymore so I can set goals and stick to them.

I sleep regularly so I can eat properly and not be exhausted all the time.

I feel like I’m in control of my life for the first time in a long time, and when you feel sorry for me, I feel that control being taken away.

So the next time someone tells you their story, read the situation, be interested but don’t automatically assume that their story is a tragedy.

If we want to end mental health stigma there has to be a way to see people with these conditions as more than victims and lepers to be pitied.

Because showing people that life goes on is essential to truly breaking the silence.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Opinion

• 13 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

DATING WITH CELL PHONES FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR

ALEX DULANOVIC OPINION COLUMNIST

In 1980, as Todd punched in the number from his address book, took a deep breath and hoped the father of his prospective date didn’t pick up the house phone, the future of dating crossed his mind. He later brought up the topic to Mary on their first date, that Saturday, at the local diner.

Over two milkshakes they agreed.

“Those computers will probably be able to create perfect matches.”

As an inhabitant of the year 2016, I think it’s safe to say we haven’t gotten there. Despite all our accomplishments, we’re still just as perplexed about romance, love and dating. In fact, it often seems dating has gotten even more confusing.

So, let’s start with a definition of what dating means: “An appointment to meet at a specified time;

especially a social engagement between two persons that often has a romantic character.”

That “appointment” part of dating has definitely changed. Yeah, you’re able to warn someone you’ll be late. You can even cancel last minute and not feel like a complete asshole. Yet, these plastic and glass rectangles you tap and swipe have impacted more than just scheduling flexibility.

Firstly, the significance of the appointment has decreased. Without cell phones, a concrete plan was necessary.

You’d spend the upcoming days thinking about the date. Contemplation would fuel anticipation and the date would become a bigger deal.

Today, the date is never locked in place. Cell phones have become doorstoppers, always leaving possibilities open. As the value of a date has decreased and our awareness of other events has increased, there’s just a different level of commitment. One that’s so obviously different than how we deal with family, friends and those we feel

obligated to not disappoint. To me, it makes no sense that unwritten rules about flopping no longer apply when phones get involved.

Flopping has been there before cell phones, I get that. Yet, the modern dating scene can be characterized by a fabricated casualness countering our classic assumptions about romance.

In that sense, Todd asking Mary on a date meant something different than it does now. It makes sense that asking someone out is a signal of emotional and sexual curiosity. There’s no shame in wanting to explore attraction.

Today there tends to be so many steps before that point. God forbid you meet in person, without three Instagram likes, two Snapchats and two weeks of staggered text conversation. Despite all the interconnectivity, it seems like a genuine face-to-face connection is a leap of faith people are scared to take.

Therefore, while an actual date may have lost its former value, the act of asking someone out has so much more significance. In the

world of text where so much is typed, but so little is said, asking someone on a date is revealing your hand.

A risky display of emotion that stands out compared to all the other ambiguous micro-attractions that surround it.

Being asked out in 1980: They’re attracted to you, they want to get to know you.

In 2016: “OMG lol! They like you so much!”

After being asked out, unfortunately the whole situation is hardly ever resolved with a simple “I’m down,” even if that’s what the person is thinking. Over texts we have the time to analyze, discuss and carefully edit our response.

In the past we would contemplate the upcoming date, but now we contemplate the response leading to it.

What happens is a power dynamic that often leads to days, weeks and sometimes months of occasional texts devoid of any commitment, only the teasing possibility that something could happen. The result: “We’ll see,”

“Maybe,” “We’ll figure it out!”

Comedian Aziz Ansari’s take is, “It’s like you’re a secretary for this really shoddy organization, scheduling the dumbest shit with the flakiest people ever.”

Ansari touches on a key point. It seems we are all secretaries to the foyer of our personal selves, scared to let people through the office doors and talk to the CEO upstairs.

Instead, we opt to go through a long screening process that never ends up going anywhere. Romance enters a realm of business professionalism; you weigh the costs and benefits, hoping to get a return on your investment.

Whether it’s 1980 or 2016, romance has always been appreciated as the epitome of human expression and connection. Texting often feels like a game of who can do the least of those things.

So shout out to the people that don’t play by the current age’s nonsensical rules. Walk up to that girl and ask her out. Call that guy and organize a dinner. Life is too temporary to spend so much time in the weird world of texting.

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14 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Abandoning allies in the ‘war on terror’ Repositioning Canada’s military role: what will Justin Trudeau’s decision to take a step back from the fight against ISIS mean for our relationships with other countries and political advocacy?

STEPHEN C. DIAFERIA OPINION COLUMNIST

Well into the new year, as we adjust to new developments and changes, Canadians must also start over with the leadership of newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Campaign promises of a fresh young face, mass change and legalization of marijuana was possibly the most enticing election for young voters in Canadian history.

However, with this new leadership has already come a sizeable amount of change — particularly with Canada’s role in the war against ISIS. Now, if you voted for a new leader, you voted for that leader’s decisions. Some argue that Trudeau is merely changing Canada’s role in the fight, and a lack of Canadian bombing wouldn’t really leave a detrimental impact for our future.

Some believe Canada is taking a “valuable” position in fighting, fighting the war in a different, but helpful way.

Canada’s “change” in its role in the campaign against ISIS is quite the serious decision that could negatively impact our relationships with our allies abroad.

According to Trudeau’s pledge, he plans to remove Canada’s fighter jets from bombing ISIS and focus more on humanitarian aid and training for local forces.

Now, of course due to the vast and immeasurable numbers of refugees suffering and in search of safe havens, the more humanitarian aid/transportation, the better.

However, the cause of this strife and the millions of refugees is ISIS. ISIS cannot be reasoned with and I find it highly unlikely they’d be willing to hang up their guns and sit at a table to converse about peace in a civilized manner.

Something tells me they just aren’t that nice.

They must be stopped militarily, as there is quite clearly no other way. To do this, bombing must continue and local rebel forces (predominately made of Kurds and Iraqis) have continued to take advantage of these bombings to secure increasing amounts of oc-

They must be stopped militarily, as there is quite clearly no other way.

cupied ISIS territory.

The question may still remain: was what we were doing before making a difference?

According to an article from the New York Times titled: Isis’ Territory Shrank In Syria And Iraq This Year, published on December 22, 2015, this military strategy can be seen as effective as it shows a slow and steady decrease in ISIS territory of occupation/influence.

Forces on the ground are aided by intensive air strikes from the American-led coalition, which do indeed allow them to take objectives.

Aside from its military effectiveness thus far and despite the tragic Paris attacks, Trudeau still intends to take Canada out of the fight, in terms of aiding our allies in this bombing campaign.

This is a move that shows inexperience and poor handling of international relations, especially in times of possible impending attacks such as these.

We are part of a binding military organization known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, that have all agreed to aid each other in times of distress. How would we feel if Toronto was the target of such an attack? Would we be okay with countries like France removing their military from attacking our aggressors? Aggressors that have committed an atrocity on our civilians and who we are desperately trying to stop?

I feel as if I still may not be getting through to some readers, so let me put this in university-style context.

Imagine you, France, are out with your overly apologetic friend, Canada, at the bar — he drinks too much beer and wants to be friends with everyone. A few shady guys who are inebriated beyond belief and call themselves ISIS, start to shove and bully a couple of firstyear bystanders who just wanted

WILL HUANG/FILE PHOTO

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s choice to change Canada’s military role can damage political relations with allies.

to sing some karaoke, but now just want to get out of the overcrowded bar despite getting lucky with their fake IDs. You step in to protect the little guys, and the bullies initiate a bar fight.

One of them throws the first punch and you hit the ground with a throbbing head. Your long-time buddy, ‘Merica, witnesses this from across the bar and immediately jumps into action. More of ISIS’ friends start whaling punches at everyone who comes in to protect you. Your buddies, UK, Italy and Australia pound away at the bullies who begin pulling more helpless bystanders into the scuffle. Black eyes and bruises ensue. You and your friends need all the help you could get. You can’t help but ask yourself, where is your good friend Canada?

Looking through your blurred vision, overcome with dizziness from the countless blows you’ve taken to the head, you see him.

Canada is polishing off another beer while trying to teach another first-year to fight back for the next time an instance such as this arises. Not really the help that’s required for the time being. Thanks a lot, Canada.

I understand that the political implications being depicted are far more complex than what this little analogy is demonstrating, and I have no intentions of minimizing the attacks of such a cruel terrorist organization. However, the basis of the problem still rings true.

Canada isn’t being the loyal ally we should be.

Before we know it, we could be ignored from important meetings or conferences from which we could otherwise benefit. According to an article by CBC titled Canada not Invited to anti-ISIS Coalition Meeting in Paris, published on January 18, 2016, this neglect, as a result of a poor reputation on the global scale, has already begun. As

Canadians that voted for change, we need to think about how Canada can best change for the better.

Canadians that voted for change, we need to think about how Canada can best change for the better. If we stand by and not fight with our allies for those who cannot protect themselves, then how can we really be a leader in the world? This decision is something that some may shrug off or even advocate for, but in terms of foreign relations, it can definitely be seen more as a hindrance than a progression in relationships with our allies.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Sports

• 15 SPORTS EDITOR DREW YATES dyates@thecord.ca

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

A defence mentality Laurier plays tight-end game to sink No. 7 Mustangs 2-1 DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

HEATHER DAVIDSON/CORD ALUM

Laurier played a tight, defensive game in their 2-1 victory against Western.

Defensively responsible.

That was the mindset of the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women’s hockey team when they hosted the No. 7 nationally-ranked Western Mustangs on Saturday night.

Coming home from a devastating 7-2 loss against the Windsor Lancers on Friday, Laurier knew they had to have a short memory if they wanted to bounce back against the fifth-place team in the Ontario University Athletics conference.

And it paid off. After four periods didn’t solve anything, on the brink of the fifth period of hockey expiring and a shootout looming, Blair Connelly got a pass from Robyn Degagne and used what speed she had left to dangle the puck and capitalized against Western goaltender Kelly Campbell. Connelly scored with 1.6 seconds left on the clock, leading the Hawks to a 2-1 victory.

“More responsible in our own end — that’s the first and foremost important thing,” Connelly, the fifth-year co-captain said. “When we take care of that, everything else seems to flow together.”

The win gave the Hawks two critical points in the race to secure a postseason berth. Laurier is cur-

rently tied with the Waterloo Warriors in sixth place with 35 points.

Head coach Rick Osborne was impressed with how the players stepped up against the potent Mustang squad and showed what Laurier is capable of.

“Tonight was the night where truly our best players were our best players, from the goaltender and out to the top two, three [defence] were really good. The top forwards were really good. They got a lot of ice time in the third period and in the overtime period,” he said.

“It’s not easy to face a big squad like that. They kept coming and we kept coming.”

“We found a way to force a bounce and we beat a real good team tonight.”

The game remained scoreless until the second period when Heather Platt tipped a shot from Giuliana Pallotta to score her first goal of the season. The Hawks continued their defensively responsible tactic to keep the Mustangs at bay, limiting them to only 11 shots over two periods.

But the Mustangs came storming back in the third period, sending 15 of the 37 shots starting goaltender Amanda Smith faced at her. Western made a final push with under two minutes to play in regulation on the powerplay with the goalie pulled and succeeded, sending the game to overtime.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Shooting for home-ice advantage Hawks win two crucial points against Queen’s Gaels as playoff race heats up DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks are one step closer to securing home-ice advantage in the playoffs for the first time since the 2009-10 season. The men's hockey team won a thriller against the Queen's Gaels on Sunday night, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win 4-3 in a shootout.

The win puts the Hawks in seventh place with 26 points, with two more games left in the season. If they win their last two games, and provided the Waterloo Warriors, Ryerson Rams and Windsor Lancers lose their last games, the Hawks could slide into fourth place in the Ontario University Athletics West division and secure home-ice advantage.

"Since we've clinched a playoff spot, we were on about a threegame losing streak, which is no fun," captain Greg Cerilli said. "But we have that playoff spot, ended the three game losing streak and next weekend we need to jump on a plane and head up to Thunder Bay for two games and then a whole new season starts."

The Hawks trailed early in the first period when the Gaels opened up scoring with two minutes left in the first period. Fourth-year Derek Schoenmakers added his 14th goal of the season early on in the second period before Queen's took the lead again. Queen's added

“We’re just hoping to get in there and steal four points and get out as quick as we can.”

-Greg Cerilli, left-winger

PAIGE BUSH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Christian Mroczkowski battles a Gaels defender behind a net in a 4-3 win.

another goal early in the third period before the Hawks went into comeback mode, scoring two goals and forcing overtime.

When both overtimes didn't solve anything, Cerilli and Schoenmakers beat Queen's netminder Jacob Brennan in the shootout to secure a big two points for Laurier.

"It's my first shootout that I've had since my first year. Something we work on a lot in practice and it was a move I've never tried in

practice, and I'm happy it worked tonight," Cerilli said.

The game was the pure definition of a goaltender duel as the Hawks peppered Brennan with 55 shots. Laurier netminder Vinny Merante faced 41 shots in the victory and currently has a 0.914 save percentage with a 3.08 goals against average.

"Vinny's one of the most dedicated players on this team. He loves what he does and he came

in here tonight and made clutch saves for us, kept us in it and went 2-for-3 [in the shootout]," Cerilli said. "Any time you go 2-for-3, we had the scoring power to get it done."

The Hawks finish their season when they travel up north to Thunder Bay and face the Lakehead Thunderwolves this weekend.

Lakehead sits in 10th place in the OUA West division, but have a tendency to win one of the two games.

The Thunderwolves also bring out a huge crowd.

Cerilli knows the Hawks will have to play well if they want to get four points from there.

"Thunder Bay's a different kind of trip. We leave on a Thursday, we go up there. It's a tough place to play, a lot of locals go to their games, it's a packed barn. We're just hoping to get in there and steal four points and get out as quick as we can," he said.

Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. on February 13.

Shortening up his bench, Osborne alternated between two concrete lines, one of which had the veteran play of Connelly, Jessie Hurrell and Hayley Baxter. Connelly said the game was a “playoffstyle type of game,” in its intensity.

“We knew we had to have a 60-minute hard-working effort tonight and everybody in the dressing room did that,” she said.

The game was also a chippy affair, as both teams combined for a total of 30 minutes in the penalty box.

Osborne said the Hawks’ competitive juices were flowing and although he didn’t want to see that many penalties, he thought the penalty kill did really well.

“I just thought that our team tonight when we didn’t have the puck played a really good game,” he said.

And with the No. 5 Toronto Varsity Blues next in line, Laurier is focused on getting another two points on the Blues’ rink. Despite the limited time and space on the ice due to the smaller rink, Connelly remained confident that the Hawks can pull through — if they play defensively responsible.

“Knowing it’s a one-game weekend, we know we can empty the tank that game and that way we can make sure we have a 60-minute solid effort and leave it all out there,” she said.

16 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016

CURLING

National gold in the headlights After capturing CIS bronze and silver last year, the women’s and men’s curling rinks want more “Once we do the crossover, that’s going to be a battle.

No question about that.”

-Glenn Paulley, head coach of the curling program

HEATHER DAVIDSON/FILE PHOTO

The Laurier men’s rink look to capture CIS gold after winning silver and bronze for the last two years at nationals.

DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

Last year, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks made history when both curling rinks won gold at the Ontario University Athletics championship.

Hosting the national championship as the top Ontario teams and battling against seven other elite teams in the nation, the women’s rink captured a Canadian Interuniversity Sport bronze medal while the men finished second in the country, capturing the silver medal.

But they want more.

Despite a CIS bronze medal

two years ago and a CIS silver last year, the men are looking for gold.

But to get to the national stage, they have to go through the likes of the Western Mustangs — newly equipped with a stellar skip in Toronto Varsity Blues graduate Evan Lilly — the Queen’s Gaels and the Guelph Gryphons.

All three of these teams play in the other pool, so the Hawks could not see them until the semifinals.

But they will have to play the Brock Badgers, who beat them 7-4 at the Brock Invitational last January. And the Lakehead Thunderwolves.

“We don’t see the Lakehead team really at any other time be-

cause of the expensive travel, so we don’t really know what they look like and could get a surprise from them in terms of quality of play,” head coach Glenn Paulley said.

“We certainly looked out for them last year and we weren’t wrong. I’d expect nothing short of that this year from them.”

This year also has an added incentive, as the winning rinks get the chance to represent Canada at the 2017 FISU games held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

And fifth-year Richard Krell, who was part of the Laurier team that won CIS bronze and CIS silver, has his sights on gold.

“That’s definitely the goal. It’s

never going to be easy,” he said.

“We suspect that most of the [defending national champions] Alberta team will be back, and there’s always good competition in the OUA but the goal is certainly to win CIS gold this year.”

The women’s varsity rink will have a new look to them, as thirdyear Chelsea Brandwood took over skipping duties after Carly Howard and Kerilynn Mathers graduated.

Taking over at lead is secondyear Megan Arnold while Brenda Holloway is throwing vice stones.

Evie Fortier remains playing second.

Despite such high turnover, Brandwood doesn’t think this will have any affect on their performance going into the OUA championship.

“I think it’ll be a little different being a new team that’s playing together, but overall we’ve all been in pressure situations whether it was on this team or on different teams,” she said.

“I think pressure-wise and everything else we should be good.”

Paulley is confident in Brandwood’s abilities as skip for the

women’s varsity rink because of her experience in high-pressure situations — she’s an Ontario junior champion, she’s been an alternate at the OUA level and the CIS level.

One of the things Paulley focused on as head coach of the curling program was championing the necessity for being fit.

The OUA championship is a grind – with 15 teams battling it out on the women’s side and 16 teams battling it out on the men’s side, it can be a daunting five-day bender.

In pool format, each team must play a total of seven games in the round robin before even playing the quarter-finals.

But Paulley still likes the Hawks’ chances.

“If any team is going to be able to handle that grind of playing all of those round robin games in a short amount of time, it’s going to be the team from Laurier,” he said.

Coming into the OUA championship, which begins Thursday in Guelph, Paulley said it’s going to be interesting for both rinks once the playoff round kicks off on Monday.

With the focus and goal being qualifying for CIS nationals, it’s important to use the experience and fitness Laurier exhibits to come out with more hardware.

“Certainly we want to qualify for the playoff round on Monday, tiebreakers are on Sunday night,” he said. “Once we do the crossover, that’s going to be a battle. No question about that.”

-With files from Shelby Blackley

FEATURE

Friends on and off the ice Laurier goaltending duo bring out the best in each other DANIEL JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

Vinny Merante and Colin Furlong may compete for play time on the ice, but off the ice, they are great friends.

The two Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawk men’s hockey netminders have nearly identical save percentages, with Furlong holding a .918 save percentage and Merante sitting at .914. Currently, Furlong sits at a 2.92 goals against average while Merante has a 3.08 goals against average. They stepped up and defended the Laurier net with increased intensity and competence that hasn’t been seen in the last several seasons, arguably since Ryan Daniels left the team. The two athletes categorize their dynamic as being great buddies. According to Merante, their friendship goes beyond hockey.

“When we’re off the ice we don’t really talk too much about hockey,” he said. “When we’re on the ice there’s less chatter. He’s on his mat, I’m on my mat. We’re working hard.”

“It really helps when you get along with your goalie partner,” Furlong said. “It’s a lot easier.”

Furlong said the reason they mesh so well on and off the ice is due to their different game styles.

They approach certain plays differently, too. Merante said as much as it doesn’t make too much of a difference, Furlong catches with

“I think we’re subtly unspoken pushing each other.”

-Vinny Merante, goaltender

his right hand, Merante catches with his left and that because they are bigger goalies, they both like to stay up and take up as much space in the net as they can.

The goaltending tandem works well and coaches can sub either out based on either their play or what kind of game plan they are trying to run. The duo of Merante and Furlong compete against each other throughout the week in practice and then one will get the nod for the game. However if the coaching staff feels a need to make a change to spark some momentum, the two have to be flexible in regards to splitting their playing time. The pair said they bring out the best in each other and that healthy competition goes a long way.

“I think we’re subtly unspoken pushing each other. Because regardless, you can be best of friends but as a goalie you always want to play right,” Merante said.

“Then again we’re happy for the

other one.”

Often when players go too long at their position uncontested, they can regress. The added competition between the pair table helps their development as athletes and improves the team as a whole.

Merante said with the friendly competition he has with Furlong, it avoids complacency and doesn’t allow any netminder to take their foot off the pedal.

The Hawks do not have a clear number one and two goaltender, and Merante and Furlong play best in this way. This also adds a constant state of pressure and evaluation which both players thrive from. This has kicked the goaltending duties into gear this year and allows the team to let the goaltender make plays and focus more on their efforts into the opposing teams end.

“It can’t happen in this sport because every day is a battle out there,” Merante said.

“It really helps when you get along with your goalie partner. It’s a lot easier.”

-Colin Furlong, goaltender

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Vinny Merante (left) and Colin Furlong (right) became a strong Hawk duo.